Thursday, February 21, 2008
Noted Gandhian activist Baba Amte laid to rest
Baba's widow Sadhana, sons Vikas and Prakash and other family members were joined by thousands of his admirers in paying their last respects to the messiah of leprosy patients and green crusader amid chants of his favorite mantra "Bharat Jodo - Bharat Jodo" (Knit India).
The funeral was shorn of rituals and the Gandhian activist was buried instead of being cremated in deference to his wishes. Amte had said he should be buried so that micro-organisms feed on his body and every bit of it gets utilized rather than the ash polluting water sources.
Born Murlidhar Devidas Amte and popularly known as Baba, he was honored for his exemplary work with several national and international awards, including Padma Vibhushan and the Magsaysay award.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh accompanied by his ministerial colleagues Anees Ahmed, Anil Deshmukh and Balasaheb Thorat, and former Bombay High Court chief justice Chandrashekhar Dharmadhikari and Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar placed wreaths on the body before it was laid to rest.
Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Maharashtra unit chief Nitin Gadkari, Shiv Sena legislator Diwakar Raote and former central minister Shantaram Potdukhe were also present along with several other leaders and social activists.
The atmosphere was electric long after the funeral ended, with hundreds of Anandvan inmates, including leprosy patients and physically challenged people, joining NBA workersTo read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit : http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: Baba Amte
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