very good article! it reminded me my good old days whn i was a student of anandwan blind school and i had sceene that life very closely. regards, rahul
On 2/25/08, mufazal munshi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > beautifully depicted by the author of the article...... > > made very nice reading! > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rajesh Asudani" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 12:43 PM > Subject: [AI] A tribute to Baba Amte > > > > SPACES OF CHANGE > > > > Living with dignity > > > > > > NEETA > > DESHPANDE > > > > Beyond rejection by relatives, friends and society, to rebuild > > one's life and a community based on hard work and dignity - that's the > > essence > > of Amte's Anandwan. > > > > > > > > > > Photo: PTI Hope and refuge: > > Baba Amte. > > > > > > > > > > > > The incredible story of Anandwan, > > an expansive, cooperative town of 2,000 leprosy-afflicted and disabled > > residents, > > began one rainy night. While returning home, Murlidhar Devidas Amte - > > better known as the humanitarian crusader Baba Amte - ; came across what > > seemed to > > be a bundle on the side of the road. When he took a closer look, Amte, to > > his horror, encountered a man in the last stages of leprosy. He saw a > > rotting > > mass of human flesh without fingers and toes, with holes, sores and worms > > in place of a nose and eyes. Horrified and afraid, he ran home. But he > > could > > not live with himself. To overcome the fear he had experienced, he > > resolved to work with the leprosy-afflicted, a life-changing decision that > > laid the > > seeds for his future course of action. > > > > In 1951, on 50 acres of stony wasteland inhabited by wild animals near > > Warora in north-eastern Maharashtra, Amte along with his wife Sadhana and > > six patients > > crippled by leprosy, started building Anandwan, a leprosarium and farm > > where those shunned by their families and society could live and work with > > dignity. > > Among the first tasks, Amte and his companions with deformed hands and > > feet, built shelters and dug a well which took almost two months. In three > > years' > > time, Anandwan grew to a community of 60 people building a new life > > together. Agriculture, the mainstay of Anandwan's economy, developed > > gradually, along > > with its diverse endeavours. > > > > Impressive growth > > > > Today, Anandwan sprawls across 175 hectares, encompassing hospitals for > > the treatment, training and rehabilitation of leprosy patients, schools > > for the > > leprosy-afflicted, blind, deaf-mute and handicapped and a home for the > > leprosy-afflicted old. It boasts of 120 hectares of agricultural land and > > vocational > > training centres for disabled youth and rural school and college dropouts. > > It also includes a home for senior citizens, a community nursery for > > orphans > > and the children of those with leprosy, and housing for some 2,000 > > residents, among various other endeavours. These varied activities at > > Anandwan are carried > > out by the leprosy-afflicted and disabled themselves. More than five > > decades of hard, laborious work has created this "grove of joy" which > > offers opportunities > > to live a life of dignity to its residents. > > > > During my visit to Anandwan, I watch a partially blind man named Govind > > weaving a handloom mat. The task demands craftsmanship, patience and > > attention to > > detail. Govind progresses extremely slowly but with confidence. A visitor > > comments, "He can't see a thing so I don't know how he weaves." At > > Anandwan, > > countless such persons with disabilities are trained in trades ranging > > from carpet making to carpentry, handloom weaving to electrical work, > > tailoring > > to repairing air conditioners. The rehabilitated members of Anandwan's > > community produce a diverse range of products including cloth and carpets, > > leather > > products and metal furniture, coolers and bicycles. In a country where the > > disabled are usually sighted begging on the streets or in trains in > > miserable > > conditions without any dignity, Amte's creative response - "Work builds, > > charity destroys" - comes alive in the vocational training centres here. > > > > Through the years, Anandwan has been home to many remarkable individuals > > who have overcome enormous odds to rebuild their lives fruitfully, > > utilising the > > opportunities provided here. > > > > Courageous lives > > > > Eighty-three-year-old Bansilalji is one such individual. A long-time > > colleague of Amte, Bansilalji talks of the devastating discrimination he > > faced when > > afflicted by leprosy. "Anywhere in the world," he tells me emphatically, > > "once you have leprosy, you have no father, no mother, no brother, no > > relatives. > > No one loves you." With a smile on his wrinkled face, he is rational and > > understanding about the absolute rejection he faced from his near and dear > > ones. > > They were very afraid of getting infected, he tells me. They were > > illiterate and believed that leprosy could not be cured, he reasons > > further. People from > > his village, including his own relatives, would refuse to visit his house > > and buy the milk of his buffaloes. Bansilalji found that people who used > > to love > > him and care for him - his parents, siblings, wife and friends - now > > systematically avoided him. They refused to eat with him, refused to talk > > to him, > > rejected him entirely. Utterly frustrated, he decided to leave home, > > resolving to commit suicide. But fortunately, he happened to meet Amte in > > 1956, and > > in the days that followed, played a significant role in helping him > > develop Anandwan's agriculture in its early days. Today, Bansilalji's son > > and grandson > > visit him at Anandwan, but the scars of the discrimination he faced are > > etched on his mind so deeply that he refuses to visit his old home. > > > > Another life lived with courage is that of Sadashiv Tajne. Sadashiv was > > afflicted by polio at the age of three, hence he cannot walk. I had > > decided to talk > > to him about his disability, but he spoke to me about his work at Anandwan > > with so much hope, energy and enthusiasm that I forgot my original > > purpose, > > forgot that I was speaking with a disabled man. Sadashiv's parents > > educated him up to Class 10; throughout those years, he would move about > > on his hands. > > In 1972, he met Amte and enrolled at Anand Niketan College - the Arts, > > Science and Commerce College built by the leprosy-afflicted for those > > without leprosy > > from the world beyond Anandwan. To educate himself during college, he had > > to travel two kilometres back and forth on his hands everyday. While > > pursuing > > his formal education, he learned various trades at Anandwan's vocational > > training centre. Today, he is the supervisor of the same programme, and > > also the > > director of Anandwan's orchestra. At Anandwan itself, he married Asha, a > > deaf and mute woman, with whom he has what he describes as a wonderful > > marriage. > > Sadashiv has never considered himself disabled, never avoided any task due > > to his disability, never said no. > > > > A range of endeavours > > > > Over five and a half decades, Anandwan has pioneered a diverse range of > > endeavours in various fields ranging from community living to caring for > > the environment. > > One such endeavour at Anandwan is its very own, extraordinary orchestra - > > Swaranandawan. I am moved beyond words to see this group of performers > > with varying > > disabilities on stage. Swaranandawan belts out popular, lively film songs > > in self-assured, confident voices. A sign on the backdrop to the stage > > reads > > "Give them a chance, not charity"; beneath it is painted a raised fist. > > Some performers move to the centre of the stage by supporting themselves > > on their > > hands. Other blind singers have to be helped in order to face the > > audience. But, in spite of the difficulties, they are undaunted, confident > > and charismatic. > > A little girl sings "Dil hai chota sa, Choti si Asha". Her talented mother > > sings "Jo bhi kiya, Hamna kiya, Shaan se". After the performance, the > > audience > > - visitors from Bihar - crowd around the artists. One of the > > polio-afflicted singers, who is also the flamboyant compere of the show, > > has sung a song dedicated > > to his life-partner, who is deaf and mute. Who is she, people from the > > audience ask him? Can we see your house, they continue. She is very lucky > > (to have > > a husband like you), remarks one lady. > > > > Back to reality > > > > Having spent a few unforgettable days at Anandwan, I take my leave. On the > > train, I encounter many beggars, some blind, some without legs who are > > crawling > > on their hands, some pointing out their deformities to me. What kind of a > > society are we, I think to myself, that cannot even provide a basic life > > of dignity > > to our fellow human beings? As the beggars stream past me gradually, I am > > reminded of my days at Anandwan. I am reminded of the girl who confidently > > pointed > > out directions to me with her hand amputated at the elbow. I am reminded > > of a group of deaf and mute students talking animatedly amongst themselves > > in > > sign language. I am reminded of the partially blind girls who danced > > beautifully to the beat of the Anandwan orchestra. Outside Anandwan, the > > world seems > > to be back to its usual self. It is difficult to keep in mind that a place > > such as Anandwan really exists. > > > > ________________________________ > > Notice: The information contained in this e-mail > > message and/or attachments to it may contain > > confidential or privileged information. If you are > > not the intended recipient, any dissemination, use, > > review, distribution, printing or copying of the > > information contained in this e-mail message > > and/or attachments to it are strictly prohibited. If > > you have received this communication in error, > > please notify us by reply e-mail or telephone and > > immediately and permanently delete the message > > and any attachments. 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