Prakash Amte

Dr. Prakash Amte

Prakash Amte with a rescued owl at his animal shelter.
Born (1948-12-26) 26 December 1948
Anandwan, Maharashtra, India
Nationality Indian
Education MBBS
Alma mater Government Medical College (Nagpur)
Occupation Social worker
Years active 1973 - present
Known for Lok Biradari Prakalp
Spouse(s) Mandakini Amte
Children Dr. Digant Amte
Aniket Amte
Arti Amte
Parent(s) Baba Amte (father)
Awards Padma Shri 2002
Ramon Magsaysay Award 2008
Website www.lokbiradariprakalp.org

Prakash Baba Amte is a social worker from Maharashtra, India. Younger son of Magsaysay awardee Baba Amte. He and his wife, Dr. Mandakini Amte were awarded the Magsaysay Award for 'Community Leadership'[1] in 2008 for their philanthropic work in the form of the Lok Biradari Prakalp amongst the Madia Gonds in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra and the neighbouring states of Telangana and Madhya Pradesh.

Early life

He obtained a medical degree from GMC (Government Medical College),Nagpur. His brother Vikas Amte, also a medical doctor, coordinates the activities at their father's ashram at Anandwan and manages the satellite projects and hospitals.

Lok Biradari Prakalp

After his M.B.B.S. when he was studying for his M.S. he was granted land by the Maharashtra Government for his project. He left his M.S. and moved to Hemalkasa to start the Lok Biradari Prakalp in 1973, a project for the development of tribal people, most of whom were the Madia Gond in the forests of Gadchiroli district in 1973.[2] He lived and worked there without electricity, telephone etc. for almost twenty years and at times performed emergency surgical procedures without electricity. ( Interview to Raju Parulekar on Marathi TV channel ETV Marathi, Programme name Samvad) The project transformed into three things: a hospital, Lok Biradari Prakalp Davakhana, a residential school Lok Biradari Prakalp Ashram Shala and an orphanage for injured wild animals the Amte's Animal Park. It seeks to improve health and educational services for tribals in the area. Hemalkasa lies in a tribal belt and the project provides health care to about 40000 individuals annually. The Lok Biradari Prakalp Ashram School has over 600 students, residents and day scholars.[3]

A countryside that belongs to the rural folk. To the tribals; the very people for whom the Lok Biradari Prakalp was established by the revered Murlidhar Devidas Amte (Baba Amte) in December 1973. The eyes of the Baba light up at the mere mention of the project. The pride of successful service to the tribals by his son, shows in that gleam in his eyes.

Amte’s Animal Ark

Amte's Animal Ark is a wildlife orphanage and sanctuary[4] "The Ark" is an orphanage for young wild animals, whose parents have been killed by the tribal people only for food and not for fun or entertainment. Amte was successful to get these animals in exchange of food grains and clothes. However, it was not easy to do this. The Animal Ark today has a wide variety of animals like leopards, sloth bears, snakes, birds, deer, owls, crocodiles, hyenas and monkeys.

Books written

Prakashvata (Pathways to Light) is an autobiography of Amte. It was originally written in Marathi and is now translated into English, Gujarati and Kannada. Amte has penned down his experiences with his "wild friends" in a book titled Raanmitra (Jungle Friends).[5]

Awards

Dr. Prakash Amte has received many national and international awards,[6] some of the notable awards are:

Citation: "In electing Prakash Amte and Mandakini Amte to receive the 2008 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership, the board of trustees recognizes their enhancing the capacity of the Madia Gonds to adapt positively in today's India, through healing and teaching and other compassionate interventions."

The Principality of Monaco issued a postage stamp in honour of Prakash and Mandakini in 1995.[11][12]

In popular culture

Biopic film, starring Nana Patekar, as Amte and Sonali Kulkarni as Mandakini Amte Dr Prakash Baba Amte : The Real Hero, released on 10 October 2014.[13] The film has been released in three languages Hindi, Marathi and English.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Citation from the website of Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation
  2. ↑ Deshmukh, A (2002) Letter from Nagpur, Indian Journal of Medical Ethics10(2)Available online
  3. ↑ Website of the Maharogi Sewa Samiti
  4. ↑ "Amte's Animal Ark".
  5. ↑ http://lokbiradariprakalp.org/publications/
  6. ↑ "List of Awards".
  7. ↑ "Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice held on Sunday". dna. Diligent Media Corporation Ltd. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Lokmanya Tilak Award".
  9. ↑ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  10. ↑ "Magsaysay for another generation of Amtes". www.dnaindia.com. Diligent Media Corporation Ltd. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  11. ↑ "Dr. Prakash and Dr. Mrs. Mandakini Amte - International Awards - Hamdan Award for Volunteers in Humanitarian Medical Services - 2009-2010". Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  12. ↑ "VILLAGES SANS FRONTIERES - Hemalkasa - Lok Biradari Prakalp (Fraternité entre les peuples)". VILLAGES SANS FRONTIERES c/o LAZE - Quartier Lasbordes 64270 SALIES-DE-BEARN. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  13. ↑ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/marathi/movies/news/Biopic-on-Dr-Prakash-Amte-to-be-released-in-three-languages/articleshow/19148320.cms

External links

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