विमला ठकार का असामयिक निधन

Patron of SAF Vimala Thakar Passes Away

One of the inspiring patrons of the SAF, a veteran Gandhian and an eminent philosopher Vimala Thakar passed away on Wednesday 11th March, 2009 at her Ashram in Mount Abu (Rajasthan). She motivated the youth of South Asian to work for the peace and prosperity of the region, with her philosophical speeches. The great spiritual leader Vimala Tai was a great inspiration for the youth. She was favouring thinking globally and acting locally for the cause of peace and humanity. She had many young disciples world-wide. She had authored many books on spirituality and leadership in English and other Indian Languages.

Her sudden demise is a great loss for the peace movement of the South Asian Fraternity.

MOMENTS OF GRIEF AT ANANDVAN…

आनंदवन में दुःखद क्षण..
MOMENTS OF GRIEF AT ANANDVAN…

Date:10/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/10/stories/2008021060370100.htm
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Baba Amte passes away
Special Correspondent
MUMBAI: Great social worker and reformer Baba Amte, who spent his life serving leprosy patients and working for their rehabilitation, passed away at 4.15 a.m. on Saturday.
The end came at his commune for leprosy patients ‘Anandvan’ at Warora village in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. He was 93.
Murlidhar Devidas Amte, popularly known as Baba, was suffering from cancer for the past several years. His health deteriorated two days ago. He is survived by sons Prakash Amte and Vikas Amte, both doctors and are on the same path of service to humanity. They work among the tribals of Chandrapur and Gadchiroli.
Baba Amte was born on 26 December 1914 in a wealthy family of landlords of Hinganghat in Wardha district of Maharashtra. But as a child he used to play with children of other castes and eat with servants.
He was a freedom-fighter whom Gandhiji had called “abhay sadhak” (fearless seeker of truth). It is said that his encounter with a leprosy patients changed his life, and he made their welfare and rehabilitation a life-time mission.
He founded a commune called Anandvan Ashram for them at Warora. where he began practising law. Soon his work spread to over 60 villages around and other parts of Maharashtra.
Baba went to the Kolkata School of Tropical Medicine and learnt how to treat the leprosy patients with the wonder drug diamino-diphenyl sulphone. But above all he educated society to remove the stigma of the disease that had made the life of the patients so miserable.
Baba Amte undertook a number of social welfare and reform activities involving youth. He undertook the ‘Bharat Jodo’ movement to unite the country and promote peace, harmony and protection of environment. He joined the Narmada Bachao Andolan to fight for the cause of the tribals.
He received many national and international awards, including Padma Vibhushan, Gandhi Peace Prize, Ramon Magsaysay and Templeton Prize. His funeral will be held on Sunday at Anandvan.
Courtesy – The Hindu © Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu


Tearful adieu to Baba Amte with full state honours

Warora (PTI): Gandhian and social worker of international repute, Murlidhar Devidas alias Baba Amte was given a state funeral at his Anandvan ashram on Sunday morning in the presence of thousands of his admirers and mourners from across the state.
A 21-gun salute to late Baba Amte was given as his mortal remains were lowered in a grave near the bamboo plantation in the ashram complex amdist a solemn atmosphere, highly charged with emotions. Mourners raised slogans like "Baba Amte amar rahe" (Baba Amte will be immortal) and "Bharat Jodo" (unite India).
His wife, Sadhnatai, sons, Dr Vikas and Dr Prakash, their spouses and grand children stood in grief as the nation mourned the loss.
Amte passed away on Saturday at 4.15 am due to a type of blood cancer. He was 94.
Earlier, the body wrapped in tri-colour was kept in an open area near his cottage for mourners to pay their last respect.
It was taken to the burial site in a decorated vehicle. Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh led the entire state and country in paying homage to the departed leader. He was accompanied by state Agriculture Minister Balasaheb Thorat and Dairy Development Minister Anees Ahmed and host of VVIPs and others.
Deshmukh, Thorat and Ahmed placed wreath to pay homage to the departed leader and a recipient of the state government's highest award "Maharashtra Bhushan" in 2004.
COURTESY :-


News Update Service

News Update ServiceSunday, February 10, 2008 : 1540 Hrs

For passing over condolences

Contacts of Baba's sons :-
For Anandvan Mr. Vikas Amte Phone : 91 7176 282034, 91 7176 282425 Mobile : 9822466734 Email : anandwan_ngp@sancharnet.in
For Hemalkasa, Lok Biradari ProjectMr. Prakash Amte Phone : 91 7134 220001Mobile : 9423121803 Email : lbp@sancharnet.in

"Baba felt that nobody should feel grief for any reason, hence he named it Anandvan. He always shared 'anand' with every inmate of the Anandvan. Now... the saddest moment, Baba left everybody... No, Baba is with us..always with us... in out thoughts, in our deeds ... He is giving a message to spread and see everybody in Anand i.e. happiness." - Dr. Babu

International Youth Conference on Satyagraha & Geeta Pravachana at the Youth Hostel, Puri on February 16 & 17 (Sat, Sun), 2008.

South Asian Fraternity,
6, Lajpat Bhawan, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi – 11 00 24
&
Geetai Mission,
Paramdham Ashram, Paunar, Wardha – 44 21 11

Ref. No: SAF/Conf/_ _ _ _ Date: Jan 15, 2008

Dear friend,

Please refer to our Circular Letter dated 27.12.07, requesting you to participate & motivate young friends to attend the International Youth Conference on Satyagraha & Geeta Pravachana at the Youth Hostel, Puri on February 16 & 17 (Sat, Sun), 2008.

You may be working for this. We shall be glad to get your positive response at your earliest convenience which will help us to make suitable arrangements for accommodation & food etc. Your late response may be inconvenient to you & us also, as we have limited the number of delegates, beyond that we may regret to admit.


Looking forward for your early response.


With good wishes.



Yours sincerely,




Satya Paul,
Secretary General,
South Asian Fraternity,
Lajpat Bhavan, Lajpat Nagar IV,
New Delhi – 11 00 24


Ms. Pravina Desai,
Secretary, Geetai Mission,
Paramdham Ashram, Paunar,
Wardha – 442 111. (Maharashtra)

<spaul_saf@bol.net.in> &

International Youth Conference on Satyagraha & Geeta Pravachana

South Asian Fraternity,
6, Lajpat Bhawan, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi – 11 00 24
&
Geetai Mission,
Paramdham Ashram, Paunar, Wardha – 44 21 11

Ref. No: SAF/Conf/137 Date: 27.12.2007

Dear Friend,

The nation is celebrating the Centenary of Satyagraha initially started by Mahatma Gandhi in 1907 & also the 75th year of Geeta Pravachana written by Sant Vinobaji. Geeta Pravachana has been translated into 18 Indian & 8 foreign languages. So far more than 26 lakh copies have been sold. It contains guidelines for every aspect of life.

We are planning to organize an International Youth Conference on Satyagraha & Geeta Pravachana at the Youth Hostel, Puri, Orissa on February 16 & 17 (Sat, Sun), 2008. We intend to invite about 200 youths from various countries & streams.

We shall invite articles on Satyagraha & Geeta Pravachana from eminent Gandhians to be read in the conference & published in the Souvenir. We shall invite some Gandhian thinkers to address the delegates.

Since we are not depending on government grant, we may not be able to reimburse the traveling expenses. However, we shall provide free vegetarian food & simple accommodation.

We extend invitation to all interested young friends to join in the deliberations of this conference to think over how Satyagraha & Geeta Pravachana can help to solve the problems of violence & lead us to a joyful community life.

Suggested Topics :
1 Satyagraha in modern context in social and public life,
2 Role of Geeta Pravachana in preparing the real spirit of Satyagraha,
3 Spiritual / Moral base of Satyagrahis,
4 Geeta Pravachana to promote peace & communal harmony,
5 Satyagraha for preservation of environment,
6 Antyodaya to counter violence in public life,
7 Women empowerment through Geeta Pravachana,
8 Social justice through Satyagraha & Geeta Pravachana.

Please motivate one male & one female young friend to participate.

Please send the application on a simple paper & wait for our selection letter.

With prayers for peace.

Yours sincerely,



Satya Paul,
Secretary General,
South Asian Fraternity,
Lajpat Bhavan, Lajpat Nagar IV,
New Delhi – 11 00 24


Ms. Pravina Desai
Secretary, Geetai Mission,
Paramdham Ashram, Paunar,
Wardha – 442 111. (Maharashtra)Email:

SOUTH ASIAN FRATERNITY

What South Asian Fraternity means
South Asian Fraternity was established in 1990 at Lajpat Bhawan, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi-110 024, India to develop good neighbourly relationship on a people to people basis among the countries of South Asia namely India, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar (Burma), Bangladesh, Srilanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Afghanistan and to take such measures as are calculated to promote this objective in this area.
We are inhabitants of the same geographical regions and we are proud to share common mountains, oceans, rivers, jungles and the resources there from. If we could scratch the layers of the history, we will be pleased to know that at certain periods our periodical sovereignty crossed each others’.
The children are taught to like, love and possess. They quarrel and fight to maintain the possessions and likes. We learn to love our family, our community, our religion, our language and our nation. It is good. But when this circle of ours tightens us too much and implies dislike and hatred for others, it generates confrontations, fights, riots and wars among nations. South Asian Fraternity works to convert and social persons. This may help us in converting the tears into smiles.
The history has taught us the greatness of the person is seldom measured by his possession, but it is remembered by sharing of wisdom, rendering of services and by sacrificing personal belongings including comforts & luxuries. That is why we remember Lord Rama, The Buddha, The Mahavir, The Christ, The Mohammad and Guru Nanak with respects and reverence. South Asian Fraternity motivates to adopt their path of greatness and righteousness and not rituals or symbols.
The nature has bound us common geographical resources, common culture & climate and common consumer demands. The human beings are born free. In order to make the life more secure, disciplined and happy, they gradually created various departments like defence, agriculture, industry, communication and so on. The State should, therefore, help to channelise the different flows to carry the benefits to maximum areas but should avoid in creating artificial barriers, otherwise the common people will suffer and ultimately the nation will suffer. South Asian Fraternity brings the people closer to chalk out confrontation. Prosperity of the people will make the member nations prosperous. Let us resolve and deliberate the various ways and means to develop the Common Economy. We may think the redraft our text books to include the South Asian weather, production of raw material, development of agriculture, trade & commerce, extension of communication and free flow of economic information through press & media.
The economy in South Asia can be self-reliant if we decentralize the economy by producing our requirements of daily life in man-power oriented cottage/small industries. We should be alert and vigilant to watch the results of western type of modernization which leads to increasing unemployment, accumulation of wealth in fewer big houses. If conceived policies have led to migration of population from rural to urban slums, generated violence, addicted youths to drugs and liquor, increased molestation, rapes and dowry deaths and creating may problems for women and children, industrialization, urbanization and modernization without caring for the environment is reducing our green cover, polluting the air, rivers and earth and has damaged ozone layer. The present system of education, the capital oriented consumerist economy is converting man into a commodity or consumer of the commodity. We are losing the fine, rational, ethical and social human being. Do we call it development? Let us pause, analyse the past and think over for the future. Unless we convert confrontations into cooperation, hatred into understanding, violence into compassion, cannot convert tears into smile. South Asian Fraternity helps to think what type of the world we want for ourselves.
South Asian Fraternity discusses how to strengthen human rights and democratic institutions. Democracy helps to change-over from bullet to ballot to express the will of the people. But we are sorry to see the democratic institutions like panchayats, local bodies, judiciary, voluntary organizations, media etc. are being cordoned off to outer and outer circles of the authority. This alienation cannot strength democratic institutions.
South Asian Fraternity organises South Asian Friendship Youth Camps of 200-300 young friends for 8-10 days to discuss common issues and to seek common solutions.
South Asian Fraternity proposes that the Government may consider creating a N.G.O. Cell in the SAARC Division of the Ministry of External Affairs to promote people to people friendly relations with our neighbouring countries. The more we invest on the people to people friendship, interactions, the more we would save in defence budgets and spend ultimately for the welfare of the people.
To strengthen the process of thinking, South Asian Fraternity plans to bring out South Asian Common Magazine which will contribute to highlight the constructive sides of other communities, tribes, religion, language and nations. The pages of the common magazine may spread its fragrance with smiles & praises for others.
If you wish to appreciate each other’s country, culture and traditions to nourish and strengthen the bonds of friendship, and to open more channels of understanding and cooperation, please join South Asian Fraternity.
- Satya Paul, Secretary General, South Asian Fraternity.