| |
|
| FOURTH
MAHAVEER AWARDS – 1998 |
| |
1.
SADHU VASWANI MISSION
|
| |
| If
there is something worse than man's cruelty to man, it is
man's cruelty to animals, because animals have rarely the
ability to fight back on an equal footing and what is more
heinous is that such cruelty is perpetrated on a number of
occasions in the name of some form of divinity or other, even
though generally the crime is motivated by the desire to satisfy
man's appetite for meat eating. It is this senseless cruelty
which Sadhu Vaswani's Mission has been fighting from the 30's
of this century. The mission was originally founded by late
Sadhu Vaswani in 1930 as "Sakhi Satsang", later
on became the brotherhood association, subsequently renamed
as Sadhu Vaswani Mission in the year 1966. Since then its
activities are guided by Dada J P Vaswani and the Mission's
activities cover a wide number of fields such as education,
medical relief, village upliftment, housing and propagation
of Vegetarianism. However, it is basically identified with
vegetarianism and has set up a large number of branches all
over the world. Believing in the dictum "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam",
the Mission has been campaigning vigorously for vegetarianism
and universal brotherhood which knows no barriers and embraces
man, birds and beasts alike. At their instance, the "Animals
Welfare Day" is being observed annually by all educational
institutions and other associations engaged in community service.
|
| |
|
| |
Mrs.
R. A.Vaswani, representative of Sadhu Vaswani Mission receiving
the Fourth Mahaveer Award on behalf of Mission, Pune Maharashtra
for Excellence in the Field of propagation of Non-violence
and Vegetarianism from Shri Krishan Kant, Vice President of
India at a function held at Delhi during the year 1998.
|
|
| |
| The
Mission has been campaigning for setting up more veterinary
hospitals and is also engaged in research to find out suitable
vegetarian substitutes for non-vegetarian food items. Sadhu
Vaswani's Birthday on the 25th of November each year is being
observed as "International Meatless Day" and certain
State Governments have also issued instructions for the closure
of slaughter houses on that day. As we all know, vegetarianism
is no longer a fad, associated with religious fanaticism,
but has been accepted as a vital necessity for a healthy tension
free life, particularly for those who have crossed the middle
age. Infact, vegetarianism has even become a fashion of sorts
with the western youth, keen on maintaining their physical
and mental health. All this development the world owes to
the vision of the late Sadhu T L Vaswani and his successors
and disciples in the Mission carrying on his torch through
the years and hopefully through the succeeding ages.
|
| |
| The
Mahaveer Award was therefore given up to the Mission for its
selfless service on behalf of the voiceless millions in the
world.
|
| |
| 2.
SRI AVINASHILINGAM EDUCATION TRUST INSTITUTIONS
|
| |
| The
maxim, "each one teach one," is no longer valid
for the simple reason that there has been an explosion in
the number of people required to be taught; and what is more,
there has been a quantum leap in the areas of knowledge which
is required to be taught and assimilated. Filling this kind
of knowledge gap requires a deeper, extensive and comprehensive
instituionalised arrangement. This requirement has been largely
met by Shri Avinashilingam Education Trust Institutions, Coimbatore,
the recipients of the Foundation's Mahaveer Award for the
year 1998.
|
| |
|
| |
Dr.
Rajammal P Devadas, Chancellor of Avinashilingam education
Trust Institutions, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu receiving the Fourth
Mahveer Award on behalf of the trust for Excellence in the
field of Education and Medicine from Shri Krishan Kant.
|
|
| |
|
| As
all of us know, late Shri T S Avinashilingam, fondly known
as "Ayya" to his admirers and disciples, set up
this Trust to provide education to the large number of student
thirsting for knowledge in Coimbatore district in particular
and Tamilnadu in general. Shri Avinashilingam believed that
one should not be satisfied with attaining freedom from foreign
rule, as India did in 1947, but what will really add intrinsic
worth to its citizens is a comprehensive system of education
to make them well-rounded and disciplined. With this end in
view, Shri Avinashilingam set up the Trust whose main objective
was to promote liberal education and to integrate into a system
of education, the concepts of science and social service,
to impart spiritual, ethical, cultural and human values to
the students coming under the influence of the educational
institutions under the Trust and to refine and streamline
curricula and teaching methods based on the best wherever
these could be found in the world. In practice this has meant
that the schools set up under the Trust provide a comprehensive
system of education commencing from pre-primary and carrying
on to the level of Doctorate and even beyond. Provision is
also made for practical participation in rural development
in the form of service through the National Service Scheme
and a training centre for rural development. Over 3000 students
actively participate in services connected with rural development
and extension services. Functional education is also provided
to illiterate women to help them stand on their own feet.
The other activities of the Trust include provision of primary
health care, nutrition, research, agricultural farming, vocational
skill development, etc., Under the able leadership provided
by Dr Rajammal P Devadas, Managing Trustee and Chancellor
of the Deemed University, the Trust has largely succeeded
in making the vision of Dr Avinashilingam come true in a relatively
short time.
|
|
| |
|
| 3.
DR PRAKASH MURLIDHAR AMTE & SMT MANDAKINI PRAKASH AMTE
|
|
| |
|
| Known
as the "Schweitzer Couple of India", Dr Prakash
Murlidhar Amte and Dr Mandakini Prakash Amte, have settled
down in Hemalkasa, a remote village in the dense forest in
the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, inhabited by one of
the most primitive tribal communities.
|
|
| |
|
| |
Dr.
Prakash murlidhar Amte and Dr. Mandakini Prakash Amte, Maharogi
Sewa Samiti, Warora, Maharashtra receiving the Fourth Mahaveer
Award for Excellence in the field of Social and Community
Service from Shri Krishan Kant, vice President of India at
a function held at Delhi during the year 1998.
|
|
| |
|
| The
service provided by the Amte couple include education to the
tribals, medical assistance, treatment and eradication of
leprosy, community development, rehabilitation of tribals
highly endemic to Malaria. The area is also inhabited by wild
animals, poisonous vipers and the like and the doctors continue
to receive, for treatment, unusual cases such as injuries
caused by an enraged bear. They have also established an orphanage
to take care of destitute children and have succeeded in training
a good number of tribals for being employed as teachers, forest
guards, police man etc., Dr Prakash Murlidhar Amte is ably
assisted by his wife, who is also a doctor and is particularly
helpful in getting over the inhibitions and the superstitions
in the tribal women. In these days of self seeking mercenaries,
pretending to be engaged in serving their fellowmen, rare
indeed are cases such as those of the Amte couple. |
|
| |
|
|
