Individual is appreciated only after he receives an award, says Prakash Amte, social worker

Prakash Amte, Padma Shri awardee and social worker was in the city to deliver a key address on the subject of ‘What do you mean by social service’ at an event organised

Prakash Amte, Padma Shri awardee and social worker was in the city to deliver a key address on the subject of ‘What do you mean by social service’ at an event organised by Lok Biradari Prakalp (LBP) at the Swami Vivekananda hall of the MIT World Peace University (WPU) College on Sunday morning.

Mandakini Amte and Prakesh Amte during the interactive session at MIT college. (Milind Saurkar/HT Photo)

“An individual becomes big and renowned only after achieving awards is what is the common belief in today’s society,” he said, addressing the audience.

Amte, who was also awarded with the Magsaysay Award for ‘Community Leadership’ in 2008 for his philanthropic work at Lok Biradari Prakalp said, “We often laugh and mock at this common belief which states that a person becomes big only after achieving awards. We often wonder as to how an individual’s work towards the betterment of the society cannot be significant without getting an award.”

Quoting his father Baba Amte, Prakash Amte said, “My father had a very simple definition of social work. He always preached that in society, social service means helping the physically challenged and needy people. It also means that we have to help people find solutions to their problem.”

In 1973, Amte moved to Hemalkasa to start the Lok Biradari Prakalp, a project for the development of tribal people, most of whom were the Madia Gond in the forests of Gadchiroli district and since then the family has been living in the village serving people.

Amte said, “It is destiny that generation after generation my family is working for the betterment of the people. This gives us immense and inexplicable satisfaction, something which we had never thought. Ever since we began our work, we have not labelled it, however, people termed it as social service.”

People who indulge in helping others should never proclaim that they are doing social service, said Amte.