Butchers of Sopore and Birmingham

Nine years of calm before icy storm

Kashmir turns crimson with blood of Pandits

AN UN-ISLAMIC KIDNAPPING AND CHAOS IN THE VALLEY

The illusion of azaadi and Kashmir’s historic deception

How Pak's terror policy evolved in Kashmir

Birth of social media jihadists, death of Article-370

Operation Sindoor: When Indian missiles rained on Pak terror parade

<div class='ite_mg_banner ads__container'><div class='it_mg_bnrBox'><div class='ite_bnr_cont'><div class='ite_cont_dtl'> <h4>Get <span class='bold_text'>37%</span> off on an annual Print +Digital subscription of India Today Magazine</h4><a href='https://subscriptions.intoday.in/indiatoday?utm_source=top-web-banner ' class='ite_subscribe_btn origin_conscent_url' target='_blank'>SUBSCRIBE</a></div></div></div></div>

US Election coverage

India

World

NewsMo

Fact Check

Programmes

Match Schedule

Teams

Player Stats

LIVE SCORES

<i><div class="itg-mosimage"><div class="itgimage"><amp-img src="https://akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com/sites/media2/indiatoday/images/stories/1981May/baba-amte_-_1_112013020143.jpg" alt="" height="425" width="650" class="" layout="responsive"></amp-img></div>Amte:</div>Baba Amte has enjoyed a wealthy upbringing, complete with shikaars, sports cars end clothes tailored by Rossario, tailor to the British Governor. </i><i>He has done a spell at the Bar, when he lived with and fought for the local Harijans and lower caste sweepers, even cleaning 40 latrines a day for a year to gain a better understanding of the work involved, and in the 30 years spent in the cure and uplift of lepers, Amte has had the opportunity to toy and experiment with virtually every form of dogma, faith and development concept. </i><i>The philosophy that has emerged is both unique, and, in his peculiarly incisive style, biting and witty. Interviewed during a three-day journey around his projects, he spoke at length about his ideas and dreams, their implementation, and the techniques of development which he felt could transform the nation. Some excerpts:</i><br><br><b>On social work</b>: In a proper community organisation the workers have to work with the people to gain their confidence. In our official community development projects we work for the people, that's why we get no results. My basic concept is that charity destroys and only work builds, and that is how the nation should be run. But we are building up a nation of welfare addicts.<br><b><br>On rural development</b>: The only way to stop the migration to the cities is to develop small satellite towns at the mandi level. All processing industries would operate at this level, and in small mandi cooperatives you would not have the<i>de facto</i>corporate functioning of the huge sugar cooperatives where they refuse to allow any new membership in order to retain control.<br><br>The cooperative movement failed to pick up only because India's youth were not inspired, all the brilliant ones went to private industry and the mules were left behind. I want to make the farmer the businessman of the soil, instead of the present situation, where the businessman has become the farmer to evade taxes.<br><br><b>On intermediate technology</b>: There is a world-wide energy crisis strangling the arteries of every nation. The only solution to this is to develop intermediate and appropriate indigenous technology, as we have done in Somnath and elsewhere.<br><br>Every area has to be developed using its own resources, and in a manner relevant to its own conditions and problems. The only answer is that clusters of villages with similar economies, similar problems, similar resources and societies, are developed indigenously with one centre for every cluster. The centre has to develop a stencil which everyone can easily copy.<br><br><b>The role of the intelligentsia</b>: Seminars by the high intelligentsia are like intellectual masturbation. The fireworks of a baaraat can never cook your food. For development there has to be total cooperation between the high in intelligence, the low in intelligence and the zero in tact, of which there are millions.<br><b><br>On religion</b>: A religion like Hinduism, which refuses to establish fellowship between man and man is bound to fail in establishing fellowship between man and God. I want to be a contemporary of Christ, not the sort of Christian who says I have an executive meeting at four-thirty while there is a man dying in the gutter.<br><b><br>On dogma</b>: You don't become Moses by parroting the ten commandments. We are all doing this parroting, 'Marx said this, Lenin said that', My God! The problem cannot be solved by elimination of a class. The leaders of Russia and China came from the soil, yet the worst atrocities have been perpetrated not by capitalists but by labourers come to power. They have not answered the basic question, that of how to build a man.<br><b><br>On the social mechanic concept</b>: In this age of speed you cannot afford to be helpless about anything, you have to be independent by being a jack of all trades. I don't want to be a great man, I want to be a man who goes around with a little oil-can and, when I see a breakdown, offer my help. The mechanic with the oil-can, that is my ideal in life.<br><div id="tab-link-wrapper-plugin"><div class="authors__container"><div class="authors__by"><div class="authlable">Published By: </div><div class="authdetaisl">AtMigration </div></div><div class="published__on"><div class="authlable">Published On: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Nov 20, 2013 13:14 IST</div></div></div><div class="sendros">--- ENDS ---</div></div>

special-report

Special Report

<i><div class="itg-mosimage"><div class="itgimage"><img  title=""  class="" alt="" src="https://akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com/sites/media2/indiatoday/images/stories/1981May/baba-amte_-_1_112013020143.jpg" loading="lazy" /></div>Amte:</div>Baba Amte has enjoyed a wealthy upbringing, complete with shikaars, sports cars end clothes tailored by Rossario, tailor to the British Governor. </i><i>He has done a spell at the Bar, when he lived with and fought for the local Harijans and lower caste sweepers, even cleaning 40 latrines a day for a year to gain a better understanding of the work involved, and in the 30 years spent in the cure and uplift of lepers, Amte has had the opportunity to toy and experiment with virtually every form of dogma, faith and development concept. </i><i>The philosophy that has emerged is both unique, and, in his peculiarly incisive style, biting and witty. Interviewed during a three-day journey around his projects, he spoke at length about his ideas and dreams, their implementation, and the techniques of development which he felt could transform the nation. Some excerpts:</i><br><br><b>On social work</b>: In a proper community organisation the workers have to work with the people to gain their confidence. In our official community development projects we work for the people, that's why we get no results. My basic concept is that charity destroys and only work builds, and that is how the nation should be run. But we are building up a nation of welfare addicts.<br><b><br>On rural development</b>: The only way to stop the migration to the cities is to develop small satellite towns at the mandi level. All processing industries would operate at this level, and in small mandi cooperatives you would not have the<i>de facto</i>corporate functioning of the huge sugar cooperatives where they refuse to allow any new membership in order to retain control.<br><br>The cooperative movement failed to pick up only because India's youth were not inspired, all the brilliant ones went to private industry and the mules were left behind. I want to make the farmer the businessman of the soil, instead of the present situation, where the businessman has become the farmer to evade taxes.<br><br><b>On intermediate technology</b>: There is a world-wide energy crisis strangling the arteries of every nation. The only solution to this is to develop intermediate and appropriate indigenous technology, as we have done in Somnath and elsewhere.<br><br>Every area has to be developed using its own resources, and in a manner relevant to its own conditions and problems. The only answer is that clusters of villages with similar economies, similar problems, similar resources and societies, are developed indigenously with one centre for every cluster. The centre has to develop a stencil which everyone can easily copy.<br><br><b>The role of the intelligentsia</b>: Seminars by the high intelligentsia are like intellectual masturbation. The fireworks of a baaraat can never cook your food. For development there has to be total cooperation between the high in intelligence, the low in intelligence and the zero in tact, of which there are millions.<br><b><br>On religion</b>: A religion like Hinduism, which refuses to establish fellowship between man and man is bound to fail in establishing fellowship between man and God. I want to be a contemporary of Christ, not the sort of Christian who says I have an executive meeting at four-thirty while there is a man dying in the gutter.<br><b><br>On dogma</b>: You don't become Moses by parroting the ten commandments. We are all doing this parroting, 'Marx said this, Lenin said that', My God! The problem cannot be solved by elimination of a class. The leaders of Russia and China came from the soil, yet the worst atrocities have been perpetrated not by capitalists but by labourers come to power. They have not answered the basic question, that of how to build a man.<br><b><br>On the social mechanic concept</b>: In this age of speed you cannot afford to be helpless about anything, you have to be independent by being a jack of all trades. I don't want to be a great man, I want to be a man who goes around with a little oil-can and, when I see a breakdown, offer my help. The mechanic with the oil-can, that is my ideal in life.<br><div id="tab-link-wrapper-plugin"><div class="authors__container"><div class="authors__by"><div class="authlable">Published By: </div><div class="authdetaisl">AtMigration </div></div><div class="published__on"><div class="authlable">Published On: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Nov 20, 2013 13:14 IST</div></div></div><div class="sendros">--- ENDS ---</div></div>

Interviewed during a three-day journey around his projects, Baba Amte spoke at length about his ideas and dreams, their implementation, and the techniques of development which he felt could transform the nation.

India Today

Charity destroys, work builds: Baba Amte - India Today

In this age of speed you cannot afford to be helpless about anything: Baba Amte

Charity destroys, work builds: Baba Amte

The Kremlin said Russia is ready to expand trade and investment with the United States if economic ties are no longer tied to a Ukraine settlement. Even as it floated possible business projects, Moscow repeated its demands on Ukrainian troop withdrawals and a ceasefire.

Russia remains under sweeping American sanctions imposed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. (File Photo: Reuters)

Russia-Ukraine

Russia ready to do business with US if trade is delinked from Ukraine

Hockey India has denied PR Sreejesh's claim that he was removed as junior men's coach for a foreign replacement. The exchange has widened a debate over trust in Indian coaches despite his strong results with the side.

PR Sreejesh

Hockey India denies PR Sreejesh firing claims, says Olympic hero rejected new role

The IMD has forecast monsoon advance over parts of the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea around May 16. The update comes as severe heatwave, heavy rain and thunderstorms affect different parts of India.

Heatwave alert India

Severe heatwave in northwest, heavy rain in northeast on Thursday

The Mission Olympic Cell has approved Neeraj Chopra's 47-day training camp in Switzerland and cleared foreign exposure trips for Manu Bhaker and Gulveer Singh. The plans come as India readies key medal contenders for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games after a demanding season.

Neeraj Chopra

Neeraj Chopra gets Switzerland camp approval before CWG and Asian Games

Refuting all the speculation over his Silver Oak (Pawar's residence) visit, Tatkare said that he enquired about Sharad Pawar's health, who was hospitalised a month back.

Sunil Tatkare's visit to Sharad Pawar's residence sparks political row

‘Courtesy visit’ or politics? Sunil Tatkare meeting with Sharad Pawar sparks buzz

Play Time!

Donald Trump

AIADMK

Prateek Yadav

Vijay

NEET

CBSE

CBSE 12th Result

Akhilesh Yadav

Elections 2026

IPL 2026

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has revoked the appointment of a personal astrologer as an Officer on Special Duty. The decision follows backlash from allied parties and opposition leaders, who unanimously objected to placing an astrologer on the government payroll.

Vijay revokes appointment of his personal astrologer as OSD following criticism

Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has decided to retain the Bhabanipur assembly constituency while vacating the Nandigram seat.

Suvendu Adhikari to retain Bhabanipur seat, vacate Nandigram

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has won the vote of confidence in the state legislative assembly with the support of 144 MLAs.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay wins trust vote with support of 144 MLAs

The UK Defence Ministry released dramatic footage of a British paratrooper dropping onto the remote South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha to aid a man suspected of contracting hantavirus after leaving the cruise ship MV Hondius.

UK hantavirus mission

Video: UK paratrooper's parachute drop on remote island to aid hantavirus patient

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has cancelled the NEET UG 2026 examination following allegations of a paper leak. The decision comes after inputs from central agencies raised concerns over the integrity of the May 3 test.

Download App

Get 37% off on an annual Print +Digital subscription of India Today Magazine

In this age of speed you cannot afford to be helpless about anything: Baba Amte

Interviewed during a three-day journey around his projects, Baba Amte spoke at length about his ideas and dreams, their implementation, and the techniques of development which he felt could transform the nation.

PUBLICATIONS

TELEVISION

EVENTS

RADIO

GAMING

USEFUL LINKS

PRINTING

WELFARE

DISTRIBUTION

SYNDICATIONS

WEBSITES

EDUCATION