Youth Empowerment Programme

Home , Lok Biradari Prakalp, Madia Gond, Mandakini Amte, Savitribai Phule

Dr. D. Y. Patil Pratishthan’s DR. D. Y. PATIL INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING, MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH

Approved by A.I.C.T.E, New Delhi , Maharashtra State Government, Affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University Sector No. 29, PCNTDA , Nigidi Pradhikaran, Akurdi, Pune 411044. Phone: 020–27654470, Fax: 020-27656566 Website : www.dypiemr.ac.in Email : [email protected]

REPORT

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME

Speakers: Dr. Prakash Baba Amte & Dr. Mandakini Amte

Venue: Shantai Auditorium, Dr. D. Y. Patil Educational Complex, Akurdi, Pune - 44

Date : 11th December, 2018

Foreword

Youth is the fountainhead of exuberance, energy and dynamism and is the lifeline of our country. It is the youth who is going to take forward the legacy of our country and will help it gain new heights of growth and achievements. Therefore, it is very important to tap the unbridled vigor of our youth and give it a right direction. By effectively channelizing this energy, any nation can attain limitless heights and bring accolades to its country. If empowered, they have the potential to excel and do wonders. The youth just like flowers is an intricate part of any society and they have an important role to play. Any society is incomplete without the participation of young blood. In order to make a society progressive and dynamic, young people should be made an essential part of it. It is rightly said that ―today‘s youth is the force, hope and leaders of tomorrow‖ as they are the face of our community, society and country at large. Young people are a harbinger of change in society and can push our government or the system to discharge its role effectively. But our youth too has got important responsibilities to discharge. It is important for them to draw a lesson from the past, remain vigilant in the present and live with a hope of seeing a better future – a future which will be brighter and more promising for the coming generation. Our youth has a duty to fulfill, i.e. to remain genuine, honest and uphold good moral values. He/she should work unceasingly for the growth of our society and country. The youth should apply their brain, creativity, strength and skills to bring a meaningful change in our society and enable it to function in the best manner possible. It is our youth and only youth who can sow the seeds of growth and progress and become the backbone of the nation so that the foundation for a bright future based on principles and morals could be laid down. For all this to take shape, it is important that our youth concentrate on their studies first and educate themselves well because it is only education that will empower them and help them build the future of our country. Besides intellectual studies, physical education is also must because without a sound health they cannot have a sound mind. So if our youth will remain healthy, then they can put their best efforts in working for their country. In view of the above, a motivational talk by Dr. Prakash Amte was conducted for the enlightenment of the students of Dr. D.Y. Patil Institute of Engineering Management & Research level on Youth Empowerment and Social Initiative. This session could mark the beginning of the success of our students with lots of positivity, learning, social empowerment and social guidance.

Dr. Mrs. A.V. Patil, Principal Dr. D.Y. Patil Institute of Engineering Management & Research

1. PROGRAMME

Youth Empowerment is crucial for the qualitative growth and survival of any educational institution in today‘s globalized era. In accordance with this, it was decided by Shri. Satej D. Patil, Campus Chairman, Dr. D.Y. Patil Educational Complex, Akurdi and Col. S K Joshi, Campus Director, to organize a one day Youth Empowerment Programme for the students. Youth empowerment is a process where children and young people are encouraged to take charge of their lives. They do this by addressing their situation and then take action in order to improve their access to resources and transform their consciousness through their beliefs, values, and attitudes. Youth empowerment aims to improve quality of life. Youth empowerment is achieved through participation in youth empowerment programs. However scholars argue that children‘s rights implementation should go beyond learning about formal rights and procedures to give birth to a concrete experience of rights. There are numerous models that youth empowerment programs use that help youth achieve empowerment. A variety of youth empowerment initiatives are underway around the world. These programs can be through non-profit organizations, government organizations, schools or private organizations.

Empowerment can be defined in general as the capacity of individuals, groups and/or communities gain control of their circumstances and achieve their own goals, thereby being able to work towards helping themselves and others to maximize the quality of their lives. In health and social care empowerment means patients, careers and service users exercising choice and taking control of their lives.

Youth empowerment is different than youth development because development is centered on developing individuals, while empowerment is focused on creating greater community change relies on the development of individual capacity.

Prakash Baba Amte is a social worker from Maharashtra, India. He and his wife, Dr. Mandakini Amte, were awarded the Magsaysay Award for 'Community Leadership' 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. 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). Dr. Prakash Amte has also been awarded the Padma Shri the fourth highest civilian award in the republic of India.

The social work domain shares a close relationship with human rights because it adheres to values such as respect, dignity, and self-determination - values that are strongly embedded in the code of ethics for all practitioners. The profession is highly regarded for challenging the inhumane 3 treatment of vulnerable people, its commitment to challenge anti-oppressive practice, and most importantly, ensuring that vulnerable people are given a voice.

The programme, hence, extensively dealt with youth empowerment through diversity, language, culture and traditions through social work and humanitarian deeds.

OBJECTIVES

1. To imbibe innovative approaches to existing social and educational structures for better

impact on the welfare and development of the youth

2. To encourage and support youth initiatives those foster the culture of volunteerism, social

responsibility, creativity and self-actualization

3. To help them understand their aims in life

4. To enable them to prepare short term and long term goals for their personal and

professional development

5. To boost their self-confidence

6. To help them in becoming a good human being

7. To make them understand the importance and need for youth empowerment

2. RESOURCE PERSONS 1. Dr. Prakash Amte & Dr. Mandakini Amte

Dr. Prakash Baba Amte is the son of the legendary social worker Baba Amte whose work for the upliftment of leprosy afflicted has won him many accolades. On the completion of his doctor‘s degree,Dr. Amte began studying for his MS. But destiny had something else in store for him.

While on a picnic to Hemalkasa with his father, he was aghast at seeing the state of the tribal people living in that region. Dropping his studies for the MS degree, Dr. Prakash decided to change their lives and moved to Hemalaksa along with his wife, Dr. Mandakini Amte. Hemalkasa was a small community of tribal people, with no power and transport facilities and totally cut out from the rest of the world. Notwithstanding the mountain of hardships that came their way, this doctor couple uplifted the lives of the Madia-Gond tribal community to an unthought-of level. The tribal community had no access to basic necessities. They were unaware of clothing their bodies, never knew what medical care was and followed hunting as the sole means of sustenance. They lived almost like savages. The selfless work of this couple brought them into the mainstream and in the process, several engineers, doctors, and teachers were nurtured by the duo. In the initial days, the doctor duo began treating the tribes people in a makeshift hospital, taught the kids beneath a tree and helped to reduce the day-to-day problems of the tribal people in the area. Their efforts for development of the region has borne rich fruits today with the 5

establishment of a hospital fitted with modern facilities, a residential school reaching out to hundreds of tribal children and the development of the ‗Animal Ark‘.

Dr. Prakash Amte and his wife devoted their entire life for the betterment of the tribal people and local wildlife of the Gadchiroli region. They worked hard to bring awareness among the tribal people of the region, teaching them agricultural techniques and considerably reducing their dependence on hunting for survival. The absence of power did not deter them from performing several emergency surgical procedures and eventually, they got a hospital fitted with modern facilities. Though the couple was not trained to be veterinarians; they went beyond the ordinary and created the ‗Animal Ark‘ within their courtyard, providing a safe haven to deserted and injured animals.

Dr. Prakash Amte‘s name easily ranks topmost among the popular persons of India. His social work reached out to the masses through the biopic titled ‗Dr. Prakash Baba Amte– The Real Hero‘ which was released in Marathi, Hindi, and English. The movie showcased his immeasurable contribution to society proving a source of inspiration to all of us. His immense work was recognized globally when he and his wife were awarded the Magsaysay Award for ‗Community Leadership‘ in 2008. They were honored with several other awards too; however, this totally down-to-earth couple continues to carry on their humanitarian work in Hemalkasa without any fanfare.

2. Mr. R. K. Padmanabhan

Mr. R K Padmanabhan, the most senior IPS officer in the Pune district, is currently heading

the newly-created Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissioner since August 15, 2018. During his posting as the additional director-general of police (traffic), RK Padmanabhan regularly interacted with commuters on the Pune-Mumbai expressway and discussed innovative ways to improve traffic conditions to prevent accidents. He also took active feedback from the commuters to improve policing on the highway. One of the most popular initiatives which Padmanabhan introduced on the expressway was ‗Golden Hours‘ in which heavy vehicles were not allowed during peak hours in order to

ensure smooth flow of traffic. His duties and responsibilities now deal with Pune- Mumbai highway, Pune-Nashik highway, Katraj- Dehu Road bypass and Pune-Mumbai expressway.

3. Mr. Sadashiv Khade

Mr. Sadashiv Khade was appointed as the Chairman of Pimpri Chinchwad New Township Development Authority (PCNDTA-Pradhikaran) by the State government. He has been a former president of BJP‘s Pimpri Chinchwad city unit. Khade has been a staunch supporter of former Union Minister Gopinath Munde. He is supporter of Rural Development Minister Pankaja Munde. He has served as member of the Education Board of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

3. VENUE – Shantai Auditorium, Dr. D. Y. Patil Educational Complex, Akurdi, Pune

4. PARTICIPANTS

There were 150 participants in all, comprising the students of Dr. D.Y. Patil Institute of Engineering Management & Research, Akurdi.

5. PROCEEDINGS OF THE PROGRAMME

Sr. No. Time Slot Particulars

1 1.00 – 1.30pm 1. Traditional Welcome of Guests on arrival at Pratishthan Office Building 2. Campus Presentation and Brief Interaction with Guests at the Pratishthan Boardroom 2 1.30- 2.30 pm. Campus Round 3 2.30- 2.35 pm. Arrival of the Guests at the Shantai Auditorium. (On the Dais) 4 2.35- 2.40 pm. Lighting of the Lamp & Saraswati Stawan 5 2.40- 2.45 pm. Welcome and Curtain Raising of the Program 6 2.45- 2.55 pm. Introduction & Felicitations: (On Dais) 1. Dr. Prakash Amte 2. Mrs. Mandakini Amte 3. Mr. R.K. Padmanabhan, Police Commissioner –PCMC 4. Mr. Sadashiv Khade, Chairman, PCNTDA 5. Mr. Krishna Mahadik 6. Mr. Pritesh Vyawahare 7 2.55- 3.00 pm. Address by Hon. Shri. Satej D Patil, Campus Chairman 8 3.00 -3.05 pm. Address by Mr. Sadashiv Khade, President, PCNTDA 9 3.05-3.15 pm Address by Mr. R.K.Padmanabhan, Police Commissioner –PCMC 10 3.15- 3.55 pm Address by Dr. Prakash Amte, Founder-Lok Biradari Prakalp 11 3.55 - 4.15 pm Q & A Session 12 4.15 – 4.20 pm ISR activity 13 4.20 - 4.25 pm Vote of Thanks 14 4.25 - 4.26 pm National Anthem 15 4.26 - 5.15 pm Hi- Tea and Interaction with Principals 16 5.15 pm Dispersal

Snapshot 1: Col. S. K. Joshi ( Retd.), Campus Director, DYPEC welcoming Dr. Prakash Baba Amteji & Dr. (Mrs.) Mandakini Amteji on their arrival on campus

Snapshot 2: Traditional welcome of Dr. Prakash Baba Amteji on arrival on campus

Snapshot 3: Traditional welcome of Dr. (Mrs.) Mandakini Amteji on arrival on campus

Snapshot 4: Dr. Prakash Amte interacting with the other dignitaries

Snapshot 5: Col. S. K. Joshi, Campus Director, Dr. Prakash Baba Amteji & Dr. (Mrs.) Mandakini Amteji during the visit

Snapshot 6: Dr. Prakash Baba Amteji at the Language Laboratory

Snapshot 7: Visit at Virtusa Centre

Snapshot 8: Students explaining their achievements to the guests of the day

Snapshot 9: Dr. (Mrs.) Mandakini Amteji surveying the vehicle manufactured by the students

Snapshot 10: Dr. Prakash Baba Amteji & Dr. (Mrs.) Mandakini Amteji with Dr. Mrs. A. V. Patil , Principal, DYPIEMR

Snapshot 11: Dr. (Mrs.) Mandakini Amteji performing Pooja at DYPIEMR

Snapshot 12: Dr. Prakash Baba Amteji, Dr. (Mrs.) Mandakini Amteji & Col. S.K. Joshi, Campus Director, DYPEC with the faculty members of DYPIEMR

Snapshot 13: Dr.Prakash Baba Amteji , Dr. (Mrs.) Mandakini Amteji & Col. S.K.Joshi – Campus Director, DYPEC at the Corporate Relations & Placement Cell

Snapshot 14: Exchange of greetings between Mr. R. K. Padmanabhan- Police Commissioner, PCMC & Dr.Prakash Baba Amteji in the presence of Shri.Satej D. Patil – VP & Chairman, Dr.D. Y. Patil Prathisthan & Dr. Prabhat Ranjan – VC DYPIU

SESSION: The session commenced at the Shantai Auditorium at 3.00 pm sharp post an elaborate campus tour following which the guests were escorted to the Shantai Auditorium for the main programme.

Snapshot 15: Dr. Prakash Baba Amteji , Dr. (Mrs.) Mandakini Amteji & Shri. Satej D. Patil, VP & Chairman, Dr. D.Y. Patil Prathisthan lighting the lamp

Snapshot 16: Dr. (Mrs.) Mandakini Amteji seeking the blessings of the Almighty at the commencement of the session

After the lamp lighting ceremony and the veneration of Goddess Saraswati, the esteemed guests were felicitated by Hon. Campus Chairman Shri. Satej D Patil, Campus Director, Col. S. K. Joshi (Retd.) and Prof. Prabhat Ranjan, Vice-Chancellor, DYPIU. The distinguished guests for the day were Dr. Prakash Amte and Dr. Mandakini Amte- Founders-Lok Biradari Prakalp, Mr. R. K.Padmanabhan, Police Commissioner –PCMC, and Mr. Sadashiv Khade, Chairman, PCNTDA.

Snapshot 17: Dignitaries on the dais

Snapshot 18: Shri. Satej D. Patil, VP & Chairman, Dr. D.Y. Patil Prathisthan felicitating Dr. Prakash Baba Amteji

Snapshot 19: Felicitation of Dr. (Mrs.) Mandakini Amteji by Dr.(Mrs.) K. Nirmala, Director, DYPIMCA & MBA with a token of love and appreciation

Snapshot 20: Prof. Prabhat Ranjan, VC, DYPIU felicitating Mr. R. K. Padmanabhan, Police Commissioner, PCMC

Snapshot 21: Felicitation of Mr. Sadashiv Khade, Chairman, PCNTDA by Col. S. K. Joshi ( Retd.) Campus Director, DYPEC

Snapshot 22: Col. S.K. Joshi ( Retd.),Campus Director, DYPEC welcoming Mr. Krishna Mahadik with a token of appreciation

This was followed by a welcome address by Hon. Campus Chairman Shri. Satej D Patil. He expounded his motives behind the organization of the session. Furthermore, he shared his aims and beliefs to mould and develop his students to render them good and responsible citizens along with able professionals. He appealed to the students to gain and extract as much as possible from the eminent personalities in the house so as to serve his purpose of inviting them to the campus. He also promised to fund the social help expedition initiated by the students to contribute and volunteer at Anandwan: The Animals‘ Ark.

Snapshot 23: Shri. Satej D. Patil, VP & Chairman, Dr. D. Y. Patil Prathisthan welcoming the distinguished guests

Mr. R. K. Padmanabhan, Police Commissioner, PCMC, Pune Mr. R. K Padmanabhan shared his perspective on youth empowerment claiming that, we, in India, appropriate and confine ourselves to a particular field without exploring the true diversity that lies ingrained in every form around us, be it culture, language, education or traditions. He delineated that we attempt a futile imitation of the Occident; however, we fail to reach the level of excellence while following their footprints. Through this idea, he propagated his opinion of the development of the various faculties through the preservation of local culture, languages and wealth. He claimed that the youth of the country would be truly empowered when they pursue their ambitions in their most diverse forms and modes. He illustrated his viewpoints through anecdotes of his personal life experiences serving in numerous departments and job profiles. He further stated that money in a by- product of the diligence and efforts of humankind and advised the youth to not hanker after money but rather enhance themselves through different facets and diverse domains. He believes that social service should be coupled with the conservation of our local traditions in order to strengthen them instead of making them vulnerable to the dominant cultures across the world. He concluded his speech by advocating Survival, Sacrifice and Unity in Diversity.

Snapshot 24: Mr. R. K. Padmanabhan, Police Commissioner, PCMC addressing the audience on Youth Empowerment and Diversity

Dr. Prakash Amte

“I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see, I sought my God, but my God eluded me; and then I sought my sisters and my brothers, and in them I found all three.”

Dr. Prakash Amte‘s expert talk was the most awaited moment of the day and the audience welcomed him with an incessantly roaring applause and the urge to feel motivated, inspired and empowered through his life experiences was felt all over the auditorium. The fundamental aim of the event was to propagate youth empowerment through social work and humanity with reference to the Amte family‘s contribution to society.

Dr. Prakash Amte and his wife Dr. Mandakini Amte have an unusual way of living: they have set up a wild animal asylum in their courtyard. This couple has spent decades changing the lives of the local community in Hemalkasa, Maharashtra, protecting tribal people and the local fauna alike.

He started off narrating a heart wrenching tale of their venture in the forests and their struggles to settle in. In the early 70s, Dr. Prakash Amte and his wife Dr. Mandakini Amte were taking a walk in Dandarayana forests of Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, when they came across a group of tribal people returning from a hunt with a dead monkey. Upon taking a closer look, the couple noticed that a baby monkey, still alive, was clinging to her dead parent, attempting to suckle her breast. The sight was heart-breaking. Dr. Prakash was deeply shocked and questioned the tribe, ―What will you do with the dead monkey?‖ The answer was seemingly obvious; the purpose of hunting was to draw nourishment for the community, not leisure.

―What about the baby monkey?‖ he pressed.

―We will eat it, too.‖ they replied.

The incident changed the course of the lives for the Amte family forever.

For the Madia-Gond tribal community, hunting was not recreational — they survived on it. At the time of the encounter, Dr. Prakash requested the tribals to give him the baby monkey in return for rice and clothes. They reluctantly agreed. The red-faced baby monkey arrived at the couple‘s home in the village of Hemalkasa and soon became a member of the household. Dr. Prakash named it Babli after the tribal god worshipped by the Madias.

Babli soon found a friend in the household dog. She would cling to the dog‘s back and fearlessly play with it, unaware that it was the very species of animal the tribals used to hunt her own kind. This scene transformed many hearts. It also helped Dr. Prakash strike a deal with the Madia tribe. He couldn‘t question the hunting rights of the tribe as the practice was necessary for them to obtain food, 22 but he decided to at least try and save the baby animals. Dr. Prakash convinced the Madias not to kill minors of the animal kingdom, but to instead bring orphaned and injured animals to his home in return for food and clothes and a deal was struck. One by one, jackals, leopards, jungle cats, common palm civets, rhesus macaques, sloth bears, giant squirrels, rat-tail langurs, four-horned antelopes, black buck antelopes, rat snakes, Indian pythons, crocodiles, monitor lizards, banded kraits, peacocks, a spotted deer, porcupines, and neelgai found their home at Animal Ark.

While his father started Lok Biradari Prakalp and brought change to the lives of many leprosy patients in Anandwan, Dr. Prakash and Dr. Mandakini decided to move to Hemalkasa to continue the tradition of working for social reform.

Hemalkasa, cut off from the rest of the world with no roads or electricity, has long been home to the tribal community of Madia-Gond that lived in abject poverty. The tribes of this area knew no techniques of agriculture and were totally dependent on the forest for their food. They wore no clothes, suffered from malnutrition and had no access to medical care.

Dr. Prakash and Dr. Mandakini set up a hospital where they treated tribal people for free. They started teaching the children from the community under a tree. Furthermore, they worked towards solving day-to-day problems of the villagers. The benefits of their work were reaped in the long run. Today the very children who studied under trees have become doctors, teachers, and engineers. The hospital is now equipped with modern facilities. The local school has a proper building and teaches over 400 tribal children. The tribal people have picked up agriculture and consequentially, they hunt less.

Dr. Prakash and Dr. Mandakini are not veterinarians; they are both doctors who went to medical school. The Animal Ark was not a part of the plan they had for their lives but they went beyond conventions to create an animal haven within their own courtyard.

Lok Biradari Hospital, Hemalkasa has been serving local tribals since 1973. Right now, it's catering more than 40 thousand patients per year from 3 states (Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Telangana) with specialized care.But, it was observed that many times, patients could not reach to the hospital on time due to various reasons like poor condition of roads, non-availability of local transport system, heavy rains etc. Also, many villages are very distant to the hospital and completely cut off during monsoon. Some of these are up to 25 km. It's quite inconvenient for patients to travel so much for problems like cold, cough, fever, diarrhea etc. He said, ―we thought, if these villages have a medical center nearby, that will not only save money and time o of patients but also they'll get treatment at door step only.‖

Snapshot 25: Dr. Prakash Baba Amteji addressing the gathering

Dr. Amte concluded his talk by motivating and instilling an emotion of humanity and health and inspiring the youth to take a step in the right direction and extending a helping hand, selflessly, towards society and people and preserve culture and humankind. He ended his speech with his father‘s words, “Work with people, not for people…”

Snapshot 26: Dr.Prakash Baba Amteji enlightening the audience with his experiences

The lecture was followed by an extremely interactive Question and Answer session during which the students as well as the faculty members put forth their doubts and queries and were privileged to hear more insights from the distinguished guests. Dr. Amte expressed a keenness to answer all the questions raised by the audience and thus, the session was concluded with utmost contentment and an impetus to take actions towards the betterment of the world around.

Snapshot 27: Dr. Prakash Baba Amteji sharing his views during the Q&A session

Snapshot 28: Active Participation of the faculty members during the interaction session 25

Snapshot 29: Student of DYPIEMR putting forth their queries during the post-lecture session

Snapshot 30: Enthusiastic students during the Q&A session

Snapshot 31: Shri. Satej D. Patil – VP & Chairman, Dr. D. Y. Patil Prathisthan during the interaction session

Snapshot 32: Principals of D Y Patil Educational Complex contributing to the noble cause of Dr. Prakash Baba Amteji and Dr. (Mrs.) Mandakini Amteji

The DYP group at the end of the session appreciatively announced a donation amount of Rs. 2 lakhs to contribute to the noble cause of the Atme family. The conclusion of the session was marked by the tunes and rhythms of the National Anthem in the hall.

Snapshot: A glimpse of the event in the local newspapers