Appasaheb Dharmadhikari
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A brief profile
April 18, 2023: The Indian Express
Eleven people lost their lives after suffering from dehydration and heatstroke while attending a Maharashtra government event held in an open ground at Kharghar in Navi Mumbai.
At the ceremony, Union Home Minister Amit Shah conferred the prestigious Maharashtra Bhushan Award on veteran social worker Appasaheb Dharmadhikari. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Cabinet ministers were present at the function attended by roughly two million people.
Shah felicitated the 76-year-old with a shawl, a citation, a memento and a cheque of Rs 25 lakh, which the social worker donated to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. “I will continue my social work till my last breath… I had inherited it from my father Nanasaheb… and now my sons (Sachin, Umesh and Rahul) will carry it forward…,” Dharmadhikari said at the occasion. “Mankind is the only caste. Service to humanity is the only purpose. Why should there be any conflict and differences when there is oneness?” he added.
Who is Appasaheb Dharmadhikari and what is his philosophy?
Also known as Dattatreya Narayan Dharmadhikari, he was born in the village of Revdanda in Raigad district on May 14, 1946 to Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari. Nanasaheb was a social reformer who worked towards eliminating regressive and orthodox customs among the people.
Appasaheb continued this journey. According to the website of his organisation, Dr Shri Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari Pratishthan, he is dedicated towards what he calls “social awakening”. To spread this message, regular congregations or Shri Baithaks are organised “at thousands of places in and outside Maharashtra”.
In these congregations, social ills such as dowry, addiction, superstition, etc. are discussed with the view of eradicating them and achieving, what Appasaheb calls “national integration” which consists of “making everyone aware of the universal consciousness lying within each of us, by giving the requisite knowledge”.
What are some of the activities Appasaheb and his organisation engage in?
Contributions of Appasaheb span a wide range of issues, from environmental conservation to business. The organisation functions mostly in Maharashtra.
According to the organisation’s website, it has carried out multiple tree plantation campaigns to help maintain ecological balance amidst ever increasing commercial development, which often comes at the cost of the environment. Beyond plantation, the organisation also makes efforts to protect and nurture these trees.
An area where the organisation has made a significant impact is in water conservation and protection. It has carried out massive well cleaning drives, to help provide access to pure water to villagers, helped recharge dry wells and removed sludge from old dams. It has also set up water kiosks in Nashik and built a dam at Guhagar to replenish groundwater levels.
In the area of health, the organisation conducts frequent blood donation camps, distributes medical supplies in remote areas including hearing aids, and conducts frequent health checkup camps in rural areas and poorer urban pockets. In 2013, the organisation organised the world’s largest-ever health camp (according to the Guinness Book of World Records) in Navi Mumbai – the camp saw 1,52,000 patients being examined by 1571 doctors.
A few years ago, Appasaheb Dharmadhikari was appointed as ‘Swachata Doot’ (cleanliness ambassador) by then Maharashtra governor C Vidyasagar Rao for his efforts in the area of cleanliness. The organisation conducts cleanliness drives, special Nirmalya collection and composting to deal with pollution caused by idol immersion (especially after Ganesh Chaturthi), and even conducted a cleanup of the historic Janjira fort in 2016.
Other areas where Appasaheb has also contributed include education, business (organising camps for aspiring entrepreneurs), disaster management, and transport.
