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Apr 30, 2004

"I don't want to be a great leader. I want to be a man who goes around with a little oil can and when he sees a breakdown, offers his help. To me, the man who does that is greater than any holy man in saffron-colored robes. The mechanic with the oilcan, that is my ideal in life." --Baba Amte

Mechanic With an Oil Can

Gandhi called him a "fearless seeker" because he would never turn down a fight. But when Baba Amte saw a finger-less leper dying on the streets, he turned away in panic. Staying true to his nature, not only did he go back to feed that leper but Baba Amte decided to give up his law profession to get trained as a leprosy doctor. During his study, he even allowed his body to be used for experiments to grow leprosy germs. As he started to cure leprosy patients, he took his $3 savings to start a community of cured patients who were often shunned from society. Today, more than 2000 residents live in a thiriving community called "Anandwan", forest of joy.