Kuala Lumpur, July 31
India’s philanthropist doctor couple, Prakash and Mandakini Amte, were today declared winners of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay award for their contribution towards improving the lives of tribals in a remote Maharashtra village.

Prakash, the son of noted social activist Baba Amte, and his wife Mandakini are among the seven individuals from different countries who have been selected for this year’s Magsaysay Award, regarded as Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel prize. The couple has been selected for the community leadership award, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation said in the Philippines capital Manila.

“They are being recognised for enhancing the capacity of the Madia Gonds (tribals) to adapt positively in today’s India, through healing, teaching and other compassionate interventions,” it said.

The husband-wife duo run a school and a hospital at Hemalkasa village in the underprivileged district of Gadchiroli in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region.

Prakash’s father Baba Amte, who died in February this year, had received the Ramon Magsaysay award for public service in 1985. Baba Amte had spent much of his life in the rehabilitation and care of leprosy patients at his Anandwan ashram in one of the poorest tribal areas in Maharashtra.

Prakash and Mandakini continue to follow in his footsteps and treat more than 40,000 tribal patients in a year at their 40-bed hospital in Hemalkasa. They have also set up a school for tribal children, which has produced five Gond doctors, who also contribute to their project. Their sons Dighant and Aniket are also doctors and have dedicated their lives to the cause of their parents.

Other winners of this year’s Magsaysay award include Grace Padaca (Philippines) in the field of government service, Therdchai Jivacate (Thailand) in the public service category, Ahmad Syafii Maarif (Indonesia) for promoting peace and international understanding, Akio Ishii (Japan) in the field of journalism, literature, and creative communication arts, and Ananda Galappatti (Sri Lanka) in emergent leadership category.

The awards, named after a popular Philippines President killed in a plane crash, were set up in 1957 and over 250 persons have been honoured so far.

Meanwhile, Prakash Amte today said he was humbled by the recognition bestowed upon him. “I accept the award on behalf of my entire team dedicated to the cause of social welfare and upliftment,” said Amte. — PTI