(a - Baba Amte - 2007+2008) Heartfelt Tributes To Baba Poem by Kannan G

Towards the middle of the last century a man was moved to the core by the unbearable miseries, agony and social ostracism being suffered by victims of leprosy. It was sufficient to help him realize what his life’s mission ought to be. He wanted to be faithful to his conscience. He relinquished his luxurious life style, his lucrative profession and voluntarily embraced poverty to identify himself with the deprived and the depressed. The rest of his life was a saga of struggle, a struggle against the infirmities of the mind of man, a struggle against the cruelties of the world. The rest of his life was a poem in action; a beautiful poem of self-less service, of creative compassion, of unflinching faith, of determination, love and peace. That was the great social worker BABA AMTE.

I am a humble friend of Baba Amte and his Anandwan. I have fortunately had the opportunity to experience in person the greatness of this really wonderful person, from a fairly close range, although for a short time. The 21 poems included in this collection issued forth from my heart during these periods of my closeness with him. They speak something about his ideas and ideals, about his work and his wisdom. Hence I desire to present it before the general public, as a humble service of mine. If it serves to inspire anybody, if it serves to spread his message, at least to some extent, I think, humanity would be to that extent, happier and more peaceful.

If inspired and interested, you are hereby requested to kindly provide link to these poems to as many friends of yours as possible and help spread far and wide, his messages of supreme love, selfless service, peaceful coexistence, universal brotherhood of man..........

We were suffering seriously
From mental leprosy;
As Christ
You healed us
So compassionately!

We were wavering Arjunas
In the battle field;
As Krishna
You charioted us
To combat valiantly!

We were groping hopelessly
In dark self-pity;
As Buddha
You enlightened us
So luminously!

We were enslaved shamelessly
To obscene superfluity;
As Gandhi
You fought for our freedom
So non-violently!

We were living insecurely
Destroyed by disunity;
As Vinobaji
You gifted us lands
Of communal harmony!

We were denied awfully
The worship of work;
As Sane Guruji
You opened for us
Temples of opportunity!

You did a lot of work;
You have left for us a lot!
As Baba Amte
You inspire us unceasingly!
You awaken us silently!

O dynamic embodiment
Of creative humanity!
We feel you ever as so many
As Christ, as Krishna, as Gandhi
As a mechanic, as a healer, as a revolutionary
As a bird, a nest, a tree
As a mine, a mountain, a sea
As poetry, as electricity
As ………………………….
……………………………….

The more we try to realize you
The more mysterious you seem to be!
But the more we try to realize you
The more enlightened we become
To live our lives rightly
To love others sincerely
To serve others selflessly
To …………………………
….…………………………..

Epilogue:

Struck by age and disease
Although wounded lay your body
As Bhishmacharya
Even from your bed of arrows
You commanded us so brilliantly!

Now, O Great Soul
You have liberated yourself finally
From the shackles of mind and body!
If not for your love of humanity,
If not for your sacred journey
From sympathy to empathy,
If not for your humane creativity,
When alone would you have been free!
It’s great that you journeyed with us this far
You have now reached immortality!
We are now left with the company
Of your thoughts and deeds only!
But by them we will still be led
O Supreme Commander of Humanity!
We shall ever be proud to be
Soldiers of your great army
Of courage & confidence
Of passion & perseverance
Of love & compassion
Of ……………………
………………………………