Damodar Ganesh Bapat
Indian social worker
Damodar Ganesh Bapat (1934 or 1935 – 17 August 2019) was an Indian social worker known for his service to the leprosy patients at Bhartiya Kushta Nivarak Sangh (BKNS) in Janjgir–Champa district, Chhattisgarh, India. In 2018, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, in recognition of his social work.
Early life and education
Bapat was born in the Pathrot village in Amravati district in Maharashtra, India in 1934 or 1935. He completed his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Commerce degrees from Nagpur. After completing his studies, he worked at several places. He was not happy with his jobs and was interested in social work.
Social work
In 1970, he moved to Jashpur, in Chhattisgarh, and started volunteering with Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram which works in rural areas in India. Initially, he worked there as a teacher for the tribal children. While teaching he also met leprosy patients and remained there to serve them throughout his life.
He came in contact with Sadashiv Katre, who had founded a community in 1962 named Bharatiya Kushtha Nivarak Sangh (BKNS) in the village of Sothi, located 8 kilometres (5 mi) from Champa, to care for leprosy patients.
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