Jammanlal award for Tutu Save

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, SEPT. 28. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, an apostle of equality anti-apartheid movement in South Africa gets this year's Jamnalal Bajaj International Award for promoting Gandhian values outside India.

While Mr. Somdutt Vedalankar, an octogenarian Gandhian gets the Bajaj Award for outstanding contribution in the field of constructive work, the one for application of science and technology for rural development goes to Mr. Bhaskar Save. Ms. Vidya Devi, another octogenarian Gandhian gets Shrimati Jankidevi Bajaj Award for uplift and welfare of women and children.

Archbishop Tutu will be the second South African to receive the prestigious Bajaj International Award. The first one to receive it was Dr. Nelson Mandela. Both Dr. Mandela and Archbishop Tutu are Nobel laureate.

Mr. Somdutt Vedalankar, secretary of Khadi Ashram, Panipat in Haryana is a veteran of Non-Cooperation and Quit India movements and a committed advocate of Khadi. The Khadi Ashram he established in 1952, Mr. Vedalankar has now branches in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi. The value of the Khadi produced by the network was Rs. 18 crore and it employs about 35,000 workers.

Mr. Vedalankar is also the director of the Gandhi Ashram, Lucknow that employs 3.57 lakh people on its various projects having the turnover of Rs. 2121.20 crores. A trustee of Central Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, the veteran Gandhian is also a prolific writer.

Mr. Bhaskar Heerji Save, 78, of Valsad district of Gujarat has evolved a sound method of natural and organic farming and has undertaken wasteland reclamation for the past 30 years. He has been advocating and advising plantation of croten for maintenance of moisture of soil with a view to reducing the frequency of irrigation. His natural farming methods rely a great deal on earth worms, slogan being: first plough with a bullock and do subsequent ploughing with earth worms.

Ms. Vidya Devi, 84, runs Balika Vidyapeeth in one of the most backward areas of Bihar. She had joined the national freedom movement when she was just 14 and has been working for the women and children in the rural areas of Munger district. She was arrested by the British while leading a procession during the Salt Satyagraha in 1932.

She declined the offer for nomination to the Bihar legislative council and even resigned from the Social Welfare Board of the State to be able to devote fully her time for the Vidyapeeth which not only imparts education to girls along with extra- curricular activities but also teaches them practical aspects of rural management and community hygiene and how to get over the mental bondages, social prejudices of cast, creed and sex.

Each award consist of Rs. Two lakh cash, a trophy and citation. According to Mr. Madhur Bajaj, a trustee of the Bajaj Foundation, the awards would be presented by the president, Mr. K.R. Narayanan probably in December next.

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