Nirmala Deshpande
| Nirmala Deshpande | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
19 October 1929 Nagpur, Maharashtra, India |
| Died | 1 May 2008 (aged 78) |
| Known for | Social activism |
Nirmala Deshpande (Devanagari: निर्मला देशपांडे) (17 October 1929 – 1 May 2008) was a noted Indian social activist who had embraced Gandhian philosophy. She devoted her adult life to promotion of communal harmony and service to women, tribal people, and the dispossessed in India.
She was awarded Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award of India in 2006. and was awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz posthumously by Pakistan in 2010
Deshpande was born to Vimala (विमला) and Purushottam Yashawant Deshpande (पुरुषोत्तम यशवंत देशपांडे) in Nagpur on 19 October 1929. Her father was the recipient of a Sahitya Akademi Award in 1962 for his work in Marathi Anamikachi Chintanika (अनामिकाची चिंतनिका).
She did MA in Political Science from Nagpur, India, She also studied Fergusson College, Pune. Thereafter, she served as lecturer in Political Science in Morris College, Nagpur.
Deshpande joined Vinoba Bhave's Bhoodan movement in 1952. She undertook a 40,000-km journey on foot --padayatra—across India to carry Gandhi's message of Grām Swarāj. She recognized that it was difficult to practice Gandhian principles, yet believed that doing so was the only way towards a truly democratic society.
Deshpande was known to be the spirit behind peace marches in Punjab and Kashmir when violence was at its peak in those states. Her peace mission to Kashmir in 1994 and her initiative in organizing India-Pakistan meet in 1996 were her two major public service achievements. The Tibetan cause against Chinese suppression was also close to her heart.
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