Mata Amritanandamayi wishes to rehabilitate sex workers

[Guest guest]

News Updated on Sunday, January 01, 2006 4:25:31 AM

http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=205717&cat=India

 

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* News >> India*

 

*Mata Amritanandamayi wishes to rehabilitate sex workers*

Amritspuri | December 30, 2005 4:33:11 PM IST

 

 

 

You may call her the next Mother Teresa of India as she is lovingly

called "Amma"(the mother) by millions of people, especially living in

southern parts of India. She renders comfort by hugging the people who

approach her like children coming to their mother for finding peace and

solace. Many call her the "hugging saint".

 

Born to fishermen parents in Alappad village in Kollam district of

Kerala, as Sudhamani, she is today's "Amma" or "Mata Amritanandamayi".

She is valued as a saint for her philanthropic acts especially performed

at the tragic times like Tsunami, Katrina, or the recent earthquake. The

lady who is today a guardian to thousands of orphans, widows and

disabled people, had a very humble beginning, with her parents facing an

uphill task to feed their eight children. The 52-year-old "Amma" has

become a household name in entire South India.

 

She now plans to set up a rehabilitation centre for sex workers and the

debt-trapped farmers.

 

"I have plans to set up a rehabilitation centre for sex workers and help

debt-trapped farmers, who are driven to commit suicide. I want to open

schools for their children and try to take care of them. I cannot

provide financial help to relieve them of their debts," says

Amritanandamayi in a rare interview to Asian News International.

 

"Amma" is looked upon with great hope by victims of any natural calamity

regardless of their religious identity. She has set up an orphanage in

Nagapattinam, taking care of about 350 children who lost their parents

during Tsunami, which killed thousands of people and left many more

homeless on December 26, 2004.

 

Her Ashram has already constructed and handed over 1,500 tsunami and

earthquake resistant houses in Azheekkal village in Kerala and over

1,000 in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu, besides providing some 550

new boats and fishing nets and repairing an equal number of boats.

 

Her help reaches beyond geographical boundaries of nations. Recently,

Amritanandamayi's Ashram donated one million dollars to Clinton

Foundation for relief to the victims of the recent Katrina hurricane in

the United States.

 

She says that her affection is for all. She does not want anyone to

treat her as God. The Saint's popularity and acts of charity have been

taken note of by the United Nations even, which recognized her Mutt (or

the holy place) as a non government organisation (NGO) with Special

Consultative Status.

 

Amrita Tsunami Relief and Rehabilitation project run by her is a 23

million dollar undertaking, covering a broad range of relief efforts in

India and Sri Lanka. Though the relief fund earmarked for Sri Lanka is a

mere 30 million rupees, her followers have undertaken projects for

nearly 2 billion rupees.

 

Her hermitage is a place for people from all religions-Hindus, Muslims,

Sikhs and Christians. All get the motherly hug of Amma as she symbolises

the composite culture of India.

 

"There are some religious leaders who believe that salvation is only

through one or the other religion. There is no harm in sharing the grief

of anyone, but one should not barter religion for relief," says Amma,

the Saint.

 

She says that she had offered to adopt three villages in the quake-hit

areas in Kashmir and also made an offer to Pakistan President General

Pervez Musharraf to send relief workers or relief material to the

quake-affected areas on the other side of the divide, but found no

positive response. (ANI)

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

As one of the folks working with brothers and sisters who are

incarcerated through Circle of Love Inside, sometimes I come across a

type of dualistic thinking among my Amma siblings: the good vs. the

"bad." I sense a fear that the "bad" will be contagious or harmful so

better not get involved with prisoners. This story shows that Amma

does not have these fears. May her example help those of us who still

sruggle with them.

 

Aikya

 

 

 

Ammachi, Devi's Daughter <devi.daughter@g...>

wrote:

>

> News Updated on Sunday, January 01, 2006 4:25:31 AM

> http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=205717&cat=India

>

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>

>

>

> * News >> India*

>

> *Mata Amritanandamayi wishes to rehabilitate sex workers*

> Amritspuri | December 30, 2005 4:33:11 PM IST

>

>

>

> You may call her the next Mother Teresa of India as she is lovingly

> called "Amma"(the mother) by millions of people, especially living

in

> southern parts of India. She renders comfort by hugging the people

who

> approach her like children coming to their mother for finding peace

and

> solace. Many call her the "hugging saint".

>

> Born to fishermen parents in Alappad village in Kollam district of

> Kerala, as Sudhamani, she is today's "Amma" or "Mata

Amritanandamayi".

> She is valued as a saint for her philanthropic acts especially

performed

> at the tragic times like Tsunami, Katrina, or the recent earthquake.

The

> lady who is today a guardian to thousands of orphans, widows and

> disabled people, had a very humble beginning, with her parents

facing an

> uphill task to feed their eight children. The 52-year-old "Amma" has

> become a household name in entire South India.

>

> She now plans to set up a rehabilitation centre for sex workers and

the

> debt-trapped farmers.

>

> "I have plans to set up a rehabilitation centre for sex workers and

help

> debt-trapped farmers, who are driven to commit suicide. I want to

open

> schools for their children and try to take care of them. I cannot

> provide financial help to relieve them of their debts," says

> Amritanandamayi in a rare interview to Asian News International.

>

> "Amma" is looked upon with great hope by victims of any natural

calamity

> regardless of their religious identity. She has set up an orphanage

in

> Nagapattinam, taking care of about 350 children who lost their

parents

> during Tsunami, which killed thousands of people and left many more

> homeless on December 26, 2004.

>

> Her Ashram has already constructed and handed over 1,500 tsunami and

> earthquake resistant houses in Azheekkal village in Kerala and over

> 1,000 in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu, besides providing some

550

> new boats and fishing nets and repairing an equal number of boats.

>

> Her help reaches beyond geographical boundaries of nations.

Recently,

> Amritanandamayi's Ashram donated one million dollars to Clinton

> Foundation for relief to the victims of the recent Katrina hurricane

in

> the United States.

>

> She says that her affection is for all. She does not want anyone to

> treat her as God. The Saint's popularity and acts of charity have

been

> taken note of by the United Nations even, which recognized her Mutt

(or

> the holy place) as a non government organisation (NGO) with Special

> Consultative Status.

>

> Amrita Tsunami Relief and Rehabilitation project run by her is a 23

> million dollar undertaking, covering a broad range of relief efforts

in

> India and Sri Lanka. Though the relief fund earmarked for Sri Lanka

is a

> mere 30 million rupees, her followers have undertaken projects for

> nearly 2 billion rupees.

>

> Her hermitage is a place for people from all religions-Hindus,

Muslims,

> Sikhs and Christians. All get the motherly hug of Amma as she

symbolises

> the composite culture of India.

>

> "There are some religious leaders who believe that salvation is only

> through one or the other religion. There is no harm in sharing the

grief

> of anyone, but one should not barter religion for relief," says

Amma,

> the Saint.

>

> She says that she had offered to adopt three villages in the

quake-hit

> areas in Kashmir and also made an offer to Pakistan President

General

> Pervez Musharraf to send relief workers or relief material to the

> quake-affected areas on the other side of the divide, but found no

> positive response. (ANI)

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of t