Sindhutai Sapkal is an Indian social worker who works for the welfare of thousands of orphans. He was awarded more than 270 national and international awards including the Nari Shakti Award presented to him by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind. On 4 January 2022, he died of a heart attack in Pune, Maharashtra.
Wiki/Biography
Sindhutai Sapkal was born on Sunday, 14 November 1948 (age 73 years; at time of death) in village Pimpri Meghe, Wardha, Central Provinces and Berar, Dominion of India (now Maharashtra, India). His zodiac sign is Scorpio. He grew up in a poor family and had to live in poverty and have family responsibilities. She got married at the young age of ten to someone 20 years older than her. At that time, he was in the fourth standard. During his studies, he used Bharadi leaves to write because his family could not afford slate. There is a conflict between his father and mother about his studies. His mother did not want him to study but his father was interested in educating him. So, his father sent him to school without knowing his mother who thought that he had gone to graze cattle. After her marriage, she moved to Nawargaon village, Seloo in Wardha where her husband used to molest her. At the age of 20, she was abandoned by her husband. At that time, she was pregnant. She then gave birth to a baby girl. In an interview, he recalled,
“I cut the umbilical cord with a sharp stone lying nearby.”
He once thought of committing suicide when his mother did not allow him to enter her home. He then started begging on the streets and railway platforms in Chikhaldara in Maharashtra’s Amravati district. He also took shelter in the graveyard and the cowshed with concern for his daughter’s safety. At that time, he saw many orphans lying on the streets and train platforms begging. He then adopted them and begged harder to feed them. This became his life’s mission. To eliminate the feeling of favoritism between her biological and adopted children, she donated her son to the Shrimant Dagdu Sheth Halwai trust in Pune (Maharashtra). Her own daughter runs an orphanage in Maharashtra. In an interview, he told,
“I have no one with me, everyone left me. I know the pain of being alone and unwanted. I don’t want anyone to go through the same thing. And I feel proud and happy to see some of my children doing well in their lives. One of my children is making a documentary about my life.”
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′ 3″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Family
Parents & Siblings
His father’s name is Abhimanyu Sathe and he is a cowherd. Not much information is available about his mother and siblings.
Husband & Son
Sindhutai Sapkal married Shrihari Sapkal when she was ten years old. This couple was blessed with a daughter named Mamta Sapkal.
Daughter of Sindhutai Sapkal
He has also adopted a son named Deepak Gaekwad.
Deepak Gaikwad
religion
Sindhutai Sapkal adheres to the Hindu religion.
Work for Adivasi
When he was in Chikhaldara, a tiger conservation project was underway in the town which resulted in the relocation of 84 tribal villages. Sindhutai decided to fight the eviction and bring the villagers back to their native land. During the course, he met the then Forest Minister, Chhedilal Gupta. Chhedilal agreed that he would not relocate the villagers until alternative land was given to them.
Work for Orphans
She established her first Ashram in Chikaldara, Amravati in 1970. She also opened her first NGO named Savitribai Phule Girls Hostel which was registered in Chikaldara. He later managed an orphanage called Sanmati Bal Niketan Sanstha – in the Hadapsar area of Pune. He also has many other social organizations in Maharashtra.
Sindhutai Sapkal with orphans
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- Shivlila Mahila Gaurav Award
- 1996 – Dattak Mata Purskar, awarded by the Non-Profit Organization Sunita Kalaniketan Trust
- 2008 – Best Woman Award, given by Marathi daily Loksatta
- 2010 – Ahilyabai Holkar Award, given by the Government of Maharashtra to a social worker in the field of women and child welfare
- 2012 – COEP Gaurav Puraskar, awarded by College of Engineering, Pune
- 2012 – Real Hero Award, presented by CNN-IBN and Reliance Foundation
- 2013 – National Award for Iconic Mother
- 2013 – Mother Teresa Award for Social Justice
- 2014 – Ahmadiyya Muslim Peace Prize
- 2016 – Best Social Worker Award from Wockhardt Foundation
- 2016 – Honorary doctorate by Dr DY Patil College of Engineering, Pune
- 2017 – Nari Shakti Puraskar from the President of India
Sindhutai Sapkal received the Nari Shakti Puruskar from the President of India Ram Nath Kovind in 2017
- 2021 – Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2021 in the Social Work category
Death
Sindhutai Sapkal died of a heart attack on January 4, 2022 at 8:10 pm at Galaxy Care Hospital in Pune, Maharashtra.
Facts/Trivia
- When she was abandoned by her husband, she still fought against the exploitation of rural women collecting cow dung by the forest department.
- While he was in the cemetery, he saw a burning corpse. After the last funeral rites, some wheat flour is left behind. He gathered the flour and kneaded it. Then he baked bread on the fire that was consuming the corpse.
- When she turned 70, her husband approached her and said that he was ready to accept her. But at that time, Sindhutai told that she is also ready to accept him but as a son as she is only a mother now. He will only accept him as his firstborn!
- On November 24, 2021, he underwent surgery for a large diaphragmatic hernia. After several days of surgery, he developed a lung infection and breathed his last on January 4, 2021. At the time of his death, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted,
“Sindhutai Sapkal will be remembered for her pure service to the community. Because of his efforts, many children can live a better quality of life. He also does a lot of work among marginalized communities. Saddened by his death. Condolences to his family and fans. Om Shanti.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said,
“The news of Sindhutai’s death is very shocking. She gave motherly care to thousands of orphans. In her sudden death, an inspiring personality has been taken from the field of social work.” NCP chief Sharad Pawar said, “The kind of social work Sindhutai has done will inspire generations to come.” Former CM Ashok Chavan said, “Sindhutai herself faced a difficult life but he worked tirelessly to improve the lives of orphans and the abandoned. His life was a source of inspiration for millions.”
- On 30 October 2010, a Marathi film inspired by the life of Sindhutai Sapkal was released titled ‘Mee Sindhutai Sapkal’. In the film, Tejaswini Pandit has played the role of Sindhutai Sapkal. After Sindhutai’s death, the actress said
“I tried to accept his death… He was sabki maye… a farishta (angel)…”
Mee Sindhutai Sapkal movie poster
- Based on her life, an autobiography titled ‘Aamchi Mai’ was published on 1 January 2015 by an author named DB Mahajan.
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
