S. Ramakrishnan (activist)
S. Ramakrishnan (born 6 May 1954) is the founder president of Amar Seva Sangam,
Early years and injury
Ramakrishnan was born in
Rehabilitation and later years
Ramakrishnan underwent a course of rehabilitation over the next 10 months in Pune. It was here that he was motivated by his orthopedic physician and mentor Air Marshall Dr. Amarjit Singh Chahal, after whom Ramakrishnan named the organization he founded six years later.[1]
Amar Seva Sangam
In 1981, Ramakrishnan started a school for children with disabilities at Ayikudi. The institute was registered as Amar Seva Sangam and was situated in a small piece of land donated by Ramakrishnan's parents. Sankara Raman, an auditor, who has muscular dystrophy, joined the Sangam in 1992. He is the honorary secretary of the Sangam.[1] It started with a handful of children and involved in a few activities related to polio prevention and rehabilitation, and is now spread over 30 acres of land and houses diverse activities including:
- Daycare center for children with mental retardation
- Siva Saraswathi Vidyala, an integrated high school named after the parents of Ramakrishnan
- Rehabilitation center for persons with physical disabilities
- Vocational training center
- Special study center for Indira Gandhi National Open University
- Hostel for trainees
- Early Intervention Centre for the toddlers between 0–5 years
- Medical Testing Unit
Schooling for children with disabilities and vocational training for persons with disabilities are being provided free of cost.[8]
https://www.amarseva.org/index.php
Personal life
Ramakrishnan lives in Ayikudi with his wife Chitra whom he married in 1994.[6]
Awards
- IBN7 Super Idols, Lifetime Achievement Award, 2007.[9]
- Dr. Mary Verghese Award for excellence in empowering ability, 2012.[10]
- Rotary Club of Madras, Life Time Achiever Award 2015
- Times of India Amazing Indians award in the category 'Unstoppable Indians', 2016 [11]
- Padma Shri (2020)
References
- ^ a b c "Official website of Amar Seva Sangam". Retrieved 28 October 2012.
- ^ "Padma Awards 2020 Announced". pib.gov.in.
- ^ The Hindu Net Desk (26 January 2020). "Full list of 2020 Padma awardees". The Hindu.
- ^ TNM Staff (25 January 2020). "Padmashri for S Ramakrishnan, the man who helps hundreds of people with disabilities in TN". The NewsMinute.
- ^ "A Life Reinvented". Retrieved 28 October 2012.
- ^ a b "The Real Hero". The Hindu. 19 April 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
- ^ "Handicapped by life, he provides hope". Retrieved 28 October 2012.
- ^ Paresh, Rakesh (July 2008). "Mirror of heaven". Retrieved 4 November 2012.
- ^ "IBN7 Super Idols 2007". ibnlive.
- ^ "Amar Seva Sangam founder-president honored". The Hindu. 19 February 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
- ^ "PM Narendra Modi felicitates the unsung heroes at Amazing Indians Awards - Times of India". The Times of India. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2016.