by 
PUNE: Environment activist Bandu
Dhotre and Nilesh Chhadwelkar, who beat the challenges associated with
disability and became entrepreneurs, were conferred with Sangharsh
Sanman awards by senior social activist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, on
Sunday.
These awards are given every
year to those, who struggle in their life for a cause, in memory of
Muktangan Rehabilitation Centre’s founder, Dr Anita Awachat .
The
awardees Bandu Dhotre and Nilesh Chhadwelkar shared their journey in a
candid chat with psychiatrist Dr Anand Nadkarni, while Dr Anita
Awachat’s niece Rasika Bhagwat on the occasion spoke about her aunt.
Bandu
Dhotre, who is an environment activist and runs an NGO Ecopro in
Chandrapur, has been consistently working for protection of the
environment, particularly the wildlife. Owing to the decreasing number
of tigers, Dhotre said he would focus on the conservation of tiger
habitats in Vidarbha region and also inculcate a sense of conservation
among school students. Similarly, Chhadwelkar also shared how he
overcame the challenge of disability and started his own outsourcing
company.
Activist Dr Narendra Dabholkar
said it is high time everyone worked for an alcohol-free society.
“Awareness, precaution and medication are the steps to achieve an
alcohol-free society. Unless we do away with the prestige attached to
addiction, it is difficult to have an addiction-free country,” Dabholkar
said.
Dr Anita Awachat, who was
suffering from cancer, had worked till the last day of her life for an
addiction-free society. February 10 is observed as Memorial Day to
commemorate her.
