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“This is the one of the most inspirational work I have ever seen in my long public service career,” said social worker and Ramon Magsaysay awardee Prakash Baba Amte, commending BAIF Development Research Foundation at its Foundation Day celebration in Uruli Kanchan on Sunday.
Founded in 1967 by agricultural scientist Manibhai Desai, BAIF has been vital to efforts of rural development. Its programmes cover livestock improvement, natural resource management, climate-resilient farming, women empowerment, and sustainable livelihoods. Today, the organisation works across 17 states, impacting dozens of small-holder farmers.
Speaking at the 59th Foundation Day, Amte recalled his own journey of working among tribal communities and drew parallels with BAIF’s grassroots mission. “There is so much inequality in our country. On one side, there is prosperity, but in tribal regions people once had no food, no clothes, no education, no hospitals,” he noted.
BAIF Chairperson Hrishikesh Mafatlal underlined the need to preserve India’s cultural values while embracing progress. He said, “Our strength lies in our values. If we only try to imitate foreign countries, we lose our essence. BAIF’s journey of more than six decades has upheld the philosophy of ‘Simple Living, High Thinking.’”
He added that the real heroes are not those who flaunt wealth but people like Prakash Amte and Manibhai Desai, who lived with simplicity and selfless service. “Whatever resources we have must be used for the good of others,” he said.
Guest of Honour Pankaj Kaushal, Director of the Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute (IGFRI), stressed the importance of scientific innovation for farmers welfare.
“Our institute has developed more than 400 improved varieties of fodder crops over the years, many of which are now growing in farmers’ fields,” he said. “We are also working on genes like apomixis that could allow farmers to reuse hybrid seeds without losing productivity. Imagine the revolution this can bring”, he added further.
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The event was attended by farmers, agriculturists and awardees with special successes from across the country. Speakers described the gathering as a “Mini India,” celebrating grassroots innovation and the spirit of Rural and sustainable development.
