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{{short description|Indian social worker and founder of Kasturba Ashramam}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Amalprava Das
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = 12 November 1911
| birth_place = [[Dibrugarh]], [[Assam]], India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername =
| occupation = Social worker
| yearsactive =
| known for = Social service
| spouse =
| domesticpartner =
| children =
| parents = Hare Krishna Das<br>Hema Prabha Das
| website =
| awards = [[Padma Shri]]<br>[[Jamnalal Bajaj Award]]
}}
'''Amalprava Das''', also known as '''Amal Prabha Das''', was an Indian social worker, [[Gandhian]] and the founder of ''[[Kasturba Gandhi|Kasturba]] Ashram'' at Sarania Hills, [[Assam]], a [[Support group|self help group]] for women and their economic upliftment and ''Guwahati Yubak Sevadal'', a [[non governmental organization]] working for the social development of [[harijans]].<ref name="Telegraph India">{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1040814/asp/guwahati/story_3619157.asp | title= A Gandhian heaven for the downtrodden | newspaper=Telegraph India | date=14 August 2014 | access-date=27 June 2018}}</ref> The [[Government of India]] honoured her in 1954, with the award of [[Padma Shri]], the fourth highest Indian civilian award for her contributions to the society,<ref name="Padma Shri">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Shri |publisher=Padma Shri |date=2015 |access-date=11 November 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 }}</ref> placing her among the first recipients of the award. A recipient of the 1981 [[Jamnalal Bajaj Award]],<ref name="Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation">{{cite web | url=http://www.jamnalalbajajfoundation.org/awards/archives/1981/constructive-work/amalprava-das | title=Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation | publisher=Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation | date=2015 | access-date=29 March 2015}}</ref> Das was honoured again by the [[Government of India]] with the second highest civilian award of [[Padma Vibhushan]] which she declined to accept.<ref name="Telegraph India" />

==Biography==
Amalprava was born on 12 November 1911 in a rich family<ref name="Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation" /> to noted [[gandhian]] couple, Hare Krishna Das and Hema Prabha Das in [[Dibrugarh]]<ref name="Sentinel">{{cite web | url=http://www.sentinelassam.com/state2/story.php?sec=2&subsec=7&id=216190&dtP=2015-01-30&ppr=1 | title=Sentinel | publisher=Sentinel | date=28 January 2013 | access-date=29 March 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924101351/http://www.sentinelassam.com/state2/story.php?sec=2&subsec=7&id=216190&dtP=2015-01-30&ppr=1 | archive-date=24 September 2015 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref> in the Northeast Indian state of [[Assam]].<ref name="Telegraph India" /> She did her schooling at local educational institutions, but was denied admission at the local [[Cotton College, Guwahati|Cotton College]] and had to move to [[Bethune College]] in Calcutta for college studies from where she passed the school leaving (or university entrance) examination in 1929. Later she joined the [[Scottish Church College]] and earned a bachelor's degree (BSc) in chemistry and a master's degree (MSc) in applied chemistry, and in so doing, became the first [[Assamese people|Assamese]] woman to obtain a master's degree in science.<ref name="Telegraph India" /><ref name="Sentinel" /> She continued her studies to gain a diploma in [[clinical pathology]] and refused a teaching job at the British run Cotton College citing patriotic reasons.<ref name="Telegraph India" />

In 1934 Das had an opportunity to interact with [[Mahatma Gandhi]] when the leader of the [[Indian freedom movement]] stayed at her house during a visit to Guwahati. This meeting is reported to have influenced her and guided her in her future endeavors.<ref name="Telegraph India" /> She established Maitri Ashram (later renamed as Kasturba Ashram) in a property owned by her father in Sarania Hills which was later donated to Kasturba Memorial Trust. Under the aegis of the ashram, she organized training for the womenfolk of the village in cottage industries so that they might become financially self-reliant.<ref name="Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation" /> She also founded several institutions such as Gram Sevika Vidyalaya, Kasturba Kalyan Kendra, Gauhati Katai Mandal, Guwahati Yubak Sevadal and Assam Go-Seva Samiti.<ref name="Telegraph India" />

When the [[Government of India]] introduced the [[Indian honours system|Padma Awards]] in 1954, she was included for the award of [[Padma Shri]].<ref name="Padma Shri" /> She received the [[Jamnalal Bajaj Award]] in 1981<ref name="India Water Portal">{{cite web | url=http://www.indiawaterportal.org/sites/indiawaterportal.org/files/jba_form_constructive_work_0.pdf | title=India Water Portal | publisher=India Water Portal | date=2015 | access-date=29 March 2015}}</ref> for "Outstanding Contribution in Constructive Work".<ref name="Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation" /> The Government of India selected her later for the second highest civilian award of [[Padma Vibhushan]], but she declined the award due to apathy towards public honours.<ref name="Telegraph India" /> Her life and times have been recorded in the book, ''A Biography'', published in 1986, after her demise.<ref name="A Biography">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cvMgERDpbIIC&q=Amalprava+Das+biography&pg=PA294 | title=Rural Development in North East India | publisher=Concept Publishing Company | author=Komol Singha, Gautam Patikar | year=2010 | pages=294 of 316 | isbn=9788180696688}}</ref> The Department of Social Welfare of the [[Government of Assam]] has instituted an award in her honour, ''Amal Prava Das Award'' which is being awarded for commitment and excellence in social service since 2013.<ref name="Sentinel" /><ref name="Karar Nivang">{{cite web | url=http://thekararnivang.com/2015/01/23/janardhan-pathak-aphan-amal-prava-das-anong-eh-pajirji/ | title=Karar Nivang | publisher=Karar Nivang | date=2013 | access-date=29 March 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402094327/http://thekararnivang.com/2015/01/23/janardhan-pathak-aphan-amal-prava-das-anong-eh-pajirji/ | archive-date=2 April 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref> The department is in the process of making a documentary depicting the life of Amalprava Das.<ref name="Assam Tribune">{{cite web | url=http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=mar1115/at051 | title=Assam Tribune | publisher=Assam Tribune | date=11 March 2015 | access-date=29 March 2015}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Kasturba Gandhi]]
{{portal|India}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Jamnalal Bajaj Award winners}}

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Public Affairs}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Das, Amalprava}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in public affairs]]
[[Category:1911 births]]
[[Category:People from Dibrugarh district]]
[[Category:Scholars from Assam]]
[[Category:Social workers]]
[[Category:Gandhians]]
[[Category:Year of death missing]]
[[Category:Bethune College alumni]]
[[Category:Scottish Church College alumni]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian educational theorists]]
[[Category:Women educators from Assam]]
[[Category:Educators from Assam]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Assam]]
[[Category:Women Indian independence activists]]
[[Category:Social workers from Assam]]
[[Category:20th-century women educators]]

Amalprava Das - Revision history

imported>JJMC89 bot III at 18:26, 31 July 2021