Govind TekaleSindhutai Sapkal, known as Mai, passed away at Pune at the age of 74. She was born at Wardha, on 14 Nov,1947. She founded Mamata Bal Sadan at Kumbharvalan, in Purandar Taluka in 1994. This Institution adopted the orphans and made them responsible citizens.
She also started a Bal Niketan at Hadapsar, Pune. She nurtured and gave education to hundreds of orphans through these institutes. After education they were guided to be financially independent.Then these young men and women were helped in getting suitable life partners.
Sindhutai had four biological children before she was 20 and had left her marital home after suffering domestic abuse. In the early days, Sapkal sheltered at railway stations and cemeteries with her children and took to begging to make ends meet.
Her plight made her empathize with orphans, whom she then took under her wing and thus began a lifetime of work caring for them. She also worked with Adivasi communities for their welfare, even confronting then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to demand compensation for a family attacked by a bear in a tiger reserve. Her demand was promptly met with.
Some of her carried forward their mother’s work in children’s welfare, including her biological daughter, with others also achieving professional success across sectors. She was honoured with an award of a Padmashri byCentral Govt. in2021. Her life and times inspired film maker Ananth Mahadevan to direct a Marathi biopic Mee Sindhutai Sapkal. Tejasvini Pandit acted as Sapkal in that film. May her soul rest in peace.
