Birth Centenary Tribute to Late Shri M G Gore, the visionary founder of ADHAR

 

It was on this day a hundred years ago – 23 November 1923 – the visionary founder of ADHAR (Association of Parents of Mentally Retarded Children), Mumbai, the late Shri M G Gore, the man who dedicated his entire life to compassion and understanding, was born.

Today two units of ADHAR at Badlapur and Nashik that serve as a home away from home for 350 plus specially abled – Divyang – adults, who are provided lifetime shelter and caregiving, stand testimony to his visionary dream. As ADHAR begins celebrating the centenary of its visionary founder, a great noble and remarkable visionary, born a century ago, we witness that this trailblazer's legacy has been woven into the very fabric of benevolence. In a world often indifferent to the struggles of the mentally challenged, Mr. M G Gore stood as a beacon of empathy and understanding to the special needs adults and their parents and caregivers by envisioning establishing an institute that would take lifetime care, with love and empathy of special needs adults. The result was the establishment of ADHAR www.adhar.org at Badlapur in January 1994.

The journey of Mr. M G Gore and his dream of establishing ADHAR began after he retired from the Children's Aid Society, a reputed institution where he worked for more than three decades. The Children’s Aid Society was established as an outcome of the Bombay Children's Act which was passed in the year 1924. In November 1926, Sir Earnest Hotson, the then Home Member, Government of Bombay convened a conference of Social Workers, which led to the formation of the Children's Aid Society in March 1927. It was providential that Mr M G Gore, born around the time when the Bombay Children’s Act was passed, served this institution for three decades and it was here that he developed his profound commitment to serve the special needs people.

The genesis for a vision to founding an institution like ADHA begins with a news report that Mr. MG Gore read that disturbed him immensely and he had sleepless nights thinking about it. The report was of a mother to a special adult – mentally challenged 30 plus years – in the USA, who, it was reported, killed her son and shot herself in the head leaving behind a note which said she took this extreme step of taking the life her son and her own life to avoid a situation as to who would look after her mentally challenged adult son after her demise. Disturbed by this news, Mr. Gore thought about special needs adults and their parents in India and realised that there are no institutions that are committed to providing lifetime care and shelter for special needs adults in India. He inserted an expression of interest advertisement in the local newspaper and appealed to interested parents of special needs adults for a meeting to explore establishing an institute that would provide lifetime shelter for such adults.  Some 40 parents turned up for the meeting and from that humble beginning, around ten parents remained committed to the cause and vision of Mr. M G Gore, who registered ADHAR as an organisation under the title “Association of Parents of Mentally Retarded Adults in the early 1990s. Mr M G Gore, with the support of parents who believed in his leadership and his vision, managed to crowd-fund initial finances and ended up purchasing a plot of land away from Mumbai in Badlapur to establish ADHAR. It was in January 1994 that they admitted the first adult at ADHAR which was aimed at providing lifetime shelter to special needs adults – mentally challenged adults. Today as ADHAR begins the commemoration of the birth centenary of Mr M G Gore, this institution has grown in strength from that humble beginning and it now has two units – one at Badlapur, from where the story of ADHAR began, and another unit at Nashik - where 350 plus special adults are staying in an ambiance of a home away from home.   

ADHAR now stands testimony to the profound commitment of Mr. Gore and his early supporter parents, like Mr. Chandavarkar ji, one of the Trustees of ADHAR, who is now 95. One of the sons of Mr. Chandavarkar has been residing at ADHAR Badlapur since its foundation and Mr. Chandavarkar ji will be sharing his reminiscence of working with the visionary Mr M G Gore at the birth centenary commemoration program, that is organised at ADHAR Badlapur today.

 Within the walls of the ADHAR, where special needs adults stay, one can hear the echo of laughter and the warmth of care for these special needs adults. Mr Gores visionary's journey was marked by a profound understanding that extended beyond conventional bounds. With each passing year, the shelter that he crafted has evolved into a testament of love, patience, and resilience. ADHAR is now a haven where the uniqueness of each individual is not just acknowledged but celebrated as well. As we commemorate the centenary of this compassionate soul, let us reflect on the enduring impact of his selfless endeavor. In the gentle embrace of the shelter he founded, countless lives have found solace, purpose, and a sense of belonging. The echoes of his legacy continue to reverberate at ADHAR, reminding us of the boundless capacity for kindness that resides within the human spirit.

Today, we honour not only the birth centenary of Mr. M G Gore but a century of unwavering dedication to a cause greater than oneself, it is so heartening to note that Mr. Vishwas Gore, the able son of Mr. M G Gore, who was a professional Chartered Accountant, left his thriving practice to mantle the leadership of ADHAR post the demise of his legendary father.

May the vision of this extraordinary individual, Mr M G Gore, inspire generations to come, encouraging us all to extend a helping hand to those in need and to build a world where compassion knows no bounds.

Today as we celebrate the birth centenary of Mr M G Gore, it is ironic that even with so many legislations and other bodies that profess to be the guardians of Human Rights, it is unfortunate that a harsh terrain of societal indifference continues to exist and more so for the mentally challenged adults, who often find themselves navigating a landscape devoid of understanding and compassion. In a world that often measures worth by conventional standards, these individuals face the subtle cruelty of being marginalized and overlooked. For parents tasked with the care of these special adults, the journey is a relentless odyssey marked by both love and torment. The weight of societal stigmas compounds the challenges, leaving parents grappling not only with the practicalities of daily care but also with the emotional toll of navigating a world that seldom comprehends the unique needs of their loved ones and constantly worrying about what will happen to their child once they pass away. The visionary we commemorate today recognized this poignant struggle. His creation of a lifetime shelter was a profound response to a world that often turned a blind eye to the silent struggles of these individuals and their families.

May the yearlong centenary programs, which have been planned by ADHAR to commemorate the birth centenary of Mr. MG Gore, help create awareness and spark a collective endeavor to foster a society that embraces the diversity of human experience and extends a compassionate hand to those who need it most.

Long live the legacy and dream of Mr M G Gore.