Ashok Venkatesh Deshpande, Gandhian and social worker, died in Belagavi on Wednesday, after a brief battle with cancer. He was 80.
Hailing from a landed Inamdar family of Kedanur village near Belagavi, he spent a lifetime in the service of the poor and marginalised in Mumbai, Kadoli and Belagavi. For over three decades, he served as the mentor to national service scheme teams in various colleges and universities in Karnataka and Maharashtra. He also served as secretary and president of the Jeevan Vivek Pratishtan trust that funds charitable activities.
He was active in the anti-liquor picketing movement, blind belief eradication and running of pre-schools in the poorest areas in Belagavi and surrounding areas.
