We are very heartbroken to inform you that our beloved Didi (Dr. Nirmala Deshpande) passed away today 1st May 2008 early morning at 5:00 A.M. in her sleep. The funeral was held at the Lodhi Road Electric Crematorium as per her wish on Friday May 2nd at 9.30 A.M. Any condolence messages or tributes can be emailed to didi@gartindia.org . Didi headed many organizations. This is an appeal for all such organizations to coordinate with us and send us details of her association with your organization and work done. Kindly inform us of any memorial functions you plan to hold so we can post it on her official website.

She is the last of the dedicated Gandhians and her loss is mourned by India as a great blow to peace initiatives. Although she is no more I still feel her energy guiding us. Like Gandhi ji and Vinobha ji, she was a woman of action. Her recent favourite phrase was "Lage Raho" meaning just keep going! Our best tribute would be to keep her legacy alive by adhering to her vision of positivity and action.

May her soul rest in peace.

Vivek Sharma
(Managing Trustee)
Gandhi Ashram Reconstruction Trust

Shri Rajmohan Gandhi
Edhi Foundation - Janab Abdul Satar Edhi & Begum Bilquis Edhi, Pakistan
Sadanand Ward Mailliard, Sri Ram Centre California
Randy Taran, The Dalai Lama Foundation
John Siliphant, Be the Change
Prof. Pema Gyalpo
Rev. Myoe Nakashima, Bodai Isshinji Temple, Okayama, Japan
Prof. Dr. Primitivo D. Chua, Honorary Advisor, AMDA International
Dr. Pashupati Regmi, Chairperson, AMDA-Nepal
Dr. S. Kamath, Chairperson, AMDA-India
Smt. Kamala Ratnam
Garfield Lindsay Miller