- Hanumappa Sudarshan
-
Hanumappa Sudarshan 
Dr. Sudarshan, a well-known social worker and tribal activist recognized for his work with the Soligas in BR HillsBorn December 30, 1950 [1]
Yemalur, Karnataka, IndiaNationality Indian Other names Dr. Sudarshan Education Doctor Known for Public Health, Tribal rights, Activism, Gandhism Religion Hindu Dr. Hanumappa Sudarshan (Kannada: ಡಾ. ಎಚ್. ಸುದರ್ಶನ್) (born 30 December 1950) is an Indian social worker and tribal rights activist. He is well known for his contributions to the upliftment of the forest dwelling tribes (mainly Soligas) in the Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka. He is also a recipient of the Right Livelihood Award and the Padma Shri.[2][3]
Contents
Early life and education
Dr. Sudarshan was born in Yemalur on the outskirts of Bangalore. He graduated from Bangalore Medical College and became a medical doctor in the year 1973. He is also an Adjunct Professor at IGNOU.[1]
Career
Dr. Sudarshan, after graduation, he joined the charitable health institutions of Ramakrishna Mission which took him to the Himalayas of Uttar Pradesh, Belur Math in West Bengal and Ponnampet in Karnataka as part of the job.[4] Instead of pursuing a medical practice in the cities, he decided to work with tribal communities and in 1980, he started the Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra for the integrated development of the tribals in the Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka.[2] He is also the founder and Honorary Secretary of the Karuna Trust, which is dedicated to rural development in the states of Karnataka and Arunachal Pradesh. He claims inspiration from the man-making and nation-building ideals of Swami Vivekananda. He advocates Gandhian ideals for rural development.[5]
Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra (VGKK)
Logo of the Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra
VGKK is an organization with a mission of Sustainable development of tribal people through rights-based approaches to health, education, livelihood security and biodiversity conservation.[6] Founded in October 1981 by Dr. Sudarshan, VGKK has worked with tribals in the Chamarajanagar district and Mysore district of Karnataka and also with tribals in the states of Tamil Nadu, Arunachal Pradesh and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and has interacted with about 20,000 people. The organization has always had a tribal youth as its President. Presently, Jadeya Gowda one of the first few children who was taught by Dr. Sudarshan is the President. He went on to do a graduation and post-graduation in agriculture and is presently doing his PhD at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore.
VGKK runs a 450 pupil school for the tribes of B R Hills where the students are provided education equivalent to that provided in the urban areas. Subjects related to the tribal welfare such as environmental issues, tribal values and culture are also a part of the curriculum. VGKK also has a vocational training institute where 16 crafts are taught. As a result of the efforts of VGKK, about 60% of the Soliga tribe now get a minimum of 300 days of employment per year from the Forest Department of Karnataka and other agencies.[3] VGKK also has a system of co-operatives which employ the tribals directly and it has also made an effort towards sustainable extraction of non-timber products and creation of tribal enterprises to process them.
VGKK is an established voluntary agency recognized by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.
Karuna Trust
Logo of Karuna TrustStarted in the year 1986 by Dr. Sudarshan, Karuna Trust (India) is an organization involved with integrated rural development and is affiliated to VGKK.[7] The prevalence of leprosy in Yelandur Taluk of Chamarajanagar district was the motivation to start this trust. Another focus area for this trust is education and livelihood improvement. Karuna Trust runs 25 Primary Health Care (PHC) Centres in all the districts of the state of Karnataka and 9 PHC's in Arunachal Pradesh. The organization promotes Public Private Partnership with NGOs on a non-profit basis to achieve primary health care.
Positions held
Dr. Sudarshan has held many positions in his career, prominent among which are the chairmanship of the Task Force on Health and Family Welfare organised by Government of Karnataka, the Task Force on Public Private Partnership organised by National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) of Government of India and Institute of Health management & Research (IHMR), Bangalore.[4] He was also associated as a member of Working Group 6 on Macro-economics & Health organised by the World Health Organization and was also a Steering Group member of the Planning Commission on the Empowerment of Scheduled Tribes in India's 11th Five Year Plan. He has also been the Vigilance Director for the Karnataka Lokayukta, an ombudsman organization. During his tenure, he adopted a method of regular visits and raids to several Government departments and earned critical acclaim for this.[8]
Awards
- Right Livelihood Award (1994), for showing how tribal culture can contribute to a process that secures the basic rights and fundamental needs of indigenous people and conserves their environment.[2]
- Padma Shri Award (2000)
- Rajyotsava State Award for social work (1984) - Government of Karnataka.[4]
- Ashoka Fellow.[9]
Quotes
- To eliminate disease you have to remove poverty. The only way to do that, I have realised, is to organise the people for their rights.[3]
- The so-called civilized society has a lot to learn from the tribals.[3]
- Corruption is at various levels: In medical education, starting from joining the medical college — you can buy a seat, you can buy the examiner, the examination system, you can buy the question papers. This is much less now with the University trying to bring in some reforms, but still, in the viva-voce and practical, many people continue to pay and pass; we are not sure if we have plugged that.[10]
- There are no pills for poverty.
Notes
- ^ a b Bio-data of Dr. Sudarshan from the website of Karuna Trust DOC
- ^ a b c Roll of Honour for Dr. Sudarshan on his receiving the Right Livelihood Award is presented by "Roll of Honour". Online Webpage of the Right Livelihood Awards Organisation. Right Livelihood Awards Organisation. http://www.rightlivelihood.org/recip/sudarshan.htm. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ a b c d A biography of Dr. Sudarshan is provided by "Dr. H Sudarshan". Online Webpage of Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra(VGKK). © 2006, Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra. http://www.vgkk.org/Dr.H.Sudarshan.htm. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ a b c A biodata of Dr. Sudarshan is presented by "Bio-data". Online Webpage of the Institute of Health Systems. Institute of Health Systems. http://www.ihsnet.org.in/PHL_180803/SudershanBiodata.PDF. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ Urs, R. "On an untrodden path" The Hindu, Bangalore, August 26th 2005.
- ^ Overview of Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra is provided by "Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra". Online Webpage of the Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra. 2006, Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra. http://www.vgkk.org. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ Overview of Karuna trust is provided by "Karuna Trust". Online Webpage of the Karuna Trust. 2006, Karuna Trust. http://www.karunatrust.org/. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ Lokayukta's surprise visits "Article on Lokayukta raids". From website of Our Karnataka. http://www.ourkarnataka.com/Articles/starofmysore/raids.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
- ^ Profile of Dr. Sudarshan on the Ashoka Fellows Website LINK
- ^ Interview with Dr. Sudarshan by "Public health being revamped". Online webpage of IndiaTogether.org, June 2002. IndiaTogether.org. http://www.indiatogether.org/health/interviews/khtf-apr02.htm. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
See also
External links
Categories:- 1950 births
- Indian environmentalists
- Recipients of the Padma Shri
- People from Bangalore
- Right Livelihood Award laureates
- Founders of non-governmental organizations
- Living people
- Indian Hindus
- Ashoka India Fellows
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