Over the years

Forty years ago, Dr H Sudarshan, with a small group of dedicated doctors and social workers, undertook long treks in the dense forests of Biligiri Rangana Hills (BR Hills) to visit the Soliga settlements in search of tribal communities that needed medical help. When this team reached there, they found that the tribal people had fled their settlements in fear and left behind only the aged and children. However, Dr H Sudarshan and his group persevered and over time, the tribal people overcame their fear and began approaching them for their ailments. Dr H Sudarshan’s vision and commitment to provide comprehensive services to the tribal population of BR Hills led to the launch of Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra (VGKK). VGKK was registered in 1981.

An eight-bedded hospital was established in BR Hills in 1980 to provide medical services to the tribal communities. A mobile unit with necessary equipment and medicines was also put into service to reach remote tribal settlements. VGKK evolved over the decades and now works in diversified areas of health, education, livelihoods, community development, and eco-tourism, which collectively aim at integrated tribal development.

VGKK is committed to holistic and sustainable development of tribal people, keeping in mind their socio-cultural background and their rights. The institution believes in empowering tribal societies and achieving sustainable development keeping their core culture intact. VGKK’s developmental experiences with Soliga and other tribes in Chamarajanagar and Mysore districts of Karnataka; and subsequent experiences with tribes in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya under the able and inspiring leadership of Dr H Sudarshan has resulted in an integrated approach to tribal development as the means to empowerment and sustainable development.

Health care, specifically curative care, was the entry point of VGKK into the Soligas’ community. However today VGKK works both at the health facility and community-levels to prevent and promote better health for the people and facilitate their access to health services. The ‘hut on the rock’ is now a 20-bedded hospital with all necessary infrastructures – Laboratory, x-ray facility, operation theatre and a well-stocked pharmacy. This hospital caters to a large population of tribals in the region, including some from neighbouring Tamil Nadu as well, and offers them free treatment. The hospital maintains detailed case records of the tribals, and computerization of these records is ongoing.