OVERVIEW

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.

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 the Soliga’s 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.