Dr. Hanumappa R Sudarshan’s life is a precedence for all things good and great, a tangible illustration of transforming our mundanity towards a deep sense of purpose, value and inspiration. A name synonymous with hope, compassion and perseverance, Dr. Hanumappa Sudarshan has been continually working toward the upliftment of forest dwelling tribes, mainly SOLIGAS, in the Chamarajanagara district of Karnataka.
A life dedicated to uplifting the under-privileged and rooted in humble beginnings. He recalls people telling him that he was born in a cowshed in Yamalur village, near Bengaluru in 1950 to Hanumappa Reddy and Chinamma.
DEEP SEATED EARLY EXPERIENCES
Healthcare access was a serious challenge then, and he strongly believes even now, that our country has not achieved democratization in education and healthcare. “Pregnant women delivered babies in cowsheds during those days…” he says.
The force behind his motivation to become a medical doctor was sown under unfortunate circumstances. As a young boy, he accompanied his father on a long 7-km journey by foot to visit his aunt. Enroute, his father become breathless and collapsed. He ran around in search of a doctor, but in vain. In front of his eyes, as he sat helpless, his father breathed his last. That was when he vowed to study medicine. “I decided that moment that I would never find myself helplessly sit and watch people die.”
Leader Inspiration
At fifteen, he had cleared the medical entrance exam. Since he was not yet sixteen, he had to wait another year. He worked in Krishna Floor Mills for a year and earned the Rs. 100 a month which would pay for his medical course fees. At that time, a friend took him to Ramakrishna Ashram. It was there that he got introduced to the life and works of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
“Ramakrishna Ashrama had a profound spiritual impact on me. I had pledged that I would strive for spiritual enlightenment by the age of 30.”After completing his medical education in 1973, he served at the hospital at Advaita Ashrama set up by Swami Vivekananda at Mayavati, in the pristine Himalayas. Thereafter, he worked for tribals in West Bengal.
“They alone live who live for others, others are more dead than alive” became the clarion call for my work.”
“I was deeply inspired by Dr. Narasimhan who was serving the tribal people dwelling in the Nilgiris Hills. I decided I would dedicate my life for the service of those who were less privileged. I particularly decided to go to the less populated areas of our society, forest dwellers who remained at the fringes of our democracy,” Dr Hanumappa has said.
Initiation into SOLIGA TRIBALS
When his mother fell ill, he returned to Karnataka in 1979 and started a small hospital in a hut in Biligiriranga Hills to serve the Soliga tribals. Earlier, most medical emergency cases were a result of man-animal encounters. Snake bites were common. He remembers an instance, he had to actually suck out the venom of a poisonous snake to save a tribal’s life, as they did not have access to a pump. The gesture resulted in him gaining credibility of the tribals.
His learning over the decades is summed up in his words: "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."
EFFICACIOUS IMPACT & INVALUABLE TRANSFORMATION
An Indian social worker and a tribal rights activist, Dr. Hanumappa has dedicated his life to securing fundamental rights for indigenous peoples in our land. A recipient of the prestigious Right Livelihood Award (1994), the Padma Shri (2000), Rajyotsava State Award for Social Work (1984), Ashoka Fellow, Mother Teresa Award for Social Justice (2014), Dr. Hanumappa, he has created path-breaking impact towards sustainable health, education, livelihood and bio-diversity amongst our tribal fraternity.
Inspired by Swami Vivekananda and advocating Gandhian philosophy, this humanitarian-par-excellence gave up a potential lucrative medical career to work for the upliftment of a marginalized community.
His active career has seen him don many roles from Chairman of the Task Force – Health and Family Welfare organized by Government of Karnataka, Task Force on Public Private Partnership by National Rural Health Commission – Government of India, Institute of Health Management and Research, Bengaluru. Member of Working Group 6 on Macro Economics and Health – World Health Organization and a Steering Group Member of the Planning Commission of Scheduled Tribes in India’s 11th Five Year Plan. He has also been the Vigilance Director for the Karnataka Lokayukta, an ombudsman organisation.
THE OCEAN OF COMPASSION – FOUNDER, DIRECTOR – KARUNA TRUST
For more than three decades, Dr. Hanumappa has worked tirelessly to provide access to healthcare across the remotest tribal regions in Karnataka and Arunachal Pradesh. A mission called out as ‘reaching healthcare to the unreached,’ the Trust began to initially respond to the widespread prevalence of leprosy.
The KARUNA TRUST established in 1986 is affiliated to Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra (VGKK) at the B R Hills, Karnataka. The Trust has dedicated and is providing yeoman’s service to primary healthcare, education, sustainable livelihoods and overall development.
Dr. Sudarshan created a low-cost electrophoresis machine for the treatment of Sickle Cell Anaemia in the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC). He also developed Dental Healthcare and Cancer Control in the PHC. He diagnosed patients but also trained the tribal girls nurses to enable them with jobs. From health to education, empowerment and livelihood support, he became the visionary to design a comprehensive tribal development programme.
Karuna Trust has served more than 1 million patients and reported health outcomes that are among the highest in India. “Karuna Trust is transforming dysfunctional government primary healthcare centres (PHCs) into professional hubs of ‘last-mile’ healthcare service delivery.
It works through a public-private partnership model: the government invests in upgrading infrastructure and improving the efficiency of the PHCs; Karuna Trust brings healthcare management systems and disruptive health innovations; and village health councils hold PHCs accountable for reporting higher health outcomes and functioning as zero-corruption zones.
The vision of the Trust has been to provide an equitable and integrated model of healthcare, education and livelihood by empowering marginalized people to be independent and live with dignity. To empower and ensure the vision is translated and tangibly impacts the lives of tribals, the Trust focused on developing dedicated professionals that enables holistic development through innovative, replicable and sustainable models for the people. For close to three decades, in liaison with the Karnataka Government, Dr Hanumappa has successfully catered to remote, tribal and insurgency-prone areas with a genuine compassion to change the lives.
“I BELIEVE EACH HUMAN BEING HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CHANGE, TO TRANSFORM ONE’S OWN ATTITUDE, NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT THE SITUATION.” – The Dalai Lama, Spiritual Leader
BEYOND BOUNDARIES – SPREADING WINGS
Dr. Hanumappa has also founded the distinguished VIVEKANANDA GIRIJANA KALYANA KENDRA, popularly established as VGKK. Sustainable development of tribal people through rights-based approach to health, education, livelihood, security and bio-diversity conservation has been its key focus zone.
The Kendra has aided tribal peoples across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Arunachal Pradesh, Orissa, Meghalaya and Andaman-Nicobar Island. The organization works towards holistic development of the tribal community, while also enhancing their access as available in urbanized economies. With the continued efforts of the Kendra, tribal peoples are employed almost close to 300 days a year as a result of employment from Karnataka Forest Department.
“The so-called civilized society has a lot to learn from the tribals.” (As quoted in Right Livelihood).
CO-EXISTING AND ENRICHING LIFE WITH TRIBAL PEOPLES
A common thread in all his initiatives and perseverant spirit, lies a deep respect for the indigenous people. His vision and efforts over the years, have successfully established a fine balance between building new models for sustenance while also retaining the core essence of their native culture and wisdom. The cultural dimension, the ethnic fabric and core, the native wisdom and the traditional ethos of the tribes have been retained by this effervescent leader. They have also succeeded in fostering a spirit of self-organization and management.
“VISION WITHOUT ACTION IS MERELY A DREAM; ACTION WITHOUT VISION IS MERELY PASSING TIME; BUT VISION AND ACTION CAN TOGETHER CHANGE THE WORLD.” – SUDHA MURTHY, Indian educator, author and philanthropist – INFOSYS FOUNDATION.
This endearing philanthropist and change maker have dedicated his life towards the cause of holistic development and upliftment of the Tribes, and over the years has created a measurable, phenomenal and colossal impact in positive transformation of their lives. A determination and a promise to save the tribes, develop their lives, enable enrichment of their culture and build a long-term sustainable model, Dr Hanumappa is indeed a living legend.
Dr. Hanumappa R Sudarshan’s life is a precedence for all things good and great, a tangible illustration of transforming our mundanity towards a deep sense of purpose, value and inspiration. A name synonymous with hope, compassion and perseverance, Dr. Hanumappa Sudarshan has been continually working toward the upliftment of forest dwelling tribes, mainly SOLIGAS, in the Chamarajanagara district of Karnataka.
A life dedicated to uplifting the under-privileged and rooted in humble beginnings. He recalls people telling him that he was born in a cowshed in Yamalur village, near Bengaluru in 1950 to Hanumappa Reddy and Chinamma.
DEEP SEATED EARLY EXPERIENCES
Healthcare access was a serious challenge then, and he strongly believes even now, that our country has not achieved democratization in education and healthcare. “Pregnant women delivered babies in cowsheds during those days…” he says.
The force behind his motivation to become a medical doctor was sown under unfortunate circumstances. As a young boy, he accompanied his father on a long 7-km journey by foot to visit his aunt. Enroute, his father become breathless and collapsed. He ran around in search of a doctor, but in vain. In front of his eyes, as he sat helpless, his father breathed his last. That was when he vowed to study medicine. “I decided that moment that I would never find myself helplessly sit and watch people die.”
Leader Inspiration
At fifteen, he had cleared the medical entrance exam. Since he was not yet sixteen, he had to wait another year. He worked in Krishna Floor Mills for a year and earned the Rs. 100 a month which would pay for his medical course fees. At that time, a friend took him to Ramakrishna Ashram. It was there that he got introduced to the life and works of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
“Ramakrishna Ashrama had a profound spiritual impact on me. I had pledged that I would strive for spiritual enlightenment by the age of 30.”After completing his medical education in 1973, he served at the hospital at Advaita Ashrama set up by Swami Vivekananda at Mayavati, in the pristine Himalayas. Thereafter, he worked for tribals in West Bengal.
“They alone live who live for others, others are more dead than alive” became the clarion call for my work.”
“I was deeply inspired by Dr. Narasimhan who was serving the tribal people dwelling in the Nilgiris Hills. I decided I would dedicate my life for the service of those who were less privileged. I particularly decided to go to the less populated areas of our society, forest dwellers who remained at the fringes of our democracy,” Dr Hanumappa has said.
Initiation into SOLIGA TRIBALS
When his mother fell ill, he returned to Karnataka in 1979 and started a small hospital in a hut in Biligiriranga Hills to serve the Soliga tribals. Earlier, most medical emergency cases were a result of man-animal encounters. Snake bites were common. He remembers an instance, he had to actually suck out the venom of a poisonous snake to save a tribal’s life, as they did not have access to a pump. The gesture resulted in him gaining credibility of the tribals.
His learning over the decades is summed up in his words: "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."
EFFICACIOUS IMPACT & INVALUABLE TRANSFORMATION
An Indian social worker and a tribal rights activist, Dr. Hanumappa has dedicated his life to securing fundamental rights for indigenous peoples in our land. A recipient of the prestigious Right Livelihood Award (1994), the Padma Shri (2000), Rajyotsava State Award for Social Work (1984), Ashoka Fellow, Mother Teresa Award for Social Justice (2014), Dr. Hanumappa, he has created path-breaking impact towards sustainable health, education, livelihood and bio-diversity amongst our tribal fraternity.
Inspired by Swami Vivekananda and advocating Gandhian philosophy, this humanitarian-par-excellence gave up a potential lucrative medical career to work for the upliftment of a marginalized community.
His active career has seen him don many roles from Chairman of the Task Force – Health and Family Welfare organized by Government of Karnataka, Task Force on Public Private Partnership by National Rural Health Commission – Government of India, Institute of Health Management and Research, Bengaluru. Member of Working Group 6 on Macro Economics and Health – World Health Organization and a Steering Group Member of the Planning Commission of Scheduled Tribes in India’s 11th Five Year Plan. He has also been the Vigilance Director for the Karnataka Lokayukta, an ombudsman organisation.
THE OCEAN OF COMPASSION – FOUNDER, DIRECTOR – KARUNA TRUST
For more than three decades, Dr. Hanumappa has worked tirelessly to provide access to healthcare across the remotest tribal regions in Karnataka and Arunachal Pradesh. A mission called out as ‘reaching healthcare to the unreached,’ the Trust began to initially respond to the widespread prevalence of leprosy.
The KARUNA TRUST established in 1986 is affiliated to Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra (VGKK) at the B R Hills, Karnataka. The Trust has dedicated and is providing yeoman’s service to primary healthcare, education, sustainable livelihoods and overall development.
Dr. Sudarshan created a low-cost electrophoresis machine for the treatment of Sickle Cell Anaemia in the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC). He also developed Dental Healthcare and Cancer Control in the PHC. He diagnosed patients but also trained the tribal girls nurses to enable them with jobs. From health to education, empowerment and livelihood support, he became the visionary to design a comprehensive tribal development programme.
Karuna Trust has served more than 1 million patients and reported health outcomes that are among the highest in India. “Karuna Trust is transforming dysfunctional government primary healthcare centres (PHCs) into professional hubs of ‘last-mile’ healthcare service delivery.
It works through a public-private partnership model: the government invests in upgrading infrastructure and improving the efficiency of the PHCs; Karuna Trust brings healthcare management systems and disruptive health innovations; and village health councils hold PHCs accountable for reporting higher health outcomes and functioning as zero-corruption zones.
The vision of the Trust has been to provide an equitable and integrated model of healthcare, education and livelihood by empowering marginalized people to be independent and live with dignity. To empower and ensure the vision is translated and tangibly impacts the lives of tribals, the Trust focused on developing dedicated professionals that enables holistic development through innovative, replicable and sustainable models for the people. For close to three decades, in liaison with the Karnataka Government, Dr Hanumappa has successfully catered to remote, tribal and insurgency-prone areas with a genuine compassion to change the lives.
“I BELIEVE EACH HUMAN BEING HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CHANGE, TO TRANSFORM ONE’S OWN ATTITUDE, NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT THE SITUATION.” – The Dalai Lama, Spiritual Leader
BEYOND BOUNDARIES – SPREADING WINGS
Dr. Hanumappa has also founded the distinguished VIVEKANANDA GIRIJANA KALYANA KENDRA, popularly established as VGKK. Sustainable development of tribal people through rights-based approach to health, education, livelihood, security and bio-diversity conservation has been its key focus zone.
The Kendra has aided tribal peoples across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Arunachal Pradesh, Orissa, Meghalaya and Andaman-Nicobar Island. The organization works towards holistic development of the tribal community, while also enhancing their access as available in urbanized economies. With the continued efforts of the Kendra, tribal peoples are employed almost close to 300 days a year as a result of employment from Karnataka Forest Department.
“The so-called civilized society has a lot to learn from the tribals.” (As quoted in Right Livelihood).
CO-EXISTING AND ENRICHING LIFE WITH TRIBAL PEOPLES
A common thread in all his initiatives and perseverant spirit, lies a deep respect for the indigenous people. His vision and efforts over the years, have successfully established a fine balance between building new models for sustenance while also retaining the core essence of their native culture and wisdom. The cultural dimension, the ethnic fabric and core, the native wisdom and the traditional ethos of the tribes have been retained by this effervescent leader. They have also succeeded in fostering a spirit of self-organization and management.
“VISION WITHOUT ACTION IS MERELY A DREAM; ACTION WITHOUT VISION IS MERELY PASSING TIME; BUT VISION AND ACTION CAN TOGETHER CHANGE THE WORLD.” – SUDHA MURTHY, Indian educator, author and philanthropist – INFOSYS FOUNDATION.
This endearing philanthropist and change maker have dedicated his life towards the cause of holistic development and upliftment of the Tribes, and over the years has created a measurable, phenomenal and colossal impact in positive transformation of their lives. A determination and a promise to save the tribes, develop their lives, enable enrichment of their culture and build a long-term sustainable model, Dr Hanumappa is indeed a living legend.