Volume 14, Number 1 Article by Dr H Sudarshan March, 2002
Tribal Wisdom for Today's World
Dr H Sudarshan, popularly known as the Jungle Doctor in India, was the recipient of the 1994 Right Livelihood award. Also known as the Alternate Nobel Prize, this award was in recognition of Dr Sudarshan?s humanitarian work among the Soligas, or the tribal people of the B R Hills in Karnataka. Although the government started a programme to modernise the villages about four decades ago, the Soliga villages did not benefit as they were very inaccessible. When Dr Sudarshan decided to set up a basic medical clinic in the area in 1979, the Soligas had no electricity, water supply, health care or schools. He realised that they needed a comprehensive programme to address their socioeconomic needs. In 1981, along with a band of dedicated volunteers, he set up a nonprofit organisation called the Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra to improve the quality of life of the Soligas. In 20 years, the VGKK has made great strides in providing the basic needs, healthcare, education and viable livelihoods to the Soligas. From being exploited and deprived of their traditional habitat, they now have a strong and united organisation to protect their rights, and programmes of participatory resource monitoring are being put in place to ensure that their symbiotic relationship with the forests does not suffer.
Dr Sudarshan, an active participant in health, development and bio-diversity conservation initiatives at the state, national and international levels, also discusses the controversial issue of development. Although it may not be possible to preserve the unique tribal cultures in their entirety, he feels that it is vital to preserve the values, which include a love of nature and a culture of sharing, which have helped them to survive in the jungle for thousands of years. Similarly, the tribals? traditional knowledge of herbs, of the flora and fauna in their forests is valuable, and must be documented and preserved. Dr Sudarshan also talks about the need of the hour: good leadership to bring about change; and his conviction that a leader can only bring about change in those around him by leading an authentic life, which presupposes an integrated personality.
Reprint No 02107
