There comes a time when one looks back in history in order to introspect and appreciate one’s tryst with Time. Vikas Bharti Bishunpur, a voluntary organisation rooted in the soil of tribal State of Jharkhand, wants to do exactly the same soliciting the grace and guidance of the First Citizen of the great Republic of India.
In its 36 years of arduous journey with the people of one of India’s beautiful geographical regions, Vikas Bharti Bishunpur (registered under Society Registration Act, 1860, set up on 14th January, 1983) today prides in having enabled tribes of Jharkhand on education, healthcare, livelihood, water conservation, ecological conservation, agriculture, food processing, horticulture, bee-keeping among many other things. Though the good works of the organization has its spread all across, main concentration is in Gumla—a district and geographical region, noted for its scenic beauty, tribal cultural epicentre and historicity. When it looks back, it finds that the tribes in the region today can proudly walk shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the larger national and international community, at the same time being able to keep their language, culture, religion and tradition.
The journey began with a baby-step when three zealous young men—Mahesh Sharma, Late Dr Rakesh Popli—both engineering graduates from IIT, Kanpur and Ashok Bhagat, an alumni of Gorakhpur University, arrived in Gumla’s Netarhat Valley, famously known as Queen of Jharkhand’s scenic landscape (then in United Bihar), inhabited by tribes and primitive tribe groups (PTGs), with the sole aim of making the world there a bit better to live in. After an initial survey of situations here, they decided to work on issues like Education, Health, Poverty, Community Mobilization, Ecology, Language and Culture and Skill Development. A socio-economic forum called ‘Vikas Bharti Bishunpur’ was formed in order to give reality to the dream that twinkled in the eyes of the three zealous men for this region.
Vikas Bharti opened the gateway to self employment and self-reliance by enhancing villagers’ traditional skills and arts. It supported the rural mass with technological inputs, fiscal inputs, marketing network and human resource development. On the way as it progressed, concepts like GRAM SWARAJ ABHIYAAN emerged—encompassing in it movements like Right to Information (RTI), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), VAN ADHIKARITA, Right to Education Act, and Health—all of which entailed working with the Government agencies alongside the people, the tribes of the region. Vikas Bharti Bishunpur soon became a ‘people’s organization’, very much keeping to the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ of Prime Minister Nrendra Modi. Today, it has the privilege of serving under-privileged people of all 24 districts of Jharkhand. Empowerment of youths and women is a mission that is seen through the endeavors of their socio-cultural, sports and other day-to-day activities. The organization has its headquartres in Bishunpur, Gumla and Co-ordination office at Ranchi, Jharkhand.
Vikas Bharti believes that development can only be actualized through meaningful, long-term and strategic partnership with community-based institutions, government agencies, national and international agencies willing to help the poor.
At present, Vikas Bharti is a trustworthy and one of the largest partners of the Government. Besides, many national and international agencies have come forward to partner with its endeavours to ensure deprivation-free society
The two major needs that were identified in the region were education and health. In the process of exploring solutions to these two problems the team of Vikas Bharti realised that the root cause of inaccessibility to services was poverty and limited livelihood opportunities.
