FOUNDERS
Dr. T.S. Soundram
Dr. T. S. Soundram (August 18, 1904 October 21, 1984) was an Indian physician, social reformer and politician. With her husband,G. Ramachandran, she notably founded the Gandhigram Trust in 1947 as a memorial to Kasturba Gandhi, the deceased wife of Mahatma Gandhi, with a fund of national donations. This was set up as a rural institution, in a remote place, to serve the most deprived of people. She also served as Deputy Minister of Education in Nehru’s Government. “Hers was a life of dedication for the cause of the nation and Gandhigram will, for centuries, be a standing monument to her services” - Message of Sri. R. Venkatraman, Former President of India on the demise of Dr. T.S.Soundram
Dr. G. Ramachandran
Dr. G. Ramachandhran (October 7, 1904 January 17, 1995) was a soldier for the Gandhian cause, social reformer and a teacher. With his wife, Dr.Soundram Ramachandhran, he started the Gandhigram, Tamil Nadu in 1945. He authored several books. After severing various cadres before and after the Independence of India he returned to his native hometown Neyyattinkara, Kerala and started his last venture The Madhavimandiram Loka Seva Trust for the welfare of women and children in 1980. During theyear 1991 he started a public school at Neyyatinkara. The name of the school is Dr GR Public school, it is affiliated to C.B.S.E. The present strength of the school is about 2000 with classes from LKG to XII. He was an MP and Health and Education Minister in Pattom Thanu Pillai’s Ministry in Kerala. He was the Chairman of All India Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC). He was the founder and First Vice Chancellor of Gandhigram Rural University. His centenary year was celebrated during 2004-2005.
PATRON
Shri. M.S. Swaminathan Agriculture Scientist and Member of Parliament (M.P)
Shri. M.S. Swaminathan is an Indian agriculture scientist, born August 7, 1925, in Kumbakonam, Tamilnadu. He is known as the “Father of the Green Revolution in India” , for his leadership and success in introducing and further developing high-yielding varieties of wheat in India. He is the founder and Chairman of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation.His stated vision is to rid the world of hunger and poverty.Dr. Swaminathan is an advocate of moving India to sustainable development, especially using environmentally sustainable agriculture, sustainable food security and the preservation of biodiversity, which he calls an “evergreen revolution”.In 1999,Time magazine placed him in the Time 20 list of most influential Asian people of the 20th century.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Dr. Kausalya Devi – Lifetime Trustee
Dr. Kausalya Devi came to Gandhigram on deputation from the Government Health Department to try working in the Gandhigram Institution for just 2 years, got engrossed in the method of work and kept extending her 2-years by another year or so till she eventually decided that she would just stay back and resigned her government post. She has earlier started her career as a Government Hospital Doctor and served in many parts of Tamilnadu. Her most notable stint was in conducting a 52-hour long operations on a series of people in riot hit Sivakasi in the 60s, which brought her face to face with the brutal face of caste conflicts in the society and its consequent impact on individuals and communities. Inspired by her work with Amma Dr. Soundram, Dr. Kausalya constantly interacted with the village community and moulded herself in the lines of Amma. Today, she has inherited the title of ‘amma’ herself. Soft spoken and ever smiling, Dr. Kausalya, when queried as to how she feels about her achievements, quotes the Tamil song, “Yenna Thavam seidhanai, yesodha, engum niraintha parabhramma amma endraizhaikha, yenna thavam seidhanai”, which translates to what penance did you do Yesodha that the omnipresent God should call you his ‘Mother’. She maintains that each of her patients is a representative of the omnipresent God and it is her past penance that all of them call her ‘Amma’ (mother).
Shri. M.R. Rajagopalan – Managing Trustee
Shri. M. R. Rajagopalan – as a bureaucrat from Delhi visiting the Gandhigram for some voluntary work, he was asked by Amma, “Why don’t you stay back and work with us”. Taken aback, he decided he will think about it for awhile and then respond, and as he stayed back to try and understand the place, he realised he could never go back. Since then, for more than 20 years, he has made Gandhigram his home and today while many of his colleagues wonder what they would do post retirement, MRR anna (as he is called by everyone here), maintains a busy schedule in overseeing the diverse activities of the Trust and also manages to meet most visitors, particularly the younger ones whom he likes interacting with.
Shri. K. Shivakumar – Secretary
Shri. K. Shivakumar, son of one of the pillars of Gandhigram, Sri. V.Krishnamoorthy was just about finishing his Auditing course when Amma queried him as to what was his future career ideas. When he replied that he would like to work for some organisation, she requested him to help with the rural health and welfare trust which was part of the Gandhigram. Later when he went to Madurai for his practice as a Chartered Accountant, he continued to retain interest and visit Gandhigram. So, when he decided to move from the corporate set-up, his natural choice was to return to the alma mater . Today, as a much sought after audit and accounts counsel for many development organisations, he devotes time in their service and rest of the time in managing the affairs of the Trust.