Our Roots

The Viswa Bharati Vidyodaya Trust (VBVT) is a community-based organisation working with the Bettakurumba, Kattunayakan, Mullakurumba, and Paniya Adivasi communities of the Gudalur valley in Tamil Nadu. All four communities are recognised by the Government of India as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), reflecting both the depth of their Indigenous heritage and the systemic disadvantages they continue to face. 

Founded in 1993 and reoriented in 1995 in response to a collective demand for an Adivasi-led school, VBVT is part of a broader movement for self-determination and dignity, led by the Adivasi Munnetra Sangam (AMS). 

VBVT emerged from a historical moment when access to forests was curtailed, and education, like many modern structures, became a site of discrimination for Adivasi children. Schools ignored children’s languages, cultures, and rhythms of life. From the start, VBVT sought to build an education system rooted in community ownership, one that honoured identity, upheld dignity, and responded to the lived realities of the people. 

Over the years, this has included not only the creation of schools and hostels, but also reclaiming villages as sites of learning, and ensuring Adivasi leadership in teaching, governance, and decision-making. Today, a majority of the Trust’s board is composed of Adivasi members, a reflection of an ongoing journey toward autonomy and structural change. 

VBVT’s work is not just about education; it is about reclaiming space, identity, and future. It is part of a larger arc of transformation, led by the community, towards their future.