DR. VIJAYA VENKAT 1938 - 2016

The Health Awareness Centre (THAC) was founded by Dr. Vijaya Venkat in 1989, to create a link between our daily habits and its effects on the environment. Through its activities, the centre contributes to the spheres of food, health, ecology and employment to the community at large.

Dr. Vijaya Venkat was a student of Bio-Chemistry and Microbiology, with an Honours Degree in Chemistry, from the University of Bombay, with a Postgraduate Diploma in Dietetics and Applied Nutrition. The College of Life Science, Texas, USA, conferred on Ms. Venkat the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Nutritional Science after she completed a prescribed course in 1991.

Dr. Venkat was also a professional member of The American Society of Nutritional and Dietary Consultants. A paper on ‘Recommended Dietary Allowance and Its Recuperation On Humanity’ that she presented at the conference on Alternative Approaches to Medicine at Copenhagen (Denmark) and the discussion it generated, is one among the two important highlights of the event.

The Medicina Alternativa International, Denmark awarded Dr. Venkat a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1987 for her contribution to the health sciences.

In 1994 she was awarded the BEST Medical International Award (USA) “in recognition of 20 years of dedicated service in the field of diet and nutrition, for better health without medicine.”

The Rotary Club of Bombay (South) honoured her work with a “Vocational Excellence” award in 2007.

The World Wellness Open University conferred upon her the “Wellness Service Award to Humanity” in the areas of wellness and wellbeing in 2008.

The Rotary awarded her with the ICON FAMILY AWARD and Divine Noni awarded her the Wellness Star Wellness Mother Award.

She was the intellectual backup for the World Wellness Movement which took route through Divine Noni Biotech. Along with the THAC team, she formulated a course for Natural Living which was accepted at the Indira Gandhi Open University.

Dr. Venkat consciously chose to divert her attention to natural living and natural farming in India. Over the last three decades she worked with people and organisations that help to restore the balance between development and health.

She was one of the activists to influence and prevent ODA funding for the Narmada River Valley Project from Japan. Prakruti, now 25 years old, was one of the earliest registered organisations in Mumbai to actively promote environmentally sustainable lifestyles. Under her direction as Vice President, Prakruti became a platform for bringing together activists and consumers. She was one of the chief initiators of the first Natural Living and Natural Farming Conference at Bordi, Maharashtra – the one and only time natural living was included in Sustainable Development.

She had personal interactions with path breakers – Masanobu Fukouka, Bhaskar Save, Sunderlal Bahuguna, Baba Amte, Bill Mollison, Winnin Pereira, Medha Patkar, Bittu Sehgal. Alongside, she met many different spiritual masters. The seeds of ethics and compassion were sown. Together they enabled her to see the connections between the body and the earth. This eventually gave birth to THAC in 1989. That’s how, ‘Self Care Health Care Earth Care’ (SHE) was born.

Her passion drove her to apply her practice at a farm (Streekheti), at Vangani village (Maharashtra) where she was able to directly share and apply these ideals.

Three villages in Maharashtra were brought under her wing to train and motivate Angan Wadi workers to help redesign the midday meal program and thus provide wholesome, nutritious food to 400 children. Not only did more children start attending school, but the active role of the Angan Wadi women ensured that infant mortality and nutritional health dramatically improved.

She is also a founder member of a community project at Wara, Vanwadi.

As a practicing nutritionist for over three decades, Dr. Venkat educated people to understand how our bodies function – thus empowering them to break away from conditioned and fragmented dietary habits by guiding them to adopt eco-healthy lifestyles. Instead of depending on the present system of medicure that is based solely on short-term cures, she aimed to shift the focus from illness to wellness. Her emphasis on putting health care back into the hands of the individual, through awareness of health management principles or self care, continues in the daily workings of THAC.

A public charitable trust was created in 1993 called, TRUTH – Trust for Re-education and Understanding of True Health. It was established to focus on research, documentation, training and awareness in the fields of health care and earth care.

As a pioneer in the field of natural health and ecology, over the last three decades, Dr. Venkat presented papers at conferences on natural hygiene/organic farming all over the world. She conducted health awareness workshops in India and abroad. Her primary challenge was the integrating of the theory and practice of natural laws, not as an “alternative” but as a whole way of living.

Her approach was based on the principle of “Wellness is Oneness”. She sought to provide a simple reminder: to live in harmony with nature through participative caring and community interaction.

Her work included writing on health issues in mainstream publications and making information freely available that supports true learning and healing. Dr. Venkat often initiated dialogues on food safety, on pertinent issues such as irradiation, immunization, iodization or GM Food. These issues continue to affect our safety and food security. She believed that by taking measures to protect the earth, we will also protect our body.

She continued to be actively involved in the daily working of the Centre, till her passing in 2016. Her message and its relevance continue to resonate even more today.

A book on her core messages, Eleven Core Concepts of Wellness – “No Ifs. No Buts”, encapsulates her work and vision.