About us
Gyan Panchayat, Dialogues on Knowledge in Society, Lokavidya Satsang, Kala Sadhana, Lokavidya Jan Andolan, Bhaichara Vidyalay, Knowledge Satyagrah, Lokavidya Tana-bana, Lokaniti Samvad, Varanasi Gyan Panchayat, Swaraj Gyan Panchayat
The Ashram honours all its visitors equally. Peasants, artisans, intellectuals, women, adivasis, scientists, artists, administrators, statesmen, all are seen as epistemic beings, none inferior, or superior to any other.
The Ashram is a place where people interested in Vidya come. They come for a day, a week, a few months, for even longer, or for indefinite periods. They come because they find the dialogue at the Ashram enlightening and rewarding. They come because they want to contribute to the Ashram by their ideas & lifestyle.
The Ashram is at Sarnath, seven kms north of the Varanasi cantonment Railway Station. Seven kilometers south of the Station is Banares Hindu University. This is the north south expanse of the city of Varanasi.
Sarnath symbolises the tradition of the perennial philosophy of change.
The Idea
We believe that a radical intervention in the world of knowledge is a necessary condition for a radical transformation of society. This belief has deepened since the appearance of the internet … more
Standpoint
Unconditional knowledge and unconditional life is lokavidya and ordinary life. Lokavidya is the knowledge with the people which changes with their experience, needs, … more
The Journey
The development of the concept of lokavidya and generally the focus on vidya in socially and politically significant aspects of life dates back to 1995. It owes its genesis to the thought and work … more
Towards a Knowledge Movement in the Samaj
गाँव नहीं,
वहाँ सभ्यता नहीं!
Vidya Ashram Trust
Office Bearers
(April 01, 2023 – March 31 2026)
Shri Sunil Sahasrabudhey
President
Sunil Sahasrabudhey is founder president of Vidya Ashram. He has done studies in the philosophy of knowledge and politics with the Gandhian perspective and has been active in New Farmers’ Movement in India since 1970s. A founder participant of the Lokavidya Movement, he lives at Vidya Ashram in Varanasi.
Dr. Chitra Sahasrabudhey
Coordinator
Chitra Sahasrabudhey turned to lifelong social activism after receiving her Ph.D. in Chemistry. She has worked primarily to organize women and artisans with focus on lokavidya as their source of strength. She is the National Convener of Lokavidya Jan Andolan and Coordinator of Vidya Ashram, and lives at Vidya Ashram in Varanasi.
Smt. Premlata Singh
Treasurer
A home-maker, and a social activist, active in women’s movement, Premlata ji has been active since the Nari Hastkala Samiti, one of the early 1990’s pre-cursors of the Lokavidya Movement. She is a core member of the Movement, the Lokavidya Jan Andolan and the Trust. She lives in Varanasi.
Members of the Executive Committee
(CLICK PHOTO FOR INFO)
Other Members of Vidya Ashram Trust
(CLICK PHOTO FOR INFO)
Associates of Vidya Ashram
Shri Fazalurrahaman Ansari
A weaver, a social activist, a member of organizing committee of Bunakar Sanjha Manch and Varanasi Gyan Panchayat. He lives in Varanasi.
Shri Harishchandra Bind
A social activist, national secretary of Maa Gangaji Nishadraj Sewa Samiti, and a member of organizing committee of Varanasi Gyan Panchayat. He lives in Varanasi.
Shri Sarvind Patel
A farmer, singer, a music teacher, loka-gayak and organizer of Lokavidya Satsang. He lives in Varanasi.
Shri Kamalesh Kumar
A painter, Varanasi District Secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Union and active in Lokavidya Movement. He lives in Varanasi.
Smt Prabhavati Devi
A home maker of a weaver’s family, associated with Lokavidya Movement since the formation of Vidya Ashram and a member of managing committee of Vidya Ashram campus. She lives in Varanasi.
Shri Lakshmichand Dube
A social activist, runs a printing press, and active in the movement against displacement in Singrauli. He lives in Singrauli.
Shri Bablu Kumar
Came from a remote village. He was a student when joined Vidya Ashram and did his M.A. while living in the Ashram, active in Lokavidya programs. He lives in Varanasi.
Shri Sanjeev Daji
A Mechanical Engineer, formed a Lokavidya Samanvaya Samuh in Indore and initiated various programs like Sthaniya Bazar, Gyan Panchayat and Kala Gyan Panchayat for Lokavidya Andolan. He lives in Indore.
Shri Sunil Chhabda
A Chemical Engineer turned farmer. He has been with us from the days of Mazdoor Kisan Niiti. He lives in Sanjan in District Valasad, Gujarat.
Dr. C. N. Krishnan
A professor, Electrical Engineer, a leader of PPST (Patriotic and People Oriented Science and Technology). He lives in Chennai .
Shri Prasanna Heggodu
A theater person, IPTA President and a leader of hands-on art movement. He lives in Shivamogga.
Dr. Aniruddha Mitra
A Physicist and a researcher. He lives in Kolakata.
Dr. Neeraja Sahasrabudhey
Mathematics teacher and a researcher. She lives in Mohali.
Shri Suresh Yadav
A senior leader in the farmer’s movement, Bharatiya Kisan Union. He lives in Mau.
Shri Rajnath Yadav
Leader Farmer’s Movement, Bharatiya Kisan Union. He lives in Jaunpur.
Shri Siddhanath Singh
Leader Farmer’s Movement, Bharatiya Kisan Union. He lives in Mirzapur.
Firoz Khan
A driver and site manager at the Vidya Ashram, associated with Lokavidya Movement and Vidya Ashram. He was managing the Vidya Ashram campus for ten years from 2008. He lives in Varanasi.
Shri Ram Janam
A farmer, a social activist, member of Swaraj Abhiyan and a member of organizing committee of Varanasi Gyan Panchayat. He lives in Varanasi.
Shri Shyam Narayan
A singer, a loka-kathakar and an organizer of Lokavidya Satsang. He lives in Varanasi.
Shri Chhotelal Rajbhar
A painter, lok-kalakar, a dholak vadak in Lokavidya Satsang. He lives in Varanasi.
Shri Krishna Kumar Gupta
A raod-side retailer, worked as a teacher in Lokavidya Bhaichara Vidyalaya, and Varanasi district President of Bharatiya Kisan Union. He lives in Varanasi.
Smt Anju Devi
A home maker, associated with Lokavidya Movement since 2016 and a member of managing committee of Vidya Ashram campus. She lives in Varanasi.
Shri Gorakhnath
President of Karmachari Parishad, Gandhian Institute of Studies (now dismantled). Organizer of Darshan Akhada. He lives in Varanasi.
Smt Arati Kumari
A home maker, active in the Lokavidya Movement through Lokavidya Bhaichara Vidyalaya since the formation of Vidya Ashram. did her B.A. and B.Ed. while living in Vidya Ashram. She lives in Varanasi.
Dr. Vijay Joshi
An Environmental Engineer, he has supported us from the beginning, right the days of Mazdoor Kisan Niiti. He lives in Delhi.
Dr. Ashok Jhujhunwala
A professor, Electrical Engineer, a leader of PPST (Patriotic and People Oriented Science and Technology). He lives in Chennai.
Dr. K. K. Surendran
A physicist, a philosopher and a founder of the Dialogues on Knowledge in Society. Was closely associated with the Vidya Ashram.
Dr. Veena Devashthali
Economics teacher, a social activist and active in the women’s movement. She lives in Mumbai.
Dr. Harshad Sahasrabudhe
A Physicist and a researcher. He lives in Boston.
Shri Babulal Manav
A senior leader in the farmer’s movement, Bharatiya Kisan Union. He lives in Gazipur.
Shri Jitendra Tiwari
Leader Farmer’s Movement, Bharatiya Kisan Union. He lives in Chandauli.
Shri Prahlad Patel
Leader Farmer’s Movement, Bharatiya Kisan Union. He lives in Mirzapur.
Shri Aryaman Jain
Environmental activist. He lives in Delhi.
Remembering Late VA Members and Associates
स्व. जगदीश यादव
भुपौली के किसान योद्धा!
चंदौली जिले के भुपौली गाँव के रहने वाले थे. भारतीय किसान यूनियन के वाराणसी क्षेत्र के कर्मठ नेता, यूनियन के वाराणसी मंडल के अध्यक्ष जगदीश, जिन्होंने किसान संघर्षों का सूझ-बूझके साथ नेतृत्व किया और लोकविद्या जन आन्दोलन को शुरूआती दिनों से सहयोग दिया. वे विद्या आश्रम के बनने की प्रारंभिक चिंतन प्रक्रियाओं में शामिल रहे और फिर विद्या आश्रम ट्रस्ट के सदस्य भी रहे. लोकविद्या जन आन्दोलन के प्रथम अधिवेशन में गंभीररूप से बीमार होने के बावजूद भी शामिल हुए और इसके कुछ समय बाद चल बसे. किसान आन्दोलन, लोकविद्या जन आन्दोलन और विद्या आश्रम परिवार उनके योगदान को याद रखेगा. उनकी कीर्ति में विद्या आश्रम की ओर से एक पुस्तिका किसान योद्धा भुपौली का वीर जगदीश सिंह यादव प्रकाशित की है
स्व. विजय कुमार
लोकविद्या आन्दोलन के संगठनकर्ता
बिहार के मधुबनी जिले के विजय कुमार विद्यार्थी जीवन में जयप्रकाश आन्दोलन में सक्रिय भूमिका निभा चुके थे. लोकविद्या जन आन्दोलन से उनका जुड़ाव आन्दोलन के प्रथम अधिवेशन (2011) की तैयारी दिनों से रहा. उन्होंने बिहार में दरभंगा, सुपौल, समस्तीपुर और मुजफ्फरपुर जिलों में लोकविद्या विचार के प्रसार में ज्ञान पंचायतों का आयोजन किया और बाद में दरभंगा में वर्ष 2012 में बिहार राज्यस्तरीय लोकविद्या अधिवेशन का आयोजन किया. एक रेल दुर्घटना में उनकी असामयिक मृत्यु ने उनको हमसे जुदा कर दिया.
स्व. रामअधार गिरि
लोकहित के प्रहरी!
गिरिजी बनारस की समाजवाद की पहचान रहे. बनारस के पास के गाँव जगदीश सराय के रहने वाले थे. लोकविद्या के विचार और महाधिवेशन (1998) की तैयारियों में उनका हमारे बीच आना-जाना बढ़ा. लोकविद्या विचार को गढ़ने में उन्होंने सक्रिय पहल ली और विद्या आश्रम और लोकविद्या जन आन्दोलन के हर कार्यक्रम में शामिल हुए. उनका आग्रह हर बार यह रहा कि किसी भी सामाजिक कार्य पर निर्णय लेने के पहले उसके नैतिक पक्ष के सही-गलत की पहचान करनी चाहिए उसके बाद ही उसके राजनीतिक सही-गलत पर निर्णय लेना उचित होता है. उत्तर प्रदेश के पूर्वांचल में बसे छोटे-छोटे समाजों के जीवनदर्शन की उनकी समझ ने लोकविद्या विचार को समृद्ध बनाया. वर्ष 2016 में 87 वर्ष की उम्र में उनका निधन हुआ. उनकी कीर्ति में विद्या आश्रम ने एक पुस्तिका राम अधार गिरि लोकहित के प्रहरी का प्रकाशन किया है.