— OUR LEGACY —
Our Founder
The man whose vision built GBS — a life devoted to rural India.
Founder • 1947 – 2023
Early Life & Activism
Born in 1947 in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, Bhawani Shankar Kusum worked briefly in the Electricity Department before joining the Total Revolution Movement led by Jayaprakash Narayan. A passionate journalist for nearly twenty years, he wrote extensively about rural suffering and social injustice.
Bharat Jodo Abhiyan
As Rajasthan Coordinator of the Bharat Jodo Abhiyan under Baba Amte, Kusum ji organised the Kanyakumari–Kashmir bicycle march in 1985 and the Arunachal–Okha march in 1987 — bringing together 150 young men and women across India.
Service to Leprosy Patients
His most enduring work was making 3,000 leprosy patients in Rajasthan self-reliant through pension advocacy, medical treatment, and employment programmes. His work became a model of rehabilitation rooted in Gandhian values.
International Presence
A member of UN bodies including UNCCD, UNAIDS, and the World Bank, Kusum ji represented India globally. He visited over 60 countries in service of environmental and rural development causes.
- Established Gram Bharati Samiti in April 1984 in Jaipur
- Freed 3,000+ leprosy patients from beggary across Rajasthan
- Established Leprosy Ashram in Amer — enabling self-reliance
- Coordinated Bharat Jodo Abhiyan in Rajasthan (1985 & 1987)
- Member - UNCCD, UNAIDS and the World Bank
- Journalist for 20 years - advocating for the marginalised
- Visited 60+ countries — Indonesia, UK, USA, Australia, Kenya…
- Gandhivan forest - 83,000+ trees as a living memorial
- Birth anniversary celebrated annually with leprosy patients at Amer
- Inspired Kusum Lata Jain and entire GBS team in their work
- Mission of "service to the last person" continues through all GBS programmes
- Model of self-reliant community - still active at Amer office