Sudha Varghese Biography 
Sudha Varghese is a Catholic nun, best known for her social service. She is also known as Sister Sudha and ‘Didi’ and she hails from Kottayam, Kerala. Drawn inspiration from B. R. Ambedkar who fought against untouchability, she devoted herself for the uplift of many weaker and Dalit sections of the society. Her service to Musahar, the Dalit of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, earned her recognition among masses, and government of India honoured her with Padma Shri in 2006. Currently she is settled in Patna, where she is fully active with her social life. She is the chief executive officer of NGO Nari Gunjan, which provides services to unprivileged sectors of society and dalits and also education. She is currently associated with Nari Gunjan schools and Prerna schools.
Sudha Varghese was born in Kottayam in 1949. In 1965, she moved to Bihar to work for the poor. She joined as a nun at Notre Dame Academy where she taught. But later she resigned her job and moved into a complex of mud and brick houses in 1986, where she began her efforts to educate Musahar, the dalits of society. As time passed by, she built more schools and home, and took efforts to educate underprivileged children.
In 1989 she completed her law studies so that she could fight for women and other weaker sections of the society. She also assigned a task to a few girls at her home to teach women - reading, writing, sewing, and embroidery, so that they can start a job to financially support themselves. Gradually she started more centres to teach girls and provide self-employment. After staying there for long 21 years she returned to convent after she received threatening from the families of some Musahar boys. She established a residential school named Prerna in Patna in 2005.
Published: September 16, 2018
Updated: September 16, 2018
