The Mysore Resettlement and Development Society (MYRADA) was started in 1968 in the erstwhile state of Mysore in South India in order to resettle and rehabilitate Tibetan refugees. The Government of India had granted refugee status to Tibetans and the government of Mysore had given 15000 acres of land to resettle around 16000 Tibetans. One of MYRADA’s founding members and the first Executive Director Mr. William Davinson, (the other founder being Mr. Jan Brouer) who had worked with Tibetan refugees in the Northern and North eastern parts of India formed the organization in 1968 with support from the Tibetan Refugee Aid Society and European Refugee Campaign. From 1968 till the late 70’s MYRADA’s work was largely with Tibetan settlements in Karnataka and also in Meghalaya. The major settlements in Karnataka were Bylakuppe, Hunsur and Gurupura in Mysore district and Odeyarpalya in Chamrajnagar district (formerly Mysore district). MYRADA has also provided consultancy services to rehabilitation efforts in Mundgod in Uttara Kannada district.
Interventions with the Tibetans included formation of cooperative societies, support for agriculture (each family had been provided land for a homestead and for agriculture), construction of houses, toilets, kitchen gardens, infrastructure such as community buildings, drainage, schools, mid day meals in schools, provision of drinking water sources and water for irrigation (Minor Irrigation Programme or MIP). Click to read more