Early Years

Antara was founded in 1971 by a group of social workers, psychiatrists, and other concerned individual including:

• Dr.R.B.Davis (a British Psychiatrist & Superintendent of Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi, India),
• Dr.Satrujit Dasgupta (Psychiatrist),
• Mr.P.M.John (Philanthropist)
• Brother Andrew (Founder of Missionaries of Charity - Brothers)
  and
• With the blessings and inspiration of Mother Teresa.

These founders shared a common concern about the number of people with mental health problems in and around Calcutta (now Kolkata) many of whom were found roaming the streets or facing deprivation.

The seventies was a period of turbulence in the history of the area. Poltical and environmental refugees from Bangladesh created an influx of thousands to an already crowded city. The stresses for both refugees and the settled population were considerable and contributed to both mental health problems and severe poverty.

The Antara Society was formed with the primary objective of providing care, treatment and rehabilitation to the destitute and very poor persons suffering from mental disorders including drug addiction and alcoholism.

Antara began work with a psychiatric outpatient in a basement in the inner city of Kolkata. Whilst remaining an independent society it worked closely with the Missionaries of Charity Brothers.

Progress

In the early 1980's Antara acquired land south of Kolkata city and staff including social worker (now general administrator) Mr Thomas John personally helped clear and develop the site.

In 1982 patients moved into this Antaragram (Antara-village) centre, which has remained the main base for Antara's work ever since.

Antaragram combines the provision of evidence based treatment and rehabilitation services with a sense of community and many staff live and work within the centre. Antara also works through inner-city and rural outreach clinics and in 2005 was donated land and buildings for a second centre. Currently this provides an outpatient service and rehabilitation for long-term desitute patients or ex-prisoners,

Over the year's Antara's work has grown with their own income generation and donations from national and international sources.  It now has beds for 200-230 inpatients and serve over 1500 people each week through outpatient facilities.

It is one of a handful of NGOs in the state of West Bengal (North East India) which provide a valuable and substantial adjunct to the government mental health services. They cooperate with government services but receive no statuatory funding which can be restrictive.

Antara’s services are extended to every patient in need, irrespective of caste, colour or creed. Its care is means-tested and they ensure at least 25% of care is entirely free so services remain accessible to the most disadvantaged. However, it remains a constant challenge to increase the amount of free and low-cost care available and the demand for services grows daily.