People Associated with Anveshi

Dr A. Suneetha 

A. Suneetha is a Senior Fellow at and Coordinator of Anveshi Research Center for Women’s Studies. She is a political theorist who is invested in the questions of gender and minority. Her research interests include gender and violence, secularism and the Muslim woman’s question and Muslim politics in the Telugu region, more specially of Hyderabad. She is part of the editorial team of bilingual Anveshi Broadsheet on Contemorary Politics. ALong with M.A. Moid, she is working towards a book on Muslim politics. 

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Dr. R Srivatsan 

Srivatsan is a political theorist with a specific interest in development, culture, welfare and health care. 

He has written a book titled Seva, Savior and State: Essays on Caste Politics, Tribal Welfare and Capitalist Development. He has also written a book History of Development Thought that aims to provide a framework to critically examine the current practices in development policy. It is being used as a textbook in some courses. 

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Gogu Shyamala

Shyamala is a philosopher, author and poet in Telugu.  The recent English collection of hes short stories <i>Father may be an elephand and mother only a small basket, but… </i>is a landmark in Telangana dalit literature in translation.  She has produced <i>Nene Balaanni </i>a biography of T.N.Sadalakshmi, the first dalit woman legislator in Hyderabad.  This was part of her work on a project titled ‘Dalit Women’s Biographies,(movement perspective of Dalit feminism)  This project is part of the Dalits and Minorities Initiative. Her earlier volume Nallapoddu (Black Dawn) is a collection of Telangana Madiga poetry and literature that has one critical acclaim in literary circles.  Shyamala is a prolific short story writer, and regularly publishes in journals such as Bhumika, Prasthanam, Pratighatana, Mana Telangana, Praja Kala Mandali and Nigha. She represented Anveshi and Dalit Women’s Forum in the World Conference against Racism held in Durban,2001. She is a member of the Anveshi Executive Committee.  She is currently leading an Oxfam funded research project on domestic violence and dalit women.

Project Fellows

Riyaz Unnisa (2016-2018)

Riyaz Unnisa submitted her PhD in Public Administration from MANUU. Her thesis is titled “Reservation Policy in India: A study of Reservations for Muslim Backward Classes in Andhra Pradesh”. Her M.Phil was on “State and Minority welfare: A study of Organization and working of APSMFC- 2001 to 2010” from MANUU. Her areas of interests are Muslim Reservation, Government Policies and Organization working for Muslims and other Minorities, issues related to gender with a focus on women. She has presented several research papers related to these areas in National and International seminar and conferences. Two of her articles on Muslim Reservation in Andhra Pradesh and Women Reservation Bill were published in Global Research Journal. She also worked as a Data Analyst for Commission of Inquiry project on “Socio-Economic and Educational Condition of Muslims” Government of Telangana.

Madhavi Mirapa (2016-2018)

Madhavi Mirapa is currently finishing her PhD in Hindi Literature from the University of Hyderabad. Her topic is ‘Hindi Aur Telugu ka Naarivadi Lekhan: Maitreyi Pushpa and Volga ke vishesh sandarbh main’. She is an M.Phil holder in Hindi Literature. The title of her thesis was ‘Kali Katha Via by Pass main Samajik sandarbh’. She has presented papers in Moulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), National seminar conducted by Women studies Department of Acharya Nagarjuna University. Her poem titled “The Sixty years Celebration of Independence Day”, was published by BlackBoard, an anthology of Dalit poetry. Her work on Chundur Massacre was published in Bhumika Streewada Patrika, a Telegu Magazine. She has worked as a translator, translating articles and fictional works from Telegu to Hindi. She has previously worked with Anveshi as a Short term fellow, 2011-2012.  During her stint at Anveshi, she submitted her project report on ‘The Experiences of first Generation Dalit Students in University of Hyderabad’, 2012.  Her interest lies in issues regarding the intersectionality of gender and caste, specifically Dalit women’s struggle in finding a place in academia and literary circles.

Madhurima Majumder

Madhurima Majumder holds an M.Phil in Gender Studies from the University of Hyderabad. Her thesis, titled, “Women in Festival Spaces: A study of Durga Puja” is an attempt to critically think about how women creatively negotiate from within the constrained spaces by looking at women’s participation in the public festival of Durga Puja. Her M.A. is in English Literature. She has worked as an ELT Editor and Content Developer at Viva Books, Delhi. Her area of interest lies in gender theory, human geography, urban studies, media, popular culture and issues related to sexuality and body dignity. She is a part of an informal group that conducts workshops and discussions geared towards questioning gender stereotypes through sharing stories and experiences.

Short-Term Fellows

Tashi Choedup (2014-2015)

Tashi is a social sciences graduate from Nizam college, O.U. They have been into community work from early graduation days, having travelled and worked with various voluntary groups and NGOs. They did a year-long internship on inter-religious faith. They are also part of a Hyderabad-based palliative care group. They were with Anveshi as a short-term research fellow working with the LGBTQ community in Hyderabad.

Naliganti Sarat (2014-2015)

Naliganti Sarat is pursuing his PhD in Telugu Literature from Osmania University. Tentatively titled ‘Telangana Gaayaka Kavula Sahitya Parisheelana’, his thesis focuses on Song Writers and Culture in Telangana State. Prior to this, Sarat Completed his post-graduation in Telugu from Arts College, O.U. He is an activist. He is a founder and president of Dalit Bahujan Cultural Association.

Kommu Vijaykumar (2013-2014)

Kommu Vijayakumar is currently pursuing his PhD in Telugu Literature from Osmania University. Tentatively titled Nallagonda Zilla Dalit Kavulu Auka Parisheelana, his thesis focuses on Dalit poets in the Nalgonda district of Hyderabad. Prior to this, Vijay completed his graduation in Telugu from Ramchandra College, OU. He has presented papers in the Telugu department of Osmania titled, Janapada Sahityam, an exploration of the life and songs of folk artists in Andhra Pradesh and Dalit la Jeevan Vidhanam on the lifestyle of the Dalit community. He also holds teacher training certification from Ramkoti.

Pranoo Deshraju (2013-2014)

Pranoo Deshraju is a graduate of English with specialization in Literary and Cultural Studies from English and Foreign Languages University (2010-12). As part of the course, she completed a short dissertation on gender subjectivity and the figure of the slasher killer in Tamil Cinema. Her research interests revolve around questions of gender subjectivity as expressed in the sociopolitical terrain as also sexuality and violence.

Mushtaque Ali (2013-2014)

Mushtaque Ali is an M.Phil scholar at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU). His dissertation is on the “Educational Exclusion of Muslims through Privatization of Education: A study of Mehboobnagar district”. His interest in Education and Muslim rights is reflected also in his M.Ed dissertation from MANUU, “An Inquiry into Absenteeism among Secondary Schools in Mehboobnagar District“. Apart from this, he is also a graduate of English from MANUU.

Panthukala Purnachandar (2013-2014)

Panthukala Purnachandar is a graduate of Mass Communication from Telangana University (2011-13). He also holds M.Sc in Mathematics from Pondicherry University (2003-2005). His research interests focus on the marginalization of minorities in media. He has obtained his B.ed from OU and has worked with a Nizamabad local paper, Poddu.

Ekta Singla (2012-2013)

Ekta Singla holds Masters in Applied Linguistics from University of Hyderabad (2009-2011). She has worked with organisations like Eklavya in Bhopal (2008), Katha in New Delhi (2009) and Ignis Careers in Hyderabad (2010-2012). For two years, she worked as a Project Coordinator and Curriculum Developer with Ignis Careers. During this period she developed ELT books for Govt school students of classes 6 to 9 in Banapuram and Khammam districts of Andhra Pradesh; English Activity books for students of classes 4 to 9 in private affordable schools of Hyderabad; Gender-based ELT books for Voice Camp an IDEX Fellowship initiative (2010) and Ujjwala summer camp a Naandi organisation initiative (2012). She also gained wide-ranging English language teaching and teacher training experience from school to college level. In her last project, she undertook sex education focused teacher training for the English Language. You can read the full report here.

Mirapa Madhavi (2012-2013)

Mirapa Madhavi is pursuing PhD in Hindi Literature she did her M.Phil in Hindi Literature in the University of Hyderabad. Her PhD topic is ‘Hindi Aur Telugu ka Naarivadi Lekhan: Maitreyi Pushpa and Volga ke vishesh sandarbh main’. Her M.phil Topic was ‘Kali Katha Via by Pass main Samajik sandarbh’ She has presented a paper in Moulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) in National Hindi Seminar on 31 March 2008. The title was ‘Hindi sahitya main stree vimarsh’. She has one publication in Dalit magazine “The Sixty years Celebration of Independence Day” that was edited by G.V.Ratnakar, assistant professor in MANUU.

Md. Mujeebuddin (2012-2013)

Md. Mujeebuddin holds Masters Degrees in Urdu and Education (M.Ed) from Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad. He completed his M.Phil from the Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, MANUU and worked on “Attitudes of Muslims towards Education in Andhra Pradesh: A Case Study of Zahreerabad Mandal in Medak District”. He worked as a teacher in Andhra Pradesh Residential Schools at Sangareddy and Zaheerabad. His research interests are related to the problems of Education among Muslims and wrote an article on it for the Urdu Press. He is currently (2012-13) a Short Term Research Fellow at Anveshi (2012-2013). Mujeeb’s research Report on “Problems of Madarsa and Urdu Medium Students at Maulana Azad National Urdu University” during his period in Anveshi as a Short Term Fellow. To view the report,click here.

Domala Malliah (2007-2008)

Domala Mallaiah worked on a project that teaches Dalit students in higher education English while also providing career counselling.  He made a documentary film titled “Merit Interrupted”. This film is available on YouTube in three parts. Find them here: part 1, part 2, part 3.

K.A. Nuaiman (2007-2008)

K.A. Nuaiman worked on print culture and the formation of the Muslim public sphere in Malabar during the early part of the twentieth century.

Mary Madiga (2007-2008)

Mary Madiga’s general area of work was cultural performance and political representation.  She coordinated the performance of a Dakkali Puranam in 2008.

P. Anuradha (2007-2008)

P. Anuradha’s project was with young adolescent students in government schools and social welfare hostels.  She was exploring ways to use story reading as a pedagogic practice.

Suresh P. Thomas (2007-2008)

Suresh P Thomas worked on the dynamics of caste, class and gender in Indian sport.

V. Usharani (2007-2008)

V. Usharani’s project explored the perceptions and needs of women around home, property and shelter in the Old City of Hyderabad.

Fellows from 2006-2007

K.P. Girija looked at issues of caste in school textbooks in Kerala.

P.V. Sreebitha examined the history and status of Ezhava women.

K. Sudha documented experiences of Dalit women corporators in the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad.

Praveen Kumar investigated the practice of Banamati in rural Telangana.

Lakshmi Kutty (2005-2006)

Lakshmi Kutty looked at the interface between the health care system and what is labelled the ‘non-compliant/intractable patient’. This study is part of a collaborative effort between Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, and Anveshi.

Shefali Jha (2005-2006)

Shefali Jha completed a project exploring the space of central universities in Hyderabad as secular spaces, through the experience of Muslim students.

P. Srinivas (2005-2006)

P. Srinivas made a documentary film on the Madiga Dandora movement in Andhra Pradesh.