R. S. Mongia was an Indian jurist who served as the Chief Justice of Guwahati High Court and Chairperson of Punjab State Human Rights Commission. Born in 1940, Mongia had a distinguished career in law spanning several decades. He obtained his law degree from Panjab University, Chandigarh in 1963 before being enrolled as an Advocate…

Meira Paibi is a women’s social movement that originated in the Indian state of Manipur in 1977. The movement is also known as “Women torch bearers” because of the flaming torches that the women carry while marching through the city streets, often at night. The Meira Paibi movement is made up of Meitei women who…

Subhash Mendhapurkar is an Indian social activist who has dedicated his life to the betterment of rural communities in India. Born in Solapur, Maharashtra, Mendhapurkar has been actively involved in promoting women’s self-reliance, rural self-governance, rural healthcare, anti-alcoholism, microfinance, water management, and eco-management. He is the founder and director of SUTRA (Society for Social Uplift…

Shruti Nagvanshi is an Indian women’s and children’s rights activist who has dedicated her life to advocating for marginalized groups in India. She is particularly known for her work with the untouchable caste known as Dalit and rural women. Nagvanshi is one of the founding members of People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) and…

Shripad Mahadev Mate was a prominent Marathi writer and social reformer from Bombay State, India. He lived from September 2, 1886, to December 25, 1957, and is remembered for his significant contributions to Marathi literature and his efforts towards social reform. Mate was a teacher of English and Marathi literature by profession and was known…

Mukundan C. Menon was a prominent human rights activist in India who dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of marginalized communities. He was a leading figure in the Indian human rights movement for over 35 years and helped to found several national non-governmental organizations, including the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and…

Palak Muchhal is a well-known Indian singer and lyricist, born on March 30, 1992, in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. She is recognized for her melodious voice and her contribution to the Indian music industry. Palak and her younger brother Palash Muchhal perform stage shows across India and abroad to raise funds for the poor children who…

Yasmin Nair is a prominent writer, activist, and academic based in Chicago. She is best known for her work as a co-founder of the radical queer editorial collective Against Equality. Nair was born in Kolkata, India, in 1966, and spent her early years living in Mumbai and Kathmandu before moving to the United States in…

Tulasi Munda was a social activist and educator from the state of Odisha, India. She was born on July 15, 1947, in Keonjhar, one of the most backward regions of Odisha. She is fondly remembered as “Tulasi Apa,” meaning “Sister Tulasi” in Odia, for her contribution to spreading literacy among the impoverished adivasi peoples of…

Jaswant Singh Khalra was a prominent Sikh human rights activist who dedicated his life to uncovering the truth about the extrajudicial killings of Sikhs during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Punjab. He was born in Khalra village of Amritsar district in 1952 and worked as a bank employee in Amritsar during the 1980s. Khalra’s work…