ABHISHEK SRIVASTAVA
With the heart and nose of a journalist, activism dominates his mind and intellect. Studied Mathematics in BHU, Varanasi. PG Diploma in Mass Communication from IIMC, New Delhi. Worked with many leading newspapers, channels and agencies in the last 10 years in Delhi. Currently, freelancing. The effort is to survive and speak through the Alternative Media. Indeed, translation work is the primary and permanent source of survival — not easy in a cruel, impersonal, upwardly mobile capital. Reading, writing and roving. Abhshek runs a website: www.junputh.com. Contact: @ guru.abhishek@gmail.com.
ADITI GAUTAM
Aditi Gautam works as a Copy Editor with the English daily Times of India. She has earlier worked with Indo Asian News Service and the web division of Sahara India Media as a Content Editor. She did her Bachelors in Journalism from New Delhi. Aditi can be reached at aditiforpratirodh@gmail.com
AMIT SENGUPTA
Amit Sengupta started journalism when he was 19, even while he was working in the relief camps as a student of JNU after the State sponsored genocide of Sikhs in Delhi in 1984. Since then, he has been an independent president of the JNU Students’ Union, writer, activist and editor, closely involved with multiple people’s movements and conflict zones in contemporary India. He has been an Assistant Editor with the Patriot, Pioneer, Economic Times, Asian Age, Hindustan Times, also News Editor with Outlook, and Editor, Commentary and Analysis, Tehelka, creatively involved in the launch of the weekly publication. Currently, he is Executive Editor, Hardnews magazine, south asian partner of Le Monde diplomatique, France.
GIRISH NIKAM
Consultant and friend of Pratirodh. A veteran journalist for almost three decades, he has reported for English language publications like the The Indian Express, India Today, Newstime, The Times of India, Deccan Chronicle, Vijay Times, Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhaskar, Eenadu, Rajasthan Patrika, among others. He has also contributed for The Week, National Review, Gulf News, Outlook(Hindi), Hardnews, among others. He is also a regular on TV channels as a political analyst and commentator. Currently, associated with Rajya Sabha TV.
JEAN DREZE
Advisor and friend of Pratirodh. He studied mathematical economics and has made wide-ranging contributions to development economics, with special reference to India. Currently Visiting Professor at the Department of Economics, University of Allahabad, he writes regularly in ‘The Hindu’ and other national dailies. He is also active in various campaigns for economic and social rights as well as in the world-wide movement for peace and disarmament.
PANINI ANAND
A former broadcast/radio journalist with the BBC, Panini Anand was also the Editorial Head-Web Department, Sahara India Media. Presently, writing for leading newspapers and magazines in Hindi and English. Till recently, a fellow with the Centre for Studies of Developing Societies (CSDS), Delhi. Associated with multiple campaigns like RTI, Right to Food, Right to Work etc. Deeply involved with arts and literature, he writes poetry and songs, and is involved with several creative projects including documentary and cinema. Founder Editor of www.pratirodh.com, he can be reached at panini.anand@gmail.com.
PRAFUL BIDWAI
Praful Bidwai is a widely published columnist, social science researcher, and activist on human rights, the environment, global justice and peace. He currently holds the Durgabai Deshmukh Chair in Social Development, Equity and Human Security at the Council for Social Development, Delhi. His latest book is ‘The Politics of Climate Change and the Global Crisis: Mortgaging Our Future’ (Orient BlackSwan). A former Senior Editor of The Times of India, Bidwai is a founder-member of the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP), and a Fellow of the Transnational Institute, Amsterdam, an international collective of progressive scholar-activists.
SADIQ NAQVI
Sadiq Naqvi works as Staff Correspondent with Hardnews Magazine, south asian partner of Le Monde diplomatique, Paris. He was perhaps the first reporter to document the abysmal conditions of Metro workers in Delhi, also, the big scam unfolding in the Commonwealth Games, even while the media was celebrating the Great Games. He was also the early bird to expose the Anna Hazare movement, reporting on the huge civil society angst and anger against the arrogance of Team Anna. He can be reached at naqvi.sadiq@gmail.com.
TRIPURARI SHARMA
Tripurari Sharma, eminent theatreperson, is a consultant and friend of Pratirodh. She graduated from the National School of Drama (NSD) in 1979 with specialization in direction. She is one of the founder members of Alarippu, focussing on amateur theatre, youth, women and folk theatre. She is a recipient of prestigious awards like the Safdar Hashmi Award, Sanskriti Award, among others. She has written and directed some of the finest and most celebrated plays in Indian theatre. She was given the national award for writing the script of the acclaimed Ketan Mehta film: ‘Mirch Masala’. She has performed across the world, including in Pakistan, Norway, England and Australia, and attended the first Women’s Playwright Conference in the US in 1988. Currently, she is Associate Professor in Acting, NSD.
VALAY
Valay has worked with NDTV as a Desk Editor. Presently with an NGO, Valay has independently worked on a documentary film on child trafficking. An electronics engineer from CMRIT, Bangalore, he has done his Masters in Journalism from Symbiosis, Pune. He wrote his thesis on ‘Good journalism can be good business’. He can be reached at valaysingh@gmail.com.