Ajeesh Maani

Ajeesh Maani is a postgraduate from Pondicherry Central University, with an undergraduate degree from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. Growing up in a farming family in the high ranges of Kerala, he developed an early understanding of agriculture, forests, rural communities, livelihoods and social inequalities.

During his studies, Ajeesh was active in student organisations and social initiatives. He participated in flood-relief fundraising, worked with the NGO HOPE, supported teaching initiatives, and gained field experience at a de-addiction centre and through the National AIDS Control Organisation. He later worked as a counsellor with NACO in Hyderabad, supporting people living with HIV and their families.

Maani joined SRUTI as an Assistant Project Executive, working on forests, unorganised labour, Adivasi cultures and labour migration. His grassroots experiences have shaped his interest in social justice, inequality and the impact of larger economic structures on everyday life.

He believes, “It is possible,” and continues to explore questions of social justice through his work, writing and photography, making movies. He dreams of a society based on equality, free from discrimination based on caste, class and gender.