IDR Interviews

Recognised for her pathbreaking work in Kutch, Sushma Iyengar shares what led her to focus on the intersection of women’s rights and rural development, and why she believes the scope of women’s empowerment today is limited to economic transformation.

Renowned social activist and a driving force behind the movements that led to the RTI Act and MGNREGA, Aruna Roy tells us what it takes to sustain truly participatory movements and why we must fight for our democratic right to dissent.

Having pioneered the concept of SHGs, Aloysius Fernandez speaks about his journey over the last several decades, and how building institutions is the beginning of the basis of power for marginalised people.

‘Waterman of India’, Rajendra Singh, shares insights on how the availability of water improves all aspects of life in India, and why the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to bring about a revolution in the country.

Known for his pathbreaking work in the development sector, Vijay Mahajan talks about inequality, the direction our society is headed in, and how the ‘idea of India’ cannot be realised by the state alone.

A physician and public health specialist, Dr John Oommen shares insights from more than three decades of working on community health among Adivasi peoples, and reflects on why we need to rethink the dominant development paradigm.

A lifelong crusader against manual scavenging, Bezwada Wilson talks about building a Dalit-led grassroots movement to liberate the community from this practice.

Recognised for bringing cadres of young professionals into grassroots development, Deep Joshi reflects on why we need to build a more fraternal society and implores us to reconsider how we respond to development challenges.

World-renowned scientist and biodiversity expert shares invaluable wisdom on the overlaps between indigenous and scientific knowledge, and how both can shape national and global policy.

In 2019, activist and humanitarian Stan spoke to us about people’s movements. He recounted how they grow and are sustained in the context of his fight against the human rights violations faced by Adivasi peoples.