Heena Sonker

Heena, a postgraduate in urban studies from Ambedkar university, has been working with marginalized groups for almost a decade, especially with young girls, bringing a feminist perspective to her work. She likes to read and write and is also a performing artist engaging with storytelling and poetry about the realities of Dalit life. She is based in Delhi.

As part of this Fellowship, Heena will be writing a book about the lived experiences of her own community – the Khatik community where she explores their identity and erased history through stories about food. She believes this will bring hope in the community and that such stories and narratives are essential to bring a transformation in societal attitudes against caste-based marginalization.

Asha M.

Asha was born and raised in a tribal community in a small village called Ankanathapura, in H.D. Kote taluk of Karnataka.  She is the  first postgraduate in her community and also a former Disom fellow.

Asha has worked at The Tribal Research Institute (TRI), an independent arm of the Karnataka government in 2016. She focussed on need evaluations of multiple local tribal communities, and ensuring implementation of government schemes, while also gaining invaluable insights into their indigenous lifestyle and knowledge. She began to gain an awareness and appreciation of the deep crisis that tribals face. 

For the Fellowship, Asha will work on developing capabilities and skill-sets to empower forest dwelling tribal youth from in H.D. Kote Taluk, Karnataka, who are first-generation learners. 

M. Huzaifa

Huzaifa is a Delhi-based lawyer practicing both civil and criminal litigations before different judicial forums. His recent fieldwork, research and advocacy has contributed in securing the Supreme Court’s landmark guidelines against punitive demolitions. 

His work reflects a strong commitment and interest in minority rights through public advocacy, strategic litigation, research, and civic engagement to challenge systemic injustices.

His Fellowship project, ‘Tracing the Impact of SC’s Guidelines on Bulldozer (In)Justice’, critically examines the enforcement of the Supreme Court’s guidelines on punitive demolitions through strategic litigation, field research, and community engagement. The project will culminate in a comprehensive report analyzing the guidelines' impact, identifying gaps, and proposing recommendations.