Former members & team

Premita Singha

Projects Lead, North East, India, Dec 2020 – Sep 2021

Premita is an activist and pioneer in mobile campaigning with a decade of experience in using mobile phone for social change. She is passionate about climate change, gender equality and governance. She believes in using mobile devices to empower masses digitally and using their collective voice to bring change. One of the founding members of Mobile campaigning division in Greenpeace India and Amnesty India. She has a Bachelors degree in Political Science and currently pursuing LLB (Criminology) from Guwahati University.

Rohini Lakshané

Director (Emerging Research), from October 2017 to March 2021.

Public Policy Consultant, from April 2021 to October 2021.

Rohini is an engineer by training, a long-time Wikimedian, and a public policy researcher. She handles research and policy programs at The Bachchao Project.

Rohini has worked on several research and advocacy projects on the intersection of technology, policy, and civil liberties. Her body of work encompasses diverse territories such as the application of technology and policy to solve issues of gender inequity, violence and discrimination; access to knowledge; openness; patent reform; making tech spaces diverse and inclusive; and the cross-hairs of gender, sexuality and the Internet. She regularly speaks at regional, national and international events on these topics.

In 2014 and 2015, Rohini served on the jury of The Best of Blogs, an international award honouring excellence in online activism, instituted by German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. For her research, she was profiled in the 2019 book “31 Fantastic Adventures in Science: Women Scientists in India”. A longform article authored by her entitled “The trouble with being a woman in FOSS” was a part of the “Deep Dives — Sexing the Interwebs” series which won the Laadli Media Award for Gender Sensitivity – Web (Best Special Edition) category in 2017. In a previous avatar, she worked as a technology journalist and editor in the print and web domains, ferreting out stories on human interest and online civil liberties.

Mythri Prabhakara

Program Officer (Public Policy), from November 2020 to October 2021

Volunteer, from August 2020 to October 2020

Mythri is a human rights lawyer by training. Her primary areas of professional interest are feminist jurisprudence and harm reduction. She previously worked in Tanzania, where she researched legal responses to inter-personal patriarchal violence in Dar Es Salaam. Along with legal research, her interests lie in writing speculative fiction and performing street theatre. Her art is often collaborative and community-engaged.

Shun Re Ching Makan

Intern, Podcasts,  from October 2021 to December 2021

Is an student of theological studies from SAIACS, Bangalore. Shun Makan is from Ukhrul, Manipur and currently lives in Guwahati. Shun Makan is very interested in all things NE.

Yashashwini Santuka

Intern, from October 2021 to December 2021

Yashashwini is currently a student at NALSAR University of Law. She is interested in technology law and policy in the present day. She is passionate about the idea of a feminist internet and believes the internet is a blessing best used in measured amounts. Along with legal and policy research, her interests include reading and discussing as much fiction as possible.

Makepeace Sitlhou

Producer, Podcasts

Makepeace Sitlhou is a Guwahati-based independent journalist covering India’s Northeast for several national and international publications. She has received several media fellowships and awards including the National Media Award, the South Asian Journalism Award and the Laadli Media Award for Gender Sensitivity.

Ayesha Minhaz

Researcher ,Editor and Mentor

Ayesha Minhaz is an independent journalist and researcher based in Hyderabad, covering Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Ayesha has worked on human rights, development, gender, and technology over the past decade. She is a Chevening Scholar and went to SOAS, University of London. 
  • e-mail: ayesha[at]thebachchaoproject[dot]org
  • Twitter: @ayesha_minhaz

Srujana Bej

Member, Researcher

Srujana Bej is a lawyer and human rights researcher. She has worked on research and advocacy projects concerning the right to food, public education and caste-based oppression in the criminal justice system. She has previously worked at the Criminal Justice and Police Accountability Project and the Centre for Law and Policy Research. Her other interests lie in graphic designing for social justice and thinking about spatial justice.
  • Email : srujana[at]thebachchaoproject[dot]org
  • Twitter : @srujana_bej

Winti

Campus Ambassadors Co-ordinator ( Dec 2022-July 23)

Architect currently pursuing Master’s in Urban Design at Goa College of Architecture, with nine years of experience working within architectural and construction industry, alongside a brief stint in teaching. Following her heart to be of service to society at large, she has stepped into Urban design, a field that connects architecture and people. She hopes to explore the interface between people, their built environment and everything in between

  • e-mail: winti[at]thebachchaoproject[dot]org