Leadership

Harshit Lakra is the secretary of ADN. Harshit is from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh and is a Professor of architecture at BIT MESRA. She is a Ford Fellow and has a Masters in City and Regional Planning from Cornell Institute of Public Affairs. Harshit is now based out Ranchi, Jharkhand and helps run Adivasi Development Network's India office. You can email her at harshitlakra@adivasinetwork.org

Dr. Dhuni Soren was born in Boarijor, a village in Jharkhand, in the district of Santhal Paragana, 12 years before India became independent from British rule. It was an isolated market village connected to the nearest town, 21 miles away by a muddy road with no bridges across several rivers, no electricity, no clean drinking water and no hospital. Dr. Dhuni is a doctor and he worked as a civil assistant Surgeon in a block in the sub-divisional town of Jamtara for a short period. He then secures a scholarship for higher surgical training in UK from the government of Bihar in 1965. He has profound love and affection for the people of India and spends few months there every year doing social, cultural, educational and charity work mainly in the state of Jharkhand for Adivasis. He has represented adivasis in many International forms such as UN indigenous peoples forums and is a human rights activist.

Rev. Fr. Hippoletus Toppo hails from Dhekiajuli, a small town in Assam. He holds a doctorate degree in Dogmatic Theology from Rome (University of Urbaniana); the title of the thesis being: Towards an Adivasi Liberative Theology. He is closely associated with Adivasi NGO movement in Assam, and has been contributing articles and research papers on Adivasis. He has authored 2 books on Adivasi Folklore (Karam Kahni and Aji Ker Kahni) in Sardi, and produced 2 audio cassettes (Injot Dahar and Karam Krus) in Sadri. Based in Florida, USA presently Fr. Toppo is following studies on Human Rights.

Emanuel Toppo isfrom Girang Village in Jashpur District, Chattisgarh. He currently works as a process engineer at Biovitrum in Stockholm, Sweden. Dedicated to Adivasi development, Mr. Toppo conducts outreach and fundraising for ADN in Europe.

John Ekka is from Ranchi, Jharkhand. He is now based in the larger DC area and is an engineer. John was one of the founding members of the Chottanagpur Rising Association, which connects all Adivasis living in the United States. His efforts in bringing together Adivasis in the US has been instrumental to the formation of the Adivasi Development Network.