My journey as a traditional Kashmiri folk artist has been shaped by deep cultural inheritance and sustained struggle. Coming from a family devoted to indigenous performance traditions known as Bhands, I carry forward art forms such as Bhand Pather, Sufiana Mausiqi, Ladisha, Bach Nagma, Kashmiri Qawali, Nendeh Chakri, and Chakri. Despite financial uncertainty and limited institutional support, I continued performing, training learners, and engaging communities through theatre and music while sustaining myself through other occupations.
A turning point came when the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation supported my work on the revival, training, and documentation of Sufiana Mausiqi. This enabled structured training for young artists and strengthened cultural preservation alongside livelihood opportunities. The support reinforced my belief that traditional arts survive when artists receive trust, opportunity, and sustained institutional backing.

I come from Dadsara village in Tral, Pulwama district of Jammu & Kashmir, an area deeply affected by conflict. When I was three years old, my father was killed by unknown gunmen, leaving my family without its only earning member. My mother supported us through domestic work, determined that we would continue our education. In 2010, I was selected for the INTERACT scholarship program of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, which enabled my transition from a government school to a private school and provided much-needed stability. Along with financial assistance, the Foundation offered emotional support during difficult times. Despite limited resources, I completed my schooling with strong academic performance and now pursue higher education, remaining deeply grateful for this support.

The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation has played an important role in my educational journey by providing me with valuable support and opportunities. Its assistance gave me a strong foundation in my studies and empowered me to pursue my aspirations with confidence. Today, I work as a certified rehabilitation and clinical therapist and serve as a counsellor under RGF’s Interactive Project, supporting children in Jammu and Kashmir who have lost their parents during periods of turmoil. I deeply appreciate RGF for recognising their mental and emotional well-being and enabling me to contribute positively to their lives.

I am Kunal Thakur, born and brought up in New Delhi, where I also completed my schooling. From an early stage, I developed a strong interest in photography and video production, creating small vlogs and sharing them on social media. The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation provided me with an opportunity to refine and professionalise my skills through a six-month internship, where I learned camera handling, documentary shooting, and video editing. Based on my performance, I was offered a full-time role. Currently, I work as a Media Associate at the Foundation, handling event coverage and documentation, while pursuing my graduation through open learning. I remain grateful for the platform and experience that have supported my professional growth.

The support and encouragement extended by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation played an important role in enabling my academic journey and research work at the University of Cambridge. I am pleased to share that my book, Pāṇini's Perfect Rule: A Modern Solution to an Ancient Problem in Sanskrit Grammar recently published by Harvard University Press and appreciated by Professor Amartya Sen, has received international recognition, including the A. Noam Chomsky Global Connections Award (Rising Star Category) from the Star Scholars Network, USA. This work would not have been possible without the Foundation’s openness to ideas and its generous support through Cambridge scholarship program. I remain deeply grateful for the foundation and its CEO Shri Vijay Mahajan for the encouragement shown at a crucial stage of my research, which strengthened my commitment to pursuing meaningful academic contributions with global relevance

मैं अर्जुन पासवान जिला नवादा, बिहार का निवासी हूँ। राजीव गांधी फाउंडेशन के उम्मीद परियोजना, नवचेतना विकास केंद्र और मनरेगा के तहत सहयोग से मेरे खेत में तालाब का निर्माण कराया गया। पहले मुझे तालाब के महत्व और इसके लाभ की पूरी जानकारी नहीं थी। अब तालाब के पानी से मैं धान, गेहूं, मूंग और मक्का जैसी फसलें उगा पा रहा हूँ और इससे सालाना लगभग 25–30 हजार रुपये का लाभ प्राप्त कर रहा हूँ। इस तालाब से खेती में सुविधा के साथ-साथ मेरी आय में भी वृद्धि हुई है।

मेरा नाम अनिता देवी है और मैं राजीव गांधी फाउंडेशन के साथ इचाक प्रखंड में काम कर रही हूँ। मैं मनरेगा से जुड़े कार्यों के लिए जागरूकता और सहयोग का काम करती हूँ मैं अपने सहयोगी बच्चू जी के साथ मिल कर लगभग 40 योजनाओं को देख रहे हैं और पंचायत प्रतिनिधियों के साथ लगातार बैठक एवं संवाद करते हैं। इस पहल के माध्यम से कई महिलाओं को रोजगार से जोड़ा गया है, जिसमें बागवानी जैसे कार्य भी शामिल हैं। हमारा प्रयास है कि अधिक से अधिक महिलाओं को रोजगार और विकास के अवसरों से जोड़ा जाए और पंचायत स्तर पर मनरेगा के प्रभावी क्रियान्वयन में सहयोग किया जाए।