Hello everyone,

My name is Aadhi. I am a queer Bahujan writer, teacher-in-training, and researcher. My poetry collection, Pennappan, was published in 2022 and very well-received. I am now working on a second poetry collection.

Recently, I was admitted to the prestigious Malayalam PhD programme at the Sri Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, with first rank. Since few people like me make it to the upper echelons of academia, this is a very exciting step in my life. Through my research, I hope to make a major contribution to queer studies that is attentive to regional contexts and literature.

However, I am now struggling to meet basic expenses. As a NET-qualified scholar, I am eligible for the University Fellowship in my state university, but even the call for applications has been delayed by months. In the meantime, I have no income to pay even for my subsidized semester and hostel fees. Having to worry about my basic needs every month, on top of the daily pressures of a PhD,  has impacted my mental health. Coming from a working-class family, I do not have the generational privileges to tide over this situation.

I request your help in meeting hostel, mess, and living expenses during these months when I cannot find the means to support myself. Your contribution, however small, will make a real difference to my life by helping me continue my education. It has not been easy coming this far, and I am determined to stay on track.