Vardini is an independent researcher focused on nomadic tribal communities in Tamil Nadu, India. With a passion for education and social change and a mission to improve the social and economic conditions of the communities in Tamil Nadu, Vardini has made significant contributions through her various roles in teaching, research, and leadership.
Her introduction to the nomadic tribal communities in Tamil Nadu was through Vanavil Trust, which works to empower nomadic tribal communities through education, child protection, and livelihood initiatives. She has been associated with Vanavil Trust for a decade and has been working closely with the communities.
She is one of the first recipients of the prestigious Inlaks Shivdasani Fellowship for Social Engagement, through which she engaged in researching the history of Boom Boom Maatukarars – a performing peripatetic nomadic tribal community, examining how they came to be settled and the contemporary problems they face in society.
She has also worked as the principal investigator in a census survey of nomadic tribal communities in Tiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu and a study of the socio-economic status of nomadic tribes in Tamil Nadu in collaboration with Praxis Institute for Participatory Research, ROSA - Research Organisation for Social Action and The Empowerment Centre of Nomads & Tribes (TENT) Society.
Vardini holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Instrumentation from Anna University and a Master of Arts in Education (Elementary) from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Her dissertation at TISS on the experiences of nomadic tribal children in educational spaces was recognised with the Certificate of Merit for Best Field Attachment. Based on her dissertation, she also published a paper titled ‘Begging and Stigma: Life and Experiences of Children from the Boom Boom Maatukarar Community in Tamil Nadu’ in the Contemporary Education Dialogue Journal.
I have seen real change happen when those directly affected by injustices lead the fight for equality. When oppressed people rise up against inequality and are supported by allies, transformative change becomes possible. It is in these moments of unity and collective action that real progress is made.Vardini M Sukumar