Harsh Mander , a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, who worked in Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh for almost two decades, is a human rights and peace worker, author, and researcher. He coordinates the production of the annual India Exclusion Report. He is Director, Centre for Equity Studies, and Special Commissioner to the Supreme Court of India in the Right to Food case. His books include Unheard Voices: Stories of Forgotten Lives, The Ripped Chest: Public Policy and the Poor in India, Fear and Forgiveness: The Aftermath of Massacre, Fractured Freedom: Chronicles from India’s Margins, Untouchability in Rural India (co-authored), Ash in the Belly: India’s Unfinished Battle against Hunger, and Looking Away: Inequality, Prejudice and Indifference in New India. Mander’s columns appear in The Hindustan Times , The Indian Express and Scroll . For over 12 years, he wrote a fortnightly column in The Hindu . He also contributes frequently to scholarly journals. His real-life stories have been adapted for films, such as Shyam Benegal’s Samar, and Mallika Sarabhai’s dance drama Unsuni.