Abstract: What is pollution? Who is a polluter? Who pays the cost of pollution? Does menstruation pollute? Aravinda Pillalamarri will talk about grassroots efforts to fight pollution and to fight notions of pollution rooted in caste oppression and gender violence.

Speaker Bio: Aravinda Pillalamarri has been associated with AID since 1995 and now serves as one of its Development Coordinators. In the past, she has served as an AID Jeevansaathi - a fellowship program to support AID volunteers who have taken up the role of full time social worker in India. She and her husband, Ravi Kuchimanchi, are the inspiration behind the Bollywood movie Swades. Her work encompasses several social justice issues in India - fair trade, environmental monitoring, rights of khadi (handspun) garments workers, to name a few. She also works in the areas of health and food security including kitchen gardens, whole foods, and accountability in government services to mothers and children. She also manages the publications team in AID. Her articles have featured in Indian journals and dailies like the Economic and Political Weekly and The Hindu.