मन मुक्ति · Mental Liberation
MannMukti translates to “mental liberation” in Hindi. We operate as a university chapter of the national MannMukti organization. Our mission is to encourage healthy, open dialogue of South Asian mental health issues in an effort to remove stigma, improve awareness and promote self-care. Through grassroots advocacy, research, and outreach, we hope to normalize this topic of conversation within the South Asian diaspora and increase access to culturally specific care.
Our Team
JASMINE PANNU (she/her)
President, Biology & Global Health '24
Hello! My name is Jasmine, and I am excited to continue sharing the safe space that is this amazing organization. To be able to make sustainable changes and engage in a conversation about mental health in the South Asian community is taboo for many people, and I am lucky to be part of a group that prioritizes it.
NAMRATA POOLA (she/her)
Internal Vice President, Psychology & Sociology '25
Hello! My name is Namrata, and I’m so thankful to have the MannMukti community and to be able to contribute to the mission of destigmatizing conversations about South Asian mental health. I believe that everyone deserves some platform for their needs to be heard and I’m proud to help more South Asian students feel truly seen and supported at UCLA.
MANSI PATEL (she/her)
External Vice President, Neuroscience ‘25
Hi! My name is Mansi, and I feel so happy to be able to contribute to creating a safe and welcoming space with MannMukti! I really value establishing such an environment where fellow South Asian students have the opportunity to connect with one another and feel free to open up in conversations about topics that tend to carry a lot of stigma among the South Asian community.
MRUDULA AKKINEPALLY (she/her)
Finance Director, MIMG & Film '24
Hello! My name is Mrudula, and I am so grateful to be a part of an organization working to create a safe space for South Asian students to discuss their mental health. Conversations around mental health are important ones to be had and attempting to destigmatize them by creating a space for them has been one of the most impactful experiences I have had at UCLA.
VIDHI DEV (she/they)
Communications Director, Psychology & Sociology '25
Hi everyone! I’m Vidhi and I’m so excited to be serving as MannMukti’s Communications Director this year. I’m looking forward to connecting with all of you and building a community where we can talk about mental health openly and get support from each other. I’m so proud to be part of an organization that prioritizes destigmatising mental health in the South Asian community and I can’t wait to work with all of you to make a safe space for all South Asians!
ABENI THOMAS (she/her)
Operations Director, Computational & Systems Biology '24
Hi, I’m Abeni Thomas, and it’s so special to be a part of MannMukti’s Executive Board this year! MannMukti gave me a safe space to relate to other South Asian people, allowed me to be vulnerable, and helped me learn about my own mental health. I’m so proud to be able to give back to MannMukti by serving on board with my wonderful peers, and hope to foster an inviting and inclusive environment for all South Asian students!