Interning at AamAadmi Party’s educational wing in Delhi under Manish Sisodia and Roshan Shankar is a life-changing experience
By Sindhu Ravuri, Sophomore, UC Berkeley
Working with AAP, however, changed my out- look. When I set foot in AAP’s headquarters in the Delhi Secretariat, after seven floors of leers and judg- ing stares, I finally met the men I would be working with. They all had different styles. Two (one policy advisor and another media strategist) wore jeans and a polo to work with Reeboks or sandals, another, my
When working with AAP this past year, I realized that revolutionary adopts diverse, modern hues. However, the one constant that must remain no mat- ter what in any AAP-ian is a perpetual thirst for jus- tice, and an acute awareness of one’s environment. When I entered Delhi’s climate, I reeked of first- world privilege and naiveté. I quickly understood
direct superior and advisor to Education Minister Manish Sisodia – Roshan – al- ways wore nice slacks and a button- down, while yet another (Sukirti) changed it up every other day, each dif- ferent from what I could have ever antic- ipated. Collectively, they all changed me, my outlook, and they helped me grow. I wish I could go back. What first felt like hell, staying in Delhi’s humidity, being stared at every turn, mumbling my broken Hindi, started looking up. I en- joyed going to work – seeing Happy’s ex- uberant smile first thing in the morning and hearing his great choice of music, hearing Roshan play enthralling classical tunes, discovering the parameters of choosing a career from Sukirti, and ex- ploring all of India’s education system with Pranav – one of the most assiduous
Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia’s passion for educational reforms is infectious and spreads like wildfire amongst youngsters like me!
people I have ever met – are memories that are em- bedded within me. I finally understood how narrow my universe was, and also realized that not all men in India are chauvinists. They showed me how much of life there was left to live. When I look back, I don’t think a group of people impacted my persona as much as these men.
that inciting change in such a place, where shortcuts are instinctual and economic struggle plentiful, was severely intimidating. Where would you even start? As a woman in a sea of men, I also wondered how underdog Indian leaders like J Jayalalitha could muster the courage to become leaders and actually help their community.
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School Special 2017
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