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 withAAP 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 howmuch 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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