By Deepti Menon

Recently, I watched a wonderful interaction between Anupama Jain, the author of the hilarious ‘When Padma Bani Paula’ and the intrepid Atishi Marlena, the young leader of the AAP Party who has been garnering eyeballs for her meritorious work in transforming government schools in Delhi into institutions of excellence.

“Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.” – Confucius

What came across were some amazing insights from a person who valued having parents who were teachers, and who instilled a value system that nestles within her mind even today. She recalled growing up amidst drawing room conversations where activists and thinkers spoke their minds openly on issues like education and political reform. That was an education in itself, and maybe, the genesis of a mindset that learnt to distinguish the chaff from the grain.

Too Few Women in Politics: Atishi believes that the world is not a fair or equal place for women. Being a woman in India is no easy task. “I do believe that I come from a situation of privilege, and because of that, I do need to give back to society.” Thus, she feels that more women should take up careers in public service and turn into impressive role models because there is nothing that women cannot do.

You Get the Government You Deserve: Being aware of politics and electoral politics is vital. Atishi feels that the responsibility of electing a government and thereafter, putting pressure on it to push forward reforms, is the responsibility of the citizens of a society. At times, voters can be bought off with freebies like a sari, liquor or a small token amount. In other cases, voters cast their vote for all the wrong reasons like caste and religion. A democracy is like a market. Citizens need to demand their rights from the politicians who rule them.

Thus, it is up to the voters to insist that the government should focus on significant issues like education or a health care system. They should vote for the best possible decisions made.

Achievements of the AAP Government in Delhi: The last five years have been a challenge, adjusting to the government strictures. There have been tussles between the AAP government and the Central Government, leading to obstructions. The AAP government has been sending teachers and educators abroad to places like Finland, and institutions like Harvard, to observe their teaching methodology. Once when they wanted to send a hundred teachers to Finland, the relevant file kept seesawing between the offices of the Education Minister and the Lt Governor of Delhi. It was after a great deal of shuttling that it was finally cleared.

Vision for the Next Ten Years for Delhi and the Whole of India: Atishi related an incident five years ago when AAP had just come to power. She was at a friend’s house and she mentioned that it would be the party’s top priority to ensure that in the coming years, government schools would be better than private schools. The friend’s husband apparently burst out laughing, and almost choked on his food. He was sure that it was an impossibility. Today, in Delhi, government schools have come up and have caught up with their private counterparts.

Thus, their vision for the future is that people can get to the point when they believe that they can elect high-performing, corruption-free governments who want to prioritise issues like education, health care, water and electric supply, public transport and the like. Governments can work for the interest of the ordinary people without excessive public spending, as the AAP government in Delhi is doing at present. According to Atishi, AAP is a model of democracy which will hopefully be followed by other governments across the country.

Fond Memories of School and College Days: Atishi’s fondest memories of her school days were of hours spent outside the classroom, especially the lunch breaks which were exciting. She did lose touch with her friends for a while but says that WhatsApp has brought her back in touch with many of them.

Did she always want to be in politics? Atishi came back to India after completing her education abroad. She then taught in Rishi Valley. Even at the age of twenty-one, she wanted to make a difference, aware that the way forward was through education, an effective way to give back to society. Today she feels she is in the right place because, as she says, if one needs to do something to make an effective change, one needs to be in politics. 

Comfort Food: Two things Atishi is addicted to are black filter coffee and Haldiram’s bhujiya. And if she were stranded on an island, she would carry filter coffee, food and water.

Calmness Mantra: There are many times when Atishi feels frustrated at the end of the day. However, she has come to realise that there is no point in hitting her head against a stone wall. Meditation and walking are two ways in which she attains calmness.

Relaxation at the end of the day? Atishi finds Netflix addictive. She enjoys watching television shows on crime, mystery, adventure, fantasy and political drama. These help her to unwind, especially since she has enough intensity in her life to need these diversions. She is also fond of reading.

If she had a superpower, what would she change? Atishi is clear on this point. She finds the parents of today rather obsessive. According to her, they do not give the next generation the freedom to think on their own. If she did have a superpower, she would use it to change the mindset of these parents. That way, India might just end up with a new generation of thinkers.

Does she believe in destiny? In the last five years, since the AAP party came into power, there have been several changes. When it started, they were a group of ‘nobodies’. The opposition parties had all the power. When AAP began to target causes that were beneficial to the common man, they started getting noticed. As a result, they won their second term with a thumping majority. However, Atishi feels that they need to strive to stay in power, despite all odds. Maybe it is destiny that has got them where they are, after all!

Anything she would like to change in her life? Maybe aspire for a calmer and quieter life, she smiles, realising it would never happen. However, she would love to spend more time with her family, especially her parents.

The interview rolls to an end, the voices fade out, but what has left a huge impact in the minds of all the listeners is the clear voice of a forthright young leader, who knows what she wants and knows exactly how she is going to get it. Down-to-earth and practical, Atishi Marlena is one canny leader who is here to stay!

About the Author Deepti Menon