Atishi
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A brief biography
As in 2024 Sept
Atul Mathur, Sep 18, 2024: The Times of India
From: Atul Mathur & Abhinav Rajput, Sep 18, 2024: The Times of India
See graphic:
Atishi, A brief biography, As in 2024 Sept
New Delhi : From being a first-time MLA to occupying the chief minister’s chair in Delhi, Atishi’s rise in Aam Aadmi Party has been meteoric. In normal circumstances, the arc of her journey would not have been so steep and could have extended over many years. However, the situation in the capital is anything but normal. With both her mentors – Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia – being put in jail, this young politician, who was mostly working silently in the background, was pitchforked into the limelight one-and-a-half years ago as a minister. And soon it was evident that she would be a heavyweight, destined for bigger things.
A fierce Kejriwal loyalist, Atishi, 43, had first worked as an adviser in the office of the education minister in the AAP govt. After deputy CM Manish Sisodia was arrested in the excise policy case, she was inducted as a minister in March last year and soon had 13 key departments, the highest for any minister in the cabinet, under her belt.
Atishi had joined Kejriwal and Sisodia during the India Against Corruption campaign in 2012 and soon became a key member of the manifesto drafting committee, ahead of AAP’s debut election in 2013. In 2015, when AAP formed its first independent govt winning a record 67 of 70 assembly seats, her impressive educational background helped her get an important responsibility in Sisodia’s passionate mission to transform the education system. She is also known for playing a key role in improving the infrastructure of state-run schools. In 2022, she addressed the UNGA in New York, highlighting Delhi as a global model for urban governance.
After graduating in history from the prestigious St Stephen’s College of Delhi University, Atishi went to University of Oxford, where she secured postgraduate degrees in education and history. Her academic journey shaped her work in school reforms where she brought her intellectual rigour and vision to the task of transforming the school education system. Her colleagues in the party said she was known for her articulate advocacy and was a consistent voice for the party’s principles. “She spent seven years in a Madhya Pradesh village, focusing on organic farming and progressive education. This experience played a crucial role in strengthening her dedication to political change,” said a party functionary.
She forayed into electoral politics in 2019 when she unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha polls from East Delhi against BJP’s Gautam Gambhir. Next year, she contested the Delhi Assembly polls and was elected as an MLA from Kalkaji.
Before venturing into active politics, Atishi dropped her middle name, ‘Marlena’, from her name, a portmanteau of Marx and Lenin, given by her parents – Tripta Wahi and Vijay Singh – both professors in Delhi University. They followed the left ideology and she, perhaps, did not want her political affiliations to be misconstrued. For a short period, she used her full name, Atishi Singh, but later dropped the surname too. While Sisodia and Kejriwal were in jail, Atishi not only took care of governance but also defended govt and the party whenever it found itself on a sticky wicket. She even went on a hunger strike to demand Delhi's water share from Haryana when the capital was grappling with shortage of water.
Another party functionary said it was not surprising that she was considered for the top post, ahead of seniors and peers, to replace Kejriwal. “The fact that she enjoys the confidence of Kejriwal and Sisodia worked in tilting the scales in her favour,” he said.
‘An ideal student who loved to read’
Meghna Dhulia, Sep 18, 2024: The Times of India
New Delhi : From her early days advising former deputy CM Manish Sisodia on educational reforms to her imminent leadership of the capital, Atishi’s journey is a compelling story of progress, rooted in her formative experiences.
Born to DU professors Vijay Singh and Tripta Wahi on June 8, 1981, Atishi’s educational journey began at Springdales School on Pusa Road, where people recall her as a “bright and diligent student”. Her academic path continued with a degree from DU’s St Stephen’s College.
“She is an intelligent human being with great values that I have seen since the beginning. Last she came to meet me when I was the principal of Springdales and she had won a book award for reading. She was a bright student in school and through the years, I have seen that she is taking forward the ideas and values she inculcated during her schooling years. Her commitment to nurturing Delhi’s children is commendable, and I hope she continues to lead with the same sensitivity and inclusiveness,” said Ameeta Mulla Wattal, former principal of Springdales School, Pusa Road.
In 2001, Atishi completed her bachelor’s degree in history at St Stephen’s College, where both professors and peers remember her for her optimism. A college batchmate said, “All I remember her she always had a book with her.” “Atishi was an ideal student, good in all respects, whether it was her extensive reading, theoretical grounding or behaviour towards teachers and peers. I can vividly recall her positive attitude and enthusiasm that made a difference to the community life of the college, something we value greatly at St Stephen’s,” said Dr Aditya Pratap Deo, associate professor in history who started teaching at St Stephen’s in 1995. After earning a Chevening scholarship and completing her master’s in history at Oxford University in 2003, she continued her academic pursuits as a Rhodes Scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford, in 2005.
“I worked with her for three years. She was my mentor. Throughout those years, I observed her focus was always on performing at her best with the resources available, never fixating on where it might lead her,” said a team member who worked closely with her till this year.
In the education sector, Atishi seamlessly continued the work begun by Sisodia, advancing his ideas and efforts with great competence. “Atishi has been instrumental in revolutionising the educational landscape. Under her guidance, Delhi has witnessed a surge in enrolment rates, improved academic outcomes with national, international exposure to teachers, professional trainings, expansion, innovative curriculum and the development of quality infrastructure,” said Sunita, principal, RSGSKV Bawana.
