It is late in the evening and Kalkaji, one of the prominent neighbourhoods in south Delhi, is teeming with rush hour traffic as people head home from work. Soon, there is a break in the hustle as senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia steps out from an SUV. Flanked by party workers raising slogans in support and holding aloft his posters, Sisodia, the former deputy chief minister of Delhi, is in the locality to launch his first padyatra after coming out of jail.
The busy crowd slows down to catch a glimpse of the leader who was recently released from jail on bail in the Delhi excise policy case, after 17 months behind bars. A woman pushes her way towards him, “We will never forget what you have done for our children,” she tells him, reminding the crowd about Sisodia’s stint as minister of education.
At regular intervals, volunteers chant the AAP’s new slogan, ‘Manish Sisodia aa gaye, Kejriwal bhi aayenge (Sisodia is back, Kejriwal, too, will follow)’ even as the song, ‘Mera Rang De Basanti Chola’, now featured in most AAP events, plays in the background. As Sisodia finds children lined up with placards welcoming him, he moves through the crowd to acknowledge their presence and gives them his blessings. Sisodia’s most talked about achievement came when he held the education portfolio, transforming the condition of government-run schools in the capital.
Since his release from jail, Sisodia has been on an outreach blitzkrieg through padyatras, meeting a large number of people. “I am overwhelmed to be welcomed as one of their family members,” he told THE WEEK in an exclusive interview (see page 29). He said his priority was to “reconnect” with the electorate. And rightly so, with the assembly elections in Delhi just six months away.
Denne historien er fra September 15, 2024-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 15, 2024-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Walking in pine forest can have the same effect as a prescription drug
INTERVIEW - KATHY WILLIS, professor of biodiversity, the University of Oxford, and author, Good Nature
MORE THAN A HELPING HAND
Maria Victoria Juan spent a lifetime healing wounded soldiers, and she can't think of anything she could have done better
Against all odds
Mohamed Raishan Ahmed was born with spinal muscular atrophy, which made him unable to sit, stand or walk. Recently, the Maldivian underwent a rare, complex surgery in India that now allows him to sit upright. At 23, the fact that he is alive is in itself an achievement. But he has gone beyond mere survival-with a pursuit of excellence
A pacemaker tale
From science fiction to reality, with a touch of southern Indian wisdom
Driving safe
Taxi drivers endure gruelling hours, cramped seats and relentless traffic, making them prime candidates for health issues like back pain, hypertension, diabetes and insomnia.
Good food, good life
From the moment of birth, we establish a relationship with food—a nourishing link that requires care and attention to stay healthy
POOR SLEEP IN MIDLIFE COULD AGE YOUR BRAIN FASTER
PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE SLEEP ISSUES, such as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep in their 40s, may show more signs of brain ageing in late midlife. Poor sleep may accelerate brain atrophy that is associated with dementia.
BRAIN SCANS SHOW MINDFULNESS MEDITATION CAN REDUCE PAIN
CAN MINDFULNESS MEDITATION actually relieve pain, or is it just a placebo effect?
NON-SURGICAL OPTION TO EASE KNEE ARTHRITIS
A NEW, MINIMALLY INVASIVE procedure called genicular artery embolisation (GAE) can effectively reduce pain, improve quality of life and reduce progression of the disease and the need for knee replacement surgery in people with knee osteoarthritis.
EARLY ONSET DIABETES, BELLY FAT LINKED TO DEMENTIA
FACTORS SUCH AS DIABETES and belly fat in midlife can put you at risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease later in life.
