Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Saturday gave a call to the youth to actively engage in politics, warning against leaving critical decisions in the hands of “the worst kind of people” due to educated and well-meaning individuals shunning public life.

The CM, in her Alma Mater address at St. Stephen’s Founder’s Day, said that good people with good education need to enter politics as the political representatives are the ones who take decisions for everyone. Atishi asserted, “When educated, well-meaning young people stay away from politics, we are responsible for leaving the most important decisions of our lives to the worst kind of people,” .

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Speaking to a hall filled with bright-eyed students, she called on the youth to take an active role in shaping India’s future by engaging with politics and democracy. She recalled how, as a student, the idea of effecting change was limited to working with charitable organizations, teaching underprivileged children, or donating to good causes.

She said that politics was never considered a viable avenue back in the day, and expressed that it was considered as a dirty business. Sharing a realization, she said that disengaging from politics meant leaving the most critical decisions about education, healthcare, safety, and opportunities in the hands of others.

She highlighted the transformative impact of the AAP government’s policies, including free bus rides empowering 11 lakh women daily, while reflecting on the struggles and sacrifices her team faced since 2015 in combating vested interests to bring change. Reflecting on her political journey, Atishi admitted it had been far more challenging than anticipated, because when her party came to power in 2015, it wanted to bring change, but we was amazed by the vested interests and obstructions .

She said, “Many of my colleagues even spent time in custody because of our fight against these forces. But despite these challenges, the journey has been worthwhile because of the impact we’ve made.”

The Delhi CM cited the transformation of Delhi’s government schools as an example of change in politics, as when AAP came to power in 2015 , they were in a deplorable state, and presently she claimed that the same Delhi government schools outperform private schools.

Urging the youth to rethink their perception of politics, emphasizing that meaningful change is only possible through active engagement, she said, “India is not destined to stay the same. It can change, and we are the ones who can bring that change. But for that, we must engage with politics and democracy.