[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Isha Aggarwal (June-August 2007), a student of History at Ramjas College (external link)Delhi University (external link) played a consistently active role in organising and participating in different activities of History Department like seminars, film festivals, cultural days, questionnaires etc. She has been involved with a politico-cultural group, Pratidhvani and have expressed solidarity with social movements in the country through singing songs, writing pamphlets etc. and have visited various colleges to engage students in discussions about development issues & student politics. She cherishes the things learnt, prejudices deconstructed, outlook developed, enthusiasm gained & friends made during the three years of her college life.”

After her internship at CACIM (June-August 2007) she was based at University Onati International Institute for the Sociology of Law (external link) for a Post-Graduate Degree Programme in Sociology of Law. Currently she is writing her Masters thesis on ‘Law and New Social Movements’ in New Delhi.

During her brief stint with CACIM she contributed significantly towards editing of our Hindi Books in the series Samrajyon Se Sangharsh and preparation of political cultural glossary on the World Social Movement.

Some reflections on her internship experience at CACIM : 

It is true that when we are brought up in the context of working for getting good marks, displaying report cards, prove oneself among others etc, it is difficult to hold one’s honesty towards work and place in an environment which tries to work in non-competitive, self-improvising, non hierarchical, respecting friends than encouraging peers kind of way. And I hope to learn and value this even more. I really don’t know what to say about the time and chances lost when one could have read, participated in meetings, discussed more but I really enjoyed the idea of Friday meeting and presentation. … even the idea of sharing the way we are working on our individual projects, both quality as well as art, was also important in breaking ice and making it lighter and more informative.

… The lunch break I think was favourite time of all of us and it’s only after being in CACIM that I began to like all kinds of sweets so much. Just like chai reminds of pratidhwani, sweets remind of office.

… its only at CACIM I realised how our inhibitions could stop us from exploring new paths and pushing ourselves to more challenging and important points. Now I realise that the culture that kind of ‘criticism’ builds is that of directness, openness and growth…

Thank you very much for the chance of working in not quite an office atmosphere and I wish you as well as myself spirit as well as vision to put more progressive ideas into action more creatively.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]