Magsaysay award-winning activist Aruna Roy reflects on the complexities of activism in her memoir

Infirmity and old age have been addressed in political battles for old-age pensions and benefits for the ill, widows and orphaned children. However, the middle-class activist is often left without security of benefits or income. Financial support may or may not come from friends and well-wishers. Many work till they can, changing to softer aspects of public intervention – writing, training, conducting studies and so on. There is also a constriction to conform to stereotypical expectations. There are those who idealise the activist and are appalled that they should ever tire! I remember a friendly reporter telling me that politicians never tire and they keep such odd hours, implying that we should not tire either. I remember muttering that politicians do not camp on the road or wait on the whims and fancies of others, but command!

Exhaustion has to be dealt with over years of work. As I went along from day to day, the need for more time to think and reflect became urgent. My insistence very often to stop and think led me to evolve a space for sharing the learnings of many activists and to fill in the gaps – the School for Democracy. Since 2013-14, the...

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