Lunch with BS: Atishi Marlena on Delhi govt's battle to revive its schools

Marlena tells how the Delhi government's remarkable engagement with sarkari schools has been sustained in a politically fraught environment

“You’re not vegetarian, are you?” asks Atishi Marlena, scanning the menu at Cafe Lota. “Oh no,” I say, “but I thought you might be.” When I struggle to explain why her lean face, no-nonsense haircut and simple salwar kurta suggest, well, frugality, she cuts me short with a quick laugh, one that rings out more often than I would have expected. “I know,” she says, “my friends tell me I give off vegan vibes.” 

We go on to order a mostly carnivorous spread on a muggy day that desperately needs lifting with a good meal. Marlena, who has eaten before