Open Letter : Transitioning for now, but still on the mission

Dear all,

I hope you are doing well and winding down 2024 with love and joy 🙂

It is with a heavy heart that I share some news: after an incredible journey of almost seven years of building Indian School of Democracy (ISD), I will be transitioning out of my full-time executive role as of December 24, 2024, for now.

I have had the incredible privilege of co-creating this organization, nurturing it with everything I had—and then some. But ISD has nurtured me even more, helping me grow, shine, and feel a love that is unconditional and sacred. It has made me feel strong. From often being the only woman in rooms filled with men to now finding a sisterhood in politics across the country, I feel so much richer than I ever imagined.

ISD is a dream I’ve nurtured, a home I’ve built alongside our team, alumni, and all of you who believe in the transformative power of principled leadership. This journey has helped me know India—and myself—better than ever before, and there isn’t a gift greater than that. From traveling across the country for a year to understand the problem, getting our first set of interns in a borrowed office, to now having three flagship programs, 350+ alumni, and engaging with ~2800 youth, I could not have imagined a better way to spend these years. If given the chance, I would choose to do it all a hundred times over. ISD has always been a unique and idealistic idea, but what has made it real is our alumni who come from all corners of India and continue to be the fireflies in Indian politics. Witnessing their journey of growth, courage and love has taught me persistence and hope.

Unfortunately, over the past year, my co-founder and I have faced significant differences about the vision and path for the organization.This has been a deeply painful experience, but one filled with profound lessons in life and leadership—about courage, humility, and the complexities of building something meaningful, especially in politics. I share this because, in our programs, we teach the importance of embracing the full spectrum of our journeys, including the struggles. If we expect our public leaders to be honest, we must hold ourselves to the same principle. This decision—one of the hardest I’ve ever made—has not come easily, as I have lived and breathed ISD. My hope is that this step back allows for individual and collective emergence and new ways of my association with ISD.

In the last few years, ISD has forged key partnerships, gained national and global recognition, built a practice-based curriculum, and planted many seeds of principled politics in the ecosystem. I am grateful to have played a role in this and take comfort in knowing ISD is bigger than any one individual. It is a collective force for change, rooted in the values of ethical, compassionate, and inclusive leadership. I have full faith in the extraordinary team at ISD to carry this mission forward with renewed energy and purpose.

What’s next for me? Rest, healing, and reimagining what this quest for principled public leadership will look like in the future. I also hope to take time to synthesize and write about the lessons I’ve learned from this work. What does a systemic yet deep transformation of Indian politics truly look like? My conviction to create and celebrate diverse leadership, especially for women in politics, remains strong. I continue to dream of an India where our politicians are principled and politics is inclusive, where Parliament and state assemblies have at least 50% women, and where leaders have the moral courage and imagination to make democracy come alive for all citizens of our imperfect yet beautiful country.

I want to thank each of you for playing a role in this journey- by forwarding our messages, volunteering with us, responding to our asks, believing in the idea when it was just an idealistic dream, challenging us, funding us, or cheerleading in both visible and invisible ways. I have faith that ISD will only reach greater heights and grow deeper roots.

Nurturing grassroots leaders, witnessing their journeys, creating spaces for dialogue, and fostering hope for a more democratic India has been an honor and a privilege. I hope to find meaningful ways to continue contributing to ISD and our mission of principled politics.

With folded hands, gratitude and a lot of love,
Hemakshi Meghani
Co-Founder, Indian School of Democracy