The other side of AAP

Aam Aadmi Party was born with a pledged commitment towards democracy and transparency. Its core ideology revolves around curbing corruption and establishing ‘Swaraj’. Since its formation, AAP proclaimed to be the only party which used to involve people’s consent in decision making. It always enjoys the support of intellectual class of the country. People have seen it as a hope; they put their all faith in it and served it wholeheartedly. Sadly, today the case is not same.  If the recent developments are any indication, the party, which was perceived to be different and cashed it in this perception, now seems to be no different from its counterparts.

From last one month, there was a tussle going on among the senior leaders of party. On one side Arvind Kejriwal, party’s national convener with his coterie accusing others of anti-party activities while on the other side Yogender Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, two of AAP’s very senior and respect leaders questioning the autocracy of Arvind Kejriwal. Yesterday the fight turned ugly when four of party founder members including Yadav and Bhushan thrown of national executive of the party.

What comes out till now shows that Arvind Kejriwal seriously lacks the leadership skills. His autocratic style of functioning could work in an ‘Andolan’ but can’t work in a political party. Today, he is the Chief Minister of Delhi and enjoys support of majority of volunteers but that is not enough for him. If we go by the trend of social media then many of the volunteers and well wishers of AAP are angry with the way Arvind has handled this matter. Many of them are standing behind Yadav and Bhushan. Even few of the Delhi MLAs and one MP from Punjab are openly backing Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan. This clearly indicates, party is on the verge to getting divided.

One thing which is easily predictable, that Arvind Kejriwal thinks he can work well in Delhi and gain his lost ground. It is true that people have a weak memory and party infighting is not an issue directly related with them. But here things are different. What happens in last few days has just shattered the credibility of Arvind Kejriwal as a leader. Today’s politics is all about perception and now, AAP seems to be similar to all the parties which were accused by them for autocracy and lack of internal democracy.  

By going in details of the problems AAP is facing, it is clear that Yadav-Bhushan camp wants to keep principles on the upper side rather than winning elections and on the other side, Kejriwal thinks politics is all about winning election. For any other party, Kejriwal’s view seems to be right but that is not the case here with AAP. This party was never formed to become another ‘election machine’ infact it came into existence to change the rules of politics and make it clean and transparent.

Arvind Kejriwal has to understand that AAP has just won Delhi for now and there is a long way to go if he really wishes to see a corruption free well developed India. He has signaled in his very first speech after becoming CM that he wants to focus on Delhi for now and turn it into a model state. Theoretically, it seems to be the easiest way to grow big instantly but after a time period. But in a diverse county like India, winning elections on the basis of work done in some other state is not an easy task. This is the time when Arvind Kejriwal should start building leaders in other states too and act like a leader, who is even ready to work with people having distant point of view.

It would have been much better if Kejriwal camp could have answer the questions raised  by Yadav and Bhushan before kicking them out from the top decision making body of party. No doubt, their questions have enough weight and if not rectified quickly, then in coming time AAP has to suffer because of that. 

Arvind Kejriwal: Common Man's Hearthrob and a Walking Revolution

In the year 2011, an angry young man wearing long old shirts and pants appeared on TV screens with the sayings which are close to a common man’s heart. He, along with Anna Hazare took a stand against corruption and started fighting for an independent body ‘Lokpal’. We all know him as Arvind Kejriwal, Former Chief Minister of Delhi and having a resemblance of an ordinary educated middle class man, firmly aligned with values like justice, equality, truth and transparency. He is also the most lingering personality who has proactively occupied Indian media in last 4 years.

The faith and credibility which he earned among the common people are the domino effect of the sacrifices which he made during his early stage of life. Reminiscences of a Man who has studied from prestigious IIT, got a job at Tata Steel and later worked as an IRS officer, what else has remained after achieving all this for a common middle class Indian. But for Arvind all these accomplishments were not sufficient as he had some other plans in his mind.

Arvind left the job at Tata Steels as he found the same was not his cup of tea. He considered joining Indian Administrative Services could give him a chance to enter into the system and to give back something to the society. Just after giving the exams, he went to Kolkata and joined the Ramakrishna Mission and Nehru Yuva Kendra. It was to some degree out of the box as everybody around him was planning to go abroad to earn money, but he had his own beliefs and he was so desperate to work for the social cause.

While working as an IRS officer, he started an NGO ‘Parivartan’ and it was his first footstep towards the larger pictures for which he was looking for. Later he quit IRS also and dedicates himself completely in the social work. Arvind won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2006 for his contribution to the enactment of the Right to Information Act and for his efforts to empower the poorest citizens of India.

As his father Gobind Ram Kejriwal, a retired engineer, describes Arvind settled uneasily into life as a bureaucrat. Unlike the other officers he worked with, Kejriwal refused to use peons; he cleaned his own desk and emptied his own dustbin. He avoided office parties and other social gatherings, preferring to sit at a nearby tea stall. Arvind doesn’t celebrate his own birthday or those of his two children. He is full of fury against the corrupt system is where the poor getting poorer and rich is getting richer.

Life is full of miracles and this short little man has more to achieve. In the year 2012, after getting frustrated with the government’s unwillingness to bring a strong Lokpal bill, he formed Aam Aadmi Party and in the span of a year he has successfully been able to become the CM of Delhi state. After ruling Delhi for successful 49 days, he resigned from his post of CM as his government does not have the majority in assembly to pass the laws which they promised in their manifesto. His decision to quit the government has been criticized by a large section of people and that anger cost his party too to lose badly in 2014 general elections.

Arvind has transformed his rage against the corrupt system in a more logical way to attain his aspiration of a real democracy where people have all the rights in their hands. No doubt, he has a vision, but not aids which can help him to reach as many as people. Arvind single handedly managed to fight with the most powerful political guns of India and the strength that conspired him to stand firmly in every situation came from the rage which he has against the current political system.

He demonstrates what is called “Bottom to top” approach, a style that focuses, primarily, on the growth and well being of its people and its communities. While traditional politics generally involve “Top to bottom” approach where the exercise of power done for their own benefits.

Now again, Delhi is on the verge of elections and Arvind Kejriwal’s fate will get decided by election results. He is trying hard to win the lost trust of people and opinion polls are showing that slowly and steadily his words have started getting acknowledged. Kejriwal seems pleased with the success of his campaign strategy and confident enough of winning the trust of people in the form of votes. 

The glamour of Arvind Kejriwal’s has made BJP to change those strategies with which they managed to win in the recent past. Modi is no more the center of attraction in these elections, but the issues are. In fact, the entire Modi cabinet is trying hard to beat a man who calls himself a ‘Common Man’. In a way, Kejriwal has won, not electorally but morally.   

AAP: An Alternative not a Substitute

Since the announcement of state assembly elections all eyes stuck to the capital of India, not because of Gandhi’s or Modi’s but because of a new political party Aam Aadmi Party. The real success of an election for any political party measured by the number of seats they win in respective election but this time things are different. This time things are not just limited to wining number of seats but it’s a matter of confidence for Congress, matter of pride for BJP and matter of existence for AAP.

Famous musician and artist Kurt Cobain once said “They laugh at me because I'm different; I laugh at them because they're all the same”. These lines impeccably describe the current political situation of the national capital. The giants of the game are making fun of newly formed party, considering it a fad group and questioning its existence in terms of votes but the inside story says both are scared of the new born party. Aam Aadmi Party is acting like a trend setter this time and others are just following and copying its strategies.

The basic and most praiseworthy difference lies between Aam Aadmi Party and others is that AAP has a strong volunteer base and others have huge money and power base. For AAP people are serving, for others people are working. As name suggests Aam Aadmi’s are selflessly living every single day and night for AAP to accomplish the dream of Swaraj.

“Why should I vote for AAP?” This is the most floating question among the people of Delhi. It is good to ask questions in a democracy and much better scenario is to get answer of those questions. That’s what makes AAP different from others as they have all the answers in their pocket; exaggerating further they are providing answers even before getting the questions raised. They have a vision to decentralize the power and to bring direct involvement of people into the governance. To understand the idea of AAP, we must go into the fabrication of its roots. Like many other parties they have emerged from an agitation but what make them different are their intentions and the sacrifices which they made into the past.

Many people left their jobs, students have sidelined their studies, some have donated their houses and shops, poor have bestowed their earning, NRI’s have come to India and many others have donated huge amounts just to bring down the idea of Swaraj into existence. The populist face of Aam Aadmi Party and its national convener Arvind Kejriwal is the most admiring leader because he has shown courage to put everything on stake, a career, a comfortable living and even his life (Being diabetic he sat for 15 day long fast).

Today a thought of India shows a picture of poverty, corruption, communalism, poor infrastructure and many others problems. From last 66 years of post-independence we are fighting with these basic issues and Arvind Kejriwal led AAP has dramatically flourish his party's election symbol, the broom while vow to flounce out the rubbish that has accrue over the decades. The results of Delhi Assembly elections 2013 will not only decide the future of AAP but also the future of country politics. The results will determine whether it is feasible to take a fight with well established, powerful, and richer political class or we are just bound to substitute one established giant of this field with the other.

For a broader picture the real concern is not about the next move of Arvind Kejriwal if he loses this time but the more elaborative and thoughtful concern is what will happen to the idea of corruption free well developed India. This election will not only determine the future of Arvind Kejriwal or his party AAP but on a greater node it will determine the future of the people of India. An India which no longer concerned about the government malfunctioning, an India which is far ahead of Hindu-Muslim issues, an India which no longer concerned about poverty, an India which no longer felt insulted due to the corruption instead of all this AAP has providing an alternative to null out all these silly issues to see a bigger picture of exultant and prosperous India. 

Being Arvind Kejriwal: Transforming Rage to an Aspiration

In last 2 years the most lingering personality who has proactively occupied Indian media is Arvind Kejriwal and the simple reason behind that his naturally matchless ways and approach towards his goals. If I need to describe his core personality in a single line then I believe the given words will do the job better than anything else “Aspire to inspire before you expire”.

In the year 2011, an angry young Man wearing long old shirts and pants appears on TV with the sayings which are close to the heart of a common man. He along with Anna Hazare took a stand against corruption and started fight for an independent body ‘Lokpal’. After getting ways apart from Anna, Arvind has single handedly managed to fight with the top political guns of India and the strength that conspired him to stand firmly in every situation came from the rage which he has against the current political system.

The faith and credibility which he earned among the common people are the domino effect of the sacrifices which he made during his early stage of life. Reminisce of a Man who has studied from prestigious IIT, got job at Tata Steel and later worked as an IRS officer, what else has remain after achieving all this for a common middle class Indian. But for Arvind all these accomplishment were not sufficient as he has some other plans in his mind. He is full of fury against the corrupt system where the poor is getting poorer and rich is getting richer.

Arvind left the job at Tata Steels as he found the same was not his cup of tea. He considered joining Indian Administrative Services could give him a chance to enter into the system and to give back something to the society. Just after giving the exams he went to Kolkata and joined Ramakrishna Mission and Nehru Yuva Kendra. It was to some degree out of the box as everybody around him was planning to go abroad to earn money but he has his own beliefs and he was so desperate to work for the social cause. While working as an IRS officer he started an NGO ‘Parivartan’ and it was his first footstep towards the larger pictures for which he was looking for. Later he quit IRS also and dedicate himself completely in the social work. Arvind won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2006 for his contribution to the enactment of the Right to Information Act and for his efforts to empower the poorest citizens of India.

Life is full of miracles and this short little Man has more to achieve. In the year 2011 he along with Anna Hazare appears on every news channel and became the voice of billions of Indians who are frustrated from the current political scenario. After the debacle of Lokpal Movement, Arvind thought of entering politics and formed Aam Aadmi Party. His idea of entering in politics was welcomed and criticized but his ambitions helped him to go with his chosen direction.

Delhi Election is the first battleground for him and his party. They have got some success in the initial stage as many surveys are giving them respectable amount of seats. Arvind’s idea of ‘Swaraj’ is no doubt a form of real democracy but it has some flaws also. But again, being optimist is the way to welcome this new party in the political arena. If AAP gets success then surely it will be a new beginning for the democracy of India. Arvind has transformed his rage against the corrupt system in more logical way to attain his aspiration of a real democracy where people have all the rights in their hands.

All the Best Arvind Kejriwal!