AAP: a new cub in the political jungle

Illustrated Collage by Chilman Sahni

Kejriwal and his team must be well aware that time at their disposal is too meager for coming up with tangible results vis-à-vis their poll promises. But people will judge them for the sincerity of intentions and genuineness of actions. Therefore, the AAP must prime itself for establishing enduring credibility.

The swearing-in ceremony is over, putting at rest various speculations vis-à-vis formation of government in the state of Delhi. Conjectures, rumours and theories regarding dissensions within the AAP, and attempts to “woo” its MLAs for the obvious purpose, have proved to be just that; not because the nation’s political culture has suddenly undergone metamorphosis. To the chagrin of practitioners of traditional politics, it has more to do with the fast approaching elections and the AAP Effect, which has resurrected the archaic concept of clean and transparent politics. You do not have to be too astute to discern the change. The BJP refuses to form government in Delhi because it does not have requisite numbers, but takes the moral high ground by declaring that it would sit in the opposition rather than indulge in horse-trading. Rahul Gandhi slams the Maharashtra government for rejecting the report on the Adarsh scam. The Congress High Command reportedly instructed the various Congress rules states to pass the Lokayukta Bill by February at the latest. Then there are serious talks, though not yet attempts, among various political parties of bringing more transparency in their proceedings. All this would not have happened in the AAP Effect’s absence.

However, if you are intrigued by the churlish behavior of various political bigwigs, it is not merely because they are peeved at the AAP’s unexpected rise on the country’s political firmament. We know what happens when a cat is set amongst pigeons. But what happens when a cub enters the dangerous zone peopled by predators and poachers? A cub, which threatens to grow into a big feline that might well rule the jungle that is Indian politics?  The traditional denizens of this jungle are not amused. Predictable, that. As long as AAP was considered a rag-tag bunch of wannabe amateurs complacency marked the attitude of veterans among the established political parties. But the 2013 Delhi elections have changed all that. Now, reactions range from bewilderment and shocked silence to panic-ridden cloud of words aimed at discouraging and discrediting the AAP upstarts. In the run-up to the swearing-in ceremony, spokespersons of various political parties tied themselves in knots in their attempts to belittle the AAP. How would Kejriwal & Co. fulfill their extravagant, unrealistic promises? 700 litres free water supply per household per month? Preposterous! And how would they reduce the power tariff by half without burdening the state exchequer? Where would the money come from? Most of all, how would they make good their promise vis-à-vis legislating the Jan Lokpal Bill within 15 days? These are all valid questions. But the tone is so condescending and disdainful, you would think that they are talking of irresponsible juveniles. Is this disdain genuine? Or, does this hide a sense of fear borne out of insecurity? Perhaps they are afraid that the AAP might well succeed in keeping, if not all, at least majority of their promises. The AAP leaders are well aware that they will not last even six months in office. BJP and Congress will eventually join hands to pull the rug from under their feet as soon as they realize that their attempts at discrediting the AAP are boomeranging on them.

Until recently, Narendra Modi was looked upon as the sole game-changer vis-à-vis national politics. Now, an unexpected and relatively low-decibel trailblazer in Kejriwal’s person has arrived on the scene. If Modi was looked upon as the messiah of action-oriented governance that would resurrect the country’s economy that is apparently plummeting towards the Hindu Rate of Growth, then Kejriwal is looked upon as the Great Cleanser of the country’s political landscape – stables, lanes and alleys, not to mention the bursting-with-skeletons cupboards and the filth under assorted carpets, included. The AAP’s symbol – the broom – is indeed proving to be more articulate than, perhaps, what even its adopters might have imagined. And, the use of broom has become overdue in our country’s politics.

Sometimes it becomes necessary to revisit certain concepts and their definitions because, as time passes, they acquire new and unexpected connotations. One such concept is politics. Originally, the term stood for the “art or science of government.” Today it indicates something much darker, viz., maneuverings and intriguing. Indeed, the latter association with politics co-existed with the more positive activity of administration and policymaking. But, somehow, the darker hues more or less pushed the lighter and brighter ones into the oblivion. Hence the almost clichéd expression, ‘governance,’ was resurrected; it indicates government, control, direction and behavior. One is making these allusions in the context of the AAP’s rise in the state of Delhi, which had been more a victim of petty politicking than a beneficiary of good, old-fashioned governance. The fact that BJP, the largest party in the state, preferred to not stake claims to forming the government, shows its low level of self-esteem. There was a good chance that reelections would be called but the AAP took up the challenge of forming the government as much in response to BJP’s taunts as to experiment with people-friendly governance – even if it is “for one day only.” 

Therefore, one is not surprised over the fact that Kejriwal and his team are showing a remarkable sense of urgency in getting down to delivering as much as they can in the shortest possible time. Already they seem to have drawn up a roadmap to achieving maximum number of their targets. However, let us be realistic. The AAP will not be able to achieve much in this short span of time. Nevertheless, they have the opportunity to establish their credibility vis-à-vis their intentions and, hopefully, capabilities to deliver the goods if they return with a majority in the inevitable reelections after the 2014 parliamentary polls.