Revisited by the flu virus and confined to bed for the last five days, I had little option but to keep glued to the TV set, watching the bizarre unfolding scenes of AAP – a betrayal of participatory governance, a betrayal of safety for women as promised, a betrayal of maturity in governance, a betrayal of cohesiveness amongst its members.
AAP made the first mistake accepting the support of the Congress party for their government formation. After all, Congress party for them, was the evil epitome of corrupt India. It allowed itself to be entrapped and enslaved by the same congress. When the television channels beamed a skull cap sporting Arvind being embraced in a bear-hug by the wily Kapil Sibal, it bared the underlying suspicion, which can be deduced by any.
The fissures within AAP, where there is no pyramidal leadership, is out in the open, with Binny threatening to start fasting against Kejriwal and the latter issuing a show-cause notice against Binny. The other interesting leader, Kumar Vishwas, threatening to take Rahul at his den, Amethi, is no less hilarious. He questions Mallika Sarabhai as to ‘Who is she?’ Captain Gopinath has dubbed AAP as ‘Chaotic.’ I am amused by the sleepless squirm of the noble many, who have already joined AAP with great hopes of a new resurgence.
Every leader elbows other in the AAP news conferences; ministers threaten police to break law regardless of the stringent court orders on mode of detention of women after sunset. Arvind and his team are suffering from a trauma that the world is against them for clean governance and to top it all, they continue to feel that other than AAP all other political parties are corrupt and stand no chance in the next elections (save Congress, I suppose!)
I had participated in the fasting during Anna Hazare’s protest to bring in Lok Pal bill. The sudden change to get into electoral politics, shunning Annaji’s apolitical stand by Arvind Kejriwal was the first giveaway. Prashant Bhushan’s comment of Kashmir for a referendum, and later for people’s vote for continued para-military postings in the Naxalite infested areas, AAP seeking support of Udaykumar of Peoples movement against Nuclear energy, Koodankulam, further forges my apprehension. A few in AAP are working on a well calculated path, inimical to India’s interests.
Corruption free India is every ones dream, but so is a strong economy, a vibrant military power and narrowing of the disparity between the rich and the poor. Threatening power companies, water supplies and forcing them to yield in the manner is reminiscent of Libya’s taking over of oil industry. Suspending a few Delhi Jal Board after sting operations, or a few constables makes me laugh. Catch the big fishes of the previous government who spread the disease and show your mettle.
AAP is like a sugarcane into a juice making machine. It had entered a unchartered area, with no system in place to handle, and cannot hope to come out, but as crushed juice. If congress has succeeded in blunting AAP, like they did Anna, it is BJP which would have the last laugh.
I have refrained at this point on foreign powers and how they influence to keep our country subjugated through political uprisings, which I may write on at a later stage.
Just that I feel betrayed that a great experiment of hope is falling apart.
