Some short forms can be misleading. In this era when SMS language is quickly gaining legitimacy, we need to look carefully into every letter in the word before trying to decipher it. AAP seems to be the latest in-thing. It was already a word but it has re-invented itself in a new incarnation through an acronym. AAP has hogged limelight and occupied front pages of national newspapers ever since it was launched. While the meteoric rise of the fledgling party was unexpected (perhaps even to its own founders), it was the collective dis-illusionment of common man that catapulted AAP to its stardom. However, within just a few months, AAP seems more like a child prodigy which has lost its way after the first breakthrough on stage.
With the announcement of elections to parliament, I hope this is the best occasion to start a healthy (but heated) debate on current political scene. It is also a good excuse to re-start the old blog which had come to a temporary halt sometime back ! Here is my personal take on AAP and its various manifestations.
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1.0 Austerity is not the exclusive domain of Arvind Kejriwal. I hope everyone would have heard about the following ex or current premiers of different states of India..
1.1 Achutanandan, chief minister of kerala in the earlier government led by communists, was known for his simplicity. He was known to go for his morning walks wearing lungi..
1.2 Mamata Banerjee is famous for her trademark white Bengali cotton saris and hawai chappals. She still uses a Maruti800 or alto car and lives in her ancestral house in one of the gullies of Kolkatta.
1.3 Manik Sarkar, who has been elected for 3rd or 4th term in Tripura is known to be the most honest chief minister ever. He is from CPI(M).
Can we find any reasonable explanation why only Kejrival's style of austerity catches media's attention and no other chief ministers listed above get any publicity ? Isnt it obvious that they are either not charming enough to lure the journalists for juicy soundbytes everyday ? perhaps also because they do not want to publicise their simplicity as a virtue but they practice it as a part of their inner belief. I don't think they were or are too naïve not to know the mileage they will get out of this.. but public will watch people in public life anyway and give them the respect they deserve.. that is how noble souls are expected to behave.
2.0 Austerity and honesty are enough to make a mark in life ?
2.1 Defence Minister Antony is known to carry his resignation letter in his pocket because he is supposed to be ready to resign anytime, should anyone point any fingers at him. Unfortunately, it is also true that he is better known for his indecisiveness and inefficiency.
2.2 I have also read reports about the personal integrity of Prithviraj Chauhan, current chief minister of Maharashtra. It is also reported that nothing moves in his government because he is too cautious to take any decision, lest his government get any bad name related to some new scams.
2.3 Enough has been written about the great "Maun" Mohan Singh, who should have peacefully retired 10 years ago which would have allowed history to remember him as a great economist for the good job he did under Narasimha Rao. Nobody will talk about his honesty anymore but he will go down the public memory as someone who set India back by several decades because of his mis-governance.
3.0 Leadership requires vision, clarity and decisiveness ..
3.1 Singapore is a city nation. It is also known for its cleanliness and corruption free regime. It is better known as a business friendly destination with a bustling economy. By the way, it is also a democracy. I don't think, any party wins there by offering subsidies.
3.2 Malaysia is another shining example in our own neighbourhood as to how one leader's vision can transform a country within a brief period. This country is not among the top of the chart of corruption-free nations. But it seems, Malaysia has legalized corruption to bring it under control. This means, funds get used for the purpose they are intended for but somebody can make a cut out of it, in a controlled and leagal way. It is like paying a sales commission. It is not the best way but definitely better than what most other countries have.
3.3 Ratan Tata could have well tried out the gimmick of driving nano car to his office. It would have fetched him some instant publicity. But it ends there. Finally, people will buy his car only if they find any value in it. Nobody will complain if he drives a Mercedes but his company contributes to the society and nation. Some privileges are legitimate. So, if a chief minister denies a facility that he is entitled to, he need not become a hero only on that account. We need to see beyond that limited viewpoint of simplicity alone. If a facility can augment a minister's efficiency and allow him to contribute more, the expense is worthwhile.
3.4 IIT qualification and seemingly good intentions are not enough to be a good leader. If that was the case, every IITan should have been heading every available corporate top slot. Most entrepreneurs are college drop outs but they have some abilities which others do not have !
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I do not hesitate to openly say that I want AAP experiment to fail (atleast temporarily). Not because I am blinded by my admiration for Modi but because I want AAP team to re-discover their priorities. It seems that instant success has made them arrogant. If they are committed and show enough patience, they can always come back and they are all young too. Afterall, their contribution will not go unnoticed, because their impact is already being felt across the parties and many are already making their best efforts to follow suit – be it cutting down the number of escort vehicles, cutting down costs etc., These are all welcome changes in public life.
I consciously tried to make sure that my point of view on AAP is not negative or skeptical. On the contrary, I see a bigger chance of their failure because they are likely to collapse on the weight of expectations from public. This is their own fault. And if they fail, dis-illusionment with public, especially the young voters who form bulk of their sympathizers, will be very damaging for democracy in the long run. Presence of members like Medha Petkar whose only claim to fame is leading protests all over the country and achieving nothing else, also makes AAP a questionable entity as a team. They will attract more such elements who want a platform to get noticed. AAP will need time to allow the dust to settle in more ways than one.
Governing a nation requires lots of vision. It also requires administrative and managerial experience. With their manifesto of subsidies, it is clear that AAP wants to appease the poor or create a permanent vote bank. Social welfare schemes are there in some developed countries as well but that requires some solid foundation of resources. We cannot distribute anything for free unless we have that resource in plenty - AAP promised to give free, particularly those commodities (water and electricity) which are in short supply ! So, priority should have been to rectify leakages, lay pipelines and improve supply at reasonable cost. But obviously, AAP team is in a hurry and wants to create an illusion that they can do magic. This shud be enough the fool people from slums as congress has been doing for decades. But then how is an IITan different from others ? Perhaps, AAP wants to free India of corruption but also wants to keep India poor (and offer subsidies forever). This is not the combination any Indian can be proud of. Everyone wants to see a progressive and prosperous India. No one would cherish the idea of India going back to the forgettable past of Soviet union which survived on subsidies. Therefore, corruption is an important issue but not the only or "the issue" of top most priority. AAP's policies seem to be regressive.
General perception of AAP would have been different if other members of original Anna team had joined the party. For example, Kiran Bedi could have added substantially to the credibility factor of the party because of her administrative experience and professional achievements. By the way, where was Arvind Kejrival before he was seen sharing stage with Anna ? The sequence of events leading to his "official bungalow" drama is a big eye opener on his virtues. He refused government bungalow at first, later accepted a 2 storey building defending that public should compare his house to the mansion which was used by Sheila Dixit ! But when he was confronted with adverse reaction from public, he refused to move into the allotted bungalow. This shows that his so-called nobleness is very suspect. Pursuance of one's virtue cannot be subject to public opinion or reaction ! .
For now, I only hope wisdom will prevail on AAP leadership (if there is any) to focus on Delhi where they have a chance to prove themselves. If they succeed, country's electorate will welcome them. But success should be hard earned. Instant success does not last. Nelson Mandela fought hard for many decades to achieve his goal. His commitment was time-tested. That is why he will be remembered.. Same is the story with Ang San Sui Kii of Burma. Arvind Kejrival can be our hero but he has to acquire another virtue called patience. His patience or lack of it will decide how history will remember him.
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There are already signs of AAP falling apart with one of its founding members parting ways. There is something more disturbing. I happened to read Prof Vaidyanathan's (a Prof in IIMB) article in a local daily where he outlined outcome of his findings related to source of funding to AAP. This revelation is very disturbing. According to the article, Ford Foundation (which is the front end of CIA) has been funding many NGOs and individuals who could play important roles in public life or carry the potential to influence public opinion. As per the article, among other beneficiaries of Ford foundation are NGOs run by Mallika Sarabhai, Medha Petkar, Teesta Setalvad etc.,. So, it seems not a mere coincidence that such motley crowd of individuals have come together under the umbrella of AAP. Obviously, there is no clear programme or vision for the entity as a whole. The only hidden agenda seems to be to keep Modi away from power. There is no prize for guessing that Narendra Modi is not a favourite of US administration.
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Let me end this write up on lighter note by reproducing a compilation of comparisons drawn between possible policies of Modi and Kejriwal :
Kejriwal: Nobody can go to schools and colleges in Delhi unless they are born here!
Modi: We will set up an IIT, IIM, AIIM in EVERY city in India! Anyone can attend any school they want, where they want, they can also go to the best institutions in the world.
Kejriwal: FDI is not welcome.
Modi: We will make India the number one destination for FDI.
Kejriwal: We will nationalize airports, ban privatization of public utilities. We will make every city in India end up like Kolkatta!
Modi: We will encourage privatization. We will build 100 smart cities in India that will be the envy of the world!
Kejriwal: We will fight corruption from the bottom up. We will make every man, woman, and child
become a spy and come to us with videos of sting operations.
Modi: We will fight corruption from the top down. We will run anti-corruption exercises based on well-proven administration processes that have worked well in Gujarat for the last 10 years.
Kejriwal: We will catch constables who are taking 10-50 Rupee bribes!
Modi: We will bring back the trillions of rupees stolen by politicians over the last seven decades and stashed away in the banks of Switzerland and the Cayman Islands!
Kejriwal: We will give away Kashmir if the Muslims of Kashmir say so.
Modi: We will not allow the enemy to even step on an inch of our Motherland.
Kejriwal: Naxalites are also welcome in our party.
Modi: Naxalites will be rooted out and destroyed.
Kejriwal: We are supported by the Congress party and we are for the Congress!
Modi: CONGRESS-FREE INDIA IS OUR GOAL!
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ಅಂತೂ ಇಂತೂ ಕಡೆಂಗೋ ಅಪ್ಪಚ್ಚಿ ಪೆನ್ನಿಲ್ಲಿ ಶಾಯಿ ಮುಗುದ್ದಿಲ್ಲೆ ಹೇಳಿ ವಿದಿತ ಆತು. ಆಗಲಿ. ಬರಲಿ. ಬರೆತ್ತಾ ಇರೋಣವಾಗಲಿ.
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