YPOST

AAP and down...

Political participation is any activity that shapes, affects, or involves the political sphere. Political participation ranges from voting to attending a rally to committing an act of terrorism to sending a letter to a representative.

Evidence suggests that young people have low levels of political interest and knowledge, and poor opinions of politicians. Politics is generally viewed as dull and boring by young people. In general, politicians are viewed by the young people in a negative light; they are seen to be remote, untrustworthy, self-interested and unrepresentative of young people. They are consistently described as white, male and middle-aged, and often portrayed as being affluent and upper class.

In spite of generally low levels of interest in politics, it is found young people concerned with and involved in a wide range of issues. These cover the broad political agenda, even if young people speak of them in different terms. Young people even consider politics as the career option for only corrupt and dishonest people.

Arvind Kejriwal made it there agenda of making India a corruption free nation .

An ordinary middle-class man becomes the face of the anti-corruption movement, fighting for the common man’s cause:  Arvind Kejriwal, an IITian. Some members of the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement decided to peel away, form a group and change from being a forum of social activism into a political party. Naming itself Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), it contested the New Delhi  legislative elections in 2013 and emerged as a political force, going on to form a government with outside support this January. The AAP has changed the traditional face of Indian elections, with the fervour of anti-corruption touching a chord among the great Indian middle class.

The AAP made an impressive debut in the Delhi elections based on its promise of free water to every household with a water meter. The AAP’s major premise is that the promise of equality and justice that is enshrined in our Constitution has not been upheld by successive governments. The common man, who was enslaved by an oppressive foreign power, remains enslaved by the political elite. Drawing on the Gandhian concept of swaraj, the AAP promises that the government will be directly accountable to its people.

The entire nation was agitated about corruption and government inaction on several critical issues. The common man was resigned to the situation as something too large to be handled, but the price rise and high cost of living were major burdens. The AAP touched a chord in every individual who was angry with the system and gave them hope that at last something could be done.

While the AAP has been quick to deliver on promises there are many challenges ahead. First, it is still a one-man party, being carried forward by the charisma of its leader Kejriwal. It is essential to find credible leaders in order to move ahead. To find leaders with impeccable backgrounds and a selfless drive to serve the nation is indeed the first challenge. The second and more important challenge is to find an economic model that will deliver not only a clean government to its people but also a continuously improving standard of living – in other words, growth. It is said that good economics is bad politics. The converse may be equally true. It is a long-term challenge for the people’s party and people’s government to deliver economic growth.

 Aam Adami Party ruling the Delhi Assembly came to an end officially on Monday, 17  February, 2014 after President Pranab Mukherjee accepted Arvind Kejriwal government's resignation and imposed President's rule. With the departure of AAP government, Delhi was under the direct control of Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and the Delhi Assembly will be kept in suspended animation. Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde told the Lok Sabha on Monday that the President has accepted the recommendation of the Union Cabinet for imposition of President's rule in Delhi. AAP leader Kejriwal had resigned on Friday, after his party's efforts to introduce the Jan Lokpal bill aimed at curbing corruption in high places was stalled.

Anwesha Chakraborty

M.Sc Media, P.G 1