In a nutshell
It's
over more than half a decade after the abolition of princely states, our Indian
politics still functions as an oligarchy, where amplified credentials, size of
bungalow, nature of security detail, and length of cavalcade demarcate the
ruler from the ruled. There used be long cavalcade ( sometimes upto 35 car
procession) while our netas move from one place to another. Swanky building to
reside for them. Now, post AAP victory at Delhi, some of the change that
came to our sight : Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren ceremoniously
discarded the siren on his car. In Jaipur, new Rajasthan Chief Minister
Vasundhara Raje graciously refused to move into the official bungalow. In
Raipur, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh announced that he and his
ministers will no longer be given customary gun salutes. If a litmus test was
needed for the impact of the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP)
victory in Delhi, it can be found in how political leaders across the land are
now falling over each other to show that they're 'somewhat common' too. For
once in Indian politics, it has become fashionable to be ordinary. It compelled
the mainstream parties to respond and take a relook [sic] at their own
strategies.
Holding a broom has never been as respectable and fashionable in Delhi as it is
today. Whether in the posh neighborhoods of South Delhi or the slums,
brooms have become a status symbol, a symbol of new political identity.
Representing this identity is a burgeoning political organization, called
the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP, meaning the Common Man’s Party) formed less than
a year ago. It made history when the AAP not only decimated the oldest
party of the country, the Indian National Congress, in the Delhi assembly
elections, but also checkmated the march of the opposition BJP. When the Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged on the Indian political horizon, the country was
stirred by the prospect of young and dynamic leaders cleansing the system. The
coterie culture of established political parties has left the common man with
little scope for participation in the system other than casting votes. The new
party created high hopes in millions of Indians who were tired of corruption
and criminalisation of politics.The Aam Aadmi Party is making efforts to
introduce more participation in governance by referendums to determine the
people’s will and mass meetings to resolve their problems. More democratic
participation in decision-making has become necessary in the 21st century, not
only as an ideological preference but also as a practical necessity. However,
as the AAP’s efforts so far have shown, the management of these processes is
not easy. The challenge is to combine more public participation with sound
decision-making. The very fact that the AAP managed to attract both the elite
and marginalized sections of society in the metropolis demonstrates a new
maturity in urban voters who are not swayed by class and ethnic identity. The
AAP’s success in Delhi has opened the floodgates in terms of
people’s desire to become a part of this movement. Prominent personalities are
joining the party every day, including high profile professionals who are
quitting their careers to do so. The AAP has announced its intent to contest
the Lok Sabha elections scheduled to be held within a few months. It has
launched a membership drive that will take the party strength to one crore in a
few weeks.
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.
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