DC Debate: End of the road or a bumpy stretch?
Arvinder Singh Lovely Vs Gopal Rai
Power kills political movements - Arvinder Singh Lovely
Hamstrung by internal dissent and differences, the newbie Aam Aadmi Party’s future looms in the dark. The debutant party’s romantic rise was only because it promised the moon to innocent electorate before entering the country’s political mainstream. But the party failed to rise to the expectations of its so-called supporters and volunteers, and a handful of its power hungry leaders shut their doors even at those who had stood for them. After facing a humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, these so-called leaders participated in a blame game, accusing each other of being arrogant and not giving enough space to them to express their views freely and frankly.
The basic problem with these self-claimed leaders is that they tasted success without having to go through the grind. They played with the emotions of ordinary people by making fake promises. Once they stood exposed, they indulged in internal bickering. The 50-odd AAP leaders have not only failed to put up a united front but even managed to expose themselves by quitting the government in Delhi in just 49 days. This betrayal of the people of Delhi was the beginning of the end of this party.
Primarily formed to fight corruption and to empower the common man in decision-making, the AAP has failed miserably in providing a credible platform even to its own party people for a free and frank discussion among themselves. First they need to set their own house in order. Only then can they talk big about swaraj and other things. The doublespeak of the party on the Jan Lokpal Bill clearly shows that they are power hungry. They claimed that they quit the government because the Congress did not support them in the Assembly. Our plea was that the bill should be brought through constitutional means. Now they again want to form the government. That clearly shows that they have changed their stand on the Lokpal Bill. They have made a mockery of both the legislative and the judicial system.
The African National Congress, that began as a mass uprising against apartheid and subsequently became a hugely successful political formation, floundered despite Nelson Mandela and a wider liberation movement that had both trade unions and the Left. The failure of the ANC was evident after the first democratic election itself. The main reason for the ANC’s decline was that the party was burdened by expectations and responsibility of governance while it could not continue its mass movement towards economic freedom. The failures of Mandela’s followers, Thabo Mbeki and the current President Jacob Zurna, are examples of how power kills political movements and corrupts its leadership. The newbie AAP cannot be an exception.
The party which wanted to be a confederation of people’s movements across the country has its credibility at stake. Its national convener Arvind Kejriwal’s ambition has doomed the new political offspring which had brought hope to the youth of the country. The party is set to scatter like a pack of cards, with each of its entity talking in a different tune to save themselves from public scrutiny.
(As told to Sanjay Kaw)
Arvinder Singh Lovely is Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president
AAP is in an evolution phase - Gopal Rai
Dissent and difference of opinion exists in every party which is in an evolution phase. The Aam Aadmi Party is currently in its developmental phase and the differences of opinion just prove that “internal democracy” is very much alive in the party and that members have the right to express their opinions freely, without inhibitions. Contrary views within a party pave the way for “new ideas”, which are essential in shaping a fledgling political party.
The crucial thing is that the AAP does not want to dodge the issues that have cropped up in the last few days; it wants to address them. Corruption has become so rampant that it has become a part of every citizen’s life. Till the time corrupt practices are not rooted out and the system does not undergo a change, there will always be space for honest politics.
The AAP fills this vacuum — it’s an honest political outfit which strives to work for the people. This is why the one-and-a-half year old party managed to secure over 1.25 crore votes in the Lok Sabha elections. It is due to people’s faith in the politics propagated by the AAP that the party ranked number two on numerous seats and secured four seats in its general election debut.
The recently concluded National Executive Council meet discussed the troubles facing the party and the differences within party members. When the meet ended, the party had some fresh perspective on how to resolve the issues crippling the party. The party vowed to restructure itself booth level upwards. It was decided that all the committees, including the party’s highest decision-making bodies — the Political Affairs Committee and the National Executive — will be reconstituted and this mammoth task has been entrusted to a 10-member committee. The party is now on a mission to expand its “outreach” in the nation by adopting an inclusive approach. People from every section of the society will be included to spread awareness about the party and its motto to the remotest corners of the nation.
The concept of mohalla sabhas initiated by the party has appealed to the people a lot. Never before it has happened that an MLA has sought public opinion on how to utilise the Local Area Development Fund. AAP MLAs regularly hold mohalla sabhas and take the opinion of the residents on how the funds should be spent in their localities. This innovative concept is the first step in decentralising power — of transferring decision-making from the legislators to the “common man”.
The AAP “revolutionalised” the way political parties and the political system operates in our country. It provided a strong opposition to the “tried and tested” ways of working and is a silver lining in a political system plagued by rampant corruption and scams. Till a government is elected in Delhi, the AAP’s mission is to become organisationally strong and generate maximum awareness about the party’s achievements across the nation.
(As told to Pragya Singh) Gopal Rai is a senior AAP leader and PAC member
