'Here we are for change'. Aam Aadmi Party is another milestone in India's unique tryst with democracy

Pratim Ranjan Bose

Earlier this month; when much of the newsprint was being spent on India’s unprecedented diplomatic tit-for-tat against USA; a billboard popped up in Port Harcourt, at the southern tip of Nigerian delta.

Issued by the City Local Government, the billboard carries picture of a hand, holding a broom – the symbol of anti-corruption Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that is now going to form the provincial government in the Indian capital state of Delhi. The caption says it all: “Here we are for change”.

This Billboard came up recently in Port Harcourt, Nigeria after Aam Aadmi Party's run in Delhi election

There is not much news about Indian connection to the contemporary politics at Port Harcourt.

But, AAP is definitely born to make a difference to the lives of many, in and outside India.

The flight of phoenix

For records, the one-year-old, AAP has not got a clear verdict in its favour.

It stopped eight short of a clear majority and, four short of the tally of the single largest stake holder, right-wing BJP. But, that was enough of a signal for either of the traditional archrivals - Congress and BJP - to keep away from claiming stake to power.

Presumably it has also offered an opportunity for the traditional politics to push AAP in the slot and, pull the strings from behind. Congress, which bore the maximum brunt of AAP’s civil rights activism in the last one year, decided to offer key support to the Aam Aadmi government.

And, on December 28, when the AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal will assume the hot-seat of Chief Minister of Delhi, he has to face the twin challenge of negotiating the vested political interests as well as converting the anti-corruption movement into a political reality.

Unique approach

For a country which is grappled with all pervasive corruption; caste and religion based vote bank politics; political funding is a closely guarded secrete; ‘cut-money’ has become a popular phrase and; power is often equated to fiefdoms working in vested interests - Kejriwal and his AAP held new promises.

They don’t want to be another power broker. They are not interested in a ‘compliant’ bureaucracy that paves way for party financiers to corner big ticket tenders, natural resources or licences in the country.

AAP’s party finances are up for public review. Their volunteers or fellow activists are not known by their caste or religion or ‘isms’. They are ‘Aam Aadmi’ or common man of this country who have every faith in democracy but, disgusted with t its prolonged abuse. 

They want consumers to pay just price, minus political sweat equity, for essentials, and lead a happy life. Important political decisions are taken through public referendum.

Voters are invited to play a bigger role in the decision making of the government. They want to want to free water supply to an average Delhilite, by plugging the loopholes, not at the cost of the exchequer.

The demand is for upholding the rule of law that does not distinguish between the son of an industrialist or a truck driver, in cases of rash driving or some other violation.

They are not against business. There is no reason for AAP to be against business either, as its supporters are largely the educated urban youth, aspiring to make it big in every walk of life.

They want business earn profit, but not generate stash money that is either used in political funding or cycled back through hedge funds that end up holding the entire financial market at ransom.

Dream, dream!

The prospect of this common man’s approach to government is huge.

Imagine, income tax base has widened from a mere 2 per cent of 1.2 billion-strong nation. The clamp down on black money generation made the growth more equitable and brought down the real estate and gold prices. The improved health of government treasury brought stability to the capital market and paced up expenditure on public utilities leading to higher growth.

The possibilities are endless. Assume, all coal blocks are landing up in the right hands and the price benefit, if any, is passed on to the end-consumer, making the economy more competitive. Regulatory permissions are granted or withheld at right cause, removing scope of either public agitation against industry or delay in setting up business.

Arvind Kejriwal, Convenor, AAP

And, start-ups are finding it easier to do business at a lower cost and in a transparent regulatory regime, leading to faster job creation and a higher demand growth.

India is one of the top five economies in the world. It has more super riches than France, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Hong Kong. It is a front runner in the global space research. Is it juvenile to expect the country to build enough toilets so as to bring an end to open defecation, by nearly half of the population?

Mainstream politics and business are not enthused at such expectations. They are nearly unanimous in describing the movement as day dream!

Establishment to hit back

The Aam Aadmi government in Delhi is unlikely to survive for long. It is a threat to the business-politics nexus. But, it has opened a new horizon civil rights movement in India.

It has also created an alternative for India’s increasing population of educated urban youth, who are disillusioned by the vote-bank politics, to take more active part in nation building.

India is an exception in the political and economic history of the world having reached this far through democracy. In the last 66 years, Indian Diaspora has intervened, time and again, to force politics to shift gear for the better.

AAP is another big push from within.

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(Thank you Argha Sarkar for the news from Port Harcourt)