Anarchy,Brinkmanship or Wake up Call

What happened in Delhi on 21 and 22 jan was a  shame,a crying shame for this country. Not because of what Arvind and the AAP did but the way the Central Govt, the political parties, womens welfare organisation and particularly the media acquitted themselves over the last two days.It was not anarchy unleashed by AAP as pronounced by Mr Shinde but brinkmanship of the lowest order unleashed by the practitioners of our archaic political and social system.

 Occupation of Rail Bhavan lawns by AAP volunteers occurred after a couldn't careless response by the Home Minister of India, Mr Shinde, to the complaint lodged by the Chief Minster, against dereliction of duty and misdemeanour by some personnel of Delhi police. Consequent blockage of traffic and suspension of Metro services to the heart of Delhi  causing inconvenience to the commuters in the central vista of Lutyen's Delhi was a small price paid to highlight the rot that has set in the functioning and administration of Delhi police. 

Travails and trauma suffered by the common man to get a favourable response from Delhi police, to their complaints against hooligans,rapists and drug peddlers are well known. As is the well known fact that the police is in cahoots with the criminals and connives with them to ensure a steady, uninterrupted business. Yet, despite decades of dilly dallying and Supreme Court intervention, no effort has been made to pass the police reforms or make Delhi Police accountable to the CM of Delhi.

So when the Law Minister of Delhi, Somanth Bharati, responding to peoples complaints against a flourishing drugs and sex racket,asked the police to  raid the colony,Kharki extension, they blatantly refused to help. Not only they failed to perform their duty but declined any plea by the Minister to raid and arrest the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. Inevitable fallout was the Chief Minister, who justifiably has no love lost for the police, was piqued by their misdemeanour and failure to perform a legitimate function.So he requested  the Home Minister of Govt of India, Mr Shinde,the custodian of Delhi Police, to suspend the Police Officers for dereliction of duty  and order an inquiry, who, true to his form did not respond leaving the AAP no choice but to protest.

And then the Opposition, the intelligentsia, the womens organisations and the media went berserk, and without a shred of evidence pandered every possible homily and insult on hapless Mr Bharti and the AAP seeking immediate removal of Mr Bharti from the Law Minister's post.Things came to a head when Arvind, in the given circumstances, made small change of the Republic Day celebrations.Was he wrong in what he said is a subject of deep introspection based on realism.I will come back to it some other day. 

 However, it gave ample opportunity to the hoity toity, the beneficiaries of the existing political disposition, to project their holier than though attitude and fire their illogical, illegitimate and unintelligent salvos against Arvind and the AAP. Every cliche in the political,social and media's lexicon juxtaposed on the half understood provisions of the Constitution,Law and environmentally governed social norms was unleashed to castigate Arvind Kejriwal, his cabinet colleagues and the Party.So much so that some disgruntled elements, unable to measure up to the exacting standards set by AAP, like Kiran Bedi, Beany, Capt Gopinath and Tina Sharma, wanted nowhere else, found ample time and space on the ever pliable media to air their ignorance and stupidity.

But what was most disturbing was a concerted attempt by the Media and the Women Organisations to turn the episode into a racial and gender issue,where non existed. Regrettably all these self styled well wishers forgot the men and women on the spot, the residents of Kharki Ext.The daily ignominies,lawlessness and high handedness of the Police and criminal elements they endure has no meaning for these wannabes.What matters the most to them is to flout their half baked  pseudo concepts of governance,social conduct and welfare.The country be damned!Pakistan and other smaller neighbours of India can sleep in peace because India is hurtling down the chasm in self atrophy mode set by these pseudos.

India, time has come  to wake up from the reverie of pseudo secularism and hypocritical democracy based on Class,Caste and Religion.The unproductive and adjustable norms have unleashed rampant corruption, promoted  "chalta hai" attitude and set us back by half a century.Time has come  to restore a degree of accountability and transperancy in  the political and administrative class.

Rahul Gandhi,Is he a Victim of Circumstances

I watched the AICC and CWC meet hoping to hear something about a course correction and the future direction that the Congress would give this nation, beleaguered  by their non performance and rampant corruption in the past five years. Despite what the Congressmen may claim, my final take was that the entire charade was a well thought out construct to bring the heir apparent center stage. Listening to the views of Congressmen and women of all hues, in TV interviews during the Conference and post it, I was totally convinced of the opinion I carried.

Unconvincing, contrived, abhorrent and subservient views of many delegates set me thinking whether Rahul is to be really blamed for what he is, or is he a victim of the circumstances facing challenges that are not of his making. A creation of  political machinations,ambitions and aspirations, of innumerable sycophants who surround him 24/7 !

Are the detractors too cynical and envious of his background, or do they have the right ammunition to fire the skeptical salvos that they cherish so much? A tricky dilemma to analyse and come to a viable conclusion.

Notwithstanding that, let me narrate something that I heard some  forty years back about the tricks many Congressmen play to gain good will and proximity to the family.

There is one Feroze Gandhi market in Ludhiana. This came up in the seventies when Giani Zail Singh was the  chief minister of  Punjab.He had appointed a political follower of his,who lost Assembly elections, as the Chairman of Ludhiana Improvement Trust ,which undertook the construction of  a market on Ferozepore road.When time came for inauguration and naming of the market, after lot of deliberations G Zail Singh suggested that the market be named Feroze Gandhi Market.

Many questioned the wisdom of choosing such an innocuous name, which had nothing to do with Sikh history or history of Punjab and why not  name the market after some  Sikh guru ,a ruler, or a war hero of 1971 Indo Pak war. After listening to all views, the Chief Minister revealed his master stroke saying that since Sanjay Gandhi was coming to inaugurate the market, this was a good opportunity to impress him by giving the market his father's name.This would serve two purposes, impress the son as well as the mother,Indiara Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India and create a favourable niche amongst the family for Zail Singh as well as the Chairman. Greta thinking by a long distance runner in Indian political arena, who was made the President of India by Indira Gandhi.

 So the legacy carries on till this day, as was evident during the Meet.Whilst every Indian says that the only take away from cliche ridden speech of RG was that he displayed the raw courage to roar in his own den,the Congressmen and women trip head over heels (of each other) to tell the world about the great vision, leadership,ingenuity and creativity displayed by their leader. The cacophony grows louder in the  fervent hope of being noticed one day.There is no limit to sycophancy,so does RG really deserve to be blamed for that. 

Saving India, AAP wins Opposition winces

What I wrote in the morning on Kejriwal's first Janta Durbar were the  views of an observer watching  proceedings from a distance. People came in their thousands, much beyond the expectations of the govt, to  express their solidarity and faith in the ability of the AAP to deliver. This was also an expression of the simmering discontent against the malaise spread by rampant corruption , maladministration and misrule of self aggrandizement  by Sheila Dixit led govt of Congress over the last 15 years.  

 It is a pity that an honest attempt by Kejriwal to address this virulent dilemma, faced daily by the common man, came a cropper for no fault of AAP.

Assurance given by the Chief Minister that issue of crowd control would be sorted out in the next meeting is a given. But churlish comments and dubious joy expressed by the opposition, especially the BJP, calling it a drama staged for cheap popularity, conveys political highhandedness and apathy for the common man. What is disgusting is the elitist and immature comment made by Kiran Bedi, that " you can't govern from footpaths or rooftops." How conveniently she  forgets that all grassroot movements in India, especially those by her mentor, Anna, started from the footpaths.How can she overlook the unprecedented connect that Kejriwal has with the common man? His empathy and care for the people led him to the roof top, a vantage point at that given moment, to calm the surging crowds , who dissipated moments after he addressed them from there. Isn't that abundant proof of the love and respect a common man has for him.

Wonder why the opposition fails to recognise that all diatribes, against this honest endeavour of AAP, are at their own peril.