Arvind Kejriwal and a few others have parted ways with Anna Hazare the activist icon who led the campaign against corruption. Hazare and Kejriwal had earlier demanded for a strong Lok Pal which they said would have the teeth to bring all the corrupt under its grind and punish them they way they deserve to. Many in this country were sceptical that such an Act would ever be passed and that even if it were the Lok Pal would be just another institution manned by people with character flaws. In fact, many had predicted that the Lok Pal as proposed by Hazare and company is an ideal and not politically feasible. But Kejriwal and his team were unwilling to budge. For them it was their model of the Lok Pal or nothing. Such intransigence is often not viable. In a democracy, negotiation and constant engagement with those who are elected to represent the people is inevitable. In the process you win some and lose some. Engaging with those who have their stakes deep in politics also means having to understand their constraints and how much they can compromise.
Arvind Kejriwal and others evidently think otherwise. They believe they will bring the much needed changes in the way democracy works by plunging themselves in the rough and tumble of politics. Anna Hazare disagrees. Hence the parting of ways! There is something to be said for both parties. Hazare has been a civil society activist for decades. He has his own tried and tested method of putting pressure on the government. That method is fasting. But when fasting becomes the only tool of engagement, governments learn how to deal with it and work around it. Kejriwal was quick to see that Hazare’s methods have failed. He was not going to be part of a failed project. Earlier, Kejriwal was an important member of the Right to Information movement. That movement was a success because of the long process of engagement. But it also had members like Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey and Harsh Mander amongst others whose credentials are impeccable. Kejriwal parted ways with them too on the Jan Lokpal Bill. It remains to be seen how far Kejriwal can bring the changes he envisages through the new political party that he and a few of his colleagues are shortly launching. We can only wait and watch this interesting development.