By Phrangsngi Pyrtuh
Aam Admi Party is in crisis or so we are endlessly told. Since its second stint in government, the party is embroiled in one controversy after another which has been sensationalized and trivialized by our news hungry media. The AAP is as much a creation of the media as it is a reason for the predation from it. No other party in recent memory has been dissected (and hounded) with every turn it made. Internal bickering within the party are splashed for public consumption, though how that would affect the issue of governance and delivery of promises on which the party is voted, has till date not been spelt out. The image of AAP has been desecrated with some of the media outlets virtually pronouncing the untimely demise of the party. Why should AAP’s rumbling and fumbling be a matter of public and media interest?
The internal churning of AAP or its “purging” has no connection to the larger role that it ought to play as the party in power as it is yet to get any of its promises rolling with barely two months in government. On the contrary we are constantly fed news on the arrogance of Arvind Kejriwal and the absence or the disappearance of the ideology which supposedly defined and differentiated the party from others. And since there were high hopes around AAP, its desolation and the unceremonious exit by two of its founder members is being described as a “murder of democracy”.
The emergence of AAP as a political force is undeniably unique. It arrived at a time when India had announced itself in the world stage of accelerated post liberalization programme of 1991. India’s growth rate grew tremendously resulting in higher incomes concomitant with the surge of the middle class considered to be one of the largest in the world. But economic growth comes at a price. Corruption and nepotism grew to disproportionate levels. Much was blamed on corruption and letting go off opportunities that could have changed the face of India. The middle class were disenchanted and the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement led by Anna Hazare was born. This class identified with the issues raised by the IAC and put their weight behind it. The middle class has tremendous economic clout and with the platform given to it to also change India’s politics. This was evident during the Delhi Assembly election of 2013 when AAP performed extremely well and the Lok Sabha elections when they dumped AAP and voted en mass for the BJP, a trend which continued in the 2014 Delhi Assembly election.
The AAP was formed from the rubrics of the movement promising alternative politics which it claims and which is reiterated by its founders. By doing so it seems to have faulted every other political party and ideology. On the face of it, AAP’s ideology seems utopian and unworkable with its emphasis on moral principles in politics. It is a Party that seeks to change the power structure embedded in corruption. To that extent AAP is different from say the BJP which has Hindutva, Congress which has pseudo-socialism and parties such as BSP which embed the OBCs/Dalit ideology etc. Corruption and the degrading system affects all irrespective of caste, class or religion. Whistle blowers, activist such as Medha Patkar or those at the receiving end of justice such as Soni Sori and many other ordinary honest people who are averse to joining politics found a lifeline in the AAP. AAP has succeeded to bring people such as Medha Patkar to actively engage in politics.
Some have also conveniently left AAP realizing that it is not what they had hoped for. This is because to enter politics is to enter the realm of profanity. And morality is sacrosanct. To dish out morality in politics is like colouring a black sheep white. AAP’s USP sought to claim just that. To many the idea of AAP is either an inspiration or an oxymoron. During its formative stage, it was easily dismissed as irrelevant and incapable. It was noticed and appreciated when it secured 28 seats in the Delhi elections of December 2013 and became the darling of the middle class. And then comes the letdown. From the 49 day disastrous coalition with the Congress to the recent public spat of its founders and the sting of tapes which show Arvind in bad light has all but dented the party earlier seen as the sacred cow of Indian politics. It was never going to work and was never meant to. It was only a catalyst and a beacon that flickers for a while providing a ray of hope to millions.
However, AAP is here to stay and would probably become an important political force but without the credentials and the popular goodwill which it initially managed to garner. Just like other political parties, the AAP is going through a phase and there will be many of those. Its supporters and voters are going to sway like a pendulum depending on the issues that it is going to raise. No matter how hard AAP tries it can only go so far from 1) changing the system without itself being subjected to change 2) a complete restitution of its ideals and principles 3) disentangling itself from the peculiar socio-economic situation found in different corners of the country warranting appeasement politics and 4) producing leaders that put the service of the country above all else.
The citizens of this country are very disappointed with political parties. Do we need more parties such as the AAP to change the system? My answer is negative. What we need is to have a complete overhaul of the election process in India and where the Election Commission becomes not only an oversight body but a prosecuting body as well for violating the election code of conduct. This could perhaps bring different parties in line with the democratic, secular and socialistic principles that are enshrined in the Constitution. If laws are not strictly enforced there will be no stopping the number of political parties mushrooming as and when the situation arises.
But for now it will not be a great idea for anyone to launch a new political party such as is happening in the neighbouring state of Assam where two new parties have recently been formed and which promise to be the alternate political models. These parties want to contest the conventional political models as exhibited by the BJP and the Congress or Left Parties. Buy isn’t it better to imbibe some learning from the AAP fiasco and do some churning before launching a new political party?.