History will talk of the Indian Revolution in 2013

The following is a translation of an article written by Ashutosh on http://khabar.ibnlive.in.com/blogs/16/951.html

The pace of history is never straightforward. At each stage, history chooses a new direction and a new destination.

Today when the Aam Aadmi Party is getting ready to form a government in Delhi, it is necessary to go through the sequence of events unfolding in the last few days. This is all the more necessary as AAP has had to face many such criticisms.

When Arvind Kejriwal was called to form a ministry in the last few days and he said that he would go to the people and get their verdict, whether to form a ministry or not, many people were shocked.

They started saying that this gimmick should stop. Gimmicks do not work in a democracy. Elections and government is serious business and he should not make fun of it by this drama.

However, is it not a comedy at what has been going on in the last few years in the name of the people and democracy? Neither is there any thought for the people nor of their rights, just a few people running roughshod over the aspirations of the masses.

When Anna’s movement was on, people in the government claimed that a crowd of a few thousand people cannot determine the future of the country. Nor can they tell what the country should do.

But today the President Pranab Mukherjee, who was finance minister in the Manmohan Singh government, is saying that the country is changing and civil society should not be taken lightly. Remember at that time Anna Hazare was not only arrested, but Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari remarked that “Anna is steeped in corruption from head to foot”. Beni Prasad Verma had uttered that Anna is an army deserter .

Kejriwal was accused of various charges. They accused him of being excessively proud and having an inflated ego. They called him a thug who was misleading Anna. They also said a social movement is different and standing for elections is a different matter.

The same Arvind’s political party AAP has won 28 seats in the Delhi election and caused a great upset. Now Rahul Gandhi says that they had been cut off from the people and they should learn from AAP.

A new Lokpal Bill was passed by Parliament in a farcical manner. It is being said to be a new conspiracy of the government to maintain it hegemony. This would undermine democracy.

Two years ago the mass movement was said to be a lousy idea, which was criticized. In December 2013 that has become an admirable idea.

In the same way in the absence of a clear majority, when AAP decided to seek the people’s verdict these intellectual people frowned upon the idea.

AAP’s problem was that it had neither absolute majority nor the maximum number of seats among the parties in the assembly.

The challenge before them was to form a government in spite of that. Under the circumstances they had to tread cautiously’.

They would send a wrong message to the people if they formed a government in a hurry. They had been along condemning this system of horse trading in forming a government and now they would be doing the same thing. This had been going on up to now but with the high standard of politics they had set for themselves, they couldn't take the risk to be made to appear to do the same thing.

It is true if AAP did this after getting an absolute majority then they could be accused of dramatizing and making a fun of the constitution.

There is no need to tell that politics today has been cut off from ground realities. Leaders are imposed from above.

Debates in Parliament have become a farce as everything but debates is done. Parliament does not run.

In the states, the assembly sessions are a mere formality.

In neither state nor the centre any public opinion in sought on major policy matters. MPs after selection as legislators appear only after five years in their constituencies.

After taking crores from candidates, they are parachuted as the party’s candidates on the people. Consequently the public participation the democratic process had become almost zero.

So, if AAP has taken the opinion of the 25 lakh families in the formation of the government, what wrong have they done? To know what is in the minds of the people if they have taken the help of SMS or mobiles, what sin have they committed?

If they have gone to all the 272 wards of Delhi and a taken public referendum, how have they made a mockery of democracy?

Actually, cut off from ground realities, these "people's representatives" who think that politics is about flying in planes and helicopters are shocked that they will have to come to ground to do politics.

What will happen to their wealth and prestige?

If they have to trudge the village streets in the heat of May, who will wipe their sweat?

If they have to give answers to the people in the freezing winter cold what will happen to the congealing blood in their feet.

And if the roof flies off in the monsoon storm what answer can their high-flying ego give to the poor villager.

In a democracy, parliament and assemblies are made because the whole population cannot be involved in the day to day running of the government. Otherwise in ancient state of Greece, people used to take decisions in general meetings in the town square and these would be acceptable to everyone and were also implemented.

It is also true that there is a great difference between the ancient state of Greece and present day democracies.

We cannot go to the people for all decisions. But why not take the people’s views for matters which affect the people directly.

I feel that these so called intellectual people should seriously give a thought to this process for the people have enjoyed this new game. History is taking a new turn, for the better.

How far our leaders were from reading the pulse of the people during Anna's agitation may be seen from their reactions in Parliament.

Of course, most of them, including our own Mamata Banerjee boastfully advised that they should first fight and win elections and then think of passing the law.

In that list were people like Digvijay Singh, Lalu Yadav, Sharad Yadav and a host of other MPs.

Our present President, Pranab Mukherjee, who was then a Finance Minister, kept on grinning while these MPs criticized the IAC supporters.

Lalu Yadav and Sharad Yadav also mimicked the IAC leaders .

I would suggest to AAP that the debate in parliament on that day should be made public so that people know which person said what?

When we cook rice, we can find out whether the rice is cooked by just taking one grain of rice.

Our leaders saw the mass of humanity in Delhi with support pouring from all over India and yet they announced that just a few thousand people were supporting the demand for a Lokpal Bill.

How wrong they were?

This is what happens when you are divorced from the wishes of the people.

I am glad AAP has gone back to the people.