Fwd: Fw: Food For Thought: While Lok Satta Party Congratulates Mr. Arvind Kejriwal BUT What Arvind Kejriwal and AAP (and all of us!) must learn from this 5-0 Victory of We, The People

[Chandra Jain]

Here is a very good piece of writing post the elections & prior to the results.

CKJ

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: chandra jain <ckjain...@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, Dec 6, 2013 at 1:12 PM
Subject: Fw: Food For Thought: While Lok Satta Party Congratulates Mr. Arvind Kejriwal BUT What Arvind Kejriwal and AAP (and all of us!) must learn from this 5-0 Victory of We, The People
To: Chandra Jain <chandr...@gmail.com>

On Thursday, December 5, 2013 12:28 PM, Surendra Srivastava <surendra....@gmail.com> wrote:

http://new-politics-for-a-new-generation.blogspot.in/2013/12/what-arvind-kejriwal-and-aap-must-learn.html

What Arvind Kejriwal and AAP (and all of us!) must learn from this 5-0 Victory of We, The People

 

Yesterday concluded the voting in the five states of Chattisgarh, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi. By all accounts, voting has been higher than average in all these states.  Delhi in particular, recorded a voter turnout of more than 67%, it highest in two decades since 1993 when the BJP came to power decimating the Congress. Such a turnout in Delhi when its historic average hovers in the low to mid 50s is nothing short of historic. In some booths, voting carried on till 930 pm, a good 4.5 hours after the polling deadline. Unprecedented!

Across the five states, while we wait eagerly for the results from the EVMs, we can already declare a 5-0 victory for We, The People. Indian Democracy has won again, no questions. It is clear that a lot of first time voters have registered and made their vote count. It is clear that many of us frustrated cynical voters voted with hope. It is clear that that the Arab Spring is manifesting itself in a different form in this Indian Winter! As Madhu Kishwar tweeted,"For the first time in my life I voted with enthusiasm and a sense of confidence that my vote matters. Earlier I voted out of duty without hope"

While we wait for the results, there are already lessons for Arvind Kejriwal, AAP and infact all of us concerned citizens must learn from this 5-0 whitewash victory of We, The People. A few days back, this blog had a post on "Peoples faith in democracy cannot be compromised at the altar of "My Way or HighWay Politics" Arvind Kejriwal has undoubtedly lead a creative, energetic and imaginative campaign by AAP. No Questions. Probably the best electoral campaign india has seen, at least within the living memory of two generations! Even more powerful  than the 1977 campaign led by Loknayak JP of the newly formed Janata Party, of which i still have vivid memories . "Singhasan Khaali Karo Ke Janata Aaati Hai (Jayaprakash Narayan evocatively reciting Dinkars poetry)." This campaign of Arvind Kejriwal, definitely seems to have had a huge impact in terms of voter turnout in Delhi. This campaign, atleast in my mind has proved the hypothesis, that 21st century india can no longer be governed by 19th century feudal style politics - the kind of politics that has dominated our politics since the seventies atleast.

This campaign may turn out to be the Black Swan moment of Indian Politics heralding fundamental structural changes in the way democracy is conducted. A full hundred and fifty years ago, Abraham Lincoln gave us these immortal words - "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom...and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth" 

In my mind, India is standing on the thresholds of that new birth of freedom...But for that freedom to be realised and meaningful, for the sake of sustainable citizen movement based politics, for the sake of Government OF, BY and FOR the People,  Arvind Kejriwal, AAP and indeed all of us concerned citizens must learn some important lessons.

1. The support of people cannot become a heady cocktail leading to a drunken state of mind where sane voices are ignored. Some of the statements and elements of style of Arvind Kejriwal lead to this misgiving...
2. Politics and governance cannot be a My Way or Highway. There are multiple options and means to achiveve the larger public good. There must be mechanisms to dispassionately discuss all of these and and fuse the best elements together into the larger agenda. Arvind Kejriwal must learn to work with other leaders and concerned citizens who are equally thirsting and fighting for fundamental change. Till date he has not shown the inclination to do so.
3. "Sab Chor Hain!" This was the refrain during the LokPal movement. This continues to be the refrain of Arvid Kejriwal and AAP. Thsi refrain must stop as it cannot lead to constructive politics
4. Good governance and Surajya can only come out of outcome oriented politics, "The impossible best cannot become the enemy of the possible good".
5. Opportunistic, populist agenda in some elements of the AAP manifesto makes it sound similar to the current widespread practices of established parties. New Politics is not only about Clean Politics but a system which links the Vote to Public Good, not private benefit of a few sections to whom it may be appealing.

The Janata Party experiment wasted a huge opportunity in 1977 to fundamentally re-write the rules of India Politics and Governance. 2013 and 2014 presents such an opportunity again. It cannot be wasted.

India certainly deserves better !!!

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Regards,

Surendra Srivastava
Volunteer - Lok Satta Aandolan
Tel: +91 22 2377 2279 Email: sure...@loksatta.org.in , 

URL: http://www.surendrasrivastava.com/
The Answer to "Bad Politics" is "Good Politics"  Not "No Politics"  - Dr. JP, Lok Satta Aandolan
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Chandra k Jain
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