History in making: Head-of-state Arvind Kejriwal turns to street creating ‘chaos’ but why I still believe in that anarchism of his!


Forget ‘How often’, when in history have we seen head-of-the-state sitting on dharna for change in his own state?

When newspapers and electronic media dubbed AamAadmi Party‘s rise as ‘history in making’, I personally giggled, for it was mere an entrant cracking exams in first attempt! Where was that‘new’ or ‘alternative’ in it? Yes, the idea of Swaraj (self-rule) which our constitution has laid out already but we never felt it, but then, it was just a talk, a manifesto to woo impatient voters. Such innovative, out-of-the-box manifestos were not new to Indian voters; each new election year, with old promises, we are sold for a few new ones and as-fast-as-that they are forgotten once they start travelling under VIP red beacons. Just as simple as that! Okay, AAP ended the VIP culture with no red beacons and put an end to ‘You-know-who-my-father-is’ dialogue-baazis. This was new for the state but then again, not the one to dub history-in-making,for we already have seen such gestures in the past by few. They did walk-the-talk by implementing few bold promises made in their manifesto which other parties labeled unachievable till then, like free water, reduced power tariffs or audits of companies. But then, this too was not really a big thing to be etched in pages of history as few head-of-the-states in past have already walked-their-talkalthough not this swift (being just twenty days in power). What really stirred my mind was this news of a Chief Minister of a state going on dharna to get those things done which his party had promised in their manifesto (Statehood to Delhi, Delhi police under Delhi government). Idea of dharna is not new and a dharna just a few months before general elections which his party is planning to fight in a big way raises doubts, but the recent findings regarding the ugly face-off between Delhi police and government solves this mystery behind the timing of this dharna! With police nowhere in mood to take orders from them and Home Ministry not listening to their demand of handing over the reins of Delhi police, they were left with no plausible option but to come out on the streets.

You may ask, how legitimate is it to conduct a strike or dharna in a state ruled by yourself, isn’t it irresponsibility, act of insanity to take people on a ride calling strike in your own state, putting your own voters at unease? Yes, it is! When you look up to this dharna just as some drama created by someone who rose to power doing the same, it’s yes; but when you see his inability to serve the very people who voted him not because he doesn’t will to but because the very resources who are meant to serve him in achieving his goals refuse to do so, it’s a big NO. Of what use, is a government that can’t secure the rights of its people? Of what use is a kingdom without its army!

The day ArvindKejriwal announced his wish to sit on dharna, I was like, what is it, why have we voted him? If by doing dharna is how he believes change can be brought, then why put public resourcesat peril and fight elections promising change? You were doing the same before occupying CM’s office. Why enter politics for the same? But then, the issue is a grave one, the sooner it solves the better for Delhiites.

There are rapes occurring every other day, drugs being supplied every hour and all you do is listening, see these things unfolding – doing absolutely nothing. Because if you do – lawmakers call it vigilantism, they allege you of taking law into your hands. When all you do is receive a call at mid-night and rush to the spot to solve it albeit with police personnel. Irony is, the same policemen who are meant to listen and solve AamAadmi‘s woes, back off citing warrants andlack of orders from authorities they are meant to receive from (read Central Home Ministry under whom Delhi Police functions). The Law Minister who tried to respond to his voter’s complaint is left with nothing but to argue with police officials and then, sadly go by his way! Where is the wrong then? Yes, he shouldn’t have taken law into his hands but had he walked off from the ‘crime’ scene doing nothing but witness it, then why call him a minister, law minister to be precise? Was his duty just to visit the scene, watch the foul play and return home? Was that why he wasted his precious winter sleep!

The way SomnathBharti behaved, particularly ‘manhandling’ women is questionable and I don’t buy that kind of behavior but to walk away doing nothing is a much greater crime, that nobody should attempt ever. Have we forgotten our own views when a woman was molested on a busy street ofAssam where a crowd of people just watched and videotaped the scene unfolding? Didn’t we then scold people for not taking action, for not stopping those beasts? And you know what stopping those beasts mean? It means beating them up, manhandling them! Should we wait, forpolice to arrive in such situations and let things unfold till then? I believe not. Yes, two situations are different and should not be compared together but then this was a situation where even police had its presence but refused to act. Imagine that – refused a law minister, the chosen one!

Not just this one case but there are others too where police have straight forwardly refused to listen CM’s cantonment all because it’s Central  Home Ministry and not state machinery that controls them. If this is how it was meant to be then why call Delhi a state? Why blame Kejriwal for failure of a system that refuses to obey his orders? Shouldn’t those police officials be held responsible, shouldn’t actions be taken against them? If yes, that’s what Arvind is trying get done. Let us forget our differences and voice our support. If not, let Delhi be not called a state, let blame game begin! Wondering who to blame for the rape and drug cases of Delhi? Whoa! It’s the same poor central government that is already on back foot and will do nothing but form another committee, a committee which can beeasily manipulated to speak what the man in power wishes to. If you see your future in such committees, then I bow to your intelligence, show me those feet, I shall worship them!

I don’t believe Kejriwal is doing anything wrong by going onto the streets again by being in power himself. Not trying to compare Gandhi with Kejriwal or Congress with British of pre-independence but Mahatma Gandhi too revolted against the system or government of then; the kind of movement he initiated too was something going against the pre-order. Mahatma wasn’t wrong then to his fellow Indians for he was fighting for their rights, to secure their freedom, to return the reins of his land to his men! After all the allegations, ArvindKejriwal has called himself an anarchist. Anarchist is someone who revolts against the present order, government in power, defying old rules, demanding new ones and that is exactly what Delhi CM is seeking from over the streets.  When democratic means, actually present means of seeking change, fail to deliver, one is left with nothing but the streets to get them done. Naxalites have also revolted against government but not through Gandhian means or not after trying their share of tussle with the present means. So to compare AAP’s dharna with their agitation is short of that basic knowledge regarding naxal movement.


Meanwhile unlike others who go on strike, he has not let Delhi suffer as he is signing official documents, doing his duty as Delhi CM from the venue; in other words he is running government from the streets as he promised! So to say, we voted him to rule and not paralyze government functioning is wrong. He is going that bit of extra mile to get things done amidst trying his luck to secure Delhi statehood, the promise each party made in their manifestos but forgot after holding reins of state till now. BJP and Congress, the old and largest parties of India, who promised separate statehood for Delhi, like AAP, too should join them if they really mean it in their manifestos. And if they believe there is some other way, more democratic one, the one by which Delhi’s problems can be solved, should come forward and enlighten us. I believe AAP will follow their novel-democratic-path, even if they don’t, we will. But do remember to be quick, for each new day you waste, somewhere some woman is losing herself, someone somewhere is falling prey to drug peddler. Rest is for you to make…


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