Kejriwal - the good thief

Once I was invited by my friend for lunch at his place. At the dining table; my friend and his wife had a small problem. Their 2 and half year old bundle of joy was adamant she wanted pasta for lunch while they had prepared rice. No matter how much they would plead and cajole; the kid would not relent.

Thanks to having 3 younger siblings; I have some experience in babysitting and handling obstinate toddlers. I started a conversation with my friend, pretending to totally ignore the child.

“Look, all this rice is for me. Do not give any rice to Nimmi. Give only pasta to Nimmi. Only I will eat this tasty rice.  This rice is only for me.”

“Mama, give me rice” Nimmi suddenly announced.

“No, you cannot have rice. You have to eat pasta only” I played tough.

“No! I will eat rice only!” the kid screamed in a determined voice.

It speaks volumes about Kejriwal’s acumen and shrewdness that he handled the veteran seasoned politicians of Congress and BJP with the same ease as I handled the kid.

I remember the 2010-11 period when Anna’s movement (mastermind by Kejriwal) had caught the imagination of the Indian public. Cornered by the mass movement; Congress and BJP were daring team Anna to join mainstream politics. As if to get them committed on their words; Kejriwal went on length to reiterate that they are apolitical and will never come to politics.

I remember Manish Tiwari, a spokesperson from congress singing “Tadbeer se bigdi hui takdeer bana le; apne pe bharosa ho to ek daun laga le”. “File your nomination from Chandni chowk” he challenged Kejriwal. Many others made similar comments.
“He is not fit for a municipal seat” others mocked.

All these words were music to the ears of Kejriwal. Congress and BJP got castled completely. Now Kejriwal announced his plans to join active politics. The immediate fall out was split in Team Anna. Kejriwal had already calculated the price he had to pay. The good news for him was that Congress and BJP had lost their chance to accuse Kejriwal’s political ambition behind his movements.

Circa Dec 2013 feels like déjà vu. AAP has astonished everyone with its performance in Delhi Elections but just falls short of clear majority to form the government.
Kejriwal beats the rhetoric. “I vow on my 2 kids; I will never form a government with support of Congress or BJP.”
Congress and BJP both bite the bait and start prodding Kejriwal to accept the mandate given by junta and form the government. Kejriwal ignores them. He chooses to be silent for next 10 days. Congress and BJP get buoyant on their conviction that they have caught Kejriwal on the wrong foot. What Kejriwal was doing was to wait and let Congress and BJP make all the persuasion to him to form the government.

Now he accepts to form the Government in Delhi. Congress and BJP appear fools in front of him. They have lost their opportunity to taunt that Kejriwal is power hungry.

Now, the breed of politicians in our country is thick skinned. I do not expect a Manish Tiwari or Kapil Sibbal or Vijay Goel or Dijvijay Singh to look apologetic and ashamed. However, they are alarmed and intimidated. For now, Kejriwal has beaten them on their own turf. What Kejriwal has achieved is no mean feat.

Am I elated by the win of the common man? Not still. My instincts tells me that Kejriwal’s win is not win of light over darkness and hence no cause for celebrating an early Diwali. Kejriwal has just won the battle of wits. How virtuous he is and how just his governance would be; is to be seen. In all fairness, we need to give him time of next 1 year to deliver and run the government.

Let’s recount some of the handles Kejriwal used to garner his popularity; some of the moves being highly populist and unfair in my personal opinion.

Ø  He gets some picture of Sheila Dixit sharing stage with singer Honey Singh and declares her responsible for all rapes happening in Delhi

Ø  A girl is brutally raped in a moving bus in Delhi and Kejriwal caught the opportunity to blame it on Sheila Dixit. Thousands of young men joined him in condemning Shiela’s government. None of the youth in the crowd is asked to retrospect and accept if they ever were involved in eve teasing; stalking or making unwelcome move towards the opposite sex.

Ø  He found some people not willing to pay for their electricity bills; he goes and reconnects their electricity lines.

Ø  Promise to regularize all the illegal colonies in Delhi.

Ø  Promises to provide free 800 litres water to all the houses.

Ø  Promises to slash Electricity bills by half.

Ø  Encourages people to take law in their own hands

What he is doing is not something done for the first time. I find many of his traits matching with Mamata Banerjee. She has been ruling Bengal by her populist policies; not necessarily by bringing better governance or making significant upliftment  in the lives of masses. When these movements get uncontrolled; they turn into point of no return like naxalite, maosit menace we have seen in India.

What is Kejriwal’s message here?

Does he approve of everyone who wants to encroach and put up illegal settlement in Delhi or is he saying that he has done it only one time to win the elections and after he comes in power; no one should settle illegally and respect law?

Similar questions pop up about electricity. Do the electricity companies have right to discontinue supply if the consumers stop paying for bills or not?

What will he do if Haryana or UP refuses to provide free water to Delhi?

Knowing the grit of Kejriwal, I know he is in for a long haul here. He has already thrown hints of his game plan. He has told that he would not shy from prosecuting Robert VAdra, Sheila Dixit of BJP politicians. He can use this effectively to blackmail the Congress and BJP to give in to his demands; no matter how unreasonable they may sound.

Key point is; Kejriwal has nothing to lose while the Congress and BJP have everything on stake. If his government is toppled; he will say that Congress and BJP were scared that he will prosecute their corrupt practices. So, I expect a lot of dirty linens being washed in public. Nonetheless, is very good for our democracy. Feel very happy with defeat of the veterans by the rookie.
Time will tell if Kejriwal was modern day Jayaprakash Narayan or just a V. P. Singh. Hypersmash.com