Refusing to support Kejriwal dharna in Delhi against "undemocratic" ways of Modi govt, Congress stands isolated

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*

I have never liked the rhetorical politics of Arvind Kejriwal. In fact, the seed that they sowed in 2011 resulted in the fascist takeover of this country. Kejriwal wanted the country to become a gram panchayat at the Ramleela maidan, and decisions were taken on the voice vote. All the power elite of the upper caste suddenly turned revolutionary.
The patrakars, babus, professional activists, academics, lawyers, suddenly found that there is a 'space' for them to grab in the political parties. Anna Hazare wanted to be a 'Gandhi' while Kejriwal carefully was moving to fulfill his nurtured ambition. Though for a shorter period, media was even looking for him as Prime Minister of India, a new 'revolutionary' leader but we all know the damage was done.
Modi is not Manmohan Singh and that is the thing. It is RSS that planted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), but it went out of their hand because they had tested the popularity. There is not a big difference between the AAP cadre and that of the BJP-RSS. AAP became a party on a platform that was called India Against Corruption funded by the corrupt elite of this country, whose sympathy were first towards the Sangh Parivar.
AAP was mandated to run the Delhi government, and it was huge, perhaps one of the biggest one. But it is also a fact that the Modi government did not want it to function independently. It was humiliated, and files were not being cleared. The Delhi chief minister along with his other ministers was sitting on dharna at the Lt Governor's house but he refuse to meet them.
While we may disagree the politics of AAP, we have to acknowledge several factors. AAP has put tremendous pressure on political leaders to make their polity pro-people but it has also helped to create a golden halo around Narenda Modi, who is not bothered about people. He preaches, pontificates and refuses to speak to common people, but that is how Hindutvavadis would like him to be. They will criticise everyone else but Modi is their demigod.
For Modi, it is easier to fight against Congress, accuse Rahul Gandhi for 60 years’ misrule and dynasty, but Modi can’t really face Arvind Kejriwal, who is perhaps more vociferous and can trash Modi on any given day. Those who want a Modi-Rahul debate live on TV should ask for Modi-Kejriwal debate or Modi-Lalu, Modi Mamta, Modi-Tejasvi or Modi-Akhilesh Yadav debate.
Rahul Gandhi came to politics from a elite back ground, and it has a plus point and a negative point, as he might not be too familiar with “sadak kee politics”, in which these are experts. Another plus point is that Modi can’t accuse Kejriwal of dynasty or even of being a bad administrator.
I think two modules of Delhi government need to be appreciated in the past few years. They are, the attempt to improve the schooling and make it accessible to students from poor background, and the Mohalla clinic. Both are definitely appreciable.

Vidya Bhushan Rawat

The Aam Aadmi Party has a solid network of dedicated activists and that is why it is still able to hold Delhi at any point of time. Congress unfortunately neither has these kind of activists who can stall Delhi for a day. The silence on the part of the Congress on the whole issue of the governance of Delhi is damaging. Rahul Gandhi should have issued a statement related to the issue of democratic right of a government to function. He may not agree and should not agree with AAP but he should clearly stand for democracy.
Congress cannot be selective in its approach. We all agree that Arvind Kejriwal has not done many things to be liked by all, and the biggest damage of the current regime is that it is highly undemocratic, yet in politics one must learn from mistakes, even as speaking on issue and not on individuals. If Congress had supported the Kejriwal dharna against the undemocratic way of handling by the central government, it would have helped them gain some respect. They have isolated themselves.
It is true that the Modi government has demolished all the institutions. It is strange to see how Congress treats Kejriwal's equations with the IAS lobby. I can’t believe that a chief minister will beat up the chief secretary. This is utterly farcical. The Modi government has muzzled the bureaucracy, and make it surrender, changing its ideological positions; but we have not heard a single press conference or a statement against unwanted and undue interferences by the government.
We had all wanted that bureaucracy and other related services like IFS and IPS must remain under political control but without interfering in their working pattern or trying to instill communal ideology. That makes India in sharp contrast with America where even the intelligence agencies are independent and are investigating the Russian link of President Trump.
Congress should not have ignored the plight of its chief minister V Narayanswamy in Pondicherry who is being humiliated by the Lt governor Kiran Bedi who could not win a single election, yet has the grudge for not being able to become chief minister of Delhi. Kiran Bedi has not allowed an elected government to function independently. It is surprising that Congress remains quiet on the Puducherry issue, which is almost same as that of Delhi as both the state are Union territories.
The crisis in Delhi is bigger in nature. It about the issue federal structure of our country. Will an elected government be allowed to work independently or not? Should a chief minister function as the stooge of the Central government or work independently? Long ago many political parties wanted the post of governors should be abrogated as it is a useless position wasting millions of rupees in their 'shan-shaukat'. Just abolish them and ask them to live in smaller houses.
Our democracy cannot be an instrument to strengthen the feudal system yet, this is happening by 'reviving' the fortunes of 'dedicated' cadres who can't be taken as ministers but can be placed to disturb the elected governments from working independently.
The Centre must initiate the process of negotiations and allow the government to function. Arvind Kejriwal is good with his cadres. His popularity was shrinking but this incident has provided him an opportunity to revive his clout or jadu, as his bhakts say. Modi has not brought any positive values to him with this episode.
In fact, Delhi's protest in 2012 and 2013 became the reason for the downfall of the Manmohan Singh government. We blamed Arvind Kejriwal for bringing Modi. Will he be paying his debt now by becoming instrumental in downfall of the Modi government in 2019? It looks possible, given the nature of political parties reacting to his dharna. Congress should show magnanimity as well as statesmanship – that the issue here in Delhi is not personal but autonomy of the institution.

Do they support the autonomy of the institution of the Chief Minister or not? Arvind Kejriwal may have misbehaved with the Chief Secretary or vice versa, and an investigation can be done for that, but people of Delhi cannot be allowed to suffer due to this.
Let Congress rise above the narrow partisan interests and strengthen the forces opposing BJP and its vicious communal agenda to defeat them in 2019. Delhi will rise up again and ignite the people's movement against onslaught on our autonomous institutions, including the federal structure of the country. Some time, a small defeat help you win the bigger cause. Congress must learn that as it has bigger responsibility to unite all the opposition parties and defeat the BJP. Will it be able to rise up from its narrow partisan interest?
---
*Human rights defender. Source: Author's Facebook timeline

Comments

1857 War of Independence... when Hindu-Muslim separatism, hatred wasn't an issue

"The Sepoy Revolt at Meerut", Illustrated London News, 1857 By Shamsul Islam* Large sections of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs unitedly challenged the greatest imperialist power, Britain, during India’s First War of Independence which began on May 10, 1857; the day being Sunday. This extraordinary unity, naturally, unnerved the firangees and made them realize that if their rule was to continue in India, it could happen only when Hindus and Muslims, the largest two religious communities were divided on communal lines.

The curious case of multiple entries of a female voter of Maharashtra: What ECI's online voter records reveal

By Venkatesh Nayak* Cyberspace is agog with data, names and documents which question the reliability of the electoral rolls prepared by the electoral bureaucracy in Maharashtra prior to the General Elections conducted in 2024. One such example of deep dive probing has brought to the surface, the name of one female voter in the 132-Nalasopara (Gen) Vidhan Sabha Constituency in Maharashtra. Nalasopara is part of the Palghar (ST) Lok Sabha constituency. This media report claims that this individual's name figures multiple times in the voter list of the same constituency.

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Spirit of leadership vs bondage: Of empowered chairman of 100-acre social forestry coop

By Gagan Sethi* This is about Khoda Sava, a young Dalit belonging to the Vankar sub-caste, who worked as a bonded labourer in a village near Vadgam in Banskantha district of North Gujarat. The year was 1982. Khoda had taken a loan of Rs 7,000 from the village sarpanch, a powerful landlord doing money-lending as his side business. Khoda, who had taken the loan for marriage, was landless. Normally, villagers would mortgage their land if they took loan from the sarpanch. But Khoda had no land. He had no option but to enter into a bondage agreement with the sarpanch in order to repay the loan. Working in bondage on the sarpanch’s field meant that he would be paid Rs 1,200 per annum, from which his loan amount with interest would be deducted. He was also obliged not to leave the sarpanch’s field and work as daily wager somewhere else. At the same time, Khoda was offered meal once a day, and his wife job as agricultural worker on a “priority basis”. That year, I was working as secretary...

Ground reality: Israel would a remain Jewish state, attempt to overthrow it will be futile

By NS Venkataraman* Now that truce has been arrived at between Israel and Hamas for a period of four days and with release of a few hostages from both sides, there is hope that truce would be further extended and the intensity of war would become significantly less. This likely “truce period” gives an opportunity for the sworn supporters and bitter opponents of Hamas as well as Israel and the observers around the world to introspect on the happenings and whether this war could have been avoided. There is prolonged debate for the last several decades as to whom the present region that has been provided to Jews after the World War II belong. View of some people is that Jews have been occupants earlier and therefore, the region should belong to Jews only. However, Christians and those belonging to Islam have also lived in this regions for long period. While Christians make no claim, the dispute is between Jews and those who claim themselves to be Palestinians. In any case...

Two more "aadhaar-linked" Jharkhand deaths: 17 die of starvation since Sept 2017

Kaleshwar's sons Santosh and Mantosh Counterview Desk A fact-finding team of the Right to Feed Campaign, pointing towards the death of two more persons due to starvation in Jharkhand, has said that this has happened because of the absence of aadhaar, leading to “persistent lack of food at home and unavailability of any means of earning.” It has disputed the state government claims that these deaths are due to reasons other than starvation, adding, the authorities have “done nothing” to reduce the alarming state of food insecurity in the state.

Govt of India "tarnishing" NGO reputation, dossier leaked selectively: Amnesty

Counterview Desk Amnesty International India has said that a deliberate attempt is being made to tarnish its reputation by leaking a dossier, supposedly made by investigating agencies, to media without giving it access to any such information. The high profile NGO’s claim follows a Times Now report about proceedings launched by investigative agencies, including Enforcement Directorate (ED) against the rights body for “violations” of rules pertaining to overseas donations.

Proposed Modi yatra from Jharkhand an 'insult' of Adivasi hero Birsa Munda: JMM

Counterview Desk The civil rights network, Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JMM), which claims to have 30 grassroots groups under its wings, has decided to launch Save Democracy campaign to oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra to be launched on November 15 from the village of legendary 19th century tribal independence leader Birsa Munda from Ulihatu (Khunti district).

How AMU student politics prioritises Islamist ideologies rather than addressing campus-specific concerns

By Yanis Iqbal* In his recent piece titled "Unmasking the Power Struggles of Soqme Teachers Behind the AMU Students’ Agitation," Mohammad Sajjad, professor of modern and contemporary Indian history at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), has has approached the recent protests against fee increases at AMU with a skeptical eye. He portrays them not as a pure, student-led reaction to financial burdens, but as possibly intertwined with deeper institutional rivalries. While recognizing that the university administration faces ongoing demands from the government and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to boost self-generated revenue via fee adjustments, he highlights a key shortfall: neither the administration nor the protesters have shared clear, comparative data on fee structures or their rationale.

Search This Blog