AAP’s Dilemma: Movement or Party

Resignations

Recent spate of resignations by Shazia from party, Yogendra Yadav and Navin Jaihind from party posts, their allegations and counter allegations on each other and at others beyond party, flip flops on formation of Delhi govt and indecision on surety bond for Kejriwal, are results of dilemma they are facing:  trying to run a party like a movement.

Movement

A movement is towards a goal which wants others to change. It has volunteers, who dedicate their body, mind, soul and money for a cause. They love, hail and follow their leader. This recharges the enthusiasm of the leader and enthused leader advances further, thus reassuring the followers that they are on a right path, which further encourages and draws more volunteers to it.

 A River or pond

A movement is like a river flow keeping its water always fresh and rushing to meet the sea. There will always be nameless volunteers who will keep on going out and new ones coming in .While party is like a pond   where fragrance and velocity of fresh water is lost, but needs to be controlled, regularly cleaned and managed.

Transition

Conversion of a movement to a party is like building a home at the end of a road, and then starts the real game. Smart, selfish and Sycophants, run and enter the house through not only doors, but also through windows, and crossing the back walls. Leader takes the people at home as his own, and good people feel isolated and start leaving, like shazia left.

Best of both the worlds

 Now this home has been given the nameplate of AAM Adami Party, while leaders want the fruits of movement and avoid the responsibilities of a party. They still want their volunteers to remain volunteers and are afraid to convert them into workers. Volunteers work as if they are making a temple, and workers work like duty. Leaders owe nothing to volunteers but are answerable to workers. Volunteers never share power, while workers want a share in power. Leaders want to remain at Dias and want the volunteers/workers to keep on waiting for them, and wave and hail when the leader comes. Listen to the discourse of the leader, no debate, no dialogue. Keep blaming the others like media, for their own mistakes.

Is kejriwal ready?

Party takes away the hallo around the movement  leader and makes him stand in the line of other party leaders, till he works, wins and delivers. Party is a high responsibility with lot of work at ground level to manage the desires, aspiration and jealousies of workers. This needs more than slogans. Is Kejriwal ready?

 Any delay in party formation will be suicidal not only for AAP but for the hopes of Aam adami, which they have put on team Kejriwal or they should revert back to movement.

Learning for AAP leadership from Bose and Gandhi

Anna movement started as a second war of independence , Kejriwal formed AAP to convert it to a political revolution. But the way leading men and women associated with the movement are leaving the AAP , saying that Kejriwal is failing to respond to their communication . This is surprising as the means of communication have become million times faster than the times of Gandhi and Bose.

Given below are the  letters written by Bose to Gandhi on 31-3-1939 and the response given by Gandhi on 2-4-1939. Just see their promptness to respond, level of dialogue , their dedication to the cause, their respect for each other.  Hope  AAP leadership match this..

Bold and italics in the letters are mine ( letters are taken from “ Selected letters of Mahatma Gandhi”

          Lettter From Subhash Chander Bose to Mahtma Gandhi

March 31, 1939

My dear Mahatmaji,

Asking For Mahtma Gandhi’s Views

. . . I shall be grateful if you could let me know your reaction to Pant's resolution. You are in this advantageous position that you can take a dispassionate view of things - provided of course, you get to know the whole….. You can easily assess things at their proper value, regardless of the persons who visit you.

Bound  By the Organisation Constitution

You can easily imagine my own view of Pant's solution. But my personal feelings do not matter so much. In public life we have often to subordinate personal feelings to public considerations. As I have said in a previous letter, whatever one may think of Pant's resolution from the purely constitutional point of view, since it has been passed by the Congress, I feel bound by it. Now do you regard that resolution as one of no-confidence in me and do you feel that I should resign in consequence thereof? Your view in this matter will influence me considerably…

Giving Own Opinion On Puran Swaraj

. The international situation as well as our own position at home convinced me nearly 8 months ago that the time had come for us to force the issue of Purna Swaraj. . . .

…I am so confident and so optimistic on his point that I feel if we take courage in both hands and go ahead we shall have Swaraj inside of 18 months at the most.

I feel so strongly on this point that I am prepared to make any sacrifice in the connection. If you take up the struggle, I shall most gladly help you to the best of my ability. If you feel that the Congress will be able to fight better with another president I shall gladly step aside…. If self-effacement will further the national cause, I assure you most solemnly that I am prepared to efface myself completely. I think I love my country sufficiently to be able to do this.

Respect For Gandhi

My letter has become to long, so I must stop here. If I have said anything which appears to you to be erroneous, I hope you will pardon me. I know you always like people to speak frankly and openly. That is what has emboldened me in writing this frank and long letter.

With respectful Pranams,

Yours affectionately,

                                    

SUBHASH

    

     Reply By Mahatma Gandhi   to Subhash Chander Bose                                     

New Delhi,

2-4-1939

My dear Subhash,

I have yours of 31st march as also the previous one. You are quite frank and I like your letters for the clear enunciation of your views.

Honesty of views

The view you express seem to be so diametrically opposed to those of the others and my own that I do not see any possibility of bridging them…What is wrong is not the differences between us but loss of mutual respect and trust.

Taking all things into consideration, I am of opinion that you should at once form your own Cabinet fully representing your views. Formulate your programme definitely and put it before the forthcoming A. I. C. C. If the Committee accepts the programme all will be plain-sailing and you should be enabled to prosecute it unhampered by the minority. If on the other hand your programme is not accepted you should resign and let the committee choose it president. And you will be free to educate the country along your lines. I tender this advice irrespective of Pandit pant's resolution.

Movement ,not prestige

My prestige does not count. It has an independent value of its own. ..Individuals, however high they may be, are of no account except in so far as they represent the many millions…...

Difference of opinion

We seem to differ ad to the amount of corruptions in the Congress. My impression is that it is in the increase. I have been pleading for the past many months for a thorough scrutiny….

But as I have told you that I am an old man perhaps growing timid and over-cautious and you have youth before you and reckless optimism born of youth. I hope you are right. I am wrong. I have the firm belief that the Congress as it is today cannot deliver goods, cannot offer civil disobedience worth the name. Therefore if your prognosis is right, …Though we have discussed sharp differences of opinion between us, I am quite sure that our private relations will not suffer in the least. If they are from the heart, I believe they are, they will bear the strain of these differences.

                                                                                                          Love

                                                                                                         Bapu

Is Shazia Ilmi’s Resignation ‘Darkness at Noon’?

Shazia Ilmi's Resignation is as important as sending Kejriwal to jail, but perhaps in a different context.

Sending Kejriwal to jail tells us something is wrong with our ‘Justice System’.

  BUT Shazia Ilmis resignation tells us that something is seriously wrong within the so called Aam Adami Party. (As it is still not a party only a name Aam adami party. You may see my earlier post” Hope and Hurdles for AAP” and “Why Kejriwal watch”)

For the love of ‘sacrificing’

Kejriwal is definitely not the only one doing all the sacrificing. If Kejriwal gave sacrifices to save the nation then Shazia has indeed sacrificed to save AAP and Kejriwal.

To me, Shazia ilmi always looked like Sister Nivedita who came from Ireland along with swami Vivekanand to work for the upliftment of Indian women. She had to leave the organization after the death of swami Vivekananda. But she kept on working on her own for the upliftment of women. Sadly, Shazia has to leave in the presence of Kejriwal.

Bura mat suno.. For the lack of openness to accept feedback

From the response of senior leaders of AAP,   it seems that aap leadership is still not ready to look at their mistakes, and Kejriwal is also using his jail term to hide his blunders.

Any AAP worker or leader who takes Shazia’s resignation lightly will be refusing to look at the human dynamics of power which has engulfed the mediators like Kejriwal also.

Away from corruption but towards cronyism?

How can a party run ‘undemocratically’ at the top aim to govern the largest democracy in the world?

Can the ‘good’ ever govern?

Mahatma Gandhi was blamed that he did not try to change the inner dynamics of people in congress by training them in meditation. So after the death of Gandhi, power hunger of Congress workers came to the fore, which they were hiding till then, in the name of Desh Bhakti ,and rest is before our eyes. This raises a big question that even if ‘The Medidators’ like Kejriwal bow before the dynamics of Power, can good people ever come to power?

Whose fault is it anyway?

Kejriwal has been blamed for being ‘not reachable’ as he is ghearoed by a few men. Kejriwal’s failure to let the power hungry sycophants surround him and isolate him from aam adami is his own failure. Nobody can keep Kejriwal away from aam adami till kejriwal himself wants it. So if aap leadership is not listening, only kejriwal is to be blamed for this.

Still no one listening? ...Old habits die hard indeed or even smell of power makes one deaf.

And If AAP leadership keeps on behaving the they way they are soon we may have to say

“ Iss AAP mein Kuch Tute hue Diye Bacha Hain Inhi se Kam Chalao Ki bahut Udas Hai Raat”

And it may turn out to be road to darkness at noon for aam adami

No single letter of mine has been acknowledged even once by team AAP. One such letter written by me on 5^th march 2014 is given below.

Letter to Kejriwal

Dear Arvind,

Thanks for selecting big Names to Fight on behalf of Aam adami.

I would like to share small feedback:

1)  It would be a great and much appreciated gesture if an SMS from your side is sent to all those who applied for the AAP ticket, thanking them for showing faith in AAP and asking them to” now support the chosen candidate”

2)  As now AAP is giving more importance to Image than Person, some of the chosen candidates may be good images but bad human beings. In case they win they need to be trained to behave as aam adami and learn to relate with Aam adami, otherwise much damage will be done to the struggle of Kejriwal. ( Example: Image of Asa ram Bapu, Tarun tejpal , Subroto Roy and the characters they were in actual life). There is every  chance some of the candidates prove to be like these .

3)  Instead of saying that strong candidates will be fielded it is much better to say that honest candidates will prove to be stronger to fight against and stand upto the corrupt.

4)  As most of the candidates have been found by the search committees, they may feel that they have obliged the AAP, and can behave in an arrogant manner with the party workers.

5) Do take the local units in confidence before announcing the candidates name from their area to save them from big embarrassment thus demotivating them

6) Nothing is more precious than your Life today; if anything happens, aam adami will be left crying for future. Once Osho was asked why he had security he replied “to save some Nathu Ram Godse from being hanged and not for my safety” so think of the Godses and Aam Adami’s hopes.

7) The Manmohan Singhs have hurt the nation financially, but Kejariwal will not hurt the aam adami financially but Emotionaly, if at any time aam adami comes to know of any games being played at any time by Kejariwal or his chosen men. Emotional hurts can not be healed easily. People are in love with you.

Praying for your long life and every mother’s blessings to Son of India- Arvind

                                                        5th march 2014

Lovingly Aam  adami

Prof. K K Garg              ( appeared for Interview for Chandigarh Lok Sabha Seat)

PEC university of Technology Chandigarh 

Brave or Powerful by Prof. K K Garg

Hope and hurdles for AAP

  When Destiny of India was  being written by various congress led regimes with the water of gutter, Kejriwal had started making ink with filtered water to rewrite the destiny of India. He created a hope for the common man and enthused the nation with a new energy for a positive change. When he was expecting that he will be able to rewrite the destiny of India, Modi came with his ink made from Gangajal to write the destiny of India. Though pages to write were almost made available by the movement of  Kejriwal , destiny willed it otherwise, and gave the opportunity of writing to Modi.

Who is Responsible

   If Kejriwal lost this opportunity, partly  it his own making. Kejriwal also belongs to that quality of great men ,that India used to produce during freedom struggle. But great men make great mistakes, and he is no exception. Sudden   Delhi success made him in great hurry to serve the nation overnight. In the process, he started projecting the future as per his own wishes. Like both Congress and BJP will be decimated soon and he will be the automatic choice for the new type of politics In India. To think that an organization, standing on the foundations of a nationwide patriotic organization like RSS will crumble so soon, was only an error in his judgement.

Human all too human

  He created hope and trust, but made people lose their trust by his all too human actions, like given below.

No to Feedback

   Like any man who with sudden success starts taking every feedback as criticism thus closing all doors of learning and giving way to sycophants. . All good intentioned including  people like Mr. Gopinath and Mallika sarabhai ,were almost ridiculed for their feedback.

Volunteer and not party worker

   As a party AAP is still a movement and its workers are said to be” volunteers” by AAP leadership. It freed the AAP leadership of their responsibilities towards workers. Volunteer is one who works with his Tan Man Dhan and does not want anything in return. 

Ends gave way to Means

   In hurry to dictate the parliament , ends started taking precedence over means. They started justifying, lowering their declared standards ,in the procedure of selecting their candidates. They started saying that candidates might not have the mindset of the movement, but should have no case against him or her. Earlier opposing the destiny rule now started saying “only one ticket in one family”

Using words to mask their intentions

   Like one of the big names selected as a candidate said that she has applied for the ticket, while application was sought after deciding the ticket. This was like a person who went to catch the fish , could not catch a fish, on the  way back home he buys the fish from a market, but tells the shopkeeper to throw the fish towards him , so that he could catch it and the tell his wife that he has caught the fish.

 Lal bahadur shastri similie

   Comparing His resignation with lal Bahadur shatri’s resignation as railway minister was improper and using too much of it convinced him that he has scarified the power. Further even refusing to listen the voice of slap by an auto driver, that aam adami felt cheated.

From Orchestra to an organization

  From an orchestra like structure, where Master Kejriwal conducts the orchestra and rest are all volunteer cheerleaders , It needs to be converted to an organization. Their current performance will help them to find dedicated workers which would have been difficult to find for a successful young party.

From Shock to hope-

  People who loved Kejriwal are still under shock, and fearing that even it may become difficult to get an opportunity to serve even Delhi state  in near future.

But AAP has a great future, only if for some time they dare to turn the direction of the mirror in front of them.

A Great Moment of Relief and Joy for Aam Adami

 Once I asked my teacher,” how to  choose   between good and bad”, He said it is not difficult to choose between good and bad, but is difficult only when good oposses the good. Perhaps this election brought the good opposite to good.  It was one group of Pandavs opposing the other group of pandavas. To seek relief from a corrupt regime and spineless PM, simple aam adami got divided into two camps, of Kejriwal and Modi. In the process abused each other and made fun of each other, forgetting that they are both fighting for the same mission.  They forgot that both Kejriwal and Modi are Patriots and sons of Mother India. Both have a vision of a great India, May be differing in their paths   to achieve greatness.

But human nature is such that they are not satisfied with the change only; they also want that change should come through them.   This is a great moment of relief from corrupt regime and spineless PM. But Aam supporter of AAP is not able to enjoy this moment of relief and a road of hope for a great future.

 It is wrong to think that only people who have voted for Aap are patriots, Modi voters are equal patriots, may be the difference is only that kejriwal supporters are slightly Romantic while Modi supporters are slightly realistic.

We should remember that Modi provided a third alternative to people apart from Congress and BJP, and thus captured the space which Aap had created. If the choice would have been between BJP and Congress, perhaps Aap would have performed better. Still the vision of modi reflects the awakening created by Kejriwal and Anna Hazare movement.

This is time for Aam Adami to rise above the jokes   like Feku and Bhagoda, and time to work for a great India ahead.

Next Post- Hope and Hurdles for Aap

Who is hero ? Amitabh Bachhan or Jaspal Bhatti by Prof. K K Garg