AAP should not make Aam Aadmi Paraya

Arwind Kejriwal has swept the New Delhi election by winning 67 seats out of 70 seats. He won the support of Imam Bukhari who appealed to Muslim community to vote for AAP. Congress lost its traditional vote bank which had shifted allegiance. AAP won over the unorganized sector people who constitute 60% of Delhi population with promise of good governance which will safeguard them from police harassment and municipality anti encroachment drives.

AAP promised it would regularize unauthorized colonies in Delhi and give free water and electricity at half cost. Kejriwal has said in a TV interview that government has enough money to meet the cost. He knows very well that the enough money the government has is collected from Aam Aadmi only. If he wastes the Aam Aadmi money on doles he has to collect the same amount from people as taxes. Ultimately the freebies will turn into hardship. People will cough out more taxes by paying more for travelling, for buying ration, for buying house building material, for paying school fees and for meeting health expenses. Instead of wasting money on doles AAP should ensure good governance in Delhi. The common man in Delhi wants to earn with self-respect. They are not bechara as told by Kejriwal. They don’t want freebies which are given from their own money only.

If you give doles to people with their money only and increase the price of food, cement, cost of health facility, school fees and cost of basic amenities it will not help people create real assets. Let people work hard and earn their living with self-respect and create permanent assets. It is only good governance which can let the Aam Aadmi live with pride. Aam Aadmi has never been helpless. It is the poor governance which makes them feel insecure.

Instead of wasting Aam Aadmi money on doles, Kejriwal should crack down the adulteration racket in Delhi and human trafficking. He should dismantle the pharma company, insurance and doctor nexus which leech the Aam Aadmi. Many Aam Aadmi have lost their organs while going for minor operation. Delhi should be saved from organ thieves. Kejriwal has to crack the hegemony of the private school owners who charge donation from Aam Aadmi for admission in schools. Can Kejriwal and his people ensure good education through state run schools within six months? The nagging problem is the increasing crime rate in Delhi. Criminals in the shape of Aam Aadmi sometimes strike from unauthorized colonies. Can AAP reduce crimes in Delhi in a period of one year? The air in Delhi will not be breathable after two years. Can AAP work hard to save the Aam Aadmi lungs by introducing cycle tracks across Delhi and running battery operated busses? Delhites have excused Kejriwal. Whether Kejriwal will present a clean pollution free Delhi to his Aam Aadmi in return.

Kejriwal will face main hurdles within his own party only. AAP founder member Shanti Bhusan had reportedly said AAP chief had given a large number of tickets to people who had amassed a lot of wealth by questionable means and were prepared to buy votes by distributing money and liquor.

Kejriwal had also accepted tainted money and abandoned all principles of inner party democracy, Bhushan reportedly said. Another AAP founder member Prashant Bhusan wants to raise the issue of tainted members within the party. The Bhusan duo have already expressed that AAP is deviating from its original ideology. In AAP manifesto for Delhi it was mentioned “FDI in retail will lead to the loss of millions of jobs in the small business sector. AAP is opposed to FDI in retail in Delhi.” Just after election AAP has taken an ideological U turn. AAP senior leader reportedly said we need to keep our doors open and then see how our own entrepreneur flourishes amidst competition. The AAP leader has also reportedly said that earlier a ‘Left’ ideology used to direct the thinking of the AAP. Now, the situation has changed with more and more youth leaders replacing the old brigade and this will have some impact on policy. AAP wants to make Delhi an industrial hub and a trading center. The capital city Delhi should not be converted into an industrial hub which will make it unlivable. Delhi should be converted into multiple hubs for culture, industry, services, tourism, pilgrim tourism and intellectual activities. AAP has won mainly due to BJP’s confusion and their aggressive effort to politicize poverty. It is not doles and loud slogans but entrepreneurship amid good governance which can improve the living condition of people.

By Sudhansu R Das