Consider an imaginary situation: Arvind Kejriwal, very much resembling the ‘nutty’ scientist from a hit sci-fi comedy film (you will soon know which one) who develops havoc-causing electronic machines, returns home with a morose look on his face. The wifey looks up with concern, the question remaining unvoiced.
“Honey,” Kejriwal whispers in reply, “I shrunk the party.”
A moment’s pause and she realises what he means. After all, she too watches television even if she's not on it.
“But dear,” she begins, “you never had a party. It was a movement. So go back and revive it...”
“It's too late,” he says. “The party has become my albatross.”
Both turn quiet…
India Against Corruption was formed to fight corruption and campaign for probity in public life. Like the Congress, it was an umbrella organisation. Everyone from left-of-centre activists to centrists and right-wingers were part of the bandwagon. Much against the wishes of the 21st century's avatar of Jaya Prakash Narayan, Anna Hazare, several important functionaries decided to harvest the movement politically. The IAC metamorphosed into Aam Aadmi Party. It got the symbolism to the T. The name and the symbol projected the idea of alternates.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the All Assam Students’ Union launched a hugely successful movement against ‘foreign’ settlers. The agitation resulted in widespread social conflict, brutal killings and paralysed state machinery. At the end of the violent chapter, the leaders forced the State on its knees and an accord, one of the many that Rajiv Gandhi signed after becoming prime minister, was agreed upon.
There have also been instances, especially in Latin America, of indigenous peoples' movements evolving into viable political parties in the 1990s in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Similar movements in Argentina and Peru, however, failed.
He became chief minister knowing the limited powers of the state government. Attempts to hide failure to perform and deliver on his promises by spinning a yarn of conspiracy against his government, has not been bought by the people. AAP and Kejriwal will have to win back support of Delhiites before looking at other horizons. But before that he has to fortify his party against further desertions.
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