A Victory of Possibilities - The Indian Express - Page 99

11/02/2015
Avictoryofpossibilities|TheIndianExpress|Page99
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AAPsupporterscelebratethepartysvictoryintheDelhiAssemblypolls,in
DadaronTuesday.(Source:ExpressPhotobyGaneshShirsekar)
WrittenbyPratapBhanuMehta|Posted:February11,201512:07am
Indias great churning continues, and with what a

spectacular result. Amid all the nuances of psephology and
the complications of sociology, the Aam Aadmi Partys
spectacular victory represents a hopeful pattern in Indian
politics. Indian voters are looking for agents of change rather
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/avictoryofpossibilities/99/
1/17
11/02/2015
than stasis, hope instead of easy cynicism, aspiration instead

of fear, positivity instead of defeatism, and the future instead
of the past. Contrary to the mean arithmetic of social
scientists, politics is less about ideologies, programmes,
buyouts and freebies. Politics is always more psychological.
It requires the projection of qualities that are not simple to
project: sincerity, credibility, perhaps even a sense of
adventure. Which is why politics is always more contingent.
No alternative is perfect. But voters are willing to give a
chance to those who, at a given moment, best represent this
new disposition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis own victory was, in part,
due to his ability to occupy this narrative. One simple way of
looking at the story is this. In Delhi, the tables were turned.
The BJP looked old and less credible. Led by the prime
minister, it was more petulant than positive, aggressive than
constructive, reeking of cynicism rather than idealistic, full
of hubris rather than humility, and stale rather than new.
The AAP, on the other hand, wears the imprimatur of a new
revolution. It is a party that defies the conventional wisdom
that you need big money or a sectarian interest to be
successful in politics. It is a party that, in response to the
crisis of the Indian state, wants to deepen participation in
a new language of democratic experimentalism. In Arvind
Kejriwal, it has a leader who, even in disagreement, exudes a
sincerity that is impossible to match. He did what no
politician has done in India. When he made a mistake, he
simply said sorry. It allowed him to move on.
It has, at least in Delhi, a genuine organisation with youth
and idealism behind it, a cast of spokesmen who try to
exemplify public reason more than clownish antics.
2/17
11/02/2015
Daniel Bell once said that the

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challenge of the modern state is

that it is too big for the small
problems in life and too small for
the big problems in life. It has to
articulate an idiom that addresses
ordinary problems or ordinary
people: petty corruption, electricity,
water. The AAP hammered home these themes in a homely

way.
If the BJP has any sense, it will draw the right lessons. For
one thing, it should break the cynical awe in which Amit
Shah is held and empower other voices in the party. The line
between being clever and being too clever by half is very
thin. The BJP is now transgressing it witness its
shenanigans in Bihar. Second, voters are feeling betrayed by
the BJP. The prime minister is now trapped by his own
mystique. His vacillations in the face of reactionary elements
in his party and the sense that the talk is running ahead of
the walk are growing. The municipal elections in Rajasthan
were also a signal about this in minor key. Third, Modi now
has a Congress problem. Other than the ones who predate
Modi, the BJP is failing to nurture local leaders who have an
independent base and voice. Cooperative federalism cannot
be run with a centralised party. The BJP should be grateful
that it has got the jolt early enough to correct course. But
Modi has to realise that political capital dissipates fast.
But the AAPs victory is full of possibilities. For one thing, it
sharpens the battle against plutocracy, a major poison in
Indian democracy. Second, it gives the Opposition some
3/17
11/02/2015
momentum. A different government with street power a few

miles from Race Course Road is not to be underestimated,
though the AAP will have to exercise judgement in using this
power. Third, for a polity looking for a new kind of politics,
there is now something of a model that can be replicated, at
least in urban India and in states like Punjab, where the
search for alternatives is growing desperate. Fourth, while
the AAP has deep roots in the politics of the poor, it showed
how it could also reach out to the middle class, particularly
younger voters. It is also a pointer to the BJP that even a
slightest consolidation of the non-BJP vote bodes ill for it.
In terms of long-term structural changes, there are two
tantalising possibilities. The first is the creation of a new
institutional culture. This includes not just the performative
dimensions of the relationship between politics and the
people, but also far-reaching institutional changes: authority
and accountability could be relocated in ways that are more
functional. The entire architecture of urban governance
the relations between state governments and local bodies
and development authorities needs to be set on a new
footing. This will be Kejriwals first challenge.
The second challenge and opportunity is this: It was
fashionable to portray the AAP as unleashing another
populist class war, fiscally imprudent and insensitive to
growth. This was a gross exaggeration unleashed by those
who were engaging in class warfare anyway. But the central
challenge facing India is how to create cultures of
negotiation around important issues where we do not
oscillate between cronyism and populism. All the important
issues facing us pricing water and electricity, managing
land and environment, access to health and education
4/17
11/02/2015
have been stymied by this oscillation. Even now, the fog of

obfuscation and false choices in these areas is threatening
our future. Creating credible and inclusive negotiation on
these issues is the central task. In India, the rich have evaded
accountability by raising the spectre of class warfare, and the
poor have been cheated by populism. There has to be a
liberal critique of oligarchy at the top, and a social
democratic critique of populism at the bottom. We hope the
AAP is the harbinger of this change.
As a parenthetical aside, the ridiculous campaign by some
sections of the left intelligentsia that this election would be
rigged or that somehow elections are bought merely by
money or deluding rhetoric needs to be mentioned. It not
just shows their bankruptcy. It also shows that they have not
grasped the most important thing about India: democracy
now has the passion of a religion, the thrill of a mystery.
Anyone who doubts it, or shows contempt for it, through
hubris or condescension, will come to grief.
The writer is president, Centre for Policy Research, Delhi,

and contributing editor for The Indian Express
express@expressindia.com
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sundar
Let us face it. The BJP cant easily change its stripes
because their core wants more Hindutva / Swadeshi /
centralization while the business minded supporters
want more liberalization / FDI / deregulation. The
core believes that economic progress will magically
come through Hindutva becomes of some form of
say divine intervention (read nincompoops who dont
understand basic economics) because of doctrinal
"purity". The business minded folks believe in the
much reviled trickle down theory as the way to get
prosperity to the masses. Reagan and his worshipers
in the American GOP believe this more than the Bible
and it got them nowhere because inequality has only
increased dramatically while lower down, the wage
levels have stagnated leading to their next set of
presidential candidates all trying to put forward
policy positions to help raise wages (redistribution by
another name that they reviled when it came from
Obama but hey, this is politics, so there!) So both the
6/17
11/02/2015
Obama but hey, this is politics, so there!) So both the

BJP factions cant get us out of our morass. The Cong
/ Left / AAP style economic however does not
promise much ether as they believe in redistribution
without considering some basics like: - where will the
money come from to be redistributed? All the talk of
how clean governance will make more people pay up
taxes is grossly misplaced. It assumes that people
look at their leaders and their performance before
deciding on avoiding taxes. That is BS. People cheat
because they can get away with it and want the extra
money to keep up with the Joneses (or Jains if you
will). Cant see how that will magically change? Delhi
did not get filled with tax cheats and people who will
throw garbage over their walls or bribe cops because
of their govt but because that is what they are as
people. A govt howsoever efficient cant change that,.
That will only come when people finally realize that
the shit comes back one day. - we have enough
evidence now that while redistribution may throw a
few pennies the way of the poor it does not help
them stand on their own feet or help the get access
to opportunities even if they managed to build the
capabilities some way. - how does he plan to create
capacity in the poor top stand up on their own feet
and get access to opportunity if the focus is mainly
on doles? - there is enough evidence that even
redistribution is full of holes that it hardly results in
money going to the right people. That is part of the
reason honest tax payers like me who voted for the
UPA in 2009 got disgusted by 2014. No one has really
spoken about how said programs will be tightened.
The BJP just cuts them because redistribution is
anathema to them while socialists of all hues would
love to increase them come what may with no
thought for tomorrow. AK has not given any clear
vision or direction on his methods to avoid the above
traps and from the extreme rhetoric he has displayed
over this election cycle, cant see how he can now dial
back the same without shooting himself in the foot
(anyone remember Bush Sr's, famous "Read my lips,
no more taxes" pledge which contributed to his
downfall when he was forced to go back on the same
and lost reelection to Clinton despite winning
Operation Desert Storm?). PBM is right in saying that
AAP's spokespersons are a breath of fresh
reasonable air and the energy they have tapped into
cant be underestimated. However the
reasonableness and energy now need to slowly but
surely cleave towards answering the above questions
without fully letting down his core base. The BJP
could not do that. Question is whether AAP can, Also,
7/17
11/02/2015
could not do that. Question is whether AAP can, Also,

I suspect we as a people not quite have grown out of
our identity politics enough to sustain AAP given that
the next time there is a crisis / downturn, we may not
see even some of their cote voters staying so
reasonable. What if in policy making he has to
balance between say menial staff's salary needs and
say building hospitals and he decides on the latter?
Will the said menial staff then stay impervious to
claims from say a BSP who will claim they are being
left out because of their caste (given most menial
workers do belong to the so called "lower" castes?).
Will say the Jats who voted for him forgive him if he
has to take steps against them in the event of say
some honor killings? I somehow have my doubts
though I voted for him this time despite reservations
(mainly did so because I feel the BJP has grown
arrogant behind their well oiled election machinery). I
think he will go through some serious ups and downs
himself as we as a society come to terms with what
we really want from ourselves and hence from our
leaders. Till then PBM and others can get visceral
thrills that somehow Goliath got slung out by a
muffler covered David while some of us wonder what
comes after the dust settles....
about an hour ago
(0)
(0) reply(0)
(0)
(0) reply(0)
Anju
Yoyo yaya
about 3 hours ago
Tellitasitis
@Raghu. Mr Raghu. All those who have written here
are not armchair honchos and spewing venom
against BJP. It was people like us who elected BJP as
an alternative to the kleptocratic UPA listening to big
promises of Modi, and we never doubted his
earnestness to bring about the big change India
desperately needs after having wasted a decade at
the hands of inept rulers. Almost nine months have
passed and although Modi has initiated some
necessary changes in the system, there are many
who feel that the agenda of the government has
been hijacked by the 'fringe' elements of the wider
saffron party and Modi has been unusually silent on
the doings of this fringe: love jehad, ghar wapsi,
advocating four children for every Hindu couple,
mysterious vandalization of churches, raising Godse
to patriot position and wanting his statues in every
8/17
11/02/2015
to patriot position and wanting his statues in every

district. Even if the economy were prosperous and
growing, one cannot ignore or brush aside these
actions, and economy is stagnant. Modi's deafening
silence leads one to believe he is either tolerant of
these mischief makers or is complicit. AAP won the
elections strictly on the local issues they were able to
understand and accept, and BJP missed reading the
ominous signs of the deep connect AAP had formed
with the voters cutting across all class, caste and area
considerations. AAP will govern responsibly or this
party too will face the fate of Congress or the shock
Points
BJP got.
210
about 5 hours ago
(3)
(0) reply(0)
anandap
"This victory is scary...don't let it it go to the head" the
first reaction of Kejriwal after a landslide victory is
what Indian political class is forgotten. The way
Kejriwal"s humble look and simple discourse with
"Muffler and cough" attracted common people of all
spectrum in Delhi. However BJP and its sycophant
leaders are misusing Modi's image as an
unapproachable power with arrogance. They seems
to be creating and building up artificial hysteria of
Modi by forgetting his election promises. BJP forget
that the common people of India voted Modi for his
"chay pey"image as well as hope that he will address
common people's problems rather than sitting in
Ivory Tower with "great speeches". In this "whatsup"
age people are very keen what Government is doing
at ground level. Winning after, then cheating election
promises, and visiting after 5 years is not going to
happen any more because communication
Points
technology will update performance records.
105
about 5 hours ago
(2)
(0) reply(0)
ossl
This election goes to show that in India you can still
fool the people with un-realistic expectations.
Kejriwal has promised moon which includes free
water, subsidized electricity, etc & etc... now my
question is where the money for this is going to
come from? We will get the answer in coming days.
Whatever said & done Delhi is going to witness a
daily dose of entertainment with Kejri at helm.
about 6 hours ago
(2)
(4) reply(1)
9/17
11/02/2015
satish
Funny you should say that cause Modi was
elected exactly the same way.
about 5 hours ago
(4)
(0) reply(0)
SajadPadder
The PMs silence over issues like Ghar Wapsi and
Ramzada versus Haramzada speeches casted him
dearly. Religion apart, no argumentative Indian
would accept this insane terminology and its impact
on rich heritage of India. Delhi is the most sensate
place for communal harmony. The way Delhiites
voted vindicates the point. As the author rightly
points out that BJP look shabby and evokes feelings
of dj vu. Mere change of nomenclature and staffs
in some prominent institutions hardy enthuses.
about 7 hours ago
(5)
(2) reply(0)
indian
1. While Delhi is a small state-city with very little
weight in the Parliament, it is a fact BJP put all its
might in campaigning - all cabinet ministers, 100 MPs,
and the PM himself addressing the people. 2. BJP ran
a very rude, noisy and personalised campaign and it
fell flat. Delhiites found the AAP to be a better
alternative than the BJP's track record of arrogant
and gimmicky central govt. 3. Let us not read
anything more into these results.
about 7 hours ago
(5)
(1) reply(0)
Srikanth
"democracy now has the passion of a religion, the
thrill of a mystery. Anyone who doubts it, or shows
contempt for it, through hubris or condescension,
will come to grief." Such a great line. Wish our
politicians understood this sooner
about 7 hours ago
(9)
Points
445
(0) reply(0)
Raghu
Back with a vengeance , arm chair honchos of a
select club are back at it full blast , their visceral
venom for BJP and its leadership which despite odds ,
became the party of choice with a thumping majority
on its own in the Lokh Sabha was something
10/17
11/02/2015
on its own in the Lokh Sabha was something

unfathomable , unacceptable and indigestible for the
so called elitist cocktail intelligentsia , which was
waiting for an opportunity with all its pent up grudge
to vent its frustration at BJP , The only true nationalist
party . The Landslide Win of AAP seems to be a
destiny sent opportunity to assuage their bruised
egos and an opening to go lock stock and barrel at
BJP. Means seem to justify the ends and are
seemingly making a virtue out of it , hollow poll
promises which are nothing but sheer economic
harakiri are being bandied as panacea for the ills of
this country , immune to the stark reality that tall
tactical poll promise of doling out everything free is a
sure shot economic suicide for the country with
disastrous consequences......
about 8 hours ago
(3)
(6) reply(0)
Anand
A very thoughtful commentary on delhi election
verdict and the real possibilities that Indian politics
offers. I hope the conventional parties read the
verdict correctly and change there course. Whenever
Indian voter is provided with viable alternative they
have voted them to power. This is precisely the
reason we have several political parties that have
been products of political movements. Hope this
verdict does not turn AAP into other political parties
by getting arrogant.
about 8 hours ago
(4)
(1) reply(0)
Lukman
A huge victory should not make the analysis less than
rigorous and hopes, not based on any signs,
whatsoever and in fact contrary to all known facts in
the public domain, is not what one expects in an oped piece in a major newspaper.
about 8 hours ago
(0)
(0) reply(0)
BijayK
retd.degree college economics teacher-against corruption.Interests in
Social Justice(I believe- Honest Politics is Best Economic Policy)RTs are not
endorsements
Now, the first work AAP is to do is to pass it's 'Jan

Lokpal Bill' , in the first Assembly session, which was
pulled down by 'Cong BJP' last time due to which
11/17
11/02/2015
pulled down by 'Cong BJP' last time due to which

Arvind Kejariwal resigned.
about 8 hours ago
(1)
(0) reply(0)
BijayK
retd.degree college economics teacher-against corruption.Interests in
Social Justice(I believe- Honest Politics is Best Economic Policy)RTs are not
endorsements
The nation never had any BJP wave nor any Modi
wave. The wave was artificially created (and imposed
on voters from outside) during last General Elections-It was believed that BJP spent about 10,000 crores
using latest Technology through electronic media
which believed to have disuaded people during last
General Elections. But how long such 'Modi Wave'
(which was imposed on people from outside) will last
? Truth has to come to the surface and that
happened in Delhi. Last time an infant (and politically
inexperienced) party AAP could be able to get 28
seats in Delhi. But AAP was not willing to form govt
due to lack of number. Cong (with 8 seats) came
forward to give unconditional support to AAP , but
Cong finally betrayed AAP by joining hands with BJP
(immediate after FIR was filed against top industrial
Giants) which pulled down AAP. Delhi voters are not
fools--they gave their final judgement in which Cong
was totally rooted out and BJP almost rooted out.
Forward march of AAP has begun.
about 8 hours ago
(3)
(3) reply(0)
Ramji
We had this kind of euphoria in 1977 when Janata
party came to power only to see it squandered away
and all the ideological people turning to be turncoat
opportunists
about 8 hours ago
(4)
Points
445
(0) reply(0)
Raghu
Only way of empowering the masses of this country
is through economic emancipation and creating
12/17
11/02/2015
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11/02/2015

Indias great churning continues, and with what a

than stasis, hope instead of easy cynicism, aspiration instead

Daniel Bell once said that the

challenge of the modern state is

water. The AAP hammered home these themes in a homely

momentum. A different government with street power a few

have been stymied by this oscillation. Even now, the fog of

The writer is president, Centre for Policy Research, Delhi,

TAGS: AAP AAPWin BJP DelhiAssemblyPolls DelhiElections

AIB show: HC seeks replies from

BMC begins razing illegal stalls

state, police, I&B ministry

in plush Worli towers housing

Obama but hey, this is politics, so there!) So both the

could not do that. Question is whether AAP can, Also,

to patriot position and wanting his statues in every

on its own in the Lokh Sabha was something

Now, the first work AAP is to do is to pass it's 'Jan

pulled down by 'Cong BJP' last time due to which

FEB 11: LATEST NEWS

World Cup 2015

showdown: Nitish to meet Pranab

Ranveer Singh denies suffering from

Cricketer Praveen Kumars Uncle

Shot Dead In Shamli

Jitan Manjhi should be

Zimbabwe stun Sri

Gift the perfect gem

Salman Khan trends

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