Why Arvind Kejriwal is no less a winner than Modi

Why Arvind Kejriwal is no less a winner than Modi

Elections are over. Results are out. It is Narendra Modi all the way! Absolute majority for a single party and 300+ seats for a pre-poll alliance hasn’t happened in the last 30 years. And one man takes the honors – a very well deserved too! I have previously mentioned that Modi’s journey is something to celebrate, not criticize.

There are two very interesting observations about this election season – one, the key theme in most voter’s mind was corruption and the need for development, and two, the time of the ordinary Indian, the aam aadmi has come and the dynasts are welcome to pack their bag and leave.  

How did this transition happen? How did people in India leave aside their feudal mentality, their caste associations, last minute dole-outs and vote for the commoner, the “gareeb maa ka laal”? How is it that caste and religion equations were not priority and the corrupt ways of the dynasts failed miserably to draw people to them favorably?

Clearly, this transition has not happened overnight? While Modi was the messiah that people saw who could resolve their problems and root out corruption, Arvind Kejriwal’s contribution to educating the common man and making them aware of the reality, was no less.

Many a time, we are unable to articulate the problem and the solution seems so far away. Kejriwal was the man who gave a voice to the common man, who articulated the problem and forced the issue of rampant corruption and linked it to governance. He didn’t offer solutions. But by forcing the right issues, the platform was relatively easy for Modi to project himself as the ultimate problem solver.

People may demean Keriwal, but remember, he has always maintained he is not in politics to enjoy power. His goal is to change the politics of the country. His oft-repeated statements forced people to think about real issues and vote for someone who they feel can solve their problems.

“Don’t vote for us. If you feel the Congress or the BJP or the BSP can solve your problems, go ahead and vote for them”. And that is exactly what people did in these elections. The problem was nicely laid out for the common man. And the solution was there, in the form of Modi.

With a young electorate, it is expected to remain so. Future elections will be less about caste or dole-outs. But they will be about real issues. Kejriwal may himself remain out of the Parliament, but at least, he has succeeded in influencing the way people vote.

Thanks Mr. Kejriwal! The country needs more people like you who will continue helping ordinary voters frame the right question. Once the questions are known, the solution will emerge too.

PS: Read also my blog on AAP and AK’s (incorrect) approach here:    

Arvind Kejriwal's AAProach to Political Change Mgmt

Arvind Kejriwal's AAProach to Political Change Mgmt 

Off late there have been innumerable articles written on Arvind Kejriwal and his so-called “bhagoda” act. The fact that his government at New Delhi chose to resign in just 49 days has drawn thousands of hours of TV discussions, criticisms or support.

This has caused the other political parties and the aam aadmi in general to cast aspersions on his integrity, his honesty and the very purpose of AAP. Every word that he says is now analyzed and scrutinized for signs of irrationality and immaturity.

In my opinion, it will be wrong to suspect his intention. However, he is indeed a man in rush. So much so, that he has forgotten the basics of political change management. When you are attempting large scale transformation, you have to go slow, be careful with the speed of change. The speed of change should be inversely proportional to the size of the group impacted by the change. A country as vast and diverse as India cannot be transformed overnight, as Kejriwal thought. A change in our culture of dynasty worship, corruption and chalta hai attitude doesn't happen in a few months. These are changes that would take at least a generation.

A better AAProach for political change management would have been to focus on Delhi in the immediate short term. And incrementally focus on 2 to 3 states that are awaiting elections this year or next. Getting into the national fray could have waited till 2019.

With the right intentions, AAP could have proved itself in a span of 3-5 years. People could have seen the difference they create in each state, reduction in corruption and some very visible development. Such positive actions would have helped in 2019 national elections.

AK wants to be the agent of change and doesn’t aspire to be PM, but in this case, his agility is going to kill the momentum.  

After all Rome was not built in a day.

2014 Indian Parliamentary Elections: Idealistic vs. Practical vs. Unknown Challenger

Indian Parliamentary Elections, 2014: Idealistic vs. Practical vs. Unknown Challenger

The 2014 Lok Sabha elections is the battle between three distinct visions of India. There are tons of details available in the speeches and interviews of their leaders. But simply put, it is a war between the three leaders, who represent the “practical” vision, the “idealistic” vision and the “unknown challenger”.

Arvind Kejriwal of AAP represents the most ideal vision of India. His idea of a corruption free, prosperous country, an honest nation, where there are no bribes, no money laundering. Arvind Kejriwal is the idealist- zero tolerance to corruption, crony capitalism, pure and shudh 100% honesty in politics. He challenges anything and everything that is wrong or has a whiff of dishonesty in it. He wants to lead us to a perfect world bereft of the demons of dishonesty and corruption. He is the ideal Vishnu avatar born to banish evil from our society forever.

The guy with the most likely chance of making it to the chair, Narendra Modi, presents the practical approach, where he will inherit the throne with all its biases and imperfections and turn it around, slowly but steadily into a country that is progressive and thrives on opportunities for everyone to grow and let grow. 

And finally we have an unknown challenger in Rahul Gandhi. It is ironic that he is labelled the challenger, since he is supposedly born to rule. But fortune only favors the brave. Lack of skills can only propel you so much. He asks questions with no answers. Questions which we all know.

Kejriwal represents the ultimate future state; Modi presents the roadmap along with the low hanging fruits.

Where will your vote go?

Kejriwal2.0 and Modi2.0 - Two sides of the same coin

If you look around the Indian political landscape, you will realize that the top 2 problems confronting India are:

1.India has been following a policy of tokenism and selective appeasement (based on caste, religion, etc).

2. Corruption is another problem that has become a significantly serious challenge for the country.

 
Of course, this is not to say that these are the only 2 challenges the country faces, but these are fundamental issues which are holding the country back. You could link poverty, rapes, crimes, lawlessness, etc to one or both of these fundamental problems.

Clearly, in order to progress we need a resolution mechanism. And any resolution mechanism needs a leader to drive the changes. Driving such changes needs strong determination from the leader, tough decisions need to be taken which are in the larger interests of the people and not necessarily for a certain section of people. People must be able to identify the leader with solution to the problem.

India does not need to look too far. For we do have two leaders, who are so different personalities and with different backgrounds, but each one is identified with the two issues being discussed here.

Narendra Modi2.0 signifies inclusive development, which is devoid of any tokenism or selective appeasement. His brand of development represents growth for all sections of society, as his election plank has demonstrated. Gujarat 2012 elections did not boast of any religion or caste based promises, but Modi2.0 spoke just about development, future growth and was very aspirational, which appealed to all stratas of society. The rich see new investment potentials, the middle class see new job opportunities or support functions. The poor see newer avenues of income. The farmer sees promise in farming and his produce more returns. Common people see government machinery working for them. Modi2.0 is another promise for inclusive development, a paradigm different from traditional tokenism and appeasement, which has led us nowhere. Modi2.0 has come to symbolize inclusive development.

Now, let us talk about problem # 2. In today’s world, corruption is no longer equivalent to exchange of bribes. Corruption has become much more complex and beyond comprehension of common people. Which ordinary person could ever figure out the corrupt practices in involved in 2G or Coalgate. A corrupt government can alter policies to favor a business house (of course, in exchange for money) or not grant permits to another business house to reduce competition for a favored party. The one name that instantly comes to mind as someone who has become the antithesis of corruption and corrupt practices is Kejriwal2.0. Not only he (and his team) successfully exposed several scams, but also made them visible so a common person can make some sense of the corrupt practice involved. While people may not fully comprehend the corrupt practices involved, they at least understand that their is a quantum of money that the exchequer lost, which could have put for economic welfare. Indeed. Kejriwal2.0 has become synonymous with the honesty incarnate who can destroy the corrupt and bring the lost money back.

Reality is we need both problem solvers to take the country forward. We need collective leadership which not only honestly counters corruption, but also propagates inclusive development, not reservations or quotas or freebies which make no economic sense. 

Both Kejriwal2.0 and Modi2.0 are the two sides of the same coin.