Is AAP Worth My Vote

An enlightened mind once said: “Every nation gets the government it deserves.” In a democracy, electing a government by casting votes is a fundamental right of every citizen of the nation.

Today, when the average Indian is young and is greatly inclined to strive for his betterment, the 16th Lok Sabha election becomes more important to the previously held elections. The Indian economy has been limping for some time now. It has not just drifted from its path of rectitude rather it has swayed from its posture of uprightness. Instead of climbing the precipice it is stretching an oblique.

I routinely hear people lament the fact that Arvind Kejriwal ran away from the responsibility of Chief Ministership. But wait, hit that pause button on your forehead and think what made him resign. Was it actually the responsibility of governing the capital or the bigger responsibility of getting the clear mandate of people to take the reign?

The Path that AAP Walked Upon

AAP formed a minority government taking outside support from Congress, and that too after consulting with the public. It didn’t shy away from the responsibility but this did not go down well with the opponents. First, he slashed the electricity rates to half the amount; it doesn’t matter if he subsidized it to fulfill this promise. The opposition was accusing AAP of putting the burden of 40 crores on the exchequer but this decision has got something to brag about. There are many other government schemes and subsidies but they hardly benefit the ultimate consumer rather they benefit the intermediaries who are ennobled to carry out these schemes to the consumers. This “burden” of 40crore for the last fiscal year is also better than those hundreds and thousands of crores being spent on building statues and parks in the memories of those martyrs, whose pictures are being included rather than their ideologies in the manifestos and banners of our political parties. Not just that, AAP managed to order CAG audit of power companies which previous government was not willing to do.

They delivered their promise of supplying free water. Yes, it was 20k liters but isn’t that enough for a household which is disciplined enough to conserve water? It is also being said, this is not benefitting those who need it most and it would benefit those who barely seek this act of compassion. But isn’t water the elixir of life which one should get for free, a natural resource bestowed upon us by nature? It may not have benefited those who did not have water connections but didn’t this game get over in 49 days? Probably, they might have bumped a way to iron out this glitch if they would have been in power any longer.

There is a proverb: Where there is a will there is a way, and the essence of which could be smelled in AAP’s brief tenure. They established night shelters for the poor using the abandoned buses of the city. Not able to digest this, some self-proclaimed spokesperson of BJP asked for the need of establishing such night shelters just because they didn’t hear of any death due to cold in recent past. To my surprise, were they waiting to hear of any death to give way for establishment of these night shelters?

Starting from Aam Aadmi Party’s campaign, it was altogether a different story. Its fund raising exercise drifted from the conventional ways and means, involving transparency and accountability, highlighting the names of each and every donor on its website, irrespective of the amount being donated. This is the major reason why they actually fell short of funds, unlike its rivals. If they would have recklessly spent several hundreds of crores to create an AAP wave in Delhi assembly elections, they might have made half a century. But unfortunately, how would they have done it when their crystalline piggy bank had not even 50 crores, unlike that of the BJP who has now chalked out its plans to spend 5000 crores for filling the saffron colour into the minds of the public. No influential political commentator or survey had ever or has now mentioned that AAP would land up with sublime numbers.

To Whom it Matters Most

A commoner is concerned more about the basic amenities like clean water, electricity, roads, safety of people, education and health care services at par to the quality which is being provided in private sector. To be precise, development of masses not just development of handful of people.

This election would be just like any other election for those who are at the threshold of 35-40 years age group but the people to whom it matters most are the ones who are in the age group of 20-25 years, or say the ones who are keeping their everything at stake to fulfill the aspirations enlightened either by their parents or by anyone whom they aspire to be. These are the heydays of their life, where decisions made today affects rest of their life pertinently.

I feel pity at the myopic vision of people obtruded by cosmetic Modi wave, who often brag of Mr. Modi’s vision of developed India when he himself has never explained his vision of development critically. However, he had managed to furbish some of the cases where he had facilitated the prosperity of Ambani and Adani strictly. People say Mr. Modi will bring progress, yes he will but to a handful of people and not to you and I.

It is said that if you don’t vote with the majority then you waste your vote but what is it called when you pass your inadvertent assent to a well deserved dissent. Shouldn’t it be called one’s approval of the evil? Just don’t get influenced by the people of your locality or your peers. I often hear people renouncing in several constituencies that in order to defeat “want to be” Number 1 polity, vote for Number 2 because other thespians would only bifurcate the vote. Change this trend otherwise it is going to spell doomsday. Fighting in the right direction is equally important as fighting itself, just by voting number 2 we are passing our assent by choosing between the lesser of two evils. If this strata prevails then how would our ferment be marked?

Don’t say one vote doesn’t make any difference, it does and in the same way as one mark helps us to be at the periphery of passing marks or just like one run saves a cricket match from a tie. Mark your dissent by casting your vote against the evil. It doesn’t matter if you are a thin bunch, you are making your dissent heard. Where will it lead to? To a fractured mandate? Perhaps, perhaps not. If yes, it will further stir re-elections but If not, then some coalition government will take the reign.

Re-elections would be a costly venture but wouldn’t it be inexpensive when compared to the loss which rotten chunk would cause by extending benefits to the high-and-mighty? What big is the cost of re-election which would facilitate the entry of more humanitarian creatures into the parliament, who would further help scavenge the scamp?

Follow Your Instinct

The Aam Aadmi Party is like a dawn, just combating to sprinkle through the dark clouds. Their abbreviated performance has underlined their empyreal intentions. They may not have experience but they have a will to serve. Remembering the instance of Khirki village in Delhi, the indecorous trade of drugs and foreign sex workers was burgeoning under the graces of the authorities. What wrong does Mr. Bharti do by unseating the evil from its throne. Just because he acted with an iron fist would mean that he committed any wrong? If you will prowl through the smutty lanes of the locality you will witness the natives buoyed by the plausive move of the minister. Here what is being put into spotlight are the intentions and not the actions of this novice polity. Aam Aadmi party is a beacon of hope.

Don’t get robbed of your conscience by the rivals who often brag about the castles which are gently being etched in your mind as “Gujrat Model of Governance”. Remember, in this age, when we are extensively circumvented with technology and media, the truth could easily change its course.

[Mohammad Urooj (2015) is a graduate student in the Department of Commerce and Business Studies. He can be reached via email at: mr.mohammadurooj[@]gmail.com. He also blogs at: www.mohammadurooj.wordpress.com]