For a next-door IT Professional who just hit 30 few months back, there are lots of things to occupy his mind viz a viz salary, competency development, promotion, team management, deliverables, that 'extra mile' during 9.15*5 and outside that...spouse, kids, care of ageing parents, EMIs, domestic budget, delayed vacations, ignored health and what not. But for me, a perennial thought seems to be overpowering, God knows since when, and that is "Will my country ever realise its true potential?" Whether one agrees or not, this ques impacts all Indians, and we all collectively determine the answer to it by our conscious or subconscious attitude and conduct.
Talking of attitude, first of all, those of us who are reading this piece should be very grateful to almighty, for we don't have to worry about our next meal or place to sleep, quite literally. There are others who are better off than these unfortunate souls, but only marginally. And together they form a majority of the 1.3 bn Indians present on this planet. If that is the situation after 66 yrs of self-rule, two bitter ques come to mind - 1. Why did we fight for Independence for almost a century and 2. For whose independence did we fight for? Dizzying scam figures, brutal rapes, state-sponsored genocides, untamed inflation, rude and corrupt police, toothless judiciary, crony capitalists, corrupt babus and unethical, even criminal, policymakers - is all one can sense in the environment that surrounds us.
But as they say, the night is darkest at the stroke of the dawn. And the dawn did appear when a group of social activists, under the umbrella of India Against Corruption, demanded the arrogant and apathetic government a strong anti-corruption law. The hopes were brightened by the sight of public support pouring out from all sections of society, unforeseen in independent India, underlining the pain and angst shared by all citizens. The law, popularly known as Janlokpal, was all about empowering the citizens to tackle corruption at all levels, and hence give them a shot at forming a country where they can live with self-esteem.
But the incumbent politicians were not to throw in the towel just because there were anti-corruption crusaders fasting till death and the masses were out on streets supporting their fight. They played their delaying politics to ensure that the movement loses its steam. And when nothing worked, challenged the social activists to prove that they indeed got nation's backing by getting elected and framing the law themselves. Looking at the situation in hand and convinced that Gandhian ways of protesting will not get them the required law, the architect of the movement,Arvind Kejriwal, adopted the constituional way to get things done i.e. to fight elections to draft this people friendly bill, even if that meant parting ways with the soul of the movement, Anna Hazare, who was against the idea of fighting elections as a political party right from the outset.
Its true that the intentions behind forming a political party needed public scrutiny, but if someone has followed the actions of the politicians-turned-activists over the last 15 months, one would agree that the outfit is walking the talk. Whether it is their candidate selection process or disclosing their financials or keeping out tainted candidates, Aam Aadmi Party or AAP in short, is setting unprecedented examples in Indian politics, something that appeals right to the heart of an honest Indian and strikes directly at the foundation of all smeared national and regional parties.
In december this year, AAP will make its electoral debut in Delhi. The impending Delhi Assembly elections will prove to be a pivotal point for Indian politics, as this is the acid test for the people of this country. A test where their determination to have a corruption free India will be tested. While a victory will show the way to the entire country, a defeat will make the perpetrators ever so bold in their acts of looting our country and putting it to shame at the global stage.
If ever there is a time when we need to let go of our individual selfishness, and stand together shoulder to shoulder as Indians, no matter which part of the planet we live in...it's now. We have given enough chances to incumbent parties and in return, lost our faith in good politics. Lets now back our good-intentioned brethrens, who have shown the courage to take upon themselves to do what all of us wanted from the bottom of our hearts - Make India a world-class country.
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