On 17 March 2015 at 18:44, Goanet Reader <goanetrea...@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUO VADIS AAP: JUST WHAT THE HELL IS THE TOP LEADERSHIP SMOKING? > > Dr Oscar Rebello > campalhealthservi...@gmail.com > docosca...@rediffmail.com > > My dear Team AK / Team YY-PB: > > Permit me to introduce myself. I am an ordinary AAP > volunteer from the state of Goa. I haven't quit my > job as yet to dive headlong into the world of > politics, but many of my friends have. Cheerfully > (and often despondently), they are building the > organization in the state, brick by brick: step by > step and heartbreak by heartbreak. > > Presumptuously, I have taken it upon myself to speak for them. > > And the one overwhelming question that is driving a dagger > in our hearts, at the moment, is this: "Just what the hell is > the top AAP leadership in Delhi smoking?" > > Why has it induced this inexplicable crash after that dizzy > high of Delhi 2015? Why this messy split in the marriage, > when the family is still young and the kids are still > learning to take their baby steps? > > With due respect to Dr. Oscar, I would like to submit my views on what he has said; I do not doubt his sincerity or acumen. But definitely I cannot say the same thing about the persons he talks about. > To understand this, let us first get some indisputable facts > on the table. > > FACT 1: There can be no question that Arvind > Kejriwal (AK), despite his eccentricities, is our > lodestar. In Ashutosh's memorable words, our > undisputed gladiator and hope. Almost single > handedly, he navigated our creaking, wooden boat to > a resounding victory defeating the mighty flotillas > of the BJP/Congress. His sincerity, leadership and > passion is simply unrivalled. > All that was achieved by the meteoric rise of AAP was offering India to BJP on a platter. > FACT 2. Yogendra Yadav(YY) and Prashant Bhushan (PB) are > easily, two of the most enlightened minds in the country. > Unyielding in their conviction of ideology, they are men of a > million ideas. Many of these ideas may be outdated and > exasperating to the younger generation, but their integrity > and unbridled love for AAP can never be doubted. And > certainly they can never be painted as some evil, conniving > Darth Vaders slyly walking around with a nuclear arsenal, out > to torpedo our Starship Enterprise to Utopia. None of us buy > into this silly argument. They were only asking relevant, > pertinent questions. If we cannot answer them, the least we > owe them is an explanation. > AK, from the very beginning, when he joined the movement for Lokpal, he showed symptoms of a craving dictatorship - both personal power and acute lack of faith in democracy. I am happy that the movement fizzled out. Its success on the lines envisaged by AK would have been the death of democracy. > > FACT 3: Delhi 2015 was like the magical elixir of life for > all of us. It reinforced our belief that the idea of AAP was > not just alive, but kicking and kicking real hard. > Reverentially (but not sycophantically) we must acknowledge > that the credit for this resurrection of AAP goes to AK. > Without him, we'd be buried for a long time, and if Delhi > 2015 were not to happen, we'd probably enjoy the same > relevance as a vaudeville act in ISIS controlled Iraq and Syria. > Once again, what the AAPs second win in Delhi has achieved is reinforcing BJP's conviction that it is the only voice of sanity in the midst of fools and rogues. > > But then, is Delhi 2015, our only goal post? Or are we aiming > to shoot faster, higher and stronger, in the near future? > > Hence, if these are all undeniable facts, what then is the > genesis of this macabre display of the unbelievable absurd, > unfolding in Delhi, almost on a sickeningly daily basis? The > answer to my mind lies in the proverbial, titanic clash > between the 'Theory' and the 'Practicals' of our politics. > > The 'Theory' of our politics, that YY and PB are prepared to > defend to the death, consists of absolutely no compromise > with any candidate, with even a light shade of gray in their > character -- forget 50 shades. > > But in this ruthless world of politics, is any elbow space > for maneouver permitted, to ensure victory at the hustings? > Is self righteousness the only antidote to corruption? That > is the practical question. > > Because, 'practical' (electoral) politics is a different, > unkind kettle of fish altogether. > > Here, the art of negotiation and compromise is necessary. A > little bit of 'jugaad' here and there, so long as you don't > lose sight of the larger picture, which is transparent and > accountable politics -- the calling card of AAP. > > It would have been so much more prudent, if once in > power, Team AK and Team YY would have expended > their energies to set up and strengthen > institutions to oversee honest governance in Delhi > and they still have five years to do so. This > interminable slug fest is simply such a waste of time. > > Fundamentally, Team AK and Team YY/PB have not been able to > reconcile these two issues. They've been unable to blend the > 'Theory' and 'Practicals' of our politics into a workable model. > > Sadly, they have let their bruised egos and innate over- > sensitive natures ride over common sense and are needlessly > letting their hearts rule over their heads. Is there a way > out of this impasse? Someway, for this ghastly bloodletting > to stop? > > Yes, there is. > > There is however only one man who can do this. AK > himself, our gladiator and hope. Despite his pain > and anguish for being hauled over coals, > repeatedly, he must summon the courage to unleash > the most powerful weapon of a great leader -- the > weapon of forgiveness. > > He must be charitable in victory, get PB and YY back in > action on the PAC, must learn to listen without rancor and he > must turn the page to write a new chapter. > > On the other hand, PB/YY must also summon the courage to > comprehend that 'bade bade deshon mein, aisi choti choti > batein hotein hai.' They must reboot and plot the next > navigational course of the ship. Both teams have to > negotiate as friends and not as adversaries. > > For AAP's sake, for the country's sake, for our sake and most > importantly for the sake of your own legacies, please, please > bury the hatchet guys or you'll end up axing the very roots > of a great, great idea you yourselves initiated. > > How long are we going to be taken for a ride ? This country is not a pack of fools. But the consequences of the whiplash may not be very palatable. let us wake up and open our eyes, and see things as they are, not as we would have liked to dream them to be. Lots of love, > A distraught and foolishly hopeful volunteer > > Oscar Rebello >
