The Promised Hope of AAP

Aam Aadmi Party came into public domain in a big way late last year, we were all very hopeful and saw it as this big ray of hope beyond the dirty politics of BJP/Congress. I have a friend who is a social worker, fights for women's rights, child education and runs a small NGO on her own. She joined AAP and told me how it is such a different party, full of ideals and principles. She gave me the inside story about how democratic the party is run, how it is less about the money and more about creating a serious social change in society. I believed her more than the media which made Arvind Kejriwal a poster boy for change in Indian politics.It gave serious challenge to BJP / Congress even almost won them an election on their debut in Delhi. The sudden rise of AAP even gave its leader Arvind Kejriwal ideas that he could become the PM of India, even before he could properly even become the CM of Delhi. Media created AAP, and helped in its downfall from grace!

Post- Kejriwal's Rajdeep Sardesai interview, where he came across as arrogant and a man in hurry, we were a little surprised, but a couple of days back, when my activist friend called and told me how the party has changed, her  bubble had burst. She always gave me the inside story, this time she was in shock and depression at being duped and let down by 'the party'. Money was changing hands, women were being given a short shrift, and normally what happens in Indian politics was happening to AAP. We had seen how Somnath Bharti had treated women, and a party which does not respect women (irrespective of caste/ race/ religion) cannot be seen as 'party with a difference', sadly, this was also said about the BJP, but we all know how it turned out! 

 Lets hope that we will have more Aam Aadmis/ common folks, who will join politics, but will also be able to rise above it. Until then its  back to the old debate of Congress vs. BJP! Communal vs. Secular, Change vs. Old guard, etc. etc. But, just for the promise AAP offered, it became a party which gave middle class, academicians optimism about the future of Indian state and society! Maybe it will give a more serious challenge to the main two political parties in future, but right now, they seem to have lost some sheen.