This happened while I was returning today from work. I had taken an auto rickshaw home and when it halted at a signal, the auto guy pulled out and put on his Gandhi topi with slogans of the Aam Aadmi Party printed in bold black font on it.
I casually asked him if he was a follower of the party. And here is what he had to say:
"Yes ma'am, very much so! Kejriwal is a nice guy and his party is very honest. I feel everybody must support him. Yes, he has committed some mistakes. But then, who hasn't? They are new and also learning. They have only good intentions in their mind and that is what sets them apart. Sometimes you need to forgive and give a second chance to the right people. In fact, you must try and meet the members of the party to understand how committed they are to the cause. I got the urge to join just by looking at their will to do good to the country. You should join too ma'am, if you wish to support the honest ones in their honest cause."
And then it was time for me to get down, so he stopped at that. I paid him the fare and wished him luck before getting down.
But what left an impression on me was how happy and proud he felt by being a part of the party. I may not be sure about the potential of AAP in making the country better. I may not be sure of AAP winning in the first place. But my heart sends out a silent prayer for them each time I see AAP's success - not in terms of the change they brought about in the policies of the country, but in terms of the change they have brought about in the people of India - by making them more conscious than ever of their role in Indian governance, by bringing out the goodness of the people and their will to do good for the country, by inspiring them to come forth and do their bit, and by creating a wave of this consciousness among each one of us. For this, I salute the party and wish it all the very very best for all its endeavors!
I agree with your views. AAP has succeeded in bringing the discourse on corruption, clean candidates and clean politics to the centrestage. More importantly, they have brought a genuine flicker of hope among diverse sections of society..right from slum-dwellers, autowallahs to the urban middle class and sections of upper middle class as well. Their presence in the general elections this time has ensured that quite a few tainted politicians dont get a ticket to contest. This is a very small but significant victory for a democracy like ours where tainted politicians are otherwise openly accepted as a part of the system. Hopefully, this newbie will establish itself and be there for the long run. More power to AAP !!
ReplyDeleteYou said it - more power to AAP!
Delete