Kejriwal doesn’t work for me

India as a nation has been supportive of peaceful uprisings aimed at resolving issues that affect people the most. Being a democracy, ofcourse a lot of movements would be fragmented and parallel with each having a different cause. However, Team Anna did a great job of unifying people cutting across socio-economic divides and got everyone young and old to stand together against “corruption”.  Yet one cannot compare the freedom struggle to modern day revolts, in the 1900s there was no media to glamorise or Facebook for those who wanted to take the easy route. Passion, patriotism and persistence had a totally different meaning then. 

As time progressed, “Team Anna” to started to resemble the very people they were standing up against. Their meetings and its outcomes were no less pointless and humorous than our parliament. The thinking class started retracting and students went back to playing sport (or maybe chugging beer!). As a result, a promising movement fizzled out like all others in recent times. But this article is not about why I don’t like Anna or don’t endorse the Lokpal – one of the key reasons I never supported them is Arvind Kejriwal.

In modern times, an economically vibrant nation cannot run on emotions and idealism that has reached its expiry date. Arvind is show`ing people and especially the young, a dream which will never come true. One cannot say that “all politicians are bad”, come let’s vote in a new league of leaders (which by the way, he is leading!) and all problems will be solved. He has made excellent use of alternative forms of media to sustainably influence people and make them feel more victimised than they actually are. Yes, India has its problems but the solution cannot be based on impulse and hunger drives.  How different is he from the politicians who use free booze, colour televisions and money to buy votes – instead he is using public emotions, hope and their time to attempt at getting a seat in the Lok Sabha. None of his claims and promises has any tangible follow up plan, even though I admit they sure are powerful enough to create a stir at Jantar Mantar.  India is not in 1947 anymore, we need a different approach of bringing about change.

Supposedly, he gets access to Swiss bank account details (something which even governments of most powerful nations don’t) and starts doing his “exposes”. So what if Mukesh Ambani has a billion dollars hidden somewhere?  If he is implying that in his rule businessmen won’t get to make obscene amounts of money – that in itself is something to worry about.  He is using mass sentiments which are anti establishment, but in the long run such acts aren’t healthy. Look back, hasn’t he too used every political event to come pose in front of the camera including Delhi braveheart’s death – I ask again, how different is he  from the others?  Today having a million likes on Facebook or a large following on Twitter does not mean anything, especially not in a country where 900 something million people don’t get proper electricity. Kejriwal for me is like the Pied Piper of Hamlin who drove rats to the drain, only in this case its honest hardworking citizens that he is misleading.