Stop this You said, I said, They said......

The following op-eds represent the worst in journalism. In the interest of transparency decisions and issues discussed in official forums should be made available on request at the appropriate time.

http://www.ndtv.com/opinion/dear-prashant-bhai-this-is-how-you-let-aap-down-by-ashutosh-750674

http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/this-story-can-go-on-the-real-facts-will-come-out-115032800907_1.html

This is hearsay, gossip, Tu-Tu Mai-Mai!

I hope AAP establishes a "strict" Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement to be followed by officials. A course in how to interact with the Press, TV and Public should be made mandatory. This constant jabbering to the press must stop.

Come on AAP, up level the game.

Where one stands determines where one will sit

Dear Yogendra,

It appears that the differences in opinion are over procedural issues, the stickiest being the background of the 2 crore donation and RTI. Many donors are reluctant to have their names displayed on AAP's web page. The loop hole in India's election funding law was resorted to circumvent the wishes of the donors. The law was skirted but not broken. The issue is to plug this loop hole so that all Political Partys come under this ambit. RTI cannot be applied to all aspects of the Party's proceedings. Doing so would expose strategy to the competition. There is a difference between "Ethical" and "Idealistic". The funding issue was not "unethical".

Your statements at the Press Conference was laudable. Same cannot be said about Prashant. Going into interpersonal details is most unbecoming. The attempt to form a government after the LS election was an exercise in foolishness and stupidity. I am sure Arvind realizes that. But like Team India he tried and scored a zero, so what? All this is water under the bridge. Please read this opinion post of mine:

http://ltrs2aap.blogspot.in/2015/03/in-defense-of-arvind-kejriwal.html

Regards,

This is Madness

The tamasha that is going on in Dilli is an open kimono season with Prashant  Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav and others indulging in a "Tell all - He said, They said, I said" on TV!. Looks like this is an Indian trait! The TV folks are having a field day with this circus. AAP supporters are cringing and detractors are enjoying the show!

Swaraj and Transparency does not mean one can say anything, at any time, anywhere, to anybody. There is a time, place and forum for speaking one's mind out and it is NOT on TV or to the Press!

I am appalled at the accusations being made on TV. It is one thing when an ordinary member or volunteer gets on a "soap box" and makes a spectacle of themselves. Party officials and seniors indulging in this sort of behaviour is distasteful. A decorum regarding the Rules of Engagement has to be observed.

Sure make opinions known and by all means fight over it and record "policy" differences in minutes and publish them. But broadcasting personal opinions and personal differences to the media is unbecoming. This is NOT transparency, this is fool hardiness!

In Defense of Arvind Kejriwal

Arvind Kejriwal’s Mission:

This is a positive critique in support of Arvind Kejriwal and should be perceived as such. Prior to 2015 Assembly victory in Dilli, the widespread perception was that the party had imploded due to the series of events that followed his resignation as CM post, which earned him the moniker “Baghoda”. The set backs included the disastrous Lok Sabha election results, followed by the in fighting, the defections that took place, talk of cronyism in the party, the cult around Arvind Kejriwal and criticisms of his dictatorial style, his parting of ways with many he worked with and who helped him to get where he is. AK was vilified by the press and summarily crucified. But AK prevailed, he apologized, he reinvented himself and led his party to victory. With that a new dawn has arisen for AK, AAP and India.

Arvind Kejriwal is on a mission to change the Nation that is mired in corruption and "Crony Capitalism" such as the 2G and Coal Block Allocation scams. Obstinacy, obsession, persistence and political incorrectness are par for the course when on a mission, faced with extreme opposition. In order to understand AK, the “Muffler Man” has to be viewed trough the lens of his “laser focus” to accomplish his Mission and his academic training as an engineer.

A Mahatma in the Making:

Mahatma Gandhi gave up a lucrative legal practice in South Africa in his Thirties to become a full time activist. He returned to India in 1915 when he was 46. AK left a cushy, comfortable, secure position of Joint Commissioner at the Indian Revenue Service when he was 37. Hence, given his accomplishments he could well be a Mahatma in the making. The fact that he is in government and has the power to introduce policies that will bring about the desired change, positions him to be extremely effective. In essence he is in charge of both his and India’s destiny.

What you see in AK is a person who is resolute on Policy and Strategy, and modest as a person.

The Master Strategist:

AK is a master strategist and a "marketing genius". There is no doubt about that based on the phenomenal results of winning 67 out of 70 seats in the 2015 Dilli Assembly Elections. Some of his decisions turned out to be right and others wrong. Results count and in the final analysis both his right and seemingly wrong decisions have absolved him. He has been accused by insider Prashant Bhushan as making compromises to win at all cost. Politics is War and winning is a goal as long as the party’s principles are not obliterated. AK made a blunder in the previous election by stating that he will neither give nor take support from others and then capitulating to take “outside support” from elected Congress MLAs to form a minority government. However, this was done after consulting voters. “Compromises” made have to be within the framework of the law. At times these compromises might “skirt” the party’s core principles and have to be rationalized on a case by case basis. This doesn’t mean the party’s core principles are thrown out of the window. Furthermore the goal is to field good candidates who can win. True, a number of candidates are wealthy and not “aam aadmi”. The message has to positioned as, “I am for the Aam Aadmi as opposed to I am an Aam Aadmi”. Ever since AK gained national and international recognition, he ceased to be an aam aadmi. The goal of AAP is to position itself with an agenda that is pro-people, pro-progress, pro-environment, pro-good governance, pro-transparency and resolutely against corruption. Winnable candidates who can push this agenda have to be fielded. The results in Dilli speak for themselves. 67 elected out of 70 gives the party resounding “Political Capital”. AK has said if anyone indulges in questionable behavior and practices, they will be forced to resign.

Strategic Decision Making:

Strategy cannot be derived in a democratic manner by committee. Making decisions that may not be agreed to by the "majority" will be cast as being dictatorial, regardless of the manner in which decisions are made. AAP is in its infancy and requires a strong leader. Furthermore there will always be some level of sycophancy wherein some will agree with the leader all the time. The issue is whether the leader is open to criticism and willing to admit his/her mistakes. AK has demonstrated both these attributes by publicly acknowledging his mistakes, along with some of his shortcomings and apologizing for them. It is up to the party insiders to challenge him if the occasion rises. That too is happening and is a healthy situation.

Application of Engineering Principles:

Conventional wisdom indicates that identifying and understanding a problem leads half way to solving it. An engineer’s scientific mind is trained to thoroughly understand and define the scope of a problem in the process of solving it. The solution may involve removing or working around constraints. Experimentation, trial and error are at times an integral part of the process in solving problems. Edison was faced with numerous unsuccessful attempts in inventing the incandescent light bulb. He persevered and attributed every failure as a step towards success. AK studied as an engineer and that has to be taken into consideration to understand his approach at solving the problems he is confronted with.

Accommodating One Person One Post:

The one person one post makes sense if the posts require a lot of work and attention. AK has to succeed in Dilli if the party is to survive. When it comes to strategy there is no one other than AK. One solution is to create a new post of Chief Strategist that is assumed by AK. Let us be frank, there is no other person in AAP that can fill this post effectively. The National Convener role should be made a tactical/operational role that implements the strategy. This bifurcation of Strategy and Operational roles would free up AK to focus on governing Dilli and set the strategy as well.

Going National:

The expansion of AAP to other States is a foregone conclusion. State Chapters are energized and enthusiastic after the Dilli success. But they cannot rely on AK’s active participation to grow. India is not Dilli and Dilli is not India. The election in Dilli brought forth a new Class of Voter, who was not bound by caste, community and religion. People voted for participatory democracy, to improve the quality of their lives, for good governance, for the opportunity to fulfill their aspirations, and putting a stop to rampant corruption. However India is still mired and welded to caste, religion and community politics. The old guard and old allegiances holds sway.  It is a long and winding road with many challenges ahead.
There is a lot of grass roots work that needs to be accomplished before the party makes any head away at the National level. Dilli is the beacon of hope for the party to succeed at the National level. AK’s self proclaimed mission is to be successful is Dilli. The opportunity for AAP at the State level is to leverage AK’s accomplishments. Message to State Chapters, “Focus on State and local issues. Win a beach head in the State that can serve as the “nerve center” from which to expand. Note Dilli has only seven Lok Sabha seats. When concerned about what is happening in Dilli, take steps not to replicate what is happening there. Rely on AK’s accomplishment as CM. Don’t expect him to participate in State level activities and initiatives”.

The issue of falling out with people:

Critics of AK point out his abandoning the "hand that fed him" as mentioned in the following article (included at the very end):

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/inside-track-5/

Differences between AK and others over Strategy and Policy are often portrayed and amplified by the media as “personal differences”.  The “Parting of Ways” when in conflict with the mission doesn’t necessarily mean a personal falling out, although some have “personal overtones” to them. These need to be examined on an individual basis:

Aruna Roy played an important role in RTI along with others. She along with Jean Druze pushed for the Food Security act and probably had a role in defining the National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREGA) act. Aruna Roy and Jean Dreze are leftists and if left to them, they will push an extremely leftist policy. The National Advisory Committee promoted a pro-poor policy without addressing funding. A disagreement over policy with Aruna Roy is understandable, but that doesn’t mean there are personal issues involved. Besides, Aruna Roy resigned from the NAC over policy issues.

Anna Hazare did all the heavy lifting by fasting and putting his life in danger. AK benefitted from it. However it was clear that Parliament had to be breached in order to bring about changes. AK chose to take this path and Anna was adamant against it. It was Anna who criticized AK, made it a “personal issue” along with some acrimonious statements and accusations. AK has time and again acknowledged Anna as his Guru. What does one do if the Guru distances himself from his student? When the Guru says stand, should the Shishya obey unilaterally? Here again it was a “policy issue” that escalated into a “personal issue”. Both Anna and AK, put Nation over Self, but differed in the path being taken. In such cases cooperation is possible when parties are in agreement. Conflicts arise when parties are opposed.

Kiran Bedi is not all that she projects herself to be. The less said about her the better. The Dilli elections proved her wrong and AK right. Her involvement in the party would have resulted in a constant source of friction. She serves a good purpose by shouting her head off as a "Talking Head" on TV and being a critique of AAP and AK, from the outside.

Justice Hegde could not stomach the political incorrectness and left on his own accord. The Lokpal being pushed by Team Anna cast a net over the States as well. It was Arun Jaitley who pointed out the Federal aspect of our constitution and that the Centre could not stipulate this. Justice Hegde might have pointed this out or if he didn't it was surely an embarrassment to him.

Prashtant Bhushan apparently had major issues over candidate selection. This was an internal issue and had to be settled internally. Prahant Bhushan’s value add to the party is his legal competency, his insistence on transparency and upholding the party’s principles. It appears that Prashant Bhushan’s puritanical idealistic views resulted in friction within the party and it became difficult to work with him. Prashant Bhushan has made many statements that have had to be "walked back" by AK. Many of his statements and interaction with the press have had a negative impact on the party. Group dynamics is important for the smooth operation of the group. His departure from the Political Action Committee could have been handled more gracefully. The party’s ideology gives no privileges just because he and his father put up the initial crore for the party.

Yogendra Yadav is an academic and an analyst. He is a good spokes person and an excellent campaigner. It is not clear what the policy and strategy differences are between him and AK. In upholding the principles of transparency, these differences should be disclosed. If this causes friction in the functioning of strategy, then YY has to concede to AK’s wishes.

Note to Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav:

In summary, both PB and YY have to concede to AK with respect to Strategy. While they have every right to critique and question “strategy” issues, ultimately they have to let AK decide. With regards to “Policy” they have every right to question, critique or propose. Whether they are part of the “inner circle” or have to do so as senior members of the party is a decision best left to party interpersonal and organizational dynamics. That said transparency ought to be limited to policy and strategy issues and who voted for/against/abstained. Members should refrain from making public, “He said, she said” statements under the auspices of transparency. Doing so is breach of confidence and tantamount to engaging in gossip.

The article: “Parting of Ways” by Coomi Kapoor

Arvind Kejriwal is earning a reputation for biting the hand that feeds him. The ouster of Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav was done at his insistence. Years ago, Kejriwal worked under Aruna Roy on the Right to Information campaign. Roy acted as his mentor and guide, recommended him for the Magsaysay Award and helped him when he started his NGO Parivartan. But later he had a bitter falling-out with his mentor. Even those who were associated with Kejriwal in Parivartan, such as Anjali Bhardwaj and Panini Anand, have now left him. Kejriwal called Anna Hazare his guru during the Lokpal campaign, which he exploited to become a nationally known figure. But he disregarded Hazare’s wishes not to join politics. When he formed the Aam Aadmi Party, the initial donation of Rs 1 crore came from Shanti Bhushan. Bhushan’s son Prashant was largely responsible for conceptualising AAP and spreading its message. Several of the corruption exposes came from Prashant. Now Kejriwal’s supporters dismiss Prashant as just one of its 1,000 founder-members. Yogendra Yadav is another one-time ardent supporter-ideologue who enthusiastically campaigned for the party.

The Evolution and Resurrection of Arvind Kejriwal and AAP

          The Resurrection

          The Evolution

              AK 1.0 – The Formative Years

              AK 2.0 – The Activist

              AK 3.0 – The Anarchist

              AK 4.0 – The inexperienced collegiate politician and AAP 1.0

              AK 5.0 – The Wannabe Giant Slayer

              AK 6.0 – The reinvention of AK and AAP 2.0

              AK 7.0 - The David who beat Goliath

         AK the “Once Upon a Time Aam Aadmi”
         Lessons learned and looking ahead

         On Policy Matters
         Money, money, money

The Resurrection:

The unprecedented result of the elections in Dilli took both supporters and skeptics by surprise. After the events preceding the Lok Sabha elections, the ensuing disastrous results, followed by the in fighting, the defections that took place, talk of cronyism in the party, the cult around Arvind Kejriwal and criticisms of his dictatorial style; the widespread perception was that the party had imploded. AK was vilified by the press and summarily crucified. But AK prevailed, he apologized, he reinvented himself and led his party to victory. With that a new dawn has arisen for both AAP and India.

The election in Dilli brought forth a new Class of Voter, who was not bound by caste, community and religion. People voted for participatory democracy, to improve the quality of their lives, for good governance, for the opportunity to fulfill their aspirations, and putting a stop to rampant corruption. Despite the dissolution of the Assembly and imposition of Lt. Governor’s rule, elected AAP MLAs, volunteers and even those candidates who lost, engaged with their constituencies, listened to their issues and delivered what they could. As one spokesperson mentioned, initially they were upset that elections were postponed, but then they made good use of the lapse in time and it all paid off in the end.

The Evolution:

Arvind Kejriwal is a man of many avatars. With each avatar he grew in stature. Many setbacks cut him in size; only to rebound and overcome the many adverse situations he faced. Along with him the party that he founded has undergone a transformational process and emerged as the victor in Dilli, rising from the dire straits it found itself.

AK 1.0 – The Formative Years:

AK graduated from the IIT Kharagpur, majoring in mechanical engineering. He joined Tata Steel. After a short stint, AK resigned to join the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) as a Joint Commissioner in the Income Tax Department having qualified through the Civil Services Examination. Alarmed by the corruption in the Income Tax Department he transitioned into his next avatar and moved on.

AK 2.0 – The Activist:

AK along with Manish Sisodia and others founded Parivartan, a movement that campaigned against corruption using the Right to Information Act. He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award recognizing him as an emergent leader. He donated his prize money as a corpus fund to found the Public Cause Research Foundation. AK’s next move was to go National with his anti-corruption movement.

AK 3.0 – The Anarchist:

AK teamed up with Anna Hazare to agitate for the Lokpal Legislation. He was joined by Kiran Bedi and Justice Santosh Hegde. While Anna Hazare did all the heavy lifting by fasting and jeopardizing his health, AK’s vociferous condemnation of rampant corruption enabled him to gain National and International recognition.

In this avatar, AK threw caution to the wind and accused numerous people for being corrupt. At times he was like the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland, shouting, “Off with his head”. He is indulging in “Shoot and Scoot” yelled the critics. They essentially played into AK’s hands in giving him and AAP the publicity resulting in the building up of Brand AAP. Besides the prevailing situation is “Shoot and Stuck” with cases languishing in the judicial system for years. The “taking of names” and “making allegations” subsequently landed him in jail during a later avatar, due to a quirk in Indian laws. For awhile he refused making bail and highlighted the fact that he should not have been arrested in the first place. The defamation suit filed by Nitin Gadkari, taught him a lesson, that one better be absolutely sure before publicly accusing a person. Note to activists; “Be hard and resolute on the issues, but avoid taking names of individuals or political parties.”

The Lokpal movement made some progress in getting a scaled down version passed, but AK was dissatisfied. AK was heard often saying, the Lokpal Bill as defined would not even arrest a mouse. Say what? The Lokpal Bill formulated by this group cast a wider net than it should have. For instance it blanketed State bureaucrats and politicians as well. This was legally in violation of the Federal nature of India’s constitution. In this matter the Center has no jurisdiction in the State regarding State personnel. Moreover, India does have anti-corruption agencies, most notably the CBI, CVC, ACB etc.. Albeit the CBI has been widely lampooned as the Caged Bird of India. A pragmatic approach would have been to fight for policies that prevent these organizations from political interference. The major criticism of Lokpal was the creation of yet another ombudsman to oversee existing organizations.

AK 4.0 – The inexperienced collegiate politician and AAP 1.0:

During the Lokpal movement, politicians often chided AK, saying laws cannot be made on the streets and that Parliament reigned supreme. Fair enough, AK decided to from a political party. He had a falling out with Anna Hazare and Kiran Bedi on this initiative. Justice Hegde left the movement. And so the Aam Aadmi Party was formed to fight against corruption and for the common man. The Jaadu symbolized the intent to clean up extensive corruption in the system. This was AAP 1.0 that formed a minority government that lasted 49 days. The inexperienced AK functioned as a collegiate union member. Having entered the halls of politics he didn’t shed his previous avatar. As an agitator he was a spectator of a system that was rigged and steeped in corruption. Having entered the system as CM, he found he was stone walled and in frustration he resorted to a Dharna, in which the insider resorted to the behavior of a spectator. In that he was an insider behaving like an outsider. His constant portrayal of himself as a humble aam aadmi was not in step with the larger than life image that he had accomplished by becoming the Chief Minister. It became evident that AK’s shoes had become too large for him. Not only did he not grow to fit into these shoes, his leadership style stifled the growth of others. His abrupt resignation took everyone by surprise and earned him the moniker – Baghoda.

AK 5.0 – The Wannabe Giant Slayer:

AK decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections and go national. To many this was viewed as a futile move. However, it was a successful in building the AAP brand. AK could have stood for election from a safe seat and got elected to Parliament. But he decided to take on Modi in Varanasi. The move got him and AAP an abundance of publicity. Despite the dismal performance in the LS election AAP gained national and international recognition. There is no such thing as bad publicity. In matters of brand building, being recognized is the first step. Once that is accomplished there are many ways in which it can be improved. In this avatar AK came to be known as the Muffler man. One bright young man labeled the primary contestants as Bluffer, Duffer and Muffler.

The participation in the Lok Sabha elections attracted all kinds of people to the party. Besides genuine volunteers, there were opportunists, misfits from other parties and more. The controversies surrounding AAP State Chapters were aired in the open both prior to and after the Lok Sabha an election. Disputes reported in the press are no secret. With the disappointing results of the Lok Sabha elections the detractors left on their own accord and the faithful remained. In hind sight, the participation in the Lok Sabha elections, though premature, served as a trial by fire and enabled the party to retain and form a strong core from which it can now grow.

AK 6.0 – The reinvention of AK and AAP 2.0:

This was the most painful phase for AK and the Aam Aadmi Party. Prior to regrouping, AK ran to the Lt. Governor to ask for another chance to reform a minority government. This appeared to be like an immature act of a child who rejected a toy given to him, only to relent and plead for it back. This did not happen. Embarrassing as it was, in hind sight it was a good thing that led to the resurrection of the party.

AK 7.0 - The David who beat Goliath:

With AAP in power in Dilli, just beneath the nose of Prime Minister Modi, the people of Dilli have sent a strong message to the BJP, to perform and deliver on their promises. It also puts the onus on AAP to do the same. It is a rope that binds both parties together.

AK the “Once Upon a Time Aam Aadmi”:

AK needs a make over. He needs to step into the large shoes Dilli voters have given him and also allow others to grow. All this, "I am an Aam Admi" stuff has to stop. Instead it should be cast as, “I have been fortunate and my goal is to enable ordinary people to realize their aspirations. I was one such person. So was our PM. I was like you, now I am fighting for you”. The message has to positioned as, “I am for the Aam Aadmi as opposed to I am an Aam Aadmi”.

Absolute statements corral one into a corner; statements such as, “We will not give or take support”. The door ought to be always kept open for options that may arise. As the saying goes the end justifies the means and the challenge is to maintain the set of guiding principles while being flexible without violating them.

Share the limelight. Establish a decision making process that includes diverse inputs that “sifts” through opinions and only includes the best of the best.

Lessons learned and looking ahead:

The Power of Positive paid of handsomely in the Dilli election. Setting expectations and demonstrating a laudable moral code of conduct is a forceful criticism of issues that do not represent these values. The take away is that one does not have to be critical to criticize. AAP has brought about much needed change right from its formation. That is indisputably evident. The goal of AAP is to constantly raise the bar and lead by example. Name-calling is demeaning and leaves both parties feeling poorer in spirit. Ultimately it does lots of damage to the social fabric. There is immense wisdom in the saying, “To Belittle, is to Be Little". The Dilli election brought out the worst in the opposition. Modi’s criticism of AK at a rally, his demeanour, his gestures and what he said was most unbecoming of a PM of this great country. He stooped to being little. It was pathetic. He was Being Little.

The victory in Dilli has profound implications for AAP at the national level. State chapters have now been gifted an opportunity to coalesce, regroup, rebuild themselves and reemerge as a responsible political party that can make a difference.

The participation in the Lok Sabha elections attracted all kinds of people to the party. Besides genuine volunteers, there were opportunists, misfits from other parties, moles and more. The controversies surrounding AAP, both prior to and after the Lok Sabha elections, were aired in the open, reported in the press, and that is no secret. With the disappointing results of the Lok Sabha elections the detractors left on their own accord and the faithful remained. In hind sight, the participation in the Lok Sabha elections, though premature, served as a trial by fire and enabled the party to retain and form a strong core from which it can now grow.

The message for AAP chapters all over the country is a call to action; to engage with their constituencies, listen to their issues and fight for their cause. Dilli is not India and India is not Dilli. India is still welded to caste, religion and community politics. The old guard and old allegiances holds sway, however there is an impatient youth population that aspires for more and has the energy waiting to be tapped. AAP has to firmly position itself as the party of the 21^st Century that appeals to progressive people who are fed up and frustrated with the political practices of the past century. Just as in Dilli, each chapter has to build itself from the ground up and establish a firm base. The party has been given a second chance to position itself with an agenda that is pro-people, pro-progress, pro-environment, pro-good governance, pro-transparency and resolutely against corruption. It is a tough road ahead and par for the course for people dedicated to work towards a bright future for India.

On Policy Matters:

India is still hampered by the colonial system that the British left behind. It was a system based on mistrust of Indian administrators who were the proxies of the masters. They Brits left and Indians by adopting and perpetuating that system became the new masters instead of servants of the people. 

Liberalization changed the game while not changing the policies required to curb corruption. As a result the country got hurt, scams abounded, and Indians are constantly crying over spilled milk. It was like asking a child who is accustomed to playing tennis ball cricket, asked to play hard ball cricket without protective gear.

Bottom line the Indian Administration System is a rule based system where rules benefitting the rulers are enforced and rules benefitting the citizens are flaunted. Until we revamp the rules and get rid of this colonial yoke around our necks, India will stumble and lumber along instead of zooming ahead. Change the rules to empower the people to progress responsibly, enforce them and we will see the progress we desire. States have a lot of power in establishing these rules and AAP has the opportunity to do so in Dilli.

Money, money, money:

Dilli is awash with money and benefits from both Central and “State” level spending. Dilli has been exploiting India financially. It is done in the name of Asiad, Metro, IG Airport, Commonwealth Games and scams. The people of India need to know what this spending is in comparison to the other States. AAP can bring transparency to this issue.

In summary, providence has smiled on AK and AAP. Promises were made and the time has come to deliver.

Inqulab Zindabad. Bharat Mata ki Jai. Aam Aadmi Party Ki Jai!

The author acknowledges Wikipedia as a reference.