While
Kaleidoscope remains dormant for sometime several incidents reshape the world
in which he strives to live on. One of the striking reshuffling that
Kaleidoscope finds hard to overlook is the rise of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). On the
one hand the rise shows anti-Congress wave that former CM sheila Dikshit’s
popularity and political skill fail manage and on the other hand although Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP+) emerges as largest group with 32 seats it faces a stiff
warning. Moreover, clearly the “Modi effect” which supposedly works in Rajastan
and Madhyapradesh do not work in a cosmopolitan city. Locational analysis would
prove the fact that BJP wins with its traditional voters.
What is new?
AAP and BJP
continue to show interest in becoming opposition and the country sees an unprecedented
situation where parties fight for becoming opposition in the run on elections.
While Congress extends their primarily “unconditional” then “quasi-conditional”
support, AAP goes for a SMS poll and accepts the verdict of people and Mr
Arvind Kejriwal is becoming the CM of Delhi. A great transformation of a
versatile individual from participating in a social movement to an active
change agent – now with authority he needs to do something extraordinary with
huge expectations.
Kaleidoscope’s tiny little
books and AAP’s rise:
Kaleidoscope
has long been admirer of bearded sociologists (of course new addition is non
bearded and even bald thinkers), one of them who is particularly linked to
Congress, BJP and AAP’s present condition is Max Weber and his tool kit of
explaining authority. More recent condition which links Congress and AAP is of
course the not bearded Jean Baudrillard’s cup of tea.
CONGRESS’s case: Congress is at its best to be explained as a
party that uses nostalgia, or to be precise “tale of origin”. Congress claims
the right to rule because its members in the past victoriously fought a common
enemy, i.e. the Britishers and developed common resources to found a kingdom. The
tales often becomes poetic-mythical, full of factual errors but nevertheless
remains a powerful mechanism of maintaining legitimacy.
BJP’s Case: BJP too is a nostalgic team. It projects
although now with a softer tone the glorious version of Hinduism and their
fight or restorative effort. The tale of origin with factual errors are with
formidable power as Kaleidoscope find’s while Sardar Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai
Patel is being projected as the maker of India, BJP ignores the fact that forming
India by forcibly incorporating several princely states seeps in today’s
regional movements. Even the divisive approach of Sardar Patel’s in creating
Hindu Swimming Bath and Boat Club Trust in Mumbai must have been celebrated
inside and ignored outside. Meanwhile, they
also use the charismatic transformation of Gujrat under the leadership of Mr.
Narendra Modi – the declared Prime Ministerial candidate of the party.
AAP’s Case: AAP is a charismatic new avenue. It effectively
blends the future fight against corruption- which has all the potentials of becoming
poetic-mythical, quite similar to the Shri Krishna’s avatars using their
charismatic power to restore humanity with future India. AAP says quite clearly
“vote me because I can transform your life” (including reducing the Electricity
bills and distributing at least 700 liters of water).
The irony
is that today’s AAP is nothing more and nothing less than what Congress was
during 1940s and what BJP was throughout Post Colonial India’s history. The
alleged issue shifts from Colonial masters to rescue of Hinduism to corruption.
Social scientists at least people who seriously think for the society and not
people like Kaleidoscope who sleeps off are finding a new evolution in the
nature of social movements. Many believe that rise of AAP is an alternative
model of organising social movement. Although this approach is quite parallel
to the people who once thought to come to power by violence and form people’s
country. Only they fail to appreciate non-violence and democracy.
Tomorrow’s
AAP with Kejriwal as CM of Delhi is ultimately a coalition government that is
expected to rule Kaleidoscope’s country capital with “legal rational authority.”
AAP will use a permanent machine of Bureaucracy loaded with much nuanced power
dynamics and corruption than what they did encounter in their social movements.
Congress support and simulacra of AAP's origins:
Kaleidoscope
along with the entire country witnesses Congress support to AAP. Congress which
holds 43 seats in 2008 and now holds only 8 seats supports one of its fiercest enemies
that claim their identity from anti-corruption movement allegedly against
Congress. AAP had no choice than to form the government to avoid being labelled
as irresponsible. This condition at the very outset of AAP mounting on a
legal-rational authority, making a transformation from their charismatic power
is based on a notion that happens to be a simulacrum-like image under endless
succession of depthless presents. AAP fought against something that is in the
process of becoming contemporary myth, a well designed, strategically planned myth
which soon would be a simulacra whenever AAP will seek its power with “tale of
origin” and non-rational sources.
Kaleidoscope wonders five years from now he might be asking “did the anti-corruption movement take
place at all?”
