‘New Politics’

THE ONE-TRICK pony that he is, Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo and chief minister of Delhi, has little to offer other than the promise of free water and electricity to hoodwink the people into voting for his party. Not that he has to pay the hefty tab for such freebies. For proof, ask the hard-pressed rate-paying middle class in Delhi. It has had to underwrite the costs of the AAP boss’ need to entice the numerically stronger vote banks in the resettlement and illegal colonies. The monthly outgo of an average middle-income family has increased considerably since the coming of the self-styled harbinger of ‘new politics’. Having thus won over the voting classes in the national capital, Kejriwal has now set his sights on Goa. Ahead of the municipal elections in the state, AAP has unleashed a massive media campaign, promising free electricity to the Goans. Whether voters in the forward-looking state would be impressed by the blatant ‘bribe’ is unclear, but the AAP is pressing ahead undeterred, taking out ads in newspapers to promise free power. The other day, the Goa edition of a major national daily—the only one published in New Delhi and trying valiantly to beat the competition from local rivals with its usual predatory pricing but without much success—had this huge ad on page one. In bold letters, the copy read: ‘Kejriwal gives free electricity 24 hours. Goans also want it…’ Now, whether they want it or not, would be known from the outcome of the municipal polls due in the next few weeks, but the fact that the AAP boss is a trapeze artist adept at embracing completely contrary positions depending on the targeted voter group, is by now well known. For, at the onset of winter and the killer air pollution, the mugshot of Kejriwal was splashed in a multimedia campaign along with the self-congratulatory announcement by the Delhi government criminalising the burning of farm waste, stipulating hefty fines and prison terms for offenders. But this did not prevent the AAP quick-change artist to try and identify himself with the Punjab farmers amassed at the Delhi border, even though one of their main demand was to decriminalise, yes, decriminalise waste burning. In fact, banking on the typical ignorance of the protestors, the AAP leader hoped nobody would notice that the Delhi government was one of the first to notify the very-same farm reform legislation for the repeal of which the Punjab-Haryana farmers are squatting in the bitter cold at the Delhi border. The evocative Hindi phrase which aptly describes Kejriwal the politician, and with which the protesting farmers are most likely to be familiar with, is ‘Ganga Gaye Ganga Das, Jamuna Gaye Jamuna Das.’

ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST and BJP leader Maneka Gandhi is slipping up. In normal times, she would have created a shindy when a high-profile leader like Rahul Gandhi flies all the way to Tamil Nadu to watch jallikattu in order to connect with the voters on the eve of the Assembly election in the state. Unless, of course, Maneka and her sister, Ambika Shukla, limit their activism to the defence of stray dogs. Despite the ban by the apex court, Tamil politicians have continued to patronise the traditional sport. But whereas the Tamil Nadu version of bullfight is widely known, Goa too has its own version called ‘dhirios’. This too involves gory bullfights with the wildly animated supporters egging on their favourite fighter to subdue its challenger. Dhirios, too, was banned by the higher judiciary several years ago but, undeterred, the Goans continue to engage in the blood-curdling sport without nary a concern either for the animals or the fear of the police. A few days ago, thousands of Goans gathered in an open agriculture field to watch a series of bull fights unconcerned about the judicial ban and the local police. Whether it is jallikattu in Tamil Nadu or dhirios in Goa, so long as rival politicians are not on the same page with animal rights activists, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act will continue to be observed in its blatant violation. In the name of preserving a cultural tradition, poor bulls will continue to be mauled and gored. But are carnivores among us, especially those obsessed with halal meats, right to raise eyebrows?

ON MY SOCIAL media site, a friend posed the question: So if tomorrow the income tax payers stage a dharna at the Delhi border, will the Supreme Court suspend implementation of the Income Tax Act? Just asking… Amen

About The Author

Virendra Kapoor

Virendra Kapoor is a political commentator based in Delhi