Aam Aadmi Party and Its Relevance in Manipur

N S Singh *

For the past two years, millions of Indians came out on streets to fight against the country's biggest evil - corruption. This anti-corruption movement of the people has exposed the ugly and greedy face of our politicians. No political party in India today works for the common man's needs. The Jan Lokpal Movement was a call to all the politicians of India to listen to the common man's plea.

For almost 2 years, the movement tried to plead people's cause to the government through peaceful protests, courting arrest, indefinite fasts, several rounds of negotiations with the ruling government. It tried everything possible to convince the government to form a strong anti- corruption law. But despite the huge wave of public support in favour of a strong anti-corruption law, all political parties cheated the people of India and deliberately sabotaged the Jan Lokpal Bill.

Now, the time for peaceful fasts and protests is gone. Since most political parties are corrupt, greedy and thick skinned, it's time to bring political power back into the people's hands. Although there are many good intentioned people in politics today who want to work honestly for the people of India, the current system of polity does not allow honest politicians to function. It is time to change the system into a strong one which disallows corruption at any level of governance, no matter who the person in power is.

The makers of Indian Constitution had dreamt of an equal and just society where every man, woman and child has the right and privilege to lead a fulfilling and nurturing life, free from all kinds of oppression. The country's Constitution and specifically its Preamble defines a clear roadmap for the future of our country wherein the common man and woman hold the power to decide their own destiny.

Still after sic decades, India is yet to achieve this dream. Before independence the common man was a slave to foreign powers; today he has become a slave of the political system of the country. Today, the people have to follow a new master - the Political Neta who seeks people's blessings during elections and then forgets the people after he wins.

In the midst of experiencing oppressions, inequality, injustice and unrealized promises, the anti corruption movement has galvanized the country into one common voice - a voice that is demanding a complete haul of the way political parties and politicians function. This national demand for a change in the political system has compelled the anti corruption squad to enter the political arena to clean it from inside. Politics itself is not a dirty word, the current breed of politicians have made it dirty.

The biggest problem facing Indian democracy today is that no one in government wants to pay heed to people's grievances. People need basic amenities and the government provides something else. Decisions affecting millions of common Indians are taken by a few select leaders of the ruling party in Parliament. Democracy has become a slave of the leader of the ruling-party.

It is obvious that good governance comes when people owns the power to influence decisions that shape their life. Acknowledging the major change that India needs badly, the anti corruption movement in the form of Aam Aadmi Party has emerged in the guise of a political party. As the common man's party, it wants to overhaul the three pillars of Indian democracy and make them accountable for their actions to the people of India.

On the Executive:
Today all big and small decisions that affect the nation are taken by a few select members of the Executive. Once the ruling party comes to power, a few top leaders of the party and a handful of influential corporates decide all policies. The common men become voiceless. As there is no Right to Recall in India today, the people have to comply with the unpopular rulers for five years. Thus the current breed of politicians get enough time to loot the resources of the country. This is not the essence of Democracy. The Aam Aadmi Party has the goal - to give the power back to the hands of the people of India by giving the Right to Recall to its people.

On the Legislature:
The common men and women of India elect the MLAs and MPs and send them to Parliament. These chosen few then betray the trust of the common man and make unfair and corrupt policies and take unilateral decisions that affect the lives of millions of Indians. In the current system, once the voters elect their representatives, the common people have no recourse to have a say in the law making and policy formulation process. There is no people's participation in policy making.

Most democracies in the world have two provisions - REFERENDUM and INITIATIVE. Here, if a pre-determined majority of the population considers a law unfit for the people, they can reject it and send it back to their elected representatives. This is called Referendum. Similarly, if a pre-determined majority of the population considers a law necessary for their nation, through a clearly defined procedure the people can send the law to their chosen representatives and this right is termed Initiative. These are just two examples of how democracy can be made truly participatory and representative, if the political system supports it. The Aam Aadmi Party is the only party which is committed to giving these two rights to the people of India.

On the Judiciary:
Today if a common man wants a lawyer to represent him in a law court, he needs a good sum of money to afford legal representation. Justice in India today is so expensive that it is out of reach to a common man. This means that one can have justice in India today as a charity, but not as a right. Access to the highest level of justice is a fundamental right of every Indian and should be made easily available to the common man. The AAP plans to implement long overdue judicial reforms in order to create a judicial system easily accessible and affordable for all Indians.

Born on 2nd October, the Gandhi Jayanti 2012, the Aam Aadmi Party was formally launched on 26 November 2012, coinciding the day on which the Constitution of India was adopted in 1949. The party drew its ideology from Anna Hazare's vision and concepts against Corruption. It has no tradition of central high command like the other traditional parties in the country. It believes in the principle that Law-making will be done through referendum.

Its MPs and MLAs will not use red lights or any other beacons on his/her vehicles, will not use any special security and will not live in luxurious government housing. It does not allow People with criminal or corrupt background to contest in elections. No two members of the same family will contest elections. It pledges to remove Corrupt ministers in six months, and rape cases would be dispensed within 10 days if AAP comes to power. The party's ideals are totally different from other traditional parties and it surely is the right party for the people of India and of Manipur nowadays.