Oh #Hardikpatel – Voters just need honest selfless pragmatism : Shantonu Sen

CUSP OF CHANGE

” I want to change the system through “dabangai”, aggression. Nothing will change in India through love. –AAP has no dabangai” Again “Either enslave every one under reservation or free every one. If you cannot remove it because of politics give it. There are no jobs, no education and no scholarship because those with reservations have taken it.” A vein flowing with anger makes the young Hardik Patel utter such expressions . He also feels that Aam Admi Party lacks aggression and therefore cannot bring about a change
Why has Hardik mentioned AAP at all? Its clear that AAP figures in his calculation as he views AAP, too, as an harbinger of change. But AAP is more than a mere catalyst. Arvind Kejriwal is also an instrument of change. Those who lead movements like Hardik Patel is currently doing, can be aggressive, persistent, seek no quarter , give none etc etc. But those who want to build on the changes introduced must show patience, flexibility and also, of course, love and only then they will receive it all back in full measure. No lasting change is otherwise possible.
The support that Hardik in Gujerat and Arvind in Delhi and the Punjab have garnered in this short time, that is their existence, should be a matter of concern to the various national and state parties. The stars of the latter are not ascendant these days. But can it be said that the majority of parties in India view themselves as incapable of gauging their voters hopes and failing them on the hope front . Do they fail them also to achieve their aspirations? This , then, is the moot question .
Most national parties whether its the BJP, the Congress, CPI (M) and their associates and other pretenders to the All India Party tag have one definite question for fledgling aspirants to their mantle, like AAP. What is your ideology? Brinda Karat a leading member of the CPI(M) while endorsing the left Parties decision on joining the deliberations organized by AAP to discuss Centre- State relations made this clear. They will not break bread with any party that has no ideology. Marxism, Socialism, Capitalism, Lohiaism or any other ism being missing in the make-up of Hardik Patel or Anna Hazare or Arvind Kejriwal makes them wary of them. Other parties born only to further the interest of a particular society only like the Bahujan Samaj, Owasi’s Majlis or those that foster Dravidianism are even more wary. They warn adherents to keep such leaders at arms length. AAP’s resounding successive victories in Delhi has them worried but even today AAP is pariah as Brinda Karat’s recent observations make more than clear.
It will be a brave person who will venture to think otherwise. How can a movement , a party, a group have no ideology? When the Emperor wore no clothes it was innocence that dared to point the obvious only because he was oblivious to the danger that stalked him for daring to describe the emperor naked. All others with him dared not. They knew but remained silent. The truth is, these isms have not worked. Why it has been so requires to be explained separately and in greater detail . But , today, voters, suffice it to say, dare I say it, just need honest selfless pragmatism.