TARIQ A. AL-MAEENA There have been recent indications that the credibility of Indian journalism is questionable, especially during an election year. A South Asian media watchdog, The Hoot, discovered that “political parties and individuals with political affiliations own and control increasing sections of the press.” And the Business Standard reported in 2012 that “more than a third of news channels in India are owned by politicians or political affiliates, who use their channels as political vehicles to influence the course of local elections.” It is, thus, refreshing to read what an Indian devoid of any political influences has to say on the current situation in his country. Shamsul Huda in a submitted piece edited for space and titled “Big challenges await Aam Aadmi” dwells on the rising phenomenon of Arvind Kejriwal in Indian politics. He contends that Kejriwal “has waged a practical war against ill-gotten gains which are deeply entrenched in Indian society. It was inconceivable before the local assembly elections in Delhi that he would be sworn in as the capital's chief minister and able to materialize his dream of putting a system in place to root out corruption. Dispelling doubts, his new government has begun piecing together allegations of corruption. As a result, government officials have started feeling the heat for taking bribes.” Shamsul Huda continues: “He formed the nascent Aam Aadmi (common man) Party (AAP) with the main aim to stamp out bribery. His efforts have paid off. AAP's crusade against corruption won it 28 seats out of 70 in Delhi's Vidhan Shava elections and subsequently brought it to power with its supremo, Kejriwal, as chief minister. Its election symbol, a broom, is vindicated as a tool to sweep out corruption. However, it is still too early to judge how far he can go with his resolute stand against such a delicate issue. “Kejriwal's battle against corruption is not new. He played a notable part in the passage of the famous Lokpal Bill along with Anna Hazare, who has stirred India with his anti-graft campaign. Kejriwal also played a vital role in the enactment of the Right to Information Act. His social work earned him the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award. The Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen's Ombudsman Bill) seeks appointment of a legal representative with jurisdiction over all members of parliament and central government employees in cases of corruption. It has counterparts in all the states of India. “Kejriwal, a former tax inspector, has put his foot on the tail of the poisonous snake of a powerful circle of corrupt people. They are kingmakers and have enormous wealth to buy people to go into the streets to outdo AAP's achievements. It is feared that AAP's bold steps against corruption will make it pay a heavy price. “Kejriwal has to go a long way to put his government on the right track. He inherited an administration blighted by the rampant corruption of the 15-year rule of Congress. He has to tread a tightrope fearing to fall from it if Congress withdraws the support with which he has established his government. Congress will not miss a single chance to undo him. His predecessor, Delhi's long-serving Congress chief minister, Sheila Dikshit, whom he defeated in her own constituency, has declared her intent to make a comeback. AAP is also under threat from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has termed AAP's formation of the Delhi government as betrayal. “A bed of nails awaits AAP once its victory celebration wears off. It has to turn a long list of election pledges into reality on the back of the high aspirations of people who have long been fed up with hollow promises by politicians. It has to supply free water, 700 liters a day for a family, cut electricity tariffs to a reasonable level, reduce the price of essentials, build 500 government schools in Delhi and offer other utilities at subsidized rates. These promises were prominent in AAP's election manifesto. “To provide these services at free or reduced prices, the AAP government will be exposed to financial constraints. These excessive subsidies won't bode well for the sustainable growth of the economy. If a large portion of the budget is spent on subsidies, the government, beyond doubt, will fall short of building an adequate infrastructure to accommodate new industries. In that case, Delhi will be left behind and will not be able to catch up with other regions in terms of social and economic development. “On the other hand, AAP's free water and subsidized electricity will not be able to make everyone happy. Disquiet and discontent will mount when these facilities fail to reach a large portion of poor citizens who live in slums and fetch water from the illegal leakage of pipes. AAP's free water will benefit only those who use meters. In the case of subsidized power supply, these poor people will also be deprived of benefits because many of them use electricity through illegal connections paying bribes to officials. These are the possible factors which will put Kejriwal in hot water. “AAP now eyes Lok Shaba elections. If its sudden rise continues unabated, AAP is set to make a big breakthrough in the next lower house of parliament with its candidates planning to stand in more than 300 constituencies. Although there are challenges from both BJP and from Congress, AAP is braced to withstand them. Considering the continuous support of the common man for AAP, political movers and shakers have started thinking about Kejriwal as a possible candidate for Indian prime minister in the foreseeable future.” I commend Shamsul Huda for his contribution of this piece that provides an insight into Indian politics in an election year that is sure to be marred by controversial and divisive elements. – The author can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @talmaeena
