Rakesh Manchanda
Time is changing fast and so is the public attitude towards Dilli life and survival. Empowerment is the new visible electro- magnet force firing people to join AAP movement.
Selection of the Candidate for the coming Lok Sabha had never been under such a sharp microscope of public scrutiny. With emergence of new breeze called Aam Admi Party the selection process for contesting candidates even within the Aam Admi party is changing fast.
So what is new ?
Let us revisit the recent past. Auction of MP tickets in hush ! hush ! manner in a close party headquarters was the old accepted norm. The old hidden buzz word was that if `this` candidate is giving Rupees three crores as party fund in cash he stands disqualified. Why ? coz another powerful businessman candidate under the mask of a politician has offered four crores. No one in the traditional political parties was bothered to send the candidate first to the people for seeking their recommendation.
New party AAP claims to outsmart this corrupt old tradition of `match fixing`. It throws a fresh format of a genuine future selection procedures for an MP in the coming Lok Sabha. The aspiring candidates are asked to submit 1000 signatures from the constituency with 100 each from each assembly. Let us sample the activity at ground zero. There are 10 Vidhan Sabha segments say in East Delhi constituency in line with the EC Directives. AAP applicant needs to submit a proposal with full details of 100 persons in each Vidhan Sabha. This intelligent move although in conventional competitive market format promises a new trend for fair, transparent and an honest competition among the possible candidates applying to be the leader or the representative/ `sevak` of the people and aspiring to be a AAP Lok Sabha candidate.
At the work sites the situation is worst. The grievances of poor in jhuggi and slums stand bleeding and unsolved. Common problems in abundance observed in the East Delhi are poor sanitation, no toilets, no pucca house, no ration card, overcharged power and water bills, no adequate street lights, underpaid wages, broken street lamps, no proper roads, pension on papers but in actual pension stopped since years and unsafe women citizens and so on and so forth.
Let us examine few micro details with evidences : There are no toilets in Indra Camp,Kayanpuri-Vidhan Sabha Kondli. AAP new volunteer Shri Gulshan and the community chief with women voters tell how the authorities in 2011 had demolished the only public toilet of 32 seats for 10,000/- voters residing here in this Jhuggi.
Since past 3 years all men, women and children are forced to go out for unsafe toilet in open in this small segment of Kondli Vidhan Sabha.
AAP needs to update volunteers on holistic lines. How a safe toilet is responsible for better health of people ? There are `eye opener` studies conducted and published by The Hindu Newspaper in the past as to how and why the `height` of teenager going out for toilet in India-Africa remains short. Why in Delhi more then half the population go out in open to excrete and urinate with an unsafe health communication ? On communication front why the SIM card for a mobile is offered free by sellers but going to public toilet it costs more ?
Another new activist and Zulekha Begum of Krishna Nagar who had been working for years on women issues needs AAP help to put pressure on Police to cooperate and do justice on domestic violence cases along with encroachment and bank loan issues against house papers of several women members and volunteers. Zulekha lost her husband a street fruit vendour who was bashed to death by police on having refused to pay Rs.500/- weekly bribe.
Shree Gopal Sahu a visually handicapped but politically awakened old supporter of AAP residing in Ravi Dass Camp,Patparganj tells in detail how Shri Arvind Kejriwal in 2006 motivated him for betterment.
List of grievances are different in East Delhi middle class. Here people want AAP not to trust the poor Jhuggi dwellers. Interestingly same set of voters not ready to run their daily works without maids, drivers, plumbers and vegetable vendors all who reside in nearby slums. Few supporters caution my AAP team with their old reasons as to why according to them the oral contract workers should be never be made permanent. What they miss to explain is why they have failed to be the wise masters to monitor and motivate productivity at worksites via servants. They also fail to explain as to how can the rapes and chain snatching and robbery stop when under Delhi Government and MCD schools the contractors are free to collect signed salary of school guards fixed at Rs.10,252/- but in actual the employee is given only Rs.5000/- per month.
Both the poor and middle class need to improve their trust,relationship and dependency for better and safe Delhi.
As a learning student of Vyavastha Parivartan allow me to sum up my `Take Away` from East Delhi supporters :
The mind set of the Aam Admi is still searching a hero or a powerful leader to do magic and to deliver.
Result ? my team gets endless urgent phone calls to reach and to settle the mentioned issues fast.
My `funda` of Swaraj stands simple. People need to be self dependent. Getting united on common issues after understanding the `unity` of their own `body organs` can holistically help. Outsourcing help by people should be allowed only when the accidental body in emergency needs external blood which means when there is a police and hospital deadlock and the government institute refuses to deliver support.
Few voters want AAP to help their father leave alcohol drink habit. We cannot run for outsourcing help on getting minor cuts on our body say while shaving so such calls need to be attended by the victim`s kiths-kins and neighbours.
People must initiate solutions locally. To overcome distress or when situation needs external pressure at police station or at the hospital for emergency admission the AAP outsourced call and help speaks sense.
People accustomed to the old corrupt delivery system controlled by a single leader and Neta`s old corrupt network are still not ready to outsource help from outside their environment.Public is slow in recognizing their collective ownership rights. AAP new political breeze is welcomed but still there are no enough goal shooters, goal savers,navigators and rank and file members in slums and even higher middle class.This means energy transformation for a new system is also slow.Much energy due to no organised movement still stand outside untapped and unused.
AAP help lines are serving good by the new government but are unable to provide local trained trouble shooters and vanguards in time.
Need of the hour is to consolidate or to build mohalla samatti or organise Local peoples to shoot the emergency troubles.AAP needs to work on a uniform Swaraj format and evolve a guideline mechanism for fire fighting with better organisational handling.
This brings us back to the moot question as how can the Selection process of the people will be better and more transparent ?- To choose the correct future `Savak` or Aam Admi candidate for election of MP/MLA, Corporater and future new Mohalla Samittis representatives.
Newer and better Delhi is bound to bounce back in near future with Swaraj-Self Rule or Peoples Raj.
