Any new idea or a cause, originating from an individual or a movement has to invariably go through three stages of severe thapasya or Agni- pariksha :

• Initial summary Rejection
• Grudging silent acknowledgement
• Finally, respectful embracing, recognition and celebration

Interestingly, the receiver goes through these stages in a particular cycle, vis-a-vis larger public; while every giver goes through this cycle in an asynchronous manner – time cycles vary. Go through, every individual of standing. And that individual of standing has to go through these stages every time he or she espouses a cause!

Arvind Kejriwal and AAP are somewhere between the first and second stage, politically speaking, vis-à-vis the khas parties and a few thinkers who are little behind on that trajectory compared to the AAM AADMI (ordinary people), who is somewhere between the second and the third stage. Yes, these givers will traverse those phases, eventually.

The sounds that are emanating from BJP and NaMo, who are aiming for the Gaddi in Delhi is redeploying their Weapons and Ammunitions towards AAP and Kejri, away from their main target a month ago, talks a lot about what they are perceiving is happening in the minds of AAM AADMI. The very fact BJP has not played their usual political games in Delhi to form the government, and getting embroiled in their own game to find themselves helpless is a great eye opener. NaMo’s roar in GOA yesterday and the BJP’s secret conclave focused on checkmating AAP says a lot…. Congress sees AAP as their savior from BJP bulldozing them… So, the big two political players have moved from stage on of Rejection (that existed before Dec 8, 2014) results to the stage of grudgingly acknowledging the new game changer…

Kejri is much more than what the opponents and criticizers see.. Gandhiji went through similar reactions in his initial phase of the battle for ‘Swaraj’, before he managed to attract eminent like-minded people to make it a mass movement of that could make his dream a reality. Kejri, a staunch Gandhian, is playing Gandhiji’s game…. Most critiques are failing themselves, by not seeing what is happening on the ground.

Having known Kejri, at a one degree of separation for the last quarter of a century, and at zero degree of separation in the last three years, I know for sure, that he and his team will end up at the top. His record of the last two decades of public service speaks for itself….

• Moving from a private enterprise to work in the governmental set up, was a conscious choice to serve people and the nation; to understand the working from close quarters…

• Parivartan, was the first step towards working towards honest governance. It came about in the late nineties, when he was in the IT department, with the sole aim of taking on the corrupt and help the common man receive the services in a honest manner.

• Then the realization dawned upon him and his team, that information, instead of being for the good of public, has become a source of power in a few hands, and the movement for RTI happened with like minded people like Aruna Roy and ilk. Eventually, RTI act became a reality. Since then it has empowered every common man to demand his right to know and be heard.

• Then the realization that the RTI remains ineffective unless the corrupt are prevented from becoming the law makers, who patronage the corrupt all the way down the hierarchy in government and the society. Stringent watchdogs is the of the hour. A strong framework to aid the stringent watch dogs is the need of the hour. Hence the struggle to have an effective lokpal, began. The movement needed an identity. Kejriwal roped in Annaji, and many joined in. Annaji became the face of the movement, while Kejriwal created the whole support system along with a few eminent individuals who added their might. But the corrupt lawmakers did not yield. They challenged the movement to face the public in the electoral turnstiles. A few years of mass movement, though supported by large populace, did not yield result as the law makers gloated at the power they have. Kejri’s reposte, “Keechad ki safai, keechad mein utarne se hi hogi, tho hum utarenge” [If garbage can be cleaned only by stepping into it, we will]Annaji rejected the idea (not sure for what is the real reason; would he have done it, had he been a 40 year old now? I am not sure). A few of the esteemed colleagues in the movement rejected too calling politics ‘dirty’, forcing the man with conviction, Kejri, to forge ahead and AAP came Into existence. The rest is history.

• The kichad is getting cleaned for sure….. Delhi outcome has been an eye opener for the most… compelling even a few of the ‘nay’ sayers in the IAC movement to eye BJP. I wonder what happened to the opinion of “politics is dirty” that they all threw at Kejri, just a year ago?

From Rejection to Recognition, through silent acknowledgment ….

• What else can one say about what has happened in the thought process of the political parties in the last one month –
  • All parties passed one version of lokpal (diluted) in flat two days in both houses as they saw the writing on the wall. The years of the movement of IAC did not yield what AAP’s performance compelled the parties in the parliament within a week.
  • BJP did not dare to form the govt.; the thod-phod politics has been kept in the back burner!
  • From rejection phase, BJP and NaMo have moved a great distance into the second phase..
    • BJP is getting back to its RSS roots of using volunteers to build its base
    • BJP also building the NRI connect a-la AAP for funding
    • BJP called a special national meeting of conveners to create a strategy to stall AAP
    • NaMo’s roar with direct AAP centric speech at Goa yesterday, is the latest

• AAP’s government is delivering, one at a time, each of the promises made – the 17 point charter being implemented, brick by brick. Quite a few actions have taken place in the short period of a fortnight…. The grudging acknowledgments follow….. both from Congress, BJP and other CMs…
  • Suddenly a few states have slashed power tariffs – Haryana, Maharashtra…
  • Free water of 666 litres per day….. Maharashtra – Shivsena taking credit..
  • The Read Beacons vanishing – Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, …
  • CM Housing not taken – Vasundhara Raje,
  • Corruption lines are buzzing, and team increased the heat with a few arrests already – Chattisgarh
  • Mohalla sabhas gaining the shape of what Gandhiji believed in ‘poorna swaraj’ by people

AAP has to be on the path, unwaiveringly, and get their act together with a lot of thought and disciplined execution. It will make sure every one move to the third stage of ’embracing and celebrating’.

This could turn out to be really a movement of ‘poorna swaraj’ cleansing the system to give honest governance; and every responsible Indian need to step out and make it happen!