Earlier in an article ,responding to a report in ET of Wed 11 2013 of how the Maulanas of Delhi supported AAP not in the fight against corruption of Congress and BJP but mainly to settle a wakf property dispute with Congress leaders, I had mentioned that AAP was not that clean. AAP too was not different from traditional political parties accused of playing divisive and Identity politics.
Though ET report appeared post elections yet itwas was an eye opener . But the important question is why the leading English Dailies in Mumbai the ET ,TOI, HT did not report earlier.this under current of Muslim Identity politics playing openly during Delhi elections in favour of AAP.
If only the media had highlighted this aspect of Muslim vote bank politics at the right time debates and discussions would have followed and AAP would have found it difficult to escape identity politics game and voters would have judged on merit to favour AAP or not which tom tommed of its clean politics. May be Delhi would not have been subjected to hung assembly drama and the hardships of the lack of a good working government.
Akansha Natani , a research scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University writestoday in HT ‘ The next non-traditional aspect in the journey of the AAP was the support that it received: people were united in the fight against corruption, ignoring all identity issues”. The overwhelming Muslims who supported AAP for religios reasons does not indicate that identity issues were not at play. Scholars should base their writings on facts prevailing and not on lines that they would like to propagate and create perceptions removed from reality. Sitting in Delhi so close to the under current of Muslim identity politics being played in favour of AAP through press Conferences and ADs in Urdu Newspapers how some scholars have missed it is difficult to fathom.Or is there an attempt to create perceptionsof Clean Hands of AAP though they are now soiled.
Santosh Desai in his Column today in TOI writes ” The offer of support (to AAP) is a transparent ploy and one that needs to be rejected outright. Accepting support or being seen to dally with the idea of accepting it are both damaging for it ends up compromising AAP’s claims to being the third force. The moment AAP takes on a pillion rider, it becomes a part of an old and familiar binary of power.It becomes part of a choice set that resides inside conventional politics and familiar politicking rather than outside it “.
By accepting with open hands Muslim Votes which turned anti Congress on religious grounds AAP has Compromised. It has no moral grounds to claim that it is a third force devoid of the ingredients of conventional politics. It has won to an extent on familiar politicking of idendity politics. AAP can no more claim it is an outsider seeking power through clean politics to cleanse the system of corruption. AAP’s hands are equally soiled. Corrupt electoral practice will take its toll on high moral grounds that AAP likes to take at the drop of the hat.
All those in the media who are in the game of perception peddling are doing a disservice to readers and to Indian democracy which is looking forward to grow up through cleaner politics. AAP’s face of traditional politicking should have been exposed by the media at the appropriate time.
But as is wellknown vested interest media plays along the dierty politics. Disinformation or suppression of facts are impregnated with hidden agenda. If the Media and opinion makers continue to report and air their views to suit vested interests truth will be a casualty and more hung assemblies are round the corner. May be the beginning of non working anarchy has been achieved. Galbraith said ” India is a working anarchy ” There are those who are burning midnight oil to transform India into a non working one . It will be sad for India if even Galbraith is proved wrong. At least let the working state be on which is still a hope for improvement , good governance and survival of our democracy.
