An open letter to Arvind Kejriwal: Stop behaving like 'enthu cutlet'

Instead of wasting energy on spreading its tentacles, AAP should focus first on living up to the expectations of the people of Delhi

Dear Mr Kejriwal,

When Delhi was going to polls in December last year, many people across the country were urging their friends in the national capital to give Aam Aadmi Party a chance. You were a political newborn, who offered to provide solution to the people's day-to-day problems. You looked genuine and real. You seemed like someone who deserved to be given at least one opportunity. And then one day, the humongous political wave, created by the Anna Hazare movement, reached the shore and you became the Chief Minister of Delhi. 

It was a happy moment for several people who took vicarious pleasure in your impressive electoral performance. Now, people were expecting your government to do some magnificent work. After all, that's what you had asked them to expect from you. One knows it takes time to do magnificent things. So, you decided to go ahead first with a little munificence and distributed some freebies. We were okay with your largesse; there was no problem.

 

But I am a little worried now because your political road map indicates that you have become overambitious; you intend to ride the wave a little longer and want to make quick inroads into other parts of the country by contesting the Lok Sabha elections this year.

I call it overambitious, Mr Kejriwal, because you desire for a country-wide political conquest without telling the people in real terms why they should vote for you. You are reluctant to explain to the people beyond Delhi why they should believe in a party with no antecedents and which has absolutely no inclination or patience to establish its efficiency on the basis of what they do, and not just on what they say.

The Aam Aadmi Party has got a mandate to govern Delhi. It should do that properly and set an example of governance if they can. That's why people in Delhi voted for you. That's why Indians in various parts of the world urged others to vote for you despite knowing that you had come to the horizon with no political history. People in Delhi have played a huge gamble and it's time for AAP to prove that they did not bet on the wrong horse. Your political slate is clean because it has no past. It's time for you to write something constructive on it.

On the contrary, you and your party, like an 'enthu cutlet' — an expression used in Chennai to describe those brimming with energy without any reason, as if they are on a sugar rush — are busy expanding your tentacles in other parts of the country. And in some cases, you are even becoming a nuisance. 

For example, earlier this week in Patna, a group of AAP members turned violent because the authorities of the Patna Medical College and Hospital removed illegal shanties on its campus. Your party members' argument was: the action should not have been taken during winter. Really? In that case, should police drag criminals out of their warm beds in winter or should they wait till blankets are no longer required? Will you explain this inane argument by the members of your party, Mr Kejriwal?

I understand your party is under excessive media focus and anything and everything you say is picked up for scrutiny and criticism by political opponents. But that's part of the game, sir, isn't it? You knew what you were getting into. But the fact is that in real terms, you have done nothing except pontificating on social media. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Yes, it is true that the two major political parties of this country are corrupt. But who knows about you, sir? You are yet to establish yourself as a leader. You have capitalised on people's frustration with the system. Nobody blames you for that. People have heard enough from you about what you stand for and what you aim to achieve. Now, it's time for you to shut up, start work and let your work speak for itself. 

We know that is going to take time, sir, before we can see your report card. So, you take your time, Mr Kejriwal, because nobody is rushing you up. You should wait till you have something concrete to show to the country, and then ask for votes on the basis of the work you have done. The wait may be longer than you expected and it may test your patience. But that will be fair to the people of the country whose votes you seek.

However, we see that you are going for the easier option by allowing your party members to run around like a bunch of enthu cutlets, ride the anti-corruption wave a little longer, and capitalise a little more on people's frustration and anger. With all due respect, sir, that is not fair. India does not need a wave; it needs good leaders and better governance. It's time you set an example because people look up to you.

Sir, if you do not show patience, your party, instead of becoming a tree, will turn out to be a creeper which will start wilting at the first sign of heat and arid weather. Besides, you may lose control over your branches: we have seen an example in Patna. And as far as a wave is concerned, sir, it is fine up to a point. But if it leaves the shore and tresspasses into the real world, it will leave a lot of garbage and junk in its wake. Does it look like we need more garbage, Mr Kejriwal?