2017 By-poll & AAP: Lessons

BJP won Delhi's Rajouri Garden seat in by poll, the result came on 13 April, 2017. Congress was second. Here last time winner Aam Aadmi Party last has lost its deposit ahead of key civic elections.

AAP government did not fare bad as far as the governance was concerned. Why did it lose? It did no better in Punjab also, Goa was a washout. The un-ceremonial removal of Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan and others has some effect, but in all these elections, Swaraj Abhiyan or Swaraj India did not fight elections, did not act as voted divider. But in forthcoming election, MCD, they are contending and I have seen many AAP's ex volunteers, now on this side.

Some ex volunteers have cribbed high handedness of the middle rung leaders of AAP and rudeness. Top level leaders, in any case, are non-approachable, like in Congress, BJP, SP, BSP, DMK, AIDMK, TC, SS, MNS, PDP, etc!

Was AAP different than other bourgeois parties? It claimed that “Revolution has begun” and this slogan was also seen on many time-lines on social media id of its volunteers, like Arvind Kejriwal's Twitter account.

In 2014 election, the AAP leaders were very fond of explaining about revolution, the opportunity to carry out revolution or that the revolutionary flame only comes once in few decades and this flame does not wait for ever.

Now this talk is history, the talk of Swaraj, JLPB is over, the anti-corruption platform has evaporated. Now what is left over is its claim to work for the people, in education, health. The stunted Delhi Government (It is almost strangulated due BJP's Central government and its puppet LG controlling Delhi police, administration and MCD, too, is under rule of BJP for last 8 years) could do nothing more than it. Example of Allende in Chile, where he and his party wanted to build a socialist society on the existing state machineries, is not known to most of the AAP members. Allende’s power was usurped by the bourgeois class with its existing pillars of the ‘democracy’ and he had to suicide!

What am I hinting at? I am talking of AAP's economic, social, political policies. It was never revolutionary. As long as YY, PB were there as think tanks, there was some pro working class, peasants talk, and there was slogan of controlling the big capitalists, similar to that of Social Democrats. Like, “Those who work, shall eat”. However, must remember that, class was never discussed, like in 1977 movement, where JP talked of it, but upheld Class Reconciliation, rather struggle, to demolish the class in future society.

Arvind Kejriwal had clearly stated in a FICCI presentation that he is not against capitalism but against crony capitalism! Its lower level volunteers, till date, boast of favouring "no ism", the century and half old ideology of Prudhon, "Anarchism", as a brand new idea!!!

So, whatever vision AAP had or now has (though much shrunken now) is nothing but some reforms, not much different than the other bourgeois parties. As a new party, somehow, akin to AASU, had many honest leaders, volunteers and worked hard. Stagnation is natural. The demand and implementation of much higher pay & perks by its newly elected MLAs was part of this stagnation. And natural degeneration in capitalist culture and in a society divided into class, where everyone is ‘forced’ to try to rise the higher ladder, was part of AAP’s decay.

The continuous lies and misinformation by the RSS IT Hubs, by its paid trolls, too, had some effect, especially in Delhi, where the psychology of middle class philistines is ever vacillating. This time to become nationalist or for Hindu Rashtra, too had effect on the voters? May not be very true, as judging on fewer seats will be erroneous.

AAP, positively, failed to please and assure the elite class, the true rulers of the country, who could give Billions to it to win elections. Media could have been at its disposal. AAP’s policy here tactically and strategically failed and it remained face of middle class, pseudo intellectuals, that too in big cities and that of small traders, for whom it wanted to make the IT procedures simpler! This was a tragedy of a bourgeois party!

AAP was never for the proletarian class, the peasants and their government. Its only ideological work was Swaraj, written by Arvind Kejriwal. This book upholds the feudal ‘swaraj’ in British India and some in the foreign, like in Sweden! The petty bourgeois desire, vision is clearly visible in its manifesto and even in its work. Maintaining capitalism and in its shade giving right to the locals, at village, small towns, Kasbas level to take care of themselves with the aid given by the Central authorities!

It has no outlook on philosophy, except that it advocates love all religion. It’s leaders, like that of Congress, BJP, etc bow to the statue of Bhagat Singh on his martyrdom but never uphold or negate his revolutionary, Marxist ideology, never talk of his party HSRA!

Political outlook is change the country via parliamentary election. It did go to streets but now has been abundoned.

In short, AAP’s economic, philosophical, political ideology has nothing to offer a common man (Forget the working class, peasants and other exploited class, women) different than the other bourgeois class. The ‘tag’ of honesty was masked by its opportunism, where its leaders went after better facilities, pay, perks.

In the present or in the upcoming forth election, the results will be on similar line! What will happen, if AAP dose not fare well in MCD election. Will it remember Right to Recall, the main slogan of 1977 movement? Or will it boast, that from zero seats in the existing MCD, it has bagged so many seats? It has to say something, to keep its volunteers entertained, enthused, at least on social media, where it fights well against the paid trolls of RSS!

But sure enough, there will be no self-criticism, like any other bourgeois parties! Reformism, too, has its great moments, when millions of supporters come to the street but it vanishes equally fast! A fight above class is like Modi’s slogan “Sabaka Saath Sabaka Vikas (With everyone, progress for everyone). In case it does well, the “Revolution has begun” will be seen on its leader’s time-lines for longer time.

To conclude, I will only say that, India needs a party of the working class to lead resistance against the rising fascism in all walks of life, in all departments of, state on strictly class line. Its ideology must confirm to revolution; revolution, which could change the existing property relation, the capitalism, to establish socialism, the dream of Bhagat Singh and his comrades, that of HSRA. AAP might had seeds of revolution but was buried immediately after it came into existence.

Unity & struggle of the exploited against the exploiters cannot wait for long. The degeneration of present society, based on class division, wage slavery is beyond tolerance. The productive forces are being destroyed to maintain the hegemony of capital. It must come to an end. New society; with equality, new opportunity to all its members, 100% employment, women’s parity, free children’s education and health to everyone; will save the mankind, the environment and the mother Earth!