People want change but AAP collapsing in Punjab due to failure of Kejriwal to understand psyche of Punjabis

  

 

 

AAP collapsing in Punjab as  Kejriwal fails to understand psyche of Punjabis

 

Ground Zero

 

Jagtar Singh

 

The situation is ironic.

The Aam Aadmi Party is collapsing in Punjab, the state where people still aspire for change as the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal are now perceived to be the carbon copies of each other with just marginal difference.

The reason has to be found in the perception of Punjab by its central leadership.

Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister who created this party and continues have his iron grip over it, has failed to understand the psyche of Punjab and the Punjabis.

Punjab is one state whose religio-political dynamics is different from all other states in the country. The parameters and the framework that form the strategy of the parties in other states are not relevant here.

Punjab is still the most secular state despite the fact that its political dynamics is dictated by the Sikh religio-political dynamics. Even the period of militancy that lasted more than a decade failed to cause much damage to this secular fabric. A perception was created that the Sikh militants were against the Hindus but the fact is that about 60 per cent of those who were gunned down by the militants as per the Home Ministry figures were the Sikhs. Not even one Hindu was attacked when the Sikhs were targeted in Delhi and other places for three days beginning  November 1, 1984 following assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her security guards to avenge Operation Bluestar, the army attack on the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in June 1984.

Sikhism preaches love, brotherhood, universalism and dignity of labour and service. The Punjabis share composite culture and heritage although there has been tension over status of Punjabi language from time to time in the past.

People elected AAP as the main opposition in 2017 Assembly elections in Punjab relegating the Akali Dal to third position. However, AAP started disintegrating overtime and from 20 MLAs, it has been reduced to 11 MLAs. The defections continue although the people in general favour change and end to wheat-paddy rotation in politics between Akali Dal and the Congress.

Kejriwal should know that although the BJP has been in alliance with the Akali Dal for almost two and a half decades, the Hindutva failed to take roots here. Kejriwal presents himself as a soft copy of Hindutva. The RSS, of course, has expanded. He can’t impress people in this state by reciting Hanuman Chalisa.

His strategy to offer some sort of economic package by guaranteeing 300 units of power per month too has been blunted by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi who is moving fast to fulfil the promises made by the Congress in 2017. He has already provided relief to various sections by reducing power tariff considerably and is extending other concessions like basic slab of free power. Several other  reliefs  are in the pipeline.

The people want change but Kejriwal has failed to translate that feeling into decision making. There is difference between feeling for change and the final decision making.

Kejriwal apparently did not trust the Punjab leadership and now that relationship seems to have been reciprocated by the people.

Certain rules of the Punjab political and electoral dynamics are unwritten.

One of the rules is that the chief minister  should be a Sikhs and this is accepted by every section. However, this need not be stated publicly. The Congress too committed a blunder when it was recently asserted by one of its senior leaders in Delhi with Punjab roots that only a Sikh leader would replace Capt Amarinder Singh.

The party has failed to project a face in Punjab all these years and all the more so when the people are already deciding as to whom they would vote in February 2022.

A sizeable section of the people aspire for change but AAP has failed to come up to their expectations.

The options are closing fast.

Punjab is a regional power and Kejriwal should have known it and accepted this fact.