I was sitting under a tree and talking to some of the farmers of Parchundi—one of the fifteen villages we
have adopted in Marathwada, Maharashtra for rural
development.
We were having an intense discussion about some impending post-monsoon work. From the corner of my eye, I could see Govind, one of the smartest boys of the village, fidgeting. He appeared uninterested in the goings- on. Each time the conversation paused, Govind seemed to want to say something, but the words would stall.
When the meeting ended, I asked, ‘Govind, what is it?’ Sheepishly, he looked at me and whispered, ‘Sir, tell me please, exactly kay zhala?’ (‘What exactly happened?’)
All interest in our earlier discussion vanished as every face in the gathering lit up with expectation.
We were having an intense discussion about some impending post-monsoon work. From the corner of my eye, I could see Govind, one of the smartest boys of the village, fidgeting. He appeared uninterested in the goings- on. Each time the conversation paused, Govind seemed to want to say something, but the words would stall.
When the meeting ended, I asked, ‘Govind, what is it?’ Sheepishly, he looked at me and whispered, ‘Sir, tell me please, exactly kay zhala?’ (‘What exactly happened?’)
All interest in our earlier discussion vanished as every face in the gathering lit up with expectation.
It was a question I had got used to hearing wherever
I went:
Kay zhala?
Kya hua?
Shu thayu?
What happened?
Yes, what happened to you and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)?
In other words: How did the party splinter? Where did it lose its way? And what exactly compelled you—one of its founding leaders—to quit?
Thousands of books have been written, lms made and historical volumes published with the details of India’s independence struggle. But very little has been written about what has been called India’s ‘second independence struggle’—a struggle almost synonymous with the creation of AAP and its promise to rescue a nation plagued by corruption. Equally little has been written about the party’s sudden implosion—and with it, the caving in of the dreams of a billion Indians for a new India.
Someone had to attend to this gap. Someone had to write about one of the most important phases in post- independent Indian history with knowledge, objectivity and insider information. Someone had to trace AAP’s meteoric rise and fall.
This book attempts to do that. It offers, not just bare- boned history, but a personal account and analysis of the events of the recent past, the minds of its protagonists—be it Arvind Kejriwal or Anna Hazare—and the ups and downs of one of India’s most controversial parties.
This is my truth and what I know of AAP.
Kay zhala?
Kya hua?
Shu thayu?
What happened?
Yes, what happened to you and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)?
In other words: How did the party splinter? Where did it lose its way? And what exactly compelled you—one of its founding leaders—to quit?
Thousands of books have been written, lms made and historical volumes published with the details of India’s independence struggle. But very little has been written about what has been called India’s ‘second independence struggle’—a struggle almost synonymous with the creation of AAP and its promise to rescue a nation plagued by corruption. Equally little has been written about the party’s sudden implosion—and with it, the caving in of the dreams of a billion Indians for a new India.
Someone had to attend to this gap. Someone had to write about one of the most important phases in post- independent Indian history with knowledge, objectivity and insider information. Someone had to trace AAP’s meteoric rise and fall.
This book attempts to do that. It offers, not just bare- boned history, but a personal account and analysis of the events of the recent past, the minds of its protagonists—be it Arvind Kejriwal or Anna Hazare—and the ups and downs of one of India’s most controversial parties.
This is my truth and what I know of AAP.
2 comments:
Interesting many Indians would surely like to know.
Happy that you are coming out with this book.After Janata experiment failed, i lost interest in democratic process. When Anna came, it revived. But it came down crashing. Hope your book provides some answers. Also I feel the right way of Nation building is the way what you are doing. God bless.
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