In the ocean of democracy we, the common man, are nothing but drops of water. Individually we are weak, insignificant and unaccounted for. But these very tiny drops of water can come together to form waves that can be as destructible as a tsunami. Same can be said about the recent Delhi election results. A party that was established barely two years ago, as an offshoot of perhaps the largest public movement since Independence, is today the ruling party at the capital. When a group of dedicated & self-motivated non-political individuals stepped into the muck of politics, they were initially ignored, ridiculed, defamed and even threatened. But this brave team of revolutionaries knew that the only way politics can be cleaned in this country is when good, honest and visionary individuals step into the arena and take the battering and finally emerge victorious.
Politics has become such a demeaning word in the largest democracy of the world that it has come to be associated with all things wrong and evil. People had no choice but to choose among a bunch of criminals, businessmen and selfish individuals, who were put up as candidates by nearly all the political parties. Such was the rage among the people that when one frail old man raised his voice against corruption, millions of seemingly helpless people broke the threshold of tolerance and came out on streets to protest against corruption and support the anti-incumbency movement.
Out of this wrath, frustration, helplessness and a burning desire to bring about a change, a party that was truly ‘by the people, of the people and for the people’, was born. And today, after two years, this fury of common man has empowered this very young party to penetrate into the walls & barriers set up by system and decades old political parties. Today, a true representative of common man stands tall among the so called elite and political big shots who, until now, had an impregnable grip over power and democracy.
But as they say, uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. With great power comes great responsibility. The true litmus test of the party has just begun. Now, they will have to work hard to stand up to the trust and confidence that people have put in them. The path won’t be easy as once you are in the spotlight, your every move, every decision and every word will be scrutinized and henceforth there will be more criticism & brickbats than acclaims. The same media that hailed you as heroes will now judge you; the same people who until now supported you, will start asking questions. However, true essence of democracy lies in the fact that no person should take his power or position for granted and must constantly deliver. It is hard to reach the top, but harder to stay there. Now is the time to repay faith of the people and give them good governance, justice, security, employment and a clean and corruption free governance. Winning seats is easier than winning hearts.
Despite what happens in the future, Delhi election results have truly portrayed the power of a common man and hope this encourages more people with clean images to enter into politics and drive out the rust and weeds spread all over our system because the government is meant to serve the people and not the other way round.
This article is written by Raju Verghese. Follow him on Facebook here.
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