AAP mourns Santosh Koli, its fiery voice that mobilised hundreds

Short and with a hoarse voice: Santoh Koli was not the usual speaker one expected to encounter at public rallies. Residents of North East Delhi’s Seemapuri assembly constituency used to listen with rapt attention every time Koli, a grass root worker and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, addressed them. She would tell them how to take on the system. Twenty eight year old Santosh Koli, a rights activist and leader of the recently launched AAP, succumbed to her injuries on Wednesday morning, more than a month after she was hit by a speeding car in the satellite town of Ghaziabad. Her condition had improved during her treatment at a private hospital in Gurgaon, until on Tuesday when Koli suffered brain hemorrhage. She passed away at around 9.30 am on Wednesday morning, said doctors. Poised to contest as an AAP candidate from North-East Delhi’s Seemapuri assembly constituency, Koli was one of the oldest associates of the party’s founder member — Arvind Kejriwal. In the winter of 2002 Koli became one of the first employees of Parivartan, a non-governmental organization started by Kejriwal along with few other members of the civil society. [caption id=“attachment_1018037” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Santosh Koli with Aam Admi party leader in this file photo. Image provided by AAP.[/caption] While her association with Kejriwal continued at every step — from implementation of welfare schemes to shifting focus to Right to Information Act and then Jan Lokpal Bill, followed by political career — close associates say that Koli did not eye any significant post due to her seniority and proximity to the bureaucrat turned politician. “People tend to change over time. Lot of them start acting pricey when see their name getting connected to a movement which has caught the imagination of the country. Santosh however was never interested in larger politics. She remained a layman’s frontier. Seniority and success never got into her head,” said Delhi based journalist Panini Aanad who worked with Parivartan in its initial days. In 2005, when Koli gained prominence for her work to increase transparency in public distribution system, local goons attacked her with blades and surgical knives. Going against the wishes of her parents, she resumed work at Parivartan soon after the attack. “As a twenty year old, she knew her calling. She was clear that despite the attack, she would not sit at home. There cannot be an alternate to Santosh,” said Bibhav, AAP member. She defied the preconceived notions of a Dalit woman to emerge as a community leader who empowered the lower middle class families by creating awareness about rampant corruption in the implementation of government welfare schemes. Her friends and aides don’t recall her ever playing a caste victim. “Rather than cursing her caste, she told people of her community how to make best use of the welfare schemes meant for them. She could relate to their issues as she was one of them,” said AAP member Dilip Pandey. Koli would mobilise hundreds of local residents in every street protest conducted by Kejriwal and aides, something which reflected her popularity in her area. “She was everyone’s daughter. Her locality was like her extended family,” said Javed, AAP member and Sundar Nagri resident. Lately, Javed said, Koli wanted to get married. “She would blame us for not been able to find a suitable match for her.” The AAP has not ruled out foul play in Koli’s death. “We all resolve that we will not let her sacrifice go in vain. We have to take her struggle forward,” tweeted Kejriwal after Koli’s death. Kapil Mishra, AAP member and party candidate from Karawal Nagar said, “Whether it is proved or not, we will always believe that she was murdered. This is the price one has to pay to stand against the corrupt system.”