Arvind Kejriwal bans dharnas outside his home: So much for democracy

From poses to posturing. While Arvind Kejriwal twists and writhes like a pretzel in Dharamkot the ‘man of the common people’ stops the people from congregating near his residence. Article 144 calls for blocking folks from protesting, meeting or shouting slogans near his residence. One of the reasons given for this 30-day ban that can be extended is that it is the festive season and therefore, more people are likely to make their way through there and cause problems. The whole idea behind the Kejriwal experiment was supposed to be predicated to an open door policy. But now he has slammed it shut. [caption id=“attachment_2935542” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Arvind Kejriwal. PTI[/caption] While everyone understands the need to maintain privacy and Z security should be able to handle that aspect, keeping legitimate members of the public from exercising their rights is excessive. The phrase used is ‘serious law and order problems’ and these are interpreted as ‘possibilities’ by political parties in that they might hold demonstrations and dharnas near this exalted person’s house. So much for democracy. Instead of the gloves the muffler is off and the conceit is underscored by the paranoia that marks this man’s current activities. This is a man who wanted to walk to work. Who said he would eschew all the trappings of power. That he would take his symbolic broom and sweep Delhi clean of these vanities. And now we have the same man turning the area around his home into a cordon sanitaire. If we make this a rule for all the Cabinet members and then for the Central government, we will have to line up for licences at Jantar Mantar and over 20 percent of Delhi’s real estate will be made despotic and private. But then we have to understand that Kejriwal is cagey enough to create this Patriot missile circle around him so that the PM’s sniper squad doesn’t get him. In keeping with the current blame game, it didn’t take long for the BJP to squeal in displeasure and recoil in standard horror and now we will have to look to see if Indira Gandhi or Atal Bihari Vajpayee or Narendra Modi have more acreage sanitised to keep them safe so that the battle can be enjoined. I am sure before the day is done, someone will have measured the spaces and little pigeons will float into the cubby holes of our TV talk shows to discuss this act of lese majeste. What is truly ridiculous is the spearhead of the logic – that with Independence Day, Rakshabandhan, Janmashtmi etc the risk is intensified. The 30 days could be extended because of Dussehra, Diwali and Christmas. At least we are secular in our solitude. It must feel awesome to look at acres of unpopulated prime real estate from your window and think, gee I have come a long way. This is the same fellow who lay on a cot in a vest while his wife cooked chappatis on a two ring stove in a documentary we saw on TV…you sure have come a long way AK. Is it possible, people of India, that Arvind Kejriwal actually believes he is a target for assassination and this mindset is making him do these things? Talk about playing into the hands of the BJP at a juncture when the Centre is being blamed by the AAP for everything. Now, you have even isolated the people. Can you imagine the torture of trying to get to see Arvind? Not that you want to, but what if you did? Perhaps it would have made more sense to give security to women and little girls from rapists, to these victims of caste and to the average elderly person who gets murdered in bed and yank up the cops to do a better job because seriously, Arvind we love you, no one wants to kill you, but if you keep killing democratic institutions you may have to ask where the love has gone.