Pranab Mukherjee has raised valid concerns
President Pranab Mukherjee's observation during his Republic Day eve speech that “anarchy” cannot “substitute governance”, may have raised the Aam Aadmi Party's hackles. But the party and its well-wishers must take the comment in their stride and reflect on its wisdom, rather than adopt a combative posture. It is obvious that Mr Mukherjee had Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's recent dharna in mind, but it would be wrong to read into the statement any offence directed at either Mr Kejriwal or his party. As head of state and having spent decades in governance holding senior positions at the Centre, Mr Mukherjee can only have the good of the country at heart, and he has through the speech shared his views with the people. The observation is meant equally for all those political leaders who believe that empty populism can propel them to power, even if such populist conduct militates against established democratic systems and processes and strikes at the very interests of society and the country at large. It is this displeasure with populist tendencies that the President elaborated upon when he advised the representatives of the people to refrain from making promises to the electorate that they cannot honour. He said, with telling effect, “Elections do not give any person the licence to flirt with illusions”. Since he was addressing the nation — in effect, the people of the country — Mr Mukherjee's words must not be lost on the citizens. They should hold their representatives accountable and rap them on the knuckle when the latter begin selling illusions. At the same time, the people are justified in their anger when the political class fails to deliver on the assurances it has offered to gain the votes. It is to this outpouring of dissent that the President referred to when he remarked, “False promises lead to disillusionment, which gives birth to rage, and that rage has one legitimate target: Those in power”. Here, the President is completely bipartisan, and he in fact acknowledges that the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement of 2011 was the result of failed assurances by the ruling class to tackle corruption. Naturally, political parties have been interpreting the President's speech depending on whom they wish to target. While the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party are happy over Mr Mukherjee's disguised jibe at the Aam Aadmi Party, Mr Kejriwal appears to be elated that there is now a “debate” on whether a Chief Minister should sit on a dharna. It is typical of the Delhi Chief Minister to reduce the President's sagacious advice to an observation about his pet method of resolving issues. He needs to grow up.
Street agitations are often the last recourse when all other methods fail. For heads of elected Governments to protest on the roads and inconvenience the very same people whose interests they claim to promote, is hypocrisy. In any case, Governments and their heads have a variety of democratic options at their command which the common citizen does not, to get issues resolved. It is good that the people across the country have, as the lok Sabha election draws near, begun to see through populism and demand answers on governance and development from the representatives they have elected and hope to elect.