FEPS Rue Montoyer 40 B-1000 Brussels +32 2 234 69 00 | www.feps-europe.eu

AAM AADMI PARTY (AAP) A NEW POLITICAL PARTY IN INDIA

New Delhi, 22nd January 2013

Klaus Voll and Kamakshi Nanda

For further information please contact Ernst STETTER, FEPS Secretary General at ernst.stetter@feps-

europe.eu or David KITCHING, FEPS Policy Advisor at david.kitching@feps-europe.eu

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction to the party

2. Interview: Shazia Ilmi

3. Portrait: Shazia Ilmi, Member of AAP

4. Portrait: Arvind Kejriwal, Founder of AAP

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AAM AADMI PARTY

Bursting into the political scene in an already crowded horizon in the last quarter of 2012 was the

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Its genesis lies in the India Against Corruption (IAC) campaign of 2011 which

had pushed for stringent anti-corruption laws and the establishment of an independent ombudsman

to monitor possible excesses of public servants and politicians, termed as the Jan Lokpal Bill.

While the world was still recovering from the financial crises, and the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis

intensified, the year 2010 in India saw the revelation of numerable scams each worth billions of

dollars. Indian newspaper and magazines screamed headlines of the Commonwealth Games Delhi

2010 scam, 2G spectrum scam, Adarsh Housing Society scam. India experienced its own “Arab

Spring” moment in the summer of 2011 when a 74 year-old social activist, Anna Hazare, from a

village in Maharashtra went on a fast unto death to pressurise the government to act against

rampant corruption and financial irregularities. The people of the nation responded warmly to the

call of this senior citizen. Indians joined his demonstrations in Delhi in large numbers while sporadic

protests were held across the length and breadth of the country. The India Against Corruption

campaign was thus realised with the humble Anna Hazare at the fore front with a formidable team of

ex-police officer Kiran Bedi, ex-public officer Arvind Kejriwal and advocate Prashant Bushan being the

backbone.

Repeated delays in the passing of the Lokpal Bill in the Parliament and dilly dallying by the

government lead to mass protests by the same movement in 2012 as well. Ideological differences on

the action plan to achieve the campaign’s goals gave birth to the Aam Aadmi Party. Arvind Kejriwal,

the founder, espoused for a political course to bring in the Lokpal Bill, cleanse Indian politics of

corrupt practices and make democracy more accessible to the common man.

The name of the new party, ‘Aam Aadmi’, means ‘Common Man’ in Hindi. It could be argued that the

choice of words is a subtle barb on the current ruling establishment in Delhi. The Congress has always

projected itself as a party that works for the ‘aam aadmi’. The Congress government has lost face on

account of the corruption scandals, decline in economic growth and high inflation. The members of

the new party have almost no political lineage, belong to the urbane middle class, and echo the

concerns of the Indians on the streets to the greater extent than the elected representatives. Aam

Aadmi Party or ‘The Common Man Party’ promises much but what remains to be seen is whether it

will be able to make a dent on the political landscape in the next general elections due to be held in

early 2014. This year they will contest in the Assembly Elections in Delhi.

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2. INTERVIEW: SHAZIA ILMI

Charming ex- journalist Shazia Ilmi, established face in Indian television as a prime time anchor, is

now the suave, urbane, Muslim figure of the Aam Aadmi Party.

Shazia Ilmi, ex-journalist, member of Aam Aadmi Party

In the following interview she shares her thoughts, ideas and hopes for her fledging party with

Advisor on Asia to FEPS, Dr Klaus Voll and political analyst Kamakshi Nanda.

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1. What factors within India contributed to the necessity for the birth of a new political party?

Could you explain the beginnings and the need for your party? And your own career shift?

The plunge to activism and politics is a personal transition for me. After years of a dedicated career in

journalism and news anchoring, I felt the need to contribute more actively to the exigent need of our

times by being the agency of change myself. While journalism allowed me to voice pressing concerns

that irk the society, this new pursuit motivates me to generate the change that I wish to see in the

world.

The India Against Corruption (IAC) movement emerged against the backdrop of rising India’s paradox

where the rhetoric of growth is founded upon a flimsy sub-stratum. While the general propensity to

submit to the omnipresence of corruption has been jolted by the spate of recent corruption scams of

an unprecedented scale (the Coalgate scam, 2G Spectrum allocation scam etc.), our movement has

highlighted the need to raise the consciousness that this malaise plagues different spheres of our

social and political lives in sectors such as health, education, employment, etc. The necessity of

connecting the dots has now become imperative since in a developing society like ours where a

majority of the population languishes beneath a rather sparsely defined poverty line, such debilitating

forces combine to disenfranchise the people and deny them basic human rights. For instance, an

overwhelming 77 per cent of the Indian population lives below less than 20 INR a day according to

the Arjun Sengupta Committee report, 2006.1 A new political party was, thus, intended to embolden

the transition process from colonial subjugation to citizenry in a democracy that is [presently] stalled

by corruption and parochial interests of the political elite.

2. How should Europeans understand your movement against corruption and the fight for

introducing the Jan LokPal Bill (anti-corruption Bill) in the Parliament?

Our movement for an independent ombudsman or the Jan Lok Pal through an act of Parliament is

geared towards freeing the supreme investigating body from the shackles of Executive control and/or

manipulation. Presently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) works under the control of the

central government which severely impairs its functioning.

The movement has given birth to a new political party, recently named as the Aam Aadmi Party, as

we delve into electoral politics to devise political and legal answers to widening the ambit of

politics, the basic structure of governance and administration, independent functioning of

investigating agencies, etc. which had been kept in cold storage by the inaction of the prevailing

1Report may be accessed here - http://www.wghr.org/pdf/Status%20report%2023.05%20version.pdf

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parties. The idea was to bring these issues that are fundamental to the lives of the common people to

the front line.

3. Is it a middle class phenomenon? Did the middle class angst against an increasingly self-serving

political class express itself through your former movement, India Against Corruption or do you

believe IAC went beyond this?

A proud achievement of our movement has been to eliminate middle-class apathy and indifference

towards politics that had for long afflicted India. IAC represents the need for civic engagement and

the responsibility of participation in the decision-making process that democracy invokes. After more

than 65 years of independence, inadequate respect for the Constitutional principles by the existing

practitioners of politics raises unpleasant questions about the end game of power politics. Our party

aims to address this comprehensively.

4. What is your support base? Would you need to regain ground that probably would have been

lost due to the iconic Anna Hazare distancing himself from the new political avatar of IAC?

IAC and the Aam Aadmi Party have assimilated an eclectic mix of ideas, innovations and people from

different walks of life beyond the interests of any one particular class or caste. The party which flows

from and is intrinsic to the movement has underlined the fact that corruption is all-pervasive in the

present situation and the discourse on growth and development weaves a nexus between business

and politics. The atrocious policies of land acquisition, inadequate labour protection laws, etc mirror

an abysmal reality of inequality which needs immediate repair. The party is not against development

but urges for equitable distribution of wealth and resources and better ethical practices. Our

endeavour in this direction is towards a more inclusive society and polity.

Regarding the second part of the question, Anna Hazare has announced that he would only campaign

for the candidates of the Aam Aadmi Party based on their individual credentials. He has himself

vouched for the integrity and devotion of Arvind Kejriwal and the party. 2

2 Article may be accessed here - http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-01/india/35530396_1_political-parties-anna-hazare-candidates

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5. What do you foresee to be the major challenges and weaknesses of your movement?

Our entry into electoral politics is aimed at demolishing deep rooted evils of corruption, power

politics, complacence and collusion with business interests. Shaking up the indifference and apathy of

the political class from their slumber might appear as treading a difficult terrain but the commitment

and devotion of the movement is unflinching.

6. Would you say that the Aam Aadmi Party is social activism meet politics?

The Aam Aadmi Party represents the responsibility of participation that a democracy should instil and

highlights the need for civic engagement. In that way it is indeed social activism converging with

electoral politics.

7. What distinguishes the Aam Aadmi Party from other political parties? Please do elaborate on

the alleged ‘alternative’ element of your party.

The Aam Aadmi Party has taken certain crucial initiatives to distance itself from the prevailing

political culture of clamouring for power and has undertaken certain bold steps in this regard. It has

adopted a principled position of denying tickets to persons with criminal records or to more than one

member of a family for elections, and resists a central high command culture or structure within the

party. Luxury bungalows, red beacon on cars or special security for MPs and MLAs are shunned. We

have committed ourselves to full disclosure of funding and enactment of a robust Lok Pal Bill, the

Right to Recall and the Right to Rejection.

8. In your world view does European history offer anything of interest to you? For instance you

refer to the Swiss model of citizens’ participation in decision making. Do you think such a model

can be transplanted to India? How feasible would it be, given the multitude and diversity that

forms the Indian population?

Different societies across the globe and in different periods of history have devised and

implemented different models of peoples’ participation to learn from. Though the Swiss economist

Robert Nef calls it an “ongoing experiment” rather than an established model, the Swiss path of

decentralization, devolution of powers, etc likening it to a ‘direct democracy’, is certainly a hallmark

of participatory government in today’s time. Our movement emerged in a backdrop of a global

reassertion of citizens’ rights and the need for popular participation and representation, pioneered by

the Arab Spring. Since India’s rise to eminence at the global arena cannot be seen as a

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phenomenon in isolation, the acknowledgement that alternatives exist is important for keeping a

check on people holding the reins of power. The need to study and debate upon alternative models

such as referendum, alternative voting etc is important and the Aam Aadmi Party has committed

itself to certain progressive devises such as the Right to Recall legislators if they are ineffective or

unresponsive to their constituencies, also to the Right to Reject all the candidates on the electoral

list. The IAC movement can be seen as an innovation and achievement in this regard since it strives to

reinforce the vibrancy of our democracy.

9. Are there other ideological strains that appeal to you and the movement as a whole? What and

on which terms is Aam Aadmi Party seeking to create its own unique ideology?

India has had a vibrant history of social and civil society movements such as the Chipko, anti-dowry

and other aspects of women’s movements, the Narmada Bachao Andolan etc., which have

significantly voiced peoples’ concerns. The Aam Aadmi Party aims to bring these to the ambit of

electoral politics to directly enhance a people-friendly policy-making. Many of the activists associated

with our cause such as Medha Patkar have devoted themselves to fight against policies and practices

of injustice and inequality. Our movement and ideology encompass these concerns.

10. What immediate steps do you envisage for your movement? What is the ‘game plan’ and

strategy?

The movement has transformed itself into a political party and we are entering electoral politics

because of the prolonged inaction and lack of commitment of the governing and opposition parties to

the cause of the people. Our faith in the great institutions of India’s democracy is reaffirmed

through this struggle since we seek to usher in the much desired and needed changes through the

institution of the Parliament and peoples’ mandate (elections).

11. Would you describe your dreams about the transformations that you wish to bring about in the

next 10 or 20 years in India. Will it be a more all-inclusive society without class and caste

distinctions and religious intolerance? Do you envisage that through your drive and determined

action towards transparency in India, a new era of better governance and social progress will

emerge?

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In a Parliamentary model of a representative multi-party democracy it is essential that the legislature

responds to the needs of the people by incorporating their voices in the decision-making process.

However, the functioning of the existing parties running a nexus with corporate houses has been

ridden with dynastic succession and absence of internal democracy which make legislators (MPs and

MLAs) unresponsive to their constituencies once voted to power. The Aam Aamdi Party endeavours to

provide a corrective to this. The vision is to build an inclusive society, polity and

economy where inequality, apathy and indifference are transformed into engagement and social

justice.

3.Portrait: Shazia Ilmi, Member of Aam Aadmi Party

Charismatic journalist Shazia Ilmi is an established Television prime time anchor who took a plunge

into activism a year ago. She joined the movement which captured the imagination of the Indian

lower and middle classes alike – India Against Corruption in 2011. She has become the Muslim,

urbane, media-savvy face of the Aam Aadmi Party (led by former civil servant officer Arvind Kejriwal).

She was born into to a middle class but politically connected Muslim family in Kanpur in 1970. She is

an alumnus of St. Mary’s in Kanpur and pursued graduation studies from St. Bede’s in the former

summer capital of the British Raj – Shimla. She subsequently did mass communication from Jamia

Millia Islamia in Delhi in 1994, got a diploma in broadcast journalism from the University of Wales in

Cardiff and topped off her university education with a course in 16mm Film production from the

New York Film Academy, USA.

Her journey as an independent working woman was not an easy one. It was through her

relentless efforts and grit determination that she entered into the high visibility electronic

media field, bravely countered gender bias and conservative elements all her life to become

the first woman from her family to work.

She is the youngest of the family of four brothers and two sisters, and was expected to marry to

‘settle down’ or become an IAS officer. Life though took a different course as Shazia was inspired by

her father, founder-editor of the oldest and largest-selling Urdu daily from Kanpur, Siyasat Jadid.

Marry she did, to invest banker Sajid Mallik, but not without carving out a niche for herself in the

competitive world of media. In addition she became an adjunct faculty member of the School of

Media and Communication at Pondicherry University, where she conducts workshops on Television

Production and Broadcast Journalism.

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Shazia’s professional journey under the public eye as a journalist lasted for fifteen years. She proved

her mettle in both television news and Documentary Production. As Anchor-Producer in, one of

India’s largest media houses, Star Network’s News channel she hosted and produced the popular

prime time news show “Desh Videsh”.

Her current affairs shows and documentaries focusing on gender issues and rights of Indian minority

groups catapulted her into the echelon of established journalists. Her show “Dr Kans” featuring a

sting operation on doctors involved in the practice of female feticide resulted in the suspension of

their medical licenses - a first in India’s medical history. Her exclusive interview on Star News

Network with Arun Jadhav, a police constable wounded in the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008,

provided crucial information on the operational details of the assault including the killing of three

senior police officers.

Shazia has a number of films to her credit. These include a film on an Urdu Newspaper “Post Box No

418” (2010) which was screened at several film festivals all over India. She directed “Daughter of the

Earth” (2005) - a film on the prominent eco-feminist Vandana Shiva and her work on aquaculture in

coastal Tamil Nadu. (It was part of a series on Women & the Environment that was produced for the

Beijing Social Summit, financed by UNESCO and was nominated for the International Film Festival in

London). “Daughter of the Earth’” was telecasted world-wide by the Discovery Channel on the World

Environment day in 2009. Her other film “The Stolen Harvest” was a documentary based on Vandana

Shiva’s book on Food Security and Seed Patenting under the World Trade Organization. She is also

said to have directed the first ever television series for DD. It was an international production with an

all women crew titled “Women at Work”. Thus it comes as no surprise that Shazia is also a member

of the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT).3

After nearly two decades of journalistic work she admittedly contracted the prevalent malady among

Indian journalists – the crisis of purpose. “I was done with mouthing insanities night after night.” She

found her true calling in 2011. That year veteran social activist Anna Hazare led a fast unto death for

the realization of an anti-corruption bill (to institute an Ombudsman popularly known as Lokpal). She

proffered her expertise to Anna Hazare’s team at Jantar Mantar on the very first day of his fast and

Arvind Kejriwal quickly co-opted her into Team Anna. She became a vociferous spokesperson for the

then ‘India Against Corruption’ movement. Her invaluable experience in handling the media came in

handy, as the movement remained in the limelight through the tides of waning and waxing news

3 IAWRT is a non-governmental organization that enjoys consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It organizes India’s only annual Women’s Film Festival in the capital, New Delhi.

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cycle. When the movement took a political turn in 2012, Shazia Ilmi, nimbly reincarnated herself as

the party’s spokesperson.

Shazia Ilmi is not alien to the political world. As a keen reporter she gave detailed accounts of the

elections in Bihar and Maharashtra for a program titled ‘Maratha Express’ in 2005. Her knowledge

also stems through her family’s close ties with the Congress. Her father counted Raj Narain (politician

from the Janata Party) and Kaifi Azmi (Urdu poet) as his friends who paid frequent visits to their

house in Kanpur. Ex-Congress Cabinet Minister Arif Mohammed Khan is her brother-in-law. A male

family member has been a Minister and Member of the Legislative Assembly for more than two

decades.

The new party will benefit hugely from Shazia’s insider’s perspective and know-how on the workings

of the news world. Editors and decision makers in TV newsrooms are familiar to her as friends or

former co-workers. She could use her previous turf with Delhi’s media and political class to her

party’s advantage. “I understand how the system works. And I know the media well. I have seen all

the power broking and the wheeling-dealing,” she had said in connection with Anna Hazare’s

movement.

Moreover two key members of the new party have been drawn in some controversy – Arvind

Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan. Shazia is blemish free and is thus not vulnerable to personal attacks.

Her previous work on Muslims issues will stand her party in good stead.

The spirited lady is all set to build her career in politics. It would be interesting to observe her

contributions to the Indian political scene.

5. PORTRAIT: ARVIND KEJRIWAL, FOUNDER OF AAM AADMI PARTY

This Ramon Magsaysay Award winner 2006 is a former Indian civil servant who gave up his plush

public service to become a social activist. He is now the founder and mentor of the new political

party – Aam Aadmi Party.

Born on 16th of August 1968 in Hissar in the province of Haryana, Kejriwal comes from a middle class

background. He grew up in small north Indian towns of Sonepat, Mathura and Hissar. The son of an

engineer, Kejriwal followed his father’s footsteps by graduating in B. Tech. in Mechanical Engineering

from IIT Kharagpur in 1989.

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Fresh out of IIT he started his professional career with Tata Steel. He moved tracks by quitting Tata

Steel for working with organisations such as Mother Theresa’s Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, the

Ramakrishnan Mission and Nehru Yuva Kendra. He successfully passed the prestigious and difficult

Indian Civil Service Exam to get a job with the Indian Revenue Service in 1992. After more than a

decade of public service he took voluntary retirement. His last official posting was that of Joint

Commissioner in the Income Tax Department.

He founded his own non-governmental organisation called ‘Parivartan’. Headquartered at Delhi this

citizen’s group main focus was to secure just and fair, transparent and accountable governance.

Kejriwal collaborated with Manish Sisodhia and Abhinandan Sekhri to launch a Public Cause Research

Foundation which concentrated on improving local self-governance and Right to Information

Campaigns. Kejriwal joined forces with the famed Aruna Roy to strengthen the campaign for the

Right to Information Act. The combined efforts bore fruit first in 2001 when the Delhi chapter of the

Right to Information Act came into being and at the national level in 2005. Since then Kejriwal has

repeatedly used the RTI to expose corruption in government bodies.

Eager and determined to book people responsible for corruption, Kejriwal realised that an effective

anti-corruption law was desperately needed in the country. His thoughts were echoed by others

including Prashant Bhushan, Shanti Bhushan, Santosh Hedge and Kiran Bedi. They together drafted

the Jan Lokpal Bill which was widely circulated to get their feedback. Anna Hazare became the face of

the movement called ‘India Against Corruption’, while Kejriwal became its chief architect. After more

than a year of holding fasts, meetings with civil society members and government representatives,

courting arrests, Kejriwal came to the conclusion that a strong Lokpal Bill was possible only if political

will truly existed in India. Thus he founded the Aam Aadmi Party. He now intends to participate in the

general elections in 2014 so as to occupy seats in the Indian Parliament to oversee the passing of the

needed Bill.

He lives in Ghaziabad with his wife and two children. He met his wife while training for the civil

services in Mussoorie. She is a government servant working as Additional Director in the Ministry of

Corporate Affairs.

Kejriwal recently published a book in titled ‘Swaraj’ last summer in 2012.