Five days into his fast in protest of hiked utility prices, Indian anti-corruption activist Arvind Kejriwal was announced as a contender for the 2013 TIME 100 Poll, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Kejriwal's nomination for the list prompted an outpouring of enthusiasm from his supporters.
Kejriwal's fifteen-day fast, which lasted from March 23 to April 6, 2013, was in protest against the unfair rise in electricity and water prices in Delhi. Kejriwal spent his fast in Delhi’s impoverished neighborhood Sundar Nagari, where many of the residents had received electricity bills disproportionate to their actual use.
In late 2012, Kejriwal had launched an anti-corruption political party called Aam Aadmi Party (AAP, or “Party of the Common Man”). During Kejriwal's fast, AAP volunteers collected signatures from people pledging not to pay their inflated electricity bills; by the end of Kejriwal's fast, over one million people had signed AAP's petition. The consensus letters are due to be submitted to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit for the second time on April 28, 2013.
The activist-turned-politician called this movement “Civil Disobedience.” One of the main purposes of his fast was “to remove fear from the minds of Delhi's citizens”, as many people in India are believed to be afraid of raising their voices against corruption. According to Kejriwal, the unfair rise in electricity prices and the inflated electricity bills were the results of corruption led by a corporate-political nexus.
For many, the impact of Arvind Kejriwal's fast and his recognition by TIME magazine were reflective of his growing influence in India’s political discourse. Those who have been following Kejriwal's past as a social activist emphasized that Kejriwal was not an overnight hero. For instance, one of his significant contributions as an activist was the campaign to establish the Right To Information (RTI) Act in India, which was passed by the Delhi Assembly in 2001 and was eventually passed by the Indian parliament in 2005. Today, the RTI Act is used by many activists in India to keep tabs on corruption in government offices.
The Delhi-area blogger Aditya Pranav highlighted Kejriwal's previous contributions, writing on his blog on April 12:
Some people believe that Arvind Kejriwal has turned into a crusader overnight. It is a must watch video [hi] for them for they would then realize that the movement they are now seeing has been evolving for many years. This was about the taxpayer’s money being looted in the name of various urban developmental activities shown on paper with very little or nothing being done actually. You would see how they went on to organize a first Jan Sunwayi or public hearing of its kind wherein thousands of people including locals, journalists, MLA, Mayor and people from various social organizations gathered.
The 2013 TIME 100 Most Influential poll was open for voting from March 28 to April 12, 2013. During the voting period, the enthusiasm among Kejriwal's social media supporters was noteworthy. According to the poll results, Arvind Kejriwal received 91.51% positive votes. By the end of the TIME 100 voting period, a total of 124,769 people had voted on Arvind Kejriwal, with only 8.49% of the voters rating him as not influential.
Young people appeared more appreciative and fearless in expressing their opinions online. On April 11, Ishwar Kandpal (@ishwarkandpal) [hi], a self-proclaimed supporter of Kejriwal and the AAP, tweeted to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) of India:
मुझे गर्व है अरविन्द केजरीवाल ने विश्व भर के चुनिन्दा 100 लोगो में जगह बनाई !
I feel proud that Arvind Kejriwal has made a mark among the 100 most influential people in the world.
On March 28, another AAP supporter, Somu Kumar (@adivasi), opined that voting for Kejriwal was equivalent to voting for anti-corruption in India:
A vote for Arvind Kejriwal in 2013 #TIME100 list is a vote for India's anti-corruption movement. Please vote!
The Indian news media was not spared from criticism: an AAP supporter writing under the name of Bharat Builder (@bharat_builder) chided the Indian media for not recognizing Arvind Kejriwal’s work. He tweeted on April 12:
Listen Indian media, Arvind Kejriwal and decentralization is the idea whose time has come. @Time knows it, you don't!
AAP supporter Jyoti Shankar Jha (@Jyotishankarjha) [hi] was rather sarcastic in calling for those on Twitter to vote for Kejrawal. On April 11, he wrote:
मत देना अरविन्द को वोट TIME के इस पोल में रिश्वत नहीं लेता,एक भी दंगा नहीं करवाया,ना मारपीट करवाई. फिर क्यों दे वोट ?
Please don't vote for Arvind Kejriwal – he doesn't take bribes, he has not participated in a single riot, nor has he ever incited people to be violent.
However, there were some who felt that India, given its population size, could have done far better in supporting Arvind Kejriwal in the TIME 100 poll. Another of Arvind Kejriwal's supporters, Hemant Verma (@hemantverma007), opined:
We are 1250000000 Indians and we don’t have 1250000 vote Arvind Kejriwal
Other bloggers noted that inclusion in the TIME 100 poll is only intended to measure a person's influence. Freak-o-litics, a “political junkie” blogger who discusses Indian politics, wrote in an April 9 post:
One important thing to keep in mind is that these candidates chosen are simply the most influential people in the world but doesn’t necessarily mean in a positive way – as Time clearly points out: Although appearing on the list is frequently mistaken as an honor, these sets of people are recognized for changing the world, for better or for worse.
Interestingly, there have not been many Indian political leaders featured in previous TIME 100 polls. In 2012, Gujarat CM Narendra Modi was one of the hopefuls. However, he attracted more negative votes than positive votes.
The voting for the The 2013 TIME 100 Most Influential poll is now closed, and the final list is expected to be released on April 18, 2013.
This post was proofread in English by Molly Allison-Baker.
5 comments
India need change now
And we will change the system
For the AAM ADMI
Manjeet Rana USA
My “no excuses”, ultra peaceful, non partisan, individual sathyagraha against corruption and for the idea of the rule of law in India.
Now in its 23rd year.
goo.gl/qZup7 http://bit.ly/orCEMV
The press will continue to trivialize, lie and cover up, because it has trivialized lied and covered up repeatedly.
Government’s proposal to introduce stringent
anti-graft law in parliament to will help minimise the menace of corruption was
aplaued by corporate seems to be laugh.
In India there are so many person in Beurocracy, Judicary, Corporate, Civil
Society and Media etc. who think corruption is a disease like leprosy that has
cure but no attention from public the main sufferer. It became more unfortunate
when person like Anna’s cathartic movement with sudden support from public was
supressed by few corrupt politician. Even people like B. Muthuraman president
of Indian Industry confederation quoted in favour of Anna’s work to the welfare
of society.
Although Indian people are recognising the problem but feel helpless against
their need and timelessness. The people who are voting to corrupt congress,
Mulayam, Mayawati, Jailalita etc. do not care about corruption. They either
follow cast or petty greed. which seem to be better than denial like developed
countries.
Even after so much commotion after Bofars scandal no one gave much attention.
Chief Satarkta Commissioner of India Nar Hari Singh Vittal tried his
might to deal. Even after the proceqution term from court to Prime Minister P.
V. N. Roa and Jailalita the non-sence did not stopped. The corruption started
in Nehru’s first government IN 1949.
Sunil Bhargava speaker of U.P. for BJP in 1988 gave a list before 1998
election:
S.N.
Year Item Person
Involved Crore
1. 1949
Jeep and Reifel purchase for army V. K. Krishan Manan 216.00
2. 1957
Mudra….Sport Goods Firoj Gandhi Unknown
3. 1958
Diamond Mine
Sirajuddin Diary
0.60
4. 1960
Dharam Teja J.
Nehru
20
5. 1964
Pratap Singh Keron Keron
Family Unknown
Jawaharlal Nehru 239 + Unknown
6. 1975
Land for Maruti Sanjay
Gandhi 100
7. 1980
Indian Oil deal
Sanjay G, & P. Sethi
9
8. 1980
Kaling Shiping Patnaik (C.M.) 80
9. 1982
Churahat Lotry Arjun
Singh Unknown
Indira Gandhi 189 + Unknown
10. 1987
Bofar Qvatrichi & 0ther 68
11. 1988
Medical Equipment Shankranand (H.M.)
5000
12. 1989
Coal Tata & Fert. Cop. 50
Rajeev Gandhi 5118
13. 1991
Air Bus Aviation
Minister 200
14. 1991
Computer Purchase (Karnatak) Bangarappa
(C.M.) 50
15. 1991
Agriculture (Karnatak) Agriculture
Min. 500
16. 1991
Land Scam (Rajasthan) Minister
& Family 500
17. 1991
W. Bangal Waqf Board
Chief Minister & Son 1100
18. 1992
Pratibhuti Harsad Mehta
4000
19. 1993
Lokomotive Engine Jafar
Sharif (Rail M). 19
20. 1993
Sugar Kamal Nath (Min. in Centre) 100
21. 1993
Jha.Mu.Mo. P.V.N.Roa
& Buta S. 5
22. 1993
Maharastra Shoes Shuseel
K. Shinde 1500
23. 1993
U.P. Aurved Balram
Yadav 72
24. 1993
Energy A,P. Rama
Roa (C.M.) 2700
25. 1995
Communication Sukh Ram (Min.in Centre)
100000
26. 1995
Petrol & Govt. Land Satish
S. & (S. Kaul) 100
27. 1995
Indian Bank T,Bh.
Congress Leader 3000
28. 1995
Animal Food (Chara) Lalu
Yadav, BJP, Cong, Comu. 950
P.V.N.Roa 148096
29. 1996
Urea Ram
L. Yadav, Sons & Other 133
30. 1996
Belladila Diamond Mine Still
Under Investigation 5000
31. 1997
SA. R.B. Capital Bhansali
& Director 1200
United(Jan) Morcha Govt. 6333
32. Chara (Animal Food) Machine Balram Jakhad Un Known
33. Submarine
34. Halicopter
35. Antulai Cement
36. Jailalita
Corruption has rocketed under the honest prime minister
Manmohan Singh. 2G Spectrum, Comman Wealth Games, NRHM, Mine AND Halicopter to
name few are really horrible. The amount involved cannot be imagined. A joint
committee had been formed by centre government headed by than Finance Minister
Mr. Pranab Mukharji to make an anti-graft bill consist of five nominee minister
and including five nominee of Anna
Hazare. Now Mr. Mukharji has become President people do not know what will be
the future of that Lokall Bill
It is believed that corruption will minimised by introducing the Lokpal Bill
and global investment will also increase. But there is big difference in
thinking of government and Anna team. Most of the intelactual doubt about the
formation of this bill forget about formulation of the legislation..