What does Atishi Marlena’s letter mean?

Atishi Marlena

Atishi Marlena wrote a letter to Prashant Bhushan pretty much declaring a parting of ways and in the grand tradition of Aam Aadmi Party, the letter is in public domain. Several of Arvind Kejriwal’s supporters have been demanding that I comment on it. Presumably because they think it is a pro-Kejriwal letter or something.

Here are my thoughts on the letter.

Prashant Bhushan refused to compromise with the Kejriwal faction because of Shanti Bhushan

This is rubbish. Prashant Bhushan saying that can at best mean that he used it as an excuse. I don’t, for a minute buy that Prashant Bhushan is incapable of making independent decisions. Even if he was, I fail to see how this is relevant to me.

Sanjay Singh, the hero

This comes as a surprise. Given that Sanjay Singh was publicly busy attributing all sorts of intentions to Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, the idea that he was secretly negotiating an agreement – that too an agreement that involved Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav tendering a public apology sounds like a hallucination.

More likely, he got the Kejriwal faction to agree to it, but Prashant Bhushan did not buy. Probably provoked by using a known trigger – his father’s name. Given Kejriwal’s august views about Bhushan and Yadav, I am unable to comprehend why anyone fails to comprehend the refusal.

The mythical agreement

There is a description of an agreement to fulfill Prashant Bhushan’s demands. This, in itself screams that it is not the interest of Aam Aadmi Party. These demands are old, unfulfilled. Even now, the party hardly seems interested in fulfilling them for itself. It seems to be more of a handout to the holdouts. I understand from this that now that the agreement is not happening, the demands no longer need to be fulfilled, because the Kejriwal faction apparently has no sense of ethics of its own.

Prashant Bhushan is right to bring up previously broken commitments. This does not speak of the party’s interest in the reforms themselves, more like something they are willing to tolerate in order to shut up the spoilsports.

Would have been nicer if the party went for an agenda of reform independently of the fate of Bhushan and Yadav, but that seems too much to hope for. The party has changed, and does not seem to be interested in old goals without duress.

Where does this leave dissenters?

Dissenters are not a monolith. As I have remarked earlier, there are multiple goals among them. There are those who would simply like to see Kejriwal, Bhushan and Yadav to no longer be fighting. An agreement such as the one Atishi described would make them happy. That it failed will probably disappoint them, if there is any disappoint left in them after the last month.

For those insisting on procedure, the agreement was irrelevant completely – which is my disinterest in this letter as well. To follow procedure, the party does not need Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav to agree to anything. They need to take their allegations and proofs in front of their formal authority and go through whatever process required for establishing guilt or innocence and act on the basis of that.

Without following due process, even if Kejriwal and Bhushan-Yadav reach an agreement, at best what it would mean would be that they are fine with processes being bypassed as long as they are not excluded. Unless of course their removal was reversed as well – which is unlikely and probably unwise.

All that the letter achieves is to show that for all AAP’s commitment to democracy, there are actually very few people who understand it or are interested in learning. I could have lived without this further confirmation, particularly from someone who had been considered intellectually sound so far.

But mostly, for all practical purposes, this letter has no impact on my assessment of the AAP crisis.

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3 thoughts on “What does Atishi Marlena’s letter mean?”

  1. maj gen alos chauhan

    It is very demoralizing and disappointing to extent of ominous foreboding that we have jettisoned all sense of loyalty, discipline, sacrifice and restrain in all walks of life but triumphantly in public life and politics. We are consequently in spite of self deluding compliments hardly a presentable nation The demise of political being was stamped on face Congress but this was hardly a heartening situation .For over the years the the political class of all hues cherished most on exacting price for its prosperity from moral fibre of society that sustained it. We started achieving benchmarks in destitution , in character scoring highest , in leadership in all walks of life . Were the two contestants the nation had to chose from for leading it to next century all that was available in leadership? The frustration , despondency , shame and slur of incumbency left no course and BJP swept to power as if a tidal wave.There was no activity that could be associated with genuine choice of the people , he thunderbolt was money not people generated came from air , the media , TV , the digital wizard . Mr Modi never went to any villages except in his Gujarat. He had no agenda for people only big money , smart businesses even Ram dropped.The Modi juggernaut seemed to become unstoppable sweeping away all qualms to push his agenda unopposed. A dangerous and quixotic situation in a leaderless nation eyed by every predator for its market the poor, the peasant , the worker , the software and medicine skilled , the soldier for sparking conflicts . Amidst all this came Khejriwal from no where at least with an agenda not for high flying profiteers but for nitty gritty of life of conman man in the capital however run of the mill but down to earth. What this did with a staggering success is not any quick fix wonders but resounding blow to BJP and stumbling Modi to get out of his trance a national contribution by Khejtriwal .In this light let us all be with him and test him for his full brief . Any interruptions , divisive factionalism , disloyalty and smearing would be as bad as subversion collusion with foes of AAM PARTY . Dissent can have orderly and constructive face.Let people who reposed such overwhelming trust in your party not be betrayed .Let all be inspired by higher ideals which do not lie in law books or money but Ashok’s dictum and his vision of welfare state semblance of which are seen in your party or can be seeded ..

  2. I dont understand why you are even giving importance to this stupid letter.
    All I understand is that she is saying that Prashant Bhushan was going aolong with the criminal deception which Ak and his goons are doing with Sanjay being “the dalla” but backed off because his father rebuked him saying not to sell his principles for materialistic gains like AK and his chamchas.

    I mean, whether she is lying or telling the truth, she is shredding off her own credibility. And a person who is not credible points fingures at other calling themharamis and other things but most of the fingures are pointing at themselevs.

  3. Hense proved, you’re an other kind of Bhakt. Just because Bhushan is left leaning doesn’t make his resistant to mistakes. Prashant Bhushan wanted his Son or Yadav to lead AAP, i hope you know that. Talk about the mistakes they have committed. Why just blame Kejriwal??

    Also you’re a blind bhakt no different that Modi bhakts who just believe their leader is right no matter what. Kejriwal may have done mistakes but why bully him, “i will have a breakfast meeting with journalists if you dont give me Punjab and Haryana” “lets wind up the party or i will call the press conference” “Kiran Bedi and Maken is a better CM candidate than my own party’s candidate”.

    If you pass these basic things you’re just another Bhakt.

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