THE news of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on March 21 left many in Delhi upset, including 33-year-old Sonu Kumar, a shop owner. A resident of Sunder Nagri in northeast Delhi—Kejriwal’s karambhoomi where he began his anti-corruption movement over three decades ago—Kumar states that everyone in the locality knows Kejriwal. “He used to work in a small office nearby from where he ran his campaign, Parivartan,” Kumar recalls. As a teen, Kumar used to regularly visit the Ramlila Maidan in 2011-12 during the Lokpal movement. “I used to go to hear his speeches. Everyone in our neighbourhood joined the protests. We wore Anna caps (named after anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare) and joined the agitation. We all believed in him,” he recalls. Over the years, he watched Kejriwal continue his fight against corruption from the streets. In 2013, Kejriwal sat on a hunger fast for two weeks against exorbitant electric and water tariffs. It was here that the movement started taking a political shape in the form of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). “It happened in this very neighbourhood,” says Kumar. “He is such a simple man, always dresses and speaks humbly like all of us. I can’t believe they are accusing him of corruption now,” Kumar says with a sigh.
Denne historien er fra April 11, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
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Denne historien er fra April 11, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
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Caste Census: To Conquer Or Conserve?
The caste census is generating heated debate, but even its most ardent proponents are not able to articulate a plan about how to use the resulting data
THE FATEFUL COMEDY
Actor-director Rajat Kapoor talks about adapting Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov into a Hindi play
Mad Hatter
When a leader takes off his topi and holds it in his hands while appealing for votes, it signals something extraordinary
Circle Within Circles
The caste question in Muslims.
Backward March
The Maratha reservation question may continue to mire the next government in the state
The 69% Exception
Quota within quota: lessons to be learned from Tamil Nadu
United Indifference
The perils of tweaking tribal identities
Two Nations, Two Destinies
The widely differing balance of power between the military and civilian leadership in India and Pakistan has significantly impacted democracy in the two countries
Crème de la Crème
The mainstream society thinks reservations are against right to equality. It’s high time they are seen in the context of right to justice.
Fading Folks
The recent SC ruling on sub-classification within the SC and ST categories temporarily lifted the hopes of tribal communities in Jharkhand
