Aam Aadmi

Aam Aadmi is the most popular word in the vocabulary of all the politicians of our country irrespective of political affiliation. Every politician worth his or her name swears in the name of Aam Aadmi day in and day out. The election manifestoes of all parties always remain full of promises for Aam Aadmi. Every politician and our so called leaders are always eager to portray themselves as true friends of Aam Aadmi. The word Aam Aadmi has assumed so much importance in Indian context that a political party has since been formed in the name of Aam Aadmi which has already caught the imagination of many people and has got remarkable success in its election debut.

But who is this Aam Aadmi for whom our leaders are so worried, so concerned and for whose benefit all acts of the Government, all its programmes and policies are supposedly meant for? How he can be identified, what are his characteristics? Does he belong to the poorest of poor, or he represents the lower middle class, the small and marginal farmers, small traders and petty shopkeepers, the low ranked babus in the govt. offices and private concerns or does he represent all of them? Are the big farmers, the top corporates, the rich industrialists, the high ranking bureaucrats and technocrats, the intelligentsia are not part of the Aam Aadmi ? What about the politicians themselves? Who can claim to be a not an Aam Aadmi? Answer to these questions appears to be as difficult as to searching and finding ones own self. Anandabazar Patrika a leading Bengali daily in its lead editorial of 3rd. January 2014 has described Aam Aadmi as one who does not have access to the corridors of power. According to the above criterion an Aam Aadmi is probably one who can not get his things done without greasing the palms of the authorities, without taking the help of touts and middlemen, whether it is obtention of Passports or Driving license, BPL card or Ration card, Aadhaar card or Voter Identity card, can not admit his  kids into schools and colleges without paying donation unless of course the kids are exceptionally brilliant , who has to always live beyond his means because of his income not keeping pace with the rising prices of goods and services. Shall we say that Aam Aadmi is the one who finds it difficult to have his rights and privileges to which he is entitled?  R.K. Laxman’s common man is probably the most authentic portrayal of Aam Aadmi, one who sees and understands what is happening around but can not do anything beyond that.   

Who is not an Aam Aadmi? Answer to this question is not that difficult to find. All the VVIPs, Ministers and Netas moving with security escorts in cars with red beacons, who are not required to stand in queues anywhere, who are not required to undergo security checks in the airports (within the country), the celebrities, the multimillionaire industrialists, the super rich actors and sport stars can not be called Aam Aadmi.  The mafias and dons of course can not also be called Aam Aadmi.  If Aam Aadmi is one who does not have access to the corridors of powers, a Khaas Aadmi is one who is close to the powers that be. A rich man does not necessarily have easy access to power, but his money can definitely help him to be close to the corridors of power if he wants so. As there are exceptions everywhere there are people who by virtue of their competence can have access to the corridors of power but consciously keep a distance and prefer to live the life of Aam Aadmi.  The concept of Aam Aadmi changes from situation to situation. A person trying to get his work done by greasing the palms of an official in a govt office is an Aam Aadmi while the official concerned receiving the bribe is also an Aam Aadmi in a different situation.

It can not be denied that it is the Aam Aadmis who form the cadre of all the political parties and throng rallies to hear their political masters. Aam Aadmi is the most effective tool in the hand of politicians to make their presence felt. But ironically these political masters will never allow the Aam Aadmis to come close to them by crossing the VIP cordons around them. This is not peculiar to India but true almost everywhere through the ages. True Democracy demands empowerment of the masses, the common man, the Aam Aadmi. Democracy envisages a welfare state and the acid test of a welfare state is its ability to bring an inclusive growth by ensuring not only growth but distributing the fruits of growth among all the people of a country in a fair and equitable manner. It is therefore in the fairness of things that the common man, the Aam Aadmi is not to be made a mere mute spectator to what is happening around him but should be allowed to make his voice heard by the planners and policy makers at various levels. This is however easier said than done in a country of India’s size with its multiplicity of language, religion, caste, creed, community and every possibility of conflict of interests among the people within the Aam Aadmi category. Decentralisation of power is a welcome step to make the Aam Aadmi empowered. It can not be denied that it is the contributions of Aam Aadmi that make a country great. The common man, the Aam Aadmi has always been in the forefront of all struggles, of all revolutions, of all upheavals.   A true leader is one who does not use the vast masses of Aam Aadmi as tools for agitation and protest but who can galvanise them into a gigantic work force for their own progress and development and make their motherland a strong and developed nation