The Arvind Kejriwal Government’s first janata durbar (public hearing) was a scene of utter chaos on Saturday, as thousands showed up at the Delhi Secretariat. The new Chief Minister had to ‘disappear’ on the advice of the Delhi Police, leaving his Cabinet colleagues to handle the crowd.
Later, Kejriwal emerged on the rooftop of the Secretariat building and addressed the jostling crowd, promising them another such hearing in four-five days. “It will be better organised and better managed,” he declared.
On Thursday, the Aam Aadmi Party Government had announced that the entire Cabinet would sit outside the Delhi Secretariat every Saturday and hear people’s grievances.
Those gathered included contract workers from various government departments, including the Delhi Transport Corporation, power company BSES, hospitals and municipal corporations.
Students and teachers also showed up, hoping to get an audience with the Chief Minister. While several people managed to register their grievances with the Cabinet Ministers, many had to return disappointed.
The chaos invited a lot of flak. Former Team Anna member Kiran Bedi, tweeted: “Governance demands solid maturity and administration, which institutionalizes the change Secretariat is meant for! Not streets always!”
Others had a different interpretation. “The milling crowds reflect the revival of trust in the government,” said an AAP supporter, echoing State Labour Minister Girish Soni’s views that the huge crowds were proof that “past governments were a failure”.
People’s aspirations CPI (ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya tweeted: “The chaotic situation in AK’s Janata Darbar marks a veritable explosion of aspirations of d ppl (the people) of Delhi. It should be welcomed & honoured.”
The tradition of holding such hearings dates back to ancient courts, and was revived by Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, who would hold regular durbars to listen to public grievances.
However, the Congress soon gave up the practice. Last year, party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi had spoken about reviving the tradition to hear citizens’ grievances.
Several Chief Ministers, too, have tried to revive the tradition of holding such public meetings, including former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad, current Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
aditi.n@thehindu.co.in