AAM AADMI at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi

Arvind Kejriwal took the oath of office at the 40,000 capacity Ramlila Maidan today at noon. The ground was packed to capacity with the Aam Aadmi, the lower middle class dominated the audience. The people were anxious and expectant, they were confident that Arvind will deliver. The restive fun loving youth of yesterday so active during the Nirbhaya rising were in a minority with the real aam aadmi out at the ground. He donned the caps recycled from the days of Lokpal agitation. The Indian flag and Vande Mataram slogans dotted the sunny noon.

The vendors sold briskly to the crowd: two fresh cream rolls, a bag of fried crisp papad, four oranges, four kelaas, please choose, its just ten rupees. Its Aam Aadmi fare.

Gone were the hired goons of the Congress which lost the crowd pullers after Sonia took the reins. The motley inchoate crowd in BJP meets too was missing, The aam aadmi in this meet was serious, he was here on business. Most walked for some two kilometres to reach the venue.

The army of TV cameras captured every moment of Kejriwal, he is the new JP-Subhas Bose and even Gandhi blended in one. Arvind is a story, a living legend; his marriage, family, village, school everything about him valuable news. Shiela Dixit in contrast, is the villainous old witch in the drama of Kaun Banega Chief Minister. Arvind is the fish in waters of the media streams. The Aam Aadmi look, ready smile, quick responses. It is food to the TV audiences.

Till now, Arvind is Aam Aadmi. On my way out of the Ramlila Maidan, I ran into this 80 plus lady struggling her way to the exit with on the legs of a walker. I knelt before her to take a picture. Her companion introduced the lady as Arvind's mom-in-law (sasu ma). I was impressed with how she was still Aam Aurat with her jawain (son in law) as the CM of Delhi. I requested the police to let in a car in the Maidan to reduce the stress on the very old Aam Aurat. He growled back at me with something nasty. I asked him if she would say the same words if the old lady was Shiela Dixit's aunt. The police man did not like this discussion at all and started narrating all the things that he could do to me but for my age. I cut him short saying, discussion over, have to go.

The Aam Aadmi Kejriwal has certainly turned a new leaf in India, and also made Rahul and NaMo do new things. So far, so good.

(Rem: those halcyon days post Emergency, post Indira Gandhi assassination, post VP Singh victory on Bofors guns and Swiss accounts. The smell of those days is sweet and so is the bitter taste of the aftermath.)