“ Delhi Stand-Off: Power Crisis”
One crisis, many causes. The immediate provocation for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sitting on a dharna at the residence of the Lt. Governor might have been a run-in with the bureaucracy, but the crisis is rooted in the understanding (or misunderstanding) of the constitutional limits of the powers of the elected government in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The Aam Aadmi Party government has a history of confrontation with the Centre on the question of who is the administrative head of a region that is less than a State and more than a Union Territory. Since the party came to power in 2015, the demand for Delhi to be given the status of a full-fledged State, allowing it among other things powers over the police, has become strident. Differences extend to the LG’s discretionary powers to appoint the Chief Secretary, with the AAP nursing a grouse that the bureaucratic cadrecame directly under the Centre. Matters came to a head when Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash was assaulted during a late-night meeting in Mr. Kejriwal’s presence. Since then, officials have been in a non-cooperative mode, only attending statutory meetings, skipping what they term are “routine” meetings and not taking phone calls from Ministers. Mr. Kejriwal and his Cabinet colleagues decided on the dharna in protest, but instead of forcing a solution, they may have precipitated a crisis. Members of the BJP responded with a dharna at the Chief Minister’s residence, completing the political spectacle.
In adopting the politics of protest as part of its quest to expand the powers of the elected government, the AAP is putting governance at risk. Instead of mounting a legal challenge to the Centre’s efforts to further curtail the limited powers of the Delhi government, Mr. Kejriwal chose to respond politically. While he might like to be seen as a constitutional functionary whose hands are tied by an overbearing Centre, he is coming across as someone who is keener on a bigger fight on a bigger stage than as one eager to fulfil his constitutional mandate. The dharnas might end, but the underlying causes of the present crisis will not disappear without the Centre and the Delhi government agreeing on the terms of engagement through the office of the Lt. Governor. The BJP cannot mock Mr. Kejriwal out of politics; the Centre will have to deal with him, and work jointly with the AAP government for the welfare of Delhi’s citizens — something it has failed to do. The way to fight the AAP cannot be by placing handcuffs on the Delhi government. As for the AAP, it should learn to make the best of the system before demanding more autonomy. To push the constitutional limits to acquire more meaningful powers is fine, but it cannot be at the cost of failing to do whatever is possible within the current framework.
WORDS AND MEANINGS –
Provocation
Meaning: Action or speech that makes someone angry, especially deliberately.
Example: “You should remain calm and not respond to provocation”
Synonyms: Incitement, Rousing
Bureaucracy
Meaning: A system of government in which most of the important decisions are taken by state officials rather than by elected representatives.
Synonyms: Civil service, Administration
Confrontation
Meaning: A hostile or argumentative situation or meeting between opposing parties.
Example: “A confrontation with the legislature”
Synonyms: Conflict, Clash
Strident
Meaning: (Of a sound) loud and harsh; grating.
Example: “His voice had become increasingly strident”
Synonyms: Harsh, Raucous
Antonyms: Soft, Dulcet
Grouse
Meaning: Complain about something trivial; grumble.
Example: “She heard him grousing about his assistant”
Synonyms: Grumble, Complain
Cadre
Meaning: A small group of people specially trained for a particular purpose or profession.
Example: “A cadre of professional managers”
Synonyms: Team, Corps
30) Assaulted
Meaning: Make a physical attack on.
Example: “He pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer”
Synonyms: Hit, Strike
Statutory
Meaning: Required, permitted, or enacted by statute.
Example: “Statutory controls over prices”
Spectacle
Meaning: A visually striking performance or display.
Example: “The acrobatic feats make a good spectacle”
Synonyms: Display, Show
Quest
Meaning: A long or arduous search for something.
Example: “The quest for a reliable vaccine has intensified”
Synonyms: Search, Hunt
Curtail
Meaning: Reduce in extent or quantity; impose a restriction on.
Example: “Civil liberties were further curtailed”
Synonyms: Reduce, Cut
Antonyms: Increase, Lengthen
Overbearing
Meaning: Unpleasantly overpowering.
Example: “An overbearing, ill-tempered brute”
Synonyms: Autocratic, Oppressive
Keener
Meaning: Having or showing eagerness or enthusiasm.
Example: “A keen gardener”
Synonyms: Eager, Anxious
Antonyms: Reluctant, Apathetic
Crisis
Meaning: A time of intense difficulty or danger.
Example: “The current economic crisis”
Synonyms: Catastrophe, Calamity
Mock
Meaning: Tease or laugh at in a scornful or contemptuous manner.
Example: “Opposition MPs mocked the government’s decision”
Synonyms: Ridicule, Deride
Antonyms: Friendly, Open
Handcuffs
Meaning: Put handcuffs on (someone).
Example: “He was led into court handcuffed to a policeman”
Synonyms: Manacle, Fetter
Antonyms: Free
Autonomy
Meaning: Freedom from external control or influence; independence.
Example: “The courts enjoy a considerable degree of autonomy”
Synonyms: Self-government, Independence
