Mao Zedong was a fêted activist. He co-founded Student Associations, strengthened trade unions and advocated the need for a “Great Union of the Popular Masses”. He led communist forces in China through a long revolution beginning in 1927. Naturally his onset as a political leader was quite strong. People loved and supported him. He soon turned into a cult figure. But then reality hit him in the face. When he utterly failed in running China, he went on a reckless track of revolutions. The Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution caused thousands of deaths through famine and massacres. His political campaigns were endless. And he never hesitated in purging his own comrades that dared to speak against him. He lived a life of perpetual insurgence. Mao was a successful rebel but a colossal failure as a leader.
Che Guevara once famously remarked “I have no house, wife, children, parents, or brothers; my friends are friends as long as they think like me, politically.” Che happens to be THE MOST celebrated political revolutionary of the world. He successfully led Fidel Castro’s guerrillas in their struggle against Fulgencio Batista’s military dictatorship in Cuba. After overthrowing Batista, Che made sure that all of Batista’s men are executed without any trials. He was a complete catastrophe as a leader too. He was the in charge of Cuban economy at the start of Castro’s government. But leadership was never his cup of tea and as a result of it the economy under his leadership took a plunge. His haters were executed or herded into slave-labor camps. A frustrated Che then assumed the role of an eternal rebel again and headed off on his vicious crusade to impose communism on countries like Argentina, the Congo, and Bolivia. He was killed by the Bolivian army though.
But why are we discussing Mao and Che here on TFI? Our hatred for communism is a known fact, so that of course is one reason but the other reason is emphasizing on the fact that when rebels become leaders, they turn into dictators. Their leadership becomes a constant struggle against the status quo, people higher in the hierarchy and with all dissenting opinions. A rebel’s brain is a bag full of cats. Even he is not sure about his next move. A rebel is driven by impulse while a leader is all about meticulous planning. A rebel would turn restless if he doesn’t have anything to fight against. An office, a dispassionate personal assistant, going through insipid files, meeting bureaucrats and ministers is not something that would excite a rebel.
Now when we talk about a revolutionary politician in today’s India, there is one person and one person alone who merits a mention and he happens to be India’s rebel-in-chief and Delhi’s Current CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal. Shri Arvind Kejriwal had had an eventful life. Possessor of an intelligent brain and strong willpower, Kejriwal has a brilliant academic profile. But those are not his USPs, his USP is his shaky temperament and rebellious attitude. Kejriwal hates the status quo and loves protesting. In his previous stint as the CM of Delhi, he famously protested against the Delhi Police. His 49 days regime was full of high octane drama which ultimately resulted into him resigning as the Delhi CM. This time though the rebel got the much needed love of the masses and took no time in attaining a cult status. His party flags and caps even proudly bore his photos, à la Big Brother. He immediately started firing his comrades who had turned rebel themselves. He made their firing public to send a strong message. AAP’s internal lokpal wasn’t amused so he was fired too. A Punjab MP Dharamvir Gandhi made an unpleasant face, He was removed from party’s representative position in Lok Sabha and was replaced by a stooge. AAP’s decision making body and panel of spokespersons was filled with trusted yes-men. So you see how the rebel turned into a new age despot. After delivering an O-Ren Ishii “If any of you sons of b****es got anything else to say, now’s the f****ng time” like performance, India’s rebel in chief took on the outsiders. Najib Jung, a Nehruvian Socialist was immediately accused of being Modi’s stooge. As a result of that the LG-CM, State-Center are locked in a hell in the cell match and now the lower and higher courts have jumped into the ring too and this is going to go on for some time. And trust me Kejriwal won’t blink first. He is loving it. He is getting an opportunity to fight. If this crisis meets a logical solution, he’ll take on some other man, some other institution, and some other department. He will always be on a constant struggle to fight with anyone that lies in the opposite direction of his moral compass. The office, the boring PA, the files, the ministers, the bureaucrats and the actual work can wait.