New Delhi: The first Janata Darbar by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other ministers on Saturday was marred by chaos and mismanagement leaving thousands who had thronged the road outside Delhi Secretariat disappointed. While Kejriwal and his ministers had hoped to listen to the people's issues, talk to them, solve their problems, but that's not what the Janata Darbar was all about this Saturday.
There was huge crowd, chaos and ultimately disappointment among those who could not meet Kejriwal as he left the Darbar mid-way due to the possibilities of stampede. Not just Kejriwal, Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia too left mid-way after crowds started swelling at his desk.
Kejriwal reached Delhi Secretariat at 9.30 am and had to leave before 10.30 am after crowds started pushing and breaking barricades to reach his table. Kejriwal himself admitted that there was mismanagement as people stormed his table. Questions are now being raised as to whether it was the right way to listen to people's issues on the roads of the national capital. With an open-for-all Janata Darbar, was each person in the crowd of thousands wanting to discuss an issue with a minister or was it the desperation of people of seeing and meeting Kejriwal?
Delhi Labour Minister Girish Soni admitted that not every person present at the Janata Darbar had a genuine issue to discuss and that many had come just to meet Kejriwal. "Some people have come only to see or meet Arvind Kejriwal. Some people have come with genuine issues, some have come with issues that are not for the government to solve. Someone came saying he wanted us to solve a fight between him and is neighbour," Soni said.
The desperation of people to meet Kejriwal was evident at the Janata Darbar. Kejriwal, after leaving the venue, returned and apologised to the people for the mismanagament. But at that moment, people who said they were waiting for their turn at the respective ministry desks, simpley left to reach near the spot where Kejriwal was speaking.
In that chaos, there were people who had come with little children, who were seen crying after they were pushed around in a near stampede at the Janata Darbar. Then there were people who were posing and clicking pictures among themselves.
Some people were also unhappy with the written complaint system. People at the Janata Darbar were asked to write down their issues and submit them. Many of these could not interact with the concerned minister. They were asked to wait till they get an SMS from the government. A man present at the venue said he had no power at his home despite clearing all bills and that waiting for an SMS was not a solution.
However, despite the uncertainty, people gave written complaints hoping that their issues would be addressed by the Kejriwal government. The Janata Darbar went on till 12 noon after which all ministers left, except for Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti, who decided to sit till all the people at his desk had been heard.
"These are my people. I want their issues to be solved. Even if their complaints concern other ministries, I'll take it up with the concerned ministries. As for the mismanagement, we'll figure out ways to organise it better next time," Bharti said.
Some people who couldn't get a chance to meet any Delhi minister even turned to the media hoping their issues will be heard. And some decided to sit outside the Delhi Secretariat protesting till their issues are heard.
People came to the Janata Darbar with issues like unsolved murder cases, pending pensions, water woes, MCD complaints. But with the 'open-for-all' Janata Darbar and the large number of people who came just to meet Kejriwal, questions are being raised if it is a feasible way of addressing the issues of the people of Delhi?
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