Prashant Bhushan, there’s no need to lie, learn from Medha Patkar

When the media spoke to Medha Patkar about her impressions on the low turnout, she dismissed the numbers as a non-issue. “Only politicians indulge in a number game. Just because there is a smaller crowd it doesn’t mean the movement is unsuccessful. We cannot expect the movement to always be steady," said Patkar. On the other hand, Prashant Bhushan, speaking to media persons this morning, claimed that the Mumbai rally at the MMRDA grounds saw as many as 25,000 supporters attending. No, there weren’t anywhere close to 25,000 supporters. If the estimates of a low turnout were made only by a newspaper or TV channel or two, the accusation of bias and a conspiracy theory might hold true, but media products who compete fiercely with each other report low attendance. That’s because that is the truth: the attendance was low. [caption id=“attachment_167679” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“When the media spoke to Medha Patkar about her impressions on the low turnout, she dismissed the numbers as a non-issue. “]  [/caption] That’s a truth that many supporters of Team Anna know – because they were there at MMRDA. They know the number was way short of what Prashant Bhushan claims and they would be disconcerted when they realise that one of Team Anna’s key members is, to put it mildly, stretching the truth. As far as those who didn’t attend, they have seen the visuals on news television and would have estimated the crowds to be small, their estimates buttressed by the comments by the anchors and reporters on the TV screens. The newspaper and website reports this morning would have given them a clear picture. A statement such as Patkar’s would have energised them; Bhushan’s lie would leave them disheartened and confused. The tragedy is that there was no need for Bhushan to exaggerate the numbers. The Lokpal Bill, in whatever state it is in, has been passed by the Lok Sabha and will be debated in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow. Whether it was 1,00,000 people at the Ramlila grounds in August or 10,000 is of no consequence to the success that Team Anna has achieved. As Patkar says, numbers are for politicians. As are lies, Mr Bhushan. And in case you haven’t had time to catch up on the news, here is a selection from this morning’s newspapers and websites. Business Standard: The crowds that usually throng Anna Hazare’s agitation were missing on Tuesday — both at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi and at the fast venue in MMRDA grounds, Mumbai. Earlier in the day in Mumbai, Hazare began his three-day fast. Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal, Medha Patkar participated. The crowds were thin and touched about 1500 by late afternoon, after which the people began dispersing by 5 pm. Times of India: The crowds were missing on Tuesday as the veteran anti-graft crusader launched his fast at MMRDA ground in Bandra-Kurla complex. Independent estimates put the turnout at a modest 15,000 - a far cry from the expectations of the organizers but the huge numbers who stayed put at Ramlila Maidan in August to be a moral goad of sorts for the political class and the government, in particular. Ramlila Maidan looked even more desolate with barely 1,200 or so people present at any point responding to Team Anna’s call to express solidarity with their demand. Ibnlive: The black flags that greeted Anna Hazare on Tuesday on the way to MMRDA grounds were perhaps an indication of the lackluster support that awaited him. Team Anna had expected at least one lakh people on Day One but only about 7,000 turned up. DNA: Anna’s magic failed to pull in the crowds; barely 5,000 people gathered to show their solidarity with Hazare in his fight against corruption. Hindustan Times: I had images fresh in my mind of Azad Maidan and Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan overflowing with people during social activist Anna Hazare’s fast in August, but when I reached the Bandra-Kurla Complex grounds, I realised that this time the turnout was far less. At 12.30 pm, as per police estimates, there were around 3,000 people at the venue, including more than 500 media representatives. NDTV: But the scenes were quite different at the MMRDA Grounds, the venue for Anna’s fast. The music, the songs, the flags and the patriotism were a reminder of Anna’s successful fast in the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi in August but the massive crowds seen in the capital were missing on Tuesday. With a mere two thousand people at the venue at noon, Anna had words of appreciation for those who did manage to turn up. “I know that you all are sitting under the sun. You all have come here in such heat, leaving your work. That is why I thank all of you,” he said.