If there is one thing one can count on in Mumbai, it is the avail-ability of people. Bursting to the seams, one only has to witness rush hour at the main local train stations to see the sea of people that inhabit this city.
Yet, when Anna Hazare did his first-ever fast in Mumbai, people found the response tepid. The city of celebrities, artists and passionate people did not come to Anna’s rally in expected numbers. An average music concert, a satsang or a Ganpati procession may attract more. The media, fully kitted out with OB vans on venue, was left underwhelmed when it did not find the spectacular visuals like the previous fasts. All sorts of theories started floating around on why this might have happened – from auto drivers refusing to go to the fast venue to Mumbai being less prone to political activism.
So, what happened? Is the Anna magic waning? Should Team Anna be worried? Should the government gloat? Actually, none of these proclamations are true. Brand Anna is still, for the most part, intact. However, one can question the basis on which such a fast was designed. Let’s face it, Team Anna goofed up a little.
Here are the six main reasons the fast did not work and the media did not get the visuals they had hoped for.
First, the fast was of a limited duration. Anna announced he would fast for three days. A finite fast has far less draw than an indefinite fast or a fast unto death. This is the single biggest reason for the lower response. In fact, Anna did a one-day fast on June 8, 2011 at Rajghat. It attracted less than a thousand people. A three-day fast is longer, but people have seen Anna fast for 12 days with no end in sight. Where is the sense of urgency in a three-day fast?
In fact, an issue for Team Anna is that while Anna has a big voice, people only seem to care for it when he is fasting unto death. His words work only when he is hungry. This has come about because that is the only tactic used so far.
Second, the team decided on a fast while Parliament was in session, and debating the Lokpal Bill. To attack the government when it is actually working for you right at that moment confuses people. Many amendments were being proposed for the Bill. Without knowing what they were and sitting on a fast didn’t seem like the most sensible thing to do. Despite still being a strong Team Anna supporter, i found it hard to support this particular fast and call on others to join.
Third, Anna has to choose carefully when he wants attention. He has the power to go sit on a stage and have the entire nation’s TV cameras turn to him. That does not mean he does it at regular intervals. He has to do it sparingly, with a very specific demand. While there were some specific demands this time, there was also a lot of rhetoric from his team’s side. The power to get attention is wonderful, but one also has to use it responsibly.
Fourth, Anna was unwell, was advised by many not to but still decided on his three-day protest. While for the most part it was in the interest of the nation, is there not a tiny tinge of ego involved here? To be righteous is great, but to be stubborn and inflexible because of it quite another. There is a thin line between being determined and obstinate, and Team Anna must be careful not to cross it. People are supporting the cause, not personal egos. Related to that, Anna walking out of interviews is not a good idea. Either don’t give an interview, or finish it.
Fifth, and this is the classic case with all one-cause movements, is that once the cause seems somewhat attained, people’s interest in the activists wanes. The leading figures of the Narmada movement and Mandal Commission protests are not as prominent after the issues died. Some activists try to take on other causes, but it never has the same effect. The best advice for any set of activists is to keep their mandate as broad as possible, so they do not lose relevance when their demands are met. India Against Corruption acti-vists will have to do some soul-searching on what they want to do next, assuming some of their demands are met in future.
Overall, Team Anna still is a strong force. People know its members, trust them and, for the right reasons, will support them. I have high hopes from them as they do have the right minds at work, along with their passion. They must take lessons from Mumbai and move on.
Finally, the real issue – the now-shelved Lokpal Bill. The government’s Bill was not the best, but it wasn’t as hopeless as the one in April either. I would rate it 7 out of 10, which i guess is where our PM aimed at anyway given his past statements. Yet, making it tougher seems difficult, given the resistance witnessed in Parliament in passing even this one through.
This is the first cut, and if the legislation goes through in future and turns out weak in practice, there will be another chance to protest and tighten it. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the perfect Lokpal can’t come in one shot. People and nations change, but slowly. Push things too much at once, and they crack.
Here’s wishing Team Anna, the government, the opposition and the ever-confused allies a happy new year. And dear Mumbai media, just send those OB vans back to Bollywood events. You will get your content. Happy 2012!
The writer is a best-selling novelist.
December 31, 2011 (The Times of India)