Let Truth Prevail

The last few weeks have seen a smear campaign of unparalleled viciousness unleashed against the civil society participants of the Lok Pal Bill, particularly the father-son duo of Shanti and Prashant Bhushan.

Broadly, three allegations were mada against the Bhushans:

• A CD where Shanti Bhushan claims to Amar Singh that Prashant can fix a judge for Rs 4 crores,
• Land allotment in NOIDA that is supposedly from Mayawati's discretionary quota, and
• Stamp duty "evasion" over purchase of an Allahabad ancestral home.

The "sansani khabar" 24*7 sound-bite Indian media showed themselves in very poor light, making no attempt to separate the wheat from the chaff, while setting themselves and their on-camera panels-with-obvious-agendas up as kangaroo courts. Some of the print media resorted to publishing just plain lies.

With the "free press" playing a such a mischievous role, how are the people of India supposed to learn the truth?

Now for the silver lining. The Outlook newsmagazine has attempted to present a balanced view. So has Tehelka, which even went so far as to publish an apology and highlight facts that it had got wrong.

The article "The smears. And the facts about the Bhushans" is worth reading in its entirety.

Let's hope that the truth, which has emerged against all odds, will also be allowed to triumph!