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Posted by Sagnik Chakravartty on 4/2/2003, 1:01 am At the Siri Fort Auditorium today, DD BHARATI CHANNEL devoted to culture
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REVIEW OF BASANT BHARATI- A Programme to Celebrate the Completion of One
Year of DD-BHARATI
and the arts and children's programming and Health/Lifestyle celebrated
its Ist Anniversary. The stage design was shabby and true to DD's
notoriety MANTRI VANDANA was done with the robo-cam pointing straight at
the Minister of I & B, Smt Sushma Swaraj regularly and as if it was the
vision of the Minister for this channel which was ultimately realised. DD
is now under PRASAR BHARATI, an autonomous organisation, only on paper.
DD can become a genuine public broadcaster if it divorces itself
completely from the Ministry of I & B on crucial policy decisions except
for financial support. DD can also generate revenue if it can itself
think of earning for the public interest.
The entire function was based on classical dance, music, ghazals,
instrumental, true to DD-BHARATI's image of preserving our cultural
heritage. The entire Siri Fort Auditorium was by and large moderately
full except for some empty spaces. The set design reminded me of typical
western Studio sets. It would have been better if simple set was there
with some Bonsai plants put on stage. The entire programme was telecast
live. The set could have been made cheaper and qualitywise better.
However one good thing DD-BHARATI has done is to put CDs/VCDs of Begum
Akhtar (100 Years of Recorded Music in India) series alongwith that of
Bharatanatyam/Kathak/Sufiana Qawwali on sale. From this sale DD-Bharati
can earn precious revenue.
There has been no perciptible change in the mentality of Govt. servants.
They still, working under DD cannot reconcile to the fact that now PRASAR
BHARATI BOARD is controlling them.
Professionals/ creative people should be made DG of DD. CEO should also
be administratively better equipped, maynot be an IAS officer.
DD-BHARATI can climb a few stairs ahead if it resists the Govt. pressures
and not dance to the whims and fancies of Ministers of I & B. Employees
of PRASAR BHARATI need to take out their Govt. mentality and act
creatively. Then only it can become a genuine public broadcaster rather
than remaining SUSHMA BHARATI.I strongly feel that Ministers should not
be invited to these events as Chief Guest. Rather a creative
artist/broadcaster/mediaperson should be invited to be present as the
Chief Guest. PRASAR BHARATI should become as autonomous as the SUPREME
COURT OF INDIA or THE ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA if it really wants to
be unique in its presentation.
The Director of CPC, DD, Ananya Banerjee was also present. It was her
idea to devise such a function with a grand stage set, which was
ultimately looking aesthetically bad and shabby. Students of KALA
BHAVANA-SANTINIKETAN or THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DESIGN, Ahmedabad
should be given the responsibility of managing such shows alongwith set
design.
Eminent dancer, Kavita Dwibedi told me that she came without an
invitation card to attend the function.
As everybody is aware the waves of communal politics is sweeping INDIA
with the NDA Govt. in power.
It is DD (PRASAR BHARATI) which could effectively become an instrument of
social change and resist the dynamics of communal politics played by the
BJP in Gujarat.
A notable absentee from the function was the PRASAR BHARATI BOARD
CHAIRMAN M V Kamath. This shows that PRASAR BHARATI BOARD is not
effectively functioning ever since the demise of its first Chairman Late
Nikhil Chakravartty. It was blatant on the part of the Ministry to sack
Prasar Bharati members, ROMILA THAPAR and RAJENDRA YADAV after the
passing away of its first Chairman. This should be avoided in future.
I hope all these suggestions will be taken note of by the PRASAR BHARATI
BOARD and DD, DG- S Y Qureshi. The Chairman should have the vision to
steer DD ahead and be the sole authority to take DD BHARATI ahead. The
Minister of I & B should be out of the race in such a case.
All these changes will come if a separate recruitment Board of PRASAR
BHARATI as envisaged in the Act takes place. The people should have
access to the offices of PRASAR BHARATI and be the real stakeholder
rather than the Minister. Transparency in functioning can bring about a
massive change in the working of DD.
Only then such initiatives like DD-BHARATI can stand their futility and
purpose of educating, entertaining and informing the people. It should
rather become a community channel of the people, for the people and by
the people.
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