Are we seeing the emergence of India’s answer to BBC World Service Radio? Projecting India’s soft power to regions of strategic interest and influence.
I recall my grandfather used to relax in the afternoons and late evenings in our village close to Porbandar with a rickety old radio listening intently to BBC World Service. As this was his only gateway to what was happening in the world. Indeed it was the BBC through the voice of Mark Tully who broke the news to the world of Indira Gandhi’s assignation. Today it would be a Tweet!
The internet and smart phones have certainly made the world closer. But there remain huge swathes of the planet and its population where internet connectivity remains poor or even non existent. And smart phones far off in the distance for the world poor, especially rural communities.
Hence India reaching out and producing topical programmes which draw on India’s own development path eg Jan Dhan Yojna, Soil Health cards, and suggesting a world view which has a development ‘Sab Ke Saath – Sabka Vikas’ focus rather than any imperialist designs would be a great thing. Winning hearts and minds in many parts of India’s immediate proximity and in parts of Africa (where China’s brute economic and political force is dominating) to communities in South America and remote Island states.
There is an opportunity here. This story of Doordarshan beaming into Bangladesh may be a start. Hopefully there will be the ‘vision’ to see this project expand, and expand quickly.
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