| Satellite TV is a Liberator or the first time | | | | leftists, who have the moral right to shoot |
| in history, India's Republic Day was seen | | | | those who disagree. Democratic governments |
| live all over Asia on Star TV, and the fuming | | | | can claim to represent the people of their |
| politicians and intellectuals of Pakistan | | | | country. But many also claim the right of |
| could do nothing about it. The budget speech | | | | determine what their people can watch, which |
| of Dr Man Mohan Singh ;will be broadcast all | | | | is not democracy but monopoly. Democracy is |
| over Asia by Zee TV, and once again the | | | | about the freedom of people to choose, not |
| censors in Pakistan, Burma and elsewhere will | | | | the freedom of politicians and intellectual |
| be helpless to prevent their countrymen from | | | | goons to impose their views on the masses. |
| tuning in. What Doordarshan and the external | | | | Earlier, technology enabled governments to |
| affairs ministry could never have | | | | exercise a TV monopoly. But satellite TV has |
| accomplished, in spreading the message about | | | | broken that monopoly, and allowed people to |
| India's economic Renaissance, is being done | | | | choose what they wanted to see. This is not |
| through the purely commercial channels of | | | | imperialism but liberation. Imperialism |
| satellite TV. Whatever else you may call | | | | implies that a foreigner is using force to |
| this, this is not cultural imperialism | | | | enter India against the wishes of Indians. |
| imposed by the west on India. On the | | | | Satellite TV is not and cannot be forced on |
| contrary, it is the spread of cultures of all | | | | viewers, who have the option to tune in or |
| Asian countries to one another. The new | | | | not. Those who complain about cultural |
| liberalism means the Indians can see | | | | imperialism are in fact cultural monopolists, |
| Pakistani programmes, and Pakistanis Indian | | | | wishing to imprison the minds and tastes of |
| programmes. For decades Pakistan refused to | | | | viewers in pre-determined cages. Fortunately |
| allow the import of Indian films on the | | | | satellite technology has destroyed those |
| ground that Pakistan's film industry will be | | | | cages. That is a tragedy only for the |
| ruined by the competition. Today, Zee TV and | | | | self-appointed guardians of culture. |
| Jain TV are beaming down umpateen Hindi films | | | | UNPARALLELLED VEHICLE: Satellite TV should be |
| to Pakistani audience. Yet Pakistan's film | | | | seen as an unparalleled vehicle for spreading |
| industry has certainly not been destroyed. | | | | Indian culture, ideas and views to the rest |
| Only the monopoly of Pakistani rulers and | | | | of Asia, and eventually to the whole world. |
| vested interests has been broken. Indian | | | | Programmes like The India Show and India |
| viewers can bow see excellent plays on | | | | Business Report of Star TV do far more for |
| Pakistan TV beamed down by satellite, which | | | | India's image that anything that Indian |
| are generally far superior to the stuff | | | | embassies or All India Radio ever could. Stat |
| dished out by Doordarshan. This has dismayed | | | | TV an Zee TV beam many advertisements of |
| self-righteous Indians who think Indian | | | | Indian companies all over Asia, but carry |
| viewers are gullible fools who must be | | | | virtually no ads from Pakistani or |
| protected from Pakistani propaganda by wise | | | | Bangladeshi companies. This shows how |
| Indian intellectuals. There is of course | | | | satellite TV has transformed India's clout as |
| another possibility-that TV viewers are quite | | | | an audience into international commercial |
| wise enough, and the self-righteous | | | | clout of national importance. From Amjad Ali |
| intellectuals are the gullible fools. NOT | | | | Khan to Baba Sehgal, from Sonal Mansingh to |
| DECULTURISED: Indian viewers have now been | | | | Jasmine Barucha, Indian performers are now |
| exposed for a long time to TV programmes from | | | | visible all over Asia and Indian films and TV |
| BBC and Pakistan, and India has not been | | | | shows have an unparalleled foreign audience. |
| subverted or deculturised in the process. It | | | | Because of the language barrier, many such |
| is evident that Indian viewers are quite | | | | programmes have a limited reach in South East |
| capable of deciding what they wish to absorb | | | | Asia. But there is not langurge barrier in |
| or reject from foreign programmes, and | | | | the case of Pakistan, with whom satellite TV |
| neither need nor want protection from the | | | | is building cultural bridges, which |
| self-righteous crowd. Indeed, this follows | | | | politicians and intellectuals oppose. India |
| from democracy itself. In a democracy, | | | | and Pakistan will not reconcile their |
| ordinary people, illiterate or otherwise, are | | | | political differences in the near future. But |
| deemed wise enough to select their rulers. | | | | when that day comes, I believe the |
| And yet the self-righteous intellectuals | | | | reconciliation will owe a debt to the |
| would have you believe that the same voters | | | | cultural cross-fertilisation that satellite |
| are not wise enough to choose their TV | | | | TV provides today regardless of religion or |
| programmes. It is no accident that many of | | | | nation. Keith Londrie II is a well known |
| these intellectuals are (or have been) | | | | author. For more information on Satellite TV, |
| Marxists, who have long peddled the theory | | | | please visit Satellite TV for a wealth of |
| that the washed masses must be protected from | | | | information. |
| their personal preferences by golden-hearted | | | | |