Satellite TV is a Liberator

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