India shine creates a scene

So what if the Centre drew flak for spending taxpayer’s money to add shine to its achievements? There is more work to be done. For inst...

So what if the Centre drew flak for spending taxpayer’s money to add shine to its achievements? There is more work to be done.

For instance, an FM station dedicated to Hindustani classical music in Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee’s constituency, Lucknow. And a dance-drama in Bihar depicting women’s emancipation including the efforts to bring 33 per cent reservation by the BJP-led NDA Government under Vajpayee’s leadership.

After the deluge of publicity material from the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) at public cost, it is the turn of the Song and Drama division of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

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Both proposals are waiting to make a formal debut in April. The only hitch— the Election Commission may announce the dates for elections, bringing up the model code of conduct.

Division officials say the state government will deny permission once the dates are out. ‘‘The issue to be staged deals with the progress of women and about reservation proposed by the BJP and opposed by the RJD,’’ said officials from the division.

On the other hand, All India Radio’s FM station for Lucknow, officials said, could be inaugurated in the Prime Minister’s absence. The decision to launch the station was taken nearly three months ago when the Prasar Bharati Corporation decided to launch two classical music FM stations in Bangalore and Lucknow.

Last time around, Doordarshan launched its 24-hour news channel on November 2, narrowly skipping the date of announcement.

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There is one division that is eagerly looking forward to the dates being announced. That’s the DAVP whose officials are recovering from being forced to contribute to India Shining — in shiny booklets in 12 Indian languages.