Revisiting Tomorrow; Yesterday! #01
(Indian perspective on a modern
technology of communication;
paper given at IIC while working at
CENDIT New Delhi)
Whether it
is the unbearable pressure of phenomenal population growth, or the demands of
more food or the burdens of unemployment & poverty; there is a growing
tendency to look to science & technology to show the way. India is not
unique in this, but shares with many countries, both developed &
developing, the fond hope that science & technology can come to grips with
complex issues facing the country. The high priority assigned to science &
technology in India
is, therefore, not surprising. For the year 1984-85, electronics industry alone
is expected to expand at a compound growth rate of 23%.
Development
of technology is a continuous process that includes stages of generation,
diffusion & application of knowledge. The time scale involved from research
to utilization, however, is long and in many instances, development of
technology begins with technology transfer. Despite being the tenth most
industrialized country in the world, India still depends considerably on
technology transfer even in the high investment field of electronics. While
imported technology is explicitly confined to equipment, it brings with it a
certain amount of philosophy in regard to content. This aspect is crucial in
communication technologies, especially those involving the mass media such as
broadcasting, where the final product is a ‘message’. Policy guidelines and
planning strategy, therefore, need to be concerned more with the programming
component, to ensure that technology imbibes indigenous cultural values and
felt needs during adaptation process.
Need for Communication Policy:
Given the
rural/urban diversity and complex socio-economic factors in these two divided
sectors in the country, the need for an appropriate national communication
policy is of crucial importance. Prof. Yash Pal cautions against mere transfer
of technology, without appropriate adaptation in the field of broadcasting that
might lead to ‘technological dependence on metropolitan centers and ultimately
to patterns of broadcasting inappropriate to rural development needs of the
nation as a whole’. Curiously enough, despite repeated recommendations of various
committees & commissions, we have not yet arrived at a nationally relevant
Communication Policy. This absence of
policy is more conspicuous in comparison to the existence of a national policy
in almost every other field, be it population, universal education, eradication
of poverty or forestry. Lacking guidelines, the growth of communication
facilities has been haphazard and their use insignificant and in certain cases,
even wasteful. Television broadcasting is a case in point.
The
emergence of such means of communication in India as P&T, telephone and
radio date back almost to the time of their first appearance on world scene.
With television, however, the case is different. While it made a rather
dramatic entry elsewhere, television received a cool & indifferent
reception in India .
A country of villages in various stages of under-development & poverty
& so many languages had no time for an elitist entertainment in the
national language. This argument was sustained for almost two decades. The SITE
project during the 70’s followed by a series of satellites in orbit for
domestic use reversed that thinking. So much so that television, preferably in
color, is considered an essential rural commodity today.
The
commissioning of low power transmitters in remote areas of the country is being
speeded up. In the next year or two, more than 70% population is expected to be
covered with a hybrid approach of direct reception by satellite and
re-diffusion by microwave linked surface transmitters. The villages, in the
mean time, continue more or less in their stagnant state of neglect. This
change of heart, unfortunately, is neither the wisdom of hindsight nor based
upon any systematic study of the medium and its potential as an agent of social
change. Lacking a concrete communication policy, it is an indication of frantic
last minute effort to cope with an invading new technology.
A state of
un-preparedness is hardly surprising in Indian communication planning process.
A review of the communication campaigns and publicity activities of various
developmental agencies such as health, agriculture and others provide ample
proof. Total lack of co-ordination, indifference to relevance of timeliness of
information and centralized approach to production and communication content that
loses significance in the diversity of Indian countryside; do not indicate
sincere efforts in planning.
As late as
1979-80 the budget estimate of the technology component of the Information
& Broadcasting Ministry was a low 0.52 crores compared to 10.32 crores for
Communications and 48.49 for Space. This, despite the fact that the Ministry of
Information & Broadcasting is primarily responsible for mass communication
in the Country and shelters over 18 media departments, with activities ranging
from production of publicity materials to field campaigns, documentary films,
news-reels and other programs in 14 languages.
Parallel
to this, at the state level, are departments of information & publicity
spreading the communication network to the rural level. The Planning Commission
has recognized the fact that research based developmental programs can not be
confined to time scales of national five-year-plans. This has yet to percolate
through to the communication components of development plans that are implemented
on a yearly basis with budgetary provision relegated to second decimal. In this
context it is not very surprising that while INSAT-IB is on launch pad, the
Min. of I&B has yet to identify users and program priorities; thereby
emphasizing the importance placed upon acquisition of technology rather than
its application.
Concepts versus Action:
Absence of
a policy can be a policy itself. The dichotomy, however, lies in the contrast
between stated intentions to use media technology to serve rural poor, while
implementing an urban base of media infrastructure. The urban group, which is
also elitist, has had considerable influence in the rapid expansion and
development of television in recent years. Until 1955 television was confined
to the class room, extending only to a few tele-clubs in villages surrounding Delhi . By 1974, with the
establishment of more television centers in metropolitan areas, the
entertainment component of programming stood at 31% compared to 2% of programs
meant for tele-clubs. Following ASIAD games of 1982, the urban takeover was
complete. While the un-announced (& un-admitted) shift toward urban
entertainment need is quite obvious, official statements continue to declare
that television will be used, primarily as a means for social education; that
it will never be allowed to become a rich man’s toy; that it will be used as a
weapon against illiteracy & ignorance; that as an instrument of social
change it will involve our communities in a free dialogue, shunning elitist
approach this will evolve a true national model for communication in a
diversified India. The platitudes continue, implying that television in India
will be used almost exclusively for the benefit of the Rural Indian.
The
reality, however, is quite different. In the daily schedule of four programs
that is the present television fare, all the programs originate from
metropolitan urban centers, and less than 5% come under what may be called
‘social education’, or ‘rural oriented’. Also, the SITE continuity plan
provides for television transmission to a segment of the ‘rural audience’.
There are, however, no rural based production centers. Though field equipment
as well as man power are available exclusively for these purposes, they are all
hiding in the nearest metropolitan television centers. The resulting urban base
programs hardly fit into rural ethos.
Recognizing
this, the evaluation report of SITE calls for a separate organization for rural
communication purposes, preferably, rural based. The present use of satellite
technology, however, merges harmoniously into existing centralized
communication system. Technically & administratively such an approach might
bring television to every village in India but it will not ensure its
merger into the mainstream of village life. It remains an elitist, urban
intruder, best ignored.
Indian National Satellite System
(INSAT)
SITE is
now a part of history. The focus has shifted to the Indian Satellite System.
Since conclusion of the SITE project in 1976, the TV network has been expanding
from 20 to 42 transmitters. Of these 28 use & totally depend on satellites
for their operation. Currently the transponder leased from the Statsionar-6 of
the Soviet Union is being used for uplink from Earth station Delhi . Once operational, INSAT-IB will take
over.
The
overall INSAT-I system, except for its TV segment, was approved for
implementation in 1977, the TV ground segments, however, were approved only in
July 1983 about eight weeks before satellite launch. Under this special
provision the network expansion consisting of thirteen high power and 112 low
power TV transmitters will have “receive only” terminals for direct feed from
the satellites. The plan envisages to set uo 6 production centers to meet the
needs of community viewing in the villages. Compared to the 8,ooo or more
direct reception sets to be placed among rural communities, the production work
load on these new centers is colossal.
From
experience, Doordarshan will have to rely considerably on importing programs
from the commercial film industry and the Films Division of the Min. of
I&B. Concurrent with this elaborate expansion in equipment there is no
indication of the proposed investment for development of appropriate programs.
More significantly, there are no program guidelines other than the plan to use
TV for educational purposes. This aspect, however, is being inadequately
handled by Dept. of Education with six ETV centers.
The
INSAT-I series is considered a unique system designed specially to meet Indian
requirements of telecommunication, methodology & mass communication. The
INSAT-IA satellite, launched in April 1982 was de-activated in Sept.1982,
following technical snags. The successfully launched INSAT-IB is expected to
have a life span of seven years. INSAT-IC, scheduled to b launched in 1986,
will complete the first phase of the space program. The INSAT-II series is
scheduled to begin from 1988 onwards. Such advance planning in
techno-deployment is certainly impressive. Equally impressive is the selective
neglect of the application & use of technology.
In recent
times there have been statements about statements about operating a 2-channel
service by Doordarshan to cater exclusively to urban & rural audience.
Whether such a surgical separation of technology or a media agency serves the
audience better, wherever it is, or sets it further apart has yet to be seen. But
first we need to shed our mystic understanding of ‘Rural Audience’. Rural
entertainment is not confined to local folk art forms, just as information need
is not always an indication of low intellectual ability. The rural populace in India is
distant only from the westward looking urbanite. They share a lot that is
purely Indian in tradition, culture and a common outlook to life. Sustained and
continuous research efforts are necessary to identify the best way to integrate
modern technology into the communication patterns of rural India . Again,
many useful indicators emerge from the SITE experience.
Television
is further handicapped by the strangling umbilicus linking it to Radio. Though
an independent agency since 1977, Doordarshan has not been able to shake off
the ‘radio influence’. In a sense radio has acted as the big brother to TV
& is partly responsible for its stunted growth. Most of the senior staff in
Doordarshan are imported from radio. This affects their view & use of the
medium. TV in India
is really a radio with a few supporting visuals thrown in. occasionally, when
it does manage to step out of ‘radio syndrome’, TV usually lands in the fantasy
world of commercial Indian cinema. The result is a very highly dissatisfied
audience, rural as well as urban. The former ignores a condescending free service
while the latter explores the new video technology in search of entertainment
& relaxation.
Video & Cable Television
The sudden
expansion of television network without a corresponding investment in content
provides an ideal situation for the invasion of video technology that is the
latest phenomenon on the Indian communication scene. Presently confined to
urban areas its potential for expansion is limitless. Suddenly, cable TV,
offering alternative viewing pleasures to residents of high-rise apartments
& complexes is making the news. Pay TV is in. not lagging behind are posh
hotels and holiday resorts that promise latest entertainment fare imported all
the way from Hollywood & Madison Avenue. Transport companies operating long
distance night buses have found a unique pull for middle class travelers in
‘video coach’ showing ever popular Indian commercial films, three in a row,
throughout the night journey.
The
Government, perhaps quite un-intentionally, falls in line with relaxations of
import regulations of electronic goods. Imported VCRs are flooding our markets.
Urban middle class households are gobbling them up. The ever increasing demand
& swelling audience has resulted in mushrooming growth of video libraries
that provide everything from cartoons to latest Oscar wonder, Richard
Attenborough’s ‘Gandhi” on ¾” video cassettes. Not only is video cassette
becoming popular, it shows every indication of breaking the barrio of
rural/urban divide. Video clubs penetrating smaller towns are a thriving business
with overflowing audiences consuming coffee & beer on the side. Belated
& recent efforts by Government to enforce new copyright laws and regulate
video transfer facilities will hardly alter this trend.
Alarmed
and struggling to survive the threat from this breakaway technology, there is
now an obvious commercial tilt to Doordarshan thinking. Faced with the
challenge of an ever shrinking audience, the present policy is to accept &
allow imported programs that are commercially sponsored. Also on cards is 17 hours
viewing time as against the present 4 hours a day, once INSAT – IB becomes
operational. Perhaps Superman will join the ever popular Lunch Show on the TV
schedule. Perhaps sleepy Indian villagers looking skywards might eventually see
Star Wars. Perhaps…
Caca2369.reading