Now Indian government bans Arab TV channels
View Comments Published by on 8/7/06 at 15:06.
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Is the Indian government obsessed with banning every sort of media vehicles, whether it be films, websites, or blogs? Now it is the Arab TV channels. Arab News reported -
In a country widely referred to as the world's largest democracy, the Indian government has succumbed to mounting Israeli pressure and ordered a nationwide ban on the broadcast of Arab television channels.
The Indian government's ban on Arab television stations is in complete contrast to the friendship that Arab countries imagine exists with their neighbour across the Arabian Sea. It seems the ban is a move to ensure that Indians do not get to see the atrocities that are presently being committed by Israel in Lebanon and the occupied territories.
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi was busy in Parliament and was unavailable for comment on the issue. However, a ministry official explained why the Indian government decided to enforce the ban. The official highlighted that India enjoys close and cordial relations with Israel and the US more than any of the Arab governments.
According to another source within the government, the ban is a clear sign to all governments in the Middle East that the Israeli, American and British governments carry far more influence in India than any of the Arab governments. Several senior Indian journalists explained that the ban was an indication that India had succumbed to Israeli pressure rather than American.
As a communications professional, I wonder what is it that makes the government feel banning the media from time to time is the only solution. Banning does not sound like good information management. Just imagine you are in the middle of a debate and you suddenly go hit your opponent down to keep him quiet. What does it say about you?
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In a country widely referred to as the world's largest democracy, the Indian government has succumbed to mounting Israeli pressure and ordered a nationwide ban on the broadcast of Arab television channels.
The Indian government's ban on Arab television stations is in complete contrast to the friendship that Arab countries imagine exists with their neighbour across the Arabian Sea. It seems the ban is a move to ensure that Indians do not get to see the atrocities that are presently being committed by Israel in Lebanon and the occupied territories.
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi was busy in Parliament and was unavailable for comment on the issue. However, a ministry official explained why the Indian government decided to enforce the ban. The official highlighted that India enjoys close and cordial relations with Israel and the US more than any of the Arab governments.
According to another source within the government, the ban is a clear sign to all governments in the Middle East that the Israeli, American and British governments carry far more influence in India than any of the Arab governments. Several senior Indian journalists explained that the ban was an indication that India had succumbed to Israeli pressure rather than American.
As a communications professional, I wonder what is it that makes the government feel banning the media from time to time is the only solution. Banning does not sound like good information management. Just imagine you are in the middle of a debate and you suddenly go hit your opponent down to keep him quiet. What does it say about you?
Technorati tags: PR, Public Relations, India, Arab, Media, Social bookmark this post:
Technorati Cosmos: other blogs commenting on this post
The Government on Monday denied banning Arab television channels and said the reason for the disappearance of channels like Aljazeera from the air was their failure to conform to the downlinking guidelines issued in November last year.
Reacting to international media reports of a ban on Arab television channels, Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamad said: "There is no such ban; these reports are fantastic nonsense."
Denying a ban, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said all channels which had failed to conform to the downlinking guidelines had been taken off air. Cable operators had been instructed in May not to show any channel — downlinking into India from overseas — which had not applied for registration along with the processing fees by May 11. - The Hindu