Cablemen feel pinch as Modi showcases Vande Gujarat

The media-savvy Narendra Modi Government has pulled out another ace ahead of the Assembly elections. Today, cable operators across the state were handed over the first DVDs...

The media-savvy Narendra Modi Government has pulled out another ace ahead of the Assembly elections. Today, cable operators across the state were handed over the first DVDs of a glossy seven-pack collection, titled Vande Gujarat, for daily airing.

While the Information Department insists the exercise is a routine publicity drive by the state government, the cable operators are not too amused as the DVDs are to be aired free of cost and at prime time, between 7 pm and 9 pm. This is the prime slot for local news transmission, before national networks take over. Usually cable operators earn their revenues by leasing out air times to local news networks.

On Saturday, the Entertainment Tax Mamlatdar at Vadodara called cable operators of the city for a meeting and handed them the first three of the seven DVDs, enclosed in a saffron jacket imprinted with Narendra Modi’s smiling face. Similar meetings were held across the state. These DVDs are to be aired Monday onwards.

Story continues below this ad

The operators have been told to maintain a daily schedule sheet, and submit details of the transmissions to the mamlatdar office. Another DVD titled Sagarkhedut was also distributed. The idea seems to be to bombard the air waves with government propaganda at a time that is likely to get the maximum viewership. Since the licences to run cable networks come from the Entertainment Tax Department, cable operators understandably are reluctant to publicly air their discomfort.

The DVDs feature the Modi Government’s pet schemes and his speeches, often subtitled in Hindi.