Discovery of India at a ripe 50 turns Americans Indophiles

It is a never-before coverage that should give goosepumps to the 1.5-million strong Indian community here, besides introducing India to a generation of Americans.

While there appears to be general gloom and despair in India on the eve of the jubilee, most American papers and magazines are lavish in their praise of India’s lively and resilient democracy built on the diversity and secular nature of its society. Many papers have run specials on the economic reforms.

Coverage in the big media establishments was expected. What is surprising is that the second-rung newspapers and smaller outfits have given time, money and special for an extra spread.

“I guess we have under-reported India for too long. This was as good a time as any to take stock. And this is just an opening shot in our coverage of the region,” said Ricardo Chavira, Foreign Editor of the Dallas Morning News, which has just opened an Asia bureau.

The Dallas paper ran two 2,500-word stories from India back-to-back over the weekend. Ditto Chicago Tribune, which front-paged two such reports. Not that these newspapers are to be sneezed at. Both sell upwards of 500,000 — more than any single edition Indian newspaper.

While the Trib has sent its own corespondent on a five-week spin through India — he’s still out there to report on I-Day — the Dallas daily assigned the job to Asia man Gregg Jones. The New Jersey Star Ledger and St Louis Post Despatch also commissioned special writes for the job.

Even relatively lesser known papers have run stories on India in a hot summer month when everyone is on vacation and little news is generated in the US itself. The Atlanta Journal and Constitution and The Seattle Times both had India specials over the weekend.

Noticeably, the coverage is also heavy in areas which have a handsome concentration of Indians. Thus, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Examiner, San Lose Mercury News, New Jersey Star Ledger, and Atlanta Journal and Constitution ran separate specials on the ethnic Indian community because their circulation areas have a good concentration of Indian immigrants.

“You could say we heard the voice of the Indian community. They are pretty big out here,” joked Tribune’s Deputy Foreign Editor John Atkins.

As expected, the biggies led the way in providing a spread. After the Newsweek and Time special issues, the venerable New York Times surpassed itself with six pieces on India in its Sunday edition and two more on Thursday.The Washington Post’s list of misconceptions about India

*Relations between India and the US dates from India’s Independence in 1947.George Washington sent a consul to Calcutta in November 1792.* Millions are starving in India.

India’s food production meets the demand of its 940-million people and leaves a surplus for export. India is the world’s largest producer of milk, and the second largest producer of rice.

* India is overpopulated.The population density of Holland is two-and-half times that of India.

* Curry powder is widely used in Indian kitchens.

Curry powder, as such, does not exist in India.

* India is a Hindu country.

India is constitutionally a secular country. She has people from every religion, including the second largest population of Muslims.

* Galileo was the first to prove the Earth revolved around the Sun in the early 1600s.

Indian astronomer Aryabhatta proved the Earth was round and revolved around the Sun a thousand years earlier.