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Can8217;t possibly describe everything that happened last week. So there are just moments or remembered images: MTV8217;s tri-coloured logo shortly followed by Channel V; ATN8217;s patriotic songs, patriotic film songs and patriotic films; Amartya Sen grave and analytical on ABNi; CNN8217;s Anita Pratap, grave and analytical in Calcutta reborn; the national flag and Jana Gana on Zee Antakshiri but mercifully without Annu Kapoor8217;s tears. And DD8217;s Mukti Gaatha with Om Puri and all too brief recreations from history especially Mangal Pandey being hung and his bladder emptying onto his shoes. And of course the Prime Minister. Mr Gujral was interviewed by three channels in the course of the week: CNN by Riz Khan, BBC by Daniel Lak and most surprisingly, Sony by Pritish Nandy; he was at the People8217;s March waving a flag while former PMs looked alarmed by the length of Delhi CM,Sahib Singh8217;s speech -or was it by TV8217;s coverage of him?; he put us to sleep on 15th night and woke us up on 16th morning, railing against corruption. He also gave us a good view of his back at the Bismillah Khan concert on the 16th night as he helped light the diya DD.

The President, Mr K. R. Narayanan, made his TV debut. Not too memorablly either. The delivery was pure Nehru and quot;tryst with destiny8221;; the speech uninspiring. Maybe we were all tired and bemused by then: tired of watching the TV camera watch the People8217;s March, bemused by the cultural show that followed. The latter was a cross between Channel V8217;s Mangta Hai and Doordarshan8217;s national programme of music and dance. There was A.R Rehman in jeans gurgling or was it gargling? with Vande Mataram the video of which was prominent on all channels and there was Mallika Sarabhai in a saree dancing melodramatic.

Both DD and BBC were everywherelive. DD8217;s set for the occasion was truly outstanding. It consisted of a strip saying 50 years of Independence, two low Rajasthani chairs, a glass top table and two women. One of whom was quite a confection in a frilled blouse, a heavy goldish saree, thick necklace and flowers in her hair. DD had guests reminiscing: Khushwant Singh resplendent in a Bhutanese T-shirt, Sonal Mansingh and a gentleman described as the Prince of Arcot.

BBC8217;s set looking onto Rajpath was far better. Nik Gowing, the presenter was truly heroic: for we don8217;t know how many hours across two days, he interviewed people. And interviewed people and interviewed people. From politicians, journalists, prominent Delhi personalities! and actress Vani Tripathi, he toiled with the issues confronting India. Across the border Nisha Pillai was confronting Pakistani politicians and not waiting for their replies. Pillai had also conducted a series of special Hard Talks: she was like a star struck schoolgirl with an intelligent Shah Rukh Khan, unnecessarily combative with Bal Thackeray and a trifle inadequate with Arundathi Roy.

Lata Mangeshkar was meant to be the star but she performed Sare Jahan8230; like a novice, flapping and fluttering like a bird learning to to fly, absurdly holding a piece of paper to read out the words of the song maybe she was nervous?. Bhimsen Joshi, by contrast, was so dignified you really did feel something stir in the soul.

Finally, there were the movies: you could have spent the entire 14th evening and 15th watching them: Naya Daur, Gandhi, Mother India all on Sony which quite outstripped the other channels here, Haqeeqat, Kranti, 1942: A Love Story. And so to A Train to Pakistan premiered on STAR. Inspite of the censors. Frankly, the fuss was about nothing. Fifty years after Independence, the Indian people can bear to hear a Muslim called a Musalamaan. witness the violence of Partition, the betrayals between friends and the tragedy of the birth of a nation. If the film had a message it was one Janis Joplin sang long ago: quot;freedom8217;s just another word for nothing left to lose.quot;