[Reader-list] A Daily Interactive TV Programme (Meri Baat) of Children and Youth on DD Bharati

[Sagnik Chakravartty]

Dear Friends at sarai,
I wish to inform you that on DD Bharati, an hour-long
programme of children and youth "Meri Baat" is
telecast live from EMPC-IGNOU from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm
from Wednesday to Sunday in which the participants are
schoolchildren and youth alongwith their parents and
teachers. Also there is a special panel of experts on
the show. Everyday they discuss a specific issue
related to childhood, adolescence.
The show is anchored by Tunvy Gogia. Children and
young people are given chance to express their opinion
and ask any questions freely. Also there is a facility
of phone-in which could be used by any viewer from any
part of India to ask any questions or express views.
Viewers of this programme can use toll-free numbers - 
1600-1-12345 to interact live via phone-in to this
show.
However, I find that MERI BAAT show though has as its
objective children from all over India interacting,
but in reality children from elite schools of the
capital are invited to the show to interact. This
reflects a certain elitism inherent in the minds of
the producers of the programme. Children from Delhi
Public School, Modern School are usually invited. This
is a serious violation of the objective of giving
opportunities to all children irrespective of
class,caste, region to participate in such programmes.
I suggest that Meri Baat programme can truly reflect
the real problems of children from all over India if
children belonging to the oppressed, marginalised,
sections of Indian society are also invited. Besides,
this would also bring in the principle of fair play
into the picture. 
The Meri Baat programme is broadcast live from the
most modern studios in the capital that is the
EMPC-IGNOU studios situated in the Sanchar Kendra of
IGNOU. Schoolchildren from govt. schools, Central
schools, municipal schools should also be encouraged
to participate in such programmes. This would give
them a certain confidence in airing their problems and
grievances in such programmes. Besides they would be
delighted to see the ultra-modern studios of
EMPC-IGNOU. The panelists would be able to understand
the stress, trauma and hardship which children
belonging to the economically less marginalised
sections of society face as they live in slums and in
poor hygienic areas. The Meri Baat programme should
have a healthy mix of children belonging to all 
economic classes. Only bringing such changes in the
programme can make it truly based on the concern,
aspirations and well-being of all children and not
just elite children of the capital. Also efforts
should be made by DD-Bharati to invite children from
remote parts of India like Andaman and Nicobar,
Lakshadweep and north-east and Ladakh to the show.
This would give the show a truly Indian identity that
would reflect the varied diversity, plurality of
issues concerning children. Such a mix of young people
from such regions would reflect the plural cultural
heritage of India.

However, whatever comments I have made should not
discourage my young friends at sarai to view such a
show as this show is also of the youth. A day is
earmarked for the young people studying in colleges to
participate in Meri Baat and discuss  career
opportunities of a particular discipline. The comments
are my personal views concerning this programme. I
feel that improvements in terms of composition of
audience would help  the programme to be trendsetter
in the realm of public broadcasting.
Do watch Meri Baat --
Bye-
Yours truly,
Sagnik Chakravartty
MA Student of Broadcast Journalism
Makhanlal Chaturvedi Rashtriya Patrakarita
Vishwavidyalaya,Bhopal's Noida Campus
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