Modi himself has said that when the show began, "I had decided it would not carry anything political or any praise for the government, or for Modi for that matter." Opponents and civil society have accused Modi of using the airwaves to push his political agenda. In 2015, during state elections, the opposition tried unsuccessfully to get the election commission to ban Modi's radio show, alleging that it violated electoral codes. When the show's landmark 100th episode was aired earlier this year, community radio stations were "Advised" by the government to carry the program in full. Reportedly, the government even asked for "a photo of the community listening to the broadcast as a memoir." Students at a leading medical institute were barred from leaving their hostels for a week for skipping the program. When the June 2023 episode of Mann Ki Baat aired, protesters in the north-eastern state of Manipur smashed radio sets because Modi made no mention of the violent conflict raging there. Mudgal says that while the prime minister has "Every right to use the medium of his choice," the broadcast often ignores critical context or omits controversial stories that might paint the government in a less than flattering light. In September, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India published recommendations to the Modi government on issues related to FM broadcasting. One of its recommendations was that "Private FM operators should be allowed to broadcast news and current affairs programs, limited only to 10 minutes in each clock hour." For any political leader entering an election season, this kind of outreach would be enormously valuable. The national poll is less than six months away, and if history is any guide there is little chance that the government will relinquish its grip on the airwaves. Raman, the political journalist, says that the government's monopoly leaves voters less informed. "I would have benefited from a private radio station telling me about my constituency," she says. "I would have benefited from information on the candidates who are going to fight the elections. In 2024, I would benefit immensely from knowing whether they have any criminal cases against them so that I can exercise my vote more confidently. This is the kind of information that an informed citizenry must have."
This Cyber News was published on www.wired.com. Publication date: Thu, 30 Nov 2023 23:19:27 +0000