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Second Thoughts by Prof. Sunanda Mahendra

I wanted to meet my brother-in-law, in order to express my condolences, as I failed to attend his brother's funeral. It was not too late, as there was a lapse of two weeks when everything was planned from my point of view. I went to see him one Sunday evening.

'I am so sorry that I could not attend the funeral', I said.

'My brother is dead and gone. It's difficult to bring him back', he said in a rather melancholic tone and added, 'But the point is that we too are dead'.

'What do you mean?' I asked.

'I tell you by and by' he said and started a long conversation which I would try my best to shorten as much as possible.

'You know that my daughter is quite fond of Hindi films, and she was waiting to see the period of mourning end soon, in order to see the Sunday film which starts around about twelve o'clock. We too wanted to see it seated with her. So I sat before the television with my wife and daughter. Oh my God, what a film!'

'Why, was it a horror film?'

'I would rather excuse a horror film but this one was unwatchable'.

'Why?'

'My God, the things which we saw on the screen were unbelievably bad and atrocious'

'What was it all about?'

'I don't know but it was sickening on the part of watching, for each scene was packed with hatred, anger, illwill, sex, violence, seduction, and you name it, it's there!'

'Was it so bad?'

'Yes believe me I was angry with those who plan these good for nothing near blue films?'

'But I hear that Hindi films are normally good'

'No, take my word, there is something wrong somewhere, for I feel that somebody seems to be taking everything undermining the social values and morals.

My young daughter was engrossed in the screen as if mesmerized. But that was not our mood. I wanted to switch off the television but I knew the disastrous outcome'.

'What do you mean?'

'Had I switched it off, my young daughter who is fond of Hindi films would get angry and smash the television screen.

So knowing the consequences, I kept silent'.

'Surely, I do not know that the condition was so very bad'.

'Mine is an understatement, the real condition is worse than that, for it looks as if there is no code of ethics guiding the selection of foreign films that enter our television channels.

'What about the censor board?'

'I am not certain whether there is a board called, 'censor board'. If there is one such board, I am sure they should be vigilant enough to know what's going on! So it looks as if every responsible person is blind to realistic matters on mass media.'

'Isn't there a board of Advisors for television?'

'I don't think so'

'What are we to do?'

'That's the question. The television channels, I am not generalizing my viewpoint, are taking the viewer for a ride, at the expense of not paying a licence fee'.

'That's the hitch. We should try to bring back the licence scheme in order to safeguard the rights of the television viewer, if not we should be considered as dead bodies'.

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