[IMC Bombay] Radio redefined

[Vickram Crishna]

An interesting news item from the Indian Express, Mumbai Edition, of 
21/03/2003, quoted mostly as is (some lines removed):

Illegal Radio Station shut down in Nashik
Express News Service, Nashik, Mar 20,2003

An illegal radio broadcasting network, "Tayyaba", was found and 
consequently shut down by the police at Malegaon.

<snip>

The audio network had about 250 subscribers and each one of them was 
provided with a cable linked speaker.

Audio cassettes of sermons used to be played at the control room in 
the Madrassa and the subscribers used to listen to it at their homes 
or workplaces.

The police confiscated the control room and entire network of Tayyaba 
after it was found that [MYMY], who was in control of the radio 
station, had not obtained the necessary permissions or licences.

When a police party raided Mohammed's house they found two books on 
Hindutva in Urdu script.

They also found some Urdu literature and copies of Aklhas, the Urdu newspaper.

[The police spokesman] said that the police started investigations 
about the illegal radio station as they received a series of 
complaints from some Muslims that the radio station was propagating 
hatred against some sects.
<end>

Note the repeated use of the word "radio" in describing this audio 
network, and the contention of the police that "permissions" and/or 
"licences" are needed to run a wireline network into houses against 
their specific permission (subscribers). Apparently neither the 
policeman nor the reporter has bothered to check the common 
definition of "radio" (radio: 1. Telecommunication by modulation and 
radiation of electromagnetic waves. (188) 2. A transmitter, receiver, 
or transceiver used for communication
via electromagnetic waves. 3. A general term applied to the use of 
radio waves. [fyi, electromagnetic signals are not 'radiated' along 
wires, they are 'conducted'. They 'radiate' through space]).

Since the report doesn't go further, it is not clear whether the 
"complainants" were also subscribers, and whether they had taken the 
simple step of refusing to subscribe once they found the content 
objectionable to them. Nor is it clear whether the police are 
empowered to take such extreme steps against the right to freedom of 
speech of MYMY, who is described as being in charge of the network, 
in the case of what seems to be an internal religious - "propagating 
hatred against some sects" - squabble.

Since the accused was using the network to broadcast (broadcast? 
surely this is the very definition of narrowcasting?) sermons, he may 
be described as providing a wonderfully useful service to the people 
of Badshah Khan Nagar, who obviously do not need to hear the sermons 
blaring out through a loudspeaker, as everyone living in the vicinity 
of most temples, gurudwaras and masjids are willy-nilly forced to, in 
our country. In fact, since the control room is located in a school, 
it is even possible that the use of the word 'sermon' (sermon (noun) 
- 1. a moralistic rebuke "your preaching is wasted on him" Synonyms: 
preaching 2. an address of a religious nature (usually delivered 
during a church service) Synonyms: discourse, preaching) is 
mischievous, since teachings on religion can be just that: classroom 
stuff from a school.

The detailing of the literature (none of which seems to be illegal, 
as per the description given) found in the accused's permission seems 
to be a complete invasion of privacy. When a prostitute is arrested 
in the act, do newspapers normally think it is appropriate to mention 
her brand of underwear or her favorite perfume?

Is this an attempt for one medium (print) to destroy the emergence of 
another one (radio), or is this mere bad reporting (the same page of 
the newspaper carries a completely egregious item about some doctor 
being arrested - in Malegaon, by the same policeman - apparently 
because he was a classmate of the Ghatkopar bomb accused. Most of 
this item, which is bannered across the top of the page, is old 
information about the blast case and attacks on the outlawed 
organisation, SIMI, and appears to be a feed from the police 
spokesman)?
-- 
Vickram