M. Mukarram
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Feb 2: Deprived of funds from past five years, various acknowledged and well known artists associated with Doordarshan Kendra Srinagar and Doordarshan Kashir, Tuesday enacted a play in Press Enclave, Lal Chowk Srinagar, to showcase and protest what they called 'their deplorable condition and official apathy leading to almost closure of DD-K.'
The protest was organized by Television Professionals United Forum TPUF, who claimed that due to 'blocking of funds' and non payment of bills for the programs made by them, 'thirty thousand' families are slowly starving to death.
Zameer Ashai, one of the valley's leading and well known TV actor told Early Times that left with no option they were forced by circumstances to hit streets.
Suddenly, Ashai confided, from past 4 years the authorities at Delhi in Information and Broadcasting Ministry, began showing cold shoulders to run the DD-Kashir, even affecting the regional DD-Kendra.
"The viewership has also come down almost to nil. People are fed up with each program because of its numerous repeated telecasts. We are sure, under these circumstances, there appears to be a definite lobby at Delhi working against the interests of the artists and freelance film makers community so as to kill this mini screen industry for ever," Ashai said.
Protesting artists claimed that for four years now, they have been persuading 'almost all concerned quarters for rejuvenating the channel and its funding but unfortunately every effort gets "sabotaged by same hidden lobby".
"Arun Jaitley who was heading I&B ministry in 2000, in full fan fare SKICC invited people to join DD Kashir. We met officials in PM's Office in October 2014, on 19 December we met late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, all promised redressal but to no avail," G M Wani, another protesting artists said.
According to Wani, they were to the contrary told by officials that the DD Kashir was to be funded only till march 2015 and they won't be allocating budgets for DD Kashir and Drama's on Doordarshan Srinagar.
The TPUF, claimed that GoI has by virtue of such approaches, cheated talented and educated creative people of the state by taking back the financial support to wreck the only visual medium of entertainment for the stress torn state.
To ensure fresh lease of life, protesting artists said, to the organization, artists and film maker, they have been demanding:
A: Either to fund the channel or to close the chapter once and for all.
B: Clearing of backlog payments against the programmes dished out to the freelancers from time to time by DD-Kashir from 2008 under in house category on priority basis so as to large chunk of artists are to be brought out from starvation.
C: Usual budget allocation to DD-K, which has, according to protesting artists, been slashed down by 90% causing the station a very poor programming and non involvement of artists and freelance film makers.
D: The station is headed by asst. station director officiating as head of programs be replaced by a full fledged director who can suggest and take up the issues with authority.
In-charge Director Doordarshan Kendra Srinagar, GD Tahir told that there has been non commissioning of programs to the local film makers since past six years and the decision in this regard is solely taken by the central office of the Doordarshan in Delhi.
"The tapes of programs made post 2008 were destroyed in 2014 floods and we are only repeating the telecast of old dramas," Tahir revealed, while adding that the bills pending of the artists are with the central office.
"The programs have been made above the allocated budget and they are checking who are involved in this," Tahir said, claiming that he was informed of the reason from the I&B ministry. |
