In HARDminute #4 & #5 I wondered why India had so many cinemas but so few TV stations. It caused a response from my youngest brother in Canada. As he says, “pretty cool.”
"One reason for the large number of movie screens in India is that, following independence, the central government saw movies (and news reels) as an indispensable part of state control. India has some hundreds of ethnics groups, religions, languages. All controlled by the Hindu, Urdu and English speaking, British trained central authority. India embarked on a massive campaign to build movie theatres in every village in India. Movies showing friendly relations between ethnic groups and across religion were encouraged by the state.
Pakistan did the same thing.
My father-in-law Les Russell had a large hand in India and later Pakistan (originally through RCA Victor) in building village theatres. Quite an undertaking, really. Most of these villages had no electricity. So a building had to be erected, a generator installed, projectionist trained, delivery of movies set up, etc. Some movies would be screened with a hand (or bicycle) crank and an acetylene lamp for light. All to bring the messages of “One India” to every little hamlet. And don’t forget, the movie reel news would have to come from Delhi – traveling thousands of miles by train and bicycle – reaching each tiny village to spread the message. But, there’d only be ONE theatre per village. Propaganda does not need competition.
It may have worked. For all its problems, India has never had a military coup. It has managed to make progress as the largest democracy on earth. No significant ethnic violence (when compared even to the US and the black-white lynchings and burnings – forget about most African nations, Germany, Serbia, etc.). More religions than France has cheeses. More races than Asia. More languages than the whole New World. Stitched together with cellulose film. Pretty cool."
Thomas Harding
"One reason for the large number of movie screens in India is that, following independence, the central government saw movies (and news reels) as an indispensable part of state control. India has some hundreds of ethnics groups, religions, languages. All controlled by the Hindu, Urdu and English speaking, British trained central authority. India embarked on a massive campaign to build movie theatres in every village in India. Movies showing friendly relations between ethnic groups and across religion were encouraged by the state.
Pakistan did the same thing.
My father-in-law Les Russell had a large hand in India and later Pakistan (originally through RCA Victor) in building village theatres. Quite an undertaking, really. Most of these villages had no electricity. So a building had to be erected, a generator installed, projectionist trained, delivery of movies set up, etc. Some movies would be screened with a hand (or bicycle) crank and an acetylene lamp for light. All to bring the messages of “One India” to every little hamlet. And don’t forget, the movie reel news would have to come from Delhi – traveling thousands of miles by train and bicycle – reaching each tiny village to spread the message. But, there’d only be ONE theatre per village. Propaganda does not need competition.
It may have worked. For all its problems, India has never had a military coup. It has managed to make progress as the largest democracy on earth. No significant ethnic violence (when compared even to the US and the black-white lynchings and burnings – forget about most African nations, Germany, Serbia, etc.). More religions than France has cheeses. More races than Asia. More languages than the whole New World. Stitched together with cellulose film. Pretty cool."
Thomas Harding
Trial Lawyers Advocacy Group
#200 - 8459 - 160th Street
Surrey, B.C. V4N 0V6
ph.(604) 635-1330 fax (604) 635-1340
tharding@stargate.ca
#200 - 8459 - 160th Street
Surrey, B.C. V4N 0V6
ph.(604) 635-1330 fax (604) 635-1340
tharding@stargate.ca
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