BBC India changes forever, in a
The BBC recommences its operations in India from Wednesday this week.
Dear all,
The BBC’s Delhi and Mumbai offices were raided by tax authorities in February last year, weeks after the broadcaster aired a documentary (just in the UK; it wasn’t aired in India) critical of PM Modi. India's government called it "hostile propaganda and anti-India garbage" with a "colonial mind-set".
A Hindustan Times report, relying on officials from the Central Board of Direct Taxes, said the BBBC purportedly “confessed to underreporting” of Rs 40 crore (£4m) of income. A report in the New Indian Express contradicted this.
And then, BBC in India shut its doors. What happened next? Scroll down for more.
Is Indian literature relevant in the western world today? We seek to answer that question in our newest upcoming event, with Sanjoy Roy, Founder of the Jaipur Literature Festival, on 10 June in central London. Scroll down for more info.
Do you remember the classic Navketan Films movies Kala Bazar, Tere Ghar Ke Samne, Guide, Jewel Thief and Johny Mera Naam? Join us for an informal evening reminscing about these, on 7 May, with Vaibhav Anand, son of director Vijay Anand and nephew of actor Dev Anand. Scroll down for more info.
For a family weekend at the seaside, you might wish to head to Hartlepool for the HMS Trincomalee Day Out. You can step into the last Royal Navy ship to be built in India, courtesy of the Royal Navy. Enjoy free entry to the historic ship and quayside, from 10am onwards on Saturday 27 April at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Hartlepool. RSVP here.
Welcome to our newest Member Mohua Chinappa, star of the podcast The Mohua Show, which has more than a million downloads. It is weekly podcast about everything from business, technology to art and lifestyle, but done and spoken ईमानदारी से (with sincerity). The podcast has recently tied up with Rupa Publications to start an audio Literature Festival called The Literature Lounge, to bring in authors to share their work and one specially-abled author per month on the show. Her first book Nautanki Saala And Other Stories was well received and got rave reviews in the media. Her debut book was chosen among the top 5 by The Guardian in 2022 and also went on to win the PVLF award 2023, available in English and Hindi.
Upcoming events
An evening of film with Vaibhav Anand (6pm, Tues 7 May | RSVP by reply | location provided to confirmed guests)
Director Vijay Anand enjoyed a huge staying power in the movie industry. His films like Kala Bazar, Tere Ghar Ke Samne, Guide, Jewel Thief and Johny Mera Naam had an outwardly youthful and urbane aesthetic, breezy style of storytelling and a fierce commitment to feel-goodness. From the 1950s to 1970, the Anand brothers, Vijay, Chetan and famous actor Dev, were Bollywood royalty.
This is an informal evening for Bridge India Members with Vijay’s son Vaibhav Anand, who studied acting and film at Lee Strasbourg University in New York and made his debut as actor in Aarti Bagdi’s Chalti Rahe Zindagi last year. If you came to the black-tie dinner after last year’s Ideas for India conference last year, you may have met the Chalti Rahe Zindagi team.
Santoor Music & Art Boheme (6pm, Sat 18 May | Harrow | Book tickets here)
Immerse yourself in an evening of artistic enchantment and cultural symphony with Sajda Festival of South Asian Performing Arts and Ketna Patel Art Studio. Upcoming instrumentalist maestro Ninad Daithankar will present a Santoor recital, with internationally acclaimed Saleel Tambe on percussion, all set in an art studio.
When: 6pm, Sat 18 May
Where: Ketna Patel Art Studio, 10 September Way, London HA7 2SG
Who and what: 70 guests in an art studio, with a musical performance, dinner and drinks
Tickets: £40, further info here
Is Indian literature relevant in the western world today? (5:30pm Mon 10 June | central London)
In partnership with The Mohua Show, we will be hosting a session with Sanjoy Roy (Founder, Jaipur Literature Festival) and other guests exploring this topic.
Literature and literary scholarship from India, though sometimes unacknowledged, could be said to be at the forefront of revitalising interest in the idea of moving beyond “world literature” in bookshops (which might stress global circulation, transcultural reading practices, broad structural patterns, and often unexpected connections among books and readers) to more readily identified “Indian literature”.
When: 5:30pm, Mon 10 June
Where: Central London (tbc)
Tickets: Details coming soon
Ideas for India conference (5 - 6 July | Royal Lancaster London) | Book here)
India Week 2024® is the place to engage in high level discussions on the New India. During the London events, we’ll have space for over 50 exhibition stands and are expecting nearly 100 business and policy delegates from India.
The Ideas for India® conference in London will consist of:
Fri 5 July: Ideas for India® conference, Drinks Reception with London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and University of Westminster
Sat 6 July: Ideas for India® conference, Black-tie Celebration Dinner with GEDU Global Education
To find out more and to get involved, please reply to this email.
BBC India changes forever
India’s Income Tax department’s “survey” of the BBC spanned three days, during which the department allegedly cloned digital data from devices in the accounts section and switched off employees’ phones. A government note said the key focus of the “surveys” was to investigate “manipulation of prices for unauthorised benefits, including tax advantages”. Then in April last year, the Enforcement Directorate registered a case against the BBC under the Foreign Exchange Management Act for alleged “foreign direct investment violations”.
The Finance Ministry said:
“The survey (of BBC premises) has thrown up several discrepancies and inconsistencies with regard to Transfer Pricing documentation. Such discrepancies relate to the level of relevant function, asset and risk (FAR) analysis, incorrect use of comparables that are applicable to determine the correct arm's length price and inadequate revenue appointment, among others.”
Until then, the BBC World Service India was 99% owned by the UK-based BBC.
And now the BBC is back.
Four BBC India staff members (Rupa Jha, Mukesh Sharma, Sanjoy Majumder and Sara Hassan) will lead a new company called Collective Newsroom, operational from 10 April, which will be commissioned by the BBC to produce its six Indian language services as well as Indian digital output and Indian YouTube channel in English for audiences globally.
This will comply with India’s strict foreign direct investment (FDI) in media rules, which allows digital news organisations to have a cap of 26% foreign ownership. BBC India’s staff will be absorbed into the new company, and salary and terms of employment are expected to be along similar lines as that of the BBC.
Jonathan Munro, deputy CEO, BBC News, said:
“The BBC’s presence in India is steeped in a rich history that has always put audiences first, so we warmly welcome the formation of Collective Newsroom which continues that progression. The BBC will get first class content from Collective Newsroom that will be rooted in India and in line with the editorial standards audiences expect from the BBC. We look forward to working with them.”
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The Bridge India Team
contact@bridgeindia.org.uk | www.bridgeindia.org.uk
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About Bridge India: Bridge India is a progressive non-profit think tank dedicated to discourse on public policy. Bridge India is a company limited by guarantee Companies House number 15283062.