Change in India

Mark Tully, ex BBC Correspondent in his Book No Full Stops in India, while discussing about change writes ; “In India change takes some time, the birth will be slow and perhaps painful. I believe it could be the birth of a new order which is not held up by the crumbling colonial pillars left behind by the Raj but is GENUINELY Indian ; a modern order, but not a slavish imitation of other modern orders”.
He goes on to say that – “For all its great achievements, the Nehru dynasty has stood like a banyan tree overshadowing the people and the institutions of India, and all Indians know that nothing grows under the Banyan tree”.
As Mark said , Change will be slow and painful, therefore for someone who doesn’t read and makes judgement based on perception will for quite some time not be able to see the change taking place or will pretend as if nothing is changing. The way changes are coming in Railways, Power sector, Defense Production and in governance and at the same time accompanied by the resentment of the old forces indicate that the process of change has begun albeit slowly and is going to be painful.
Let us not undermine the capabilities of this termite ridden old Banyan tree which will still try its best to stop any one growing to the extent that it may even turn the soil upside down before falling down.
For a year or so we may witness more of Dadris, more of Kaniyahas, more of Owaisi style shouting but finally if the Society keeps its cool, acts maturely and continues to perform we will sail through and the old forces will die a natural death.

Mother Teresa's BBC interview

In 1968, Mother Teresa visited England and the BBC requested a TV interview of Mother Teresa.

The interviewer was Malcom Mudderidge, of BBC TV

During the interview, Mother Teresa was very nervous in front of the cameras and somewhat faulty in speech. The Interview was a disaster and the producers doubted for a while if it was worth showing except for late at night.

Finally it was shown on Sunday evening. The interview had an extraordinary effect on the viewers.  Something about the woman whose answers to a highly professional interviewer were so perfectly simple and perfectly truthful that the interviewer felt uneasy and had difficulty continuing the interview for the allocated half hour seemed to have touched the nation.

Malcolm himself had been profoundly impressed by Mother Teresa, he said "It was for me one of those special occasions when a face given to unknown seems to stand out from all other faces as uniquely separate and uniquely significant".

 

In fact the response to the interview proved to be greater than any other comparable program.

Contributions and letters poured in from rich, poor, educated, uneducated, young and old.

One woman wrote "this woman spoke to me as no one ever has and I feel I must help her".

Another man wrote "The words of Mother Teresa touch my heart like an arrow".

By public demand they had to air the interview several times.