Celebrating 50 Years of Doordarshan!

Door-darshan means tele-vision literally. Doordarshan is the national public broadcaster of India, nominated by the Government of India as Prasar Bharati.

On this day of 15th September in the year 1959 Doordarshan started its telecasts with a makeshift studio and a small transmitter. Its regular daily telecasts started in 1965 and by 1972 some of Indian major cities were covered.

In 1982 Doordarshan began its national network and it penetrated every home in nook and corner of India. That same year color television was also introduced.

Doordarshan--the first to introduce soap opera, the first to start film based programs, the first take games like football and cricket to every home of India, the first to continue committed entertainment. The only television channel to give truth and only truth to the people.

We are celebrating 50 years today. With the colors and vibrancy of the country. A very colorful musical program was organized and recorded today in Mumbai which will be telecast soon.

Doordarshan

Credit Card Use Costlier

No doubt you need credit cards in lots nowadays. One for one particular use, one for some other consideration and some for general use. You go on multiplying your accounts on account of no annual fee, less interest rates, freebies and all that. From the grocery stores to the online reservations you do it on ease without having to carry cash. To say more of such benefits is cliched.

But, particularly in India, costs of card use are increasing. Cash advance facility is almost passe due to prohibitive costs, minimum fee of Rs 300/ whatever amount you withdraw plus interest from the very date. Lifetime free cards are accepted norms, but use is the basic need.

Revolving credit is also proving too costly. Now almost every bank has increased the monthly interest rate to 3.1% or above instead of customary 2.95% with special reduced rate offers. Even in high profile co-branded cards the rate is upwards of 3%. And, some special APR cards have gone to 3%+ interest without notice.

On many purchases like fuel, railway reservations and all you need to pay an extra transaction charge.

So, now you must have a sizable savings account balance to use credit cards and to settle full dues in one go so as to avoid cumulative interest charges.

Isn't this against the trends of consumerism and the market economy?

Nostalgia Deep Rooted?

Sometimes our nostalgia is so strong and overpowering that we feel at a loss how to justify it.

It has happened to me many times; maybe it happened to you too.

Sometimes when you pass through a particular stretch of road or locality or residential clove or landscapes a sense of belonging seizes absolute control of you. You feel you belong there, know everybody there. Your heart fills with tenderness and eyes become moist. But your sense of reasoning tells you that this is the first time you have visited or passed through that.

There can be two justifications or possible explanations of such an experience.

First, it may be your intuition or telepathy trying to remind you of some connection that may have happened or is going to happen.

Second, it can be our deep rooted nostalgia which can extend to our past lives. Come on, we cannot arrive on this planet just by chance and do all the natural things naturally. There is an in-built sense of belonging in all of us which makes us to accept all earthly things naturally. This cannot happen by chance only.

Anyway, this is not a debate for believing or not believing. This is just an argument to explain things that cannot be explained otherwise.