The popular BBC programme ‘Hard talk’ by zeinab Badawi on February 4, 2008 with Sri Lanka central bank governor Nivard Cabrall has not bee aired so far. Cabraal flew specially to London for the interview after BBC invited participation at the show at a senior level of government by somebody who’d take all questions. It is reported that Mr. Cabrall had not allowed interviewer Zeinab Badawi to shoot him down with rapid-fire questions and dominate the interview and by all events acquitted himself creditably in the context of the “hard talk”.
We all Sri Lankans were waiting for nearly one month for this programme to be telecast which is said to be related with sixty years of independence from vey same country that is funding BBC. It was also reported that Bell Pottinger, Sri Lanka’s PR consultants in Britain, had told that the tapes had been accidentally erased, an explanation widely received with more than the usual pinch of salt.
Those who have listened to the ‘Sandesaya’ programme of BBC Sinhala service, which is aired in state owned ‘National channel’ of SLBC, are well aware of the arrogance and boasting nature of BBC Sinhala sevice programme presenters. Those people who left the country and setlled in the West only few dacades back behave like they know every thing and they are the masters of media freedom. They are always trying to pound on our national pride and independence. Most of the past interviews by Sandeshaya with government security spokespersons were higly offensive. Now our people are equal to the task and therefore most of the interviews ends in debates rather than intervies. When Brigadier Prasath Samarasekara was the army spoke person, Sandeshaya’s main presenter Bandara had very hard time with him and others are continuing the standerd set against colonial minded BBC.
On last birthday of Piripaharan, the BBC Sandeshaya was planning to broadcast the LTTE terrorist leader’s annual speech. Piripaharan is a ruthless terrorist leader, and on the same day morning, the SLAF had pounded on voice of tigers transmission centre in Kilinocchi. If Piripaharan’s speech was allowed to be broadcast in state owned national service, the government would have let down our security forces fighting against the LTTE in the North. However, the top officials in the SLBC act promptly acted and removed the speach of terrorist leader and edited version of ‘Sandeshaya’ was broadcast 30 minute later than scheduled time.
There was a big buzz on the ‘Sandeshaya’ programme next day about it. The hired BBC media personals were challenging the SLBC officials for removing speach of LTTE terrorist leader. This issue was highlighted in demonstrations in foregn funded Free Media Movement (FMM) as well.
Now the same BBC that has been preaching media freedom is holding the ‘Hardtalk’ programme with central bank governor Nivard Cabrall. Mr. Cabrall represented the Sri Lankan government. He has traveled to London on request of BBC and it is Sri Lankan tax payers that are funding for that. This clearly shows the true face of western media freedom.
Since 1948, we have been sheding the remaining parts of colonial tail. In 1956, we sheaded a part of the remaining colonial tail. In 1971, we became a republic thereby cutting down the last joint of legislative and jurdicial allying with British throne. Now we have another people’s government and this is the time to throw away the colonial media link in the form of ‘Sandeshaya’. It has been serving agenda of post colonial masters in UK and their comprodor agents in Sri Lanka in the last few decades. ‘Sandeshaya’ has been a strategic part of LTTE propaganda mechanism in Sri Lanka.
BBC which was funded by British government is not a free media. We all know the influence of media in politics. The British colonial masters have been buying the air time of state owned SLBC in lieu of few traing programmes and foregn tours for SLBC officials. This is the time for the government to take a firm decision for the interest of Sri Lankan nation and cut the last post colonial media link with the colonial British Isles.
Related posts:
- Neocolonialism (Origin of Compradors) Part 1
- Free media or his master’s voice?
- The lions roar of brigadier Prasath Samarasingha
- The new partners of Politics: Business, Media and Marketing
- Back to the mercy of her own masters !!
9 comments:
Even though I understand your anger, I don’t think there is much we can do about it. Poor have no rights to be angry. Since we are been a poor country, depend on western aids for feed our children or generate electricity that you and me happened to use right now, we cannot do anything about it. If we developed like Singapore, then we can act like Singapore and been independent too.
But talking about this sort of things openly always helps in long run.
Either the interview is dominated by Cabraal to the detriment of BBC's credibility, or the interviewee was of extremely bad quality and did not live up to BBC standards. Readers have to guess which of the above applies to the case at bar...
If you are so cocksure of Cabral's performance, demand a repeat interview and this time ask BBC to come to Colombo. These sour grapes nationalists should stop bitching about past British colonial rulers, and as Sam says learn from the capitalists to become capitalists and beat them at their own game - as in cricket! Stop complaining like an immature little child, get your own house together and go fot the gusto!
I totaly agree with what you said about the BBC and I am not ready to believe that the tape was accidentally erased.I have been listening to BBc for mare than two decades and I lost faith in BBC.Thamilosai was even worse when Ananthy was with BBC.She was very arrogant when she interviewed politacal leaders who dont toe Tiger line.There is no doubt that FMM is funded not only by foreign countries but Tigers also.Now I doubt whether some of the Santhsiya employees are also funded by the Tigers.When Tigers or Tiger agents get killed you can see NGO crow Sunantha Thesapriya in front of Ford railway station.But when innocent people or even Tamil journalists who dont support Tiger terrorists are killed by Tigers you wont see him in front of the Ford railway station. You can see him writing news justifying the killing or pointing the finger at someone else. The true journalists who have even sacrficed their lives for truth must be ashamed of these opportunistic journalists.
Ranganp
Completely agree. Why we should give air time of national service to BBC. They promote seperatism and colonialism using Sandeshaya.
This is what we call in Sinhala "Ellagena kanawa" Asking and eating :-)
If they really want they should use SW bands not our national service. True that still BBC colonial agents are operating in SLBC. Lets see if MR has courage to rectify this. If I remember correct 'Sandeshaya' was given time in SLBC by Hudsaon Samarasingha era under UNP or CBK !!!
I heard he also repent about that decision in TNL programme.
Folks I encourage you to to write to the BBC. Expose them at their own game.
I do not have enough time to go through all the coments had posted, eventhogh if some one had posted this before I thought it would be not a lost to the iformation for anybody wants to read agin and agin.
My point is did anybody in the governemnt ever think the possible key information lost by being partisipating in an interview where the honoest intention was not to give SL a positive publisity but to show them like loosers to the world. Finally what about the stratagical information lost to the country where information (having it forehand) is the key to the better future plans to sombody like ltte(simple letters preffered) whoe is a cats pow of imperialism could possibly do a damage to the motherland for own gains to their fasist interset.Please remember the forehand information is the key for any future stratergy and giving them in advance to others will allways make others more stonger than you are.
Duruthu
Newcastle
This is to Sam (Comment on March 2, 2008 11:12 PM)
I don't think this article is "anger". Poor might not have right to be angry, but who decides we, Sri Lanka, is poor.
If you say a country depend on aids is poor, then no country is going to be rich, even all mighty (as you people believe) US depends on various aids.
On the other hand, you say Singapore is developed. Is Singapore really independent. It isn't. Singapore is an open slave island for it's colonial masters.
This just makes me nothing but extreamly angry at the two faced BBC and the west,UK in perticular.
Lies! Lies!! and Lies!!!!!
Ban BBC from Sri Lanka for good!
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