“THE VOICE FROM THE SKY”

Northern Advocate, 12 August 1935, Page 4

“THE VOICE FROM THE SKY”

Typical of the change which is taking place in India, and which may alter very radically the fn= tnre of the great Indian Empire, is the announcement made in our cable news today that the Nizam of Hyderabad, one of the richest men in the world, has launched a scheme by which to make radio available to the people of 19,000 villages in his State, The scheme, which is to cost £IOO,OOO, is the partial fruition of a plan much discussed for a considerable time past. Wireless has been used already by the British as an educational medium in the NorthWest Provinces and elsewhere, but the broadcasting arrangements are still in an incomplete state. It is especially interesting, however, to learn that a native ruler has taken practical steps to bring the “voice of the sky” to the Indian people. A great dig'fieulty with which the British have had to contend in India has been the illiteracy of the population and the impossibility of countering subversive propaganda. Radio, under proper control, may be made a valuable medium, for by its means the people can be addressed in their own vernacular. The idea is that each village shall have its own loud speaker in a central position, so that the whole of the villagers may hear broadcasts, if they so desire. Under the Nizam of Hyderabad’s scheme, broadcasts will be an three languages, which will greatly increase their usefulness. In view of the new Constitution granted to India by the British Government last week, and the greater part which the liufian people are to play in their own government, the educational movement initiated by an influential ruler is the more important,