NEW DELHI: Doordarshan has reversed its decision to black out coverage on Bofors. But don’t thank the Government for it. The reason for Bofors reappearing on the small screen is that irate newsmen staff at Doordarshan refused to prepare the evening news bulletin unless they were allowed to feature the Bofors debate in Parliament.

The Bofors blackout began on May 7, the day the Lok Sabha was adjourned thrice with the Opposition expressing total dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister’s answers on the controversy created by the note handed over by former External Affairs Minister Madhavsinh Solanki to his Swiss counterpart. That day, the Prime Minister had been castigated for, among other things, the delay in acting against Solanki.

Despite the fireworks in Parliament, however, the newsroom received “instructions” not to broadcast the proceedings. “We had prepared the bulletin and it [the coverage on the Bofors debate) was all ready to be included in the news telecast. At the last minute we received instructions that it should be deleted,” said a staffer.

By May 13 Door darshan’s silence on Bofors had become terribly embarrassing for the newsroom staffers.

Their professional pride hurt, the editorial staff refused to prepare the evening bulletins unless the proceedings in Parliament on Bofors were included in the prime time news slot,

They informed the Additional a Director General of their decision and told him to obtain permission from the Minister for Information and Broadcasting. Their reasoning was simple: they were professionals and could not be forced to   the official line to such a ludicrous extent.

The Additional DG rang up Ajit Panja in front of the staffers and informed him that Doordarshan would be carrying a report on the Bofors debate in Parliament.

And so, Bofors was back on the small screen .But in Doordarshan’s newsroom, speculation continues about who was really responsible for the blackout decision. Some feel that it could not have been taken without a nod from Panja. Others feel that the instructions came from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Article extracted from this publication >> May 29, 1992