Date:05/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/05/stories/2007070555170200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

All that poetry lost in hot air

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: At the outset, “Tatvarasanubhava,” telecast live on Bangalore Doordarshan Kendra’s Chandana channel on Tuesday, for over three hours, seemed to be a well-organised programme focussing on religious harmony and the role of music in forging it. But the organisers also accommodated some rasabhasa by inserting an ad film and a brief speech by a select group of dignitaries, including politicians, an industrialist and a comedian.

The organisers had allocated three minutes each for a song and a speech and a 30 second-ad. But each politician took over two minutes for introductory remarks and another five to exhibit their erudition. One former Minister said: “Inviting people like me to speak about the saint poet is irrelevant and ridiculous.”

Even after listening to his fellow politician, a Minister took over 10 minutes to conclude his speech .