'Today world is more curious about the Mahatama,' says Gandhian

New Delhi, Aug 9 (UNI) Public Broadcaster Prasar Bharati today marked the Quit India Day anniversary by releasing two DVDs of its series 'Swarajnama' and 'Mahatma' produced by Doordarshan to chronicle for the new generation the 150 years of the country's freedom struggle.

''Today the world is more curious about Mahatama Gandhi, increasingly realising the importance of the work he did and this ideals he gave to humanity,'' said eminent Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande after receiving a copy of the DVD 'Mahatama'at a function organised by the Prasar Bharati to mark the occasion.

Joining in the tribute to Gandhiji later, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi said Britain was in fact taken off guard during the Quit India Movement as it had never realised the impact Gandhiji would have on the masses.

He presented a copy of the DVD 'Swarajnama' to its director Girish Karnad.

Mr Dasmunsi said the Prasar Bharati was playing a laudable role in familiarising the young generation with the freedom struggle, its heroes, and its legeacies.

It was as part of this effort that DD brought out DVDs of Gurudev Tagore's songs translated in Hindi and other Indian languages. The video based on the Hindi version were already being telecast by Doodarshan. On August 15, the series will feature noted singer Jagjeet Singh.

'We should stand by the public broadcaster, as it was doing a patriotic and commendable job in these days of competition with the electronic media in which everybody was running after TRP,' said the Minister.

Mr Karnad said he was thankful to Doordarshan for inviting him to do the series in 1997 to mark the golden jubilee of the country's independence.

The DVDs are based mainly on the material retrieved from Doordarshan archives.

'Swarajnama' begins 1757. It recounts 190 years of India's freedom struggle, and is in a newscast format. 'Mahatama' has been directed by Brijendra Virehi. It remembers and focuses on the values that Mahatama loved and cherished.

UNI