I&B suggests TV channels to focus more on northeast

In the wake of the furore over killing of a student from Arunachal Pradesh, the Information and Broadcasting ministry has asked various private channels to produce more programmes on the northeast.
In a letter to various associations set up by broadcasters, the ministry said a meeting of a working group was held by the Ministry of Home Affairs to review the programmes highlighting citizens of northeast on TV channels.
The working group noted that people from northeast living in urban areas across the country might be treated differently because of their unique physical features, culture, food habits and dress.
The I&B ministry told broadcasters that one of the suggestions of the working group was that various private channels may participate in producing programmes on northeast and inducting citizens from the region in their programmes.

In the letter, the ministry also said that the working group felt that visits of journalists of northeast to other areas and vice versa also need to be conducted for enhancing each other's understanding of the issues at the national level and at the level of the northeastern states.
"The ministry has made certain suggestions and sent them to the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) and other organisations and sought their response," a source said.
The issue came into focus after 19-year-old Nido Tania was killed allegedly by some shopkeepers in Lajpat Nagar here.