Of things past

As the Central government has warmed to the potential uses of social media in reaching constituents, several ministries and agencies have tried to harness its power to put forth the government perspective and even to set the agenda. The information and broadcasting ministry is attempting to do something similar with its recently launched YouTube channel — uploading promotional videos of government schemes and press conferences. But sandwiched between the news bulletins from All India Radio and Doordarshan is a veritable treasure trove of rare archival material, ranging from photographs to audio and video recordings.

Anyone with an interest in history might now find extracts from speeches by Sardar Vallabhai Patel or Mahatma Gandhi, or a documentary on Amir Khusro or Lal Bahadur Shastri. There are slideshows of rare photographs, including pictures of Indira Gandhi shaking a leg with folk dance ensembles. A fan of Indian classical music can now access at least part of AIR's seminal recordings of some of India's greatest artists, like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, whose Raag Malkauns was uploaded three days ago. Some recordings in the AIR archive were available on demand through a rather time-intensive process. They can now be accessed by anyone with an internet connection at any time, and for free.

At least three videos are uploaded to this channel every day, bringing India's past just a little bit closer to its people. The effort to digitise archival material has, in the past, been driven primarily by private sector initiatives, and so the ministry's attempt to make this small slice of a shared history available to the public is welcome. Still, it could do better by providing context for the photographs and speeches. Those seeking the archives might have a sense of history, but judging from the ministry's indifferent packaging of its treasures, it does not.

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