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To Pak. with or without newspapers?: The Hindu
New Delhi, July 10: The borders between India and Pakistan may be opening up gradually, Internet may be enriching people with all the information in the world and television channels may beam across uncensored news, but the issue of carrying newspapers and allowing passengers to carry their own remains a contentious matter on both sides.
New Delhi, July 10: The borders between India and Pakistan may be opening up gradually, Internet may be enriching people with all the information in the world and television channels may beam across uncensored news, but the issue of carrying newspapers and allowing passengers to carry their own remains a contentious matter on both sides.
Though after a lot of deliberation, the Delhi Transport Corporation has decided to provide 50 newspapers its buses to Lahore — the first of which is due to leave Delhi on Friday, July 11 — it is still not quite certain if it would be able to carry them across the border.
``The service starts at 6 a.m. and so for the convenience of the 34 passengers — who would be spending the entire day in the bus — we have provided for newspapers,'' said the Chairman and Managing Director of DTC, A.J.S. Sahney.
However, not sure what fate the newspapers would meet at the border, he said "in case there is a problem, we will dump them there and proceed to Pakistan.'' Guarded in its approach vis-a-vis the Pakistan newspapers, the DTC has decided not to pick any from Lahore.
"Within half-an-hour of starting from there we will be in Indian territory and so will take our newspapers inside India only,'' said the officer.
However, while the DTC can afford to be selective about what newspapers, if any, it would like to carry, the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation has a slightly more difficult task on hand as for barring half-an-hour the buses remain in Indian territory.
So its buses would not be able to carry newspapers beyond Wagah should the Indian authorities object. Also, on the return journey from Delhi, they would have no option but to circulate Indian newspapers. When the bus service was thrown open to the public last time on March 16, 1999 — a month after the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, had taken the historic bus ride to Lahore — it had carried newspapers on board.
However, following the incursions in Kargil and the strained relations between the two countries , the distribution and carrying of newspapers was completely banned as they were considered "provocative''.
But now with a new beginning being made, the newspapers are on their way back. It just remains to be seen how much distance they will be able to cover between Delhi and Lahore.
Meanwhile, bookings for travel by the Lahore bus are gathering pace.
While 25 persons have already made their bookings booked for the inaugural run on July 11 and the DTC is hopeful of running to capacity by filling up the remaining nine seats tomorrow, it has also sold 15 more tickets for travel on other days of the month. Officials say that it is just a matter of time before the demand for seats would far outstrip the supply.
``The service starts at 6 a.m. and so for the convenience of the 34 passengers — who would be spending the entire day in the bus — we have provided for newspapers,'' said the Chairman and Managing Director of DTC, A.J.S. Sahney.
However, not sure what fate the newspapers would meet at the border, he said "in case there is a problem, we will dump them there and proceed to Pakistan.'' Guarded in its approach vis-a-vis the Pakistan newspapers, the DTC has decided not to pick any from Lahore.
"Within half-an-hour of starting from there we will be in Indian territory and so will take our newspapers inside India only,'' said the officer.
However, while the DTC can afford to be selective about what newspapers, if any, it would like to carry, the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation has a slightly more difficult task on hand as for barring half-an-hour the buses remain in Indian territory.
So its buses would not be able to carry newspapers beyond Wagah should the Indian authorities object. Also, on the return journey from Delhi, they would have no option but to circulate Indian newspapers. When the bus service was thrown open to the public last time on March 16, 1999 — a month after the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, had taken the historic bus ride to Lahore — it had carried newspapers on board.
However, following the incursions in Kargil and the strained relations between the two countries , the distribution and carrying of newspapers was completely banned as they were considered "provocative''.
But now with a new beginning being made, the newspapers are on their way back. It just remains to be seen how much distance they will be able to cover between Delhi and Lahore.
Meanwhile, bookings for travel by the Lahore bus are gathering pace.
While 25 persons have already made their bookings booked for the inaugural run on July 11 and the DTC is hopeful of running to capacity by filling up the remaining nine seats tomorrow, it has also sold 15 more tickets for travel on other days of the month. Officials say that it is just a matter of time before the demand for seats would far outstrip the supply.