Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s government is planning to “employ” thousands of begging minstrels who work the country’s vast rail network to sing paeans to the government’s successes.
Over the next few weeks, the government will coach 3,000 men and women beggars to switch from singing Bollywood numbers to songs praising Modi’s initiatives on cleanliness, female empowerment, poverty alleviation and numerous other schemes. Child beggars will not be part of the scheme.
The federal information and broadcasting ministry, headed by Modi’s closest confidant, Arun Jaitley, is working on a “remuneration package” for the minstrels.
The song and drama division of the state-run All-India Radio will train the army of singing beggars before they are deployed.
Advertising agencies
Several governmental and private advertising agencies have been hired to write promotional songs and jingles, which will then be mated to popular Bollywood tunes to make them catchy and appealing to their captive audiences.
“The government’s first priority is to ensure every citizen in the country knows about its schemes, achievements and efforts being made to change their lives,” a senior information ministry official said.
Officials said a pilot project would begin on Mumbai’s overcrowded suburban rail services this month before being extended to the rest of the country.
While government supporters are enthusiastic about the scheme, others felt it was exploitative. "This is nothing but low gimmickry ," said social activist Seema Mustafa of the Centre for Policy Analysis in Delhi.
