Catalog

Seeing is Understanding

International journalists on a press tour get a glimpse of ADB’s diverse activities in India

By Omana Nair (onair@adb.org)
External Relations Specialist

MYSORE, KARNATAKA, INDIA

Eye-Opener Journalists said the press tour gave them insights into poverty

Kuderamala, a 30-year-old slum settlement in Mysore, recently received a special group of visitors: a team of international journalists. The women arranged a ceremonial welcome for 11 journalists who were participating in a weeklong press tour to visit Asian Development Bank (ADB)-assisted projects in India, complete with flowers and much celebration.

Maneuvering a group of foreigners through the alleys of an Indian slum was challenging. Except for the Indian and Filipino journalists, most others—from France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and Thailand—had never been inside a slum before.

The children, who were extremely friendly, requested the journalists carrying cameras to take their pictures. Many in the group were surprised at being the focus of so much excitement and joy. But then they realized that in a settlement like Kuderamala, receiving guests from faraway places is not a common occurrence.

Organized by ADB’s Office of External Relations in collaboration with the India Resident Mission, the objective of the press tour was to showcase to media representatives ADB activities, particularly its efforts in poverty reduction in India. Apart from resulting in good coverage and exposure, press tours also help foster solid professional relationships between ADB and the media.

Most journalists said the visits to the urban poor areas of Karnataka and Rajasthan were a real eye-opener. “They reminded me of the things I’ve already learned to take for granted,” said Jintana Panyaarvudh, National News Editor at The Nation newspaper in Bangkok.

“Although we journalists report a lot on poverty alleviation, very few of us know what poverty is really all about Takehiko Kajita, Kyodo News Agency “

Takehiko Kajita, Kyodo News Agency

Several journalists were moved by how the human spirit can flourish in such poor physical conditions. “I believe this group has come face to face with a side of India not often penetrated by outsiders. And I believe we will be better human beings for having encountered it,” said Setsuko Kamiya, a journalist from The Japan Times.

On the first leg of the tour, the group drove along the Delhi-Jaipur highway, which was financed under an ADB loan, and was briefed by officials of the National Highway Authority of India. In Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, the journalists walked through cleaned slum alleys, interviewed project beneficiaries, and visited the historic Chand Pol gate where renovation and conservation works are being done through the Rajasthan Urban Infrastructure Development Project (see story). They also spoke with representatives from the executing agency and participating nongovernment organizations.

From Rajasthan, the group visited components of the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development Project in Mysore, in the state of Karnataka. The journalists also visited the Mysore University to interact with the academics and students to get a better understanding of the information and communication technology development in the state. They also met with relevant private sector representatives and officials from the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation in Karnataka’s capital city, Bangalore.

The press tour ended in Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu, where the journalists visited the state’s first tollway project, thermal plant, and two ports: Chennai Port and the newly commissioned Ennore Port (see story).

“The press tour gave us the opportunity not only to discover the country, but also its people and the changes happening within the fabric of Indian society,” said Richard Werly from Le Temps newspaper in Geneva. “The experience was fascinating.”

Takehiko Kajita, from Kyodo News Agency, said, “Although we journalists report a lot on poverty alleviation, very few of us know what poverty is really all about. Having seen poor Indians’ lives, I came away with the feeling that I would be able to approach the issue from a different angle.”

Email this to a friend