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Media must help bring South Asians closer: journalist

Star Business Report
The media must speed up efforts to bring people in South Asia closer so that they can move across the region without any visa restriction, said a top Indian journalist yesterday.
"People in the Saarc region will come closer when they are empowered," said Rajat Sharma, chairman and editor-in-chief of India TV
"The media have already played a role in bringing people together. But a lot more needs to be done,” said Sharma, who is the host of one of the longest-running programmes on Indian television—Aap Ki Adalat.
Sharma spoke at a discussion, "What does it take to evolve and grow?" as part of a two-day con-vention, LEAD2012, at Bangabandhu International
Conference Centre in Dhaka.
The Saarc Chamber and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry jointly organised the event, themed, "Youth of rising South Asia: promises and dreams".
Sharma, one of the best-known faces on Indian news television, said when he asked his staff about the similarities in the eight Saarc nations they came up with all negatives. "Most of the people are poor. Governance is poor, and so is infrastructure."
"I asked them what the positives are. They replied that the spirit of living together. That is what we need to work on. Let all eight nations come together and build a South Asia free of poverty, infrastructure bottlenecks and bad governance."
In response to a question,
Sharma said he also dreamt of a South Asia with a single currency and no visa requirement.
Sharma also shared his rags-
to-riches story with the audience. "My stories are not of a privileged one. I grew up in a slum and used to live in a room with another 10 members of the family."
"My home had no water and electricity connection. Mybroth-ers had to wake up in the morning and lined up for water from a nearby municipal supply tap.”
“I had to walk to a faraway school because my family could not afford bus fares. But there were people who helped me with books, uniforms and tuition fees,” he said
Sharma urged the audience including the young ones not to get scared. "There are always opportunities available. You just have to be sincere and honest. You will have to trust people."
"If you have credibility, then nothing can stop you.”
Sharma co-founded India TV with wife Ritu Dhawan in April, 2004 from a swanky studio in Film City, Noida.
In a short period, India TV has created benchmarks in innovation, impact, ratings and viewersupport. Indeed, India TV's newsbreaks have inspired talkshows on rival channels, Bollywood films, BBC documentaries and articles in Time Magazine, even Amul hoardings.
Sharma said when he decided to set up a TV channel he had to convince people that it would be successful one day. “They trusted me. You have to earn the trust of the people."
Students, young entrepreneurs, executives, social activists, intellectuals, political leaders and renowned media personnel from Saarc nations attended the session.