By Jainarine Deonauth
The sub-continent of India is always bustling with activity. The streets are crowded and people are virtually everywhere at any given time. The smell of tantalising street food quite often wafts through the air and encourages the ‘belly grumble’ even if you just finished a meal.
The sights of auto-rickshaws blazing through heavy traffic, crowds of people everywhere, some shopping, some busy going their way, some eating street foods, lets you know that you are alive. The bustling loudness is significantly Indian.
When I landed in this forever busy land, I was taken aback by the stark contrast of what I have experienced in Guyana. My place of destination was the beautiful city of Kolkata, once named Calcutta and popularly known to as the “City of Joy”.
Coming from a country such as Guyana where the population is very small and there is no culture of ‘bargaining’ or ‘street food’, a simple walk on the streets would leave one mesmerised and at the same time, wanting to know more about this amazing and wonderful city. 
A few days ago, thirteen media professionals arrived at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), located in Kolkata, to pursue a one-month professional course designed to sharpen their skills in the media field. SRFTI is one of two major film-producing schools in India and has been named after one of the country’s most celebrated filmmakers – Satyajit Ray.
The participants have been selected from various areas in the media and communication fields ranging from news, public relations and academia and come from countries as far as East Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. They are being exposed to both the theoretical and practical aspects of television presentation, more particularly, the use of modern technologies in news presentation.
The programme is being sponsored by the Indian Government through its flagship Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme. ITEC is a capacity-building programme which was first established on September 12, 1964, by India’s Ministry of External Affairs. Its main objective is to lend assistance to developing countries through capacity building and training.
Being part of the programme only reinforced the fact that one is fortunate to be learning the various skills not quite often encountered. For this, the Indian Government should be commended since it provides the opportunities so that professionals in various fields could enhance their skills and in turn, contribute to the development of their own country.
India itself is faced with many developmental challenges and because of the fact that they are pumping so many resources into the ITEC programme to benefit other countries, they must be commended. Other countries can learn a great deal from India due to its level of advancement in various areas, most notably in digital technology, biotechnology and medicine among others.
Under ITEC and its sister programme, SCAAP (Special Commonwealth African Assistance Programme), 161 countries in Asia, Africa, East Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean as well as Pacific and Small Island countries are invited to share in the Indian developmental experience acquired over six decades of India’s existence as a free nation. As a result of different activities under this programme, there is now a visible and growing awareness among other countries about the competence of India as a provider of technical know-how and expertise as well as training opportunities.
The programme offers many courses that provide a wide and diverse range of skills and discipline; some of which include media, agriculture, irrigation, Information Technology (IT), telecommunication, finance, accounts, audit, banking, education, planning and administration and tool design amongst others.
In Guyana’s case, over 500 professionals have benefited from the ITEC programme thus far. Just recently, Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr K J Srinivasa noted that the programme has been generating much interest amongst persons, both in the public and private sectors. He also pledged the High Commission’s support to ensure that more professionals receive the necessary training that would improve their competence in various areas.
The “City of Joy”
Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal and is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. The city was a colonial city developed by the British East India Company and then by the British Empire. It is the seventh most populated city; the city had a population of 4.5 million, while the suburb population brought the total to 14.1 million, making it the third-most populous metropolitan area in India.
Today, the city has settled into its role as one of India’s most vibrant and historic cities and is also regarded as a centre of high-level political, cultural and intellectual discourse. It was also the centre for the Indian independence movement and remains a hotbed of contemporary state politics. The city also hosts several research institutes and universities which are leading the way in providing the skills needed to help drive India’s economy.
Kolkata is considered not just the cultural capital of the country for its rich treasures in the fields of literature, cinema and theatre, like most other metropolitan cities around the world, it also boasts a unique cuisine that has evolved over centuries.
West Bengal’s share of the Bengali film industry is based in the city, which also hosts venerable cultural institutions of national importance, such as the Academy of Fine Arts, the Victoria Memorial, the Asiatic Society, the Indian Museum and the National Library of India.
Additionally, while cricket is extremely popular in Kolkata and is the home of the Kolkata Knight Riders, football is also equally popular.
For the visiting media professionals, in addition to developing their skills in the media and communication fields, witnessing Kolkata in all its complexity and uniqueness is an integral part of this enriching experience. Kolkata has certainly lived up to its name as the “City of Joy” as any visitor here would truly find their soul satisfied.
