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ASSIGNMENT COMING TO YOU NOW FROM VOA HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON. I'M IMRAN SIDDIQUI.
AND I'M ALEX VILLARREAL. COMING UP, A VOA CORRESPONDENT TELLS US ABOUT THE CHALLENGES
FACING JOURNALISTS IN AFGHANISTAN.
SOMALIA CONTINUES A SLOW MOVE TOWARD NORMAL LIFE. WE'LL TALK WITH VOA'S GABE JOSELOW.
IN INDIA, TAKING CARE OF THE COUNTRY'S MANY WIDOWS.
AND THE PASSING OF ONE OF MUSIC'S CULTURAL ICONS - A TRUE ROCK AND ROLL ANIMAL.
DON'T GO AWAY. ON ASSIGNMENT IS ON THE AIR RIGHT NOW...
WE BEGIN IN AFGHANISTAN, WHERE JOURNALISTS' INDEPENDENCE IS SAID TO BE INCREASINGLY AT
RISK. ACTIVISTS SAY A PROPOSED NEW MEDIA LAW COULD MAKE CONDITIONS EVEN TOUGHER.
VOA ISLAMABAD CORRESPONDENT SHARON BEHN TALKED TO AFGHAN JOURNALISTS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES
THEY FACE AND CONCERNS FOR THEIR FUTURE ONCE INTERNATIONAL FORCES LEAVE NEXT YEAR. HERE'S
A LOOK AT MY CONVERSATION WITH HER.
THEY HAVE A VERY LARGE AND VIBRANT MEDIA IN AFGHANISTAN. YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
THERE ARE LOTS OF NEWSPAPERS, LOTS OF RADIOS, MANY, MANY, MANY TELEVISION CHANNELS. EVERYBODY
JUMPED INTO THE MEDIA GAME. THERE ARE TV CHANNELS THAT ARE FUNDED BY PRO-IRANIAN INTERESTS FOR
EXAMPLE. THERE ARE TV CHANNELS, NEWSPAPERS FUNDED BY WAR LORDS. AND THEN THERE ARE, WELL
THEY WOULD CALL THEMSELVES INDEPENDENT THAT ARE ACTUALLY GETTING A LOT OF FUNDING FROM
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. AND THAT ALLOWS THEM TO GO OUT AND DO MORE INVESTIGATIVE PIECES.
IT ALLOWS THEM TO LOOK INTO THINGS AND I THINK WITHIN ALL THIS MULTIPLE MEDIA THAT'S AVAILABLE,
THERE IS A CONCERN THERE THAT ONCE THE INTERNATIONAL TROOPS LEAVE AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
BEGINS TO GET BORED WITH AFGHANISTAN, THEN THE AID MAY DROP. AND THEN THEIR ABILITY TO
BE MORE YOU KNOW INVESTIGATIVE AND INDEPENDENT MAY SUFFER. AND THERE'S ALSO A CONCERN THAT
THE GOVERNMENT MAY BECOME MORE AND MORE OVERBEARING. AND THIS IS WHAT THE ACTIVISTS WERE TELLING
ME, THAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO FOLLOW MORE THE PATTERN OF A CHINA AND OF AN IRAN WHERE
THEY CAN COMPLETELY CONTROL AND USE CENSORSHIP AND THROW THE JOURNALISTS INTO JAIL. AND THEY
HAVE YOU KNOW. THE JOURNALISTS ACTUALLY COME UNDER QUITE A LOT OF THREAT. I HAVE A LIST
RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF ME OF ALL THE JOURNALISTS WHO WERE BEATEN AND DETAINED AND THREATENED
FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DID. SO THERE IS A LOT OF CONCERN THERE AS TO WHAT'S GOING TO
HAPPEN NEXT.
EARLIER THIS YEAR GUNMEN BURST INTO THESE OFFICES OF THE DAILY HASHT-E-SUBH AFTER THE
NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED AN EXPOSE OF LAND GRABS. EDITOR PARWIZ KAWA, WHOSE PAPER IS PARTIALLY
FUNDED WITH U.S. AID, SAYS THINGS ARE AT A CRITICAL POINT.
"SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE DEFINITELY IN A FIGHT. AND IN THE FRONTLINE OF THIS FIGHT IS THE
INDEPENDENT MEDIA. WE FIGHT FOR THE DEMOCRACY IN THIS COUNTRY, WE FIGHT FOR THE CIVIL SOCIETY,
WE FIGHT FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS, WE FIGHT FOR MANY OTHER VALUES, INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED
VALUES.
SO WHY DO YOU THINK THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT IS MAKING IT SO DIFFICULT FOR JOURNALISTS
TO COVER STORIES?
WELL I THINK THERE'S A LOT INVOLVED THERE. THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF MEDIA -- LESS
DEPENDENT AND MORE INDEPENDENT THAN OTHERS. I THINK THERE'S A CONCERN AMONG THE AFGHAN
GOVERNMENT THAT PERHAPS SOME OF THIS MEDIA IS NOT BEING COMPLETELY OBJECTIVE, COMPLETELY
BALANCED AND THAT THEY COULD BE INCITING PROBLEMS. AND SO WHAT THEY'VE COME OUT AND SAID IS THAT
- WELL, WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE OVERSIGHT, WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE CONTROL AND WE NEED TO YOU
KNOW BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT THE MEDIA IS DOING. THE MEDIA'S REACTION HAS BEEN - THAT'S JUST
THE GOVERNMENT TRYING TO CLAMP DOWN ITS CENSORSHIP, IT GIVES TOO MUCH OVERSIGHT TO THE GOVERNMEN.
THAT THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES ON THE SORT OF THE OVERSIGHT BODY - THAT IT
WAS BEING PEOPLED BY VERY SPECIFIC GOVERNMENT APPOINTEES AND THEY FELT THAT IT WAS A THREAT
TO THEM. AND THEY ALREADY FUNCTION UNDER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PHYSICAL THREAT.
SALEHA SOADAT REPORTS FOR TOLO NEWS, OWNED BY AFGHAN MEDIA TYCOON SAAD MOHSENI. EVEN
UNDER EXISTING LAWS SHE HAS COME UNDER PRESSURE FROM POWERFUL POLITICAL LEADERS.
"THE BROTHER OF A FORMER LAWMAKER *** AND KILLED A GIRL. I TALKED TO THE GIRL'S BROTHER
AND LAWYER, BUT THE ACCUSED REFUSED TO BE INTERVIEWED. AFTER THAT I GOT A LETTER FROM
THE EXISTING COMMISSION SAYING I WOULD BE QUESTIONED."
TELL ME SOMETHING SHARON, HOW DIFFICULT IS IT FOR FOREIGN JOURNALISTS LIKE YOURSELF TO
COVER NEWS IN A PLACE LIKE AFGHANISTAN?
IT HAS BEEN QUITE CHALLENGING TO COVER EVERYTHING IN AFGANISTAN. MOSTLY WHEN I GO THERE, I TEND
TO STAY WITHIN KABUL. ONCE YOU START LEAVING KABUL, THINGS GET VERY DICEY. THE ROADS ARE
NO LONGER SAFE. YOU CAN'T REALLY JUST DRIVE OUT OF KABUL. THAT'S NOT REALLY THAT SAFE.
AND EVEN WITHIN KABUL, THERE ARE SOME AREAS THAT ARE LESS SAFE THAN OTHERS. SO IT'S BECOME
MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT FOR JOURNALISTS TO COVER THINGS, ESPECIALLY INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISTS
THAT MAY BE HAPPENING OUT IN THE PROVINCES. AND I THINK FOR LOCAL JOURNALISTS TOO , THERE
ARE A LOT OF CONCERNS. THE FEMALE JOURNALISTS FOR EXAMPLE, NO LONGER WANT TO BE SEEN ON
CAMERA. A LOT OF THEM WILL NOT BE ON CAMERA ANY MORE. AND THERE ARE QUITE A FEW, OR AT
LEAST ONE FEMALE JOURNALIST I SPOKE TO SAID SHE WAS THINKING ABOUT LEAVING HER CAREER
ALTOGETHER. SO THERE'S A LOT OF SORT OF SOCIAL AND CULTURAL AND SAFETY PRESSSURES, SECURITY
PRESSURES ON THE JOURNALIST COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW.
VOA ISLAMABAD CORRESPONDENT SHARON BEHN.
NOW TO SOMALIA, WHERE U.N. OFFICIALS SAY THE ISLAMIST MILITANT GROUP AL-SHABAB STILL POSES
A THREAT TO PEACE-BUILDING EFFORTS. THE AL-QAIDA-LINKED GROUP IS NOT AS STRONG AS IT WAS BEFORE IT
WAS PUSHED OUT OF MAJOR CITIES, BUT THE MILITANTS STILL CONTROL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
VOA EAST AFRICA CORRESPONDENT GABE JOSELOW RECENTLY RETURNED FROM SOMALIA AND TALKED
WITH ON ASSIGNMENT'S PHILIP ALEXIOU ABOUT THE SITUATION IN THE CAPITAL, MOGADISHU. LET'S
TAKE A LOOK.
THE SECURITY SITUATION HAS ACTUALLY GOTTEN A LITTLE BIT WORSE. THERE HAVE BEEN TARGETED
ATTACKS AGAINST MAJOR UNITED NATIONS OFFICES, AGAINST WESTERN TARGETS, AGAINST THE TURKISH
PRESENCE THERE. SO, IT'S MUCH MORE ON EDGE NOW AND A LITTLE BIT MORE CONCERN IN THE CITY.
AL-SHABAB STILL CONTROLS LARGE AREAS OF THE SOMALI COUNTRYSIDE . SO DO THEY HAVE ENOUGH
FORCES FROM THE AFRICAN UNION MISSION TO GET THIS JOB DONE? HAS THERE BEEN ANY TALK ABOUT
MAYBE BOOSTING THE FORCES A LITTLE BIT MORE SINCE AL-SHABAB HAS BEEN SUCH A PROBLEM RECENTLY?
YES, I THINK RIGHT NOW THE AU FORCES THAT ARE IN SOMALIA ARE A BIT OVERSTRETCHED BECAUSE
THEY WERE REALLY SUCCESSFUL IN TAKING TOWN AFTER TOWN AFTER TOWN THAT WAS CONTROLLED
BY AL-SHABAB. BUT NOW THE PROBLEM IS TRYING TO MAINTAIN A PRESENCE IN THOSE AREAS, SO
YES, THE SOMALI GOVERNMENT, THE UN ARE ALL REQUESTING AN INCREASE IN TROOP NUMBERS. THEY
NEED A FEW THOUSAND MORE TO TRY TO TAKE OVER SOME OF THE TOWNS THAT ARE STILL UNDER AL-SHABAB'S
CONTROL WHICH INCLUDES THE TOWN OF BARAWE, WHICH IS SOUTH OF MOGADISHU. THIS IS THE PLACE
WHERE US SPECIAL FORCES CONDUCTED AN OPERATION TRYING TO CATCH A SENIOR COMMANDER.
AND MOGADISHU BEING ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS CITIES IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
BUILD, I GUESS SOME STREET LIGHTS, I GUESS SOME ROADS, THEY'RE TRYING TO BUILD UP BUILDINGS,
AND I GUESS KIDS ARE GOING TO SCHOOL, IS THAT RIGHT?
YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME SIGNS OF PROGRESS IN THAT DIRECTION. LIKE YOU SAID, STREET LIGHTS
ARE GOING UP IN THE CAPITAL, ROADS ARE IMPROVING SLIGHTLY BUT REALLY THE INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY
OF THE PLACE IS STILL SO MINIMAL THAT THESE EFFORTS ARE REALLY, YOU KNOW, JUST SORT OF
SCRATCHING THE SURFACE OF THE NEEDS IN THE CITY. ANY PROGRESS IS GOOD PROGRESS AND YOU
ARE SEEING A LOT OF PRIVATE INVESTMENT WHICH IS GOING A LONG WAY, MORE SO THAN THOSE SORT
OF PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, INVESTMENT PUBLIC WORKS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE THERE.
AND HOW IS THE PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT HASSAN SHEIK MOHAMMAD VIEWED BY THE PEOPLE RIGHT
NOW?
THE MAIN CRITICISM THAT YOU HEAR FROM PEOPLE ON THE STREETS FROM LOCALS MOSTLY IS THAT
HE SPENDS TOO MUCH TIME ABROAD, RAISING MONEY, TRYING TO FIND PARTNERS FOR SOMALIA AND ISN'T
REALLY DOING ENOUGH TO CONTROL THE POLITICAL SITUATION AT HOME. HE ALSO FACES A LOT OF
RESISTANCE FROM SOME OF THE REGIONAL LEADERS BECAUSE PLACES LIKE JUBALAND IN THE SOUTH,
SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND IN THE NORTH ARE SETTING UP THEIR OWN STATES AND THEY ARE STILL TRYING
TO DETERMINE HOW THESE STATES WILL FUNCTION WITHIN A BROADER FEDERAL SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, IT'S AN INTERESTING STORY, THE ARTIST STORY THAT YOU DID FOCUSING ON ADAN FARAH
AFFEY, IF I'M SAYING THAT PROPERLY. BUT A HE'S NOW ABLE I GUESS AFTER DECADES OR AT
LEAST AFTER A GOOD NUMBER OF YEARS BEEN ABLE TO NOW SHOWCASE HIS ARTWORK. TELL US A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT THAT STORY AND ABOUT HIM.
YEAH, AFFEY'S AN INTERESTING GUY. HE GREW UP IN MOGADISHU. HE WAS RAISED IN A CATHOLIC
ORPHANAGE WHICH IS WHERE HE DISCOVERED HIS TALENT AS A PAINTER. HE WAS ENCOURAGED EARLY
ON. BUT THEN AS THE WAR BROKE OUT HE REALLY HAD TO TAKE HIS WORK UNDERGROUND. SOMALIA
DURING THAT TIME WAS JUST BASICALLY TOO DANGEROUS TO TRY TO EXPRESS AN OPINION OR ANYTHING LIKE
THAT.
NOW, GIVEN A CHANCE TO EXPRESS HIMSELF THERE IS NO TOPIC AFFEY IS AFRAID OF. THIS PAINTING
SHOWS THE TERROR WROUGHT BY THE ISLAMIST MILITANT GROUP AL-SHABAB, REPRESENTED AS A SERPENTINE
BEARD BURNED INTO THE CANVAS.
SO NOW HIS WORK IS SORT OF BEING RE-DISCOVERED. THERE'S A GROUP THERE CALLED THE CENTER FOR
RESEARCH AND DIALOGUE WHICH IS PROMOTING A LOT OF SOMALI ARTISTS INCLUDING AFFEY. AND
HIS WORK IS, IT'S IT'S AMAZING. IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY POLITICAL, IT'S VERY TOPICAL,
IT'S ALSO VERY FUNNY.
YES, I GUESS AS AFFEY SAID, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY NATURAL DISASTERS. THEY DON'T HAVE ANY
TORNADOES OR TSUNAMIS, JUST ALL OF THEIR PROBLEMS I GUESS HAVE REALLY BEEN POLITICAL AS HE SAID.
EXACTLY, EXACTLY. I REALLY LOVED THAT LINE FROM HIM. YES. AND THE ART WORK REFLECTS THAT
TOO. PICTURES OF POLITICIANS AND A LOT WAR AND YOU KNOW PEOPLE FINALLY GETTING A CHANCE
TO TALK ABOUT IT.
AND FINALLY I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ASK YOU THIS AND I KNOW I THINK I ASKED YOU THIS BEFORE
THE LAST TIME. BUT, YOUR FEELINGS BEING IN A COUNTRY LIKE THAT WHEN IT IS SUCH A DANGEROUS
PLACE TO BE?
WELL, THAT'S THE THING. YOU TAKE A LOT OF SECURITY PRECAUTIONS WHEN YOU GO. WHEN I TRAVEL
THERE, IF I GO OUT ON THE STREET TO REPORT I USUALLY HAVE A SECURITY TEAM WITH ME WHICH
IS, YOU KNOW, 10 OR 12 GUYS WHO ARE ARMED WHO WILL FOLLOW YOU AROUND AND IF YOU GO OUT
ON THE STREET TO INTERVIEW PEOPLE THEY'LL SET UP KIND OF A RING AROUND YOU TO MAKE SURE
YOU DON'T GET ATTACKED. YOU DON'T STAY VERY LONG IN MANY PLACES...OF COURSE THAT ALSO
CHANGES THE WAY PEOPLE PERCEIVE YOU. SO, IT'S NOT THE EASIEST PLACE TO WORK, YOU KNOW, WHEN
YOU HAVE, WHEN YOU HAVE ARMED GUYS AROUND YOU.
AND AGAIN GABE JOSELOW IS VOA'S EAST AFRICA CORRESPONDENT AND HE HAS, OF COURSE, MADE
A NUMBER OF REPORTING TRIPS TO SOMALIA.
WE'RE TAKING A BREAK NOW. WHEN WE COME BACK, AN ONGOING EFFORT TO PROVIDE FOR INDIA'S WIDOWS.
YOU'RE WATCHING ON ASSIGNMENT.
IN INDIA'S NORTHERN CITY OF VRINDAVAN SOME 2 THOUSAND WIDOWS, ABANDONED BY THEIR FAMILIES
AND SOCIETY, LIVE IN GOVERNMENT SHELTERS, WITHOUT BASIC AMENITIES.
BUT LAST YEAR, INDIA'S SUPREME COURT SAID THE WOMEN SHOULD BE GIVEN THE SUPPORT THEY
NEED TO LIVE WITH DIGNITY. VOA NEW DELHI CORRESPONDENT ARU PANDE REPORTED ON ONE ORGANIZATION TRYING
TO MAKE THAT RULING A REALITY. I CAUGHT UP WITH HER FOR MORE. CHECK IT OUT.
OK, SO, ARU, TELL US WHAT ARE THE ROOTS OF THIS PROBLEM. WHY ARE THESE WIDOWS OSTRACIZED?
BASICALLY, THIS GOES BACK CENTURIES AGO. LOTS OF THESE WOMEN ARE COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON
THEIR HUSBAND. THEIR HUSBAND IS THE PRIMARY EARNER AND ONCE HE DIES, THEY REALLY HAVE
NOTHING. SO IF THEY DON'T HAVE KIDS, THEY DON'T HAVE ANYONE TO SUPPORT THEM. THE ONES
THAT OFTEN DO HAVE CHILDREN, THEY MOVE WITH THEIR CHILDREN, THEIR ADULT CHILDREN OR MAYBE
THEY MOVE IN WITH THEIR IN-LAWS AND THEY ARE THERE MISTREATED OR THEY ARE BASICALLY THOUGHT
OF AS A FINANCIAL BURDEN. SO RELATIVES OFTEN KICK THEM OUT AND THEY TRY TO FIND, YOU KNOW,
A DIFFERENT PURPOSE IN LIFE. SO THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN THIS RELIGIOUS CITY, IN THIS
HOLY CITY AND THEY DECIDE TO SPEND THE REST OF THEIR LIVES IN THIS PLACE.
SULABH FOUNDER BINDESHWAR PATHAK SAYS IT'S A DRAMATIC CHANGE FOR MANY WOMEN WHO WERE
CAST OUT OF THEIR HOMES BY FAMILY MEMBERS AND OSTRACIZED BY SOCIETY, OFTEN LEFT TO BEG
NEAR TEMPLES TO SURVIVE.
"TEN MONTHS AGO, THEY WANTED TO DIE, NOW THEY WANT TO LIVE LONGER TO ENJOY LIFE, THEY ARE
VERY HAPPY. IN THAT WAY WE HAVE BROUGHT ABOUT A CHANGE IN THE MINDS OF WOMEN, BECAUSE THEY
NOW GET ALL THE FACILITIES."
MANY OF THESE WIDOWS HAD NO WAY OF SUPPORTING THEMSELVES AND TRAVELED FROM THE EASTERN STATE
OF WEST BENGAL TO LIVE THEIR REMAINING YEARS AT VRINDAVAN.
THIS PLIGHT OF THESE WOMEN, HOW DOES THAT REFLECT INDIA AS A PATERNALISTIC SOCIETY?
WELL, THAT BASICALLY WHAT IT IS. IT'S PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY, LIKE I EXPLAINED. THESE WOMEN ARE
COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON THEIR HUSBANDS. THEY DON'T HAVE AN OUTSIDE CAREER, THEY DON'T HAVE
OUTSIDE MONEY COMING IN. THE ONES THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET SOME GOVERNMENT SUPPORT OR
WELFARE ARE ILLITERATE SO THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM, THEY DON'T
KNOW HOW TO OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT, THEY DON'T KNOW THEY SHOULD BE ENTITLED TO CERTAIN BENEFITS...THEY
DON'T KNOW HOW TO READ AND WRITE.
TELL US ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION THAT IS HELPING THESE WIDOWS. HOW THIS PROGRAM COME ABOUT?
THE SUPREME COURT... A FEW YEARS AGO WAS CALLED ATTENTION TO THE PLIGHT THESE WIDOWS. A LOT
OF THESE WIDOWS WERE BEGGING AT TEMPLES IN VRINDAVAN, BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO WAY TO SURVIVE...
AND A LOT OF TIME WHEN THEY DIE THERE IS NO MONEY, THERE'S NOBODY THERE TO PERFORM THE
LAST RITES OR YOU KNOW CREMATE THEM AND THE SUPREME COURT HEARD ABOUT THE PLIGHT OF THEM
AND THEY WERE SO SHOCKED BY SOME OF THE CONDITIONS THEY CURRENTLY LIVE IN IN THESE GOVERNMENT
RUN HOMES THAT THE SUPREME COURT ASKED THIS PARTICULAR NGO - SULABH INTERNATIONAL - AND
ANOTHER NGO, PLEASE HELP OUT IF YOU CAN, IF YOU CAN SUPPORT THESE WIDOWS AND BASICALLY
GIVE THEM A NEW LEASE ON LIFE AND PROVIDE THEM NOT JUST WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT, BUT,
YOU KNOW WITH TRAINING.
FROM WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE ISSUE AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF WIDOWS IN INDIA, DO YOU THINK
ENOUGH IS BEING DONE?
WELL, I THINK IN THAT CITY IN PARTICULAR - VRINDAVAN - THERE IS I THINK ABOUT 15 THOUSAND WIDOWS
ESTIMATED AND I THINK NATIONWIDE IS ABOUT 40 MILLION, SO IT'S A HUGE POPULATION AND
I THINK THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS HELP, BUT AGAIN THIS NGO RIGHT NOW IS ONLY HELPING 900
PEOPLE. THEY ARE TRYING THEIR BEST, BUT IT REALLY IS, I THINK, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE SOCIETAL
CHANGE... THERE NEEDS TO BE CHANGE IN THE A WAY PEOPLE VIEW THESE WIDOWS.
AND FINALLY, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, HOW WAS IT THAT YOU FOUND THIS ORGANIZATION AND FOUND
OUT ABOUT THIS PROGRAM?
WELL, SULABH HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK, LIKE I SAID, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY WERE WORKING
IN SANITATION MAKING SURE THAT A LOT OF RURAL AREAS OF INDIA ARE CONNECTED AND THEY'VE ACTUALLY
CONTACTED ME SAYING LOOK, WE HAVE THIS NEW PROGRAM HELPING THESE WIDOWS. AND JUST TO
GIVE YOU AN IDEA, THE FOUNDER OF THIS NGO, DR. PATHAK, HE'S REALLY SUPPORTING THEM MOSTLY
WITH HIS OWN MONEY. THEY REALLY DON'T RELY ON DONATIONS.
AND AGAIN ARU PANDE IS VOA'S CORRESPONDENT IN NEW DELHI. OUT THANKS AGAIN TO ARU.
WE'RE TAKING A BREAK NOW. BUT WHEN WE COME BACK, THE PASSING OF AN AMERICAN MUSIC REBEL.
YOU'RE WATCHING ON ASSIGNMENT.
LEGENDARY AMERICAN ROCK MUSICIAN LOU REED DIED ON OCTOBER 27TH. THE 71-YEAR-OLD PERFORMER
HAD BEEN IN FRAIL HEALTH IN RECENT MONTHS WITH COMPLICATIONS FROM A LIVER TRANSPLANT.
REED'S EARLY SONGS WITH HIS BAND, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, FOCUSED ON HIS HOME CITY OF NEW
YORK'S DARKER THEMES OF DRUGS, SEX AND VIOLENCE. WE'RE JOINED NOW BY VOA MUSIC BLOGGER KATHERINE
COLE TO TALK ABOUT HIS LIFE AND WHAT HE MEANT TO MUSIC. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
YOU'RE WELCOME.
HE JUST HAD ONE SONG WHICH WAS A COMMERCIAL SUCCESS, TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE. HOW
DO YOU THINK HE HAD SUCH A HUGE INFLUENCE?
WELL YOU KNOW YOU SAY HE HAD ONE COMMERCIAL HIT, BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF OTHER SONGS THAT
PEOPLE KNEW HIM FOR. SWEET JANE WAS A SONG THAT GOT A LOT OF PLAY ON OTHER RADIO STATIONS,
AND HE WAS KNOWN ON COLLEGE RADIO STATIONS, AND FM ROCK STATIONS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES
AND IN OTHER COUNTRIES. HE HAD A LOT OF INFLUENCE BECAUSE HIS MUSIC SPOKE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PLAYED ON HIT RADIO STATIONS, BUT EVERY KID THAT PICKED UP A GUITAR LEARNED
HOW TO PLAY A COUPLE OF HIS SONGS. I MEAN WALK ON THE WILD SIDE AND SWEET JANE HAD TWO
CHORDS IN THEM. THEY'RE VERY EASY TO PLAY. HIS SONGS TALKED ABOUT PAIN AND TALKED ABOUT
BEING ALONE, AND NOBODY LIKING YOU. YOU KNOW THE VELVET UNDERGROUND SONGS WERE ABOUT THE
SAME THING. AND WHAT SPEAKS MORE TO KIDS SITTING AT HOME OR SITTING IN THEIR GARAGE STARTING
UP A BAND AND PLAYING SONGS EXCEPT NOBODY LIKES ME, I'M ALL ALONE, I'M IN PAIN. SO THEY
SPOKE TO THEM, AND YOU KNOW HE INFLUENCED THEM. THEY FELT THAT NOBODY ELSE SPOKE TO
THEM THE SAME WAY THAT LOU REED DID.
WHAT DO YOU THINK HIS LEGACY'S GOING TO BE?
WELL, THOSE GREAT SONGS, I MEAN HE WAS ONE OF THE LEADERS IN THE AVANT GARDE ROCK MUSIC
HERE IN THE UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD. THERE REALLY WASN'T ANYBODY DOING THE TYPE
OF MUSIC THAT THE VELVET UNDERGROUND DID WHEN THEY GOT STARTED.
DID YOU GET A CHANCE TO SEE THEM LIVE?
NOT THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, BUT I SAW LOU REED A COUPLE OF TIMES, IN NEW YORK AND HERE
IN WASHINGTON. AND YOU KNOW HE WAS NOT A SMILEY, HAPPY GUY. HE WAS VERY INTENSE. YOU COULD
TELL THAT HE ENJOYED PERFORMING WHETHER HE WAS UP THERE WITH JUST TWO PEOPLE OR HE WAS
UP THERE WITH A FULL BAND. IT WAS ALWAYS AN INTENSE PERFORMANCE AND I'M GLAD I SAW HIM.
I SAW HIM WALKING DOWN THE STREET IN NEW YORK A FEW TIMES. I NEVER WENT UP TO SAY HELLO
TO HIM, I WAS KIND OF SCARED OF HIM. I KIND OF WISH I HAD SAID HELLO TO HIM NOW.
ALL RIGHT. IN 30 SECONDS IF YOU CAN JUST TELL US, AFTER HIS DEATH WE SAW THIS WIDESPREAD
TWEETS AND SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS ABOUT HIM AND HIS LEGACY AND EVERYONE WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER
HIM. WHY DOES IT ALWAYS HAPPEN WHEN AN ARTIST LIKE LOU REED DIES, PEOPLE COME OUT WITH SUCH
AN INTENSE PROTOCOL?
WELL BECAUSE MAYBE THEN YOU HAVE A PLATFORM FOR SAYING WHAT SOMEBODY MEANT FOR YOU? MEANT
TO YOU? THAT YOU MIGHT NOT GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO JUST SAY IT BEFOREHAND. BUT IF YOU WERE
TO LOOK AT INTERVIEWS WITH A LOT OF TODAY'S TOP ROCK ARTISTS, AND YOU ASKED THEM WHO THEIR
INFLUENCES WERE, YOU'D BE SURPRISED HOW MANY HAVE MENTIONED LOU REED AND THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
THROUGH THE YEARS. SO IT REALLY SHOULDN'T COME AS A SURPRISE.
KATHERINE COLE, VOA'S MUSIC BLOGGER AND RADIO PROGRAM HOST, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US.
YOU'RE WELCOME.
MOVING ON, OCTOBER 31ST WAS HALLOWEEN IN THE UNITED STATES. IT'S A TIME FOR SCARY STUFF,
A DRESSING-UP HOLIDAY MOSTLY FOR CHILDREN, BUT ADULTS GET INTO IT TOO, AS THEY DID WHEN
A WASHINGTON SPORTS AND SOCIAL GROUP MIXED COMPETITION ... WITH COSTUMES. VOA'S ARASH
ARABASADI EXPLAINS.
THIS GAME IS CALLED SKEEBALL.
"IT'S KIND OF LIKE BOWLING... BUT A MINIATURE VERSION."
"SKEEBALL IS A GAME MOST PEOPLE PLAY WHEN THEY'RE CHILDREN. WE ARE GROWN CHILDREN, SO
WE CONTINUE TO PLAY IT. WE JUST SWITCHED FROM ARCADES TO BARS."
"IT'S A SILLIER VERSION OF BOWLING."
IT'S LIKE BOWLING BUT EACH HOLE THE BALL GOES INTO HAS A DIFFERENT POINT VALUE. BUT IF YOU
THINK THAT'S WHAT TONIGHT IS ALL ABOUT... YOU ARE OFF THE MARK.
"I'M DR. RAY STANTZ, THE HEART OF THE GHOSTBUSTERS. THESE ARE MY GHOSTS."
"HI MOM!"
THIS NIGHT IS ONE OF SIX IN A SEASON.
"IT'S SPIRIT WEEK! AND IT'S HALLOWEEN! THE GREAT, AMERICAN TRADITION! OR ONE OF THEM,
AT LEAST."
COSTUMED TEAMS COMPETE FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A $300 BAR TAB AWARDED TO THE BEST-DRESSED
SQUAD. BUT THESE FOLKS DIDN'T NEED THE INCENTIVE TO DRESS UP.
"IT'S HALLOWEEN! IT'S THE ONE TIME YOU GET TO LOOK RIDICULOUS OUT IN PUBLIC, AND NOBODY
JUDGES YOU. SO WHY WOULDN'T YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT, ADULTS OR CHILD ALIKE?"
TAKING A NIGHT OFF IS WHAT THIS HOLIDAY IS ALL ABOUT.
"TONIGHT, I AM NOT A BANKER. I AM A BAR SKEER AND A BEER DRINKER."
"YOU CAN DO AN ALTER EGO. IT'S YOUR ONE TIME OF YEAR THAT YOU CAN JUST ACT A FOOL... WITHOUT
GETTING IN TROUBLE."
ORGANIZERS SEEM HAPPY WITH THE TURNOUT. DAN SHANK HOSTS THE SKEEBALL TOURNAMENT.
"EIGHTY PERCENT OF THE TEAMS THIS WEEK CAME OUT IN SOME SORT OF COSTUME, WHICH IS REALLY
NICE TO SEE. IT GETS EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE BAR EXCITED."
AND THAT'S THE IDEA BEHIND THIS HALLOWEEN SOIREE. MEET SOME PEOPLE. SHARE SOME DRINKS.
PLAY SOME GAMES AND HOPEFULLY GET SOME REST... BEFORE THE SUN RISES ... AND THEY'RE BACK
TO THEIR REAL LIVES. IN WASHINGTON, I'M ARASH ARABASADI FOR VOA NEWS.
WELL, WE WERE SO INSPIRED BY THAT STORY, WE JUST HAD TO DO DRESSING UP OURSELVES. IMRAN,
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TELL EVERYONE WHAT YOU ARE FOR HALLOWEEN HERE?
WELL, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS IS. ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT I LOOK GOOFY AND I'M SURE YOU
GUYS HAVE A GREAT TIME WATCHING ME...THIS WAS HER IDEA...
I THINK...PERSONALLY I THINK YOU LOOK GREAT IN ORANGE...I'M HERE AS ONE OF THE MASQUERADE
BALL ATTENDEES FROM THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA... BUT ACTUALLY WE SHOULD NOTE THAT WE ARE A
LITTLE BIT UNUSUAL WITH OUR HALLOWEEN COSTUMES PICKS, BECAUSE I HAVE HERE THE TOP OF COSTUMES
FOR ADULTS THIS YEAR. NUMBER ONE IS A WITCH, NUMBER TWO - BATMAN, THREE - VAMPIRE AND THEN
FOUR IS A ZOMBIE. SO WE ARE GOING LITTLE BIT IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
ALEX'S FAVORITE CHARACTER IS A ZOMBIE...
OH YEAH...MY FAVORITE. IT GIVES ME NIGHTMARES ALL THE TIME... BUT IT'S ALWAYS FUN TO DRESS
UP FOR HALLOWEEN...
OH YEAH WE DO THIS EVERY YEAR SO WE JUST WANT TO DO IT, YOU KNOW, DO IT AGAIN THIS YEAR...
EXACTLY...AND EVEN THOUGH THE HOLIDAY FALLS ON OCTOBER 31 EACH YEAR, THAT DOESN'T STOP
US AND OTHER AMERICANS FROM CELEBRATING WELL INTO NOVEMBER.
AHA, WELL UNFORTUNATELY OUR FUN HAS TO COME TO AN END. BUT BE SURE TO JOIN US AGAIN NEXT
AND IF YOU JUST CAN'T WAIT A WHOLE WEEK, CHECK OUT OUR EPIDSODES AND SEGMENTS ONLINE ON VOANEWS.COM,
FACEBOOK AND YOUTUBE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING. WE'LL CATCH
YOU NEXT TIME.