Doordarshan apologises to Malawi for 'derogatory' comments

New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) Doordarshan has conveyed its
"unconditional apology" to African country Malawai for certain
"derogatory" remarks made by one of its commentators during
the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games on October 3rd.
In a letter to Malawi's High Commissioner to India
Chrissie Chawanje Mughogho, Doordarshan Director General Aruna
Sharma said the remarks of the commentator were
"unintentional" and "inadvertent".
"Allow me to tender an unconditional apology for the
remarks made on Malawi during the opening ceremony on
DD-Sports Channel," Sharma said in the letter to the envoy.
Sharma's apology came after Mughogho sent a letter to
her voicing concern over the commentator's remark that Malawi
was "among the world's least developed countries".
"I have checked with my team and let me assure you
that these comments were never made deliberately," the DD
chief said, adding the commentator had made the comment while
describing history, culture, population and other information
taken from data published in newspapers.
"I have already instructed my team and the commentator
to be most careful while including information about any
Commonwealth country so that we do not hurt anybody's feelings
by such inadvertent comments," Sharma's letter said.
Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa.
Formerly known as Nyasaland, the country is separated
from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. PTI AKK
MHM