DATE=7/14/98 TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT NUMBER=5-40922 TITLE=INDIAN BOMB VIDEO BYLINE=DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN DATELINE=NEW DELHI CONTENT= VOICED AT: *INTRO: IN INDIA, A MUSIC VIDEO PRAISING THE COUNTRY'S NUCLEAR TESTS HAS BEEN RELEASED WITH THE SUPPORT OF A MEMBER OF THE RULING HINDU NATIONALIST BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY. V-O-A NEW DELHI CORRESPONDENT DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN HAS MORE ON THE STORY. TEXT: /// DRUM BEATS AND SINGING, FADED UNDER /// THE VIDEO, CALLED "WE ARE INDIAN," STARTS WITH FIVE DRUM BEATS REPRESENTING THE FIVE NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS SET OFF IN MAY. THEN A SOLDIER WEARING SUNGLASSES APPEARS AND BEGINS SINGING. THE LYRICS SAY: "WE ARE NOT AFRAID OF ANYONE. WE ARE PROUD TO BE INDIAN." THEY SAY, "WE SEEK FRIENDSHIP, BUT A KNIFE WAS STUCK IN OUR HEART, AND TO PROTECT OURSELVES WE HAVE EXPERIMENTED WITH NEW POWER" -- MEANING NUCLEAR WEAPONS. AS THE SOLDIER SINGS, WE SEE PICTURES OF INDIAN LIFE -- WATERFALLS, THE TAJ MAHAL, AND PEOPLE RIDING BUSES TO WORK. YUSUF MERCHANT, WHO PRODUCED THE VIDEO AND PLAYS THE SOLDIER, SAYS HE IS TRYING TO SEND A MESSAGE OF STRENGTH. /// MERCHANT ACT /// IT BASICALLY SAYS, DON'T THREATEN US, WE AREN'T SCARED OF YOU. AND I THINK, BEING THE PRODUCER OF THE VIDEO AND ALBUM, WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO TELL OUR NEIGHBORS IN PAKISTAN AND CHINA NOT TO THREATEN US. I SEE THIS AS A BOMB FOR PEACE. THE MUSIC VIDEO IS PROJECTING IT AS A BOMB FOR PEACE. WHICH MEANS BECAUSE WE HAVE THE BOMB NOW THESE COUNTRIES THAT HAVE ATTACKED US IN THE PAST WON'T DO SO ANY MORE. /// END ACT /// PAKISTAN AND CHINA HAVE FOUGHT WARS WITH INDIA IN THE PAST. THE DELHI GOVERNMENT SAYS SECURITY THREATS FROM THESE NATIONS PROMPTED INDIA TO GO AHEAD WITH ITS NUCLEAR TESTS. HOWEVER, POLITICAL ANALYSTS SAY THE B-J-P WAS IN A WEAK POSITION, WITH A MINORITY GOVERNMENT, AND IT SET OFF THE BLASTS TO WIN PUBLIC SUPPORT. MR. MERCHANT SAYS THIS IS NOT A PRO-WAR SONG. HE SAYS HE IS ANTI-WAR, AND IS SUPPORTING THE ATOMIC BOMB BECAUSE IT WILL PREVENT CONFLICT. ALTHOUGH MR. MERCHANT SAYS HE DOES NOT BELONG TO ANY POLITICAL PARTY, HE MADE THE MUSIC VIDEO AT THE SUGGESTION OF ABHIRAM SINGH, A B-J-P POLITICIAN IN MAHARASHTRA STATE. MR. SINGH HELPED FUND THE PROJECT, ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF MR. MERCHANT'S FRIENDS. MR. SINGH SAYS THERE HAVE BEEN MANY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES EXPLAINING THE REASONS FOR THE NUCLEAR TESTS, BUT THE BEST WAY TO REACH THE MASSES IS THROUGH ENTERTAINMENT. /// SINGH ACT /// THROUGH MUSICAL MEDIA, THROUGH ELECTRONIC MEDIA, WE WILL GIVE A MESSAGE TO OUR PEOPLE (THAT) OUR BOMB IS ONLY FOR PEACE. IT'S A PRO-INDIAN SONG. /// END ACT /// MR. SINGH SAYS FOLLOWING THE NUCLEAR TESTS INDIA HAS TRULY EMERGED AS A TIGER -- THE NATIONAL ANIMAL. THE MUSIC HAS BEEN INITIALLY WELL-RECEIVED BY THE INDIAN PUBLIC. PRIYANKA SINHA, A 25-YEAR-OLD STUDENT, SAYS IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT IN A NATION WITH A BIG APPETITE FOR ENTERTAINMENT, THE ATOMIC BOMB WOULD BECOME THE SUBJECT OF A MUSIC VIDEO. /// SINHA ACT /// YOU KNOW, WE'VE COME OUT WITH MUSIC FOR ALL KINDS OF STUFF, SO I FIGURED SOMETHING WOULD COME OUT IN INDIA ABOUT THE BOMB. BOTH VOICES, WHETHER IT'S FOR OR AGAINST. I EXPECTED SOMETHING. /// END ACT /// (MUSIC UNDER VOICE) OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ALSO SAY IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT THE NUCLEAR TESTS ARE BEING CELEBRATED IN SONG. THEY SAY MOST INDIANS STILL HAVE A FEELING OF NATIONAL PRIDE ABOUT THE TESTS -- EVEN THOUGH THE COUNTRY WAS HIT WITH INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATION AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS FOLLOWING THE NUCLEAR BLASTS. (SIGNED) NEB/DAB/WTW 14-Jul-98 5:14 AM EDT (0914 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .