Tej-Prasarini: Don Bosco Communications has been the face of social communications of the Province of Bombay for the past 30 years. Though it was only in the Provincial Chapter of 1995 that it was made the official multimedia production centre of the province, Tej-Prasarini had already created a solid impact in the early nineties. Born as a response to a catechetical need in the missions of the Ahmednagar region, it began as a audio cassette recording initiative to record, preserve and promote the simple expression of faith of the villagers in the form of bhajans.
Shifting Tej-Prasarini to Mumbai in 1995 not only boosted its production but also widened its reach among the schools and parishes of the city. Media and Peace Education modules, along with awareness programmes for teenagers and young adults, set it apart from other production and publication houses in the region. Thanks to the hardwork and dedication of its directors in the past, Tej-Prasarini has not lost its momentum yet amidst the changing times and technology.
At this moment in the history of the Province of Bombay, as we look ahead with much hope and enthusiasm, we ask: What lies ahead for social communications in the province?
Every Salesian is a Communicator
This is plain thinking. Just as every Salesian is a youth minister, educator, pastor and feels the need for social upliftment of the young, at first he is a communicator (of the love of God!). The social communications department in the province, just like the departments of youth ministry and social ministry, serve to give guidance and inspire growth in the task of reaching out to the needs of the young through media and communication. However, as in every aspect of life, it is the duty of every Salesian to be enthusiastic about being an effective communicator.
Jesus spoke using the language and metaphors familiar to his audience. If our audience is the youth of 2022, what metaphors are we to use to make intelligible the truths of our faith?
For this we need to have at least an inkling of their lingo. Are we aware of what is currently popular on the screens of their phones? Have we any idea of these trends of thought that influence their thinking and decision making processes? Do we even know the difficulties our young people are facing?
At one time the television was called the ‘idiot box’ and now similar similes are used for smartphones. But should the sons of Don Bosco - a man who was at the vanguard of progress - be vary of technology? It is high time we embrace the fact that the world has gone digital. The young have technology and social media literally at their fingertips. Just as in years past Salesians would hitch up their cassocks and join the young on the football field, for once let us try to hitch up our conventional biases and get onto the virtual playground before we condemn it.
Media Education
Let us get back to what Tej-Prasarini meant for schools and parishes in Mumbai in its nascent years. Social Communications strove to equip educators with media resources to effect change in society with themes related to catechetics, personality development, media education and peace education.
Today, education to media and education through media, are both necessary. It is our task as Salesian educators to educate the young to a responsible use of media and technology. Very definitely, this cannot happen if we ourselves are oblivious to the factors in media that affect the young. Hence, the urgent need to be in digital and virtual spaces.
As a province, and as individuals, let us be aware of the need to accompany the young to listen to the voice of the Shepherd as they navigate through the noise of the digital world. Today, more than ever, we as educators need to form the conscience of the young to help them make a good judgement of what is right and wrong.
Promotion of Culture
I think we need to go back to the roots of Tej-Prasarini viz. the promotion and preservation of cultural aspects. As rightly put by Fr Gildasio Mendes, the General Councillor for Social Communication, on his visit to the province, social communication is all about promoting art, dance, literature and music: as educators, we should promote the rich culture of the people in our settings.
Our young people are blessed with talent in various fields. Our Salesian houses are filled with joy when the young are allowed to express themselves freely. While trends in art, music and dance keep on changing, what remains unchanged is the natural bond between youth and these aspects of culture.
A question to ponder: Could we continually offer opportunities to the young to express themselves in a healthy manner?
Tej-Prasarini dreams of a province that is united in reaching out to the young through social communication. It dreams of a province that is connected to each other in sharing news of the many initiatives and dreams that are brought to fulfilment in the various communities. Tej-Prasarini dreams of a province of good communicators of the joy of the Gospel to the young.
For the blessings in the past thirty years in the service of the province, Tej-Prasarini is grateful. For the years to come, may it continue to uphold its commitment to spread light.
