IT?S my TV,? Laxman Dhruva complained outside a primary school in this village in the remote Nagri block of Chhattisgarh?s Dhamtari district. They took it five days ago and didn?t give him anything, he went on, as villagers gathered around, snickering that Dhruva was high on Mahua.

The TV set in question was an old model, propped up on a table inside. Another reason the school had arranged four radios as backup.

Around 20 kids sat looking at it, along with 30 adults. In this area without electricity, it was their first encounter with television for several gathered there. The children?s books hung at the back, from a string stretched across the classroom, to protect them from water. ?After the rains, we will keep them down,? a teacher said.

Few students or parents knew the purpose of bringing them to the school, fewer still that the function ahead would be in Hindi, a language few understand. ?Sahab log bole chalo, aa gaye (Officials said come, we came),? said Sukma Bai from Rawata village, 8 km away.

As the programme took off, and there was applause on TV, a teacher suddenly ordered, ?Clap.? Kids promptly did, some parents too. While Narendra Modi was barely audible above the poor reception, they proved fast learners. Subsequently, every time they heard applause on TV, they clapped.

Nagri is a tribal-dominated block with 363 primary, 133 middle and 34 high schools, many of them without power. Some teachers need to cross rivers on boats.

The administration tried earnestly to take TV to every school, but still 24 could afford only radios. Thothijhariya village is 85 km from district headquarters, the last stretch some 15 km through muddy lanes piercing a thick forest. Villagers and students travelled hours, through forests, to get to viewing points. Kheer and puri were distributed to ensure attendance.

?We worked like we do during the elections,? a district officer beamed.

An hour into Modi?s speech at Thothijhariya, the solar battery ran out. Kids clapped, thinking the programme was over. ?Hey, switch on the radio, quickly,? the invigilator shouted.

But radio stations overlapped, with Modi?s voice mixing with others.

Towards the end, the villagers were still trying to figure out whom they had heard. ?Modi hai ka??, a villager said, trying to stretch his imagination.