Tamil Nadu MP Writes to Centre Against Decision to Replace 'All India Radio' With 'Akashvani'

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu MP from Sriperumbudur, T.R. Baalu, has opposed the decision by Prasar Bharati to stop using the word ‘All India Radio’ and instead replace it with 'Akashvani.'

Baalu said this was another attempt by the Union government to impose Hindi in a subtle manner on non-Hindi speaking states.

Writing to Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur, Baalu said, “This sudden decision of Prasar Bharati is unwarranted…Radio stations in Tamil Nadu have been using the name “Vaanoli”, the Tamil equivalent of Akashvani. Though Prasar Bharati claims now that this is an old decision and the All India Radio stations have been just advised to implement it, this is not proper and this is not acceptable at all.”

Baalu said in his letter that several political parties in Tamil Nadu have started protesting the move and have condemned what they call is an attempt by Prasar Bharati to impose Hindi by denying Tamil its rightful place in All India Radio.

Asking Thakur to revert to the old practice, Baalu said he is writing this letter as desired by Tamil Nadu chief minister, M.K. Stalin.

The Wire had recently reported the move to thus change nomenclature by Prasar Bharati.

In a satellite message relayed from the policy division of the office of the director general, Akashvani, to all centres across the country May 3, the Union information and broadcasting ministry had decided to enforce a provision of the law by which the radio vertical of Prasar Bharati would be called 'Akashvani' only.

The message had stated that the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990 brought into force November 15, 1997, had a provision, Section 2 (A), which defined“Akashvani” to mean “the offices, stations and other establishments by whatever name called, which immediately before the appointed day formed part of or were under the Director General, All India Radio of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.”

The ministry has decided to implement this provision after 26 years.

It is unclear whether other southern states will react likewise.