Changing AIR to Akashvania bid to impose Hindi: DMK

CHENNAI: DMK MP T R Baalu has written to Union minister for information Anurag Singh Thakur on the move by national broadcaster Prasar Bharati to stop using the name ‘All India Radio’ and instead use ‘Akashvani’, alleging it was “a move to impose Hindi in the region”.
Baalu said he sent the letter, dated May 7, 2023, to the Union minister, following a request from chief minister M K Stalin.He added that there were media reports about Prasar Bharati’s “direction” to stop using ‘All India Radio’ and instead use Akashvani’. “Accordingly, all radio stations in the states have started saying `Akashvani’ for the past few days,” he said.
The sudden decision by Prasar Bharati is unwarranted, said Baalu. For decades, all English broadcasts and regional broadcasts have been using All India Radio. The stations in Tamil Nadu have been using ‘vaanoli’, the equivalent to Akashvani. Prasar Bharati’s claim that it was an old decision which the radio stations have been told to implement was unacceptable, he said.
Already, many political parties in Tamil Nadu have strongly condemned Prasar Bharati’s move to deny the rightful place for Tamil in the All India Radio, said Baalu, adding that the DMK too strongly protested against the move. Baalu urged the minister to intervene and advise Prasar Bharati suitably and restore the earlier practice.