Dear community broadcasters, Brace yourselves. The I&B minister of state wants poetry to be read "on all radio stations across the country", and he will issue orders to make sure you organize kavi sammelans at your station.
In an earlier effort to improve the tastes of the Indian public, the I&B ministry had banned the broadcast of film music on AIR. (This was in the 1950s, and if nothing else, it improved the prospects of Radio Ceylon considerably). During the Emergency years, the ministry decided that every song request sent to AIR should be accompanied by a sterilization certificate (as in birth control). It is not on record just how many Indians sacrificed their reproductive capacity in order to listen to 'Barbaad-e-mohabbat ki dua saath liye jaa...' At least, we can no longer say that the decisions of the ministry are beyond rhyme or reason. Beyond reason, maybe. Sajan Minister to order poetry reading sessions in all radio stations The Hindu, 10 Feb 2010 http://beta.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article103931.ece Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting S. Jagathratchagan on Wednesday said he would issue orders for organising poetry reading sessions in all the radio stations across the country. Participating in a poetry reading session in all the 14 official Indian languages (Panmozhi Desiya Kaviarangam) organised by Indian Broadcasters Forum (IBF) in Chennai, the minister said poetry was the only literary form that would link all the languages. Recalling his association with the All India Radio and the days when the (AIR) served as a window to the world, the Minister said it continued to remain a source of education. Former Minister R.M. Veerappan said that when people’s memory failed them, the AIR was reminding them of great personalities in all the walks of life. The poetry reading session was presided over by poet and lyricist Vairamuthu. Fourteen poets participated and their poems were translated by 14 translators.
The Community Radio Forum's Annual Meeting will be held in Bangalore on 19 February 2010.
