
Fifty years ago All India Radio was the voice of the country. Name any literary figure, any artist, any social worker, any leader from any part of the country, any religion, any caste – all were associated with AIR in some way or the other. In 90s, Traffic used to come to halt when popular serials were aired by Doordarshan. The officials of AIR & Doordarshan were highly regarded in their towns and the organizations ruled the heart of the Indian population.
Things have changed? Things do change but not always necessarily do down. it is the same or better technical set up, same or better qualified programmers, news casters, administrators, all comparatively better paid but where does the organization stands?
Employees of the organization through various associations/platforms are working to best of their capabilities. The programmers, news men, engineers are also working quite honestly. But something has gone away.
On one of the platforms I heard one gentleman saying that an organization is dead but it waits for the final death certificate from the doctor.
Is it so? Many of my friends may not agree and being an optimist I would also like to join them, however there are some big writings on the wall and ignoring them is as catastrophic as a pigeon closing her eyes in front of the cat.
There is a famous saying God doesn’t make any lock without keys. Every disease has got a remedy. It has to be found by concentrated and dedicated efforts. The very first step is to know the disease, to see its symptoms to find out its causes and try to have the best possible available medicine. Even if you don’t have the medicine from the costliest lab of the world, a local remedy taken with full faith and sincerity has got the capability to do miracles.
Friends I think nobody in this country who has ever been connected with AIR & Doordarshan even as a peon, helper or as an artist, talker, casual announcer, no one want these organizations to die. I think it is our collective responsibility, not only of the employees alone, but of all those, the ministers, the civil servants, the artists, the civil society, who have ever been connected with AIR & Doordarshan to come together, diagnose the system, accept the weakness with open mind and contribute their pie for this mother organization who is the spinal cord of our democracy.
No individual can own this movement. Let it be a collective family move and may be some elders emerge as our respective guides. Can we call all our retired seniors irrespective of their post and all those who have been connected with AIR & Doordarshan on a platform to begin this. It will never be a destruction but a construction, not a war but a call for love and togetherness.
Let’s not push it for tomorrow, can we do it today, can we do it now.........