It is reported that All India Radio / Aakasha Vani Kozhikode centre is on the way to be closed. This is a heart breaking news. AIR Calicut was one of the best, providing authentic news, cultural programmes including dramas, poems etc which was highly appreciated by the common people. It enouraged and gave opportunity to thousands of young promising artists. Hearing AIR news was a daily routine for tens of thousands of families.
AIR Calicut can take pride that many famous and beloved poets, writers, authors, drama artists and cultural leaders like S/ Shri Uroob, P.Bhaskaran, N.N.Kakkad, K.Raghavan Master, Thikkodiyan, Akkitham, Sukumaran Kappil, M.Unnikrishnan, K.A.Kodungalloor, Ahmed Koya and many others have worked and enriched its standard and popularity.
I had been fortunate to be in close contact with these illustrated sons ofKerala, of course, in another field. It was the prolonged struggle by these Staff Artists for regularisation as regular staff instead of on job on cotract. Till the successful end of the struggle, as Convener of the Workers Centre, a joint platform of central- state – public sector workers organisation, along with other comrades, I was a regular visitor there supporting the rightful struggle. At last, the central govt was compelled to regulatise all the artists. It was a great victory.
The move to close this AIR centre is against the interests of the common people. A movement needs to be organised against this ill motivated decision of the Central govt.
I hope the political parties, trade unions, cultural leaders and activists will take initiative in organising a strong movement, so that this legendary AIR centre contues its functioning as before.
V.A.N.Namboodiri, President, Senior Citizens Friends Welfare Association.