All India Radio to air Balochi language programmes, enhancing India’s futuristic Balochistan policy

The Balochistan struggle has been the talk of the town in diplomatic circles in India ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought up the issue and extended diplomatic support for the Baloch freedom struggle in his Independence day speech this year.

New Delhi, August 31: The government today has made a shocking announcement which has an immense impact on India’s foreign policy. The All India Radio which runs numerous regional language channels is all set to air a Balochi language programme which can be heard by the Baloch people living in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. The government today has given approval to the All India Radio(AIR) to begin their balochi venture. This was confirmed today by sources in the government owned All India Radio.

The All India Radio or as it is popularly called, “Akashvani” has been hugely popular across various regions in India. It is the primary source of information in majority of India’s vast rural lands. The All India radio similarly runs a kashmiri language programme in Jammu and Kashmir. However the highlight is that the programme can be accessed across Pakistan occupied Kashmir, and serves to provide an Indian perspective to people living in those regions. This extension of a soft cultural diplomacy specifically to Balochistan is seen as an extension of India’s diplomatic stand supporting the Baloch freedom movement. (ALSO READ : China fretting over CPEC as Narendra Modi picks up Balochistan)

The Balochistan struggle has been the talk of the town in diplomatic circles in India ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought up the issue and extended diplomatic support for the Baloch freedom struggle in his Independence day speech this year.The Prime Minister mentioning the suppression of human rights in Balochistan in his Independence Day speech continues to evoke strong reaction from both within pakistan and internationally. Exiled Baloch leaders world wide have been holding rallies internationally, supporting Narendra Modi and thanking him. The latest such rally was Baloch freedom fighters celebrating his speech on the streets of Germany .India’s new position highlighting the Balochistan human rights issues is a major shift in policy from the previous one of non interference in internal matters of Pakistan.Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said on Independence Day, “Today from the ramparts of Red Fort, I want to greet and express my thanks to some people. In the last few days, people of Balochistan, Gilgit, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have thanked me, have expressed gratitude, and expressed good wishes for me. The people who are living far away, whom I have never seen, never met — such people have expressed appreciation for Prime Minister of India, for 125 crore countrymen.”