DD Sindhi Television Channel

I am very pleased to share that DD Sindhi has started airing on DD Girnar channel ; an hour every day from 10 AM to 11 AM. I understand that efforts are on to increase the duration to two hours everyday and that the same is likely to be effected shortly (hopefully!). This marks an important milestone in the  long and ardous journey to help preserve Sindhi language. Dadi Asha Chand who runs the NGO, Sindhi Sangat, through Advocates (Late) Dada Ram Jethmalani and his son, Dada Mahesh Jethmalani, first petitioned Delhi  High Court in 2007 that the State Broadcaster, Prasar Bharti, should provide a service in Sindhi language. Jethmalani family offered their services pro-bono throughout the journey.

Not many are aware that Sindhi language was included in the Eighth Schedule of the constitution in 1967 whereby the Union of India has a duty to promote the spread of the language. Subsequently,the Public Broadcaster , Prasar Bharti had started a number of channels dedicated to particular languages. Currently, it runs 17 such regional channels but none for Sindhi. After a number of disappointments where the public broadcaster expressed its inability to start such a channel due to paucity of funds, not enough audience etc. last year they advised the court that they were exploring the possibility of providing a dedicated slot on an existing channel. DD Sindhi is a step towards this direction and hopefully one day we will have our own 24 hour dedicated channel. 

SINDHI SANGAT TEAM WITH PRASAR BHARTI/DD OFFICIALS
Shri P K Subhash (DD), Shri Mahesh Jethmalani, Smt. Asha Chand, Shri Surya Prakash (PB) and Shri Mohan Gehani

 I have always admired Dadi Asha for her work towards spread of Sindhiyat in general and Sindhi boli in particular. She is the daughter of (Late) Smt Sundri Uttamchandani and (Late) Shri A J Uttam both distinguished Sindhi writers. Much of her focus at Sindhi Sangat has focused on encouraging youngsters to learn the language particularly Arabic Sindhi script. Sindhi Sangat has directed a number of videos wherein they teach basics of language, have created a mobile phone application via which you can learn Sindhi at the convenience of your home, run a nursery rhyme competition wherein kids aged 3-8 years are encouraged to recite a nursery rhyme in Sindhi and send their videos to Sindhi Sangat as a part of an international competition. I often see photographs and videos of Dadi Asha addressing your kids at schools to learn Sindhi as well as encouraging schools run by Sindhi Management/ Boards to offer Sindhi as an optional subject. I do hope that through her sustained  efforts , over the next decade, we will have a new generation of youngsters who are able to read and write in Sindhi. I pray to Lal Saeen for Dadi's long life and salute her commitment towards preserving Sindhi culture. 

I end with this short video of Dada Mahesh Jethmalani detailing the outcome of court proceedings regarding the establishment of DD Sindhi. This is an April,2019 video. The next court date is in January,2020 wherein the public broadcaster will apprise the court about its plans to extend the slot to 2 hours. 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzLeLx_OpMw

Jai Jhulelal!