The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday (Oct 14) a plea by an NGO seeking directions to the Centre to start a 24-hour Sindhi language channel on Doordarshan. A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra is likely to hear the petition filed by NGO Sindhi Sangat challenging an order of the Delhi High Court which dismissed the plea. The NGO has moved the top court against the May 27 order of the high court which dismissed the plea, saying the decision of Prasar Bharti not to start a 24-hour Sindhi language channel is based on an intelligible differentia.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India is set to hear a petition filed by the NGO Sindhi Sangat on Monday-October 14th, which seeks directives from the government to establish a 24-hour Sindhi language channel on Doordarshan. This petition challenges a prior decision by the Delhi High Court that had dismissed the NGO’s request.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, along with Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, is expected to hear the matter. The plea by Sindhi Sangat arises from their dissatisfaction with a May 27 ruling by the Delhi High Court.
The High Court had rejected the plea, supporting Prasar Bharti’s decision not to create a dedicated 24-hour Sindhi language channel. The court upheld this stance based on what it termed an “intelligible differentia”-a legal principle justifying differential treatment.
The Delhi High Court, in its dismissal, remarked that the NGO failed to establish any legal or constitutional right for demanding a 24-hour Sindhi channel on Doordarshan. The court labeled the petition as “misplaced.” According to the court, section 12(2)(d) of the Prasar Bharti (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990, obligates Prasar Bharti to provide “adequate coverage” to the diverse cultures and languages of various regions in India.
In its defense, Prasar Bharti responded by highlighting the relatively small population of Sindhi speakers in the country, citing census data indicating that the Sindhi-speaking population is approximately 26 lakh (2.6 million). Given these numbers, the broadcaster argued that launching a full-time Sindhi language channel would not be a viable option.
“It is stated that, however, in the discharge of its duty, Respondent No. 2 (Prasar Bharti) has been duly telecasting programmes in Sindhi language on its DD Girnar, DD Rajasthan, and DD Sahyadri channels which covers areas where the Sindhi population is mainly concentrated i.e., Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra,”
-the High Court noted.
Furthermore, Prasar Bharti emphasized that these channels are available nationwide and are also accessible via the DTH1 platform, ensuring that Sindhi language programs are broadcast across India.
In support of Prasar Bharti’s decision, the High Court observed,
“The decision of Respondent No. 2 to include programmes in Sindhi language on its DD Girnar, DD Rajasthan, and DD Sahyadri channels, which cover states which as per Respondent No. 2 have main concentration of the Sindhi population appears rational and reasonable to this court and it makes the tests of ‘adequate coverage’ contemplated in the provision.”
The outcome of the Supreme Court hearing could have a significant impact on the future of Sindhi language programming in India, determining whether the Sindhi-speaking community will receive a dedicated platform on national television.
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