Following the rejection of their petitions by the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court for a state-run television channel, Sindhi-speakers have resumed their campaign to demand the establishment of a dedicated linguistic broadcast service.
MP Introduces Minority Bill
After representations from the Mumbai-based cultural group Sindhi Sangat, Shankar Lalwani, a Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, has tabled a private member's bill to grant autonomy to Doordarshan and All India Radio, so that public broadcasters can start channels in minority languages that are not official languages.
Bill Introduction Scheduled
Lalwani said that the bill will be introduced during the upcoming session of the Parliament on January 28. "The demand for a Sindhi-language television channel from the public broadcaster had been a longtime demand," said Lalwani, who added the proposed Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) (Amendment) Act, 2026, will facilitate the functioning of Prasar Bharati—which manages Doordarshan and All India Radio—as true public broadcasters.
"Amendments have been made to the Act from time to time. The promotion of the Sindhi language is essential for its preservation," said Lalwani.
Key Amendment Provisions
The bill proposes to amend sub-section 1 of section 12 of the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990, to recognise and promote tolerance, cultural and linguistic diversity, especially the rights of linguistic minorities. The amendment seeks to ensure that there is no discrimination on the basis of the language spoken by any section of society merely because there is no specific geographical area designated for that language, or because the number of speakers belonging to that linguistic minority is deemed insufficient for a dedicated programme. The bill also seeks the provision of funds to enable the broadcasting of programmes in languages spoken by linguistic minorities.
Constitutional Backing Highlighted
Prohibiting the use of a minority language and mandating the use of only the official language in administrative and other public services would be discriminatory and violates the protection of the linguistic and cultural rights of minorities enshrined in Article 29 of the Constitution of India, the bill adds.
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Past Court Rejections
In October 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed a Special Leave Petition by Sindhi Sangat, noting that a single judge and a division bench of the Delhi High Court had ruled earlier that a writ cannot be issued to Doordarshan to start a Sindhi-language television channel. The Delhi High Court was told by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which oversees Prasar Bharati, that they are unable to start a channel because of a scarcity of funds and staff. A private television channel broadcasting in Sindhi and Kutchi languages from Adipur in Kutch, Gujarat, shut down a few years ago.
Community Voices Concern
Mahim resident Asha Chand, who heads Sindhi Sangat, had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court in 2015, stating that the public broadcaster was obliged under Article 14 of the Constitution to run a TV channel for a linguistic minority. The petition had been argued by the late jurist Ram Jethmalani when it was first filed. "Sindhis are scattered across the country, and a television channel in the language can connect them. The young generation is on the verge of losing their linguistic heritage," said Chand.
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