Opinion | All India Radio: Growing Up With The Nation's Most Enduring Voice

Updated: Jul 23, 2026 19:38 pm IST Published On Jul 23, 2026 18:31 pm IST Last Updated On Jul 23, 2026 19:38 pm IST

Published On Jul 23, 2026 18:31 pm IST

Last Updated On Jul 23, 2026 19:38 pm IST

"Bahujana Hitaya, Bahujana Sukhaya" - For the welfare and happiness of the many. This timeless Buddhist ideal, drawn from the teachings of Lord Buddha, has guided All India Radio (Akashvani) ever since it became India's public broadcaster. More than a motto, it became a national mission - to inform, educate, inspire and unite.

As India observes July 23, National Broadcasting Day, we commemorate not merely the beginning of radio broadcasting in 1927 but the birth of an institution that quietly shaped the consciousness of modern India. If August 15, 1947 gave India political freedom, I often believe that July 23, 1927 began the long process of integrating the minds and hearts of Indians. Radio became the invisible thread that stitched together a civilisation of extraordinary diversity into one national family.

For me, however, this day carries a far deeper and more personal meaning. My association with All India Radio (AIR) is not merely professional - it is the story of three generations of my family whose lives were intertwined with Akashvani.

My late father, ND Raina, joined the Hindi division of the External Services in 1956 as a scriptwriter. His pen gave life........

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