SC Junks NGO's Plea Seeking 24-Hour Sindhi Language Doordarshan Channel

Supreme Court said that a citizen cannot make a claim based on the fundamental right guaranteed under Article 29 of the Constitution that the government should start a separate channel in their language.

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea by an NGO Sindhi Sangat which sought directions to the Centre and Prasar Bharati to run a 24-hour Sindhi language Doordarshan TV channel to preserve the language and cultural heritage of the Sindhi community, a linguistic minority in India. 

A bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud and comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra rejected NGO Sindhi Sangat's petition challenging an order of the Delhi High Court which dismissed the plea.

The bench said that a citizen cannot make a claim based on the fundamental right guaranteed under Article 29 of the Constitution that the government should start a separate channel in their language.

"The right which is claimed under Article 29 for preserving the language of the Sindhi population cannot result in an absolute or indefeasible right for the commencement of a separate language channel for a particular language," the bench observed.

Senior Advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for the NGO, said one of the ways to preserve the language is through public broadcasting. CJI DY Chandrachud while dismissing the plea said that starting a separate DD channel may not be the only means to preserve a language.

On May 27, the Delhi High Court dismissed a plea seeking a separate Sindhi Doordarshan channel.

Prasar Bharati had submitted in the Delhi High Court that according to the census, the population of Sindhi-speaking people in the country was approximately 26 lakh and a full-time channel was not sustainable. 

Prasar Bharati took a stand that a separate channel catering to a small population of about 26 lakhs was not sustainable, given the annual running cost of approximately Rs 20 crores. Jaising today argued in court that a cost of Rs 20 crores was not much to preserve a language. However, the top court said that there may be other ways to preserve a language.

The Supreme Court today also noted that the statement made by Doordarshan before the High Court states that it was running Sindhi programs in three DD channels - DD Girnar, DD Sahyadri and DD Rajasthan, which are aired in areas where Sindhi population are predominantly located.