AIR launches website, mobile app for Balochi audience

All India Radio will launch a multimedia website and a mobile application of its Baluchi services today, in order to make the contents and programmes in Baluchistan's Baloch language available at multimedia platforms for easy access of listeners and create a global audience.

Prasar Bharti chairman A Suryaprakash will launch the services.

The External Services Division (ESD) of AIR broadcasts a one-hour programme in Baloch language every day, which includes daily news.

The ESD service was started in 1974 and is currently broadcast daily in 57 radio transmissions covering over 108 countries in 27 languages.

These include 15 foreign language programmes, mostly from East Asia and South Asian region, including Balochi language.

AIR's move comes a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the human rights violations in Balochistan in his 15 August Independence Day address.

"This technological upgradation will not only provide improved reception quality to the listeners in Afghanistan-Pakistan region, the original target of the service, but would also expand the reach of the service to Baloch Diaspora spread in different countries," an official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech had brought up the issue of Pakistani atrocities on people of Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the first time the disturbed areas under the control of Pakistan were mentioned by any Indian prime minister.

Earlier, DD News had also sent a team to Geneva to interview Brahumdagh Bugti, leader of Baloch Republican Party.