As we mark 87 years of All India Radio's enchanting journey, let's take a walk down memory lane, where the airwaves carried the magic of an entire nation. Those were the days when owning a radio was a matter of pride, and the mere mention of 'Akashavani' brought a twinkle to our eyes.
The Radio as the Heartbeat of the Home
I remember — and I suspect many of you do too — the large wooden radio that sat in the corner of our grandmother's living room, its amber dial glowing in the dim light of evening. It was not merely a device. It was the centre of household life. News, music, cricket commentary, drama — all arrived through that single warm speaker.
In Kerala, AIR Trivandrum was part of our daily rhythm. The morning news bulletin. The noon-time music programme. The agricultural advice broadcast. The children's programmes on Sunday. And always, always, the sound of the time signal at the top of the hour — three steady notes that synchronised a generation.
"The radio did not just broadcast information. It broadcast a sense of belonging — to your community, your language, your nation."
Akashavani and the Malayalam Language
For those of us who grew up speaking and loving Malayalam, All India Radio was a custodian of our language at its most pure and beautiful. The announcers spoke with a clarity and elegance that set a standard. Kerala's folk songs, classical compositions and literary readings came into homes through AIR in a way that no other medium could replicate.
The Vividh Bharati service brought Hindi film music from Bombay into our homes. I can still remember summer afternoons when the sound of Kishore Kumar or Lata Mangeshkar would drift through the open windows while we completed our homework.
Cricket and AIR: A Special Bond
For those of my generation, the greatest memories of radio are inextricably linked to cricket. Long before satellite television, AIR's cricket commentary was the voice of Indian sport. Jasdev Singh. Pearson Surita. Their voices called every boundary, every wicket, every glorious moment of India's cricketing history.
I remember listening to commentary during the 1983 World Cup with my ear pressed to the speaker, trying to catch every word over the static. When Kapil Dev lifted that trophy at Lord's, the roar came first through a small radio in a Kerala living room. That moment will never leave me.
What We Lost When We Stopped Listening
The arrival of television, and later the internet and smartphones, did not kill the radio — but it changed its role profoundly. What we gained in choice, we lost in shared experience. The family gathered around the radio was a unit — listening together, reacting together, forming memories together. That particular form of togetherness is harder to find now.
AIR at 87: Still Broadcasting, Still Relevant
All India Radio continues to reach millions of listeners across India, particularly in rural areas where it remains a vital source of information and entertainment. In that sense, AIR carries a public mission that is as important today as it was in 1936.
On this anniversary, I salute the people behind the microphone and behind the scenes who gave India a voice, and gave us memories that last a lifetime.
Happy 87th, Akashavani. May your signal never fade.
— Sukesh R Pillai