The Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) requested Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on December 23 to promote Indian music in flights operated by Indian carriers. Hence, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on December 27 asked all airlines and airports to consider playing Indian music in their flights and terminals.
However, on March 14, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh said that the Centre is not planning to make it mandatory for airlines and airports to play Indian music in their flights and terminal premises.
During the current Parliament session, when Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ambika Soni asked "whether the government proposes to make it mandatory for Indian airlines and airports to play Indian classical or light vocal and instrumental music," Singh replied in the negative in his written reply.
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On December 27, the MoCA wrote a letter to all airlines and airports stating that music played by most of the airlines across the globe was in quintessential of the country to which the airline belongs, for example, Jazz in an American airline or Mozart in an Austrian airline and Arab music in an airline from the Middle East.
"But, Indian Airlines seldom play Indian music in the flight, whereas, our music has a rich heritage and culture and it has one of the many things every Indian has a reason for truly being proud of," the ministry noted. India has a rich diversity of traditional music, it noted.
"Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in multiple varieties and forms, which include classical music, folk, light vocal, instrumental music, etc," it mentioned.
India has a history spanning several millennia and developed over several geo-locations spanning the sub-continent, it said. Music in India began as an integral part of socio-religious life, it noted. The ministry said it is in receipt of a request from ICCR for playing Indian music in the aircraft being operated in India and also at airports.
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"It is, therefore, requested to kindly consider playing Indian music in the aircraft being operated in India and at airports following the regulatory requisites," the ministry stated. Scindia had on December 23 visited the headquarters of the ICCR here and met its president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe.
The ICCR, which works under the Ministry of External Affairs, had said that various suggestions were made during the meeting, "including promotion of Indian music in flights operated by the Indian air companies."
Eminent artists and musicians, including Malini Awasthi, Anu Malik, Kaushal S Inamdar, Shounak Abhisheki, Manjusha Patil K, Sanjeev Abhyankar, Rita Ganguly and Wasifuddin Dagar were also present during the meeting, it added.
(With inputs from PTI)
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