Retired All India Radio news reader, R. S. Venkatraman (102), passed away on Tuesday, Feb 4 at his daughter’s residence in Mandaveli.
He is survived by his three daughters, Bhagyam, Manorama and Bhargavi.
Venkatraman joined the Tamil news division of Akashvani ( AIR), Delhi, as a translator – news reader in 1945. As such, much of the news he read on radio in his early years at AIR was on India’s road to independence.
He read the news bulletin in Tamil which announced India’s independence. This bulletin went out early on August 16 on the south-east Asian channel of AIR.
Venkataraman went on to head the news department for 20 years.
After retirement in 1985, he continued his association with AIR as a casual news reader for nearly 20 years.
He was specially invited to read the news during the golden jubilee celebrations of India’s independence.
Venkatraman spent the last years of his life in Robertson Lane, Mandaveli, staying with his younger daughter, Manorama.
He was prolific writer of short stories in Tamil.
“My father used to write short stories under the pen name Gajamukan,” Manorama said. ” He was active even in his last years.”
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