RAMESH HANGLOO: THE
MAN WHO ESTABLISHED RADIO SHARDA 90.4 FM
Qamar
gond assi ta Kar parvvaz booziv…Ye radio sharda awaaz booziv …… (Tune
in and listen how courageously we undertook the flight. Tune in to Radio Sharda
and listen to our saga.. )
Kashmiris
the world over listen to these poetic lines when they tune in to this FM
station online. Radio Sharda is a ‘Community FM Radio’ located in Jammu city
broadcasting in the Kashmiri language. Starting on 5th December 2011, Radio
Sharda has played a major role in the preservation, propagation and protection
of the Kashmiri language and culture after 1990. Licensed to Pir Panchaal, a
civil society organisation, this radio station owes its existence to the hard
work and passion of Ramesh Hangloo, its founder.
The
zeal and sincere efforts of its founder Ramesh Hangloo made something
unbelievable take shape. A postgraduate in Social Work, its founder director
Ramesh Hangloo was fired by the desire to set up a Community Radio the
day he visited England and saw how some immigrant groups keep their roots
intact through this medium. Ramesh
Hangloo has this to
say:-
“.After
the unfortunate mass displacement from the Kashmir valley, the Kashmiri Pandit
community braved many odds and hostile conditions. Far away from our roots, we
had to struggle for survival. Various groups within the community always felt a
dire need of some organised effort with mass reach to protect our language,
culture and traditions. And believe me, without preserving our language and
traditions, we may end up this 5000-year-old civilisation in the next fifty
years. Can we afford it? This question always haunted me day and night. I took
up a great challenge upon myself to do something constructive on the ground.
The result is ‘Radio Sharda 90.4 FM’. To give you the correct background, I may
inform you that during a visit to the UK, I came across many Community Radio
stations set up by the Asian diaspora for the preservation of their language
and culture. I was impressed by the purpose and reach of these Community
Radios. Back home, it so happened that I came across an advertisement from GOI
inviting applications for such Community Radios from intending entities. And
that set me in motion.
Setting
up an FM radio station was not an ordinary job in terms of devoting time and
arranging technical expertise and finances. This passion makes you bring money
even by disposing off some personal assets that people strive to create in a
lifetime. Maybe only fools attempt such things. But this passion drove me to be
one amongst that rare category. No one supported the idea initially. Even my
close friends believed that my idea to materialise on the ground fell in the
rarest of rare possibilities. But I am thankful to almighty that finally, this
idea saw the light of the day.”
It
was a pleasant surprise that thrilled one and all when people in Jammu heard
the first broadcast. Over 100 volunteers readily joined Ramesh Hangloo to work
for the Radio. They provided their services free of cost. Later, with
ever-increasing operating costs, the Radio proposed a very nominal amount for
advertisements that were aired locally in Jammu. The radio started airing
day-long quality Kashmiri music especially old Kashmiri songs and other
programmes. It also aired special programmes of Kashmiri Naats on Fridays.
Gradually regular interviews of writers, poets, painters, historians, health
experts and artists from within the valley and outside were aired. Anyone who
had something to say about the Kashmiri culture and language was invited. The
programmes attracted listeners and became quite popular. Later, the programmes
strictly focussed on the art, culture, heritage, history and music
of Kashmir. Day in and day out, many prominent intellectuals, writers, poets,
artists, historians, and social workers willingly came forward for recordings.
The prominent visitors to the station included Dr K L Chowdhary, Neel Kashkari,
Kailash Kher, Dr Kashi Nath Pandita, M Y Taing, Shad Ramzan, Vijay Bakaya (
IAS), Dr S N Ganju (UK), Prof R L Shant, Prof A N Sadhu, Prof BL Zutshi,
Padam-Shri M L Kemu, Prof M l Kukiloo, Dr Archana Kokroo (President KOA), Mrs
Kailash Mehra Sadhu and many more. Some programmes that were
repeated many times on popular demand include features on poet Dina Nath Nadim, Sufi poet
Samad Mir, musician Mohan Lal Aima, Painter G R Santosh, interview series of Dr
K L Chowdhary, interview of historian Dr Kashi Nath Pandita, interview of
singer Mrs Kailash Mehra Sadhu and interview of Kailash Kher
Radio
Sharda currently airs 16 hours of programmes with 24 hours of streaming on the
website. Popular programmes currently aired include:-
(a)
Aradhana …
Begins at 7 am. It is based on Kashmiri Bhajans, Leelas and devotional songs.
(b)
Vangij-vor…
A programme that reminds us of Zoon Dub broadcast from Radio Kashmir. This
programme highlights problems and issues current in the community.
(c)
Peind Ta
Puran…A programme based on interviews with a cross-section
of community members seeking their opinion on ways and means to protect culture
and language and eradication of some social evils.
(d)
Meiyan Kasheer …
A Programme based on the propagation of Kashmir’s history, culture and
heritage.
(e)
Aash
Pagahitch … Children’s programme aimed essentially to make
them familiar with Kashmiri language and culture.
(f)
Orzuv /Health
Programme … This is aimed at educating listeners about
common ailments and more specifically community specific ailments and methods
to fight and prevent them. A prominent health specialist is brought in as a
guest speaker for this programme.
Located
at Lower Buta Nagar, TRT Migrant Camp, Jammu 181121 ( Tel…+91 191-2597806 ),
this Radio station is available on FM Band 90.4 MHz in and around Jammu city.
Outside Jammu, it is easily approachable online at ..http://tunein.com/radio/Radio-Sharda-904-FM-s157121
The
radio has created a listener base amongst the Kashmiri diaspora not only in
Jammu but in various countries of the world. And during the winter season,
Kashmiri Muslim families in Jammu city also tune in to this FM radio station
for Kashmiri music and other interesting programmes. About his difficulties and some
other issues, Ramesh Hangloo says this:-
“The
station needs help and support to accomplish its desired objectives. I feel
proud in saying that for the last some years, Radio Sharda has been
successfully arranging collective Shivratri Pooja for the entire community.
Time and again our dear listeners stationed within the country and outside in
the US, Europe or Australia have desired to contact us during live programmes
through what is known as a phone-in facility. This facility shall enable them
to come close to their roots by way of instant two-way dialogue. We have many
plans which can materialise only if our financial worries are over. I quote
Ghalib’s couplet to substantiate my point:-
“Tum
ko bhi hum dikhaaayein ki majnoon ne kyaa kiyaa
Fursat
kashakash e gham e pinhaan se gar milay .”..........( Ghalib )
( For
you, I could also carry out the feats of Majnoon,
If
I had the freedom from the pulls of this covert anguish) "
(
Avtar Mota )
CHINAR SHADE by
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