RADIO SHARDA 90.4 FM

                                                                               

 

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 )

 

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