RKJ widens its outreach deep into Pakistan: Dr Jitendra

Programmes aired from Radio Kashmir Jammu station of All India Radio are now flawlessly audible across Pak occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and beyond, as a result of which, not only is Radio Kashmir Jammu widely heard in PoJK but is also becoming increasingly popular with each passing day. This was disclosed here today by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh after he received a briefing from Director General, All India Radio, Fayyaz Sheheryar about the recent AIR initiatives undertaken in the border State of Jammu and Kashmir.

Radio programmes had always elicited responses from both the sides. As Radio Station staff and especially the comperes of the programme say, the audience is a large family, which transcends political boundaries. Radio staffers still await a word of praise from their friends across the border. In fact, there were letters from both the sides asking about the friends who have gone incommunicado over the past decade. Punjabi programme characters Chacha and Guddi have for years enjoyed popularity across the border.

STATE TIMES in a special article published on Radio Kashmir Jammu’s foundation day celebrations last December under caption “Not only Dogras; RKJ’s ‘lovers’ reside across border too” had disclosed that “In 1985-86, when the famous Punjabi programme character Fateh Din was at the peak of popularity, a woman from Lahore approached Jammu Radio Station in order to meet her hero. However, if a radio character is produced before its audience, the imagination of the listener dies. So, Mehmood Ahmed, who wrote and spoke for Fateh Din was dressed up as the character and introduced to the lady. Elated, she broke down.” Before Kargil war some letters trickled in from Pakistan and PoJK, but later it was totally stopped. They are probably censoring the mail.

Dr Jitendra said, with the installation of 300 KV Digital Radio Mondial (DRM) transmitter in Jammu, the range of programmes transmitted from Radio Jammu is as far as 300 kms aerial radius or even beyond which, going by the terrestrial distance, is even longer. This, in other words, he said, means that the programmes of Radio Jammu can be heard beyond PoJK and areas of Pakistan Punjab, including Lahore. With the introduction of DRM transmission, he said, the sound waves are loud, steady and uniform, without missing gaps due to absence of disruption of signal. Another remarkable headway, Dr Jitendra Singh said, was the decision for setting up an AIR station at Udhampur which had been a long pending demand for several decades and could materialise after constant regular follow-up with the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The radio station at Udhampur, he said, will have a transmission range of 55 kms aerial radius with a terrestrial range even longer and the sound waves from this station will also be accessible in PoJK. The land for setting up the Station has been identified by Udhampur district administration in the vicinity of the city and formalities for the transfer and acquisition of land will be taken up soon. The setting up of a studio at Udhampur Radio Station will also be done by the Government of India authorities and AIR, he added. Dr Singh also disclosed that the transmitter at Bhadarwah Radio Station has already been upgraded on public demand and a high power transmitter is in the process of being installed at Patnitop for smooth onward transmission of radio signals in the entire region falling in Udhampur and erstwhile Doda Districts.

Fayyaz Sheheryar also disclosed in the meeting that the External Services Division of All India Radio is shortly going to start an exclusive news bulletin in Balochi language, particularly for the people living in Balochistan province of Pakistan and other areas.