This Radio Channel Connected Hundreds Of Displaced Kashmiri Pandits: Know More

One form of media that people continue to engage with regardless of the modern technology taking over is radio systems. Be it Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself or students of the country, different groups of the community have experimented with radio to take forward their thoughts and messages. One such community radio channel is the Jammu-based 'Radio Sharda.' The channel has been making it to the news for acting as the bridge for connecting many displaced Kashmiri Pandits to their roots and culture.

Rooting For The Uprooted Community

Run mostly in the Kashmiri language, Radio Sharda has now become a household name in almost every Kashmiri Pandit's family. Going by the slogan "Booziv Te Khosh Rooziv" (which loosely translates to "Listen and be happy"), they hope to bring a small ray of happiness by becoming the voice of the community in exile. The Founder and Director of the station Ramesh Hangloo said that the entire idea behind the radio channel was to connect the Kashmiri Pandits living in India and other countries through this community radio station. It grew popular in the valley and among Hindu households due to its programmes structured around Kashmiri culture, history, music, bhajans, and issues pertinent to the community.

Many Kashmiri pandits were forced to leave their homeland after the spread of terrorism in the valley in 1990. The community is now slowly regaining its voice in the valley through this radio channel that keeps their culture alive while also discussing their issues widely. Hangloo said, "Those who get uprooted need to be connected to their roots," and the radio facilitates this space.

According to a report by the The New Indian Express, the channel began airing in December 2011 and has never restricted its transmission ever since. For their attempts to preserve and promote their culture to the next generation of Kashmiri Pandits, the station also bagged two national awards for Community Radio in 2018 and 2019.

Connecting Families And Hearts

Since its operations began, it has been taking the culture of the displaced community to hundreds of countries. An 82-year-old listener Avtar Krishen Bhat said that he had bought a radio solely to hear the Radio Sharda channel. "It gives me peace of mind," he added while saying he has never missed a day of the 7 am Kashmiri bhajans and programs they play. The programmes bring back old memories of the valley to many listeners. Avtar conveyed this idea while saying that "it feels that I am still living in my home in the valley."

The channel also acts as an information dissemination centre, heard by teenagers to octogenarians equally. Many Kashmiri Pandits who are away from their homes also contact the station to get information about their kin in the valley. These calls came in particularly around the abrogation of Article 370 and during the Kashmir floods in 2014. Radio Sharda has been using the simplest resources available to them to become the much-needed thread to connect hundreds of families displaced due to the unfortunate events that fell upon them.

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