• This is exactly opposite to what Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to the people of Madhepura while addressing an Election Rally on 2nd November, 2015. He went on to say that, "The blessings I have got in all my rallies, I have got more than all of them put together alone in Madhepura." More recently while addressing the nation on Radio in the "Man ki Baat" programmem Shri Narendra Modi goes on to say, " My dear countrymen, India has always tried its best to have close, cordial and vibrant relations with its neighbours. A very important event took place recently. The Honourable President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated a new radio channel named ‘Akashvani Maitree Channel’ at Kolkata. Now, some people may wonder whether Honourable President should inaugurate a Radio Channel? But this is no ordinary Radio Channel, it is a very big and very important step. We have Bangladesh as our neighbour. We know that both Bangladesh and West Bengal continue to have a common cultural heritage. So, Akashvani Maitree on this side and Bangladesh Betaar on that side will mutually share the content and Bengali speaking people on both sides will enjoy the programmes of Akashvani, that is, All India Radio. This people to people contact is a big contribution of Akashvani. The President launched this radio channel..."
• Doordarshan officials have been arguing that a High Power Transmission has been stationed at Sonebarsa in Saharsa District of Bihar and therefore LPTs at Kalna, Madhepura, Simri Bakhtiyarpur & Khagaria are not needed.
• There was a massive protest at Madhepura against this decision and it was argued that the LPTs may begin FM Radio Program in these backward area and also other DD Programmes such as Rajya Sabha TV, Lok sabha TV, PMs favorite Kisan Channel etc can be relayed from these LPTs and so they should not be removed.
• But in the Memorandum submitted to the Hon'ble I& B Minister then the most vociferous argument was not to allow our border areas fall prey to the allurement of Chinese FM Radio Channels broadcasting Hindi programmes and songs.
• The people of border districts of Madhepura,Saharsa and Supaul have at least one thing in common with metro population as far as daily entertainment goes, and that is listening to Radio. Though FM channels popularity have made people in big cities turn to radio, the people residing in far flung areas of India have not much of chioce than radio as reach of television, internet etc have lots of limitations.
• However, for people in far flung areas it is not just for their entertainment that Radio is important, but it is for News i.e., keeping in touch with India, that Radio matters. The sensitivity of this has always been acknowledged by Government of India in its files and discussions at highest levels.
• The people in districts of Madhepura , Saharsa, Supaul, Purnea, Katihar, Araria and Kishanganj, i.e.,the districts which bore the brunt of Kosi floods of 2008, are facing peculiar problem while tuning to All India Radio Stations.
• Almost all AIR stations are intruded by overlapping Chinese Radio Stations, so much so that irritated listeners prefer to tune in to Radio Nepal to listen to Hindi film songs ans BBC Hindi service to listen to News. AIR Evening News had always been popular, but now BBC is preferred because it can be heard better.AIR Vividh Bharati was most trusted for those in love with Hindi Film songs but now FM of Radio Kantipur has taken its place.Interestingly Chinese do not obstruct Nepal Radio or BBC and even broadcast Hindi Film songs from their Radio stations!
• The Government of India had planned strengethening Radio waves in border areas by providing more radio relay stations in districts like Madhepura and strengthening the broadcasting power of existing ones, but the decision is yet to come out of govt files and get implimented.
In such a circumstance the DD LPT Stations at Madhepura, Simri Bakhtiyarpur & Khagaria (of Border Areas)
should not be ordered to be removed, or else the people of Madhepura shall be forced to launch an agitation in its support.
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