Sir,
I am going to remind about the decision of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to launch 15 new FM channels for Jammu and Kashmir state wherein Kathua and Bhaderwah districts in particular will be getting 3 FM channels in each. This act of the Prime Minister speaks about his deep concern for these regions. The purpose of the scheme is aimed at providing the radio broadcast to the places which fall out of the TV network and are situated on the periphery of the state where the power supply is a great problem. The inauguration of the Atal Setu over river Ravi has thrown open the flood gates for the tourists from the three adjoining states of Himachal Pardesh and Punjab. The influx of the tourists is also bringing with it different cultures . The diffusion of the new cultures will definitely affect the original culture, traditions, customs and festivals of Basohli. The FM channel at Basohli will not only preserve the culture but will give a boost to it also.
So far as Kathua district is concerned majority of the population lives in the hilly and inaccessible areas where the television coverage and power supply is not available till date. The majority of population in the remote areas of Basohli and Bani tehsils of Kathua district have no source of information except the Radio.
The only one low power FM station at Kathua with a small range doesn’t cater to the needs of Basohli and Bani areas at all and the natives of these tehsils are totally deprived of the FM broadcast from Kathua station.
Basohli tehsil is unique in Jammu and Kashmir in respect of culture and language and needs a means like radio station which can help keep the culture, traditions, customs and heritage of historical town alive.
It is pertinent to mention here that there are programs in Gojri, Poonchhi, Bhaderwahi already being broadcast on the radio station Jammu and Kathu but there is no such program which specially caters for the people of Basohli, a town which is the confluence of three states, three cultures and three languages. In order to develop, disseminate and preserve the culture of Basohli one FM channel out of the three allotted for Kathua be sanctioned for Basohli which will go a long way in meeting out justice to the remote and inaccessible tehsils of Kathua district and the motive they are sanctioned for.
Shiv Kumar Padha
Basohli
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