A Jammu-based community radio station, 'Radio Sharda', has become a platform to connect the displaced Kashmiri Pandits to their roots and culture.

This station runs mostly in the Kashmiri language, Radio Sharda 90.4 FM has become a popular name in most of the households of the Kashmiri Hindu family.

The Founder Director of Radio Sharda remarked, 'We are connecting Kashmiri Pandits living in India and 108 other countries through this community radio station. It is a household name in the entire community as it organises programmes on Kashmiri culture, history, music, bhajans, and issues that have challenged the community.

Radio Sharda runs with the slogan, 'Booziv Te Khosh Rooziv', which means 'Listen and be happy.' Thus, becoming the platform for the voice of this community which has been in exile for several years.

Kashmiri Pandits who were forced to leave their home after the spread of terrorism in the valley in 1990 have now gathered their voices through this radio station which not only represents their culture but also the issues that have marginalized them.

The team says, 'Those who get uprooted need to be connected to their roots and our service helps them with that.'

The radio station started to air way back in December 2011 to connect, preserve, promote, and propagate culture, music, and knowledge so that it persists for generations and doesn't get lost. With some 12 years of operation, the programme now has a scope spread over some 108 countries besides India. It is the most popular in the Kashmir Valley.

Radio Sharda gives many people peace of mind and a sense of calmness as a result of which there are many active listeners of this station. It helps people re-live their past memories and brings in the sense of nostalgia for the people of the Kashmir Valley. Even the young generation has also developed a sense of interest in this platform. Some people are just fascinated with the slogan of the radio station. People come here with the hope of cherishing their past and beautiful memories. The radio also acts as an information dissemination center too.

The Kashmiri Pandits who stay away from home had contacted the radio station to get information about their kin in the valley after the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 during the Kashmir floods in 2014.

The radio station has never restricted it's transmission. Subsequently, it also bagged two national awards for Community Radio in 2018 and 2019.

The radio will be airing a 'live herath' Pooja on the occasion of Maha Shivratri aka Herath in Kashmir which will be celebrated on the 18th of February. It is an annual festival and is considered one of the most auspicious days among the believers of the faith.

Though the significance of the festival changes from place to place, for Kashmiri Hindus, it is the day of the divine wedding of Lord Shiva with Mata Parvati called Harratri.

Mediums such as radio or telegraphs have been entirely eclipsed or displaced with the coming of advanced social media platforms. But we should remember, that with the coming of the new, the old must not be discarded either. It also holds some degree of importance.

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Reference:

• theprint.in
• onlineradios.in