[HCDX] Nepal : This is Radio People's Republic

["Alokesh Gupta" <alokeshgupta@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>From "George Lessard" via 'cr-india' mailing list.

Regds,
Alokesh.
--------------------------------
X-Sender: kishor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From: "Kishor Pradhan" <kishor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2004 10:50:09 -0700
Subject: [PanosSouthAsiaUpdate] This is Radio People's Republic

"This is Radio People's Republic."

The Maoists are taking the revolution to the airwaves with their own FM
radio
RAMESWOR BOHARA in NEPALGANJ

An increasing number of antennas are popping up on rooftops all over
midwestern Nepal. They aren't for tv, but radio aerials to help
people in the western tarai catch the FM broadcasts of the Maoists'
clandestine Radio Janabadi Ganatantra.

The broadcasts are feeble and not regular since the mobile
transmitters are always on the move to avoid detection. But people
listen anyway, more to find out the Maoist partyline than out of a
desire to get information.

"We don't really believe what they say on the radio, it's mostly
political slogans, but it is interesting to find out what they are
saying and planning," says one Gulariya resident, who did not want to
be named. A year ago, the rebels launched the broadcasts without much
fanfare. The Maoists are currently broadcasting on 100 mhz and say
they have a transmitter mast with a capacity of up to 500 kilowatt.
This would make the station as powerful as Radio Sagarmatha in
Kathmandu. Locals need to hook their battery radio to an aerial to be
able to catch the signal properly. The broadcasts began last year
from the Maoist heartland of Thawang in Rolpa. The Bheri-Karnali
Broadcasting Service followed, and now they have also begun the
Seti-Mahakali Broadcasting Service.

A typical news broadcast this week went as follows: "Because of a
courageous ambush laid by the brave people's liberation army, 22
Royal American Army soldiers have been killed and a huge quantity of
arms and ammunition have been recovered." The rest of the news
contained excerpts of speeches by various leaders of the autonomous
regional 'people's governments', information on those on whom a
sentence of 'safaya' has been declared as well as announcements on
forthcoming bandas and blockades.

Locals are not very surprised by the propaganda-laden style and
language of the Maoists broadcast, and tell us it is not so different
from what state-owned Radio Nepal broadcasts in its news about "so
many terrorists killed and a large amount of explosives, detonators
and documents captured". But the rebel radio is one notch ahead in
the use of jargon and derogatory labels like "killer king" or "Royal
American Army". Lately, there is also a lot of abuse hurled at the
"reactionary Indian government for supporting the fascist regime" in
Kathmandu.

For programs that are supposed to create awareness and win over
public opinion, the language is crude and provocative, but it does
seem to work in some places. One recent evening, the radio announcer
repeated in a shrill voice: "We must uproot any state power
responsible for discrimination." Some dalit listeners nodded their
heads in agreement. Rebel leaders told us they have been trying to
improve their radio presentation skills by being less propagandistic
and more persuasive. "We have already begun giving journalism
training to our correspondents and program producers," says Maoist
Banke-Bardia in-charge, Anal.

The Bheri-Karnali service broadcasts three times a day on 100
mhz. From 6-7AM there are discussions, current affairs and
liberation songs with a news bulletin at the end. The afternoon
transmission airs 'people's songs' and a news bulletin. In the
evening, transmission begins at approximately 6PM and usually goes on
for three hours with the day's news in Nepali and local languages.
Agriculture, health, education, communist philosophy and rousing
liberation songs are also aired. The radio targets minorities and
ethnic communities, and exhorts them to rise up against oppression.

A rebel journalist told us their studio equipment is still
rudimentary, and none of the programs are aired live. The broadcasts
are irregular, and sometimes the transmissions stop for weeks without
explanation. The Maoists' regional communication in-charge, Biswajit,
explains that this is because their transmitter has to be moved often
to avoid detection. The stations have their own correspondents across
the midwest. One of the senior Maoists looking after the broadcasts,
Hari Das 'Prakhar', was killed in action three months ago, an event
covered in detail by Radio Ganatantra.

Ironically, the first people to notice the Maoist's Bheri-Karnali
broadcasts were the security forces. Sentries guarding the television
tower in Surkhet intercepted the signals but were not able to
pinpoint the location of the transmitter accurately. The most
dedicated listeners in fact seem to be the security forces, who say
they tune in to find out what the enemy has to say.

SOURCE: The Nepali Times, No. 215, 24-30 September, 2004

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