Rajesh Bhat’s book on airwaves war in Indo-Pak conflict released

NEW DELHI, Nov 15:

A new book unravels historical facts about how Radio Kashmir has over the past seven decades countered incessant malicious propaganda by various underground and FM stations that operate round-the-clock from across the border.
Replete with rare pictures, transcripts and documents from the archives of Jammu and Kashmir, “Radio Kashmir: In Times of Peace & War” reveals how Radio Pakistan and its notorious Radio Trarkhal beamed vicious misinformation against India to create unrest in the minds of people of Kashmir while trifling with their sentiments and identity.
It also says how under ‘Operation Topac’, the ISI launched more radio stations, mostly along the Indo-Pak border to bombard airwaves with hostile ranting.
In addition to Jammu and Kashmir, Radio Pakistan had a meticulously planned coverage to target certain communities living in Indian cities, including New Delhi, Jaipur, Kanpur, Bikaner, Ambala, Saharanpur, Meerut, Aligarh, Farrukhabad, and parts of Nepal, rousing anti-India feelings, the book says.
And how Radio Pakistan and Azad Kashmir Radio acted as a bridge in establishing communication channels between the infiltrators and their masters. These messages, colloquially called Taranas, were most often in Gojri, Pahari, Urdu and Punjabi, spoken on either side of LoC and even in the Punjab province of Pakistan, according to the book.
Brought out by Stellar Publishers, this book emanates from research, based on a doctoral study by author Rajesh Bhat (posted in the Policy Division of Directorate General, All India Radio), who had also served as Special Correspondent, Daily Excelsior in terms of the pivotal function performed by a public service broadcaster like Radio Kashmir during the times of both peace and war since 1947.
The book goes on to describe how Radio Kashmir performed an immensely significant role in safeguarding the strategic interests of both the Government and the masses by addressing the core issues concerning the welfare and security of a nation.
And also how industriously it has attempted to weave a cohesive social and cultural fabric in Jammu and Kashmir in the face of turmoil, unrest and proxy war being waged by seditious elements.
Set up on December 1, 1947, with a makeshift studio in Sri Ranbir High School in Jammu, to countermand the specious rumours and fabricated information being disseminated to the refugees pouring in post-Partition, Maharaja Hari Singh inaugurated the station with his maiden broadcast to allay the fears of the people in the turbulent Valley.
To fight on another fraught front, the state government set up another unit of Radio Kashmir at Srinagar on July 1, 1948, with the prime aim to speak to the people in their own language, and also maintain harmony and brotherhood through the broadcasts, while effectively and skilfully countering the Pakistan propaganda.
The two wings of Radio Kashmir at Jammu and Srinagar, which initially started functioning under the J&K Information Department, continued to be under the control of the state Government till April 1954 with this unique name, although they were relaying general programmes and news from AIR, which was already functioning in the pre-Independence era. (PTI)

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