DEHRADUN: After border villages of Uttarakhand are being bombarded with ‘anti-India’ songs by radio stations in Nepal, the state government might set up local FM channels to counter the propaganda onslaught.
“We are looking into the matter and views are to set up community radios,” Uttarakhand minister Madan Kaushik said. New Delhi and Kathmandu are locked in a border dispute regarding Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani, whose locations fall in a trijunction between India, Nepal, and China.
N S Napalchyal, former chief secretary of Uttarakhand, who hails from Dharchula area of Pithoragarh, said the Chinese-style propaganda needs to be countered. “Our governments should start community radios in the area to counter these Nepalese FM channels.” Meanwhile, local residents have already launched a drive to boycott Nepalese radio channels.
“We have decided to boycott these FM radio channels due to anti-India songs. They are spitting venom against India due to the Chinese influence. We have been like good neighbours for centuries and now this...
This kind of behaviour is unacceptable,” Shalu Datal, a resident of Dharchula, border town on the banks of Kali river, said, Most of the songs are being run on Nepalese FM radio channels such as Naya Nepal, Kalapani Radio, Darchula Radio, Lok Darpan, Radio Sarthi and Mallikarjun Radio whose broadcasts are accessible across the border villages and towns like Dharchula and Jhoolaghat in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand.
Washing off hands
Manju Tinkari, a RJ with a Nepalese radio station, claimed FM stations play according to demands of the people