UTTARAKHAND: Life in the rugged terrains of Uttarakhand is a relentless battle against geography. Every bend in the mountain road brings a new challenge, and every season tests the limits of human endurance. It is a harsh reality that has forced generations of young men to abandon their ancestral soil, migrating to the sprawling metropolises of Delhi or Mumbai in search of a livelihood.
However, amid the silence of the peaks, one man decided to stay back and find his voice—quite literally. Manvendra Singh Negi, a son of the soil from the small hamlet of Senagarhsari, has transformed from a poverty-stricken student who couldn’t afford shoes into the founder of a community radio station that serves as a lifeline for over 2,00,000 people.
Born on November 19, 1979, in the Agastyamuni block of Rudraprayag district to Prithvi Raj Singh Negi and Kamla Devi, Manvendra’s childhood was cut short by tragedy. He was only 11 years old when his father died in a bus accident. In an instant, the carefree days of a young boy were replaced by the crushing weight of familial responsibility.
“The small patch of land we owned in the village was barely enough to sustain us,” Manvendra Singh Negi told this newspaper. “The yield from our farming could only cover our expenses for seven or eight months of the year. The rest of the time was a struggle for survival.”
The financial distress was so acute that during his time at the local primary school, Manvendra’s family fell behind on his fees for over two months. When the school principal, Narottam Prasad Bhatt, confronted him about the pending dues, he was initially unaware of the boy’s tragic circumstances.
However, upon learning that the young Manvendra was the breadwinner for his family, the principal decided to take a humanitarian approach. He announced to the entire school that a donation drive would be organised to pay for Manvendra’s education.
“While Principal Bhatt did it out of kindness to ensure my studies wouldn’t stop, his words struck a deep blow to my heart,” Manvendra recalls, adding, “The idea of being a ‘charity case’ sparked a change in me. It shifted my entire perspective on life. I didn’t want pity; I wanted a path to self-reliance.”
Driven by a newfound resolve, Manvendra balanced his studies with gruelling manual labour. He admits, without any hesitation, that the lack of resources was so severe that he walked three kilometres to school every day barefoot.
“I have no shame in saying I didn’t have slippers,” he says, adding, “But those long walks gave me time to think. I used to listen to the legendary newsreaders of All India Radio, like Devkinandan Pandey and Ramanand Prasad Singh. Their voices were so powerful. I realised that people liked my voice too. And I thought, if I could just find the right platform, I could show the world what I am capable of.”
The foundation of his dream was laid during those tough years, though it would take 13 long years of perseverance to see the first brick of his ‘radio empire’ placed.
After completing his education against all odds, Manvendra began looking for ways to serve his community. He realised that the biggest hurdle for mountain dwellers was a lack of information—about government schemes, agriculture, etc.
In 2001, he joined forces with like-minded individuals, including Devi Lal Bharti, Narendra Singh Kandari, Archana Bahuguna, and Sateshwari Rauthan. Together, they established a radio club. Though they started small on social media, their eyes were on a bigger prize.
When the Centre introduced a policy for community radio stations in 2007, Manvendra saw his opportunity. He spent years navigating the bureaucratic hurdles and technical challenges of setting up a station in a remote Himalayan region. Finally, in 2014, the airwaves of Rudraprayag were filled with a new sound: Mandakini Ki Awaaz (The Voice of Mandakini).
Today, Mandakini Ki Awaaz is much more than just a radio station; it is a “Sanjeevani” for the rural population. Broadcasting to a listener base of approximately 2,00,000 people, the station provides vital guidance on daily life, disaster management, etc.
The station covers everything from local folk music to expert advice on high-altitude farming. For the villagers of Rudraprayag, the voice coming through their transistor sets is a familiar one—it is the voice of one of their own who refused to give up.