AIR faces militancy heat

SRINAGAR, APRIL 2: After cable television, it is the turn of the radio to face the militants' wrath. A Hijbul Mujahideen threat has force...

SRINAGAR, APRIL 2: After cable television, it is the turn of the radio to face the militants8217; wrath. A Hijbul Mujahideen threat has forced the Commercial Broadcasting Service CBS of All India Radio AIR to discontinue a popular programme, Geet Gata Chal, from tomorrow.The sponsored programme, which is aired every Saturday, will not be broadcast from tomorrow. According to CBS officials, the programme is being replaced by a 8220;public interest programme8221; due to objections from 8220;certain quarters8221; that it was not in line with Kashmiri culture.

However, that8217;s the official version. It is reliably learnt that a threat from the pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen 8212; carried in a local Urdu daily 8212; was behind the decision to stop the song-based programme. The decision was taken after the AIR top brass in Delhi gave the nod, sources said.

Geet Gata Chalfr was an instant hit when it was launched two years ago, particularly with the youth. The programme tracked down young talent and helped prepare a new generationof Kashmiri singers. It had a competition format. A judge declared the winner on the basis of points scored by the participants in three rounds.

The troubled conditions in the Valley had created a dearth of artistes who could sing in Kashmiri. Many singers, like Vijay Malla and Kalash Mehra, happened to be Pandits who migrated from the Valley.

8220;We have taken it off after some people labelled it anti-Kashmiri culture,8221;an official said,8220;We have great concern for our culture which is evident from the fact that Hello Tuhenz Farmaish a phone-in programme of Kashmiri songs is highly popular among the audience.8221;

The Hizbul Mujahideen press release had criticised the CBS for presenting a programme which tried to back the Government claim that the situation in the Valley had improved. The release pointedly referred to the participation of girls in the programme.

One of the lesser known local dailies had also accused the programme of being against Kashmiri culture.

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The CBS has been judged the bestcommercial radio station 8212; on the basis of revenue generation 8212; three years in a row. It has won praise for reintroducing radio as a popular medium of entertainment in the Valley, breaking the television monopoly. The CBS revenue touched a high of up to Rs 1.2 crore in 1998 from Rs 15 lakh in 1995.

Most programmes beamed from the CBS, like Hello Farmaish a phone in programme of Hindi film songs, are very popular throughout the Valley, with most of the callers being students. The programme generates an impressive Rs 48,000 advertising revenue every week.

Earlier, many cable channels had gone off the air in Srinagar for some weeks when militants objected to films and song sequences. More serious were attacks on girls, some as young as 12 years, by militants who said that wearing tight jeans was un-Islamic. Some were shot in the leg as a warning.