EXCLUSIVE! New book calls for boosting reach of AIR in Pakistan through Punjabi contents

Stating that there exists massive demand for Punjabi programmes of All India Radio in Pakistan, a new book has called upon the government to boost the infrastructure to address the void which currently is being filled by Urdu contents of Pakistani radio stations. 

Harjap Singh Aujla in his book – Romancing the 50s: Nargis, RK Studio, Radio, and a Wistful Indian – has stated that India should tap into the emotional connections of the 60 per cent of the Punjabi speaking Pakistan population. Aujla in the book detailed the significance of radio in the strategic affairs.  He noted that the “short-wave became a weapon” of the Cold War. 

The author lamented that the government is yet to complete the construction of the necessary infrastructure to boost the reach of AIR Amritsar and AIR Jalandhar. 

“The Pakistanis are trying to make the best of it. Radio Lahore is the oldest and the largest radio station in the area. Technically, it is much better administered compared to AIR Jallandhar and the other radio stations in the area,” added Aujla in the book, published by The Browser.

The author stressed that while Urdu is the “mother language of just 10 per cent of the Pakistanis”, the Radio stations in the Islamic country mostly broadcast contents in Urdu. 

“One common demand from the Pakistanis is to increase the reach of the programme, which at present, India cannot. The reason is that the tower designed for this transmitter is a 300 m high structure, which was started in 2006 and completed in 2013 but was not taken over by the Prasar Bharti. In 2020, it was partially dismantled to rectify a minor tilt in its upper portion,” Aujla wrote in the book.

He lamented that the Covid-19 pandemic struck before the structure could be rebuilt.  “Now, the pandemic is over, but the work of the reconstruction has not started,” added Aujla.  He also stated that the strength of the AIR Jalandhar is also inadequate. 

“No producer or programme executive has been recruited by the AIR during the last five years. Hardly any radio station is being administered by an official of the rank of a station director. This has hurt future programming adversely,” added Aujla in the book.

The author also stated that “Punjabi is shunned by the government-owned Radio Pakistan, so they appreciate the pure Punjabi programme” broadcast by AIR. 

To give an example of the appeal of AIR in Pakistan, Aujla stated: “One message came from Peshawar as the listener told an AIR programme that he would walk to a hilltop in one and a half hour to listen to the broadcast because his home didn’t pick the signal appropriately.”

Aujla also stated that there are just two-hour of Punjabi programme currently and they also don’t reach all parts of west Punjab.  He advised that the existing transmitters in the Delhi-Aligarh belt could be used for coverage of West Punjab (Pakistan).