Kumbha Sankranti | World Radio Day

Welcome to the Kumbha Sankranti of this year, the sun today is on the transitory phase and moves from Makar rashi to Kumbha rashi. Falgun starts from today and the name "Falgun" is derived from one northern star of this solar system named "Uttar Falguni". Falgun is a month of holi, a month which is a pure spring (Basantam) in its core. Now the chilling western breezes are slowing down, snows are melting, leaves are busy in making buds and yes cuckoos are singing for creating spring atmosphere. Maybe it's time to pack up our thick jackets and bring back t shirts and shirts to feel the warmth.

Out of twelve sankranti's in the year, Makar is the 11th sankranti. so this also signifies that the year-round is about to complete. Kumbha Sankranti has its own religious and spiritual fervor, it is primarily associated with the biggest and auspicious sanatan commemoration "Kumbha Mela". The peace and tranquility of bathing in Ganges on the day of Kumbha sakranti is unmatched. Sanatan people get up early before sunrise and walk towards river banks (Ghats) and take a dip with an aspiration of being purified and liberated from the negative forces of life. As the bathing ritual finishes, devotees offer their visit and prayers on the nearby temple. Making offerings to cow is essential in this day, many people observe fast in this Sakranti and many communities organize fiestas too. 

Bengali people are the own who acknowledge this day to a higher extent, this day is called Pohelo Falgun and they organize fiestas, prepare sweets and delicacies on this day. Nepali terai observes this day with its own vivid style, people prepare taruwa/varuwa on this day. Taruwa means a deep-fried vegetable and varuwa is also a deep-fried vegetable that has some other goodies inside it.

The arrival of spring is a bliss, may your smile bring colors and joy to your life. Enjoy this life, enjoy this spring.
-------

The relevance of radio in 2020
World Radio Day 

Members of UNESCO proclaimed world radio day on 2011, and it was adopted by UN general assembly in 2012 as an international day for Radio, February 13th became the World Radio Day (WRD). This also marks the anniversary of the first radio broadcast in 1946. The theme for this year is "Radio and Diversity", so the unity in diversity is the advantage of radio frequencies.  

In a world equipped with smartphones, Smart TVs, Tablets and PCs people often ask us "Why Radio?"

Well, Radio's strength is educating and informing the maximum numbers of people in their daily lives and in an emergency has always been important. Especially in Nepal, Radio has a huge significance in both romance and revolution. Yes, romance and revolution because both these terms depict the power of expression. Radio delivered messages and created awareness in our society, awareness on sanitation, toilet usage, diarrhea, HIV AIDS, Safe sex and have always fostered our equal access to information. Radio has a strong role in institutionalizing Nepali democracy, strengthening people's movement and truly creating a democratic Nepal.  Radio goes wherever modern technology can't, beyond electricity, beyond mobile signal, beyond literacy, beyond screens and beyond what not? Radio is a social medium, fostering engagement and meaningful participation, in people's own mother tongues.

How did you feel for the first time you heard your name pronounced on the radio? How did it feel to have your letters read over the radio? Ever dedicated a song for someone through radio? Visited a radio station and how it felt to see the face of your favorite radio jockeys? Radio is a wonderful tool, it gave us an experience that is larger than life.

Everyone alive today has definitely listened to the radio at least once and most people listen to the radio every day. The radio is the origin of multiple means of communication today however, the radio itself owes its manifest to the other two inventions "Telephone" and "Telegraph". Primarily started as "Wireless Telegraph" Radio is an electronic appliance that enables us to listen to the sound waves by translating them from frequencies and waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves that can transmit music, speech, pictures, and other data invisibly through the air.

Radio is a uniquely personal communication medium that is based on sounds, these sounds invoke the listener's imagination and translate perception into their minds. Are you not tired of shuffling the newsfeed over Facebook? How long can you see and close the YouTube videos and deal with your preoccupied mind? Radio is something that is simple yet inspiring, engaging yet free and translated a never tiring zeal to its listeners. The first phrase in Nepali radio was broadcast on the 2nd April of 1951, where the first chief of Radio Nepal Mr. Tarini Koirala declared on the radio that it was a radio of democracy. Broadcasted from the Khumaltar station of 500 watts, Today Nepal has hundreds of Radio stations, FMs and countless podcasts and online streaming. Maybe I sound old fashioned but the bold and formal tone in Radio Nepal "Yo Radio Nepal ho, aba sunnuhos …… bata samachar" still revolves around my head and brings back a thick cloud of nostalgias into my mind. Radio is also a thread of memories for people like me.

Hereby, I would not miss this chance to bring a popular youth radio show "Sathi Sanga Manka Kura" where I worked as a program producer for 3 years. I had this opportunity to host over 100 episodes and develop above 243 episodes and segments. I remember those piles of letters sent by our listeners, radio was the medium of friendship and every week over a million Nepali youth listened to their best friends show "Sathi sanga manka kura" in their radios. Radio has a remarkable impact on my life, initially as an active listener, letter writer, and a regular caller, later as a host, scriptwriter and a program concept developer. 

Gratitude to people who dedicated their lives for the radio, inventors, and innovators. My sincere wishes for those radio stations which are striding their level best just to sustain, for those radio enthusiasts who selflessly catches microphones and entertains/ educates. There is every reason to support local radio station's continued existence rather than put them in peril.

Radio stations play a critical role in society and the community by forming critical communication channels that are used to consume information. Communication is essential in our transformation and only through critical thinking, exchange of information we transformed our society, improved our living standards and facilitate the next innovation and invention. Let me write in clear and bold letter that radio is still relevant, every day hundreds of calls are made to radio stations to share ideas and contribute to nationwide discussions. This affordable device brings everyone together, young, old, poor and rich. Everyone is welcome to share their opinions, and through that create understandings and tolerance among communities and people. If you hold the microphone, keep up the voice and zeal, if you are a listener than do tune into radios. Wishing a meaningful radio day, Namastey from Nepal.

Suyog Dhakal for Hamro Patro