| Issue 25 Vol II, October 15, 2006 | Archive |
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FAZILKA’S EIFFEL TOWER
Before we discuss the capabilities of this tower, it will be appropriate to share a brief history of broadcasting in Punjab. To the British Colonial rulers, Punjab was a province of extraordinary importance. Under the direct control of the Indian government, a central broadcasting authority called All India Radio was formed in 1936. In addition to the four metropolitan cities of Calcutta, Bombay, Madras and New Delhi the fifth and the sixth radio stations were opened in Lahore (Punjab) and Peshawar (North West Frontier Province). Originally all these stations were equipped with one 5 kilowatt medium-wave transmitter each. Between 1941 and 1943, these transmitters were replaced at each station with 10 kilowatt medium-wave transmitters. Theoretically the range of a 5 kilowatt medium-wave transmitter during day light hours is only 30 miles and the fringe area extends another 20 miles. This means that All India Radio Lahore with 5 kilowatts barely reached Amritsar, but after up-gradation to 10 kilowatts, it became local in Amritsar. On August 14, 1947 Pakistan got independence and from 15th of August, Radio Pakistan Lahore became a hostile station. This rang alarm bells in New Delhi and since high powered transmitters were unavailable in India, two low powered 1 kilowatt medium-wave transmitter each were dispatched to Amritsar and Jalandhar. Thus All India Radio Jalandhar-Amritsar came into existence. This arrangement continued for five years. Soon after independence the authorities in Pakistan increased the power of Lahore radio station from 10 kilowatts to 50 kilowatts. In 1953, All India Radio also installed a 50 kilowatt medium-wave transmitter at a place called Goraya, located equidistant from Ludhiana and Jalandhar. This arrangement continued until the nineties. Pakistan added a 100 kilowatt medium-wave transmitter to its existing 50 kilowatt station in Lahore in 1965. India opened a 1 kilowatt medium-wave station at Chandigarh in 1965. Another radio station was to be opened at Amritsar, but due to the 1965 war with Pakistan the idea was shelved. In the meanwhile Radio Pakistan and Pakistan Television Service increased its presence in the border areas with India.
Punjab’s border area was all along better served by Pakistan Television Service and Radio Pakistan and poorly served by Indian broadcasting services. Hence there was a need to strengthen All India Radio and Doordarshan services in the border belt. Sushma Swaraj was the first Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, who realized that the entire border belt in Punjab was shabbily served by All India Radio and Doordarshan. She was surprised to find that Amritsar was served with a local quality radio service of Radio Pakistan Lahore and did not have its own radio outlet to be local in Lahore. She had two options. Either she could open four radio cum TV transmitting centers in Fazilka, Ferozepore, Amritsar and Pathankot. Or she could order the construction of very tall towers at Fazilka and Amritsar and serve Ferozepore and Pathankot from those two centers. She decided to have just two 1000 foot high towers at Fazilka and Amritsar. The one at Fazilka has just been completed and the one for Amritsar is yet to be built. The 1000 foot high steel structure may not be as magnificent as the famous “Eiffel Tower of Paris”. But it is almost as tall. Before the construction of the tower in Fazilka, the tallest tower in India was the Bombay Doordarshan Tower, which is 984 foot tall. The Bombay tower is supporting the antennas of several Doordarshan channels and accommodates a number of government owned and private radio channels. The Fazilka tower is as much capable. As I hear this tower will carry at least the National Channel of Doordarshan and perhaps one or two Punjab based channels. Its radio outlet will carry several FM channels. Within a sixty mile radius, its transmitters will cover most of Ferozepore district with the exception of Ferozepore City and cantonment area as well as Zeera Tehsil. These areas will be covered by Amritsar station. Fazilka tower will also cover Abohar Tehsil and Muktsar District in Punjab as well as Sri Ganganagar District of Rajasthan. All India Radio Bhatinda is a full fledged FM radio station. Considering the height of the Fazilka tower, a point to point linkage with Bhatinda tower is possible. This means that the Fazilka tower can pick up the signal of Bhatinda and relay it. We congratulate the people of Fazilka for earning this state of the art broadcasting facility and hope it will spread knowledge in the area. [Writer and engineer Harjap Singh Aujla has done engineering calculations to determine the ranges and radius of coverage and are accurate. He can be contacted at 16 Junction Pond Lane, Monmouth Junction, New Jersey 08852, USA] |
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Gandhi and
his 9/11[1906] Satyagraha - 2
In his autobiography MY Experiments with Truth and in his book Satyagraha in South Africa Gandhi has given copious references to the role played by ordinary people in subjecting themselves to suffering for the cause of the rights of the Indians. It was by freely mixing with the coolies and labourers that Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi learnt to further simplify his life and lead the life of the humblest of the human beings. Recognising the potentiality of the ordinary people he wrote, "In my opinion there is no place on earth and no race which is not capable of producing the finest types of humanity, given suitable opportunities and education". The ideal and practice of serving the common people and nurturing their talents need to be invoked to make our democracy more meaningful for the vast masses of people living in the length and breadth of our country.” One of the enduring lessons of the first Satyagraha is to respect modern Indian languages. During the thick of the Satyagraha, Gandhi adorned the role of a teacher. Since a large number of the participants were from Tamil Nadu, he started learning Tamil language. In the Phoenix settlement he taught the children of the indentured labourers by using their mother tongues. He later wrote that while fighting for the rights of the Indians I also fought for the cause of the languages and culture of India. In fact, Mahatma Gandhi did not send any of his children to public schools where education was being imparted in English. He wrote that the mind which is not crushed by the burden of learning a foreign tongue during childhood days is the freest of the brains which can later pick up any language and acquire any type of education. In the age of extinction of many languages when linguists are pleading for preserving the diverse heritage of language and literature the message of his first Satyagraha is significant.
Mahatma Gandhi did so hundred years back. How far sighted in both precepts practices Mahatma Gandhi was! By educating people to follow these practices he was in his own words "preparing people for participating in Satyagraha". Much later he exhorted Indians to maintain highest standards of cleanliness and put the subject of rural sanitation in his constructive programme. His priority on cleanliness was amply reflected in his statement. "If we do not keep our backyards clean our swaraj will have a foul stench". Let us examine if we have been successful in removing the stench that has plagued us for long. Accountability is the defining feature of making our public life more democratic and clean. It is amazing to know that the first Satyagraha was a Satyagraha for accountability. Gandhi, while collecting funds and spending them, kept detailed accounts and subjected them to scrutiny. What he has written in his book Satyagraha in South Africa concerning accountability is not only revealing but also instructive. He wrote, "For the benefit of young aspirants after public work, I note down the fact that we were so punctilious in keeping the accounts…that we preserved even such trifling vouchers as the receipts for the money spent in the steamers upon say soda water. Similarly we preserved the receipts for telegrams. I do not remember to have entered a single item under sundries when writing the detailed accounts….We must account for every single pie… If such is the responsibility in private life, in public life it is all the greater. Keeping accounts is an independent duty, the performance of which is essential to clean work, and if the leading workers of the institution which we voluntarily serve do not ask us for accounts out of a sense of false courtesy or fear, they too are equally to blame. If a paid servant is bound to account for work done and money spent by him, the volunteer is doubly bound to do so, for his work is as a reward to him. This is a very important matter, and as I know that this is generally not sufficiently attended to in many institutions…" The erosion of accountability is a major reason for the decline of governance. Mahatma Gandhi had set a shining example of accountability hundred years back. Let us follow that example and restore cleanliness in public life. Another remarkable aspect of the first Satyagraha is the way Gandhi used media for educating public opinion. The newspaper Indian Opinion was the product of the first Satyagraha. It was established by Mahatma Gandhi and was being run without advertisements. The whole community was participating in the management of the Indian opinion. It was a refreshing example of a newspaper which did not get bogged down by the pressures of market and profit motives. Mahatma Gandhi used it to teach people the rules of health and hygiene and make them aware of their political rights. The broad-spectrum objective of the newspaper distinguished it as a paper for freedom and social reform. Its legacy has to be recaptured to restore the credibility of media which suffers erosion due to departure from the path of truth and objectivity. Without reflecting on the role played by women in first Satyagraha its assessment will not be complete. Large numbers of women participated in the first Satyagraha when a court of law in South Africa delivered a judgment that the marriages solemnised without Christian tradition were illegal. It infuriated women. They courted arrest under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and some of them died due to harsh treatment they received in jail. They marched long distances with their babies in their arms and had to subject themselves to unbearable difficulties. A lady while crossing a river lost her child when he fell into the river from her arms. But he kept marching on for the larger cause of Satyagraha. Another sixteen year old girl Valliamma went to jail, was infected with sever cold, became a skeleton due to illness in jail and eventually died. Mahatma Gandhi was stunned by her courage when she said "I want to go to jail and die for the mother land". When she breathed her last Gandhi wrote, "She left us the heritage of an immortal name… And the name of Valliamma will live in the history of South Africa Satyagraha as long as India lives…None can tell whose sacrifice in South Africa was acceptable to God, and hence bore fruit. But we do know that Valliamma's sacrifice bore fruit and so did the sacrifice of the other sisters". It is a remarkable tribute to the woman of India who remained in the forefront of the first ever non-violent struggle for freedom, dignity and independence. To day when women are themselves struggling for their rights the spirit of the first Satyagraha will influence them to march ahead to realise their objectives in practice and full measure. One of the most creative interpretations of the Satyagraha in South Africa traces the intellectual lineage of the post modern society in the Hind Swaraj written by Mahatma Gandhi during the Satyagraha. It was a critique of modern civilisation. By launching the Satyagraha in South Africa and subsequently fighting for the independence of India Mahatma Gandhi was criticising the civilisation which multiplied wants and laying the foundation of post modern society. This he did by stressing on bread labour, manual work, restoring the Panchayats, using appropriate technology and above all addressing the concerns of the poorest of the poor and the marginalised sections of society. In his book Post Modern Gandhi and Other Essays Rudolph gives an account of the way Mahatma Gandhi became the founder of the post modern society. Indeed the unmistakable processes of the post modern society could be traced in the dynamics of the first Satyagraha. Mahatma Gandhi's vision indeed went beyond colonial modernity and embraced the more universal vision of humanism and spiritualism. The first Satyagraha started on 9/11, 1906 conveys us the meaning which goes beyond democratic and political rights and embraces the larger goal of freeing the world from the monstrous greed of materialism. No wonder therefore that Leo Tolstoy referring to Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha in South Africa wrote in 1910, "Your work in the Transvaal which seems to be far away from the centre of our world, is yet the most fundamental and the most important to us, supplying the most weighty practical proof in which the world now can share and with which we must participate, not only the Christians but all the peoples of the world." Let us all strive for building a more inclusive India and world by following the ideals of the first Satyagraha. [ Mr. Sahu is a well known Gandhian scholar and is a director in Prime Minister's Office, New Delhi] |
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England: Diversity Defines the Nation THE most detailed map of ethnic and religious diversity in Britain has been published, showing where different groups live - and how Muslim minorities in particular are at a disadvantage. From a sizeable Sikh population in a Kent town to a Bradford suburb where 73 per cent of people are Pakistani; from atheist Brighton to Leicester's large Indian population, the breakdown provides a fascinating snapshot of 21st-century Britain. The findings are revealed on a day when issues of race and religion are again leading the news agenda. The former foreign secretary Jack Straw said yesterday that he asks Muslim women to remove their veils when they visit his constituency surgery, because he feels "uncomfortable" about talking to someone whose face he cannot see. In Windsor, extra police had to be drafted in following violent clashes between white and Asian youths. And a row broke out after an armed Muslim protection officer was excused from guarding the Israeli embassy in London, on grounds of "safety", during the recent war in Lebanon because he had relatives in the country. The map marks the first time the country has been analysed not simply in terms of the ethnicity of its population, but also by its religions. It reveals diversity in some areas, and the absence of it in others. New analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) of the 2001 census figures shows that the north-west London borough of Brent is the most ethnically diverse area in England and Wales. Ethnographers devised a "diversity index" - based on the probability that any two people chosen at random from a particular area would be from different ethnic groups, even if neither of them were white. In Brent, the chance of doing so was 85 per cent. Just 29 per cent of residents are white British, with Indians, black Caribbeans and black Africans all heavily represented. That compares to Easington in Co Durham, where there is a 2 per cent chance, making it the least diverse place in the country. On average, two people bumping into each other in the street stand a 23 per cent chance of having different ethnic backgrounds. In some areas, more than 70 per cent of residents are from an ethnic minority. For the first time in the history of the census, the 2001 survey asked people to state their religion as part of an effort to get a more detailed demographic picture of the world we live in. Using the same diversity index calculations, the ONS found that the London borough of Harrow was the most religiously diverse, with a more than 60 per cent chance that someone standing next to you will not share the same faith. Mapping also showed that people from the same religions and ethnic groups moved to the same areas. Thus Indian Hindus tended to live in different regions from Indian Sikhs. In some areas, such as Leicester, Birmingham, Bradford and Manchester, three-quarters of the population are non-white and non-Christian, despite the fact that this ethno-religious group accounts for 70 per cent of England and Wales as a whole. Detailed analysis of ethnic minorities also shows how many are now second, third or fourth generation immigrants. More than half (57 per cent) of black Caribbeans were born in the UK, alongside 55 per cent of Pakistanis, 46 per cent of Bangladeshis and 45 per cent of Indians. The report also shows how, outside major cities, many areas remain predominantly white British. Seven per cent of local authority areas are classed as being "highly ethnically diverse" - based on the idea that there is a more than 50 per cent chance that two random people will be from different backgrounds. Fewer - 3 per cent - are classed as being highly religiously diverse, on the same calculation. More damning are differences in unemployment, overcrowding and other deprivation indicators. More than 40 per cent of Bangladeshi households are overcrowded, compared with 6 per cent of white British. One in three Muslim homes have dependent children but no working adults. Black African Muslim men suffer most from the deprivation gap, with rates of unemployment three times higher than white British men. The new data shows that black African Muslims are also twice as likely as Indian Muslims to be unemployed. In turn, Indian Muslims are far more likely to be jobless than Sikhs or Hindus, suggesting that it is religion, rather than race, that is key. Dr Jamil Sherif, secretary of the research committee of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "The issue of unemployment is extremely serious in parts of the Muslim community. There is an urgent need for bold policy initiatives in appropriate skills training and apprentice schemes. "On a separate note, the ONS report highlights the ethnic and religious diversity in Brent and Harrow. Both local authority districts have good community relations and cohesion - which shows multiculturalism works." England and Wales ethnicity * White Britons make up 88.2 per cent of the population. * 71.8 per cent describe themselves as Christian. * 14 per cent of white Britons say they have no religion. * Muslims make up three per cent of the population. Islam is the second biggest religion after Christianity. * The Indian population is the largest non-white ethnic group, accounting for 1.8 per cent. * Pakistani Muslims are the biggest non-white ethno-religious group. * Black Caribbeans account for one per cent of the population. * More than 60,000 white Britons are Muslims. * One in three Black Africans was born in Britain. The most detailed map of ethnic and religious diversity in Britain is out. It shows how different groups live and how Muslim minorities in particular are at a disadvantage. From a sizeable Sikh population in a Kent town to a Bradford suburb where 73 per cent of people are Pakistani; from atheist Brighton to Leicester's large Indian population, the breakdown provides an interesting picture of 21st-century Britain. The map marks the first time the country has been analysed not simply in terms of the ethnicity, but also by its religions. It reveals diversity in some areas, and its absence in others. Ethnographers devised a "diversity index" - based on the probability that any two people chosen at random from a particular area would be from different ethnic groups, even if neither of them were white. For the first time in the history of the census, the 2001 survey asked people to state their religion as part of an effort to get a more detailed demographic picture of the world we live in. Ethnicity chart England and Wales showed that White Britons make up 88.2 per cent of the population. 71.8 per cent describe themselves as Christian. 14 per cent of white Britons say they have no religion. Muslims make up three per cent of the population. Islam is the second biggest religion after Christianity. The Indian population is the largest non-white ethnic group, accounting for 1.8 per cent. Pakistani Muslims are the biggest non-white ethno-religious group. Black Caribbeans account for one per cent of the population. More than 60,000 white Britons are Muslims. One in three Black Africans was born in Britain. England is one of the most diversified nations and yet its policy makers ignore all this while designing their foreign policies and attacks on the countries that contribute so much to its diversity and prosperity. Many British politicians including those from the Labour have still imperialist hangover and ambitions. |
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F
Radio
Pakistan slowly and steadily kept opening new radio stations after
independence in Rawalpindi, Multan, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Mianwali,
Islamabad and Sialkot. Pakistan television also dotted entire border area
with Indian Punjab with powerful transmitters. India started its second
phase of expansion of broadcasting services in Punjab during the nineties.
During the nineties both Bhatinda and Patiala got relay centers for
Doordarshan and also got FM transmitters of All India Radio. The mother
station at Jalandhar was up-graded with two high powered medium-wave
transmitters along with a 10 kilowatt FM transmitter. All India Radio
Chandigarh was strengthened with a 10 kilowatt high altitude transmitter at
Kasauli extending its range up to 110 miles radius.
WITH
the commencement of the first Satyagraha began the age of common man. In
South Africa it was Mahatma Gandhi who started consulting the ordinary
indentured labourers and illiterate people for preparing petitions to the
Government to redress their grievances. Every body was stunned by this
approach. Gandhi’s answer was that brain splitting was not the monopoly of
the educated people alone. He consciously mingled with the illiterate and
neglected labourers and enlisted their support for the cause of Satyagraha.
The twenty
first century is witnessing the return of infectious diseases. The main
reason for the emergence of this kind of problem is modern life style and
the pursuit of greed. The first Satyagraha teaches us the lesson of
simplicity and the rules of health and hygiene. With his uncanny
understanding of the living condition of Indians, Gandhi asked them to
remain clean, eschew unhygienic practices and separate their business
establishments from their residential premises. Now the Supreme Court of
India is stressing on the fact that shops must not be established in the
residential areas.