This Ramadhan, when Sameen Khan who goes by the on-air name RJ Sameen started hosting ‘Payam-e-Ramzan’ morning show on 93.5 Red FM radio station, listeners ranging from teenagers to elderly persons started calling up in good numbers.
“There are two parts of our show. In the first we holddeliberations with religious scholar Qazi Imran over various social problemsplaguing our society and how they could be contained through religion. Thesecond part is dedicated to callers, where Qazi sahib answers their queries,”said RJ Sameen.
Right from the beginning of the Ramadhan show, the radiostation has deliberated upon issues of late marriages, dowry, domesticviolence, female infanticide, rights of parents and teachers, extravagance inmarriages and other unnecessary rituals that have bothered many in the society.
“We have started this cycle in this month, since Ramadhanfervor grips us entirely. And there cannot be an occasion like this to reachout to the audiences. We get around 10 to 20 thousand calls on an average” saidAbrar Zargar, cluster head at 93.5 Red FM.
Due to paucity of time, we are not able to entertaineverybody.”
This Ramadhan, Zargar added, the station decided to gocompletely devotional.
“It has been a great success. We have also been blessed thismonth as well,” said Zargar, claiming that stories of Islamic historyaccompanied by addresses of renowned religious scholar Tariq Jameel Red FMcarried have been a hit.
Other FM stations like 98.3 Radio Mirchi that ran specialshows this blessed month also exclusively played naats recited by famousKashmiri singers such as Rashid Jahangir, Bisma Jan, Abdul Hassan Farooqi andothers.
Besides, this station also introduced Auraad Fateh (book ofexclusive Kashmiri duas) recorded from Kashmir’s renowned sufi shrineKhanqah-e-Moula.
“Usually utility information on religious matters includingroza, zakat, sadaqa-i-fitr is sought from audiences in this blessed month. Whatwe tried to do this time is that we have decided to play Kashmiri songs,” saidVijdan Saleem, who goes by the on-air name RJ Vijdan at Radio Mirchi.
Vijdan explains the idea behind going “all Kashmiri” thisRamdhan was “to cherish the blessed month through our own rich ethos”.
Zargar of Radio Mirchi said the idea to include Kashmirinaats was to “celebrate the spirit of this blessed month traditionally”.
“It’s to show respect for this blessed month in our very ownway. The month that changes our lifestyle completely from waking up early tosleeping late at midnight. Abstaining from evil and celebrating the goodnessthrough Kashmiri culture,” said Zargar, adding his station also plays ‘Azaan’at five prayer times each day of Ramadhan.
The oldest FM Radio station of Kashmir, 92.7 Big FM has alsotried to string the chord of Kashmiri culture during Ramadhan by roping inrenowned Kashmiri raconteur and cultural activist Zareef Ahmad Zareef,exclusively for Kashmiri duas.
“We are going devotional every year from past eight years,”said Qadeer Ahmad Khan, station head at 92.7 Big FM which started broadcastingin rinagar some 12 years ago.”
This time we have gone one level up. We have got in Zareefsahib to acquaint the younger generation with Kashmiri duas they are mostlyunaware of.”