TRACY (CA): The Kaur Organization, producer and sponsor of Radio Khalistan, which was forced off the air in March, have lost the battle but not the war.

In a statement released to WSN, Mr, Jagjit Singh Bopara and Bibi Amrit Kaur Boparai_ explained the situation, and their solution. They said in part;

We, the producers of “Radio Khalistan” want to inform our worldwide listeners that WWCR Radio, Nashville, Tennessee, has refused to relay our weekly program on the air for the foreseeable future. We were informed by our radio time contracting agency in writing. The contents of their letter read.

The latest information from WWCR is that the State Department has not censored your broadcast. However, WWCR is objecting to the transmission of your program, due to the political nature of your broadcast.

Please understand that we sympathize with your unfortunate position. However, WWCR must monitor its programing so that the station’s future is not jeopardized,”

After getting this letter in late June of 92 we met face to face with the contracting agency, the first week of July 92. We explained the whole situation to them and they explained to us how the Indian Government had put tremendous pressure on the Radio Management thru the U.S. State Department F.C.C. (Federal Communication Commission U.S. Agency that regulates news media). We were informed that the radio station could lose it’s operating license if it did not stop broadcasting the Radio Khalistan Program. Because it spoils friendly relations with Indian was the reason given by State Department. She told us that WWCR Radio Management was not willing to release the content of a communiqué between the State Department-F.C.C. and the Radio Station, At the end of the meeting she promised us lo plead with WWCR Radio management, after few days she informed us by telephone that WWCR could not change it’s decision.

The “Radio Khalistan” program in the Punjabi language was started in December 1991. First shortwave transmission was on the air waves on December 2,1991 and the last program was relayed on March 8,1992. This half hour weekly program was started in Punjabi language to care for the spiritual, religious, cultural and current social needs of Sikhs in the world. The Program was well liked even by the station management, they were very gracious to give us a second weekly relay time free of charge, During this period they encouraged us to include news and commentary on current affairs effecting Sikhs in the world, This program was heard all over the world and we had encouraging letters from as far away as Switzerland, Ukraine, Australia, Nashville (U.S.A.), from other than Sikhs, asking us to relay this program in English also.

In the last week of February, during our regular telephone conversation with WWCR Radio Station management, the program director asked me” what does Khalistan mean?” I explained to him about Khalistan and reminded him that we asked the contracting agency and the radio station before naming this program. And they had had no objection even when we explained to them in detail.

When I asked him, is there a problem? He said, “Yes.” And he told me that the U.S, state department has informed the Radio station that the Indian Government is objecting to this program, this is the second time that a foreign government has put pressure on us (the radio station). The first time they forced us to stop a program, regarded South Africa and was done through diplomatic channels. In our case he was going to ignore it. But March 8,1992, we received a call from the radio program director that he had been informed by the FCC to stop this “Radio Khalistan” program immediately or the broadcast license can be revoked. He has no choice but to temporarily stop “Radio Khalistan” program broadcast.

He asked me if I could sent translations of previous programs in English because he docs not know the Punjabi language, then he can plead to the State Department. I told him and the contract agency that it’s a big task to translate all programs, word by word, relayed so far. 1 asked the contracting agency to pick a program tape, I picked one and translated all news, commentary and first lines of songs and shabads (holy songs) in English and sent it to the radio station through the contracting agency. The radio program director asked me again if | could make another transcript based on the general format instead of a particular program so that he can send it to the State Department for review. Again sent it to him through the contracting agency, For the time being the radio station has succumbed to FCC pressure and made a decision to avoid a confrontation.

We informed our listeners through the “World Sikh News” newspaper so they could know the situation. The radio program director received a lot of calls from listeners asking him not to give up the right to freedom of speech under foreign government pressure, We had a chance to talk to Congressmen and they were Surprised at this development and wanted to pursue this matter with the State Department. WWCR’s radio program director asked me to let him pursue this matter first, before we tried through political channels. During this tough time we have had the encouraging support of our listeners, friends, and sympathizers; notably Mr. A. Sheikh, who is president of North America Kashmiri Association,

We personally gained a lot of experience and encouragement from this struggle. We came to realize that we must come out of our Gurdwara sphere and enlarge our vision, we must use modern methods and technology to reach the rest of the world, otherwise we will succumb to the propaganda of the Indian government. We must have a way of communicating to the world, and shortwave transmission is one of the cheapest ways. I came to realize FM and AM are limited to small geographical areas whereas shorn wave is available to world wide listeners. We recommend Sikhs start their own shortwave radio station to propagate the Sikh way of life. Technically a 100 kw radio station on the North American continent can cover the American continents, Europe, Australia, and as far as the Ukraine. Radio will cost less than a new Gurdwara building but it’s impact will be far greater than the combined efforts of all Sikhs from SGPC creation up to present time.

Sikhs living in the U.S./Canada should take a lead on this project. If Christians  Moslems, Buddhists, and Hindus (All India Radio) can have their shortwaves, why not Sikhs? U.S, and Canada allows one to have private religious, cultural and commercial radio stations.

The Canadian government may even help Sikhs if they pursue this through their organizations or under the multi-cultural society programs. Gurdwara managements and Sangat should pursue the target of their own shortwave radio station by the end of 1994, We personally thank our friends, supporters, and sympathizers; Sikhs, Moslems, Christians for their support. What are we going to do now as an individual family? Sikhs never quit. And we are going to try to start this program again. We ask for Waheguru (God’s) blessings.

Article extracted from this publication >> Aug 7, 1992