“Mann ki Baat”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special interactive programme with the masses, regularly broadcast since October, has given a sudden boost to the sale of radio sets in the district.
A survey of radio traders in urban and rural markets in the district showed sales were on the decline for several years now till there was a sudden spurt after October.
“The number of radio sets sold since October is at least 10 to 15 per cent more than those sold in the corresponding period in 2012 and 2013,” said Sunil Chandra of Chandra Electric. Arun Kumar Shrivastava, proprietor of Arun Radio Service, confirmed the same. Ditto said Mohan Sah, Dhruv Kumar, Sanjay Kumar, Raj Kumar Sinha, Mahesh Prasad, Manzar Hussain and Dhruv Singh, all of who run radio and electronic shops at various places in town and the district.
“The spurt in radio sales has been noticed everywhere, largely because of the Prime Minister’s special broadcast, Mann Ki Baat, since October,” said Mohan Sah, who sells radio sets at Bakhari Bazaar. “I’ve sold the maximum number of radio sets to Dalit and Mahadalit households,” said Manzar Hussain of Subhan Radio at Chakia Bazar.
Schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, launched by the Prime Minister to ensure insurance of up to Rs 1 lakh for the weak and downtrodden, also endeared him to the people, said the head of Chakbara panchayat, Bhola Ram. Chakia block pramukh Vishwanath Paswan agreed with him.
“In March 2013, about 67,881 families living in 39 blocks of the district were given radio sets free of cost under Mukhya Mantri Mahadalit Radio Yojana but the radio sets stopped functioning within six months,” said Lalu Manjhi.
“These sets let us down when we tried to tune in to Modiji’s radio talk show,” said Mohan Ram. In fact, the complaint was unanimous throughout the district. Former JDU leader Sazid Raza agreed the sale of radio sets has shot up in recent months.
Founder president of Samajik Shodh Evam Vikas Kendra (SSEVK) and spokesperson of Musahar Vikas Manch, Amar, admitted growing inclination of Mahadalits towards radios is behind the spurt in sale in recent months.
