College community radio embarks on Indo-Nepal friendship tour

Darjeeling (WB), January 7

Officials of a college community radio in Darjeeling on Sunday set out on an ‘Indo-Nepal Friendship Tour’, with a team of radio jockeys visiting seven institutions in the Himalayan nation.

The week-long tour, essentially a road show on car, is managed by the alumni of Salesian College Sonada (SCS) here, and marks its 80^th year celebrations, as well as the 25^th year of the Don Bosco Society, Nepal.

The event also marks the first anniversary of ‘Radio Salesian’ — considered to be the first college radio in Bengal and the entire North East India.

The journey began this morning from Sonada, passing through the Indo-Nepal Kakrabitta border near Siliguri and proceeded to Dharan from where the Don Bosco Centre, Nepal, took over and reached Kathmandu in West Nepal.

The team members include station director and SCS vice-principal Prof C M Paul, along with programme coordinator and radio jockey Samir Chhetri, senior radio jockey Sagar Rai and driver Kabi Rai.

“The programme will consist of visiting Don Bosco institutions, as well as plus-two (senior secondary) schools along the way (Kakrabitta, Birtamod, Dharan, Biratnagar, Ithari and Kathmandu) to promote higher education in Salesian College, Darjeeling and the Siliguri campus,” said Paul.

Chhetri added, “We will also make radio programmmes on 25 years of Nepal Don Bosco Society and interact with community radio stations, especially in Dharan - the cradle of Don Bosco Society in Nepal.”

The Nepal Don Bosco Society began in 1992 with the Dharan centre, in eastern Nepal, initiated by the late Fr George Alakulam, who ventured out from Don Bosco School, Mirik.

The Salesians then reached Sirsia (1996), followed by the capital, Kathmandu, with two centres - in Lubhu, established in 1996, and Thecho in 2001 – after which came Baroul and Chakkarghatty (2014) in East Nepal.

This was followed by Biratnagar in 2017, and the total of seven houses are managed by 18 Salesians from various states across India.

The Society is engaged in a variety of ministries (activities) dedicated to the country’s young people. PTI