Rabi Sankar Basu, 52, from West Bengal first stumbled onto CRI in 1985. For them 'boycott China' only exists at the government level.' My security guards, neighbours and houseowners all have been good to me. “I have gone back home only once (in four years)-for a month,” he says. “We now want to focus more on positive news between the two countries,”he says, adding that hand-written letters from Indian listeners have dried up during the Covid-19 pandemic. Lias says CRI gets song requests from distant villages like Mirpur Juara in Chapra, Bihar. He learnt Hindi in China and goes by the name Ramesh in India.

Lias Jiyong is a correspondent for China Media Group, which owns CRI. It is a global village be it an outbreak or any other issue. “Because, these days the world is such that only with mutual cooperation can we move forward. “Our listeners tell us they want peace they do not want a war ,” she says. Fond of Tagore poems in Mandarin, she almost sounds like a pacifist. Besides, new media and the internet has led to a decline in our listener base,”says Bindi, who also produces videos and live shows for CRI's social media pages. “Indians can only listen to our programmes via short wave radio. She says that the number of radio listeners has dropped in the last few years. Most of the letters, she says, come from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. Her voice is clear, calm and comforting little wonder why the station gets hand-written letters from remote corners of India. She was in Chennai in October 2019 when China’s President Xi Jinping met Prime Minister Narendra Modi there. She studied Hindi at Peking University, followed by a year's stint at the Delhi University. That’s what Indian listeners prefer.”īindi has been working in the CRI’s Hindi service department since 1993. We play mostly Indian songs. There is a 10-minute segment to teach Mandarin. “We do not play too many Chinese songs there is no demand for it. “We have segments on Chinese society, economic progress and a special segment on Tibet,” she says. Mehara’s listening choices are reaffirmed by CRI broadcaster Yang Yifeng, aka Bindi. Back in 2013, CRI's Tamil service launched its first FM station in India as part of its 50th anniversary. CRI is the only Chinese state-owned station aimed at an international audience, though there are reports of Chinese stations being used for propaganda in border areas. It currently offers its services in 63 languages, including Tamil, Hindi, Bengali and Urdu. Founded on December 3, 1941, it began its Hindi service in 1959. Just like other international broadcasters like Voice of America, NHK World-Japan and ABC Radio Australia, CRI is also a soft power initiative. Their collection of Hindi songs is quite impressive,” he says, dismissing any talk of anti-India propaganda in CRI's programming. They tune in mainly for songs and cultural programmes. “But their shows are not much different.” Mehara knows 10 others from his village who are regular listeners of CRI. “Perhaps, they may have lost listeners now,” says Mehara.

The India-China border stand-off has not affected CRI's weekly broadcast. The music programme that Mehara listens to has a 20-minute slot on Saturday. Although Mehara listens to many radio stations, he has a special liking for the Chinese shortwave stations. After the monsoon set in, he got CRI to play Tip Tip Barsa Paani from Mohra (1994) last month. The station also read out the name of his village, Bakani Khurd. The CRI Hindi broadcasts a one-hour programme daily. Their Mandarin-style Hindi is a delight to my ears.” A father of two, Mehara says that his whole family loves radio programmes. “I like it when they read out my name and address, before announcing my song request. On May 20, CRI played a song he had requested on email-Hum Toh Chaley Pardes from Sargam (1979). “Sometimes I send letters with song requests,” says Mehara, a nurse. Gushing about the 'Chinese-type Hindi' of radio jockeys from the state-run international broadcaster, the 35-year-old Mehara imitates their sedate but sonorous All India Radio-like “ aapkifarmaish (Make a request)” lines. -Yang Yifeng (in pic), aka Bindi, broadcaster, China Radio International We do not play too many Chinese songs there is no demand for it. We have segments on Chinese society, economic progress and a special segment on Tibet.

China radio international address