Abhishek Arun, founder and presenter of Radio Mayur, is empowering people in Chhapra through the radio in a digital era. His efforts are bearing fruit with about 200,000 people engaging with his station daily.
A voice crackles over the airwaves, on the frequency modulation of 90.8 FM, shattering the silence around the town of Chhapra that, for years, had no community-involved radio station.
“Hello, friends! You are listening to Radio Mayur and you are here with me on the programme called Dil ki Awaaz (sound of the heart)!” it booms. The voice belongs to Abhishek Arun, who is a regular on this station.
People in Chhapra, Bihar, have been listening to Abhishek’s baritone voice for about 3000 days now. With a listener base of over 200,000 people, the radio station’s volume has been cranked up, and how.
Abhishek sought out the conventional medium in an age when everyone prefers digital technologies to shape popular opinion. The station is also an ode to his father, Pashupatinath Arun, who was a firm believer in community service.
His legacy is woven into the fabric of Radio Mayur through Mayur Kala Kendra (MKK), its patron organisation. Founded by the senior Arun, a theatre artist and cultural activist, MKK is dedicated to enriching the local culture and community.
By launching Radio Mayur, Abhishek has brought a generational upgrade to his father’s vision, adapting it to reach people through an accessible medium.
This intergenerational evolution, I believe, ensures that the values of art, culture, and community welfare are preserved while reaching a broader audience
says Abhishek.
“I have always been interested in radio. So, I learnt how to produce shows in Delhi and Mumbai,” Abhishek tells Village Square.
Recognising the potential of radio as a powerful tool for community empowerment, he decided to establish Radio Mayur in Chhapra.
However, building a radio station from scratch was no easy task. Abhishek faced a lot of scepticism and also battled his own doubts over setting up a conventional radio station with the Internet of Things (IoT) having taken over the world.
Reflecting on the early days, Abhishek recalls, “Once, I was pasting posters for our community reach programme at night, and someone threw garbage at me. I shared the incident with my listeners on the morning programme.”
To his surprise, the woman who threw the garbage called after the show to apologise, and ended the conversation by offering her blessings. “This was a reminder of the power of radio and renewed my faith in the idea,” Abhishek adds.
With few resources and minimal support, Abhishek’s team has set out to make Radio Mayur a cornerstone of the community.
Initially, people laughed at the concept, but Abhishek and his team pressed on, meeting with village sarpanches, visiting schools, and speaking to local college students to create awareness.
These grassroot connections, painstakingly built over time, tuned the radio station’s frequency directly into the people’s hearts.
After three years of unwavering effort, the station finally began to cover its operating costs. That said, financial constraints continue to plague this venture, and it’s sometimes a struggle to pay the station’s seven anchors their due compensation.
“I didn’t want the station to go downhill,” explains Abhishek. “With no external funding from the government or private organisations, Radio Mayur relies on small donations from community members and local advertisers, staying true to its roots and commitment to its audience,” he reveals.
However, during the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Health, Government of India, appreciated Abhishek noting that, “Community radio champions help build up the groundswell in the fight against Covid 19. Champions like Abhishek from Radio Mayur, Chhapra, commit to lending their voice against the virus.”
Today, Radio Mayur’s programmes are a lifeline to many in the Chhapra area. Seven passionate local anchors, primarily students, engage listeners with diverse programming that spans live interactions, music, local news, and social issues.
Every day, Radio Mayur broadcasts at least three live shows, while the rest are pre-recorded, creating a consistent rhythm that the community has come to rely on.
Radio Mayur receives around 70 to 80 calls during its interactive shows. In some cases, the radio station even invites listeners to the studio, fostering a sense of belonging and ownership among community members.
Among its most popular programmes is “Tech Sakhi,” a show designed to address digital literacy, particularly for women and young people. This initiative resonated widely and won Radio Mayur the first prize in the Ministry of Education and Broadcasting’s National Community Radio Awards.
Abhishek and his team also focus on local issues that directly impact their audience. Topics such as healthcare access, women’s rights, and the importance of education find a platform on Radio Mayur, where listeners are encouraged to voice their concerns and share their stories.
Abhishek’s commitment to the community remains unwavering. He dreams of expanding Radio Mayur’s reach and providing better compensation for his team.
“We may not receive a lot of funding or external recognition, but we know the value of what we are doing every time a listener calls to thank us, or a parent tells us how our show inspired their children,” Abhishek says.
Radio Mayur is not just a station. It has become a community lifeline, resonating with the voices, dreams, and resilience of its people. Therein lies its success, and its timeless appeal in the digital revolution era.
The lead image on top depicts Abhishek Arun participating in an interactive awareness programme led by Radio Mayur. (Photo courtesy of Abhishek Arun)
Kumar Gaurav is a multilingual audio-visual journalist from Bihar.
