Maoist Broadcast Nepal
An increasing number of antennas are popping up on rooftops in Nepal's Western Tarai region. They are actually radio aerials to help people catch fm Maoist rebels broadcasting from Radio Janabadi Ganatantra. The broadcasts are feeble since the transmitters are always on the move to avoid detection. But people tune in anyway more out of a desire to find the Maoist partyline than to get information. Ironically, the most dedicated listeners are security personnel, keen to find out what the enemy has to say.
The Maoists currently broadcast on 100 mhz and say they have a transmitter with a capacity of up to 500 kilowatt. This makes their station as powerful as Nepal's national radio station.
Listeners say that the propaganda-laden language and style of the Maoists is no different from the national radio. But the rebel radio is a notch ahead in the use of derogatory labels such as "killer king" or "Royal American Army". Venom is also spewed on the "reactionary Indian government for supporting the fascist regime" in Kathmandu.
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