KATHMANDU, Aug 12: Tucked into Nepal’s eastern hills, neighbouring China and India, lies Taplejung. It is a place many know for the revered Pathivara Temple. Pilgrims arrive in search of blessings. Tourists come for the spectacular views of towering mountains. But beneath the prayers and the peaks, there’s a different kind of power flowing through these mountains, not electric, not digital, but human. It’s the power of voice.
In Taplejung, community radio isn’t just another medium; it’s part of daily life. Where phone signals fade and roads twist for hours, radios hum in homes, shops, and even fields. They are ever-present companions. And tuning in to Radio Taplejung, Radio Kabeli, or Radio Tamor has become more than a habit; it’s how people stay informed, feel heard, and stay connected.
Radio Taplejung: A Voice That Feels Like Home
Set in Fungling Municipality-4, Radio Taplejung (94 MHz) has been part of the district’s rhythm for over two decades. Founded by the Environmental Conservation and Development Forum after the 1990 democratic shift and blossoming in media freedom following the 2006 People's Movement, it grew alongside a hopeful Nepal.
"Most of our ads aren't commercial, they're personal announcements," says a staff member of Radio Taplejung. "A birth, a lost goat, a local event. That personal touch is what keeps us close to the people." In Taplejung, this radio station doesn’t just speak to its audience, it speaks like one of them. Not only that, Radio Taplejung also recites news and runs programs in the local language.
7th World Radio Day being marked today
The station’s purpose has always been clear: to inform and educate. But it does more than deliver news; it preserves culture, answers questions, and offers companionship. Programs are designed in local dialects, shaped by the region’s sensibilities. And even with modest resources, Radio Taplejung manages to feel intimate and vital.
Radio Kabeli: The Voice That Stands Its Ground
“Radio Kabeli isn’t backed by any party or group,” says Dinesh Lingkhim, one of its team members. “We’re here for the people, without bias.”
Just a short walk away in Fungling-3, Radio Kabeli (95.8 MHz) runs with a mission stitched into its soul: amplify voices that often go unheard. Operated by Nepali Media Network Pvt Ltd, Kabeli stands proudly independent, something increasingly rare in Nepal’s media landscape.
And it shows. Their programs dig into issues affecting farmers in remote villages, highlight women’s voices, give youth a platform, and cover concerns others often ignore. Whether it’s a local policy debate or a faraway global event, Kabeli makes sure its listeners, no matter where they are, feel part of the bigger conversation.
Radio Tamor: Where Innovation Meets Everyday Life
In Fungling-7, Radio Tamor (102 MHz) lives its slogan: Afnai Boli Afnai Shaili, Sabaika Lagi Sadhainka Lagi, “Our voice, our style, for everyone, forever.”
Tamor is different, lively, experimental, and deeply community-focused. Listeners don’t just consume its programs; they shape them. Through call-ins, stories, and discussions, the station becomes a two-way conversation.
“We don’t have a big newsroom or full-time reporters,” a staffer explains. “What we do have is a network of everyday people, our informants, who call in from every corner of Taplejung. They’re our eyes and ears.”
Thanks to these local contributors, even the smallest story, a school needing repair, a landslide cutting off a village, gets airtime. It’s grassroots journalism in its rawest, most authentic form.
More Than Just Media
Community radios work together to give Taplejung life, not just broadcasting. They remember, they teach, and they listen. The human voice still manages to survive in areas where internet signals are weak and the road network in primitive stages. Not with algorithms, but with voice, warmth, and trust.
Taplejung's community radios serve as a gentle reminder of the value of genuine connection in a time when everyone seems to be fixated on speed, clicks, and going viral. They demonstrate how the media can serve as a lifeline, a friend, and a teacher.
So next time, when you think of Taplejung, don't only think about its temples and natural beauty. Think of the voices, the ones that crackle through radios in small kitchens, tea shops or farms and rise softly through the hills every morning. Voices that share news, tell stories, sing songs, and stitch an entire district together, one frequency at a time.
