TURA: A purported move by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to strip the Doordarshan Kendra in Tura from a full-fledged station into a programme production centre by transferring most of its units and components to the state capital, Shillong, has been strongly opposed by the Garoland State Movement Committee (GSMC).
Tura Doordarshan became operational over 30 years ago and has been airing shows that present the way of life of the tribals from this part of the state and the rich biodiversity of the region.
“Tura DDK, which is a landmark institution for entire Garo Hills, covers a separate linguistic zone representing mainly the Garo tribe — the largest linguistic group of the region — as well as all the minority tribes like the Hajongs, Koch, Rabhas and Bodos, Dalu and Maan. The ethnic and rich cultural identities of the tribes are being promoted by DDK Tura all these years and its closure will have a severe impact,” cautioned GSMC chairman, Nikman Marak, while speaking to The Shillong Times on Tuesday.
He said that the move to strip the only full-fledged kendra or station into a mere transmitting programme production centre would severely impact the region in propagating the lifestyle of the tribes and its flora and fauna to the outside world.
“We are demanding that the existing DDK must be retained in Tura as a full-fledged station and upgradation must be undertaken from the present system of analogue transmission into a digital format to meet the cherished aspirations of different indigenous tribes in promoting our rich cultural diversity,” stated the GSMC leaders after visiting the Tura DDK and interacting with the employees at the station.