Farmers Movement Archive

He is still hitting the right note with the masses

Tribune News ServiceJalandhar, December 20As he addressed farmers at Singhu border, people of Punjab were overwhelmed by Raman Kumar’s deep, baritone voice they had perhaps been missing for nearly three years. Having their ears used to hearing news presented by him for 40 years on Doordarshan (DD), it was like recollecting old days, when DD was the only channel available, especially for the rural, farming community gathered there.Needless to say, Raman’s video went viral and got as many as 5 lakh views in a matter of few hours. After returning from the site, Raman shared, “After I delivered the speech, many farmers came to me and shared they were really happy to see me in person and talk to them directly from their dais. Certainly, it was a completely different experience for me as well.”Raman, now 63, had his innings in the DD from April 1978 onwards. “I started my career from Amritsar. In 1981, DD Jalandhar was set up and I shifted here,” he told. Accomplishing a career spanning more than 39 years, he hung up boots in October 2017.He narrated, “It was quite a different media as compared to what we see now. Of course, we had a limited freedom to experiment with but we enjoyed a much larger audience. I can easily compare it as I am still working for two channels. One is RPD channel based in Brampton where I discuss current affairs for two days a week. The other one is Punjab 1 TV, which operates from California and where I do a weekly round-up of news. The working with social media is entirely different. We can speak our mind, be more thoughtful in our discussions and take much liberty. But there are also issues of multiplicity of channels and a lot of unfiltered stuff that is flowing. If the reach is quick, the reactions and comments, too, are instantaneous. Thankfully, I have not faced any trolling or criticism in my entire life.”Raman adds, “When I retired, I had offers from various TVchannels asking me to work for them on a regular basis. But I chose not to join any as at the age of 60 I didn’t want to work for 30 days a month which was their condition. I wanted a more relaxed kind of a job, wherein I could spend more time at home and with my family.”

The Tribune

2020-12-21