In Sonada’s mist, where prayer meets pine,
A signal rose in 2016—clear, bold, benign.
Not just FM waves, but a heartbeat shared,
Where tea garden voices found space, found care.
I stood then, a founder-director with dreams in hand,
A mic, a mission, a community to understand.
We tuned our hearts to the hills’ quiet plea,
And gave it echo—Radio Salesian 90.8 FM, free.
Today, I pass the torch, not with farewell,
But with faith in the story we’ve come to tell.
Fr Pritam Barla, son of Don Bosco toll,
Has walked beside us, through outreach and toil.
He knows the rhythm of the garden’s breath,
The songs of youth, the silence of death.
He’s heard the laughter, the longing, the fight,
And now he leads with that same light.
This is not an ending, but a turning page,
A new chapter penned with pastoral courage.
The Governing Body, with wisdom and grace,
Affirms our journey, our shared embrace.
Let the hills resound with renewed voice,
Let every child, every elder rejoice.
For media, here, is not mere sound—
It’s dignity, it’s presence, it’s sacred ground.
So I step aside, not out of view,
But into the chorus that sings anew.
Radio Salesian, still bold, still true—
The voice of the hills, now led by you.
[On the Appointment of Fr Pritam Barla
as Director of Radio Salesian.
Dedicated to Prof. George Thadathil, whose bold vision gave birth to this pioneering voice.]
—C.M. Paul, 28 October 2025, 9.30 pm IST