VU2RVM: the first post merger Radio HAM from Sikkim

BY SHITAL PRADHAN

My story on AC3PT was widely appreciated, and it was something new to the people of Sikkim too. Little did I know that one person in the entire crowd was closely watching my article, and he, too, had been part of Sikkim Ham radioactivity. Meet Rajesh Verma, Director, Department of Information Technology, Government of Sikkim. Rajesh Verma is better known in Sikkim for his well-liked Guide book on Sikkim. Nevertheless, few people really know that he was also an active radio ham with a call sign VU2RVM, and he had also written a book on the radio. His book “ABC of Amateur Radio and Citizen Band” was first published in 1987.


A sample of the VU2RVM QSL Card

Cover of the book written by Rajesh Verma

It was more of an opportunity for me to swap emails with Rajesh Verma. I shall also remain grateful to him for the book that he sent me along with his personal call sign QSL card. I am here sharing his call sign QSL card, which shows eight lucky signs of Buddhist culture, along with other different QSL cards he has received over the years.

I also would like to add Rajesh Verma’s fantasy with Ham in his own words “…… But it is not always talking for pleasure that hams indulge in. There are examples galore in which hams have provided efficient communication during emergencies such as floods, earthquakes, storms, and other calamities. I operated a Ham station from Gangtok from 1979 to 1995 using home-brewed equipment with a call sign VU2RVM (VU2 denotes India). Later as a Club Station of the National Institute of Amateur Radio, I used Kenwood equipment. In 1986, I trained 20 Scouts and Guides and their instructors from Sikkim; many of them got their licenses. Some of them used to operate my equipment for going on air. Sadly, Ham Radio is steadily taking a backseat with the advent of the internet and mobile communication. But in Sikkim, there is still scope for Ham radio to be used as an alternate means of communication during disasters.”

What is more interesting is the fact that when Sikkim was an independent kingdom, it had a call sign AC3 followed by PT, named after Chogyal (King) Palden Thondup Namgyal. Post-1975, after Sikkim merged with the mighty Indian Union, the next call sign licensed was VU2RVM, i.e., VU2 for India and RVM for the person's name.


QSL cards collected by Rajesh Verma:

Also, read

The AC3PT: A story of the deleted country

They wanted to kill me??

AN ENVELOPE A PIECE OF PAPER LIST OF ADDRESSES INSIDE THE ENVELOPE I was part of a successful newspaper at Gangtok; the weekly newspaper “Weekend Review” was then considered the third party in Sikkim after the Sikkim Democratic Front led by Pawan Chamling and Congress led by N B. Bhandari, former Chief Minister of Sikkim. I had just completed my graduation when I got a chance to join the big-wig WR team. It took me a week to decide, and I was a news reporter. Even then, my primary concern was looking for Sikkim's old history. The new job was interesting, challenging, and more of an adventure. I never knew what I would do the next day or where I would be. I was only told to file a report to the newspaper office at Gangtok every Thursday. I was associated with the WR team for more than two years till our editor was replaced, and I found it uncomfortable to work with the new editor. His lack of journalism ethics made me leave WR. Within the fol...

The AC3PT: A story of the deleted country

BY SHITAL PRADHAN To the amateur radio stations in the world, he was just “AC3PT”, a name that is today counted as a deleted or dead country in the pages of Ham Radio. A "Ham" is an Amateur who receives and transmits on short waves, a fascinating hobby followed since the late 18 th century. An amateur radio enthusiast AC3PT was very well-known among amateur radio communicators across the world. Being on the map of HAM Radio since 1963, AC3PT suddenly came to an abrupt end on April 9, 1975. “…now Indian troops storming my room…” was the last message that radio amateurs across the world last heard of AC3PT. The distressed caller was none other than Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal, the last Chogyal of Sikkim State, sending his last-minute SOS across the world. When I first read about the AC3PT and the ham radio sometime back in one of the chapters of a much sought-after merger book on Sikkim, “Smash and Grab: Annexation of Sikkim” by Sunanda K Datta-Ray I could hard...

JANHA BAGCHA TEESTA RANGIT

This was a national song of Sikkim sung in the Nepali language during the monarchy system. During the merger with India, the song got banned and later re-released. Two words on the 8th para, which earlier said 'Rajah rah Rani,' were replaced with "Janmah bhumi." This song was dedicated to the King and Queen of Sikkim. The song lyrics were penned by Sanu Lama, and the music was composed by Dushyant Lama. The song was first sung on the birth anniversary of Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal on April 4, 1970, at Gangtok by Aruna Lama, Dawa Lama, and Manikamal Chettri. JANHA BAGCHA TEESTA RANGIT, JAHAN KANCHENDZONGA SEER YEHI HO HAMRO DHANA KO DESH, TAPAWAN HO PYARO SIKKIM INTERLUDE PHULCHAN YEHA AANGANAI MAA, CHAAP , GURAS, SUNAKHARI SWARGASARI SUNDAR DESH KO HAMRO PYARO PYARO JANMAHBHUMI JANHA BAGCHA…… BATASHLE BOKCHAA YAHA, TATHAGAT KO AAMAR WAANI ...

Proud to be a Sikkimese: Sikkim Travel, Culture & Local Heritage

Search This Blog