'Chanderi ki Awaaz' soon to go on air
Young members of weavers’ community in central India have moved a step closer towards setting up their own community radio station. Recently the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued a ‘Letter of Intent’ to them and now they are likely to go on air by early next year.
New Delhi: When last year three volunteers from a small town in central India came to New Delhi to present their case for setting up a community radio station before a screening committee of the Government of India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), they had no inkling that they would come out with flying colours.
- Writing script for radio programme/ Photo credit: OWSA
It was in July last year that Seema Sheikh, Shabana Bano and Champa Lal spent three days drawing out their vision of a community radio station – its objectives, strategies and budgets. They even drew up a programme cue sheet before they came face to face with the screening committee. Unfazed by the grilling of experts about the motives, technicalities and capabilities, they made a powerful presentation, which impressed everyone in the committee.
Doubts, however, remained there in the minds of these young volunteers and they were not sure that the ‘verdict’ would come in their favour. Eight months later in March this year, everyone was ecstatic when the ministry issued a Letter of Intent (LOI) to set up a radio station, thus clearing the first hurdle. It was a vindication of their relentless efforts.
It has been a long and eventful journey for these volunteers, who have displayed exemplary commitment and dedication to achieve this goal, overcoming several hurdles on the way – personal, professional, logistical, infrastructural, societal, financial and bureaucratic.
Perseverance pays
In Ashok Nagar district of Madhya Pradesh, Chanderi is a small town known for its exquisite sarees – a traditional Indian dress for women. However, the weaver community here has faced exploitation for centuries at the hands of traders, middlemen and moneylenders, who made huge profits at the expense of these fine artisans, leaving them to live a life of penury.
It was in 2004 that Bunkar Vikas Sanstha was formed with support from United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). The idea was to enable weavers earn regular and better incomes. Self Help Groups (SHGs) were formed. They were provided equipment and training to enhance their capacities. In the process production and marketing were also streamlined. As a result, slowly but steadily, their incomes increased and they started leading relatively secured lives.
The community now began aspiring to use media tools to create more livelihood opportunities for the youth. With the help of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), BASIX and OneWorld South Asia (OWSA), young men and women were provided computer and Internet training at newly established community multimedia centre in Chanderi.
They were trained in radio programming, video documentation, production of newsletters and digital stories.
The training brought out the hidden talent in each one of them. When it was started they were all very shy. But slowly they started to open up, said an OWSA trainer.
- Proudly displaying a newsletter/ Photo credit: OWSA
Over 50 talented and enthusiastic youth that included 35 girls have so far received training in radio production and programming. As people move on in life with new jobs or get married, new people are selected, inducted and trained by the group itself.
Chanderi ki Awaaz
Chanderi ki Awaaz is a vibrant radio programme that engages the community and its youth in sharing and exchanging information related to livelihood, health, education, environment, promotion of traditional arts and ecotourism. So far it has produced 80 programmes that can be heard on the EK duniya anEk awaaz (EDAA) website.
With no or scant educational background, they made great efforts to learn various skills required for producing radio programmes – researching, scripting, recording, anchoring, editing, etc.
The innovativeness shown especially in script writing on variety of topics is something that stands out and reflected their social awareness, sensibility and a deep understanding of issues.
One such example is the programme on the issue of climate change, where they made an attempt to fuse the abstract with the concrete and tangible with intangible. In this programme, they not only succeeded in presenting a complex scientific issue in a simple way but also in an interesting manner, which could immediately hook the listeners and engage them to think and act constructively [To listen to the programme, please click here].
Using the format of drama, they made a programme on child marriage, which is one of the pressing problems of rural India. Following the age-old custom parents marry off their children at a tender age, thus hampering the development of their personalities.
- Two of the volunteers busy recording a programme/ Photo credit: OWSA
The programme was engaging and made in such a persuasive way that even if people disagreed, they were likely to pause and rethink their positions on this social problem. Use of folk music was another interesting feature of this programme [To listen to the programme, please click here].
The group has used all known formats in their programmes that include drama, music, interview, discussion, talk, magazine and jingle.
They are now two steps away from setting up a radio station of their own - a platform where they would voice their problems, viewpoints, concerns, achievements and aspirations. They have already begun the process of applying for frequency with the Department of Wireless Planning.
Once they are allotted the frequency, a Grant of Permission Agreement (GOPA) will be signed. This process is expected to be over by the end of October and they are likely to go on air before March next year.
With inputs from Geetha Bhardwaj and Satish Nagaraji.
