|
The National
Consultation for Practicing and Prospective Community Radio Operators in India
organized on 6-7 March’2007 by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, has
given an insight on the keenness of the government in coming up with private
community radio operators in India. The new policy guidelines envisages to
promote the wide acceptability of the concept among Non- Governmental
Organizations and Educational Institutions by being lenient on the stringent
process of acquiring licenses. The new policy also focuses on giving the
operators an helping hand on the economic sustainable end by providing allowance
of broadcasting 5 minutes of advertisement per hour for broadcasters.
Shivpuri:
Shivpuri is one
of the most backward regions in Madhya Pradesh. Evidence to which is the
implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and Backward
Region Grants Fund, both programs being parallel sanctioned for implementation,
visioning poverty reduction.
The district
has been also seen as a media dark region with media outreach to the masses
largely limited to radio. Televisions are yet to reach this Sahariya and
primitive tribe region. In the present context All India Radio is the only radio
transmission agency, making all possible efforts to reach people with maximum
information.
Sambhav,
Shivpuri and Community Radio
Our experiences
of working with tribal communities in 189 villages and a population of 3 lakh,
over the years guides us that one of the major causes of being a backward
district apart from depleting livelihood options has also been the serious gap
in the information flow from Service Providers and the community. Information on
health, agriculture, medical care, education, livelihood, water and sanitation
by and large seems to have its intensive outreach to only regions with
relatively better media connectivity.
Apart from the
above issues the level of sensitization within community on issues related to
women rights, child rights and girl child education seems to be limited to
regions where voluntary organizations have intervened in some way.
Though in its
infant stage, community radio and the growing rate of operators along with the
active support of the government, may be seen as a vital change agent where
people could be made more information literate and sensitive on:
-
Water Conservation,
Sanitation and Hygiene
-
Various schemes being
implemented by the government
-
Health issues
-
Women, Children and
Adolescents
-
Agriculture
-
Livelihood Issues
-
Promotion of folk, are and
culture
Sambhav has a
reasonably fair experience in the field of theater, arts and mass communication.
With its in house team of theatre activists and association with various
professional groups, Sambhav has produces numerous street theater shows, short
video documentaries, compilation of regional songs, audio and print IEC
material.
With a large
presence throughout the Shivpuri block, there is a large pool of village level
volunteers who have been involved in mobilizing community level support and
contributing to media related activities.
Community radio
is relatively new concept particularly in the case of Madhya Pradesh. Sambhav
feels that through community radio a wider change could be brought about
throughout the region by making communities more information and media
friendly.
|
