Sing, Sing a Song
“General” Narsamma and her team of Dalit women are all set to launch India’s first full-fledged community radio station in Machnoor, Medak District, Andhra Pradesh. According to this report, with
- a studio building made of locally available low cost material
- two 16 and 4 channel mixers and stereo recorders
- two 100-watt FM transmitters with a coverage area of 30 km radius
- and a newly-cleared licence,
the radio station is ready to reach out to the people in its 100 villages of coverage. The report goes on:
Making radio programmes has been a child’s play for these tape-recorder wielding Dalit women, as they have canned 500 hours of them so far. “It’s our radio and we will broadcast programmes made by us for our benefit. We will talk about seeds, crop diversity, organic farming, health, hygiene, women’s problems and sending children to school, virtually everything that touches the community,” said `General’ Narsamma brimming with confidence.Small detail: I like the way the report doesn’t explain why Narsamma is called “General”. It’s her name, it’s what she’s called. Deal.There is expectation that the radio tailored to community needs would not only lend voice to the voiceless marginalised community but revive interest in the dying oral folk traditions like “Bichapola patalu.”
Uma, many thanks for this link. We’re looking at setting up a similar community radio station in a taluk in Karnataka.
Comment by JVG — November 22, 2006 @ 5:13 am
Nice. Though actually i was curious as to why she’s called “General” and it would have made a nice story.
Heres to many more such initiatives.
n!
Comment by neela — November 22, 2006 @ 8:16 am