Radio Bundelkhand -
A Platform for Dialogue

While travelling through Bundelkhand, one often comes across a bright poster or hoarding saying ‘90.4 Radio Bundelkhand – Apna Radio, Apni Baatein’. There is a popular myth that the television has taken over the media arena. The existence and success of Radio Bundelkhand proves that the radio continues to be the voice of Rural India and an appropriate medium for development communications. Radio Bundelkhand began on 23rd October 2008 with the objective to expand developmental activities in the local communities by attempting to give a voice to rural dwellers from Bundelkhand who are, by and large, sidelined by the conventional media.

Creating and broadcasting programmes of local interest while addressing their problems through infotainment has been the motto of Radio Bundelkhand since its inception. Over 20 formats of radio plays, talk shows, music and radio programmes based on interviews, panel and discussions and outdoor recording are used for programming.

Currently into its third year, Radio Bundelkhand is an interesting development communication tool and professes a democratising process, which promotes community participation ensuring improved information flow of relevant issues that can be used by the concerned communities directly along various axes.

Radio Bundelkhand focuses not only on information dissemination but also in sharing knowledge through a dialogue process. The live phone-in programmes that are conducted are a key example of the dialogue processes. During this, a programme is broadcast live from the studio and the reporters and volunteers stationed at the various villages encourage and seek the participation of people through facilitating a discussion among the people or interviewing key informants in the villages while recording and feeding it live into the broadcast. They get to discuss key issues with subject experts situated at the radio station and people with similar experiences in other villages using the radio as a platform for both gathering and sharing of information.

With 12 community youth reporters from the neighbouring villages, the station is jointly managed by the community and Development Alternatives. The aspiration of the youth is combined with the desire for opportunity. This generation is able to draw out the needs of their community through dialogue in their local dialect. The language and idiom is theirs, the cultural reference their own and taps into the liberating potential of dialogue on a platform they own. The richness of their performing arts in music, folk songs and folk theatre gets voice on this platform and the community reporters are able to communicate with authenticity as they share the same life.

Radio Bundelkhand promotes: -
1. Community self-reliance and respect
2. Sharing knowledge
3. Equitable development
4. Integrity and solidarity
5. Environmental sustainability

Radio Bundelkhand provides the people with access to a platform from which their voices can be heard by key decision makers. The converse in terms of information from key decision makers is disseminated to the people bringing about vibrancy and participation in the development process that was not thought possible. Community radio is indeed a unique dialogue platform. q

 

Satish Pandey, and
Sudeep Jacob Joseph
scpandey@devalt.org
sjjoseph@devalt.org

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