A community news programme run by village women in the northern Indian state of Bihar.Appan Samachar (Our News), as the programme is aptly called, has become popular in over a dozen villages in Muzaffarpur district. The programme is shown once a fortnight. Sometimes it is shown on a projector, other times on hired video players and a large TV set. The centre of operations is a gloomy room at the remote Ramlila Gachi village on the crime-ridden banks of the Gandak river. The asbestos roofed room has one table, two chairs, an old portable television and lots of wires on the floor. Next door is a village 'clinic' manned by a doctor who claims to treat both humans and animals. The village has had no electricity for the last four years, and has never had cable television and land phones. Cell phone network reached Ramlila Gachi just a year ago. The nearest hospital is 62km away, and the nearest police station is 20km away. Villagers stock illegal firearms at home to defend themselves against the marauding dacoits and kidnappers. In this bleak lawless boondocks of one of India's poorest states, three young girls and a newly-wed woman cycle around to gather news for their programme. Carrying a low range Sony Handycam, a tripod and a microphone with the channel logo, they bump along on the dusty narrow village tracks to talk to people and shoot their stories. The first edition of this fortnightly news programme was broadcast on a projector and featured such issues as witchcraft, empowerment of women, poverty and farm problems.For their second edition, Appan Samachar chose to do stories on education for the girl child. The villagers are excited with the prospect of their faces being displayed and voices heard by one and all in the area.

Be the first to comment