E-Paper
The voice of Andhra Dalits
A radio station run by an all-women Dalit team is the voice of the backward community for the issues broadcast are entirely devoted to the Dalit community, reports Ashok Das.
A radio station run by an all-women Dalit team is the voice of the backward community in Machoor village in Medak district.
Sangham Radio, which has been airing programmes for one hour every alternative day in this backward Telangana village, is unlike others of its ilk. The issues broadcast are entirely devoted to the Dalit community.
Though the station kicked off after the green signal from the Union government, Dalit women have been making programmes for the past 10 years guided by a NGO.
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| The radio station at Machnoor village in Andhra Pradesh. |
The once illiterate women can now boast of a library of 500 hours of radio programming based on community problems — children’s education, health and hygiene, traditional seeds, organic farming, women issues and even folk songs and theatre. With a ready repertoire at hand, airing the one-hour broadcast is a cinch.
The NGO and UNESCO have contributed Rs 22 lakh to set up the radio station, which houses two channel mixers, stereo recorders, two 100-watt FM transmitters. Now, almost 100 villages in the district are hooked on to Sangham Radio.
