A new chapter is opened in annals of the history of Jharkhand with the emergence of Chala Ho Goan Mein – the weekly community radio program aired on AIR – Daltonganj in Palamau district of Jharkhand. It is also coincidental that with the emergence of the new state of Jharkhand in the year 2000 the community radio also followed soon in the state. On 5^th August 2001 the first episode of the program was broadcast.

Jharkhand state which emerged from Bihar is nationally well known for all the low levels of the social sector indicators of poor literacy, dismal health scenario, poor infrastructural facilities, and low levels of skills and lack of sustainable livelihoods. Not limiting to this the dreadful social practices of child and early marriage, large families, dowry and superstitions are entrenched deep into the communities. While this is the larger picture of Jharkhand, Palamau region in Jharkhand surpasses all these social sector indicators even much below the state level indicators.

Palamau district is situation of contrasts. The poor in the region are living in "pincers jaws". On one hand the region is inflicted with geographical disparities as drought prone, hilly and infested with deforestation. On the other hand all the social ills of bonded labour, child labour, child marriage, huge families, migration, debt bondage exist in the region. The moot factor for all the social ills being the strong influence and presence of the feudal system and its land lords. The corollary to feudalism is the rise of extremism in the region. The third most influencing factor is the defunct administration system in the region. The development programs of government don’t reach the needy due to various inherent lacunae in the system. Thus the poor and impoverished are subjected to severe hardships.

Alternative For India Development (AID) has been working in the region from the year 1989 onwards through various programs on education, health, livelihood, micro women groups and enterprises on the development side. It has also been actively involved in organizing the village groups on various issues of importance such as land reform, corruption, formation of gram sabhas and working out for the development of their villages and community through their active participation.

The geographical disparities, social disparities, the nexus between the Zamindars, the politicians and the bureaucrats being strong the poor are not able to penetrate into any developmental schemes for their region. There is nobody to listen to their woes and they have to find their own alternative ways and solutions to come out of this vicious cycle in the region.

In the above context the emergence of a community radio program which could effectively voice their needs, concerns and issues effectively has been a boon to the region. The public action programs of Dharna, rallies and village sabhas are the usual means the people in the region starting from the political parties, NGO’s and the extremists groups use in the region to show their displeasure, ire and anger on the existing situation in the region according to the context of the organizing agents. But it seems that both the people and administration have got used to this form of representation and slowly it is loosing its importance even though so much resources in terms of time, financial and human resources are invested in this. The initial workshops which were held prior to starting the program had brought out evidence that the people want to use Community Radio as a powerful and strong weapon to give vent to their feelings, frustrations and give a let out to their charged emotions of being neglected through this medium.

AID which has been involved for the grass roots development in Jharkhand region spread over 8 districts for the past 16 years had long grass roots experience and mass people’s base in the region. AID has been using the medium of audio-video shows, dramas and cultural programs through mobile units for organizing and concentising the masses. From time to time the dalit melas and the tribal melas held in the region ensured to restore and retain the indigenous arts and practices. The Palamau region is steeped in darkness as there is no electricity in majority of the villages. The only recourse to the outside world is the radio.

Further the region has untapped talent of personnel who are engaged in writing songs, scripts and dramas. The region is also influenced in abundance by the revolutionary songs in the region which are easily tuned and sung by the young children as well.

The partnership with NFI on gender perspective programs in South India eventually led to the birth of community Radio program in eastern region of Palamau district in Jharkhand. In very short time AID realized the popularity and the potential of the program.

It was a learning phase with every nuances of the program had to be learnt. It was a new pleasant experience different from the existing programs it has been handling so far. Initially it was planned to narrow cast the programs for 3 months and then go for the broadcast of the program in All India Radio – Daltonganj. There was visible enthusiasm even during this phase and finally when the first episode was broadcast on 5^th August 2001 there has been no looking back.

On every Sunday at 7.20 p.m. AIR Daltonganj broadcasts the sponsored program Chala Ho Goan Mein. The striking difference between the regular AIR programs and this community program starts with the local dialect of Maghi used in the program to the maximum extent. This dialect is typical in Central Bihar and now it is part of Jharkhand in Palamau and Garwah districts. Secondly the range of issues of local importance which are broadcast in the radio week after week as brought in an value addition to the program.

Thirdly the local ownership, involvement and participation of the villagers in designing and devising the concepts and themes for the program has definitely brought in participation of the people in right earnest for their own development.

After completion of one and half year of the program now we are in a second phase of the program with more improvisations and more value additions. In the first phase of the program AID’s role was limited to joint theme identifications, recording the episodes in the villages and the final editing used to take place at Ranchi which is 165 kms away from Daltonganj but travel time takes around 5-6 hours from the villages. Very few people were exposed to the final editing due to the distance.

In the Second phase, a recording studio is getting ready in the premises of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan Community Technical College – unit of AID in Garwah district of Jharkhand which is 50 kms away from Daltonganj. A local technical personnel who was associated with AIR Daltonganj was identified and further trained for effective training of the programs. Hence now the major task of editing the program has been taken over by AID. In the first phase due to the distance 4 to 6 program materials used to be recorded for the final editing in Ranchi. This deprived of giving current and contextual informations in the program as most of the time the issues used to become outdated. But now as the editing is within the purview of AID contextual news and informations are being added to the programs and every effort is being taken to give latest updates to the program.

Earlier phase the program was a mixture wherein the drama, songs, discussions and interviews were on different issue. During the second phase we are attempting to bring out issue based episodes so that the subject could be dealt at length in various formats. We are also trying in bringing about even levels in the program with the interviews in the villages about their problems and countering interviews with the Block development officials on their reactions to the issues. Interviews with doctors on seasonal diseases and the cautions and precautions to be followed are also aired from time to time. In the current phase an attempt is also being made to increase the listener ship by providing around 400 FM radio sets among the Women SHG’s, remote villages where radio sets are not available and also to the Gram Sabhas. In one village a Radio listener club has been established after members of AID visited the various community Radio centers in Nepal in December 2002. The coverage has increased from Palamau to an additional district of Garwah which is once again the hotbed for the child labour in carpet weaving sector.

Due to the inherent system of purdah culture in the region (this culture emerged due to feudalism and even dalit and tribal women came under this anchorage as there are several instances of feudal landlords subjugating dalit women to physical and sexual assaults) bringing out women into the public forums has been an ardous task. But with the emergence of SHG’s and lot of persuasion and motivation the women are coming up to take active participation in the program. The positive outfall of the program has been emboldened by the courage to speak against middlemen and contractors in the radios the villagers have mustered the courage to express their grievances to block authorities and district authorities.

The programme has highlighted some cases of Gram Sabha where the combined efforts of the community have brought about certain changes useful for the entire community. These stories have inspired other villagers to reconstitute their Gram Sabha and fight for their rights.

The programmes on Environmental protection have yielded good result. In many villages such as Guriyadamar, Erua, Gentha, Mahepipra etc. community has made forest protection committees and done afforestation work.

The popularity of the programme has forced the govt officials to listen the programme as it contains the grievances of community and presents the real situation of the area.

There has been demand for the repeat broadcast of the several episodes and there is constant demand from the villagers to cover their village. The cultural wing of AID which goes around various villages in Palamau and Garwah districts through its mobile audio and video units has now equipped itself with the radio episodes and the popular episodes are once again used for narrow casting in the villages along with other audio and video programs.

Programme development, message gathering and analysis and pre-editing listening session are carried out every month during the creative workshop. It has yielded positive results. Now villagers have given more focus to issues of immediate concern as felt by them. The message content is decided after equal participation of all reporters and artists.

In a very short time the program has commanded popularity, its spread over effect is much larger and lot of letters are received from the neighbouring districts of Gaya in Bihar and Surguja in Chattisgarh states as well. Emotional appeals in the form of letters and appreciation for the programs are sent in huge numbers. We take into account their suggestions and incorporate them in future programs.

People’s voices and problems related to non-governance of various government programs were played with the government officials and their reactions were also recorded and broadcast. This provided opportunity for right to expression and right to information from the local authorities.

Nevertheless AID is on firm footings and will not be carried away by the extreme popularity of the program. There are still several issues which need to be dealt in the program and more improvisations are needed to be brought into the program. It is yet to face any strictures from the district administration while the ills of the system are brought into the broadcast, yet in the eventuality of the situation, it is prepared to face the situation.

So far we have not faced any problems in broadcasting the programs through All India Radio even though we had lot of apprehensions about bureaucracy in AIR and also the kind of messages we were broadcasting.

AID has fine tuned community radio as advocacy tool for demanding the rights and entitlements from the government by focusing on the chronic issues of education, health, food security and livelihood and social evils of bonded labour, child labour, dowry, early marriage, superstitions.

So far the government has not privatized the airwaves. Very recently the government’s new policy for allowing community radio for educational purposes sounded encouraging. However after going through the guidelines we understood that it is once again extension of government bureaucracy by putting more restrictions. We have concerns in making use of the facility.

This initiative in the long run we hope will result in increased participation, ownership, governance and creating new opportunities for the local people to solve their problems themselves..