COMMUNITY RADIO - THREAT FROM UNEXPECTED CORNER

K.S. Sunanda

Alternative For India Development has established its work in the most remote pockets of Jharkhand for nearing two decades. Among its vast network among the tribals and dalits in the region, it has been carrying forward various concentisation and development works on education,health,watershed,microcredit groups,community technical colleges. One of its significant achievements have been in airing of the community radio program in Palamau region of Jharkhand state.

"Chalo Ho Goan Mein" ( Come lets go to the village) is aired twice in FM station of All India Radio - Daltonganj for the past two years. This program is aired in local dialect of Maghi and is entirely devised and played by the community with full technical support from AID. The cutting across issue in all episodes is on the corruption at the various level. The community are now boldly expressing their opinions and also giving practical insights to corruptions involved and how they are affected. The focus of the entire program is on the social issues of dowry, feudalism, bonded labour, child labour, alcoholism, non-development in the region, schools non-functioning, non-functioning of the health centers. Interviews are also taken from the concerned authorities and on the same issue the peoples' voices and concerns are focused.

This programme has become very popular and its reach-out is now to the neighbouring districts in Jharkahnd and the adjoining states of Chattisgarh and UP as well. Thus this programs reach-out is far beyond Jharkhand. As this programs hits the nerves of the authorities , AID has long anticipated that we would be summoned and asked to stop the program forthwith. We also expected that AIR would object to the raw presentations of the people. But fortunately we have not got any reprimands from both the ends.

WE have got threatening from unexpected corner. The extremists units Peoples War Group (PWG) functioning in the region has threatened the organization to stop the program forthwith. They feel that people who are now boldly and openly expressing their dissatisfaction with the non-functioning of the government programs may soon raise their tide against the armed extremists in the region as well.

The area where the community radio operates is one of the most extremist prone region and people are crushed on one side with the non-development and on the other side by the intimidation tactics of the extremist groups. If the police corner any extremists - the extremists consider that the community informed the police and they beat them up and sometimes kill them as well. On the other hand the police also intimidate the community to tell them about the whereabouts of the extremists groups. Thus the people are caught in a precarious situation and either way they are affected.

In this background and scenario AID had successfully completed 110 episodes of the program Chala Ho gaon Mein in the region. Previously it was aired once a week and due to popular demand now two episodes are aired in a week.

While it is popular among the community, it has irked the extremists groups. Certain ghastly incidents took place in the region in last week of July 2003.

On 19th July 2003 a cultural event involving the school students took place in Lesliganj in Palamau district of Jharkhand . After the closure of the event few school children were escorted back to their village in the AID van ( Audio-video campaign van) . After the school children were dropped along with the local school teacher the van was returning back to Lesliganj. The van was waylaid by group of 20 armed naxalites and all of them got into the van. The village leaders pleaded with them to disembark and allow the organization vehicle to go back. But the armed naxalites refused to listen.

As the vehicle did not return to the office past the midnight, the members of AID went to the village to find out about the whereabouts of the vehicle. It was understood from the villagers about the episode and they had hijacked the van along with the driver, teacher and watchman of AID to undisclosed destination. The AID personnel went in search of them throughout Lesliganj and Panki blocks. In Panki jungles they could identify the team and the vehicle was parked elsewhere in the jungle. They snatched the two motorcycles of the people of AID as well who went in search of them. After long deliberations and arguments they finally gave back the two motorcycles but refused to release the van. But they released the AID personnel who were in the van. They argued that AID can carry on health and education program but AID should refrain from organizing the masses and carry on any development activities. Further they were threatened that they would burn the vehicle if we gave any information to the police on this incident.

In fact there have been long pending issues in the region between the extremists groups and the AID. The main grudge for the groups is that AID is able to organize the masses on the issues and they are forced to organize the masses at gun point. AID has been active in the region in the formation of Gram Sabhas ( Village committees) so that the people can take direct responsibility for development work and the issues in their villages. Last year through the Gram Sabhas certain irrigation points ( Ahars ) were constructed in which the focus was on shramdaan ( voluntary labour). This made the naxalites to beat up the Gram pradhan ( Village head) and they tried to stop the work but the work went on. The reason being the similar work if carried out by the government department or any contractor then they would have shelved out lot of money to the naxalites . This has been made impossible with the people's direct participation.

For any development work in the region, the contractors have to pay heavy tax ( illegally and it the local parlance it is called levy) to the groups to enable them to carry on any development work in the region. This levy varies between 20 to 30% of the construction cost. For laying of any roads, wells, dams and any other construction work, for selling the forest produce the middle men , contractors including many NGO's pay levy to the groups. With AID they have not directly demanded levy but they want this money. We have refused to budge and always talk to them on ideological levels.

Earlier also several times they have beaten up the AID personnel and also snatched away a motor cycle as well . They always want AID to dialogue with them and explain the sources of funds . In spite of several dialogues they are never satisfied as basically they are not interested in dialogue but want to use intimidation tactics and overthrow the organization from the region.

As several rounds of talks on the days of 20,21 July failed for retrieval of vehicle, an FIR was lodged with the local police station. A discussion was also held with the SP of Palamau. They assured to take appropriate action . It was also discussed to deal with the matter tactfully as we have to work in the same villages and any retaliatory action of the police will have lot of repercussions on the activities of AID as well.

On 26th July night the PWG armed extremists set the van on fire and it was entirely gutted along with the audio video equipments and portable generator in the van. The van is now in the custody of the Police station in Panki. This van was mainly used for narrow casting of the Chala Ho gaon Mein program and as well educative video shows were arranged for the school children and the women group members. Incidentally this region is deprived of not only roads but there is no electricity in any of the villages and the show used to run on batteries or portable generator.

Several rounds of meetings are now taking place at the village level with various community representatives on the future course of action to be adopted to continue the work in the region.

These retaliatory measures were long expected by AID and now it has happened. Though psychologically it has been a blow to us but it is temporary and we are sure that we will emerge out victorious from this. But it is true that lot of us have to put our lives in peril to work in the region. IT needs strong motivation, courage and morale boosting to work in the region.

With the mass peoples support we are confident that we will steer ahead the activities. We are also making counter strategies to ensure that the programs in the region will address this grave issue of extremism in the region.

As it is clear that these groups who vouch for ideology are nothing but bunch of criminals who have no ideology and are anti-development and anti-poor. It is a blot on ideology as they are never working for the poor. The poor are intimidated a lot and are in pincers jaws. On one end there is extreme poverty and no development and on the other end the people have to face the violent situations and are under constant intimidation from these groups. The long term solution would be possible only when the state and district administration wakes up to this long pressing issue of non-development, takes people into confidence and charts out multi pronged approaches. Further there is less political will as most of the influential political persons are having closer links with the extremists groups for their survival and security.

Now they have threatened us to take away the program of the community radio Chalo Ho goan mein from air as it has become one of the popular programs in the region. They have also warned the NGO of dire consequences earlier as well if we continue with this program. We always felt the threat perception from the vested interest groups of middlemen, contractors, government authorities and never apprehended that it would hit the unexpected corners of the extremists groups.

But we are determined to continue and may be we will one day make their fear true - the people who are opposing tooth and nail against non-development will also oppose against the extremists in the region. They are surpressed under the gun power and thus people are hesitant to openly oppose the extremist groups lest they would be singularly targeted and wiped away.

The group has now focused its ire entirely on the NGO and it may build up pressure among the community also not to participate in the program and it may target AIR Kendra in Daltonganj also for airing the program. The threat perception is looming large.

It is most unfortunate that a people's oriented program is targeted in such a ghastly manner. The extremist's outfits which vouch for propoor policies are actually anit-poor and anti-development. The ideology of propoor is once again being used as an excuse to intimidate the poor . Probably they refuse to understand that the community is non-supportive to its initiatives but forced to listen as they are afraid of its strong arm and life threatening tactics. They should not mistake the people's fear to following their blotted and blotched ideology. But will the wisdom draw upon them ??