“Baal gayi baer aapaur … yi gayi chutch” across the boundary line it’s four runs!
A radio commentator rising to his feet in excitement almost screaming on the microphone from a makeshift commentary box at the far end of the field. The ball hit the boundary for four runs and Jammu, a team from North Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, won the final match of the cricket league that went down to the wire.
The final match was being played in the country’s capital New Delhi. Cricket is India’s most popular game but for many fans this tournament is even more special because it had players drawn from a displaced community – the Kashmiri Pandits. The radio commentators left the listeners teary eyed who were sitting miles away in Jammu. The community had migrated fearing persecution during the height of the insurgency movement in 1990s that had rocked the Jammu and Kashmir valley.
In its first attempt as a community radio station in the conflict ridden province, Radio Sharda in Jammu city has only transmission coverage of 7 miles aerial radius 3, but it works as an emotional connection for friends and relatives displaced and dispersed from their own land.
Bridging the gap
“The elderly anguished in the pain of losing their home and hearth. The young are disconnected with the past and have not been exposed to the rich cultural history. Struggling with the feeling of getting alienated from our traditions, language and culture, we decided to set up a not-for-profit community radio” explain Ranish Hangloo, 26, cofounder of Radio Sharda and a journalism graduate.
The studio with digital recording facility has the bare essentials of an office space. A dug out pit right outside the porch anchors the foot of 120-ft tall transmission tower. The Jammu and Kashmir government leases the building. A small yet dedicated staff consisting of a radio jockey, contributors, a sound engineer and a marketing person doubling as office executive runs the day fares.
This resource crunch has not dampened the spirits. “During our religious festival Herath this year there was a record surge in the numbers of people tuning into our station. We had Kashmiri Muslim Bhakti (devotional) singers for the special telecast on the day and we were full of song requests. Interestingly, Muslim poets singing Hindu Shaivite devotional songs are popular choice of Kashmiri Pandits. They sometimes sing better than the Pandits.” recalls Hangloo.
The community radio station had begun for Kashmiri Pandits but it enjoys unswerving listenership among Kashmiri Muslims too. The radio has helped bridge the gap between two communities. “Fifteen thousand families listen to us by FM in Jammu city. We do know of people in Tral, Srinagar and other places in the valley supporting us. More tune in on Internet to listen. Sometimes economic viability and team capacity creates hurdles.” explains Hangloo.
A daunting task
The community radio movement is not new to India. Around 165 community radio stations in India have a viral outreach to people who use transistors costing as low as $1 to listen to broadcasts that voice their aspirations. Indian government plans to help set up 500 stations over the next 5 years.
A daunting task for media here is to cater to a deeply divided country with 1.2 billion people belonging to complex castes (a social division), regions and religion structures. The problems intensify with limitation of media in outreach, lack of resources to sustain local media and viciousness of hunger and livelihood that drive people out of their native place to search for work in cities.
People speak in numerous tongues. Nearly 77% live on less than Rupees 20 (0.37$) a day. TV is beyond the reach. Electricity has not reached many of these villages. Community radio in India therefore has a huge potential to transform local economy and social mores of small hamlets and towns of this India. It is also bringing together those communities that have been traditionally marginalised through local community participation.
Socially relevant broadcasts are empowering vast majority of rural youth employed in the informal sector by connecting them to prospective employers. The range of this change is from bringing silent change in Kashmir valley to the tribal districts of Jharkhand and Chattisgarh in central India that have been hit by left-wing insurgency.
Community radios in India are licensed to NGO’s and universities. Sustaining community radio in India is a challenge. Since they are not run by private groups and the greater aim is generally to be socially relevant, generating revenue remains a tough task.
Big advertisers do not trust the quality of transmission or its intent, so local shops and businesses are the only sources of revenue besides small funding. On an average a community radio needs 21,000$ annually to run. A chance of good revenue generation is limited. The corporate groups can come forward and support community radios by integrating Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approach.
On a high note
A testimonial on the Radio Sharda page on facebook by a listener Usha Nehru writes “Kashmiri music sooths my nerves that I had forgotten from more than thirty years. I don’t feel that I am lonely anymore. Thanks to all of you who run this radio station.”
However sustainability and funding remain crucial problems for community radios. Advertisers and mass communicators wishing to reach rural audiences can bring a dynamic difference to this equation.
The community radio has a long way to go but the start has been on a high note.
“We are optimistic of change and we’ve helped people overcome the feeling of loss and dispossession. We say it in the tagline ‘Booziv ti khosh rooziv’ i.e listen and be happy” smiles Radio co-founder Hangloo. These airwaves may just change things in India.
Words and photo by Akanksha Saxena, India
