Revolution in a Bihar Village
By Sanjay Kumar
February 14, 2011
As the Arab world is witnessing some long overdue political change, a
tiny village in the eastern Indian state of Bihar is experiencing a
smaller, much quieter revolution. This uprising isn't destroying a
regime, but is still tearing apart an archaic system.
Leading this movement are young women, most aged between 14 and 21,
who have taken it upon themselves to challenge existing social norms
that restrict them from moving freely and making their own choices in
lives. The weapons of this revolution are cameras and microphones.
There's no electricity in Chandkebari village, which is just 80
kilometres from Bihar's capital of Patna. Yet despite the darkness, an
exciting news project seems to be thriving. Under the leadership of
Santosh Sarang, Appan Samachar, or Our News, offers a unique media
platform for raising awareness over the issues affecting these women
and society more broadly. A team of two dozen girls is currently
involved in running this venture, for which they've had some training
in handling small digital cameras, writing scripts and reporting. They
edit their stories in a nearby town with the help of some keen
volunteers, who have been involved with the project since its
inception in 2007.
The girls typically head off on bikes with cameras and microphones in
their front baskets to start reporting for the day. A small office is
located in the centre of the village where weekly bazaars take place.
After the stories are edited, the programme is shown during the weekly
bazaar or market on a projector. The villagers seem to immediately
connect with the stories, which have frequently prompted pressure on
the local administration to make changes. These small successes have
given the girls a real confidence boost and galvanized the village.
The girls aren't paid, but they seem to see the freedom and
opportunity of change as reward enough.
The week I spent in Chandkebari was a real eye-opener. Ashwani, a
14-year-old girl from a particularly deprived area, lives in a small
hut with her parents and three small siblings. She told me that Appan
Samachar offers a way out of the grinding poverty and sense of
hopelessness that previously marked her life.
Defying her parents, who had taken her out of school and were planning
to marry her off, Ashwani joined the news platform after being
inspired by seeing the bike riding reporters at work. Supported by
other villagers and Appan Samachar founder Santosh Sarang, this Dalit
girl (the lowest caste in India), has resumed her studies and is now a
full-time worker with the news organization.
Appan Samacharwas launched in 2007 as an experiment for bringing up
village issues, but many parents were initially reluctant to allow
their daughters to get involved. Over time, though, attitudes have
shifted, and joining the Appan Samachar team is now seen as a
prestigious move.
Still, running such a venture in a village without electricity isn't
easy. A lack of financial resources complicates their work, and
screenings have sometimes had to be postponed when the group hasn't
had enough money to pay for local power generators. Usually, though,
villagers manage to scrape together the funds necessary to get things
back on track.
In last year's Bihar Assembly elections, women played a major part in
the thumping victory of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who a few years
ago started a scheme providing bicycles to girls who pass their 8th
standard test. Bandana Preyashi, a dynamic young female officer with
the Indian Administrative Service, attributes this 'awakening' among
women to the policies initiated by the present government, which are
aimed at empowering women at all levels in society.
Whatever the reason behind the success of Appan Samachar, there's no
doubt it has become to the citizens of Chandkebari what the Al Jazeera
network is proving to be for the Arab world—a medium of change through
alternative journalism. The project demonstrates the power of the
media to intervene effectively in bringing about far-reaching changes
in societies across the globe.
Once people relinquish their fear, real change can take place. This
nondescript village in Bihar is a fine example of that.
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