Radha Shukla (43) cannot remember the last time she took a holiday. “It’s so long since I celebrated a festival with my family. But I don’t mind; my work is important,” she insists.

To Shanta Koshti (50), the years spent as a poorly-paid beedi worker seem like another lifetime. “At present, my entire focus is on motivating people to stand up for their rights. On an average, I spend three to four days every week travelling around villages, and my family is supportive of my decision,” she says.

Happy to help local women farmers uncover their inherent abilities and gain self-confidence, G Gandhimathi (43) says it is “very gratifying when someone comes up to me and appreciates my efforts”.

Shukla, Koshti and Gandhimathi are no ordinary women. They rule the airwaves in rural India and have a finger on the pulse of their local community. As managers of their respective community radio stations in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, they don’t mind trading ‘normal life’ for an opportunity to make a real difference in society. “I have been running a radio station since 2009 and can confidently say that it is truly a medium of the masses and can aid in achieving sustainable development,” says Koshti.

Tune in to empowerment

Of the country’s 179 community radio stations, some broadcast to the most remote and backward areas. The decision to give educational institutions licences to set up community radio stations 13 years ago was later extended to civil society and voluntary organisations. Since the first station went on air in 2004, the sector has flourished all the way.

Bimal Julka, secretary, Information and Broadcasting Ministry, says, “The community radio movement has emerged as an important medium for disseminating information to people in their own language.” The government has allocated ₹100 crore under a Plan Scheme to provide infrastructure support to upcoming stations, he says.

“Be it women’s empowerment, disaster management, education or health, this sector has been able to spread awareness,” says R Jaya, joint secretary in the Ministry.

Recently, Shukla, Koshti and Gandhimathi were among the representatives from nearly 165 community radio stations who had gathered in the Capital to discuss their role in taking good governance to the people. The occasion was the Fifth National Community Radio Sammelan, jointly organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the non-profit OneWorld Foundation India. Rajiv Tikoo, Director of OneWorld Foundation India, points out that “one doesn’t have to be literate to either set up a radio station or create content that connects with the people. What is essential is passion and commitment.”

Shukla has no dearth of either. The Station Manager of ‘Waqt Ki Awaaz’ in Bairy Dariyao village in Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh has no qualms about riding 33km each day on her Scooty to reach her workplace. “The station can be heard in 300 villages and we produce news magazines, quiz shows and dramas in Awadhi dialect. Our focus is on health and agriculture, which makes us very popular with female listeners,” she says.

Despite operational challenges such as frequent power failures and financial constraints, she manages one live show per week and produces seven hours of engaging content together with her five team members. “Health is a major concern for the women. They don’t know how to access government schemes, so we patiently address all their queries,” Shukla says. One of her major achievements is a weekly phone-in show with the district collector. “Where getting direct access to the collector is virtually impossible, our show enables villagers to share their concerns with him, one-on-one,” says the proud station manager, as she efficiently juggles duties at home and the workplace.

Hear the woman’s voice

From the dusty terrain of western UP to Azamgarh on its eastern border, another inspiring station manager, Seema Bharti Srivastava, is creating quite a stir on the radio waves. She left her cushy job at All India Radio Lucknow to become the ‘Voice of Azamgarh’ on 90.2 MHz. “Very early on, I had decided that I wanted a career that would allow me to influence real progress,” she says. Broadcasting from Anjaan Shaheed village, the station has enabled her to understand the people of Azamgarh, widely considered a hotbed of extremist activities. “Initially I was hesitant to relocate, but soon realised my fears were unfounded. Although the milieu is conservative — they were shocked to see a single woman living alone and not observing the purdah — everyone eventually warmed up to me because I gave them the chance to talk about their lives and the issues close to their heart,” she says.

Not surprisingly, Srivastava identifies gender disparity as a major problem in the region. “Girls can’t move around without restrictions, talk freely on subjects like menstrual health or hope to stay in school beyond Class VIII. I try to talk about the biases through dramas or discussions, and I am starting to see a definite shift in the mindset,” she adds.

Koshti is bringing people together for creative problem-solving through ‘Rudi No Radio’, run under the aegis of SEWA (Self Employed Women Association) at Manipur village in Ahmedabad district, Gujarat. People in 40 villages tune in to 90.4 MHz for daily shows like Saptarangi , which showcases folk music, and Vadlo Bole Che , where community elders share their life experiences. Koshti and her all-woman team go from hamlet to hamlet for content. “Lack of high schools, child marriage, drug addiction among the Durbar community and caste divide are just some of the serious problems around here,” she says.

Listeners in 58 villages of Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, fondly refer to Gandhimati as “FM Madam”. The Periyar Community Radio’s motto is “Think-Innovate-Transform”. “We broadcast the success stories of women farmers as examples of emancipation and empowerment. Additionally, we interview experts on new innovations in agriculture,” she says.

Each of these women is striving to achieve a common good. As Shukla signs off aptly, “The true potential of community radio will be realised when rural women gain the confidence to ask questions — of themselves, of their community, and their government. We can then proudly say our work here is done.”

Bhanu Priya Vyas ( Women’s Feature Service )

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