Concept of Community Radio in Development of Rural Entrepreneurs
– Right of Information as defined in Article 19 of Universal declaration of Human Rights.
Communication is a term we are very acquainted with it’s a tool of expressing your thoughts to others. If we talk about the role of communication in our lives. Can we ignore its importance?
Once I, read it somewhere that creativity, Communication and Communities three major factors that make human being some what distinct from rest of living species. There creative sense give rise to the artistic nature in them, While communication is the power that makes them different from nature’s other creations and communities are made to preserve previous both art, language and culture.
Talking about a combination of these three, which can be used for the development of societies, and people which are neglected, but having a desire to rise. The concept of Community Radio is an example of such model.
This paper is forward looking approach written to find the signs of development in the rural industries by connecting them to Community Radios. One can ask why rural entrepreneurs only? Answer is simple Community Radio is one of the most effective tools for interaction with small communities like untouched rural communities in India… In India, the rural communities are still in their worst condition, they don’t have clean water to drink, no sanitation, no arrangements for proper education and electricity is still out of their reach. In such conditions, can we think of a community to develop and make progress? We don’t blame government for this as they are trying their best to provide them facilities, but one cannot change the mind of the people without saying a single word and offering them a “Kohinoor”. What they need exactly is awareness and knowledge, rather than insufficient facilities. The concept of “Gramodyog is still not working, and if working then not efficiently; the reason may be lack of awareness, knowledge and connectivity with outer world. The rural artisans, craftsman, Cottage industries, etc. are being exploited by big urban entrepreneurs. They cannot revolt just because of the fear of being dejected from their low some earnings.
Community Radio is an effort to make a bridge of awareness and knowledge between government policies and mind of rural entrepreneurs, but is still not much popular in, India because of rigid policies, rigorous paper work and inflexible attitude of government. It is a concept, which is still to be materialized in Indian context.
While, talking about the utility of community radio for the development of rural entrepreneurs, like cottage industries (pickles. .papad,: etc.). khadi Gramodyog and other small industries (tube- choke. agarbatti’, Matchcs. etc,), here are few points to show its utility-
1.The rural entrepreneurs can be made aware of latest government Policies.
2.The rural industries related FMCG like honey & dairy products can be made aware of hygiene & sanitation.
3.The easy dissemination of knowledge of latest technologies and opportunities can be made.
4.Above all, they can be educated, acquainted and connected with outer world
In India few community radio projects were started in near past and are running quite successfully, like Kunial Pachi of Kutch District and Chala Ho Gaon Mein of Daltongunj. But they were for community development not for development of rural entrepreneurs, the concept we are talking about.
Conclusively, the concept of “Community Radio” is the concept need to be accomplished by the people and for the people. This can prove to be very close to the mind of rural entrepreneurs and may make them aware, educated, knowledgeable and action oriented about the various government policies, technologies and developmental programmes. Entrepreneurship development is not very new form for community people. They are having idea about that, but due to different communication barriers it cannot be communicated to their corresponding target audiences. But when the message will serve regularly after a common interval, it will influence due to reinforcement of message.
In this way we can hope a prosperous way of development through young entrepreneurs in our community, that fellow will be an opinion leader for rest of community and in such a way we can start a chain of message communication and it will get strengthened by reinforcement of Community Radio and thus we can make a healthy, prosperous and aware society with full of information, knowledge and work for every hands.
(in assosiation with Gitanjali Srivastava)
