Villagers turn radio jockeys in Gurgaon

GURGAON - Sporting multi-function wireless head phones, their heads bobbing in tune to the beats in front of studio mikes and confident fingers tapping the keys on the console– they are not the stylish urban radio jockeys but ordinary villagers playing on a community radio.

At a time when the national capital region (NCR) is flooded with FM stations playing the latest music, a Gurgaon-based NGO has started a radio station run by villagers.

The only civil society-led community radio station in the NCR, Gurgaon Ki Awaaz Samudayik Radio Station, broadcast on 107.8 MHz FM, is a platform for and by the marginalised community groups in Gurgaon– villagers and migrant workers.

“The station is supported by The Restoring Force (TRF), an NGO that works in government schools in Gurgaon district, primarily in the area of infrastructure enhancement,” said Arti Jaiman, project manager of the community radio.

It was launched Nov 19, 2009, after several months of training for its team of raw village recruits, most of whom had never even worked on a computer before. Broadcast in Hindi and Haryanvi, it is run by a team of people, the bulk of whom come from these target communities within Gurgaon.

“When we approached the radio station, we clearly told them that we don’t know English and have no idea how to work on a computer. But, as we started working, we learnt many things and gained confidence. We can now edit our programmes,” said Naresh, a school dropout from Sarai Ailawardi village.

Gurgaon Ki Awaaz comes on air 24 hours a day and plays a wide range of programmes on career, entrepreneurship, migration, women’s empowerment, health, folk culture, music, sports and community reportage by school-going children.

“I report on health issues and try to create awareness. Initially, I was nervous but now I am comfortable. when I started, I covered only Bhurera village but now I cover four to five villages,” said Sharmila, who works as a reporter for the radio.

The radio station recently celebrated three months of successful operation. The bulk of programming on Gurgaon Ki Awaaz is done on-site in government schools in villages such as Garhi Harsaru, Sikanderpur, Sarai Alawardi and Dhankot.

“The radio is a wonderful medium to reach the community. By its very sound and music, it is very evidently ‘their’ station. The station records and airs folk music and folk ballads performed by local music groups and performers, music for children (much of it recorded by students of government schools), and debates and discussions very much like Chaupals, that bring together diverse voices,” Jaiman said.

The radio station doesn’t lag behind on the basic concept of an FM channel that is music. When the listeners tune in, they invariably get to hear various forms of music sung by local ‘mandalis’ or ‘bhajans’ by village women.

“So unique is this sound, so rooted to the land and collective community memory, that there has been an instant connect with the station. Not one listener asks for Hindi film music,” she said.