*'General' Narasamma lords over Sangham Radio* Televisionpoint.com Correspondent | Hyderabad 17 Oct 2008, http://www.televisionpoint.com/news2008/newsfullstory.php?id=1224247387
Move over all you RJs, as the original of 'em all is coming to rock the air waves. 'General' Narasamma is coming to rule and reign. A 10-year old plan is fructifying now and from October 15, India's first rural and all women community radio, went live at Machnoor village in Medak district. Former Chief Justice of India, P B Sawant, launched it. It is also the first all woman community radio station in Asia. As soon as justice Sawant switched on the 50-watt transmitter at 11 am, the voice of the Deccan Development Society (DDS) women went live with local songs. Recalling the way his judgement had been realised by the marginalised women of the DDS community, Sawant exhorted them to use the radio to reclaim their human rights and realize a true democracy, which was distinct from the electoral democracy of the day which abandoned people once elections were over. 'General' Narasamma and Algole Narasamma, the radio jockeys will talk to the rural folk in their own Telangana lingo and dialect and what they want to hear. In short, the rural folk will talk to themselves as people in several villages in the vicinity of Machnoor, where the radio station is located, have all contributed to making programmes. They will sing, tell stories, discuss issues confronting them and give advise. Sangham Radio owned, managed and operated by the women of the DDS Community Media Trust will be heard in several villages in the 35 km radius of Machnoor in Jhara Sangham mandal. Last week, there was excitement at the Sangham Radio station in Machnoor as RJs 'General' Narasamma and Algole Narasamma were busy recording songs. "The women have already recorded 500 hours of programmes over the last few years. As many as 2,500 women are involved in contributing to the programmes apart from 16 'reporters' who go out to the villages and record them," said P V Satheesh, secretary, DDS. "Masthu Kashtapaddam. Eppudu Santhoshamga undi (We worked really hard. Now we are happy)," said Algole Narasamma, adding that it was not easy making the villagers feel comfortable in recording programmes. Even before any of the FM radio stations went on air in the cities, the women folk at Machnoor had been recording programmes. The Union ministry of telecommunications permitted FM stations in the cities and then community radio stations in universities and educational institutions but the rural women had to wait. The wait is now finally over as Sangham Radio has completed all necessary formalities to launch next week. 'General' Narasamma, one of the RJs said that issues and problems that confront the rural folk would form part of the programme. The prefix 'General' stuck to 25-year-old Narasamma's name because of the leadership qualities she showed even as a child. She is displaying the same qualities in deciding the content of the radio programmes. For instance, a programme on farmers' suicides was made last year and kept ready as it was an important issue. A farmer of Yelugoi village in Jhara Sangham mandal committed suicide by hanging himself on the village outskirts and another of Yethamamidithanda in Zaheerabad mandal consumed pesticide when they could not sell their sugarcane produce. "We quickly noticed the trend and recorded a programme after speaking to their families. We advised farmers in the programme to first cultivate food grains for their basic needs instead of taking up cultivation of commercial crops," 'General' Narasamma said. With such meaningful programmes, Sangham Radio over the Medak airwaves will prove to be a boon to the rural folk.
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