[Thanks to Jaisaktivel for this link] First things first: this is not, by any stretch of the imagination, the "first tribal community radio station" in the world. It is probably not even the first in India. There are literally hundreds of tribal community radio stations in Latin America and North America, in New Zealand, Australia, PNG and the Asia Pacific in general, and no doubt dozens more in East Asia.
Secondly, this is not a community radio station. It is owned and run by Vanya (a govt-run 'society') and the Tribal Welfare Dept. of Madhya Pradesh. As one can see from the YouTube video<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=707Jn8o3-gQ>, it seems to be run entirely by non-tribals. The announcer speaks chaste Hindi. The station starts the day's broadcast with 'Vande Mataram', that well known tribal song. It is commendable that at least some of the programmes broadcast by Vanya Radio are in Bhili, a tribal dialect, but that does not make it a tribal radio station. AIR broadcasts in dozens of tribal dialects in central India and in the North East, where it also runs five 'community radio stations'. That does not make AIR a tribal or community broadcaster. According to the news story, "the radio station will play an important role in disseminating information about various welfare schemes". That is what state-run radio stations do. AIR has done that for nearly 65 years now, at immense expense, without any marked success. Sajan *"First Tribal Community Radio Station to go on air at Bhabhra on July 23"* 21 July, Central Chronicle http://www.centralchronicle.com/viewnews.asp?articleID=64225 World's first Tribal Community Radio Station will go on air at Bhabhara (Alirajpur district) in Madhya Pradesh. The radio station set up with the assistance of Vanya and Tribal Welfare Department will broadcast programmes in 'Bhili' dialect by tribals. The function to launch the radio station will be held on July 23, 2011 at 11 am at Bhabhra, the birthplace of Amar Shaheed Chandrashekhar Azad. BJP national president Nitin Gadkari will be the chief guest of the function, which will be presided over by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The Guests of Honour will include former Union Minister and MP Kantilal Bhuria, MP and State BJP president Prabhat Jha, SC, ST Welfare Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah, Minister of State for Public Health and Family Welfare and minister incharge of the district Mahendra Hardia, Alirajpur MLA Nagar Singh Chauhan and Jobat MLA Smt. Sulochna Rawat. The Bhabhra Radio Station will broadcast programmes for two hours daily, which can be heard at 90.4 megahertz frequency within 20 km radius. The radio station will be run by the local tribal community. The programmes prepared locally will be broadcast in their Bhili dialect. The radio station will play an important role in disseminating information about various welfare schemes on the one hand and on the other hand will also serve as a bridge between the people and the government. It is perhaps first occasion in the world that a Community Radio Station is being launched in tribals' own dialect in the wake of the State Government's efforts to ensure tribals' participation in administration. http://www.centralchronicle.com/viewnews.asp?articleID=64225 Related Links : First Tribal Radio Centre Of World To Be Launched At Bhabra On July 23 http://www.mpinfo.org/mpinfonew/newsdetails.aspx?newsid=110719N24&flag1=1 First Tribal Community Radio Station to go on air at Bhabhra on July 23 http://www.mpinfo.org/mpinfonew/newsdetails.aspx?newsid=110721N9&flag1=1 Madhya Pradesh tribals can now hear radio in their dialects http://www.mpinfo.org/mpinfonew/newsdetails.aspx?newsid=110722N16&flag1=1 Vanya Radio Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=707Jn8o3-gQ --- Via Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE Jaisakthivel, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Communication, MS University, Tirunelveli - 627012, India Visit: www.dxersguide.blogspot.com www.sarvadesavaanoli.blogspot.com Join: www.groups.yahoo.com/group/sarvadesavanoli Mobile: +91 98413 66086 ///////////////////////
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