The “India Story” is at once simple and complex. On the one hand, between a third and half of the country survives on less than a dollar a day; on the other hand, it boasts of the third most number of dollar-millionaires.
On the one hand, female foeticide as a result of sex determination is tilting the sex balance. On the other hand, one of the country’s poorest States has now given birth to Aapaan Samachar, an all-women community news network.
Prabhakar Kumar reports on CNN-IBN that the free-to-air network in Bihar’s remote Ramlila Gachi village runs on the barest of bare resources. Reporters, camerawomen, anchors all run around on bicycles.
“We do stories on water and electricity problems, farmers’ woes, and women issues. We then telecast them in the village market so that everyone can watch and think,” says reporter Anita Kumari.
In a part of the world not known for giving equal space to the better sex, it is resulting in the empowerment of women.
“The parents of these girls want their daughters to move ahead in life and venture into such initiatives,” says Santosh Anand, the man behind the initiative.
Read the full story: All women news channel makes headlines
Also read: Freedom of the press belongs to those who iron one
Photo courtesy: CNN-IBN
IJR 