Journalism Gives Voice to Untouchable Women
In India, members of the Dalit caste, also known as untouchables, often work as cobblers, roadsweepers, janitors, or worse. They have been discriminated against for centuries and enjoy little to no rights. And all too often, the women are illiterate and have to ask their husbands or brothers for permission to work or go to school.
But, in the Northern state of Uttar Pradesh, a small newspaper is giving Dalit women a unique opportunity to voice their concerns. Recently, the LA Times profiled Khabar Lahariya, or News Waves, a newspaper run entirely by Dalit women. Every two weeks, they print 4,000 copies of a new issue, which is estimated to reach up to 40,000 people in and around Uttar Pradesh. The paper is supported by Nirantar, a New Delhi-based NGO that works with issues of gender, education, and development.
These women are remarkable. They're involved in every aspect of the paper — from writing articles and selling ad space, to delivering papers to remote villages. "We take buses, cars, motorcycles until the road stops, then we walk," said one staffer.
They've developed a knack for shining light on local injustices, the LA Times explains, and often get the scoop on what's happening in the community from other villagers.
The paper's recent stories included alleged bribery at health clinics, a bureaucrat reported to be siphoning off money meant for widows and a piece on the brother of a powerful politician who built a house, blocking water that had gone to Dalit farmers nearby and destroying their livelihood.
The paper has received a lot of positive feedback from the surrounding communities. Residents used to complain that Dalits' issues were underrepresented in mainstream media. One shop owner tells the LA Times how much he values Khabar Lahariya as a news source:
Other papers aren't printed in our language and don't write about local news we're most interested in... This really feels like our own. I just wish it were more than eight pages so I'd have more to read.
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Comments
Certainly awareness is
Certainly awareness is growing about caste discrimination in India but it's happening at an extremely slow pace: in most areas, dalits are still isolated and ignored and it is only rarely that you hear of great programs such as this newspaper that are committed to lifting the barriers. In most cases, children are instilled with a strong sense of caste differentiation from a young age and this remains the biggest problem that India faces in battling the caste system as these children continue to propagate it throughout their lives. The Indian government definitely needs to increase awareness of caste discrimination in schools where many students are separated based on caste which obviously manifests into severe divisions later on in life.
Maria,
Maria,
Indeed you are right. The LA Times article delves into this issue further than my post. In case you didn't read it, here's one excerpt:
I, however, wanted to focus on the positive part of this story. I think it is important to inspire people with stories like these because, although they are rare, they are real. The LA Times reports that Nirantar believes that Khabar Lahariya can "serve as a model for other communities in India." Until the government works to increase awareness of caste discrimination in schools, I am glad UNESCO is supporting Nirantar and Khabar Lahariya's efforts. I hope more projects like these flourish all over India.
You're absolutely right about
You're absolutely right about using positivity to raise awareness, it's definitely a more effective and inspiring tool. The tragedy is that the caste struggle has become quite a muddled up situation, I don't know if you're aware but the Indian government currently has reserved seats in government offices and certain schools, colleges and universities specifically for those of lower or scheduled castes and this is creating quite an uproar. On the one hand, the policy has helped dalits overcome the barriers they used to face but on the other, many worthy students are losing out on seats in good colleges because they are reserved. This policy is particularly strange as it fuels the caste system by identifying people by their castes and classes. The concept of the caste system is such a sensitive one as to target it and effectively handle it one has to address it and by addressing it one is accepting and validating its presence!
Mention should also be made of one of the illustrious Indian politicians, a dalit who indeed overcame much struggle to become the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, an extremely large state in India. She has spent much of her term constructing pointless statues of herself across the state and pays little attention to the plight of her people. In many ways, the handling of the caste issue is royally confused with corruption and religion being entwined heavily. Thankfully, some people, like those you have mentioned in your post, are trying to work through the mess. However, I do think that we're a long way away from achieving any true change.
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