By Arpana, IANS
New Delhi : With their grit and drive, they could be making headlines. But this group of women from Uttar Pradesh write them instead in their fortnightly newspaper Khabar Lahariya that goes to 200 villages and represents the best in journalistic courage and ethics.
Meera, Shanti, Kavita, Mithilesh… from the Chitrakoot and Banda districts in the heart of India’s most populous state are award-winning journalists, whose newspaper in the Bundeli language has broken stories, pinned the administration on varied issues and presented a societal mirror on gender, health and other issues.
But they are also women who have stepped out of their homes and sheltered existence to earn a living through an abiding commitment towards everyday truths – bettering their life and that of of others around them.
The behind-the-headlines story of the eight-page newspaper brought out by the group of Dalit women and the behind-the-scenes look at their lives has been effectively captured in the short film “Taza Khabar – Hot Off The Press” by Delhi-based filmmaker Bishakha Dutta.
The 30-minute film, which was shown in the capital this week, focuses as much on the team as on the newspaper, which over five years has built a circulation of 2,800 and sells at Rs.2 a copy.
The camera follows closely as the reporters go newsgathering, edit and visualise pages, do the illustrations, market their product – and, of course, manage their homes too.
Their careers redefining their relationship with their families and with society, the group of doughty, articulate journalists go from village to village, mostly on foot, looking for news on the functioning of the panchayats, bureaucracy, schools, hospitals in the region and crime.
As most journalists, mainstream or otherwise know, getting information is not a cakewalk.
“We face problems. Sometimes we are threatened for telling the truth or exposing the truth,” said Meera, the editor of Khabar Lahariya, literally a ceaseless wave of news.
“For example, when we exposed officials in a meeting for not providing proper medical facilities in a remote village where eight people had died of tuberculosis, the authorities were not so happy with us,” she added.
According to Shanti, Khabar Lahariya has changed her life.
“Like many other Dalit women, I was facing all kinds of hardship… from a financial crunch to physical abuse from my husband. I used to work as a housemaid. I couldn’t read or write.
“But since I started working here, I have got new confidence. I have learnt to read and write and am financially independent too,” said Shanti, who has left her husband and lives separately with her five children.
There are other profiles in courage.
Another reporter, Kavita, who is editor of the recently launched Banda edition of the newspaper, has a similar story to tell. She also left her husband because he didn’t take proper care of her and is now living on her own.
Like other journalists elsewhere, these women have undergone extensive training too.
Said Meera, who is also pursuing a degree in political science: “We were trained before being put on the job. We are capable of doing everything except computer work and working on the pagemaker. We also want to do it but there isn’t any institute which provides training on the pagemaker.”
In the last five years, the newspaper has made quite a name and people come to the women to volunteer information and also to advertise.
In March 2004, the women behind Khabar Lahariya received the prestigious Chameli Devi Jain award from the Media Foundation for outstanding mediapersons.
“After we won the award, my family members became more supportive. We give breaking news. Our news makes impact. One of the managers who used to cheat while distributing pension to the widows was sacked after we published reports against him,” said Shanti.
Though the reporters themselves market the paper, they have employed other agents too — copies are now available at small shops and tea stalls in block headquarters and in remote villages.
The funds come from Nirantar, a Delhi-based organisation that works largely on the issue of gender and education, which has been instrumental in conceptualising the newspaper. It supports the process by providing regular editorial and production support, training the reporters and providing financial assistance.
“Nirantar is currently working towards making Khabar Lahariya an independent unit. We are also running a training programme in Rajasthan to launch same kind of newspaper there,” said Shalini Joshi of Nirantar.
“The name of the newspaper is going to be different in Rajasthan,” she added.
The Rajasthan edition should add another stimulating chapter to this saga of courage and determination.
(Arpana can be contacted at [email protected])