In Villages Across India, Community Radios Give People a Voice of Their Own

In a world dominated by screens, scrolling, and short attention spans, radio continues to do something remarkable: it listens back. In India, where access to media is still shaped by language, literacy, and infrastructure, radio remains one of the most intimate and democratic forms of communication.

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 It reaches kitchens and fields, buses and courtyards. And in the form of community radio, it does far more than broadcast information — it builds confidence, trust, and collective power.

Across the country, community radio stations are reshaping how communities see themselves and the issues that matter to them.

Sangham Radio

This idea of radio as a shared space is perhaps best embodied by Sangham Radio in Telangana. Launched in 2008 by the Deccan Development Society, it became India’s first all-women community radio station, run entirely by Dalit women. These women, many of whom had never used a microphone before, began producing programmes on sustainable farming, nutrition, seed sovereignty, health, and women’s rights in Telugu. 

What it means for the community

Sangham Radio has shifted who gets to speak and who gets to be heard. For Dalit women, the microphone became a tool of dignity and agency, challenging caste and gender hierarchies while strengthening collective decision-making within villages.

Radio Mewat

From Telangana, the story moves to Haryana’s Mewat region, where Radio Mewat has been transforming lives since its launch on September 1, 2010. What began as just 2 hours of unstructured broadcast has now grown to 14 hours a day, with programming shaped entirely by the demands and expectations of the community. 

The station addresses education, maternal health, sanitation, and livelihood awareness, using local dialects and familiar voices to discuss issues that were once taboo or ignored.

What it means for the community

By choosing conversation over instruction, Radio Mewat has built trust where external interventions often failed. It has helped normalise discussions around girls’ education, healthcare, and financial independence, making change feel local rather than imposed.

Radio Bundelkhand

Further east, Radio Bundelkhand in Central India has been giving a voice to communities since its launch on October 23, 2008. As Madhya Pradesh’s first community radio and India’s second, it is run by Development Alternatives from TARAgram Orchha. The station follows a participatory model: villagers, including young girls, farmers, and local leaders, are trained as reporters and help design programmes that reflect local needs and aspirations.

Its flagship initiatives include ‘Kaun Banega ShubhKal Leader’ on climate adaptation, “Gali Gali Sim-Sim” promoting nutrition, ‘Zaika Bundelkhand Ka’ encouraging smoke-free cooking, “Ajeevika” linking people to sustainable livelihoods, and “Bundeli Idol” celebrating local folk music.

What it means for the community

Reaching over 400,000 people across 150 villages, Radio Bundelkhand empowers communities to participate in local governance, make informed decisions, and preserve their culture, turning radio into a tool for both practical solutions and collective voice.

Radio Ujjas

A similar sense of ownership drives Radio Ujjas in Gujarat’s Kutch region. This pioneering initiative by the Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan (KMVS) began in 1999, with its first serial, ‘Kujal Paanje Kutchji’, airing on All India Radio in December of that year. Run by local women, many of whom are illiterate, the station produces radio serials, documents folk music, and has served as a vital information source during crises such as the 2002 Gujarat earthquake. It addresses issues ranging from climate uncertainty and migration to domestic violence and wage inequality.

What it means for the community

By putting women in control of programming and broadcast, Radio Ujjas has given them visibility and a voice in their villages. It has strengthened leadership, encouraged participation in local governance, and preserved cultural and linguistic heritage, creating a model of empowerment for the region.

Taken together, these stations reveal what community radio does best. It doesn’t chase reach; it builds relevance. It doesn’t simplify lives into soundbites; it allows complexity to exist in familiar voices and languages. In a time when the media often speaks about communities, community radio continues to speak with them — and sometimes, most importantly, lets them speak for themselves.

Sources:

‘A radio by the people for the people’ by Mehwash Hussain for The Hindu, Published on 27 April 2024.

Radio Mewat

‘Radio Ujjas’ by Global Comminit, Published on 21 March 2011.

Radio Bundelkhand