MEDIA-INDIA: Child Scribes in Villages Raise Development Issues
By Nitin Jugran
TONK, Rajasthan, Jun 4 (IPS) - Children should be seen, not heard -- an adage that remains in practice in most parts of rural India even today where the orthodox patriarchal traditions continue to hold sway in tightly-knit local communities.
It is nothing short of revolutionary then that children in some villages of Rajasthan, the largest state in the country and one of the most backward, have assumed the role of the media to tackle social and development issues which they proclaim concerns their wellbeing and future.
These dynamic grassroots youth reporters have actually begun impacting policy decisions in villages in Tonk district, situated about 120 km away from the state capital, Jaipur.
Thirteen-year-old Savitri was distressed by the situation created by loose live electric wires hanging low over fields in her village. The villagers were unable to work and tend their crops as a result. Despite several complaints to the electricity department, no actions were taken for several months by officials.
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