OFFTOPIC: We need your voice... please sign this petition on community radio in India...

[Frederick Noronha (FN)]

Dear friends at FSUG-Bangalore:

This is a freedom/free speech issue... 

We need your help! An online signature from you will go a long way...

The current "Community Radio Policy" of India is discriminatory towards
communities as it bars community members, community-based
organizations, non-government organizations and other civil society
groups from applying for licenses to operate low power community radio
stations. The policy holds that only "well established educational
institutions/organizations" can apply for a community radio license.
So, what we have in the name of Community Radio is in reality Campus
Radio.

Several organizations, academicians and individuals have been actively
campaigning for communities' right to access the airwaves for the last
seven years. They have made innumerable representations to the Ministry
of Information & Broadcasting and to the Broadcast Regulator (Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India-TRAI). They have also written and
submitted several drafts to reform the existing Community Radio Policy
so as to include community rights in it. In spite of these efforts the
government continues to be non-committal and discriminatory.

We urge you join hands with us to mount adequate pressure on the
government to end this discrimination against the largely rural and poor
communities. Please express your solidarity by signing the Urging The
Inclusion Of The Right Of The Communities Within The Community Radio
Policy petition at
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/comradio/petition.html

Sincerely,

Stalin K.                    DRISHTI MEDIA COLLECTIVE, Ahmedabad
Preeti Soni                  KUTCH MAHILA VIKAS SANGATHAN, Kutch
Ashish Sen                   VOICES, Bangalore
Arun Mehta                   RADIOPHONY, New Delhi
Vinod Pavarala               UNIVERSITY OF HYDERABAD
Vickram Crishna              RADIOPHONY, Mumbai
B P Sanjay                   UNIVERSITY OF HYDERABAD
Frederick Noronha            INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST, Goa
Basheerhamad Shadrach        ONE WORLD SOUTH ASIA, New Delhi

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1995-2005: Ten years of waiting for community radio in India!
To know more: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/cr-india