Women lobourers run Andhra periodical

Women labourers run Andhra periodical
By SONAL KELLOGG
New Delhi, Feb. 11: Illiterate farm labourer women of Chitoor district in Andhra Pradesh have been instrumental in coming out with a monthly newsletter, Navodayam, all on their own for the last seven-and-a-half years.
The all-women team of the magazine earlier worked in farms in rural Andhra Pradesh but now they are empowered women who question government schemes in their district, expose corrupt government officials and government project which are not working. They are the women who have successfully brought out more than 65 issues of Navodayam.
The all-women team of reporters, circulation manager, editor and illustrator report, edit, make the layout, print and circulate the magazine all by themselves. The magazine, which began on August 15, 2001, was initially published as a quarterly newsletter of the Indira Kranti Pratham, a state government of India programme for the upliftment of rural women of Andhra Pradesh.
Magazine editor V. Mallika said they have been training literate rural women for the magazine and over 100 poor women have learnt reporting, writing, editing and layout with the newsletter in the seven-and-a-half years of its existence. The circulation manager of the magazine, Ms K. Manjula, who also doubles up as a reporter, said that the initial issue has 750 copies printed but today the newsletter has become a monthly and they print nearly 15,000 copies due to increase in demand.
At present, 12 women are working in various capacities for the magazine, which also has Ms E. Bharati who doubles up as writer and illustrator. The women who work for the magazine have encountered opposition from various men especially from the liquor lobby and those whose corruption the women have exposed in their newsletter. The magazine focus on development, self-help groups, rural credit and rural banking. It carries news and analysis of poverty eradication and other development work in the district.
The first issue of the magazine has eight pages but it now have 20 pages and when it began the newsletter covered news from 10 mandals, now it covers news from 65 mandals, which is nearly half the district.
These women have undergone basic training in journalism and have improved their language, writing and editing skills. They have learnt that it needs courage and integrity to deal with consequences of conscientious reporting and critical writing. Ms Mallika said, "These women have grown with the magazine. Six of us are now in the editorial board of the newsletter."
Two of the women in the editorial board are graduates from the Open University and the other four are pursuing their graduate studies. Some mainstream regional dailies are willing to take these reporters as stringers for their newspapers also.
All of them faced severe opposition from their families. Ms Mallika said that when her husband deserted her when she refused to leave her job she choose to keep her job despite the stand her husband took. Some of the women who faced severe opposition and were not able to withstand the pressure even quit but the twelve who have decide to remain, including Ms Mallika, Ms Bharati, Ms Manjula, the circulation manager, Ms M. Ratnamme, the former editor, Ms V. Jayanti, who is a sub-editor, and D. Chandrakala, a reporter, who are all in the editorial board, feel empowered.
Ms Mallika said, "Villagers are now scared of us as we are journalists. Also, we are not scared of interviewing the DSP and even the collector. Earlier, I was scared of even policemen."
Inspired by their success story, self-help groups under Velugu, an NGO, have started eight newsletters in eight different districts of Andhra Pradesh but they have not been as successful as Navodayam.

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