[cr-india] Take Govt to Court/ Run CR trng camps!!!

[Sucharita Eashwar]

I am intervening at this point of the debate to remind Bandana that the
issue is not whether UNESCO did take permission etc, but whether to file a
public interest litigation, using DDS as case in point, contesting the
government's action in refusing access to the airwaves to be used for the
public good, in contravention of the Supreme Court judgement which said that
the airwaves are a public resource which must be used for the public good
and cannot be a monopoly of the government.
 
Some time back, I had discussed this course of action with the Law School
and the then Director's opinion was that we would have a case. So, are the
CR activists ready?!
 
And I do agree with Bandana that many more applications for community radio
need to be made, so that a critical mass is created to influence the
Minister, the government, the media and public opinion. We should have more
community groups, universities and NGOs asking for licences for education,
social development and cultural expression.
regards
Sucharita Eashwar
-
 -----Original Message-----
From: Bandana Mukhopadhyay [mailto:mbandana at hotmail.com]
Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 1:02 PM
To: cr-india at sarai.net
Cc: voices at blr.vsnl.net.in
Subject: Re: [cr-india] Take Govt to Court/ Run CR trng camps!!!







Vincent

What will be our issue at the court ?

The ground realities are:

1.	DDS has the equipment gifted by UNESCO but UNESCO did not take the
requiste permission from I&B ministry to import it 

2.	I&B Ministry had auctioned FM channnels but no NGO or groups had
conested teh auction or made a bid for a channel 

3.	Government had then reserved one FM frequency in every city where
commercial FM was allowed for social development and education which has
been given to IGNOU along with money to develop the channels 

4.	MIB is on record saying that a firm policy for community radio is
her proirity number one for 2002 and she expects to announce it after the UP
elections 

5.	 AIR had offered on priority time slots in LRS for the NGO sector
and has brought down the fee for each 30mt slot to Rs. 2500, an amount which
so competitive that if you actually set up your own station broadcasting
expenditure will cost you higher. But the NGo sector has not responded to
the offer 

6.	There are at present only 7 applications with I&B ministry for
direct access to braocasting (inclusive of DDS) and most of them are from
educational institutions.

This scenario really does not make a case for urgency on the part of the
government to look at the issue of community radio. The government is
responding only because a few of us are leading/hammering/requesting for a
opening up of the sector. 

Bandana Mukhopadhyay


>From: vincent.dsouza at vsnl.com 
>Reply-To: cr-india at sarai.net 
>To: cr-india at mail.sarai.net 
>Subject: [cr-india] Take Govt to Court/ Run CR trng camps!!! 
>Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 22:08:04 +0530 (IST) 
> 
>THis issue abt taking the State to Court in the DDS case. 
>I certainly think we are now pussyfooting on the issue hoping to avoid a
confrontataion. This thought does creep in when we own a huge facility and
wonder if its worth it. I guess satish too has this dilemna to face at DDS
and one can understand his fears and dreams. 
> 
>But I also think that this is ineed a landamrk time to pursue legal action
and even get the best state lawyers who may do this for free considering
that the issue is universal. 
> 
>Go to court before the SS and other Ministers proclaim that they gave us
CR!!!! 
> 
>BTW are people like Fred, Subbu Vincent and Co. thinking of ways to enlist
campuses, NGOs and others to CR trg seminars a nd workshops that will equipt
these groups to the CR reality and make them ducks to water-types. 
>isnt there a need to build capacity as Swaraj brings in narrocasting etc
etc. 
> 
>I know that Dr Leela Rao and her team at manipal Inst of Communication are
willing to send resource people to any centres to train NGos, etc etc; I am
sure many NGOs will be keen to seize the oppor. to get to radio. 
> 
>I am wiling to co-ord this effort with state run Womens Corpn. here (TN
state, India) to kick off radio sensitiviy camps/workshops. 
> 
>Vincent D souza 
>Madras 
>India 
>_______________________________________________ 
>CR-india mailing list 
>CR-india at mail.sarai.net 
>http://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/cr-india 

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