AUGUST 2008

ICR Presenters visit India

Inishowen Community Radio have produced a series of six digital stories and a radio documentary on the plight of the Dalit class. Emma McDermott and Trudy McLaughlin travelled to Hyderabad, in India in April. The trip was financed through the Simon Cumbers Media Challenge Fund, and the girls were accompanied by Mike Mullins and Maarten Muldere from Operation Mobilisation.

The ICR team met with many Dalits, who are sometimes known as the Untouchables, and are at the bottom of India's notorious caste system. They visited numerous projects aimed specifically at helping these people overcome caste oppression.

"One of the most disturbing sites we visited was a 'Pipe Village' on the outskirts of Hyderabad," Emma said. "Basically, the adults in this small village worked in a factory that made large cement pipes. Behind the factory the village was made up of perhaps 50 large cement pipes which the factory leased to the workers and their families to live in. The pipes were converted into houses using corrugated iron etc. but they are still very, very basic structures to live in - no running water or electricity.

"Trudy said "The documentary is really to help raise awareness of the situation the Dalits are in. Many people here have never even heard of them, yet there are almost 250 million people affected by this caste oppression. The programme will give some background on the whole caste system and why this segregation has become such an intricate part of Indian society".

However, the programmes also focus on the changes that are beginning to occur in Indian society. Emma continued, "In recent decades there have been changes, especially in urban area where some Dalits are beginning to find that change is possible. The documentary will also tell of various ways these caste related problems can be overcome and how eventually caste may come to an end.

The packages will be broadcast as part of 'Voices of Inishowen' starting at 9.30 am on Thursday 14th August. The documentary itself can be heard at 10am on Friday 22nd August. The six digital stories will be available for viewing at www.icrfm.ie from 14th August.

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