Click to play videoNew Delhi: When the devastating earthquake struck Gujarat in 2001 and communications links collapsed, it was the humble HAM radio that came to the rescue.
By giving out localised information, it aided rescue teams to reach the hundreds that lay trapped beneath the rubble.
It was the second generation radio revolution waiting to happen. Now, five years later, the Group of Ministers (GoM) set up by the Government has given a green signal to liberalise the community radio.
"This operates at the grassroot level and once people can have access to this kind of information, you can put across anything to them, whether it is education or health. It's an absolute necessity," says columnist, author and visiting professor at Centre for Policy Research, B G Verghese.
The GoM has proposed that any university, registered trust, civil society bodies or NGO will be eligible to operate community radios.
It also proposes a single window clearance for applications with the assurance that clearance will come in under three months.
And most importantly, community radios can now have commercial advertising with a cap of five minutes of every broadcast hour.
The Government believes it has the beginnings of a revolution. But when the proposal goes to the Cabinet, there is every possiblity of a spanner in the works.
Many private FM channels are believed to be unhappy with the commercialisation of the community radio for this could mean loss of some business for them.
There is also the bogey of internal security - the fear being expressed is that the community radio could become a tool for insurgents to spread their agenda.
"The twin towers have happened, there is no way you can stop it. They don't need community radio to do that," reasons Verghese.
In effect, the community radio will ensure that the information revolution would not bypass the Indian countryside. This may turn out to be just the right weapon empower the rural population.
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