Muktadhara @ 89.6 FM

Contact Person: Dr. Sanjoy Ganguly

Broadcasting Language: Bengali (local dialects)

Genesis: Jana Sanskriti has been active in the Sundarbans region for three decades. Mukta Mancha was constructed in Digambarpur as a community initiative and has since transformed into a community centre. The community radio and its role was conceptualised as an extension of the same. From Mukta Mancha (meaning the open stage) came Muktadhara. ‘Mukta’ means free, and ‘Dhara’ is a flowing stream. A flow free from dogma and all those structural constructs that prevent a dialogue between people is what is implied by the term Muktadhara – celebrating movement in peace and togetherness! 

The centre of the community radio station was inaugurated on 7th May, 2022 and the first broadcast was done on 28th September, 2022.

Thematic Focus: The primary focus areas of Muktadhara CRS are promoting traditional art and culture, women’s empowerment, education, the discovery of talent within the community, infotainment, building relationships between all community stakeholders, and health and environmental awareness building.

Sustainable Development Goals: Muktadhara is focussed on achieving the following SGDs: 

SDG 4: Quality Education

SDG 5: Gender Equality

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institution

Primetime Programmes: The primetime programmes broadcast by Muktadhara ae listed below:

Jatra Pala: Performances of jatra (folk theatre) taking place in surrounding areas are recorded and 

played in parts weekly for the community members to enjoy and learn from.

Music programmes: Promoting performers from villages in surrounding areas.

Group Discussions on special events: There are programmes on various subjects, from women’s issues 

and healthcare and the environment to sustainable practices. There are also discussions and 

programmes on various festivals about issues surrounding them, their importance to the community, etc. 

Innovations in format or any other way: Muktadhara believes that providing the community with a platform and engaging them in meaningful, constructive ways is an innovation in itself. From the technical aspect, the CRS is working on bringing live broadcasts and digital radio streaming into its repertoire. The CRS also provides a platform to local artists including singers and theatre performers. 

Core Team: Muktadhara operates with a small but dedicated team of four people. Women from the local community enthusiastically step forward to help in curating programmes and also essay the role of radio jockey. 

Major Projects Undertaken: Since Muktadhara is a budding CRS and is still in its early days, it is yet to be a part of any major projects in association with a leading agency or organisation. 

Sustainable Strategies: The CRS a strong, existing community from Jana Sanskriti’s years of engagement in the area, helping it construct a community of listeners. The CRS approaches this community for a small annual contribution of INR 50 (tentative figure). The CRS might also lean on friends and well-wishers as required occasionally. Alongside this, Muktadhara is also looking to apply for grants from the government and UN organisations to run the station sustainably.

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Number of listeners and Potential Outreach: The CRS has an outreach potential of 50,000 people within its broadcast range. Jana Sanskriti reaches more than two lakh people in the area through performances. The CRS intends to create a community of at least 10,000 listeners and co-creators in the coming days. 

Major concerns in the Community: Major concerns include gender inequality and discrimination against women, caste-based inequality, migration, child marriage and trafficking, environmental degradation and related issues.