The CGnet Swara helpline and Aam Aadmi party are showing the democratising influence of technology. They have violence, corruption and disenfranchisement in their sights
As India heads towards a general election next month, indicators suggest that once again the government will be formed by allegiance to local thugs, caste, religion or money.
But this time the story is a little different thanks to a group of social activists under the banner of a new party called the Aam Aadmi party (AAP). Armed with idealism and technology, it managed to upset the apple cart in the Delhi assembly election a few months back. Perhaps it's too soon for AAP to form the next central government as they did in Delhi – before they resigned after a month when they failed to pass an anti-corruption bill as had been promised – but it has filled the air with some optimism for a positive change in Indian democracy in the days to come.
We at CGnet Swara are part of a similar experiment in central India, which is inhabited by 100 million people from indigenous communities also known as adivasis (original inhabitants) or tribals. At present, Indian security forces are engaged in a bloody battle with adivasis led by Maoist guerrillas, whom Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh called India's biggest internal security threat.
Many are unaware of the role technology played in encouraging people to come to roadside demonstrations before the Delhi elections and also on the voting day, and similarly, many are unaware of the role technology is playing to solve this internal violence. The mainstream media covers the Maoist insurgency only when either side makes a big strike, as the Maoists did earlier this month, killing 15 Indian paramilitary soldiers in one attack. Yet people are quickly realising that the foot soldiers of this war on the Maoist side are taking the lead because India as a nation has failed to establish communications with these people who live in rural communities and speak various languages.
The internet has very limited reach in India. The government has estimated that less than 7% people have access to it, but more than 70% now own a mobile phone. Yet a combination of mobile phone, internet and radio can be a game-changer – as we are showing with CGnet Swara. Here, CG stands for the Central Gondwana region in central tribal India, and Swara means voice.
Now if a woman in a remote village has a problem, she can pick up her mobile phone and call the number of CGnet Swara. She is immediately connected to a computer which records her voice message. Web users all over the world can then help to edit and translate these messages before being put on cgnetswara.org, where it will reach many on social media. The officer responsible for solving the problem of the lady who called CGnet Swara in the first place will then get flooded by phone calls from web users who heard her message. Some journalists may also pick up the story.
Someone recently called to say that his relative was arrested by police a week back but has not been produced in court in 24 hours as the law suggests. Hours after the report was aired, his relative was released. Another boy called to say that though the supreme court has ordered that security forces should not occupy schools, his had been. Three days after the report, security forces vacated the school. In this way people's problems are getting solved and India as a nation is increasingly able to stop citizens from feeling hopeless.
AAP does not have enough candidates to give a real fight in national elections yet, but a prudent mixture of old and new technologies is slowly changing the face of governance, media and democracy in India and will have its impact in the days to come. Similarly, if we want a better future and functioning democracy, journalism must also become everybody's business.
• Shubhranshu Choudhary won the Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression award 2014 for digital activism Reported by guardian.co.uk 1 hour ago.
As India heads towards a general election next month, indicators suggest that once again the government will be formed by allegiance to local thugs, caste, religion or money.
But this time the story is a little different thanks to a group of social activists under the banner of a new party called the Aam Aadmi party (AAP). Armed with idealism and technology, it managed to upset the apple cart in the Delhi assembly election a few months back. Perhaps it's too soon for AAP to form the next central government as they did in Delhi – before they resigned after a month when they failed to pass an anti-corruption bill as had been promised – but it has filled the air with some optimism for a positive change in Indian democracy in the days to come.
We at CGnet Swara are part of a similar experiment in central India, which is inhabited by 100 million people from indigenous communities also known as adivasis (original inhabitants) or tribals. At present, Indian security forces are engaged in a bloody battle with adivasis led by Maoist guerrillas, whom Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh called India's biggest internal security threat.
Many are unaware of the role technology played in encouraging people to come to roadside demonstrations before the Delhi elections and also on the voting day, and similarly, many are unaware of the role technology is playing to solve this internal violence. The mainstream media covers the Maoist insurgency only when either side makes a big strike, as the Maoists did earlier this month, killing 15 Indian paramilitary soldiers in one attack. Yet people are quickly realising that the foot soldiers of this war on the Maoist side are taking the lead because India as a nation has failed to establish communications with these people who live in rural communities and speak various languages.
The internet has very limited reach in India. The government has estimated that less than 7% people have access to it, but more than 70% now own a mobile phone. Yet a combination of mobile phone, internet and radio can be a game-changer – as we are showing with CGnet Swara. Here, CG stands for the Central Gondwana region in central tribal India, and Swara means voice.
Now if a woman in a remote village has a problem, she can pick up her mobile phone and call the number of CGnet Swara. She is immediately connected to a computer which records her voice message. Web users all over the world can then help to edit and translate these messages before being put on cgnetswara.org, where it will reach many on social media. The officer responsible for solving the problem of the lady who called CGnet Swara in the first place will then get flooded by phone calls from web users who heard her message. Some journalists may also pick up the story.
Someone recently called to say that his relative was arrested by police a week back but has not been produced in court in 24 hours as the law suggests. Hours after the report was aired, his relative was released. Another boy called to say that though the supreme court has ordered that security forces should not occupy schools, his had been. Three days after the report, security forces vacated the school. In this way people's problems are getting solved and India as a nation is increasingly able to stop citizens from feeling hopeless.
AAP does not have enough candidates to give a real fight in national elections yet, but a prudent mixture of old and new technologies is slowly changing the face of governance, media and democracy in India and will have its impact in the days to come. Similarly, if we want a better future and functioning democracy, journalism must also become everybody's business.
• Shubhranshu Choudhary won the Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression award 2014 for digital activism Reported by guardian.co.uk 1 hour ago.