Chhattisgarh Public Relations department conveying the state’s voice in Bastar through innovative art-based publicity.
Raipur: New winds of trust and development have started flowing in the Bastar region. A new faith has awakened among Bastar people, and now not only are they changing their sides to free themselves from exploitation and fear but also are now moving forward in unison towards prosperity and change in their lives. The result is that today, change and economic prosperity are getting reflected in their lives. The publicity and promotion mechanism of governance is pivotal in uniting people and making them aware of their entitlements and interests.
In order to inform about the state government’s policies, decisions, plans and programs started in the interests of the tribals, the government system has effectively used not just the traditional methods but also modern technological means wherever necessary, in order to convey its message and winning people’s trust. Short films, songs, skits and drama were staged and played out in the vernacular dialects such as Halbi, Gondi, Bhatri and Chhattisgarhi which are spoken in the interior villages of Bastar, where there is a lack of education to inform and create awareness about the decisions and schemes of the government. Artists from the art troupe tried to create awareness among the people in remote villages of Bastar region in their own language and dialects creating a new ambiance altogether. People started coming forward to take advantages of the schemes launched by the government and now they have also started adopting necessary standards of hygiene, education and self-reliance for their own betterment and welfare by abandoning the pre-existing stereotypes and bad habits.
Malaria outbreak has been a curse in the entire Bastar region for centuries now. But with the effective role of awareness and publicity system of the government-run Malaria-Free Bastar campaign, people have now started taking anti-malarial drugs and medicines without any hesitation, along with adopting other remedial measures for it’s prevention. As a result of this, the series of malarial deaths in Bastar has stopped. As much as 65% cases of malaria has been controlled in Bastar region. Due to the government’s perception and publicity system, the people of Bastar are beginning to reach health centres directly, instead of any Baiga-Gunia, after falling ill. The significant increase in the number of childbirth in Bastar in the last two years and the decline in maternal-infant mortality is a proof of the same.
The government publicity system left no stone unturned to make people aware of the purchase arrangements by the State Government for minor forest produce on the support price. This is the reason that now the forest produce collector families of Bastar have started selling their small forest produce to registered government institutions instead of selling forest produce to traders and middlemen. The increase in the purchase price of minor forest produce has enhanced the confidence and trust of Bastar people towards the government. The state government has tried to ensure a fair price to the collecting families for their hard work by increasing the rate of tendu patta from Rs 2500 to Rs 4000 per standard bag. Due to the increase in support price and procurement system of minor forest produce, Chhattisgarh became the leading state of the country in the purchase of forest produce last year. 73% of the country’s forest produce was purchased in Chhattisgarh.
The farmer friendly policies of Chhattisgarh Government has strengthened and encouraged the people of Bastar region to become Self-reliant and more dedicated towards agriculture. Due to the widespread publicity of farmer-friendly policies and decisions by the government, people have joined the Suraji village scheme and the Godhan Nyaya Yojana and have started moving towards the path of self-reliance. Along with animal husbandry in Gothaan through fodder management as well as green fodder production, various other profit generating activities such as mass vegetable production, vermin-compost composting, poultry farming are also taking place.
Regarding the benefits of Mukhyamantri Suposhan Abhiyan , the publicity system was able to convey to the Bastar people that they can overcome the evils of malnutrition and that the health of mothers suffering from anemia can be improved. This is the reason that the rate of malnutrition in Chhattisgarh, including Bastar, has dropped by more than 14 percent today. In the entire state, about one lakh children have overcome malnutrition and 20 thousand women are free from anemia and such women and children are leading a healthy life as a result of such schemes and programmes.
The effective programs of the government publicity and promotion system in Bastar region, has also created a positive environment for plantation of fruit bearing plants, cultivation of medicinal plants and herbs, forest produce based industries, cultivation of small grain crops and organic farming and many more.
Social media and radio are being used regularly by the Public Relations Department as a tool to reach out to the subjects of the sate and make aware of the states schemes and policies, along with other traditional mediums like art-troupes, to spread the schemes of governance to the people in tribal dominated Bastar region. Along with poverty alleviation in Bastar, efforts are also being made to provide necessary health facilities to the people, to eradicate malnutrition and to light the flame of education. Even today in Bastar, a large population lives in the village and is deeply attached to its culture. Song-music, dance and drama are being used in local dialects to convey information regarding the schemes of government to this large population. Vehicles with LED screens are also continuously been reaching the villages for providing information about government schemes to the people in local dialects through audio-visual medium. Extensive publicity programs were conducted, in the month of January, in all 7 districts of Bastar division including 150 Haat-Bazars for creating awareness about government schemes through measures such as distribution of poster-pamphlets etc. to the people. People are also being encouraged, to take advantages of government schemes, in local dialect by art-troupes in 150 haat-bazars. Information regarding the government schemes and achievements are being informed and conveyed among the common people through photo exhibition from time to time in all the development blocks of Bastar division. At the same time, information about government schemes is being disseminated in the form of radio jingles through the All India Radio. Through the Lokvani program broadcast every month by the Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel, information about the government schemes and achievements of the government is being communicated, which is widely heard in the Bastar division.
Witnessing this awakening in Bastar region with the help of the said propagation of the government’s schemes a firm bond of trust has been developed in the minds of the people, one is reminded of these lines of famous poet Waseem Barelvi, depicting the importance of effective communication: “Kaun si baat kahan kaise kahi jati hai, ye salika ho to har baat suni jati hai.”