The Hindu : National : Communication technology transforms lives

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 04, 2005

National

National

Communication technology transforms lives

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 3. On December 26 last, when the coastal Indian States were taken unawares by the tsunami, villagers of Veerampattinam in Pondicherry had noticed unusually high water level in the sea and preferred to stay away from the shore. And, when the killer tides actually came, the panchayat head broke open the door of the Open Knowledge Network (OKN) centre to warn the people of the impending threat over the public address system that helped save precious lives.

Veerampattinam is connected to Nallavadu village through OKN programme, and the rest of the coastal villages in Pondicherry, which are connected through infovillage programme developed and run by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF). Veerampattinam is one of the several villages connected through information technology. ``It was a difficult task to involve the people in adopting this technology but it finally did happen,'' says P. Pakkialatchoumy, a young woman who introduced the village to information technology.

A diploma holder in Electrical and Electronic Communication, Pakkialatchoumy belonged to a family living below poverty line before technology changed the face of her village. Today, she runs weekly programmes in Tamil for All India Radio and the village has its own radio where local information is disseminated to the people. And, any piece of information generated by her or any other villager earns them Rs. 5 each that supplements their household income.

Aruna, a videographer for Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), also belongs to a slum in Ahmedabad. It was her love for photography and association with SEWA that gave her an opportunity to learn videography. Today, she is a sought-after photographer who has her own collection of films on various issues that she sells or lends to other groups.

``When I told people that I was learning video, they thought I worked for `videocon' company. They did not like my leaving the house early and staying out late in the night for work. It took a lot of effort to convince the people,'' she told reporters here today.

Then comes Pratima, associated with Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra, who has been active in empowering `Van Gujjars' — forest tribals — through wireless sets. This community was totally cut off from society due to inaccessible habitations. ``Our organisation trained them to use wireless sets and they are now linked with each other and our Dehra Dun-based headquarters. They can seek help as and when required,'' she said.

The story of Asha Sharma is no different. She has connected several bordering villages of Delhi and Haryana to a hospital through a hotline that has helped in improving the health status of the people, particularly women.

These four women shared their experiences at the World Summit on Information Society in Geneva recently organised by One World South Asia, a non-government platform for enabling a meaningful dialogue among multiple stakeholders on the development agenda through information, communication and technology. More than 500 organisations, private sector and individuals are partners in the One World Initiative.

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