Khabar Lahariya: The all women journalism movement of Bundelkhand

What makes Khabar Lahariya different from other media organisation is that of its unique band of truth warriors, the women from the backward section of the society are breaking the barriers of caste, race and gender and using the weapon of journalism for the development of the society by raising the issues of the area drawing the attention of the government.

Khabar Lahariya is very much popular in Bundelkhand, which is situated between the border of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in India. Khabar Lahariyaoperates mainly in the area of Satna, Jhansi, Faizabad, Banda, Barabanki, Lalitpur, Chatarpur, Mohoba, Panna, Riwa, and Chitrakut. It focuses on the core area of rural India.  The areas, which are completely out of the spotlight or away from mainstream media attention.

Speaking to News Sense, Meera Devi, Chief Reporter of Khabar Lahariya said, “Khabar Lahariya is run by non-profit Nirantar Trust. It was started in the year 2002 as a one-page monthly newspaper, handwritten and drawn by a woman of the area. It gradually became popular and soon became a weekly color newspaper with more than 1 lakh readership across the Bundelkhand area. Now to reach out to the bigger audience, Khabar Lahariya turned to digital platform two years back in the year 2016”.

Khabar Lahariya is the modern avatar of Mahila Dakiya, a newspaper that was started in the year 1993 by women of the area to raise their issues, but soon because of lack of fund the journalism movement stopped. As the Newspaper was very popular, the locals of the area felt the need its need and after more than 10 years in the year 2002 the woman regrouped together and with much thoughts and brainstorming started Khabar Lahariya with the financial support of Nirantar Trust.

Khabar Lahariya follows the everyday stories of the common people. It also acts as a powerful local watchdog, an instrument for enforcing grassroots accountability, by exposing the acts of omission and commission by the local bureaucracy and political class.

Khabar Lahariya also reports on issues of violence and atrocities against women with a clear understanding of gender and caste structures in the society. The News reports in Khabar Lahariya time and again questions the very structures of power and inequity in the personal sphere of the family, as well as in the public realm.

Khabar Lahariyais now the country’s only women-run brand of digital first rural news. It reaches 3,00,000 people a month through a print edition in Bundelkhand and multiple digital platforms. Khabar Lahariya now has a network of 24 women reporters in 8 districts of Uttar Pradesh and is growing. The slogan of Khabar Lahariya is It’s your news, in your voice.

Written and Reported by Jaydeep Dasgupta | Editor | News Sense