that twinkle on the sea...

phew! our first narrow casting session... we had around 30 people... some came an hour before and some came good two hours late... we started after 330 pm instead of 230 pm... after gulping a few hiccups (like people turning up in fewer numbers and late, like pradhan wanting to join after lunching at 330, like tiny setting up glitches), we began...

we had a bonus programme about settlers... remember miracles?

for a long time i wondered if anyone was absorbing anything at all... there was a cricket match going on in the school ground next to the panchayat community hall...

after programmes on women's unemployment and fishing i spotted few nods at the right places... then pradhan said women should try on their own and not wait for external help... does it mean somewhere it pinched him?

pradhan was reeking of alcohol... it was funny to hear him talk about efforts to stop "sharaab ki problem" in the radio programme... however, every alternate programme kept his attention and hence the interest of samiti members... he laughed out loud and clapped couple of times...

bengali songs, written or composed or sung by the community members were loved... bhalo lagchi... mormontic gaan achhi...

panchayat secretary was warm and said he loved the programmes... later he promised he will make sure the project goes on because it is important and because so much energy has been invested... touche...

however, people were hesitant to react in front of the panchayat presence... mostly only the members spoke...

430 pm... sun starts setting... women who had come at 1 pm start worrying about walking back home and were fidgety... i stared hard at the sky trying to tell that dog up there to stay a little longer... you can will rain into showers but not sun into over time... hmmm... you can also will people into staying...

one guy spoke about how people drink because of lack of recreation options... alright, but beat up women and children because of lack of diversion???

couple of women came to me after the programme was over, spoke to me about how women - no matter how strong willed and determined they are - do need external support... that stiff behaviour of men - as husbands, fathers, society does not help their case at all... girls here are married off very early...

some came to me with more ideas... pollution, environment, education etc... philip and sadhana asked me if we could give them some kind of identity letter if they wanted to interview the DC... savita, who lost her father last month and has to look after her bedridden mom, said she loved the programmes and will keep in touch... she said she cant participate because of her family problems but will keep calling me...

this counts more than their promise of completing 10 episodes and getting a certificate...

end of the day, i spoke for 5 min... explained the same orientation day stuff... medium, tool in their hands, empowerment et al... was shit scared before we started...

but somehow things are much simpler when you have given that one honest shot...