Most significant Change Stories

Rupa Gahatraj wants change for Dalits

Through training from MS partner Nepal Press Institute Rupa Gahatraj can now work for change through community radio Bheri Awaz in Nepalgunj

By Malene Lærke

26. July 2006

19 year old Rupa Gahatraj has since early childhood wanted to become a journalist and used to practice reading the news in front of the mirror. Today she is one of three Dalit women in Nepalgunj in Banke district working in journalism. She laughs when she tells about sitting in front of the mirror practicing but today she is in fact doing it and that makes her proud and confident. 

“Journalists can understand the situation of poor people and report the stories so people can hear about the sufferings. I just felt that I had to join the journalism sector to make a difference. I want to fight for awareness about the problems in society,” she says.

There is no doubt in her voice when she tells she wanted to become a journalist to make a difference for Dalits being a Dalit herself. She, however, feels she is a privileged Dalit. She grew up in Nepalgunj and the economic situation of her family is good. Therefore, she has not, as she says, been through the same suffering and discrimination that Dalits in the villages are facing. 

“Through my work I would like to see full human rights in Dalit society because I have seen so many troubles and I feel such sadness and pity,” tells Rupa Gahatraj and adds that journalism has brought a change to her own life. Before she would pass the day at home not doing much; today she is busy trying to meet the next deadline.

“I feel I have gained confidence, I have learned to deal with people and I can dig into the issues when people are suffering. I feel proud when I can tell about it and can find and explain the reasons for peoples suffering and help to find solutions,” she explains.

Rupa Gahatraj works at community radio Bheri Awaz in Nepalgunj and is reporter and host of the programme Hepieaka Awaz - a programme for Dalits and dominated people. She plays yesterdays programme in the studio while explaining that last week she went to a village and found a conflict at the local school. People were angry because the headmaster had distributed government scholarships that were meant for Dalits and ethnic students and given the scholarships to students from so-called high caste students instead without informing the school management committee.

“This is a story that shows lack of transparency and monitoring from the district education office and discrimination of Dalits. Now we have made the DEO aware of the problem and interviewed them about the problem. Hopefully things will change now,” tells Rupa Gahatraj.

Today she is busy getting out to the village Madhaha in Motipur VDC, Banke district to do a story for the next programme about the benefits of a credit and saving programme in a Dalit village and to talk to women about reproductive health and the consequences of prolapsed uterus. 

Rupa Gahatraj path on the journalism road changed when she was offered a free training in radio journalism from MS Nepal. When she first started out in journalism she paid for a three months basic journalism training from Nepal Press Institute, NPI, where she learned to write news and had an internship at a local newspaper. Afterwards she began working at the newspaper Haamro Samraachana. Later, when she had completed the ten day radio journalism training from NPI she got the job at community radio Bheri Awaz where she has been working voluntarily for nine months. 

“The training has sharpened my skills and taught me how to collect information from the spot and I learned to interact and deal with people. I also learned that just saying something on the radio without knowledge does not work. There should be knowledge and principles in what you are saying to make people understand the issue,” tells Rupa Gahatraj.

“After the radio training I am able to speak on the radio. It has sharpened my language and I know about the technical things and I can run a music programme. The big change for me was that I got this job at the radio. With the radio media it is possible to reach more people,” she says. 

When Rupa Gahatraj goes out in the field to do stories she is treated with respect, however, she does not tell people her caste unless she is asked.

“If they ask I also tell them I come as a journalist and not as a Dalit. I am here as a media person to find solution and I don’t feel like a Dalit but as a journalist,” she tells with her clear voice and gives her listeners one of her numerous firm looks. She is a determined lady that knows exactly what she wants and do not want. What she definitely wants is to make a change.  

The trainings from NPI and working with journalism have changed Rupa Gahatrajs life. When asked when she has been able to change life for other through her work she sits for a while thinking about it and begins to tell the story about the old tradition - gandharwa - where people from a village used to make a living from going door to door singing about the sufferings and joys in peoples lives.

“But because of the conflict it had become too dangerous to continue the tradition because of pressure from Maoists and the military. Most of the villagers had gone to India to find work and they had not received any support from Dalit organisations in the area,” tells Rupa Gahatraj.

After the programme the Dalit organisations arranged a national conference to discuss the problem and today they are committed to help the villagers to find new sources of income. 

“It is good to be able to make a change,” she smiles and adds that she hopes that she in the future will be able to be a good media person and will get the possibility to get programme production training so she can produce the programmes herself.