Majboor Kisko Bola! was the centrepiece of a project called Reach and Response that aimed to help prevent bonded labour and inform workers about their rights in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Funded by Google, the project inspired a new series focusing on three Indian states, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.
Informed by baseline research in the areas, a 52-episode radio programme aimed to increase awareness amongst vulnerable communities and in mainstream society of what bonded labour is, what causes it, how it can be prevented and how people can have redress.
Working with local non-governmental organisations, the project maximised reach through listener clubs. A Project Advisory Committee was also set up, consisting of key members of government, local partners and media organisations, to highlight bonded labour issues in mainstream media and on other public platforms.
Who are you calling helpless!
Bonded labour was made illegal in India in 1976. But workers, bosses and even law enforcers, aren't always aware of legal changes. Majboor Kisko Bola! coupled with community outreach activities, aimed to resolve this.
The 36-episode series broadcast factual information in Hindi, packaged in entertaining formats, about labour welfare, workers’ rights, relevant government employment schemes and the prevention of bonded labour. It was launched in May 2010 on All India Radio.
Each 30-minute episode began with a bonded labourer telling their personal story. This was followed by a short drama based on a true story, to model examples and suggest solutions.
Each episode also included interviews to provide context and explanation, and recordings of the opinions of the audience. Each show finished with a regional folk song.
Illegal but practised
Despite India’s significant economic progress, around 90% of the country’s workers take unregulated jobs in the informal sector.
This makes them far more vulnerable to poor working conditions, abuse and exploitation. They often receive wages far below the legal minimum of 100 rupees ($2) per day and are at greater risk of becoming bonded labourers.
Workers become bonded when they accept illegally high-interest loans from employers or money lenders. They then have to work at very low wages, or for nothing at all, to pay off the debt.
Collective listening, collective bargaining
According to Malika Malhotra, a ±«Óătv Media Action project manager, the greatest challenge for the project was, “reaching communities in some of India’s most remote villages,” in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
To overcome this barrier, ±«Óătv Media Action and local non-governmental partners established 40 listener groups of ten members each.
Members were the poorest and most vulnerable in a community, along with community gatekeepers, such as the head of the village council and schools.
The groups met every week to listen to the show and discuss the issues it raised, guided by a facilitator. They were hugely successful.
The facilitator of a group in Uttar Pradesh said that, “Before the formation of listener groups, the salary of womenfolk was between 20 to 30 rupees (around $0.40 per day). After listening to the programme, they collectively bargained for their salary and it was increased to 100 rupees.”
In a village in Bihar, listening group members shared information about the minimum wage with the rest of their community.
It was harvest time and the villagers were working up to 12 hours a day for their landlords in return for around 40 rupees ($0.80) a day.
Collectively, they refused to work for less than the minimum wage. The landlords had to give in.
Inspiring change
We found similar success stories across the eight districts in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
The research team found district magistrates, senior government officials, employers and contractors were listening to the programme or aware of it.
And the head of a village council in Bihar shared his radio with poorer villagers so they could listen. He explained that, “The programme has helped develop people’s self-confidence, so they can do anything, that they are not weak or helpless.”
Project information
| Project name | Reach and response |
| Funder | (2012-2014); (2009-2011) |
| Dates | 2009-2014 |
| Theme | Governance |
| Outputs | Majboor Kiska Bola! (Who are you calling helpless?) |