BBC Media Action blog

It is my second day at the train halt point in Patna. A number of BBC Hindi Radio listeners have assembled at a modest venue in central Patna to speak to programme makers.

Here, I am surrounded by a group of about 10 Bihari men. Should I do it? Should I take out my mobile phone and press the button that starts my ringtone?  I want to make the most of my visit to Bihar and get feedback from people we are trying to reach with our work. I decide to give it a go. I want to know what these men think when they hear my ringtone. (more…)

The BBC Election Train pulled into Patna station in the early hours of the hottest day of the season. It was 42.8 degrees Celsius. Despite the heat, I was looking forward to meeting some of our project partners and understanding what more can be done in Bihar, one of the poorest states in the country. 

According to India’s National Family Health Survey, 42% of children nationally are underweight.  However, in Bihar it is even higher at 58%. Fewer than 20% of births are delivered in a health facility in Bihar (again, considerably worse than the national average). There is a lot of scope for mass media campaigns that can inform mothers about the best feeding and birthing practices and challenge socially accepted practices which mean women and girls have poorer access to  food, health services and education.

Former Chief Minister of Bihar Laloo Prasad Yadav passing out ice cream to BBC journalists at his home in Patna

I met up with former Chief Minister of Bihar and current national railways Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav at his home in Patna. Considering the poor maternal and child health indicators in his state, I asked him what he believed to be the greatest need in this area and how did it could be met. He responded by saying that when he headed the state government, he concentrated on immunization, sanitation and education. His view was that local government bodies should have the power to prepare their own budgets and the funds to implement their programmes directly.

During this election time, he was keen to leave a good impression on the visiting BBC journalists. He arranged to have an ice cream cart enter his compound, and personally served each of us a cup of ice cream. His welcome was a clear signal of his aim to woo us at a time when his political popularity in the state is not what it was. (more…)

Local band Bhoomi ("Earth") join the BBC election train

What can a band of musicians do to help people prepare for natural disasters?

Well, if you are West Bengal’s hit band Bhoomi, you use your popularity to encourage people to take simple steps that could save lives and limit the damage from floods and cyclones.

In February this year, Bhoomi helped the BBC World Service Trust raise awareness about disaster preparedness through a high-profile public concert. The 3000 seat stadium in Kolkata was packed – many in the audience lived in communities vulnerable to disaster. The concert blended live music with vital information about how to reduce the risks and impact of disasters, such as ill health, exploitation and loss of property and livelihoods. The band wrote a signature tune on disaster preparedness for the concert. With the help of Bhoomi’s music and a host of Bengali celebrities, the audience was reminded that they should have an emergency plan in place, ensure that they store chlorine tablets in case water is spoiled by the monsoon rains and keep important documents in a safe, waterproof place.
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Yvonne MacPherson

My journalist colleagues at the BBC are being swept up in election fever here in India. To get closer to listeners and viewers, the BBC’s seven-coach Election Train is travelling 7500km in 18 days, stopping in eight cities along the way. BBC journalists from around the world are on board reporting on the general election and how it affects India and the rest of the world. I’ve joined my colleagues to meet some of the people we have reached through our work. For the next four days, I will be writing about my experiences in this series of blogs. (more…)