12 Traditional and Folk Media for Development

T. Radha

Introduction

Folk media help in convincing and influencing in a very effective way, the opinions and attitudes of a cross-section of rural masses who cannot be reached through the established modern mass media. Over the years, traditional folk artists have proved that folk media is one of the most powerful propaganda that can be effectively used to direct the attention of the masses towards various programmes of development based on the felt-needs of the masses.

Taking into consideration the useful purposes of the traditional folk media, there is an urgent need for reviving and sustaining these media as they focus on important part of our rich cultural heritage. They also provide useful means for the upliftment of the common people and national reconstruction programmes especially in developing countries like India.

Folk performing arts have been in existence in India for long and have been used as medium of communication in rural areas. Over the years, rural masses have been using folk media for expressing their socio-ritual, moral and emotional needs. The main aim of folk arts is to provide entertainment as well as to educate the audience in rural areas.

The folk arts continue to wield a lot of influence on the rural masses. They play a crucial play in the process of socio- economic development . As an effective tool for motivating rural masses towards accepting socio-economic changes, initiated by various developmental agencies, the folk media is important. Traditionally, the rural masses have been using the folk- media for expressing their socio – ritual, moral and emotional needs.

Traditional folk media are categorized in to:

1.      Folk dance

2.      Folk tales, idioms and story telling

3.      Folk music

4.      Various occasions

5.      Puppet dance

6.      Social message songs

7.      Street play

8.      Drumming

9.      Folk lyrics

Importance of “Folk Media” in rural communication

Communication plays a vital role in everyone’s life. There are different medium of communication, such as – television, radio and other new media. In spite of that folk media plays a important role in community development especially in rural development.

From ancient days itself folk media has played a vital role in transforming and communicating various information to the rural masses. There are variety of folk forms in India, which includes Bhavai of Gujarat, Baul and Jatra of Bengal, Burrakatha of Andhra Pradesh, yakshagana of Karnataka, Nautanki of the North india, Villupattu of Kerala, Ankhia nata of Assam, Chhau in Bengal, Orissa and Jharkhand and many more forms are there. Folk media tells real story, it reflects hope, strength, aspiration, perception of the villagers in a simple way. Song, music, drama, street theater, folk dance, yatra are source of the different forms in folk media. ‘Folk’ as a communication medium is only popular in rural areas.

Folk media arouse interest among people and stimulate their interest to get involved in various folk medium which is favorite to all irrespective of all age groups. This medium is very near to the heart and mind of the villagers that can overcome the obstacle of literacy, language, and also the expenditure factor, as it is a very low cost medium.

Folk media is a very acceptable medium for the villagers and through medium people very easily communicate, and share their thoughts and ideas. Folk media is the powerful tool for conveying message to the people on various topics, issues and socio political activities. It creates awareness, sensitize and motivate the villagers towards various issues. But in the modern century and electronic era due to advancement of new media, folk media is loosing it’s importance. Street play street theatre,etc are very rare to see nowadays..

Flexibility

Traditional media is favourite to all age groups and available to all and enjoyed by each and every person of different age groups at a very low cost. The main advantage of folk media is flexibility in day to day life and can be introduced into traditional folk forms of art such as wall paintings, puppet show, dances, dramas, folk songs, bioscope, tamasha, nautanki, story telling etc.

Extension

Traditional media plays a vital role in extension education. The great task of extension education is to impart changes and exert desirable influence on others through the use of effective extension teaching methods. It is better to have an inventory of the available local and familiar traditional media for operation in the field of agricultural communication.

In this modern era the combination of traditional media with electronic media is welcome for use during, various occasions like kisan mela, exhibition, campaign etc., As a good platform for the agencies to spread the information and innovations through folk media to the rural communities.

Importance of traditional media

The folk arts forms satisfy the innate desire for self- expression and also satisfy man’s need for moral instruction joined with entertainment as well as for dramatic and the lyrical. In combination with the electronic media, it preserves and disseminates in a lively manner the tradition and culture of our breadwinners . Folk in India have a mix of dance, songs and dialogue. It is a very important method for transferring agricultural technologies to the farmers as

• Traditional media change the attitude of the people, and
• arouse interest among the farmers

Puppetry

It is one of the important folk media for transferring agricultural technologies to the farmers puppetry was famous both for its entertainment and as an educational medium. Puppet plays are conducted to teach important lessons on various issues like literacy, health, agriculture, home-making, employment, education, rural youth activities, recreation etc. Puppetry can make a huge difference and make a positive impact, if properly used with active participation of the local people. Puppets are very popular especially for village situations. They can be used to communicate message with entertainment .

Drama

Drama depicts the village life and its problems and solutions based on the need of the community. The Stories based farmers problems and solutions, demonstrations on improved practices, programmes on rural development, role of decentralization through village leaders, how to tackling village problems and issues like child marriage, waste of money through ceremonies, solving problems of education, sanitation, health and hygiene and role of cooperatives and extension wing and how villagers can benefitted them can be n portrayed through dramas .

Tamasha

Tamasha is the best form of folk media theatre going back to over 400 years . A group of people are cluster with six to eight male singers cum performers and two or more female dancer-singers make to troop. The story part is the next component. The most important is the performance. The story is based on tamasha in the form of agriculture related songs and dance is based on stories derived from myth and folklore. For instance, government sponsored tamasha groups educate people an family planning.

Nautanki

Nautanki is a folk drama form. This is very popular in the field of agriculture and rural development. This dramatic form may easily be adopted for social and rural development programmes. This medium helps to bring desirable changes in the behavior .

Keertana and Harikatha

This is a religious folk theatre . It is a kind of drama or monodrama in which a gifted actor enters a whole series of characters. Harikatha is played by both state and central government to educate the rural masses on development activities, democratic values and national integration with the help of keertanakar or kathakars. All India Radio and Doordarshan use the keertana a form for broadcasts aimed at industrial workers and rural audiences.

Street play

Street plays are used for spreading messages on various issues like sanitation and hygiene, adult education etc., and they create awareness against social evils.

Melas and festivals

Melas and festivals are the favourite for the rural areas. It’s a good opportunuity for social gathering and sharing of information ideas and other aspects among the rural masses. Rural mela in India has a special significance. Now a day’s few important melas like kisan diwas and kisan melas are organized through theatre. Farmers are shown field demonstrations/ exposure, visit to a standing crop and also demonstration of agricultural implements and tools. Agriculture related exhibitions arranges various programmes like spinning, tailoring and preparation of nutrious food for women, question and answer session between scientist and farmers, recreation programme (folk dance and songs) film shows etc. are some of the important events of the fairs.

The main objective of the melas is to spread information on various agriculture technology to the rural people for their betterment.

Story telling

Story telling is a informal way of conveying message to the community narrating interesting stories and useful information pass to the people

Riddles

Riddles form a very important tool to communicate knowledge to the people. Puzzles are given to the rural people which help them to understand the different use of practices in agriculture cultivation, home making, etc.

Bioscope

This is the popular folk medium used for education, entertainment and propagating of various social issues etc. This is very useful in conveying educational messages useful for farmers like cultivation of different crops, vegetables preservation, soil testing, mosquito control etc.

Bioscope is very popular folk media especially in rural areas. The feasibility of the traditional media in the process of development is possible in the following areas like agriculture, medical and health programmes including family planning, nutrition programmes, and adult education, social legislation, legal and policy issues, cleanliness and rural development programmes.

The role of traditional media in a country like ours is of paramount importance in enriching our tradition and culture as also disseminating information and educating our rural folk.

Traditional folk media is not just limited to music and dance , but also includes art and crafts. Traditional folk media originated as a consequence of people’s need to express themselves. These performing arts pulsate with life and slowly change through the flux of time. In India folk performance is a merged art.. It absorbs ceremonials, rituals, beliefs and of course the social system. It is a total art created by the fusion of elements from music, dance, pantomime, versification, epic ballad recitation, religion and festival peasantry

Rural folk art forms satisfy our inborn need of the people. The traditional forms preserve and disseminate the culture and practice of our forefathers infusing life into them. Each region has its own folk art from that is enormously trendy and appropriate in the specific area.

Very popular traditional folk media of Assam include Ojapali, mobile theatre, Bihu, Bon Geet, Loka Geet etc. Street theatre and puppetry are also relatively popular. There are several types of variation of a single art form. Bhaona for instance is a classical form which is performed within strict norms in the naamghars. On the other hand in parts of lower Assam, there are Dhuliya Bhaona and Khuliya Bhaona which are free from the rigidity of the classical Bhaona and are very flexible. Similarly the Bihu is performed with slight variations by the Assamese, the Misings, the Bodos, the Karbis etc.

Uniqueness of traditional folk media:

1.  They have sustained the attack of time

2.  They have sustained by changing with the changing times

3.  Any person is always a participant in the performance, never an audience.

4.  It is flexible

5.  It is supple.

6.  It is cost effective

7.  It is has immediate feedback and increased consideration.

8.  It is performed in a common language promoting simplicity.

9.  It is direct and personal.

Advantages of folk media

Every group of people has its own folk and traditional media which are close to their hearts. It remains in their blood. Hence, whenever it is performed or enacted by anyone in a society or crowd people feel like enjoying it to the maximum.

It is very favorite to the people especially rural masses. Most of the folk performances are performed in the public places where people show more interest. Bihu is one of the famous folk performances with people gathering. Thus its effects on the masses are much greater than that of mass media.

Based on the interest of the audience, folk media performed in various places has also the audience take part in it by becoming themselves a part of the performing team. Folk media differs from one place to another from regional to local area based on the scenario and people’s interest, need and their cultural practices.

The main advantage of folk media is live performance with gestures, facial expressions, body language, verbal and non- verbal language in the field of communication. Live performance creates more impact among the audience and brings changes in the attitude. Folk media help to create awareness among the public. Folk media has its own importance and valuable medium among the masses.

Folk and traditional media is based on local culture and other aspects. Thus the costumes, language used and the settings and background etc. must habitually bear the stamp of that locality and general culture of the area. Otherwise it will not be able to carry the same effect and meaning for the masses.

Folk media is basically performance oriented. Folk media is the combination of music dance, dialogue and facial expressions of the performer. Basically folk media is blended combination of all these aspects This aspect provides much more effectiveness over its target audiences. Disadvantage of folk and traditional media is reaching very limited at one time.

• Folk Media is usually perform hundreds and thousands of people
• Folk media address the problems of the society
•  Language use for folk media preferably in regional and    local language

Role of Folk Media in Rural Development

Since the beginning of history, the role of communication has been very important. With the advancement of science and technology, the forms and way of communication have become more important In recent days, internet, email, news paper, radio, television, video conferencing and and other communication channels have emerged. But in rural areas access is limited to such media due to ignorance, less awareness and major problem of poverty and illiteracy.

For Majority of the rural population mass media proved to be glamorous and unbelievable Traditional media brings changes and development of the country. The traditional media can be used to reach these people in the process of change and development of the country. Traditional folk media have a remarkable impact on rural society because of their acceptable idioms, functional significance and entertainment component. Folk media can overcome the difficulty of language, speech, words and other barriers of communication like, interest, understanding, interpretation, attitude and perception.

Folk media is a special tool to bring social change. Folk media convey various messages related to social issues, awareness and as well as agriculture messages. Traditional and modern media complement each other.

What can be communicated?

Communication plays an important tool of they are as follows

1. Understand the nature of the community

2.To use as a tool in making community for participation, group working, community unity, encouragement, enthusiasm…

3.To make participation of the community, community harmony and encouragement

4. Prepare the folk media based on the need of the people

5. To eradicate myths and misconception of the social issues

6. To arrange useful programmes for the young generation and motivate them to involve in it

7. To disseminate the information among the public

8.To encourage and motivate the rural people

9.To inculcate education, entertainment, information and motivation

10.To make the community aware of various recent issues

11.To empower the rural people

12 To initiate new social trends in development.

How should cultural show be organized well?

1. Evening time is preferable to conduct the show
2. Common place in the village is more convenient to conduct the show
3. Time duration favorably 1 to 2 hours not more than that
4. Preplanning and executing the programme in a systematic way is very important
5. Show need to based on  theme and serve the purpose of the village people
6. Programme need to be based on fulfilling objective
7.  Different character, costumes, role to be involve
8. Involving rural masses can make the event success

Conclusion

Traditional folk performances are popular in all communities. Researchers have established the significance of traditional folk media in development communication. Traditionally, folk media were used for entertainment at present there are efforts to involve folk media for transmission development of messages. Traditional folk media have become increasingly familiar as viable tools to impart development messages, both as live performances and also in a form integrated with electronic mass media.

Web links

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_music
• https://www.google.co.in/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=ZyYMVs_TIKzv8wfpvYK4Bg&gws_rd=ssl#q =folk+media
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_dance_in_India
• http://medicom-communication.blogspot.in/2010/02/traditional-folk-media-of-india.html
• http://download.nos.org/srsec335new/ch26-core.pdf