Kheda Experiment

Kheda Experiment

Kheda is a small district in central Gujarat surrounded by two predominantly tribal district of Ahmedabad and Baroda. 607 community television set have been istalled here in 443 villages and are owned by the community, but maintained by the state government.

The programmes are produced by Doordarshan and the Space Application Centre. They have their origin in the lives of the local people and air in simple Charotari, a dialect of Gujarati. They are not telecast till pre-testing in the field is done and feedback obtained. There have been numerous occasions when the programmes have been drastically receive or even dropped altogether.

One of the early serials “Chatur Mota” on the subjects of dowry and widow remarriage. It provide to be an extremely popular serial. The intention was to highlight the dominance and authoritarianism of the conservative chatur as head of the family and to shoe the growing challenge to him of younger and more enlightened people.

Social researchers stationed in the villages also found that the majority of viewers were from the poorer classes and women and children were more regular viewers than men. Indeed, in the early months of the project, over 50% of the audience was made up of children. Accordingly, a series for children was launched.

The focus of Kheda Project
 Exposing the oppression and bondages in the present social and economic system in
such a way as to heighten understanding.
 Mobilising the community and the individual himself to break away from these
bondages.
 Promoting self-reliance among the individuals and the community.