[Conference- Innovation in Music & Dance :January,2015] ISSN- 2350-0530(O) 2394-3629(P)

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL of RESEARCH

–GRANTHAALAYAH
A knowledge Repository
Art

FOLK MEDIA IN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION

Vandana Gupta
Professor, Home-Science,
Govt. MLB Girls P.G. College, Indore

INTRODUCTION

The human urge to express, communicate, and share something beautiful gave birth to
performing arts such as folk and traditional media. Folk performing arts have changed structure
continuously over centuries according to the needs of changing situations but without losing their
functional relevance to society.

IMPORTANCE OF FOLK MEDIA IN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION

Ninety percent of the world's population lives in developing countries and 70% of them live in
rural areas. Mass media such as newspapers, television, and the internet still do not effectively
reach these people. Moreover, many research studies show that these media do not have the
required impact in terms of motivating change and development. In addition, high rate of
illiteracy impedes the development of almost 80% of India's population who reside in the rural
areas. However, folk arts and traditional media have proved their excellence in bonding and
creating affinity in the community as demonstrated by community festivals like Ganesh
Chaturthi in Maharashtra and Lohri in Punjab. In traditional societies, art is an integral part of the
process of living in the community.

Thus, Folk media can play a vital role in communicating to and with the people, particularly, in
rural areas, including the modern messages. They can be effective mass media for preventing the
tribals and the illiterates from continuous exploitation, as they do not understand, the language of
modern communication. In India folk forms have special significance as mass media. People in
remote rural and tribal areas do not have an access to the modern media and it does not reach
these target groups. Here, folk forms of communication can help immensely in dissemination of
the messages emitted by the electronic media.

For social change and development, a change in the beliefs and the value systems of individuals
is required to make them more adaptive and responsive to any change, be it a technological
change or societal change. The role of a development communicator is to find communicative
ways to influence these beliefs and value systems. The communication potential of Indian
traditional performing arts has been proven throughout history: Alha, the popular ballad of Uttar
Pradesh in battles, and its counterparts like Laavani of Maharashtra, Gee-gee of Karnataka,
Villupaattu of Tamil Nadu, and Kabigan of Bengal were effective in arousing the conscience of
the people against the colonial rule of the British. Traditional media became effective in the
many political and social campaigns launched by Mahatma Gandhi. After independence, the

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[Conference- Innovation in Music & Dance :January,2015] ISSN- 2350-0530(O) 2394-3629(P)

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL of RESEARCH

–GRANTHAALAYAH
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Art

Union government continued to utilise these traditional performing arts to convey messages and
generate awareness of development programmes in the rural areas.

The 1974 New Delhi seminar of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) focused specifically on the potential of the various forms of traditional
media and the technique of their production as well as their integration with mass media for
motivational purposes. This seminar generated a number of guiding principles on how to use
traditional or folk media for motivational purposes and for promoting development programmes.

The significance of folk arts in social and political communication was felt and recognised by
Jawaharlal Nehru who once said, "I am greatly interested in the development of a people's
theatre in India. I think there is a great room for it, provided it is based on the people and their
traditions. Otherwise it is likely to function in the air. It is a people's approach. Nevertheless, I
think an effort should be made in the direction." (IPTA Bulletin, 1943)

Folk media should be an integral part of any communication programme for rural development.
Wherever possible, these should be integrated with mass media but in all cases, integration with
ongoing extension work is vital.

VARIOUS FORMS OF FOLK MEDIA

Folk performance in India is based on ceremonial rituals, beliefs of the society, religious and
social values. Moreover, instead of one single art it is a combination of multiple things like
music, dance, events or epics in poetic form. It is very common in festivals like Dussehra and
Durga puja. One type of folk art, puppetry owes it origin to India and has been very effectively
used for conveying relevant messages of social awareness, historical and traditional identity, and
moral value systems to the masses. Puppet theatre is fully integrated in the rituals and the social
background of the rural people in India. Puppet theatre has also shown remarkable staying power
as societies have changed with time.

POPULAR USES OF FOLK MEDIA IN INDIA

The Ramalila of Ramnagar near Varanasi is one such example of folk art which currently
provides an opportunity for the young and old, rich and poor to come together for 16 to 20 days
preceding the Dussehra. Each section of the city constructs raised platforms or transforms streets,
terraces, or gardens into palaces, woods, and streams. The whole city is the stage, the arena, of
the performance. The play moves sequentially day after day and the audience moves with it from
locale to locale.

Puppets are increasingly being used as a strategy for addressing varied development issues such
as educating children, encouraging scientific methods of farming, promoting the use of
fertilizers, etc. The Song and Drama Division of the Government of India makes wide use of
puppets in its campaigns to promote various government projects, and Life Insurance
Corporation of India used puppets to educate the rural masses about life insurance.

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[Conference- Innovation in Music & Dance :January,2015] ISSN- 2350-0530(O) 2394-3629(P)

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL of RESEARCH

–GRANTHAALAYAH
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Art

During the general elections, members of the various political parties used folk songs for
campaigning and presented humorous skits to ridicule the opposition's candidates and win
support for their own candidates. Swang and Ragini in Haryana and Tamasha and Lavani in
Maharashtra have been extensively used by the political parties.

The folk media in communication programmes can be used not only for political and socio-
economic development but also for cultural development. However, folklore must retain social
authenticity. The folk forms have evolved gradually, and their flexibility has helped them to
retain their appeal to the rural people. Since folk media have sociological roots, their utilisation
should be related to local events.

Local cultural programmes, such as folk-songs & dramas, are used as an effective medium of
communicating the message of development programmes. Dramatization of a theme or story
creates a lively interest among the audience. Folk-songs & dances related to the subjects of local
interest & importance, when acted on the stage, bring them home more forcefully. Traditional
media, like theatre command immense credibility and impact. They are the most appropriate
channels for changing the traditional Indian mind towards modernization.

PREREQUISITES TO THE USE OF FOLK MEDIA

 An understanding of the rural audience

 Careful consideration of its content
 Characterisation for their possible adaptation for development purposes
 Consistency with the needs of the social context
 Integration with the customs and beliefs of the local communities
 Provide rural people with entertainment in order to attract their attention and to ensure
their participation in developmental activities
 Efforts should be made to preserve the originality of each folk form, adaptation need not
alter nor destroy the form
 For effective community-level communication strategies, the integrated and planned use
of both folk and mass media is necessary
 Collaboration between the folk artistes and the media producers is absolutely essential

Peasants, agricultural labourers, bonded labourers, women, tribal, and other oppressed groups are
rediscovering the potential of folk and traditional performing arts as a weapon in their struggle
for land, better health status, better working and living conditions; and human rights. Many
development planners in the Third World are beginning to appreciate the use of folk media as a
mode of communication to explain development programmes. Government agencies,
international organisations, and donor agencies should progressively use this important and
powerful communication tool as a means for mobilising people for economic and social
development. They inform, educate and entertain the masses. Folk media, in fact can be used to
convey the very ideas of the new communication systems and prepare the masses whole-

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[Conference- Innovation in Music & Dance :January,2015] ISSN- 2350-0530(O) 2394-3629(P)

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL of RESEARCH

–GRANTHAALAYAH
A knowledge Repository
Art

heartedly to accept the electronic media when they are ready to go full stream.

REFERENCES
1 Nag, Baishakhi. (2013). Role Of Theatre And Folk Media In Promoting Social
Development, Global Media Journal-Indian Edition, Winter Issue, Vol.4, No.2.
2 Bella, Modi. (2003). International Development Communication: A 21st. Century
Perspective. Sage.
3 Dutta, Ankuran, & Roy, Anamika. (n.d.). Folk Media. Assam Tribune Online.
4 Kamal, Payel. (n.d.). Short Essay on Folk Forms as Mass Media.
5 Kamat, Payel. (n.d.). Short Essay on the Impact of Folk Media.
6 Mehta, D.S. (1979). Mass Communication & Journalism in India. New Delhi: Allied
7 Publishers Limited.

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