Archive · 18 Dec 2025
Dalit Women Preserve Community Media in Pastapur
In a village called Pastapur in Telangana, India, a group of Dalit women have been working together for over 40 years to improve their lives and their community.
They started an organization called the Deccan Development Society (DDS) to help with farming and other important tasks.
The women learned to use cameras and make videos to share their stories and knowledge about farming.
They even started a community radio station called Sangham Radio.
However, they now face a big problem: their old videos are stored on cassettes that are hard to play and might be lost forever.
They need help to save these important recordings so that future generations can learn from them.
The women believe it's very important to keep their community's knowledge alive and to continue telling their own stories without outside influence.
The Deccan Development Society (DDS) in Pastapur, Telangana, is a women-led cooperative that has transformed sustainable farming and community media.
DDS women have revived traditional millet varieties, set up community grain banks, and developed sustainable farming practices.
They established India's first community radio, Sangham Radio, and have shared their farming techniques globally.
The community faces challenges in digitizing their old cassette recordings due to lack of resources and outdated technology.
Experts emphasize the importance of keeping community media initiatives community-centred and participatory.
- Who
- Dalit women of the Deccan Development Society (DDS) in Pastapur, Telangana
- What
- A community-led initiative to preserve and share indigenous knowledge through media
- When
- Early 1980s to present
- Where
- Pastapur, Zaheerabad, Telangana, India
- Why
- To empower Dalit women, preserve indigenous knowledge, and promote sustainable farming practices
- Location
- Pastapur, Zaheerabad, Telangana, India
- Organization
- Deccan Development Society (DDS)
- Founded
- Early 1980s
- Key Achievements
- Community grain banks, seed banks, Sangham Radio, and sustainable farming practices
- Challenges
- Digitizing old cassettes, financial constraints, and technological evolution
- Global Impact
- Shared farming techniques in 25 countries
- Current Focus
- Preserving indigenous knowledge and community-centred media