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Balaknama
TypeMonthly newspaper
FormatTabloid
Founder(s)
  • Chetna
  • Badhte Kadam
FoundedSeptember 2003; 21 years ago (2003-09)
LanguageHindi, English
Circulation8,000 (as of May 2023)[1]
Websitebalaknama.org

Balaknama (Hindi: बालकनामा, romanized: Bālakanāmā, lit. 'The voice of the children') is an Indian newspaper which is run by children living in the slums of Delhi. It reports on issues such as sexual abuse, child labour and police brutality.

History

Balaknama was launched in September 2003[2] by Childhood Enhancement through Training and Action (Chetna), an Indian charity, with the organisation Badhte Kadam (Hindi for "Stepping Forward") to report on the estimated 80,000 street children living in Delhi.[1] It launched with just 35 reporters,[3] and initially published as a quarterly newspaper.[4]

In October 2013, Balaknama had only four pages, with plans to increase the page count to eight. The paper published a 10th anniversary edition in colour for the first time.[5] That November, its story was made into a TV documentary titled "Slumkid Reporters". The documentary aired on Channel 4.[6]

In November 2014, the paper published its first English edition. Its lead story on child beggars being forced to drag dead bodies garnered significant attention in Delhi.[7] Its circulation was 4,000 in that year.[8]

In 2015, the paper's circulation increased to 5,500. By that point, its page count had increased to eight.[8]

By December 2015, the paper's network had expanded to seven cities across India, with over 10,000 children working for the paper. It was covering events in a wide range of cities, including Agra, Delhi, Gwalior, Jhansi, Mathura and Noida, and its readership was believed to be in the tens of thousands.[3] The paper had 14 regular reporters in Delhi itself and many others in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana, with illiterate children contributing by dictating their stories to other reporters.[9] In the same month, India Today called Balaknama the "world's unique newspaper for and by street and working children".[10]

In January 2016, the number of regular reporters fell to five due to a lack of funds for the paper. In response, it started relying on the concept of a batooni reporter, who narrates their stories for a writer to write down.[11] In April, Balaknama's team consisted of about 60 reporters. By that point, it had shifted to publishing monthly editions.[12]

In March 2022, it published its 100th edition.[4] As of February 2023, the paper's circulation consists of over 5,000 Hindi and 3,000 English copies per month.[2]

Coverage

Balaknama reports on the lives of street children, exploring issues like sexual abuse, child labour and police brutality,[3][1] and highlighting stories of hope and positive change.[2] The paper has also campaigned to provide street children with identity cards for proof of residence.[1]

In June 2015, the paper reported on a child marriage. In response, local activists held protests, forcing the police to intervene to prevent the marriage from taking place.[12]

In November 2015, the paper's reporters conducted a survey of children living on Delhi's streets, finding that as many as 1,320 children were living on the streets. A reporter for the paper said, "We wanted to tell the police and the government that a proper count of street children was possible. If we can do it with limited resources, so can they when they have all the manpower and resources available to them."[8]

In 2016, the paper reported that street children were being enlisted by police to remove dead bodies from railway tracks in Agra. Mainstream coverage of the report led to a public outcry, with the National Committee for Protection of Child Rights taking action against the police.[13][2]

Operation

Balaknama is completely staffed by children who live and work on the streets,[3] and is edited by Chetna volunteers.[9] The children receive training as reporters and editors.[8] About 90 reporters gather and send news stories to four writers and editors, who then verify and write the stories. Editorial meetings are held every month.[1]

Balaknama publishes in eight-page tabloid format.[1] The copy is first written in Hindi and then translated to English.[12] Funding is provided by Chetna, and through private donations and advertising.[1]

In 2017, the children running the paper started publishing articles to over 5,000 readers using WhatsApp and email.[14] In October 2022, the paper announced that it would be launching a YouTube channel in 2023.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Sunder, Kalpana (12 May 2023). "Streets ahead: a landmark for the Delhi newspaper run by homeless children". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "'Balaknama', a newspaper run by street children". The Hindu. 17 February 2023. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Sultan, Zainab (27 December 2015). "India's slum kid reporters tell stories of street life". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  4. ^ a b Agarwal, Priyangi (5 March 2022). "Balaknama, for and by streetkids: Tabloid depicting struggles brings out 100th edition". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  5. ^ Sharma, Neha (7 October 2013). "Street kid reporters document perils of life in Delhi's slums". CNN. Archived from the original on 8 October 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  6. ^ Greenslade, Roy (31 October 2013). "The 'slumkid reporters' telling of children's street life in India". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 December 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  7. ^ Ganguly, Nivedita (17 January 2015). "'Badhte Kadam'... there's no looking back". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d Basu, Anasuya (29 December 2015). "The street children who run a newspaper in India". BBC News. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  9. ^ a b Sharma, Manoj. "Balaknama: Making headlines that matter". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  10. ^ "These children run Balaknama, a newspaper of their own. What's your excuse?". India Today. 30 December 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  11. ^ Trivedi, Divya (20 January 2016). "Notes from the street". Frontline. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  12. ^ a b c Venkatraman, Shai (14 April 2016). "Meet the street children making their own newspaper in India". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  13. ^ Qadri, Haziq (25 October 2022). "India's street kids rarely make headlines – so they write their own". The Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  14. ^ Suri, Manveena; Khan, Omar (1 May 2017). "The Indian newspaper giving street children a voice". CNN. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  15. ^ "Street children's newspaper Balaknama going digital; plans to launch YouTube channel next year". The Times of India. 23 October 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balaknama