Loudspeakers still used for news updates in a remote Manipur village

pur), Sep 8 (ANINewspapers read over the loudspeaker in a remote village in Manipur, keep villagers updated about current events.

Takhel (Manipur), Sep 8 : Newspapers read over the loudspeaker in a remote village in Manipur, keep villagers updated about current events.

The 'Paothang' (News through someone) Channel is the only source of news the thousands of villagers in Takhel Village, which is situated in the Baruni hills in Imphal District.

The villagers have thanked K. Biren Singh, a literate farmer, for deciding to launch the loudspeaker news reading programme.

Every morning, Singh and Romita Devi another villager, reads out the news from major regional newspapers through a microphone. It reaches villagers via loudspeakers.

Singh initiated the programme with the help of the district council, which made arrangiments for microphones and other equipment.

"One of my friends from the District Council, told me about starting a news service and the use of microphones to read out the news. This is how I began to read out news, and formed the Pouthang Channel," Singh said.

The news is read out from the Takhel Primary School.

"They gather news from various dailies and though sometimes the news is dated, the programme is a good one. It has made people more aware," said L. Irabanta Singh, the headmaster of school.

Thaba Devi, a villager, said: "I do feel it is a good thing. The things we haven't seen or heard about have become known to us. We have become more aware."

Around 60 percent of the Village's population is illiterate and earns its living by running small shops or cutting wood.

Of the 5000 villagers, only handfuls have subscribed to a newspaper.

The loudspeaker news service has given villagers have access to current events, and now many of them plan their daily schedules around news bulletin timing.

ANI