OUTING AN UGLY TRUTH

Manpreet Kaur Singh's enlightening and realistic report on domestic violence has won two prestigious awards. FARZANA AHMAD reports

SBS Radio Punjabi's Executive Producer Manpreet Kaur Singh added more feathers to her cap recently by dinchiug two awards in t.he 2014 NSW Premier's Multicultural Media Awards held in Sydner, Manpteet's multi -mvard winning fearnre Tbe Bnl!llQ' [Vithin Wl"\S recognised as che Best Radio Report and Best Feamre of the Year (any medium) during rl1e ceremony.

The reporl whim ,vas first aired in December 2012, confronts the issue of domestic violence within the 1\uscralian lndian co=unity. It is a compelling dissection of family abuse through the voices of rl1e victims, the police, experts and rl1e court system, and it has struck a chord with the community on manr different levels.

"The documentary was commissioned by SBS in 201 2", i\lanpreec told Tndia11 Li11k. ''It took around four months of intensive investigative work to complete. Doring lhis time we consulted with authorities, e.."perts and victims in Melbourne and

Sydney to portray an honest picture of domestic violence within the Indian community in Aus tralia. W/e presented seven stories b y imerviewing victims directl y; o f them, one couple and one victio1 are now deceased as a J.irect result o f domestic violence".

The report aimed ro determine whether Indian culture and circumstances like arrang ed marriages am! migracion make domestic viol ence unique in this community.

"\Ve have asked th e experts and the victio1s, and il is up to the people to decide", she added.

Regarding rl1e rooction of the lndian community to this report, ]'\'lanpreet said, "lt was an honest appraisal of questions everyone asks. The respnnse has been strong and mostly positive where people have realised d1at d1ey have co stop being in denial and do something about iL But at che same rime, there has been some negative reaction with people arguing rhat the victims are partly to blame LOO. For die wider community though, the documentary ha s been an eye opener".

Manpreec regards the documentary Tbe Ene11!Y fr/ ithin as the most difficult and c o mp lex s tory she's handled professionally.

She rs deeply moved b y the plight of victims of domestic violence in theL1ellan community and feels a need co make a difference. She believes chat although a lot is being done in this regard , it is nOL enough.

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·there is a need for community orgaaisacions, governmem agencies and ,velfare groups to come together and work as a unit in understanding the intricacies of die Indian culture and address fami ly violence accordingly", she averred.

"Cw:renrly in cases of domestic abuse, the government wants the police to be the first point of contact, but most Indian victio1s will not do that a$ it escalates rl1e issue to a poior of no remrn. Culmral orientation is necessary to handle di fferem cases appropriately and sensitively", she added After the resowicllng success of the Punjabi bro adcast, Tht Et1611D' IVithin was remade in Eng lish and aired in August 2013. It received che United Nations Ass ociation of Australia Media Award in lhe special category 'Increasing Awareness and U nderstanding o f Women's Rights and lssues ' and was also a finalis t for rl1e Walkley Award in the same year. This makes Manpreet the first Indian- origin journalist in Australia to be nominated for the Walk.leys. i'vlaapreet insis t~ that though i t is gra 1jfying to be recognised, she didn't make The Enet!Q' lf?itbin t o win awards. She maintains thar she bas done many stories on sensitive issues, and purity of intention and compassion has been her strengrl1 in getting tl1e message out.

''l have uanost respect fot ever1 victim who spoke to us in making this documentary," she said. "We can't imagine what they go through, so let's nm waste their bravado and do something to bring about a change".

Even though she is best known in J\ustr.alia as a radio broadca~ter, Manpreet's contributio n to other b ranches of jo urn alism , in p rim, te levision , r adio a nd m ed ia, cannot be igno r ed. But radio is h er m e dium of d10ice

"T o b e hone st it was th e o nl y m edium rlrnt g ave me a break w hen I came to Aus tralia;' sh e revealed. " Tli e work we do is to tall y sp o ntaneous and w1scrip ted. P eop le Jet u s in ro th eir h o m es w h ere we h ave intimate co n ver sa tion s w ith t hem rl1at are s traigh t fro m the h eart. P eo ple o p e n up more on radio as it provides th e elemem o f an o nymi ty I wouldn' t ch ange an yth ing about it"

Her 2 l -ye ar invo lvement ·with SBS ha s seen her go fro m being a ' o ne-man sh o w ' to heading a team as Executive Producer of the Punjabi bro adcast The SBS Punjabi bro adcas t went fro m being aired once a week to Ji ve rime s a week since last year.

F or someo ne who has re ceiv ed cons id e rable recognitio n, Manpreet is surprisingly down- toearth and friendl y

She has received many awards indudiog th e Media Award at V icto ria's 201 3 Multiculmcal Awards for Excellence in December 2013, and the s tate's Award for lvfedia Excellence in 20 I I.

Manpreet is passionate abouc preserving the history of Indian arci,,aJs in Australia and contributes artides to the repmed website Sikhchic.com.

A significant highlight of her career bas been fulfilling the last wishes of a Sikh hawker Pooran Singh who died in Australia in I 947, and wanted his ashes ro be returned to lndia and spri:n.k.led in the river Ganges. l'\fanpreet was insm.uneatal in fulfilling1.bis wisb through uniting people from India, Australia and England in this goodwill m ission. This story has now been commissioned by Educational Services Australia as an educational resource for high school Students in Australia.