[Assam] Petition News Coverage

Rajib Das rajibdas at yahoo.com
Thu Jan 4 11:10:08 EST 2007 

I did some research and I guess, the following need to
be done:

1. Craft the message in 160 characters including blank
spaces. SMS Messages take a max of 160 characters.
This must include the gist of the petition (e.g. vote
against name change from Assam to Asom) and the
action/s the receipients need to take(SMS **** to show
support AND/OR send this SMS to 5 others to support).
Pbviously this has to be given some thought.

2. Online SMS gateways are available - so you put in a
message and it can be broadcasted to a group. There
are India specific bulk SMS Gateways which will charge
60 Paise per message but more details need to be found
out from them. Some are www.bulksmsindia,com,
www.smsjunction.com. A better alternative is to use
BSNL which charges 25 paise if you are a Sancharnet
user. Sancharnet is their ISP service.

3. For BSNL details can be found here:
http://webmail.sancharnet.in/. You have to download a
small application for bulk sms but to use it a
Sancharnet account is necessary. Perhaps someone in
GUwahati who uses Sancharnet can help. That person can
also confirm with BSNL the bulk SMS service as also
the fact that it needs to be broadcasted to numbers
there even if we do not know all the numbers. I know
this is possible because I kept getting marketing
oriented SMS messages when I was there.

4. I agree with Rajenda that the receipient SMS #
should be from media - preferably the local private TV
station so that they can broadcast the number on the
news. All this offcourse if it can be arranged. In
fact, the TV station might make some money as well on
account of the SMS messages it receives - with the
mobile service provider sharing some of those
revenues. All this will require work on the ground in
Guwahati.


--- "Barua, Rajen" <Rajen.Barua at amec.com> wrote:

> 
> I think that is a good idea and will work. There is
> always a first time
> even for such things in Assam. This will generate
> more interest as well
> as excitement on the issue. It should be open for
> all people who claim
> to be 'Friends and well wishers' for Assam. However,
> I think we should
> make it more intelligent for people to understand
> exactly what they are
> supporting. Thus it should be :
> 
> 1) Send a SMS to 5 other people > (OK like Rajib
> suggested)
> 2) Send a SMS back to a # if they support the
> petition i.e. oppose
> renaming of the state to Asom and support retaining
> the present name
> Assam.
> 
> We should finalize our plan and go for it.
> (Can we also ask the media to furnish the # to
> receive the calls?)
> Let us hear comments from Assam.
> Rajen
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: assam-bounces at assamnet.org
> [mailto:assam-bounces at assamnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Chan Mahanta
> Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2007 8:33 AM
> To: Rajib Das; Chan Mahanta; assam at assamnet.org
> Cc: w.saleh at indiawijzer.nl; barkakoty at yahoo.co.in
> Subject: Re: [Assam] Petition News Coverage
> 
> I like the idea Rajib, a lot!
> 
> There is no reason not to try something new, that
> apparently worked
> quite well  in recent months and years, like for the
> Bollywood Idol
> contest etc.
> 
> How can something like that be organized, any idea?
> 
> cm
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> At 8:30 PM -0800 1/3/07, Rajib Das wrote:
> >Wow - what PR coverage!
> >
> >And while I wasn't a signatory, here is an idea to
> carry it forward a 
> >bit more - please ignore/trash if it does not make
> sense:
> >
> >Send bulk SMS to 10000 mobile numbers in Assam
> asking to do 2 things 
> >regarding the petition if they support
> >it:
> >a. Send the SMS forward to 5 other people b. Send
> an SMS back to a 
> >particular number confirming their support
> >
> >Sending the bulk SMS should cost about US $ 150, I
> think and I can 
> >confirm it if it makes sense). Sending bulk SMS
> should be easy.
> >
> >If it catches like wild fire and you get SMS
> response back on a 
> >particular number, you have a problem at hand for
> the bill on the 
> >receiving phone number. If not, it is just an
> investment of $ 150.
> >
> >Perhaps this SMS campaign can be launched with a
> similar traditional 
> >press coverage as well.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >--- Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net> wrote:
> >
> >>  Bidyananda Barkakoty, who has taken on the huge 
> responsibility of  
> >> giving our petition the media coverage and done
> it  very 
> >> successfully,
> >>  reports:
> >>
> >>  "ASOMIYA KHABAR has issued a corrigendum today.
> >>  ASSAM TRIBUNE has
> >>  given a front page beautiful coverage today.
> Also  news have come 
> >> out  in THE TELEGRAPH in page 17 (big news
> report) and in  THE TIMES 
> >> OF  INDIA in page 3. THE SENTINEL has also
> covered the  news in page 
> >> 3.
> >>
> >>  So with this our 4th phase is over successfully
> (1st  phase : 
> >> drafting  the petition ; 2nd phase : collecting
> the signatures  ; 3rd
> 
> >> phase :
> >>  Handing over of the petition to CM ; 4th phase :
> >>  Media coverage). The
> >>  Electronic Media coverage (TV NEWS channel) is
> still  pending, but I
> 
> >> am in touch with them to give an exclusive
> coverage  on this 
> >> subject."
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>  Let us give Barkakoty a big hand, along with our
>  gratitude folks!
> >>
> >>  cm>
> _______________________________________________
> >>  assam mailing list
> >>  assam at assamnet.org
> >>
>
>http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
> >>
> >
> >
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