Mahatma Gandhi, “The Father
of the Nation” is one of the greatest freedom fighter, a revolutionary social
reformer and above all an ace communicator. Not only he held lofty principles
but he effectively propagated his message among the masses by using the then
existing media, mostly the print as well as through public meetings. Among his
other qualities of leadership he was the best communicator. His distinguish
quality was that he truthfully believed in the message and skillfully conveyed
his philosophy which he himself also practiced. He sent his thoughts through
the life by setting a personal example. His autobiography titled “My
Experiments with Truth” narrates the actual life he lived and practised his
principles for setting a personal example. This was also the secret of his
success as a communicator.
More than anyone else,
Mahatma Gandhi recognized that skillful communication is the most effective
tool to shape public opinion and mobilize it for popular support. He was
successful because he had a latent skill in communication that surfaced in
South Africa where he started during 1903 “The Indian Opinion”. Gandhi’s journalism belonged to
an era where there were no modern mass communication gadgets. He did make use
of his mighty pen to convey his heart to millions of his followers and admirers
across the globe.
Successful Media Use
After return to his
motherland on January 9,
1913, he spearheaded the freedom
struggle. Gandhiji did make best use of the nationalist press and his own
journals: Young India, Navjeevan and other periodicals to reach the masses in
every nook and corner of the country. He also knew that the secret of reaching
out to the hearts of people living in the rural areas was through the age-old
oral traditions as also public lectures, prayers meetings and padayatras
(walks). He used all the available means of communication channels of the time
to give a new direction to the national struggle and assumed the inspiring leadership
on the national scenario and won the freedom through the unique technique of
non-violence, Satyagraha, truthfulness.
Gandhiji never for a moment
minimized the important role of newspapers (then radio was under the British
Government control and the television channels were non-existent). He would
scan through all the newspapers and reply suitably to any misrepresentation or
distortion of facts. It is to his credit that he did use the traditional and
modern media of communication with telling effect.
Trend-Setting Style
Gandhiji made his
personality felt through the columns of Young India and other periodicals. The
impending change was visible from the very beginning. He turned those into his
“views papers” ventilating his point of view .The Young India sold more copies
than the combined total circulation of several other newspapers in the country.
There were not only new thoughts, simple but stylish language and a fresh air
of fine quality of journalistic writings. It is a unique feature that Gandhiji
had not been accepting advertisements for his periodicals and what is more, he
had allowed his articles to be freely reproduced in most other newspapers in
India or elsewhere.
Gandhiji proved that style
was the master and his writings were complete departure from the one that was
in practice. His English was biblical and he was meticulous about the use of
proper words at the particular moment. Above all, his sentences were simple and
lucid. In fact, he wrote from his heart and directed it to the hearts of his
targeted readership. Gandhiji himself declared all his journals as ‘views
papers” because all of them were organs of political and social movements which
discussed with intensity and concentration the public problems.
Gandhian Era
Gandhiji, in fact, brought
many new elements which introduced a free life in the field of journalism. Many
of his followers were moved to write and publish in the Indian languages and
regional journalism began to acquire an importance and there was hardly an area
in the country that did not have its newspapers.
An effective communicator,
Gandhiji was fearless and eloquent with his words. He reached out to millions
of people and convinced them of his cause. Gandhiji was probably the greatest
journalist of all time, and the weeklies he edited were probably the great
example of weeklies of that period. He published no advertisements but the same
time he did not let his newspapers run at a loss. He wrote simply and clearly
but forcefully, with passion and burning indignation.
Indelible Imprints
“One of the objects of a
newspaper, he said, is to understand the popular feeling and give expression to
it, another is to arouse among the people certain desirable sentiments, and the
third is fearlessly to expose popular defects”, Mahatma Gandhi has always
stressed.
The Father of the Nation was
not only one of the greatest freedom fighter with his unique technique of
non-violence but was the best communicator who mobilized the public opinion for
attainment of freedom. Gandhiji made optimal use of other channels of
communication very efficiently and effectively as he had a rare knack of
“inventing apt news events” to get the best coverage by the media. Mahatma
Gandhi exercised his high moral values in his political life and practice of
mass communication which stands out as a light house for all times to come.
(PIB Features)
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