The book, 'M K Gandhi, Media, Politics and Society: New Perspectives', can be considered as an exceptional attempt to explore how Mohandas Karamchand 'Mahatma' Gandhi (October 2, 1869 - January 30, 1948) used the mass media to employ Nonviolent Resistance in order to lead a successful campaign for India's Independence from British Rule. He also used the media to inspire Movements for Civil Rights and Freedom across the globe in the first half of the 20th Century. Although the publication, edited by Chandrika Kaul (the Reader in Modern History at the University of St Andrews, UK), is based on international discussions on the occasion of Gandhi's 150th Birth Anniversary in 2019; all the nine authors have highlighted how the personality and practices of Mahatma (the Great-souled) influenced newspapers, other media and the field of mass communication.
During his lifetime, Gandhi served as the editor of four newspapers, apart from making extensive use of the telegram. He even called himself a Newspaperman once. The authors deserve credit for narrating Gandhi's role in communicating with the masses through the media in various ways. Apart from editor Chandrika Kaul, eight essayists - Amelia Bonea, Sanjiv Kakar, Timothy S Dobe, Sarvani Gooptu, Gopa Sabharwal, Anjana Sharma and Mei Li Badecker - have penned articles on the Indian anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist in this book. Although the range of their writings is diverse, they have participated in discussions regarding Gandhi's influence on history, politics, literature and religion, mass media and mass culture, in different ways. Their essays shall certainly help readers understand the multifaceted construction of Gandhi.
In her essay, Amelia Bonea has described how Gandhi used the electric telegraph for political communications against the backdrop of Colonial British Rule in the Indian Subcontinent. Interestingly, the author has made an attempt to change Gandhi's techno-sceptic image. According to Bonea, people generally accepted Gandhi's so-called anti-modernism approach (based on Hind Swaraj), but they forgot that he had used telegraph technology in South Africa, as well as in India. It is noteworthy that the author has mentioned the Green Pamphlet that was basically Gandhi's Appeal to the Indian Public in 1896. A racist summary of this Green Pamphlet was published in the Reuters telegram. As a result, the Whites attacked Gandhi in Durban, Natal. However, he never blamed the telegram for this racist attack on him. Instead, he was in favour of careful use of this technology. Gandhi, himself, made extensive use of the telegraph to carry out his political activities, and reportedly spent one-sixth of his earnings for this purpose. For him, telegraph was a device of resistance.
Sanjiv Kakar has given an excellent account of Gandhi's use of broadsheets as a means of social reform. Gandhi wrote as a Health Correspondent in various newspapers he edited, namely Indian Opinion, Young India and Harijan. His writings reflect the evolution of his idea about leprosy. Gandhi's thinking on leprosy can be divided into two phases: one before 1934 and the other after 1934. Initially, his thinking was highly influenced by the mixed thoughts of the missionaries on this disease. Later, he gradually accepted the modern treatment of leprosy. Dr Robert Greenhill Cochrane (1899-1985) was one of those modern doctors who used to treat leprosy patients at that period of time. Gandhi used to keep close contact with the British Empire Leprosy Relief Association mainly through the media.
Timothy S Dobe has discussed Gandhinama, a popular work authored by Sufi of Chishti Islamic order and noted Urdu essayist Khwaja Hasan Nizami (January 6, 1878 - July 31, 1955) in the 1910s and 1920s. Nizami made an attempt to portray Gandhi as a world leader, and not an Indian or Asian political personality. His works were highly influenced by international Sufi thought that was also reflected in his thoughts about Gandhi. Stalwart Indian leaders, like Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (November 11, 1888 - February 22, 1958), were followers of Nizami.
In her essay, Sarvani Gooptu mentioned debates on Gandhi and his ideas published in different Bengali newspapers and magazines from 1916 to 1940. Prominent Bengali intellectuals of the time, including women, such as Sarala Devi Choudhurani, participated in those debates. Gooptu believes that despite many controversies in evaluating the Mahatma, the profound influence of his personality and constructive nationalism (through khadi and charka) can be found in Bengali periodicals. Editor Chandrika Kaul has highlighted Gandhi's use of radio, in addition to print media, in forming public opinion against the Colonial Rule. She has talked about Gandhi's radio messages to the Indians in 1931 and also in 1947, apart from his connection with the BBC and All India Radio (AIR).
Gopa Sabharwal has extensively discussed reports published in the Pakistani daily Dawn in 1947. Muhammad Ali Jinnah (December 25, 1876 - September 11, 1948), the founder of Pakistan, founded this newspaper that was published from Delhi before the Partition of the Indian Subcontinent. Dawn was considered as the mouthpiece of the Muslim League. It may be noted that Dawn portrayed Gandhi as just a popular leader at the height of the Gandhi-Jinnah conflict over Partition in 1947. The daily always addressed Jinnah as Quaid-e-Azam (Great Leader), but rarely used the word Mahatma to refer to Gandhi. Also, Dawn often described Gandhi as an unscrupulous, narrow minded and manipulative leader. Understandably, the unequal competition between Gandhi and Jinnah for mass leadership haunted the daily even in 1947.
The subject of Anjana Sharma's essay is portrayals of Gandhi by the Hindustan Times and The Statesman dailies. As Devdas Mohandas Gandhi (May 22, 1900 - August 3, 1957), the fourth and youngest son of Mahatma Gandhi, was the then Editor of Hindustan Times; the daily portrayed Gandhi as a central character of the Indian Freedom Movement. On the other hand, reports published in the British-owned The Statesman used to paint a mixed image of Gandhi. Sharma believes that the lasting effects of these two constructions can be traced even today.
In the final essay of this publication, Mei Li Badecker has traced the construction of Gandhi in the mass culture of the 21st Century. The author has explored television, street art and even media, like NBC and Netflix, in this regard. Naturally, the mass culture related to Gandhianism of the cities, like New Delhi, Mumbai, New York and Pittsburgh, has found its place in his writing. According to Badecker, all these constructions of mass culture are important to the new generation for the assimilation of Gandhian thought in various ways. At the same time, it is also important not to deviate from the account of Gandhi's beliefs, philosophy and actions.
One should remember that the history of Gandhi and the media is multifaceted. Gandhi is there in the media, and Gandhi also had his own media. A new history can be traced from the data on Gandhi's characterisation. Again, discussions on Gandhian Philosophy and its reflection in the media can provide new directions in the theoretical construction of Gandhian thought. For example, one can consider how Gandhi's theories on technology, medicine and environment were influenced or transformed or extended by his activities.
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