C.M. Paul
The book Mahatma GANDHI – A Journalist and Editor edited by Dr Mrinal Chatterjee and Snehasis Sur is a tribute to the father of the nation on his 150th birth anniversary from Press Club, Kolkata – oldest Press Club in the subcontinent established in 1945, as it celebrates its pre-platinum jubilee this year.
Along with a foreword by President and Secretary of the Press Club Kolkata and opening note by editor and Regional Director of IIMC Dhenkanal, Odisha, the book contains 20 chapters on various aspects of Gandhi as a journalist and editor.
It is an uncontested fact that Gandhi occupies a central place in the media history of India, and in a significant way, of the world in three ways. First, he reported society. Second, he created a template that others followed — in terms of content and presentation style. Third, he created news.
Editor of six publications – three English language publications, namely Indian Opinion (in South Africa during 1903-1915), Young India (1919-1931), as well as Harijan, Harijanbandhu, Harijansevak in English, Gujarati and Hindi, respectively (1933-1942 and 1946-January 1948). Indian Opinion was a fortnightly bi-lingual (English and Gujarati). For some time it had also Hindi and Tamil sections. Young India had a Gujarati edition – Navajivan. Harijan had both Gujarati and Hindi editions. All these journals which he described as “viewspapers” were organs of political and social movements and discussed with intensity and concentration, problems that demanded immediate action.
Gandhi as a journalist and editor carried the ideological moorings of Gandhi, the freedom fighter and social crusader intimately intertwined. His writings created a mass movement, it stirred the collective consciousness of the masses – that ultimately forced the British to leave the country.
Gandhi’s approach to journalism was totally devoid of ambition. To him, it was not a vocation to earn his livelihood. It was a means to serve the public. It has such a bearing on public welfare that to undertake them for earning one’s livelihood would defeat its primary aim. When a newspaper is treated as a means of making profits, the result is likely to lead to serious malpractices. He also said that newspapers were meant primarily to educate the people and familiarize them with contemporary history.
The 176 page book which costs Rs.200 contains lectures, articles and essays by well-known historians and media academicians on the subject. Starting with an excerpt of the address of Tushar Arun Gandhi the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, the anthology has the address of Nikhil Chakravartty, one of the finest thinkers of our times, which shows a completely new angle of Gandhi’s writings. Excerpt of the lecture by Kolkata-based author and media-teacher Subir Ghosh details the process of Gandhi’s communication.
Veteran journalist, freedom fighter and close associate of Gandhi, Sailen Chatterjee writes about the Journalist in Gandhi.
Prof. B.P. Sanjay’s article highlights the significant qualities of journalism that Gandhi practiced.
Historian Ramchandra Guha, Dr. Arul Aram and Dr. Uma Shankar Pandey have written on the Indian Opinion – its significance in moulding Gandhi.
B.N. Patnaik writes on the communication strategies of Gandhi while Prof. D.V. R. Murthy in his interesting essay, ‘Gandhi, Peace and Journalism’ tries to highlight how Gandhi, through his writings, strove for peace, even though, ironically, he was jailed for long years on sedition charges.
Prof. Dr. Charulata Singh writes on Gandhi’s universal and inclusive communication.
Kashmir based Dr John Babu attempts to understand Gandhi’s communication and journalism from the perspective of Aristotelian rhetoric.
Prof. V.S. Gupta seeks to explore how Gandhi engaged with the mass media and how he used it in his crusade against social evils and as a tool for freedom struggle.
While senior journalist Barun Dasgupta discusses Gandhi’s communication techniques, veteran journalist Shyamal Roy focuses on how Gandhi’s journalism bears the imprint of non-violence, one of his prime principles.
Veteran researcher Swapan Mukhopadhyay discusses the role Hind Swaraj had in shaping the philosophy of Gandhi.
Senior lawyer and freelance journalist Smarajit Roychowdhury narrates Gandhi’s skirmishes with the law as a journalist.
Another veteran newsman Amit Pathak shows the way to the the next generation of journalists as the current President of Press Club Kolkata Snehasis Sur discusses the early days of Gandhi’s foray into journalism and his involvement in various newspapers.
The book concludes with 7 pages of biographical notes on 20 contributors. END