Shri M.P. Veerendra Kumar, members of the Mathrubhumi's large family, other dignitaries and Ladies and Gentlemen,

A warm namaste to all of you. Indeed it is a matter of privilege and immense pleasure for me to be here this evening and participate in one of the events being organized for the commemoration of Gandhi's visit to Mathrubhumi in 1934. I come from Gujarat Vidyapith, which was founded by Gandhi in 1934 and hence I am doubly happy to be here where Gandhi's inspiration is remembered even to this day. Mathrubhumi also provided me an opportunity to visit the Mahatma Gandhi University and this has been an additional pleasure. Gandhi was well aware of the power of Media. In his days it was mostly print media and he himself made use of the media very effectively. We all know about his own forays in print media. Gandhi wrote on all subjects. Communication experts inform us that he wrote simply and clearly but forcefully, with passion and burning indignation. One of the objects of a newspaper, he said was to understand the popular feeling and give expression to it; another was to arouse among the people certain desirable sentiments, and the third was fearlessly to expose popular defects. It should be of some interest to know how Gandhi learnt these basic tenets.

I am not a journalist and hence I do not possess professional competence to undertake an assessment of Gandhi as a journalist. I have chosen to share my understanding of Gandhi as a journalist. An assessment of Gandhi as a journalist need not be attempted because he never claimed to be a journalist. I have chosen to review Gandhi's ventures into journalism in order to share my understanding that his conduct as a journalist was consistent with his pursuit of truth for a cause and for continued self-development.

It should be interesting to know how Gandhi got to writing. Generally persons in public life are known to give inspiring and good speeches. Instead Gandhi took recourse to written communication. The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (CWMG) contains about 50,000 pages in hundred volumes. It still is not an exhaustive collection! Interestingly, Gandhi did not write many books. He wrote three books and a couple of booklets. Autobiography, Satyagraha in South Africa and Hind Swaraj were the books he wrote. All his other writings are in the form of articles that he contributed to periodicals he edited and published.
Gandhi went to England as a student in 1888 to study Law and become a Barrister. For Gandhi, who was a boy of 19, everything the country, the language, and the culture, was new and somewhat strange. His friends and acquaintances slowly exposed him to the world of thought. In his autobiography Gandhi notes: 'But I had found my feet now. I had not yet started upon my regular studies. I had just begun reading newspapers, thanks to Sjt. Shukla. In India I had never read a newspaper. But here I succeeded in cultivating a liking for them by regular reading. I always glanced over the Daily News, The Daily Telegraph, and The Pall Mall Gazette.' Young Gandhi must have realized that newspapers were a good source of learning about the society and contemporary issues debated in public arena. Young Gandhi must have formed deep impressions about the effect of print media on readers.

Gandhi was more comfortable with written communication also because his was ill at ease with public address. He was shy by nature and did not easily get drawn to discussions even in small groups. As a political and social activist he traveled extensively in South Africa and in India. Public speeches would have been a good medium for expressing his ideas and programme to people, but he preferred to do so through written communication. His shyness to speak in public was perhaps the main reason for this. Gandhi has never been acclaimed as a good orator. Had Gandhi been a very good orator, one does not know whether he would have become an excellent communicator through writing. In this context interested readers should read chapter 18 in part I 'Shyness My Shield'. Gandhi was elected to the Executive Committee of the Vegetarian Society and attended the meetings regularly. But he writes: 'But I always felt tongue-tied.' There were occasions when he felt tempted to participate he says, 'But I was a loss to know how to express myself.' There was one such occasion when he had to speak and clear his stand on an important issue. He knew that he would not be able to speak extempore and hence he wrote down his argument. Even with written text in his hand he could not read it. Gandhi writes, 'So far as I recollect I did not find myself equal even to reading it, and the President had it read by someone else.' Gandhi continued to inform the reader in the next paragraph of the chapter: 'This shyness I retained throughout my stay in England. Even when I paid a social call the presence of half a dozen or more people would strike me dumb.' He overcame his shyness in South Africa though he notes that he never completely overcame it. It is important for us to understand that one limitation of Gandhi led him to develop other habits that were sound and stayed with him all his life and served him very well. Following quotation from his writing makes it clear.

'I must say that, beyond occasionally exposing me to laughter, my constitutional shyness has been no disadvantage whatever. In fact I can see that, on the contrary, it has been all to my advantage. My hesitancy in speech, which was an annoyance, is now a pleasure. Its greatest benefit has been that it has taught me economy of words. I have naturally formed the habit of restraining my thoughts. And I can now give myself the certificate that a thoughtless word hardly escapes my tongue or pen. ... Prone to exaggerate, to suppress or modify the truth, wittingly or unwittingly, is a natural weakness of man, and silence is necessary in order to surmount it.'

I consider Gandhi's above statements to be relevant to all of us and perhaps all the time. Its relevance is more pronounced for people in the profession of journalism. Printing technology has increased the speed of typing, page making and printing fast and also has made it cost effective. The number of daily, weekly and monthly papers and magazines keeps increasing. Most of these publications are also in competition. In order to sell better they are often 'prone to exaggerate, suppress or modify the truth, manipulate, sensationalize and use other wrong means. The electronic media is also in way responsible for the degeneration of standards in print media. The value and spirit of journalism are compromised in the process. It has been noted by researchers in communication that as a journalist, Gandhi could have taught a few lessons in mass communication. An effective communicator, fearless and eloquent with his words, Gandhi reached out to millions of people and convinced them of his cause. It should be clear to us now that Gandhi could become an effective communicator because of self restraint that he exercised in thought and the efforts he made to choose words in order to undertake written communication.
Gandhi Knew Importance of Print Media in Communication

Gandhi's exposure to good newspapers in England was a beginning of his understanding in written communication and media. Gandhi would make substantial and effective use of print media to disseminate his thought and action programmes to the Indians in South Africa is clear from right in the beginning of his work in South Africa. We know that he went to South Africa to assist in a legal suit involving huge finance between two Indian merchant companies. Gandhi notes in his autobiography that on the second or third day of his arrival Dada Abdulla, who had employed him, took him to see the Durban Court. While they were seating next to Abdulla's attorney, the magistrate kept staring at Gandhi and finally asked him to take off his turban. Gandhi says that he saw fighting in store for him. Gandhi thought that instead of pocketing insults all the time on wearing and removing the turban he had better bid good-bye to the Indian turban and begin wearing an English hat. Surprisingly, Dada Abdulla disapproved of the idea and said that it would compromise those insisting on wearing Indian turbans. Gandhi saw patriotism in this among other things and liked Abdulla's advice to continue. However, he wrote to the press about the incidence and defended the wearing of his turban in the court. Gandhi notes: 'The question was very much discussed in the papers, which described me as an 'unwelcome visitor'. Thus the incident gave me an unexpected advertisement in South Africa within a few days of my arrival there. Some supported me, while others severely criticized my temerity.'

I am quoting this incident to suggest that perhaps young Gandhi realized the power of press and although he had no plans to lead a political movement then, he became aware about the need for media campaign when he really started a movement. We all know that in the years that followed Gandhi indeed lead a massive political campaign and made use of media effectively. He never lost his insight in this matter. Let us see some more illustrations in Gandhi's efforts in media campaign. In 1896, Gandhi planned to return to India to take his family to South Africa. He also used time in this trip to sensitise a cross section of opinion-makers including media and political activists in India. Gandhi writes in his book on Satyagraha in South Africa the following: 'While proceeding to Bombay from Calcutta, I missed my train on the way and had to stop in Allahabad for a day. My work commenced there. I saw Mr Chesney of The Pioneer. He talked with me courteously, but told me frankly that his sympathies were with the colonials. He, however, promised me that if wrote anything, he would read it and notice it in his paper. This was good enough for me. While in India I wrote a pamphlet on the condition of Indians in South Africa. It was notices by almost all newspapers and it passed through two editions. Five thousand copies were distributed in various places in India.'
It may be seen from the above passages that Gandhi was keenly aware of the importance of media campaign for his cause. He not only wrote a pamphlet and distributed 5000 copies all over India, but also took note of how his effort was noticed. In his autobiography Gandhi had also noted the following: 'The unexpected interview with the editor of The Pioneer laid the foundation of the series of incidents which ultimately led to my being lynched in Natal'.

He further wrote: 'Ten thousand copies were printed and sent to all the papers and leaders of every party in India. The Pioneer was the first to notice it editorially. A summary of the article was cabled by Reuter to England, and a summary of that summary was cabled to Natal by Reuter's London office…. In the meanwhile every paper of note commented at length on the question.'
Gandhi has devoted some more space to matter relating to media coverage of his visit and writings in his book on South Africa movement. He has also described the efforts he made: 'I then went to Madras. There I saw Sir (then Mr Justice) Subramanya Aiyar, Shri Anandacharalu, Shri Parameshvaran Pillai, editor of the Madras Standard, Shri Bhashyam Iyengar, the famous advocate and others. A great meeting too was held. From Madras I went to Calcutta, where I saw… the late Mr Saunders, the editor of The Englishman, and others.'

In his autobiography Gandhi had made only a brief reference to how Reuter covered and communicated the story, but in his book on Satyagraha in South Africa, he has noted elaborately and that description given below shows the keenness with which Gandhi had followed the media campaign: 'The agitation in India attained enough importance for the principal Indian newspapers to notice it in their columns and for Reuter to send cablegrams about it to England. This I came to reaching Natal. Reuter's representative in England had sent a brief cablegram to South Africa, containing an exaggerated summary of my speeches in India. This is not an unusual experience. Such exaggerations are not always intentional. Very busy people with prejudices and prepossessions of their own read something superficially and then prepare a summary which is sometimes partly a product of imagination. This summary, again, is differently interpreted in different places. Distortion thus takes place without any one intending it. …When the Europeans in Natal read the distorted summary of my speeches, they were greatly exasperated against me. …The remarkable fact, however, was that what I had written in Natal was more severe and detailed than what I wrote and spoke in India. …But very few Europeans would read what I wrote in Natal, and still would care for it. The case, however, was obviously different with my speeches and writings in India. Thousands of Europeans would read Reuter's summaries. Moreover, a subject which is considered worthy of being communicated by cablegram becomes invested with an importance it does not intrinsically possess.'

Gandhi's attention to media and communication had been there all through the South Africa movement. There was the Boer War and Gandhi had offered to volunteer in the war as nurses in the battlefield. This happened after a lot of debate and opinions expressed in the media against the Indians, who were blamed to have come to South Africa only to make money. But this gesture and support by Indians led by Gandhi as nurse volunteers in battle field attracted good media attention. Gandhi notes: 'All this was a complete revelation to the English newspapers. No one expected that the Indians would take any part in the war. An Englishman wrote in a leading newspaper a poem eulogistic of the Indians with the following line as a refrain: 'we are sons of the Empire after all.'

Gandhi as a Journalist
Gandhi's insights and understanding of the necessity of the media and communication led him to have movement's own news and views publication and that is how the Indian Opinion seems to have born. Gandhi has devoted a separate chapter both in his autobiography and his book on satyagraha in South Africa. Both the chapters contain details on how to why and how to publish a paper. The content of the chapters is enough to pass Gandhi as a professional and committed journalist. He has in these chapters described difficulties of publishing news magazines and managing it including the advertisement and finance aspects. Thus, it is useful both for journalists and publishers even in the present times.

The chapter in the autobiography has focus on personal involvement and role and responsibility as a journalist and as an editor. We know that the autobiography is also a narration of Gandhi's experiments with truth and hence he has dealt with aspect of self-evaluation. It is indeed relevant and educative for all the journalists. Gandhi pursued truth and ethical and moral values as a journalist. Let us first see a quotation from the autobiography. Writing about the Indian Opinion Gandhi says: 'It was never intended to be a commercial concern. So long as it was under my control, the changes in the journal were indicative of changes in my life. Indian Opinion in those days, like Young India and Navajivan today, was a mirror of part of my life. Week after week I poured out my soul in its columns, and expounded the principles and practices of Satyagraha as I understood it. During ten years, that is, until 1914, excepting the intervals of my enforced rest in prison, there was hardly an issue of Indian opinion without an article from me. I cannot recall a word in those articles set down without thought or deliberation, or a word of conscious exaggeration, or anything merely to please. Indeed the journal became for me a training in self-restraint, and for friends a medium through which to keep in touch with my thoughts. The critic found very little to which he could object. In fact the tone of Indian Opinion compelled the critic to put a curb on his own pen. Satyagraha would probably have been impossible without Indian Opinion. The readers looked forward for a trustworthy account of the Satyagraha campaign as also of the real condition of Indians in South Africa.'

One does not know how much of Gandhi's concern as a journalist are shared today by the persons in the profession. How many practice self-restraint? How many write without conscious exaggeration? One may tend to argue that Gandhi was a very great individual and most are others are lesser mortals, but what Gandhi has said and practiced for journalists should easily be the professional and ethical values for journalism. The problem arises these days because the very objective of publishing newspaper and magazines is not seriously set and examined. Here again Gandhi had the following to say: 'In the very first month of Indian Opinion, I realised that the sole aim of journalism should be service. The newspaper press is a great power, but just as an unchained torrent of water submerges whole countrysides and devastate crops, even so an uncontrolled pen serves but to destroy. If the control is from without, it proves more poisonous than want of control. It can be profitable only when exercised within. If this line of reasoning is correct, how many of the journals in the world would stand the test? But who would stop those that are useless? And who should be the judge?'

Gandhi had continued to pursue the objective of journalism all through and expected others also to follow the same set of values and goals. As we have noted above another scholar Gupta also notes in an article that for Gandhi editorial independence, adherence to truth and self restraint were the three overriding considerations for journalism. He quotes Gandhi's message to a newspaper The Independence on 30th January 1919, in which Gandhi wrote the following: 'In wishing you success in your new enterprise, I would like to say how I hope your writings would be worthy of the title you have chosen for your journal; and may I further hope that to a robust of independence you will add an equal measure of self-restraint and the strictest adherence to truth? Too often in our journals as in others do we get fiction instead of fact and declamation in place of sober reasoning. You would make The Independence a power in the land and a means of education for the people by avoiding the errors I have drawn attention to.'

One can clearly see that he wrote about the basic values of journalism in 1919 and in almost same words he wrote in the autobiography.

The chapter Indian Opinion in his book on Satyagraha in South Africa, Gandhi has written more elaborately on how the entire publishing and printing efforts were made and how the issue of finance was tackled. In this chapter Gandhi wrote that it was perhaps possible for a struggle to be carried on without a newspaper if it derived its strength from within the people that are involved, but it won't be possible to keep everybody outside informed about the developments and about the cause for which the struggle was undertaken. He said: 'But it is also my experience that we could not perhaps have educated the local Indian community, nor kept Indians all over the world in touch with the course of events in South Africa in any other way, with the same ease and success as through Indian Opinion, which therefore was certainly a most useful and potent weapon in our struggle?'
Marking the beginning of the centenary year of Indian Opinion, noted historian Ramchandra Guha wrote in The Hindu on June 8, 2003 that the weekly aimed to represent the grievances of South African Indians to the rulers. It was also aimed to unite the diverse elements among the diaspora. Guha has highlighted the point about Indian Opinion reaching to other Indians in the world. He wrote: 'To make the white man sensitive to coloured needs and aspirations, were the two principal objectives. But there was also a third: to make Indians more sensitive to their own frailties. As a note in the first issue put it: 'We are far from assuming that the Indians here are free from all the faults that are ascribed to them. Wherever we find them to be at fault, we will unhesitatingly point it out and suggest means for their removal'. To turn the torch inwards was typical of Gandhi; as was the desire, also expressed in the first issue itself, to invite contribution from 'competent writers' of all races and nationalities.'
Guha in this article has also remarks on the quality of prose that Gandhi displayed in his journalistic writings. He says: 'Thus Gandhi's prose came to be marked, in Khilnani's words, by 'the clarity of its argumentation and the directness of its expression'. Professor Swaminathan came to marvel at the transparent simplicity of his literary style. Gandhi's prose, remarked Swaminathan: 'is a natural expression of his democratic temper. There is no conscious ornamentation, no obtrusive truck of style calling attention to itself. The style is a blend of the modern manner of an individual sharing his ideas and experiences with his readers, and the impersonal manner of the Indian tradition in which the thought is more important than the person expounding it.'

It may appear that Gandhi had set very high aims for a dedicated and committed journalist and in the present times professionalism more than idealism is required. In this context also Gandhi appears to pass muster. Let us review Gandhi as a journalist, as a columnist, as an editor, and as a publisher. Besides Indian Opinion Gandhi published Navajivan, Young India, Harijan, Harijansevak and Harijanbandhu during the freedom struggle in India. All these newsletters had anxious readers and new issues were always awaited. The news covered in these papers and articles written by Gandhi and others were reproduced in other newspapers also. In those days there may not have been a system of syndicated columns otherwise Gandhi would have been the most published syndicated columnist! Gandhi had most characteristics of a professional journalist and a columnist. A scholar of Gandhian thought, Dr. Raman Modi notes that the report produced by Gandhi in Champaran was a joy and a lesson for a journalist producing investigative reports. Modi quotes an instance where Gandhi is seen reprimanding one Mr Khandwala for not preparing the report of the proceedings of the general body meeting of the Gujarati Sabha. Gandhi took extreme care in collection of facts, verification and reporting.

As a columnist too, Gandhi paid proper attention to the style and the language. Gandhi's readers were farmers and weavers. He wrote for common masses. It may be recalled that most Indians in South Africa were not highly literate. Gandhi's writings in Indian Opinion were simple, plain and idiomatic with which common people were familiar. In Navajivan too the language was not literary and heavy, but simple and thought rending. It did not imply that since he wrote for masses, the elite were not addressed and attracted. Gandhi's writings appealed to all. Gandhi has written profusely on all issues ranging from politics, religion, economic, social, and cultural to education. One hardly had notices any major corrections and erasing of text in the manuscript.

Gandhi always kept updated. Looking to the readers' responses and critics it appeared that Gandhi believed in in-depth knowledge about the subject on which he wrote and expected the same from others who contributed to his news journals. Gandhi did not have any fancy for diverse subjects, but he insisted on originality, research, and care in marshalling facts. It was found that while publishing Indian Opinion Gandhi glanced through about 200 news journals and provided summary of many news and views published in them. Thus, like a professional journalist, Gandhi took care about what others wrote on various issues and the issues on which he and his colleagues wrote. He had to face difficulty in making selection. Obviously when the news journals became well-known many people desired to contribute and all the material that was received was not always worth publication. In 28/09/1919 issue of Navajivan, Gandhi wrote that he would publish all those articles, which the readers would wish to read in his understanding, but he would not be able to publish scholarly essays in all the issues. He would try to accommodate articles by well-known scholars as Prasad whenever it was possible to provide space.

Gandhi as an editor and publisher also gave adequate attention to the financial aspects of his publications. He notes in Satyagraha in South Africa that they accepted advertisement in the beginning of Indian Opinion and also accepted job works for the press. These were sure revenue-generators. But soon it was realised that critical people in the movement had to give substantial time to deliver. In case of advertisements it became difficult to choose and reject. The advertisement that did not suit the spirit of the paper had to be rejected but could not be rejected because the sponsor was an important and influential member of the community. Soon Gandhi realised: 'Moreover, the view commended itself, that if the paper was conducted not because it yielded profit but purely with a view to service, the service should not be imposed upon the community by force but should be rendered only if the community wished. And the clearest proof of such wish would be forthcoming if they became subscribers in sufficiently large members to make the paper self-supporting. Finally, it seemed that it was in every way better for all concerned that we should approach the generality of the community and explain to them the duty of keeping their newspaper going rather than set about to induce a few traders to place their advertisements with us in the name of service.'
With the above realization it was decided to publish Indian Opinion without advertisements. The subscription drive began and efforts were to get the best content out in time. The subscription rates had to be increased, which was accepted by the subscribers. It is noted by Gandhi that at the height of the struggle there were 3,500 subscribers of Indian Opinion and more than 20,000 persons read it. Gandhi's further publications ventures in India during the freedom struggle also were successful. It is known that the subscriptions for Navajivan, Young India and other news journals were significant and they never relied on advertisement.

The newspaper and magazine publishing world has changed completely in last hundred years and more. Newspapers are in severe competition to win over advertisements. Governments have become major sponsors by way of advertisements. The independence of the newspapers is compromised. Advertisement revenue's weight now decides the editorial policies. The code of conduct is no longer based on moral and ethical considerations and loyalty to readers. Beyond a certain limit no government is criticized for the fear of losing government revenue. If the newspaper falls out of the government's approval then the private sector advertisements also get withdrawn. The future of such newspapers becomes bleak. Importantly, this happens to papers that claim circulation in lakhs.

Challenges before the Journalists Today
The first major challenge in my understanding is the focus that has shifted in favour of professionalism from the value-based commitment to cause. Professional journalists may raise eyebrows on this statement. But professionalism in today's world means delivering against the money's worth. Publishing itself is not restricted to a cause. It is not for the service of people that journalism works today. There is huge amount of specialisation and the value systems of these categories are different. Gandhi did not become a journalist only for political activism, but his ultimate goal was to effect social change. He was a reformer and used press as an effective medium of reform. He invariably raised issues pertaining to social evils, communal harmony, gender issues, racial and caste issues and other similar ones. He was fearless in expressing his opinions and also expected his fellow journalists to do so. Importantly, he had a vision of the future society. Do the present generation journalists have a clear vision of the society and if yes, is there a process through which self-criticism is done? What is the role of 'Page 3' for a sustainable society? Even best of the newspapers have had to tow the line of so-called being with times. Not satisfied with the advertisement as it is now no longer easy to fool the readers, the moneyed class and the business has bribed the journalists and editors into featuring advertisement as news items. Should this be regarded as commitment? What has been the role of journalists in the wake of serious problems that the humanity is facing by way of threat to species' survival? Should providing space of half a page, full page on an odd day for global warming and climate change be considered enough when rest of the paper and magazine is devoted to promotion of hyper lifestyle suggesting use of energy and natural resources without any limit?

Serious rot has set in. Correction lies in taking recourse to the values that Gandhi followed and later propounded. Self-restraint not only in expression, but adopting it in life is the key. It is known that media coverage has become a business now. The coverage is in proportion to the money on providing comfort creatures to journalists who are supposed to cover the event. This amounts to bribe. Even in a dry state such as Gujarat, journalists expect drinks before or after press conferences! Let alone expensive gifts and five star food.

A fundamental problem with the modern and professional society is that focus on individual is lost. The assessment is of the system and not of the individual. A good reporter is one who writes very well and lands punches and has a good readership. He/she may be accomplishing this under the influence of liquor and other debaucheries, but it is plainly ignored. Individual freedom issue is evoked very easily and if the work is 'good', other things are ignored. Character building is given up totally. I think Gandhi needs to be remembered and the character building has to be a foundation block of training journalists. The money part has to be taken out of consideration. Newspapers cannot be profit-making firms. Gandhi strove all his life to improve his self. We all need to go that way.

On that day in 1934, Gandhi gave a call to Mathrubhumi to work for freedom, political freedom, today as one of his tiniest of soldiers I venture to give a call to Mathrubhumi to say that change the life style and live a simple life, that you will become an immense power and agent of change not only in Kerala but in the entire nation.

Thank you for remembering me on this occasion and providing very warm hospitality

(Sudarshan Iyengar is the Vice-chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad.)