Public Relations And Mahatma Gandhi

Public Relations And  Mahatma Gandhi

Public Relations is a management function that evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an Individual or an organization with public interest, plan and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance. 

Public Relations practice is a deliberate, planned, and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its public. It is the art and social science of analyzing trends, predicting their consequences, counseling organization leaders, and implementing planned programs of actions which will serve both, the organization and the public interest.  

Public Relations consist of all forms of planned communication, outwards and inwards, between an organization and its publics for the purpose of achieving specific objectives concerning mutual understanding. The fundamental purpose of Public Relations is to establish a two way of mutual understanding based on Truth, Knowledge, and full information. 

The Father of The Public Relations Edward L. Bernays defined Public Relations as “an attempt by information, persuasion, and adjustment to engineer public support for an activity, cause, movement or institution”.  

In year 2011 Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) led an international effort to modernize the definition of Public Relations. Under the ‘Public Relations Defined’ banner, PRSA initiated a crowd sourcing campaign and public vote that produced the following definition:

“PR is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics”.

This definition focuses on the basic concept of public relations - as a communication process, one that is strategic in nature and emphasizing mutually beneficial relationships. Process is preferable to management function which can evoke ideas of control and top-down, one-way communications. Relationships relates to role of PR in helping to bring together organizations and individuals with their key stakeholders. And Public is preferable to stakeholders, as the former relates to the very public nature of public relations, whereas stakeholders has connotations of publicly-traded companies. 

The Father of The Nation Mahatma Gandhi had recognized the importance of  communication as an effective tool to shape public opinion and to mobilize support. He was successful because of his latent skill in communication that surfaced in South Africa where he used his communication skills by conveying his heart to millions of his followers and admirers across the globe through “The Indian Opinion” newspaper which became an important tool for political movement led by him and the Indian National Congress to fight racial discrimination and win civil rights for the Indian immigrant community of South Africa. 

Gandhi ji made best use of the nationalist press and his own journals: Young India,  Navjeevan, Harijan  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. He used all the available means of communication channels to give a new direction to the freedom movement and won the freedom through the unique technique of satyagraha, non-violence, and truthfulness.

Gandhi ji, through his effective communication, reached out to millions of people, convinced them of his cause and mobilized the public opinion for attainment of freedom. He made optimal use of 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.

The introduction of new causes and the symbols associated with the freedom movement, e.g. introduction of the Spinning Wheel (Charkha) and Hand woven cloth ‘Khadi’ that became an enduring symbol of independence and ingenuity. It was the first step towards the conversion of masses into ardent freedom fighters. 

Gandhi ji effectively used three C’s of communication i.e. Credibility, Consistency, and Connection. He knew that without credibility, his messages will not influence anybody. When he said: “Be the change you want to see in the world,” he was living his message of peaceful resistance daily. Gandhi ji’s consistent message was the importance of gaining India’s liberty through peaceful means. The consistency in his messages eventually helped India to gain her liberty. 

Being an effective communicator, Gandhi ji had the ability to instantly connect with his audience through his speeches which were clear, direct and heart to heart. He made an authentic emotional connection with the people of India. Once that connection was made, he was able to paint a picture of an independent India and eventually India got freedom on 15^th August 1947.

Public Relations methods used by The Father of The Nation Mahatma Gandhi were truly effective and paid great results in; 

1. Communicating with the masses,

2. Winning public support despite the problems of cultural and linguistic diversity,

3. Overcoming the serious obstacles laid by the ruling British  Govt.

Many of the methods adopted by Mahatma Gandhi to communicate with the masses are now part of the standard practice of Public Relations all over the world.  

Firstly, the importance of getting public to identify with a cause and with the leader espousing that cause. He discarded his European dress and dressed himself in the garments such as poorest of the poor use in our country. He realized that by doing so the masses would be able to identify themselves with him and the cause he represented.

Secondly, the use of symbols. Mahatma Gandhi, a born communicator, understood the value of symbol. The Spinning Wheel (Charkha) symbol, which he adopted became the logo of national movement symbolizing self-reliance and people participation in the cause of freedom struggle.

Thirdly, the staging of events i.e. 1. Champaran Satyagrah, 2. Kheda Satyagrah, 3. Khilafat Movement,   4. Dandi March, 5. Namak Satyagrah, 6. Civil Disobedience Movement,  7. Direct Action Campaign 8. Quit India Movement, 9. Bonfire of foreign cloths, and 10. Non-cooperation and Non-violence. 

These events captured the imagination of the whole nation and proved far more effective in taking the message to the masses. 

Besides this Mahatma Gandhi did not neglect the conventional means of communications either besides holding meetings, giving speeches, he regularly published newspaper and journals. Indeed he made use of all possible media and devised imaginative forms of communications to circumvent restrictions placed by the govt. on the official media. 

We can learn a lot from the Gandhi ji’s art of effective communications.   

Suresh Gaur

P R Guru
#sureshgaur #sureshgaurprguru #sureshgaurpr4you #sureshgaurpublicrelations4you #sureshgaurpr4everyone #publicrelations