MAHATMA GANDHI AND
JOURNALISM
Bidyut
Bhattacharya
Dr. Martin Luthar
King (Jr) wrote, "Gandhi was inevitable. If humanity is to
progress, Gandhi is inescapable. He lived, thought and acted,
inspired by the vision of humanity evolving towards world of peace
and harmony. We may ignore Gandhi at our own risk."
Journalism was the
factor that transformed ordinary Gandhi into Mahatma Gandhi. Almost
everyone knows that Mahatma Gandhi was a political leader, but
he was also a journalist to the core. The single factor that helped
Gandhi the most in earning the title of ‘Mahatma’ and the leadership
of the masses was his dedication of running the weekly newspapers
for nearly 40 years of his life.
In 1903, in South
Africa, Gandhi started a weekly newspaper, Indian Opinion
(16 pages tabloid), issued every Saturday in 4 languages. Three
years later Gandhi dropped two of those languages for the want
of competent editors, but he himself edited the paper in the other
two languages and issued the paper on time until he left South
Africa in 1914.
From India Gandhi
continued supporting Indian Opinion all his life by providing
regular editorial materials and moral and financial support. In
1919, Gandhi started two weeklies in India, Young India
and Navjivan. He issued these newspapers regularly all
his life except for the durations during which the government
ceased the press. In 1933, Gandhiji added a third weekly, Harijan
(which means ‘the children of God’) and ran it all his life
except when the press was ceased.
More than 75 per
cent of the content in his papers came from his own pen. It is
estimated that during his lifetime Gandhiji wrote more than 10
million words. That translates into 500 words every day for 50
years! And all his writing was related to personal improvement,
and social and political reform.
Two months after
the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, his English weekly Harijan
wrote in its editorial, "All work, in whatsoever sphere,
was a means primarily of service in Gandhiji’s eyes. Newspapers
and journals can build up a fitting memorial to him in this matter
by conforming or trying to conform to the unimpeachable standards
of journalism practised by our revered and beloved leader."
The standards Gandhiji set and followed as a journalist and his
many faceted writings in his journals amidst his strenuous political
entanglements are meticulously gathered and discerningly presented
with choice quotations in a book.
Gandhiji was the
editor of three English weeklies, namely Indian Opinion
(in South Africa during 1903-1915), Young India (1919-
1931), and Harijan (1933-1942 and 1946-January 1948). Indian
Opinion was 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 "newspapers"
were organs of political and social movements and discussed with
intensity and concentration, problems that demanded immediate
action.
Gandhiji’s second
son young Manilal, looking after the Indian Opinion in Phoenix
after his father finally returned to India in 1915 would get from
time to time journalistic advice. "You should write what
is truth in Indian Opinion", once wrote the journalist-father
to the budding journalist-son. "But do not be impolite and
do not give way to anger. Be moderate in your language. If you
err, do not hesitate to confess it."
Many facets of Mahatma
Gandhi, one of the great personality and leader’s ever have been
brought out through his very honest writing. The liberty of the
Press was constantly in his mind. The Bombay Chronicle
had to pay a fine for a defamation suit. Under the caption "Below
the Belt", Gandhiji wrote in Young India (7-8- 1924):
"The Press Law is gone only to be replaced by new activities
under the laws of sedition and libel... The editor of a daily
newspaper when he begins writing his leading article does not
weigh his words in golden scales. He may be betrayed into a hasty
word. Must he pay for it even though he did it obviously in good
faith without malice and in the public interest? These libel actions
are calculated to demoralize Indian journalism and make public
criticism over-cautious and timid. I am no lover of irresponsible
or unjustifiably strong criticism. But, the caution to be beneficial
must come from within and most superimposed from without."
Gandhiji’s journal
carried articles on a variety of subjects written by him and others
ranging from the spinning-wheel to the most important political
problem of the day. But writings on one subject were conspicuous
by their absence throughout viz. art and aesthetics. Even so,
the author reports that "Gandhiji tried his hand on intellectual
and aesthetic subjects as well", and as an example refers
to the extract of an article on "Indian art" published
in the issue of the Indian Opinion dated Sept. 17, 1903.
However, this only exception is not written by Gandhiji but turns
out to be a lengthy quotation on Indian art, the palace architecture,
mosques and mausoleums of Agra and Delhi and several older Hindu
temples of Southern India written by the late Sir William Hunter
in his book Indian Empire. Gandhiji reproduced this in his article
for the edification of South African readers, both European and
Indian to drive home the fact that "India, as is often believed
in South Africa, is not a place dotted merely with huts inhabited
by savages." Years later in India in an interview to G. Ramachandran,
Gandhiji admitted that "I do not speak or write about art
because I am conscious of my own limitations. That consciousness
is my only strength... My functions are different from the artist’s
and I shall not go out of my way to assume his position.’’ Gandhiji
even quipped during that interview that "Neither Jesus nor
Mohammed wrote on art!"
Gandhiji as editor
had to face a rebuff when his editorial colleagues at Ahmedabad
refused to publish certain portions of his written prayer speech,
which he had dispatched in February 1947 from Naokhali with instructions
for immediate publication in The Harijan. Gandhiji wired
back to assure them that he was prepared to take the entire responsibility
for publishing the full text of his speech. But it was never published.
Two of the trustees of Harijan resigned. Gandhiji wrote to one
of the trustees: "I fully realise Harijan does not belong
to me. It really belongs to you who are conducting it with such
diligence. Whatever authority I exercise is moral."
Gandhiji’s work in
journalism had a strong influence not only on every newspaper
in India but also on the entire literary world of every language
in India.
