Gandhi..The PR Guru

Disclaimer: This post is merely an observation.

Decades before PR would start finding acceptance in India, M.K Gandhi, the hero of Indian freedom struggle had used its principles brilliantly to create an awe inspiring movement that captured the imagination of millions and motivated them to achieve a common goal.

People know M.K. Gandhi as a lawyer and subsequently as a freedom fighter and activist. However, if you analyze his approach towards each activity during his struggle for independence in India and for civil rights in South Africa, it will be clear that he was also a master communicator (although reluctant public speaker initially) and probably one of the original practitioners of PR in India. Here are some reasons why:

Mass engagement: India’s struggle for independence became a true national movement when M.K Gandhi took centre stage. Upon his return from South Africa, he understood that in its current form, where discussions about independence were restricted to a small audience, freedom would remain a distant dream. Gandhi traversed the country’s length and breadth and took the message of independence to the remotest corners of the country.

Leveraged media effectively: Gandhi understood the vital importance of media for the success of his movement from early days of resistance in South Africa. He started many publications (ex: Indian Opinion, Navjivan, Young India) to raise mass local awareness. He also ensured that global media outlets took note of and reported details of his initiatives. Webb Miller’s (American journalist) reportage of the Salt March was credited for helping turn world opinion against British rule in India.       

Emotional appeal: Non-violence, Non-resistance and Swadeshi (local self-sufficiency) were unique movements that created never before experienced emotional appeal across the nation.  Needless to say, media around the world took note of such novel tactics.

Influencers: During the course of the freedom movement, several leading personalities from around the world acted as influencers that affected world opinion regarding British rule in India. Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabindranath Tagore are some examples.

Edward Bernays the Austrian American pioneer in the field of public relations had defined this function in very simple terms. He said that the three main elements of public relations are practically as old as society: informing people, persuading people, and integrating people with people. Anything that Gandhi missed?