India’s struggle for freedom was largely fuelled by the powerful communication by many leaders. Outstanding among them, Bal Ganga Dhar Tilak, Subhash Chandra Bose were great mass leaders, at the same time great communicators and who gave few punch lines which caught the mind and spirit of Indian masses.
The spirit of nationalism, which was lying dormant in the sub conscious minds of the people of India, was aroused by Bal Ganga Dhar Tilak. His speech, ‘Freedom is my birth right and I shall have it’ had a charismatic impact on the people of India. Not happy with moderate attitude of congress towards the fight for self-government, when the people of India were suffering under British rule, these words led to awakening of masses.
Keeping the vision of interacting with the masses and arouse and awake the feeling of love for the mother country, his two weekly newspapers, Mahrahta in English and Kesari in Marathi language pumped the sentiments of ‘love for the country’ in the minds of the readers. Tilak highlighted the plight of Indians in his newspapers. In his paper Kesari, he even defended the revolutionaries and called for immediate Swaraj or self-rule. Tilak was the personification of the national endeavour. He had the closeness with the spirit of the masses. He was able to unite all classes of men behind him, to be the leader not only of the educated, but of the people, the merchant, the villagers, farmers, labourers, women, young and old.
His bravery, his simplicity, his wonderful industry and his love for the country made him lokmanya of India i.e., beloved of the people. In fact, he laid the foundation of the freedom struggle and brought out the mass consciousness, political consciousness, and dynamic energy to the entire movement. He drew a vibrant picture of the peoples sufferings and of actual happenings. His mass communication reached another level when he transformed household worshipping of Ganesha into Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav. He also made anniversary celebrations of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as a social festival. Tilak travelled from village to village to mobilise the support of villagers, farmers, students and labourers and motivated them to join struggle for Independence. Tilak called upon every Indian to fight for his rights. Bal Gangadhar Tilak used fiery language to arouse the sleeping Indians. He carried mass movements for India’s Independence with an emphasis on a socio, religious and cultural revival. Tilak was not only charismatic leader but was also a tremendously dynamic communicator.
Another powerful speech by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose sent electrifying waves of ‘love for the country’. ‘You give me blood and I will give you freedom’ echoed through the hearts and minds of Indian masses. This was a communication that brought him allies in the Second World War, terrified the British Empire and at the same time gave hope to Indian people. This made Indians believe in themselves, pride in their glorious past and trust that they could fight for their country as free people.
Subhash Chandra Bose while using his communication strategically made an Indian army which could fight against the British. While building his Indian National Army (INA), he used to communicate so strongly and deeply that his voice touched the weakest cord of each and every soldier of his army. His blood and freedom speech can be credited as indefinable contributions to the greatest struggle for independence of India.
(The writer is a national media consultant and his views are personal. He can be contacted at : sudhanshu.patni@gmail.com)