The title is kind of sensational :D
Well today we had a journalism lecture by Mr. Sai, where we discussed amongst many things the great communicators Mahatma Gandhi and Adolf Hitler.
It is odd pitching a man all for non-violence v/s a man who went about trying to exterminate another creed. It so happens that I considered Hitler one of the greatest communicators! Just tales of men doing the dastardly deeds and then claiming no memory of it, the stories of his hypnotising speeches, speak of a very profound ability to commu
nicate and possibly influence the listeners to a large degree.
Today in class the professor mentioned Mahatma Gandhi as one of the great communicators. So I asked why not Hitler?
He spoke about the regional diversity of India as being his main reason. He also stated an example of an old Indian commercial aimed towards child birth awareness. Which was telecast nationally in the regional languages. It seems this commercial went on with out much impact in all of India except West Bengal. W. Bengal took up arms at the ad.
And the reason for this was because a cot used in the ad was actually the cot used only for dead people in the Bong land of Bengal :)
And thus he said that communicating to a land as diverse as India is no mean task especially for a gujarati, hindi knowing guy lik
e Gandhi!
I also have another reason for stating Gandhi's efforts as being greater in the two. During the time of Hitlers rise, the german people were in a bad state and hence could be incited to anger easily!
Of course what distinghuishes Adolf would be the extent to which he took this anger. Practically hunting down an entire caste of people and the raising of concentration camps is very gruesome and would require great strength of will from the leader of it.
Also he has gotten good men to do horrible deeds and then they clai
m no memory of it, I guess the actions must be a consequence of mob effect, fear and well good communications.
However inciting a mass of opressed people to take up non-violence
is a phenomenon yet unseen! To get them to stand up to armed forces and take blows without retaliating back is in my understanding deep wisdom.
So it has been for me landmark cause I have hitherto considered Adolf Hitler as an exemplary communications guy, but he is now replaced by Mahatma Gandhi.
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