COMMUNICATION-MEDIA-SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND

CATHARSIS OF IDEAS
Gollapudi Maruthi Rao
Film Writer, Film Director, critic, playwright, artiste, Television host, South India
Keywords: biosphere, catharsis, inter-dependence, transmogrification, theatre,
verisimilitude, obfuscation, fragmentation, shared experience, aesthetics, synthesis,
plastic art, attention-deficit hyper activity, multidimensional, paid news.
Contents
1. Ancient Model and Sustainable Development.
2. The Recent Model and its Limitation.
3. The Advent of a "Word, Collapse of a World.
4. Radio Play- Its scope and Range.
5. Theatre - Its Approach and Appeal.
6. News, Film and Documentary - Its Sensitivity and Sensibility
7. Print Media- The Nuances
8. Conclusion
Related chapters
Glossary
Bibliography
Biographical Sketch
Summary
Media is an instrument of communication conditioned by the human preferences and
technological limitations. The convergence of knowledge while influencing the millions
across the planet, fragments the communities by individual preferences and collective
complacence. Mans urge to conquer the nature and his insatiable desire for better living
has impoverished the biosphere as never before. The emerging technologies, instead of
operating to indicate warning signals, only hasten his nervous urge to decorate his
immediate present at the cost of losing a better tomorrow. Greenhouse gases, global
warming, tsunamis, earth quakes, volcanic eruptions are but a few examples. The life
supporting systems are being eroded in such a way that the geographical boundaries have
to be reshaped and re-written due to the recent calamities. Andaman and Nicobar Islands,
Maldives and Indonesian islands are a few examples. Communication systems project the
individual choices and prejudices. Instead of helping the human judgment for corrective
measures, they are shaping corrupting tendencies. Media stands as a testimony to human
frailty and failings of impoverished majority. The present rate of environmental
corruption outweighs the positive attitude of cornucopians to that of catastrophists.
This chapter discusses the role of communication in general, and media in particular, not
merely for information dissemination, entertainment and amusement, but more as a
powerful tool to sensitize the human society to the critical issues of individual and
collective life. The most important issues today being those of sustainable development
and environmental concerns, the author underlines the responsibility of media in the
context.
1. Ancient Model and Sustainable Development.
The 21st century is already declared to be one of many challenges. The Brundtland
Commission in its 1987 report, Our Common Future called for collective global effort to
ensure good living conditions for people of all generations, present and future. It
proposed a kind of development along these lines and defined sustainable development as
"development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their won needs". Since 1992 a global movement
began with the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro. It was here the key declaration on
sustainable development was released. It is now famous as Agenda 21, meaning Agenda
for Human Actions in the 21st Century. In 2002 the second summit was held in
Johannesburg, South Africa. In between, meetings took place to assess the progress of
sustainable development initiatives in the so call Rio+5 meetings. It is not easy to
estimate the cost of all these events. But it is important to gauge the result of these.
Governments can make policies and regulations but the actual implementation is often
not very effective; the problem is with the human society which has to be truly sensitive
to the issues and rules and regulations, policing, and penalties are weak solutions. Large
armies are known to have been defeated by relatively small ones- the latter fought with
spirit and not merely strength. Today we need a spirit to be strongly aroused in the human
society, a commitment to preserve the life and its quality on this planet, and this will be
true empowerment. The authors discussion of this topic amply refers to the Indian
examples and occasionally touches upon some irresistible cases outside.
Let us examine and evaluate the most ancient, time tested and resilient model of Hindu
Society which conducted itself with understandable discipline in relation to the biosphere
and the Earths life support systems and enjoyed the fruits of the Earth in a sustainable
way.
According to Alvin Toffler, American writer and futurist- if the human history of the last
50,000 years can be divided into lifetimes of 62 years each, it is the history of 800
lifetimes. In this incomprehensible and unimaginable stretch of lifetimes, it is shocking to
know that man lived in the caves for a staggering 650 life times. Only in the last 70
lifetimes has he started communicating with his fellow humans.
The earliest instruments of communication - if one may say so- were bones and stones.
Sporadic evidences of crude cuneiform writing on stone walls tell this story. While the
cave man and his earliest inheritor had no means of understanding and coming to terms
with nature- he was endowed with abundant source of intellect, as any other species
around him. Swami Parthasarathi, an eminent scholar and philosopher deciphers intellect
as different from intelligence in a very subtle way. Intellect is a faculty given to all beings
taking birth while intelligence is acquired by cultivation. Intelligence can be enriched, but
intellect operates by impulses and instincts. It is a natural inheritance that is common to
all living beings.
The most eloquent example of this intellect can be seen in full measure in the UNESCO
World Heritage Site of the famous Ngorongoro crater at the Eastern edge of Serengeti in
Northern Tanzania. Based on the fossil evidence, this crater was a consequence of a
massive volcanic eruption some 3 million years before. This volcanic caldera is a marvel
of the biosphere and a typical example of the rhythmic cycle of creation. There are
25,000 animals surviving in the crater entrapped by geological occurrence. These have
multiplied, co-existed and have found their sustenance in their immediate environs. A
lion co-exists with a hare and a gazelle lives next to a hippo. Each animal has its own
code of conduct for survival- sometimes one is a staple food of the other. But they dont
devour each other randomly. They live in that entrapped area, not by design but by their
intellect. When a Lion satiates his hunger killing a wildebeest, it will not look at any
animal for the next 8 days. After the Lion is done eating, hyenas and jackals devour the
leftovers. And vultures, eagles do the scavenging. What remains would be consumed by
small bacteria resulting in a clean up of the atmosphere. It is a silent way of sharing and
caring, by instinct and not by design.
Coming to the Hindu society- great texts of knowledge were handed over to generations
by the spoken word and by mere rendition alone. There was no written text to Vedas
(meaning what is heard).An astounding knowledge was embedded in this great matrix,
very meticulously composed to ensure that nothing was lost while transmitting from one
to the other and from generation to generation. To decipher what was given in these texts
and to decode its theme, one had to thoroughly learn grammar and mathematics. This was
a scientific preservation of an invaluable message enmeshed with subtle craft to be
handed over to coming generations. The basic tenet of this ancient text can be codified in
one word, DHARMA. It is a loaded word that deserves a comprehensive explanation to
get the full meaning. It is the generalized duty of the human kind, of a community, of an
individual, of a society, of a generation- the scope is all-pervasive and everlasting. In
short, it is a common denominator and the only necessary and sufficient condition for
human sustenance.
The Sanskrit term Dharma is also used to refer to Religion but this must be avoided while
reading this account. Dharma here should be taken as Duty. The false notion that the
Vedas are religious documents should be abandoned. These and the related works of
ancient scholars are highly evolved scientific documents- truly secular and revisit time
and again for better living and sustenance. The whole Vedic literature is a coveted proof
of ancient mans evolvement.
Max Muller said: "Vedas are the oldest text of the human race. And Agni Meele
Purohitam is the first verse of Rig Veda. In the most primordial time when the people of
Europe were jumping like Chimpanzees, did not know how to cover their bodies, but
with fig leaves, did not know agriculture and lived by hunting and lived in caves, at that
remote past, Indians had attained high civilization and they gave to the world universal
philosophies in the form of the Vedas."
Very significantly- these ancient texts enunciate the core values of human living and it
underlines one and only important basic need- the sustenance of life on this earth. We are
not aware of any other scripture or literature in that age anywhere in the world has so
precisely and succinctly epitomized the life and living.
Vedic literature does not teach a religion with any denomination or a particular god or
goddess. It defines and teaches truly a desirable way of life.
For example- the second hymn in, a chapter in Taittiriya Upanishad, referred to as
anuvakam, says:
Annadhbhutaani jaayante, jaataanyannena vardhante
Adyatettica bhutani, tasmaadannam taducyata iti
(All creatures are dependent on earth, they live for Anna (food) and lastly they dissolve
into the anna. Also, they are born from anna. All life forms which are inter-dependent on
earth live in the physical world. They live devouring food, and ultimately dissolve into
matter. From dust into dust- that is the rule of physical layer.)
Is it not what the Holy Bible tells us? Is it not what Ngorongoro life cycle demonstrates
or has been the case for the last 3 million years!
In order to perpetuate this value called Dharma, the elders of yore in their wisdom-
created several versions of creative models to drive home this truth. They are the
shastras, mythologies and some are epics. These various forms percolated into human
society and became homogeneous part of the lore. The commonest of common man, who
had no equipment to write or read, who was not exposed to this exercise- was fed with
these manifestations and they were absorbed by him at the micro-plane. His investment in
this process is a very valuable commodity called faith. Faith is a time- tested truth-
conceived, verified and a filtered tenet. It signifies only the goal and will not deliberate
the path. It enunciates the values, but doesnt explain the cause. It denotes but doesnt
define, because it is being handed over to the raw specimen of the society at the tail end
of the system, who has neither the equipment nor inclination to do so, because, more
often than not, one is endowed with abundant intellect that is not nurtured by intelligence.
The "extreme inheritor assumes it, adopts it, and organizes his way of life as enunciated.
This is an unwritten, unchallenged, age old custom. It was given a great name called
tradition. Tradition is a habitual adherence to the core values of a community over a
period without bothering to verify them- it has only answers and will not entertain or
accommodate questions, because it is not its prescription. You do a work because your
father did it. He did it because his father did it and so on and so forth. Tradition is a blind
alley, but with a torch in your hand. It will not define the route but defies the darkness.
The torch will guide you. That is tradition.
The Ramayana
Now, let us consider the power of communication. The greatest instrument of
communication fully clothed with traditional values- that was handed over to
generations- not in one country- but almost to every country- some 32 of them East of
Mediterranean- was Ramayana. It was not an epic of a country, but of a civilization. You
find any number of stories, lore in Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Sri Lanka to name a few.
The corner stone of this great epic is the preservation of Dharma. The religious ethos
encapsulated in this story embedded with all the core values that are defined as vital in
each society- became all-pervading and omnipotent. The story seeped to the grass-root
levels- independent of the faculty to communicate- in the form of ballads, songs, puppet
shows, dramas, pageants etc. The result was even more astounding. The societies adhered
to the propagated dharma not as an imposition but as a tool and instrument to co-exist.
Every tree, fig, animal, snake, scorpion, leopard, cat, mouse- you name it- has a
significance and a role to play in this biosphere, and one should respect its role on this
planet the commonest of common man will tell you this. They lived and let their fellow
beings survive for generations. This is a clear case of inter-dependence and co-existence.
Again, it was not an imposition but a common adherence to a faith. The result was a
healthy sustenance and the symbiosis achieved in the process is amazing. In a vast
country like India, with all its varied cultures, languages and disparities- you find the
manifestation of influence of this great epic "Ramayana. If you travelled from Kashmir to
Kanyakumari- you would find a Ram Singh, Ram Yadav, Ram Naik, Ram Narayan,
Rama Iyer, Rama Sastry, Ram Deo, Ram Roy, Ram Rao, Ram Atawale. This is an
emotional integration in an unprecedented way. This is the greatest achievement of mass
communication- of one epic- transcending the entire civilization and harmonizing their
thought process- for centuries. And, more importantly Dharma prevailed. The people
dont know what is sustainable development nor trans disciplinary science, nor billions of
years of evolution and survival. They only knew that by adhering to certain core
principles the Earth, which for them was "MOTHER" yielded the best results. And it did!
Thus homogeneous, fool-proof, sustainable societies thrived, unhampered.

2. The Recent Model and its Limitation

After the modern media explosion came another Ramayana, this time as a TV-serial in
India. This great epic which transcended their lives came to their drawing rooms in
smaller capsules. A great epic and a great media converged to influence the modern
viewer. One Ramayana was enough to ventilate social discipline for generations. Now it
gained another dimension and range. The result was stunning. It hit the millions like a
tornado. During its telecast, the trains stopped, the traffic on highways came to a
screeching halt, marriages postponed, meetings deferred, even human relations revisited.
Everybody was glued to the idiot box with bated breath. This was the second and most
powerful thrust of the same "instrument in a new but powerful form. The modern
communication media could give this theme another dimension and another charge to hit
the masses. The result was total and lethal.
But, alas, the second volcano didnt provoke the society as the first one. The influence of
the earlier Ramayana brought harmony to the millions, while the second, lured them, but
only created chaos, to say the least. The life moved on. The first one was an interpreter
while the second one was only an entertainer. People knew those values, heard about
them, learnt their resilience, butsomewhere down the line, it ceased to penetrate the
modern mans psyche. It did not percolate into their lives as the earlier one did. The earths
supporting systems were eroded by these very people, while their ancestors understood
and abided diligently to the core values. What is the sea change that occurred amid yester
and recent generations?
This was a marked media blast, an explosion a tornado and an avalanche that engulfed
the masses. The reason can be diagnosed in one word-communication. Is it a case of
propagation or distortion? What is happening? That is the second part of this enquiry.

3. The Advent of a "Word, Collapse of a World

Let us start at the beginning.
And then, something remarkable happened to the cave man. He has developed the faculty
to communicate. A "word is born. Without trying to be retrograde in perception and to
have a logical comprehension of the situation- a whole world collapsed with it and an
altogether new world manifested.
Silence is the language that is universal. It transcends the time, space and operates at the
instinct level. The operative instinct that is common to a human as also to an animal at
that stage was silence.
Charles Chaplin lamented that with the advent of talkie, a great language that transcended
the media died instantaneously. Its name was SILENCE. What is more, in a picture he
produced in 1940, he made an observation that "Our knowledge has made us cynical; our
cleverness hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little."
Spoken word limits the meaning to a particular thought and confines its appeal and
sometimes retards it. Silence has a "depth" while a word has "width. Silence is a great
generalization while word localizes its appeal. A thought projected by a word is one-
dimensional while silence is multi dimensional, depending on the reflexes of the being.
Again, silence is a vast expanse without limits, while a word is a conditional cage well
crafted and chiseled.
The eyes of a dog convey its love towards its master much more than a person expressing
it in words. Word is an interpretation, while silence is inference. The meaning of a word
is finite in its scope, while the silence is infinite. Does it mean that the spoken word killed
a different and deeper language that existed than when a man learnt to communicate? We
will presently enquire.
To understand this rather blatant statement, one has to look at the earlier life style of the
cave man, as compared to the present day man, who is exposed to supra-intelligent world.
Mother Nature was never trampled then, the bio-diversity was never interfered with, the
Natures cycle never tampered, because
1. He doesnt know that it is possible.
2. More importantly, he doesnt require it.
He co existed with the nature around him, drawing his sustenance, whenever and
wherever required. It was an unwritten law, blissfully unknown. The bio-diversity was
intact in its virgin form not by design but by default.
Knowledge extends the scope of a persons perception and conditions his intellect by the
same token. Lack of it confines him to a mundane existence yet another example of
primitive discipline of an animal. His sole aim is to survive and sustain himself and his
community- not by motivation but by habit.
Communication qualifies the thought and makes a person react. And mass
communication at its evolved best- helps people to understand each other and by the
same token, fragmentation sets in based on social, economic, geographic, ethnic, and
even by the pigmentation of the skin. "Apartheid was not even known to the earlier man.
This obfuscation is more palpable as the sensitivity and emphasis on the disparities are
highlighted.
4. Radio Play- Its scope and Range
Years back, this writer along with another stalwart of Indian Theatre addressed a
gathering at length elucidating Radio Play as different from a Stage Play. The person who
presided on the occasion, another scholar by his own right, stood up and said: "Ah! Now
at last, I happened to know the difference between a radio play and a stage play! But,
still, to me, Radio Play is by far the best one, because it is easy to turn off the program
when you dont like it, while you are cornered in a theatre in spite of its boredom.
Funny as it may sound, it is unambiguously a nail in the coffin of the function of the
media. Yes, it is convenient for the listener to terminate a program by jumping to the next
frequency. That is the limitation of the media and by that very reason- its challenge, as
well. Challenge to the originator of the program. This jibe is an eye opener, a wake up
call and also a warning. The listener at the other end of the receiver has no commitment
whatsoever to the originator of the program, nor is he embarrassed in demonstrating his
will, without bothering to communicate. His action is blatant, instantaneous and
summarily cruel, to say the least. It is unilateral from the originator thrown into the public
without any estimate of how much is taken by how many on the receiving end. The
broadcaster and the actors have no feeling of audience reaction; it is open ended.
However, this pertains to its appeal and not to its range, when once the communication is
made. Radio is the only media which caters to the recipient through one and only sensory
organ- the ear. In its functional level, it should neutralize the remaining four sensory
reflexes or subvert them or outsmart them and make the recipient unconditionally
available for the transaction. There is a complicated ritual that happens in the listeners
mind. The sound bytes are received by the ear, gets translated into "ideas and feeds it
spasmodically into the storehouse called the mind. It then kindles the mood. The mind
instantaneously cohabits with the originator in finally transforming into a feeling. It is
like insulin inducing the pancreas to create Glucose. It is the final manifestation of the
activity originated at the other end of the radio. This is when the sound qualifies the
thought. Beethovens ninth symphony may take the listener into raptures, while for an
audience elsewhere it may sound like a meaningless cacophony. Thus the human mind-
in its final plane- judges the content, savors it to fruition.
This is but a very basic transaction. This communication doesnt demand the qualification
of the recipient. He can be a man in the street, a housewife in the kitchen, a vendor in the
market or an urchin in a slum. The anticipation of the recipient is involuntary, optional
and even subjective; hence the challenge. The recipient is not committed to the content,
and hence it is Herculean. His rejection is immediate, and hence it is daunting.
World famous Anchor Robert Faust recollects his childhood memories and makes a
mention about the radio in the early 1940s: "Any sense of togetherness and community
was more a function of radio than of, say, newspapers, because even the individual
listener in a room knows that he or she is part of the shared experience.
Now the so called shared experience has been stolen by much more sensitive, appealing,
and lasting media-Television and its sibling - the Internet. But we will see more about it
later.
Coming to the radio play- when once the rapport between the originator and the recipient
is achieved- there is an astounding synthesis of all the three entities propounded by
Aristotle- Time, Space and Action. All this by just the audio! For instance in a radio play-
the age, characterization, mood, locale, emotions, expressions- everything has to be
conveyed to the listener through sound. It is a challenge of tremendous proportions.
However, there is a reward when once this happens. The broadcaster is transporting his
idea through this multi-pronged activity only verbally. He straightaway targets the
listeners imagination with all the import of his faculties. Depending on the ability of the
performer to convey the emotions- they are transported to the listeners mind- NOT as was
given, but as per the intellectual or comprehensive level of the listener. This "reach
happens in the receptors mind. But will he meet the originator in the mid way? or in an
exalted and supra-mental plane?-perhaps the receiver might manifest his "feelings in a
superior plane. To quote an example- one hears about the glory of Taj Mahal, one of the
Seven Wonders of the World. His flights of imagination will be as fertile as his mind can
fathom. While in reality "Taj Mahal is a dying edifice ever since it was built. The
projection of the thought about Taj Mahal in an audio might evoke a better Taj Mahal in
the minds eyes of the perceiver. Mind you, here the medium of communication is only
through audio- through minds eye of both the originator and the receptor. The transaction
is between two minds- and the transmission is directly proportional to the fertility of the
respective minds. To give another remarkable example- a cow herd saw a movie called
Vemana in Telugu in Andhra Pradesh, South India. It is the story of Vemana, a socio-
moralistic visionary who immortalized wisdom and noble thought in his poetry. This boy
instantly went into a trance, became balayogi(boy ascetic) and settled in meditation all
his life!
A mere thought may become a veritable weapon in the mind of the perceiver. Or it may
create a whole new world in his minds eye. The reflection is not a mirror to what is
conveyed, but holds a convex or a concave lens depending on the vasana (the innate
faculty based on his culture). It becomes a muse, a revelation and who knows it may be
the Ten Commandments Moses received on Mount Sinai. At this level, the transmission
of ideas overshoots the mundane physical barrier and transcends into an unknown,
untold, unexplainable plane. To generalize- the rapport between the creator and the
receiver is volatile, plastic and peerless.
The radio, by virtue of its limitation gains a range, character and depth- which cannot be
fathomed by any other media.
A radio play can travel through time and space, centuries and continents. It may deliver
an ever enlarging multi-dimensional Utopia.
Having said this, the radio should not teach. It should not sermonize. Because it hurts the
ego of the listener as he is not a qualified student, but a random specimen. Radio should
generalize in trying to reach its audience accommodating a parallel initiative from him, if
he is lucky or settle to sacrifice the fine print, if he is not.
Radio, in short, is a uni-dimensional force accomplishing a multi-dimensional Utopia in
its finest hour.

5. Theater - Its Approach and Appeal

The function of an art form is to ventilate human thought with a slang, so that the real
meaning gains an emphasis, and more importantly explores the parallels in the dreams of
its audience, thus identifying and modifying the behavior of the society, achieving a
synergy in the process. Such an attempt helps the human kind in groping their way and at
the same time make the earth a sustainable bounty gifted by mother nature. However, this
is a very broad and over-simplified generalization.
Theatre is a vehicle that packs the human emotions in a time-space capsule and creates a
charged situation. Joseph Conrad (1857-1924), Polish-born English novelist who made
the adaptations said: "My task which I am trying to achieve is by the power of the written
word to make you hear, to make you feel as it is, before all to make you see. That and no
more and it is everything."
A play brings life into a perspective as envisaged by its author, depending on how he/she
looks at it or as he/she intends us to look at it. The concurrence or otherwise of the
audience is a matter left to the duo- in each instance. The ability to preside over the
reflexes of the audience is the cornerstone of its success.
In the play "Sweet Bird of Youth by Tennessee Williams, the protagonist suddenly
breaks the third dimension at the end of the play and comes to the forestage and address
the audience. This is the last dialogue of the protagonist as told NOT to the character, but
to the audience. "I dont ask for your pity, but just for your understanding- not even that-
no. Just for your recognition of me in you, and the enemy- time, in us all. The curtain.
The play in its finest form is a poser-a bystander holding a placard. It presents life in its
true proportions- projects the oddities, idiosyncrasies, angularities in day to day life and
makes us stand face to face with life. The theatre doesnt hold a mirror to life. It doesnt
reflect. It represents. The character in a play represents a semblance of reality to enable
us to identify the "truth, but conveys a loaded message of the writer. This is dramatic
reality or verisimilitude in theatre. To be real, yet unreal is the essence of theatre.
It was Friedrich Durrenmatt, Swiss Dramatist who said that reality is vulgar, too violent,
too cruel and much too opaque for that matter. One vivid example will amply explain the
statement.
As you go on the street, you suddenly hear a screeching sound of wheels, a shriek of a
person and a big thud. You know instantly that there is an accident. You see people
running towards the happening. Instinctively you follow the crowds. Your curiosity is
tickled as you run towards the spot. You know what to expect there. Bloodshed, broken
bones, badly mangled body- anything. As you reach the spot, as your eyes are almost
ready to take the view- the reality- something in you swerves you- retards your
movement and something in you resents to take in the gory visual. And then, here it is- in
all its ugliness- a horrid, abhorring, repulsive reality. Something in you swirls you away
from the gory details. You cant take it anymore. You turn away. You are drawn to the
reality a while ago, because it is real, you are pulled away, because, again, it is real.
But as you go back to your work-spot, you try to relive the experience and try to
reconstruct the entire happening to your colleague, animating the "horrifying visual to
make him realize. You relive the moment in an exaggerated way, so that you can
transform the experience to your colleague who has no idea whatsoever of this
happening. You try to punctuate the entire episode in such detail to make him "feel the
same grotesque, ugly happening. He gets the picture. But he is not repulsed like you do.
He only says "oh! Horrible!. He got the picture, with all details in place- but only as a
hear-say. What you did in the process- you have redecorated the ghastliness with such
finesse, your audience relived the experience at an acceptable plane. You are satisfied.
This "transfer of the feeling- amazingly makes it enjoyable, because, here your ability to
reconstruct made it so. It is called Ananda, according to Indian Aesthetics - the
fulfillment of art in its pristine form. It is the essence of theatre. Here, eventually
"ghastliness has been transformed into a feeling, which only represents the REAL
ghastliness and this gives you happiness, unlike the original one. This is pure ART.
It is "conditional reality. It is a reality rebuilt to your benefit by the author, not as he sees
it, but as he wants you to see. It is a "representative reality. A Fine instance of
verisimilitude. It is an experience either enlarged, or adjusted, or modified to suit the
demands of a framework.
Nature has an innate ever changing quality. It also has an innate quality of ever resisting
when the change hurts. The message in between these two functions is the theme that can
make theatre a worthy medium to employ. But theatre is not a platform. A play is not a
pamphlet. The stage is not a pulpit. In theatre, like in life itself, the brain should be
reached through the senses. A play that sermonizes becomes suspect. The audiences ego
is hurt. The man on the other side of the flood lights will be grateful to the author for
accommodating his instincts in meeting him at an even plane. The more he is convinced
of this generosity, the more hearty and immediate will be his participation in the
happening on the stage. In essence, the audiences interest is directly proportional to what
is left unsaid and ambiguously hinted. According to the theatre critic Walter Kerr-a good
play is a meeting of minds, not the thundering imposition of a superior mind upon a
lesser one.
When it comes to the awesome as also delicate theme of mans plundering of the nature or
his lack of sensitivity in interfering the biosphere and the global natural cycles, the author
is drawn to a most challenging exercise. It is like talking to a criminal about
jurisprudence and to expect his concurrence on the subject, to put it more bluntly. The
function of the media is to drive home the "realization rather than the crucifixion of the
perpetrator. Qualified knowledge pre empts the audience and keeps him face to face with
the reality. While hypocrisy impedes his understanding to take a stand, the message will
be delivered in no uncertain measure.
The Ibsonian school says that at the best plane, theatre doesnt solve any problems. It is
not its function nor is it capable of doing so. The authors comprehension and ability
confines him to draw the audiences attention to the reality and its repercussions. It is for
the audience to arrive at the line of action. The play supplies us with questions- keep us
face to face with the characters, situations, juxtapositions in life and expects us to arrive
at our own inferences. It was Howard Lindsay who said that "If you are going to write a
propaganda play, you had better not let any of your characters know what the propaganda
is".
The more profound the theme, the more monolithic is its challenge and consequently
more subtle and generous must be its appeal. The theme of Sustaining the Life
Supporting Systems is a typical theme to be handled with kid gloves and "honey quoted
verbal, because in this sophisticated and knowledge- drenched world, mental corruption
under-cuts the problematic world and sells life at a discount and without doubt, for
several developed nations, hypocrisy is a full time job.

6. News Film and Documentary - Its Sensitivity and Sensibility

The function of this format is essentially to "convey and not "comment. It is important at
this stage to differentiate between informative journalism to informed journalism. Again,
a News Film reports, while a documentary consolidates the information.
A visual clipping- projects truth. A documentary, projects an idea, emphasizes, reveals
and enlightens. It was Jean Luc Goddard, French film maker who said that "Truth and
Beauty have two poles; Documentary and Fiction. You can start with either one.
To give an example Mother Theresa passed away- is a statement. It is news. The
statement doesnt qualify the truth. "The apostle of peace, the Divine Mother is no more-
is documentary.
For a documentary film the first enemy is the word. The second- but more dangerous
enemy is the Editors scissors. It is the editor who can convolute, interpret or distort a
documentary. He can make a placid ice cake into a veritable projectile or a gun into a
baby doll. It was again Goddard who said that "A film narrates truth 24 times per
second." A film gains animation while 24 frames move per second. That is the emphasis
a visual can impart.
A leader is addressing a gathering. He makes a statement of fact. A single shot conveys
the fact. A second one emphasizes it. A third one makes it into propaganda. A fourth one
into a campaign. A fifth one makes it a virus to be induced into the millions of viewers.
Adolf Hitlers theatric and Gobbels propaganda campaign are two blatant examples of
Third Reich during 2nd World War Days. (There is a website where 10 movies that
changed the world were displayed. There are some that have had a profound impact on
culture. Whether intentionally or not, some films have brought social issues to light,
affected laws, forwarded ideologies both good and bad, and generally changed the course
of history through their impact on society.) (http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-movies-that-
changed-the-world.php to view the film.)
The prototypical propaganda film, "Triumph Of The Will" is an example of the ways that
art can be used for evil purposes. Ostensibly a documentary about the 1934 Nazi Party
Congress in Nuremburg, Triumph Of The Will is in actuality a carefully constructed piece
of propaganda designed to champion the ideology of Adolf Hitler in support of the Third
Reich. The film was not highly promoted outside of Germany, but it is widely accepted
that Triumph of the Will contributed in large part to helping build a cult of personality
around Hitler, as well as creating the illusion of unanimous support for his policies. The
films technical style is as brilliant as its message is sinister, and to this day many
recognize its director, Leni Riefenstahl, as one of the preeminent female filmmakers of
the twentieth century.
Another example of a film, making a powerful impact, not only on the society, but on the
Establishment, is a film from Poland.
Years ago, a friend of this author who happened to visit International Film Festivals
being held in India every year saw a very touching movie from Poland. Here is a short
synopsis of the movie hereunder:
A couple lived as man and wife are in the advanced age of 80 plus. They are Catholics
and highly religious minded people. The wife is in her last days laid up with terminal
illness. The husband fondly asks her whether there is anything he could do to make her
happy in her last days. She says that while they were living together as man and wife for
more than half a century, they were not married in a regular way. She has to answer God
for this lapse, when she breathes her last. Hence, she requests him to marry her formally
so that she can die in peace as his formally wedded wife.
The old man promptly meets a lawyer. The lawyer asks him whether he was married
before. The old man broods on the question and vaguely remembers to have married a
girl some 60 years ago. The lawyer advises him that he has to seek divorce from his first
wife before he can think of marrying again. The old man goes about scouting for missing
links to locate his so called first wife and succeeds in finding her in a remote village. He
goes there. The lady totally forgot the earlier marriage as she is comfortably living with
her present husband having several grandchildren and great grand children. She herself is
in her mid-80s. This old man expresses the purpose of the visit. Her present husband and
his past wife are amused at the idea and the melodramatic desire of the dying wife.
However, they agree to go to the registrar to file the papers for divorce only on
humanitarian grounds. The present husband signs as the witness for their separation!
Having obtained the consent of the erstwhile wife, he rushes to the lawyer. The lawyer
says that the due process starts now that the paper is available; he has to file the consent
document in a court of law and get a decree for restitution of conjugal rights. Meanwhile,
the present wife is fast collapsing. The old man rushes to the court and files the papers in
a court. The court official tells him that the papers will be considered by the court as they
are meant to uphold the restitution of marriage and NOT divorce. It will have to wait 6
months to see whether the couple under purview have a change of mind and want to live
together. After satisfying itself over 6 months and after ensuring that they still maintain
their idea of divorce, the court will declare the marriage as null and void. Then he can
marry. The old man is crestfallen. This is a question of life and death- literally. The wifes
health is fast depleting. In a desperate and emotional mood, the helpless old man rushes
to the concerned Judge. She is an aged woman on the verge of retirement having several
grand children. She patiently hears his predicament and the ridiculous rule of having to
wait for 6 more months, while his partner in question is going to die any moment. She
sees the paradox in the system and being a bold and compassionate lady, she decrees that
he can marry her without waiting for 6 months. Having broken the law of jurisprudence,
she takes the extreme step and puts in her papers of resignation from the position as
judge.
The old man rushes to the hospital, jubilantly, having achieved his endeavor and fulfilling
the last and only wish of his beloved partner. When he enters the portals of the hospital,
he was told that the woman passed away a moment earlier.
The story ends.
What makes this story more relevant is the fact, that after the picture was released, the
Polish Government saw not only the wisdom of the discretion of a sitting judge in
condoning the intermittent period but also made an amendment to the law of the land and
granted powers that a judge- in his/her wisdom can use his/her discretion to waive the
waiting period based on a humanitarian angle. This is a land mark amendment where a
film influenced the System to amend the laws of the land. It emphasizes the power of art,
in making an impact on life.
However, in spite of several attempts to identify its name and the veracity of the
legislation by approaching the concerned institutions, this author failed to get the proper
authentication of this occurrence. (The author would be grateful to the helpful reader for
any details of the film such as Title, Producer, Director, etc.) Be it as it may, this serves
as an example, at least, of touching human drama projected powerfully in a film can
influence the system.
A documentary with a pointed thrust can work as a morphine dose to the viewer as also a
poison. It can successfully contaminate the society when handled meticulously and can
resurrect a generation when prudently employed. A documentary is like an intravenous
injection, which the moment it leaves the injectors syringe transcends the entire body in
no time and the injector loses all his control henceforth. Alternately, on a different plane,
it can make poetry of our problems.
All this, when the medium is employed with due diligence and rectitude, responsibility
and commitment. An extra shot, emphasis, verbal, visual can completely distort the
exercise. A leader is talking. A close up of a man in the audience- a flat, naked,
unanimated glance might indicate that- here is a man listening attentively to the speaker.
A repetition of the same shot- gives it an emphasis. Perhaps, this man is committed to the
thought propounded by the leader? A third shot (the same one) makes him an accomplice
to the ideology. The fourth- is he part of the campaign? A fifth one- is there malice in the
whole affair- is this man an abettor? A sixth one- the audience will have no doubt- he is a
conspirator- why else is he so particular about this lecture, goes deep into the psyche of
the gathering? This is a broad- but a startling interpretation, an extra shot can give to the
same narration.
There is a saying that the motion picture camera is a natural liar; and it lies more
artificially with the aid of a willing camera man or an editor. By virtue of this fact alone,
a documentary can be a coveted weapon in the hands of an unskilled technician with a
distorted intent. On the other hand, a documentary can convey truth, nurture it, promote it
and even prescribe it in its positive best.
News discovers truth, but charged with propaganda, its offspring, becomes a
documentary.
Selectivity of a shot chosen and truth projected- solely by the expertise of a positive
technician- can make documentary a healthy, objective sign post. An instrument to reach
the consciousness of the viewer, to obliterate his misgivings, restore his faith on the
system and even make him a participant in the constructive approach of the given society.

7. Print Media- The Nuances

Ever since printed word came into being during the 15th century, man has started
communicating with the fellow human beings more vividly and interaction reduced the
darker areas of human coexistence and increased the levels of human perception. Media
is a word emerged in the 1920s some 4 centuries later as an advertising jargon. With
emerging technologies and mind boggling communication systems in place- the planet
has been reduced into a global village with attending benefits and challenges at the same
time.
A printed word presupposes the literacy of its user and demands a basic reciprocity in the
transaction. By the same token, it excludes a sizable, if not a major section of the
populace. Illiteracy is the limitation of the printed word- in spite of the astounding
progress made during these centuries.
Books are the storehouse of human experience as also its frailties. The treasure trove of
each country, each period epitomized human history and its thought, chronicles the
progress in an indirect way and stands as an evidence to its character. They answer the
insatiable appetite of a section, who devoured as much as they could and the academic
knowledge in turn influenced the society they live in. However, a book chronicles an
experience, stands testimony to the thought process and chisels the imagination of the
intellectual. It is an untested key to the wisdom handed over by an individual to a
community. A one-dimensional energy fed into a multi dimensional network.
According to the Library of Congress (1984): The proverbial convenience, accessibility
and individuality of the book are unrivalled now or by any technology in sight. The book
is independent of outside power sources, and offers unique opportunity for freedom of
choice.
7.1. Magazines
Magazine is a confluence of collective taste and individual choice. It is a package sorted
to reach generalized strata- conditioned by common taste and perspective. It is a resilient
medium, ever changing to the shifts of taste of the reader and ever adapting to his socio-
economic stimulation. It survives through the gyrations of the societys vibrancy to its
economy. They define the major issues of the given society and reflect its character and
gives shape responding to every ripple of the body politics.
Though the shelf life is broadly limited- except those concerning economic, historical and
scientific in nature, they readily respond to the ever changing needs. It is a literate
chameleon in a healthy sense of the word.
A magazine consumes a sizable amount of man hours, without demanding anything in
return, except the readers interest. It presupposes the limited influence and compromises
to die a silent death at the turn of the page.
7.2. Newspapers
A news paper is a signpost to recognize and report the changes that metamorphose the
society- a symbol of transmogrification of any given society. It is a mere witness to the
changes in a society, a watch dog and a conscience keeper. An honest and diligent
"informer on a day to day basis, while interpretative, investigative journalism gives teeth
to the media. The awareness and the attendant response is all that that is expected of its
function. A newspaper can be a king maker or a career breaker in a limited sense. The
emerging new technologies have long since surpassed its influence and minimized or
neutralized its role to a larger extent. A newspaper is no match to a televised visual- both
in terms of immediacy and appeal, as television gate crashes into the drawing room at
24x7, uncensored and with no hurdles in its way.
The modern day reader has a limited time at his disposal while the audience has a
decreasing amount of time to comprehend the information. News papers survive - mainly
because the reader can accommodate it in his available time as per his/her choice, while a
broadcasting channel demands its punctuated time.
While technology is helping to create a global village, the life views of different peoples
are further fragmenting.
While objectivity is the yardstick of the media- mostly Press and TV, more often than
not, they yield to subjective bias, consequent to the control by respective media Barons.
However, the discerning user of the news will arrive at the filtered truth, which invariably
suffers to an extent in the process. Hence the freedom of information though notional in
concept, becomes marginally selective in precept. Consequently, its influence on the
society is "conditioned by the ability of the user to distinguish between, what is truth,
what is conditional truth, what is colored truth, what is useful and how. This process, or
to be more precise, this debility in transmission of truth amply explains the mass
violence, inertia, aggressive behavior in the life styles. Thus the media as a "vehicle to
inform becomes a weapon to influence.
The immediate casualty is the ability of the society to make its own judgments, not based
on reality, but on projected reality or alternate reality. They have no recourse to verify the
reality. Hence the panic, unrest, growing dissent towards the system and even anarchy.
The recent Commonwealth Games is a case in point. The negative publicity about the
unpreparedness by the organizers created a widespread panic among the millions of
India. The corruption of the bosses, as presented in the press and on the small screens
resulted in widespread skepticism. As a matter of fact, even the Manchester Games had
their share of problems and the Indian contingent was made to stay at a University
Hostel. A lot has been written and said in International and National media. Eventually
the games turned out to be more spectacular than even Melbourne games, according to
the same media. The selective focus ultimately gets overbalanced by the ultimate
grandeur and the negativity gets silenced. The crippled focus debilitates the health of the
public opinion. Conversely perverse gloating might result in over-complacence of the
society.
These phenomena result in the molders of public opinion trying to interpret the facts and
the user at the receiving end has no choice except to adjust his cultural or social bias
according to what is disseminated. This becomes more pronounced if the media is
controlled by the Governmental bodies. The interpretative nature of the transmission or
sometimes the "representative truth result in lopsided or one sided presentation leading to
chaos. What, then, is the real function of the media in the ideal circumstances? Is it to
convey what is truth or assure the user that all is well and crave for his/her complacence,
cultivate his/her choices or to torch his/her indignation by projecting the incapacity of the
system to handle the situation. The answers vary from audience to audience, system to
system and directly proportional to the handlers of the media.
The media in any country reflect the socio-political and economic environment in which
they exist (Seibert, Peterson & Schramm, 1956). It can add dimension and power to a
communication.
Imagine Ayatollah Khomeinis fatwa issued in Iran, enraged by the writings of Salman
Rushdie (The Satanic Verses) has gained a global dimension with international
ramifications. After 9/11, Osama Bin laden became a Goliath of unimaginable
dimensions. After 26/11, Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist caught in Mumbai carnage
became a household name not only in India but in all Asian countries and elsewhere.
The recent Indian Premier League Cricket and the world cricket for that matter became a
global phenomenon, reaching over 82 countries all over the globe and eating into the man
hours of each country. However, the pace at which the media is drifting from one
sensation to the other, the viewer cannot even remember the scores of a cricket match
played a few days ago. The media is not TELLING anymore, but is SELLING the
information on a minute to minute basis. It is a commerce that runs into billions and
every country-be it developed or developing, is a party to it. While the public memory is
short, the memory of the people who are exposed to frenetic decimation of news makes it
even more crippled. The day-to-day transactions of "sensation (not news anymore!)
create hysteria all over the world. What is more, it promptly disappears almost
immediately to yet another and more sensational story. The monochromatic nature of
politics in each country is fed into the frenzy of mass hysteria and creates superficial
form of topical malaise. The vitriolic dismissal of the individual psyche is a casualty to
the mad commerce. It was Henri Lefebvre who said that our everyday life has
degenerated because of the relentless incursion of technology into every pore of its being.
The famous French film maker, who was rightly acclaimed as the Poet of
Cinematography has put it more succinctly when he said: "Cinema, radio, television,
magazines are a school of inattention, people look without seeing, listen without
hearing."
The inattention with the attendant hyper activity finds its roots in the media vying to
excel each other in selling its product, a priceless, noble "service becoming a saleable,
commercial entity. This is named in the medical science jargon as Attention-Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
In the context of intense competition, the news that is being generated at a breakneck
speed- not to inform, not to enlighten, not to make him aware, but to make it into a
package of morphine that can be fed for a price. It is being spiced to reach his sensory
levels- like a "drug that stimulates instantly, only to be forgotten or make one grope for
the next dose of the same. The present package of so called "news has the shelf life of an
ice cream at room temperature.
And the tragedy becomes even more multiplied and becomes lethal, when a new concept
is mooted in journalism and already put to use in India. It is "paid news. A sorriest
chapter in the history of journalism. In the polls ensued recently in Maharashtra and
elsewhere (2010) billions of Rupees had been spent to "buy news in newspapers as also
in Channels. It is a nauseating form of corruption and augurs the unholy death of
journalistic freedom. The only cardinal power of the media is eroded by the power of the
purse and public opinion has been trampled by the moneyed politician. It is a hegemony
of the worst kind and the so called Fourth Estate- the watchdog of human conscience is
taken for a ride by autocratic Moghuls. The result is the death of a dimension that still
carries a ray of hope to keep the aspiration of the common man alive. The media became
a "lapdog of choicest few and arbitrary censor of truthful journalism is a signal of its
collapse with dangerous repercussions.
The world famous tragi-comedian,Charles Chaplin, who created a new elixir with tears
and smiles and became a legend in his lifetime wrote his autobiography during 1959-63.
A visionary, a humanist with a desire to mend what is marred in a spirit of peace, hope
and fraternity- wrote: "The accumulating complexities of modern life, the kinetic
invasion of the twentieth century, find the individual hemmed in by gigantic institutions
that threaten from all sides, politically, scientifically and economically........ the matrix
into which we have allowed ourselves to be cast is due to a lack of cultural insight.... Our
living sense has been blunted by profit, power and monopoly. We have permitted these
forces to envelop us with an utter disregard of the ominous consequences. Surely, much
water has flown under the bridge, since then!
Earth is a miracle. Life on it was an accident on this carbon gas infected planet. It took 4
billion years for trees to exist. The life on earth is a great adventure. A perfect symbol of
peaceful coexistence and inter-dependence. Every species has a role to play. Our
ecosystems have no boundaries. You touch one aspect, you find an immediate reaction at
the other. Greenhouse gases affect permafrost in Siberia where methane is entrapped as
also at North Pole where the ice cap is melting far more quickly than anticipated or
Mount Kilimanjaro where the glaciers are fast disappearing. The great legacy of this earth
which is an accumulated gift of 4 billion years, is being plundered by humans, who
inherited this earth only 200,000 years back. 80% of mineral wealth is being used by 20%
population. All living matter- be it water, air, tress, sun are interlinked. The energy
provided by Sun in one hour is enough for all the humanity to survive for one year. Mans
biggest yearning, ever since his arrival is only survival, like any other species.
Agriculture has been the first revolution and the most widespread occupation.
With black gold (oil), humanity has acquired unprecedented comforts. In one single
lifetime, man has radically changed all previous generations of humanity.
The model of the developing countries- which are handful-feeds the unfulfilled dreams
through the communication media.
Deforestation is the main cause of global warming. Thousands of species- whose
existence is yet unknown to man- perish because of this. For instance- soybeans, palm
oil, eucalyptus trees destroys the essential for the superfluous. The palm oil- after all- is
being used for detergents, costumes and not for human consumption. Monoculture is
overpowering the great ecosystem. 95% of soybeans are used to feed livestock and
poultry in places like Illinois and they are butchered in a different type of concentration
camps for human consumption. The earths greatest reservoirs of bio-diversity are broken.
The average temperature of the earth has risen so much that the ice cap in the Poles is
melting and fresh water is fast flowing into sea. Consequently, the sea levels are going up
alarmingly. It is said, that the ice cap is 40% thin than what it was prior to the 1950s. We
have only 10 years to reverse this alarming trend. Can we do it? We have created
phenomena on which we have long lost control. Every and any action by any human
being anywhere in this earth- be it Iceland, Borneo, Siberia or Himalayas are interlinked.
We have a common destiny.
The media can unfold this transformation without making the world panic, or becoming
pessimistic, projecting the efforts being made by several countries for renewable energy,
geothermal power and solar energy.
Fragile harmony of the earths systems is being shattered. The media can focus this fact
without pressing the panic button. The reassurance, the awareness and the immediate
redressal of the impending calamity can make people focused. This is where media can
play a positive and important role.
The other important function of the media is to promote, nurture and rebuild the values of
yester centuries through racial and religious harmony. An urge to live in peace with each
other is also a faith at the notional level. Retrograde it may look- the media can help
preserve the dharma of the humanity at large as an over-generalization. In spite of
specific shortcomings and drawbacks in each society- the craving of a human being is to
survive, and survive he should, with a better tomorrow in view. A man would like to see
beyond the realities of the trouble torn world and look for peace and plenty his ancestors
enjoyed with all limitations. He knows that something is wrong, something vital is
missing, something his forefathers could realize it easily- what can that be? Here is a big
chance for media to come in- and say loud and clear- shelve all the faiths if you can,
forget all the progress if you cant, reconcile with all the trivialities, if you have to- but tell
them- loud and clear- protect your dharma- individual character and collective
responsibility.

8. Conclusion
In the midst of 10 geniuses, if there are four with average intelligence- the collective
wisdom of the community will be relatively reduced proportionately, but the genius
survives. Conversely, if there are a handful of highly sensitive people amidst unruly mob-
the collective wisdom will be guided by the mob frenzy and take to violence and anarchy.
The sensitivity of few persons will get neutralized in the process. By the same logic, a
politician, who survives by popular mandate, will more often play to the galleries and not
the educated, objective few. Hence the "popular perception will rule the roost in
difference to "mature minority. Needless to say, the popular perception is conditioned by
over- generalized understanding, which most conveniently bulldozes the mature
perception. The leader will naturally try to reach the popular gallery than the minority
elite. Objectivity, frugality, sacrifice or lesser indulgence in utilizing the Earths bounty is
alien to the brute minority, which is addicted to the "carefree life style. Who would care
about an impoverished tomorrow? And, pray, why should a leader champion the cause of
"hypothetical futurist to a "realistic present day survivor? It is easy to postpone what is
not hurting us in spite of the obvious impending repercussions. Mans greed and apathy
towards future makes him myopic. Eventually cornucopism is an escape route to
catastrophists as there is no subjective arbiter to the rape of the planet.
It will not be out of place to recollect what the futurist Alvin Toffler has said about the
Culture Shock. "Unless intelligent steps are taken to combat it, millions of human beings
will find themselves increasingly disoriented, progressively incompetent to deal
rationally with their environs. Suffice to add, that the main instrument to this occurrence,
without doubt, will be the media.

Related Chapters
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Glossary
Anandavalli : Vedic literature is one of the most ancient literatures handed over from
generation to generation through oral transmission. It is an astounding way
of preserving the genius of a culture consistently and diligently for centuries!
They propound the law of Nature, elucidating comprehensively the art of
living and life. Upanishads are the explanatory treatises of this great
treasure. They annotate the truths prescribed in this literature. Taittiriya
Upanishad is one such sub-text. Upanishad literally means sit down near.
Near whom? The Guru, the teacher. The disciple absorbs the wisdom
delivered to him by his guru, imbibes it and transfers it to the next
generation and next. Taittiriya Upanishad has three parts-Sikshavalli,
Anandavalli and Brighuvalli. The second part is Anandavalli. Ananda means
bliss. It cannot be achieved when the mind is in the grip of ignorance.
Anandavalli strives to erase this ignorance about Mother Nature. The Nature
is symbolized as Mother in Hindu scriptures- the originator, the protector
and the nourisher.
Attention : This pertains to the inattention, difficulty in controlling ones behavior and
Deficit hyper(over) activity. It is said that there are six symptoms of the malady, if it
Hyper can be termed as such, which normally manifests in early childhood.
Activity Difficulty in focusing on a topic, getting bored easily, inability to complete
Disorder the task undertaken etc. are some of the symptoms.
(ADHD)
Mono : It is an agricultural practice of growing one crop in the field. By virtue of
Culture this fact alone, the crop is vulnerable to more diseases, susceptible to
Pathogen- virus or other micro organisms that can affect the crop.
Paid News : This is a recent menace in the mainstream media in India. It is a practice of
purchasing the media space- be it print, radio or TV- for a price by various
political parties and other vested interest for projecting their interests. This
potentially unethical practice was decried by several right minded persons
and institutions and Press Council of India promptly constituted a two
member commission to look into this malady. But sadly, it is said, that its
silence was also stage managed! (see P. Sainath in Bibliography, Paid News
Culture and Indian Media by Nava Thakuria Countercurrents.org)
Ramayana : An ageless Sanskrit epic written by sage Valmiki. It is an epic that pervades
several civilizations East of Mediterranean like Indonesian, Thai, Lao,
Burmese and Malay- not to mention India and Sri Lanka. Ramayana literally
 means the journey of the king of Ayodhya-Rama. It consists of 24,000
verses in 500 cantos. Ramayana exalts the essence of human behavior in
general and individual character in particular adhering to the intrinsic
principles of given society. Rama is the dialectical example of upholding
these values and considered to be the coveted symbol of the cultural
consciousness of India for several centuries.
Vemana : A philanderer of 14th century turned into a great visionary and poet. Son of
the king of Kondaveedu, an estate in Andhra Pradesh in South India,
Vemana lived a carefree live often hurting the sentiments of the puritans of
his time. Known for his agnostic ideology and insolence, his turnaround was
made possible, as the story goes, by his sister-in-law. She served him food
naked, challenging, if all that he need is a human body to quench his libido,
here is another. Sex, at the indiscreet low point, is an animal instinct. The
incident shocked him and jolted his sensitivity and changed his outlook. He
slowly evolved into a poet, propounding lofty truths in simple poems. Sir
C.P. Brown of British India published Vemanas poems as collected works
after thorough research. Vemanas verses are mystic occasionally, moralistic
generally, satiristic sporadically. He criticized the social dogmas and
advocated the preservation of social norms for better living.

Bibliography
Devdutt Pattanaik, (2006) Myth = Mithya, 206pp, Penguin Books, India, Pauls Press, New Delhi [The
rational stand point of Hinduism, decoding its mythology is discussed. The author explains the symbolic
representation of 330 million gods therein.]
Gollapudi Maruthi Rao, (1997) Syllabus for Post graduate Courses on Communication Media, Dr.
Ambedkar University, Hyderabad, India, kadha chitralu, pp165-171, vartha chitralu pp. 172-177, Graphica
printers, Hyderabad.[The author discusses in vivid detail, the scope and technique of feature film and
documentary film- and their limitations and appeal.]
Gollapudi Maruthi Rao, (1999) Amateur Theatre, Modern Plays in Telugu Literature, Changing Values in
Plays, Reality on Stage, Melodrama etc. 334pp, Planographers Chirag Ali Lane, Hyderabad [Essays by the
author on various aspects of theater]
Swami Parthasarathi,(2004) Intellect and Intelligence, Vedanta Life Institute, Mumbai [The amazing
difference between intellect and intelligence is propounded by Swamiji in this informative discourse. The
imperative need for a person to make correct choices in life at all levels of the personality was emphasized.]
Walter Kerr,(1955) How not to write a Play, 244pp,,Simon and Schuster inc Rockefeller center,630 fifth
avenue New York, [The author examines various negative trends and flaws in playwriting- giving in depth
analysis and illustrating with illuminative examples.]
Ambassade De France Inde, (1998) Robert Bresson Poet of Cinematography, 87pp, Rajdhani Art Press
New Delhi [A small booklet on the cinematographer with his bio data. Bresson, who is acclaimed as a poet
on celluloid, produced 13 feature films and a short film]
Madunuri Venkata Rama Sarma (2007) Pancha Sooktamulu-Rudramu 64pp Geeta Press, Gorakhpur, India,
(The five priciples of worship called-Sri Sukta, Purusha Sukta, Narayana Sukata, Namakam and
Chamakam-were illustrated. These suktas are recited when the holy bath (Abhishekam) is given to Lord
Shiva, the Preserver of Earth.]
P.Sainath (2010) The Empire strikes back- and how! The Hindu, August 5th, 2010 [An article by Winner of
Magsaysay Award for journalism, literature and communication arts.]
Nissim Mannathukkaren (2010) Stop press! No breaking news, please, The Hindu, July 18, 2010 [ An
article by Erasmus Mundus Scholar at the universities of Wroclaw(Poland) and Leipzig(Germany)]
Nicolae Balcescu (2010) Communication Patterns in Society and civic Intelligence Land Forces Academy,
Sibiu, Romania, [The author discuss about global economic crisis, cataclysm, natural disasters,
development of communication techniques for one side to the other of Earth]
Walter Cummins & George Gordon (2006) Programming our lives: television and American identity
Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2006. [The author discuss about the Television vis a vis American identity. He
investigates televisions effects on a variety of institutions and processes important to life in the United
States.]

Erwin K. Thomas & Brown H. Carpenter (Ed) (2001) Mass Media in 2025,. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood
Press, [A revealing analysis of communication media that influences the "global village in the coming one
and half decades. The impending implications and influences were identified, and analyzed, while acceding
that these changes defy analysis at this point of time]
Maxwell McCombs (2004) Setting the Agenda, the mass media and public opinion . Cambridge, UK:
Polity Press. .[The author says that the theory of agenda setting is a complex intellectual map still in the
process of evolving. However, this is the effort of several scholars for more than 35 years of research in this
area.]
Henry Jenkins (2004) Rethinking Media Change-The Aesthetics of Transition. Cambridge, Mass. The MIT
Press, [Historicizing Media in transition. Re-Newing Old Technologies, the uncanny in Technology from
the previous turn of the century- are some of the subjects delved herein.]
HOME by Yann Arthus-Bertrand-film and text. [An awesome and brilliant documentary about the story of
the earth, environment, biosphere, climate changes, global concerns, earths supporting systems etc. with an
astounding narrative by Glenn Close and spectacular aerial view of 50 countries.]

Biographical Sketch
Gollapudi Maruthi Rao, a post graduate in Mathematical Physics from Andhra University,
Visakhapatnam, South India (1956-59) worked as a journalist in vernacular Daily for 3 years, as a
broadcaster in All India Radio for 20 years, wrote articles for Telugu Encyclopedia on Theatre Movement,
published several novels, plays, essays, stories, Column writer for more than 30 years, wrote screenplay
and dialogues for 80 films in Telugu and acted in Character roles in 220 movies. There are three Doctoral
degrees on his writings from three universities in Andhra Pradesh (namely Osmania University, Sri
Venkateswara University, Andhra University) and three M.Phil degrees on his short stories, plays and a
novel (from Sri Nagarjuna University, Madras University, Sri Venkateswara University) He is presently
Editor of Telugu Monthly being published by Times Of India group from Hyderabad. Gollapudi Maruthi
Raos works won several awards and he received awards for lifetime achievement and has been facilitated
by a large number of organizations in India. He is a frequent keynote speaker in many literary conferences.

To cite this chapter

Gollapudi Maruthi Rao , (2010), COMMUNICATION-MEDIA-SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
AND CATHARSIS OF IDEAS, in Literature and the Fine Arts,[Eds. Herbert Arlt, Donald G. Daviau, Peter
Horn],in Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems(EOLSS), Developed under the Auspices of the UNESCO,
Eolss Publishers, Oxford ,UK, [http://www.eolss.net] [Retrieved February 11, 2011]

©UNESCO-EOLSS