COMMUNICATION-MEDIA-SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND CATHARSIS OF IDEAS

Gollapudi Maruthi RaoFilm 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 Sensibility7. Print Media- The Nuances8. ConclusionRelated chaptersGlossaryBibliographyBiographical 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 Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD)

: This pertains to the inattention, difficulty in controlling ones behavior and hyper(over) activity. It is said that there are six symptoms of the malady, if it can be termed as such, which normally manifests in early childhood. Difficulty in focusing on a topic, getting bored easily, inability to complete the task undertaken etc. are some of the symptoms.

Mono Culture

: It is an agricultural practice of growing one crop in the field. By virtue of 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 chapterGollapudi 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