Communication tools are akin to vital bridges to reach out to people playing an active role in the mission of creating sustainable livelihoods and the overall sustainable development of the teeming millions subsisting below the poverty line. Different mediums of communication go a long way in empowering the masses, since "Information is Power".

While the contribution of the vernacular press to the political education of people is a well-known fact, it is a mystery how Mahatma Gandhi could reach the minds and hearts of the unreachable masses. It was the unlettered and the common people who followed him and initiated such a great momentum to India’s freedom struggle. The great communication theorists and the other social scientists are in no position to explain the phenomenon of this ‘super communication’ of Gandhi, which transcended all communication barriers. Primarily addressing this complex theme of communication, Sage Publications has recently published a valuable book – ‘Critical Issues in Communication’.

The document covers a broad spectrum of communication issues raised by prominent scholars from varied fields like academics, politics and culture. They explore some of the issues that currently challenge media and communication theory and practice while charting new roles for communication and media. The scope of the discussion ranges from the political economy of communication and information, and media in development, to communication ethics and international communication technology.

In the chapter on the ‘role of media in development’, PL Vishweshwar Rao projects a case study of the ‘Jan Sunwayi’ movement in his essay on the right to information. He assesses that ‘Jan Sunwayi’ (or public hearing) has been a unique experience as a movement for the right to information. It has been a grassroots level, people-driven, democratic and peaceful movement that has sought to bring to the rural poor the fruits of representative democracy that was denied to them all along. In fact, the right to information has been the only democratic right that has empowered the poor, apart from the ritual of exercising their right to vote. It gave them a voice in decision-making, in helping them assert their right to know, so that their right to survive was not compromised by dishonest officials. The right to information or the right to know is the foundation on which the democratic edifice stands. Thus, the right to information movement has been one of the most dynamic and successful grassroots movements in recent years in India.

However, one needs to be cautious about what the Jan Sunwayis can achieve, according to Rao. He expresses that though a new weapon in people’s hands, Jan Sunwayi has its limitations as it not an end in itself. For example, the hearings have exposed several individuals, but not a single person has been indicted so far. The purpose of the right to information movement is to incorporate public auditing development work and ensure people’s participation in the decision-making process rather than of simply punishing the wrongdoers.

The book is basically a tribute to Professor KE Eapen who has shaped two generations of communication practitioners and has written extensively on values in communication and is one of the most distinguished communication teachers and analysts in India.

Section-I contains two essays on Professor Eapen’s work and his role as a communication pioneer and reformer. The six chapters comprising Section-II look inward to explore different facets of the Indian experience with various media, and the tradition and role of the Indian communication ethos. The next section casts an introspective eye on the role of media in development, empowerment and community building. The contributors critique the earlier models and explore issues such as the right to information, people’s organisations and women’s collectives as catalysts of change, and the problems and prospects of development through communication. Section-IV constitutes a critical examination of communication theory, research, process and practice, while the last section examines the links between communication and information technology, globalisation, democracy, education, media control and communication disparities.

Overall, this important volume presents fresh perspectives and approaches to understanding media and communication as well as the implications of the ever-changing global and regional communication landscapes. Primarily aimed at teachers, scholars and students of development communication, journalism, mass communication, sociology and global studies, this book will also be of interest to media professionals and development and communication-oriented organisations. q

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