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Revendra

Book Review- Conflict Communication: Chronicles of a Communicator by I. Ramamohan Rao

Conflict communication is an area of my interest, and looking at Indian author’s name, did not wait for reviews to order this book. In his debut memoir, Mr. I. Ramamohan Rao has detailed his experiences working for Government of India in 14 chapters. Undoubtedly he has first-hand information of many historical events in independent India ranging from 1965 war, 1971 war, the time of Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka, years with Rajiv Gandhi, V.P. Singh, Chandra Shekhar Singh, and P.V. Narasimha Rao, and the years of Kashmir conflict. During his stint with the government, he has seen how news broadcasting has evolved from print, radio, television to the web and social media.

While narrating each incident, Mr. Ramamohan Rao also describes the role of information dissemination, and how it has impacted the narrative. Some of the chapters are linked, but the author ensured that there is a smooth flow from one chapter to another. The author states that the GoI’s focus on disseminating accurate information has worked like magic in several instances.

From this book, a few takeaways for me are

  • First, I was totally dark about R. Venkataraman, the former President of India. My respect towards him has grown after reading few of the anecdotes.
  • Second, the tenures of Rajiv Gandhi, V.P. Singh, Chandrashekar, and PV. Narasimha Rao is revealing.
  • Third, the chapter “The Kashmir Years” is incredible. Mr. Ramamohan Rao as an Information Advisor to the State government has played a key role in countering the negative propaganda spread by Pakistan. The Pakistani propaganda about human rights violation by India in Kashmir was nullified, and the Pakistani military role in militancy was exposed. This is an important chapter for anyone interested in the subject, and the details provided by the author can be used as case study for teaching.

This 167-page book is a brisk and entertaining historical narrative. I recommend this book to everyone interested in India history, and those working in the area of public relations, and public policy.