Need for publicity
Publicity
Emotional reactions are associated with the word ‘propaganda’ in the English language. It is seen as a fraudulent, misleading, exorbitant and unethical process. It is considered to be a means which is used to mislead the indecisive masses by immediate-perfect ideas. In this chapter, we aim to analyze the process by which propaganda is used to build public opinion in a group. Therefore, propaganda is one of those means which are used for the socialization of the individual in a particular group at a particular time. The word ‘propaganda’ is derived from the Latin word ‘propagaire’ which means to produce or reproduce. (Hindi word ‘prachar’ means to conduct the word or idea completely) Every religion adopts certain methods for the propagation of its religious beliefs. In this view, religious institutions influence people through propaganda to spread their ideas and ways of living.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the word ‘Propaganda’ (Propaganda) became infamous in the English language. There were three reasons for this. First, during the war scholars stripped naked the lies spread by propaganda machines on both sides. With the help of public communications facilitated by technological advances, each country deliberately spread false news about its success and the failure of its enemies. Second , at the same time , the governments of Soviet Russia , Italy , and Imperial Japan established their own ministries of propaganda and culture which preached that their own countrymen believed that it was their destiny to control the whole world . And other nations are blasphemous and wicked.
These ministries also controlled the press, radio and movies. Individuals or groups who held different views were punished. Each country had its own political prison camps and freedom of expression was curtailed and fear was created in the minds of the opponents of the regime. From these actions the word propaganda started being used in a bad sense in English. Third, the people of the English speaking countries of the world had faith in their democratic institutions. He believed that individuals should make their own decisions without being influenced by any fear. This also gave rise to an emotional distaste for the methods of propaganda.
Publicity and education
An attempt can be made to clarify the difference between these two words so that the processes involved in them can be understood. As we have seen above, propaganda is seen as fraudulent and misleading. But, education is considered as sattvik, moral, enlightened and selfless knowledge. Nevertheless, we have to see to what extent both education and propaganda affect people. The older generation as well as the education system also wants to influence the youth. It is a part of the process of socialization. Sometimes the difference between education and propaganda is taken to be that the basis of propaganda is communication whereas the basis of education is inquiry and contemplation. Although this distinction is justified only when we are considering the adult section of the society, but when considering the ways in which children are affected, it is worth noting that this difference ends in such a situation. goes . Much of the socialization of the child is based on communication. It is no doubt true that the goal of education, especially at the secondary and college level, is to enable individuals to think for themselves and not be misled by any information.
Education is a process by which the society assumes that its citizens, after listening to the talk and propaganda of various parties, reach their decisions and take their decisions to consider something as right, good and true.
One of the important aims of education is to develop the knowledge or skills of the individual. But what kind of knowledge are we talking about? The preacher also provides knowledge. Then in what way is the knowledge gained by education and the knowledge obtained by propaganda different? The knowledge imparted in schools and colleges
Caveer is deemed correct by competent people and is authentic. Therefore, it is very difficult to draw a boundary line between education and propaganda. Schools were also made a medium of propaganda in the Soviet era and Nazi Germany. Such texts were written in the textbooks which were in praise of a particular type of government and a particular type of society and in condemnation of another type of government and society. Even children’s story books contain propaganda material for communism in Russia and China.
It can be said that competent people in Russia and China consider this type of education to be very necessary, beneficial and right at the time of raising children of their countries. Similarly, history books in different countries are full of material for propaganda. The work of the British in India was praised in the textbooks of Indian history prescribed for children during the British rule and those who opposed the spread of British influence were condemned. For example, while the Indian revolt of 1857 was called the ‘War of Independence’, the British historians called it a ‘military rebellion’. That is why today the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has created a program whose purpose is to see that the history books written for school children should be objective and an indicator of the progress and progress of each country. Its culture is a product of not only the great men of its land but also the influences of neighboring countries. Therefore, it is very difficult to say where education ends and from where propaganda begins.
It can be said with certainty that the goal of education is to lead the people in search of truth. There is an attitude of independence of inquiry and judgment in this. It can be asserted that there is a difference between propaganda and education in this aspect, whether propaganda is being carried out by a particular religion or by a totalitarian government. In this way we see that propaganda instead of encouraging curiosity leads to persuasion. In other words, the goal of propaganda is to bind the human mind in a limited ideology and on the other hand the goal of education is to develop free thinking among the people. This is the reason that even religious organizations and totalitarian governments punish those who oppose their views. Propaganda does not tolerate free thinking, whereas real education allows and encourages free thinking.
From this we should not conclude that propaganda is always fraudulent, immoral or misleading. Many good works require publicity. For example, when the Public Health Department of a country wants to start a campaign against certain tendencies of collective life to remove certain types of diseases, then it must resort to the methods of propaganda. For example, although a lot of attention has been paid to personal health in India since ancient times, practically 80% to 90% of the people do not pay attention to personal hygiene. Today one of our important tasks is also that we should ask people to take bath regularly and wash their clothes daily and keep their homes and surroundings clean. This can only happen if we do a lot of publicity in cities and villages and also in schools and hospitals. Similarly when an epidemic, a disease like cholera or typhoid fever spreads.