Sidestepping main stream media.

For 800 years before Indian independence in 1947 it were invaders and foreigners that mostly dictated the national and regional narrative of India.

After independence India has almost always been run by the Nehru-Gandhi family with its vice like grip and control of the Indian National Congress party. For this they relied on the their associates within the government, in business and the mass media.

The Congress party has in turn often depended heavily on the support of the [Communists.

Unlike the Congress, the Communists, are driven less by money and more by ideology. They always use Ideological Subversion to achieve their goals. 
Dictated by their foreign masters they worked against Independence and they still work tirelessly for the breakup of India, with their dream to rebuild its components into their view of an Utopian Socialist world order. A dream that has not been realised anywhere in history till date.

To this end, the Communists have masterfully infiltrated and groomed people who dominate and control the rank and file of all political, bureaucratic, judicial, social, cultural, and educational institutions. 

They have dominance and almost total control  over the media's editorial teams, journalists and the schools of journalism. 


The Communists control the national narrative. They spoon feed Indians their 'facts' and 'opinions'.

The majority of Indian public has grown tired of the old talk and non performance and convincingly voted in the BJP with Mr. Narendra Modi its leader. 

The guard and the drivers of government may have changed but the system is the same. The elites work hard to suppress the BJP and Modi's initiatives and narrative. 

No one is more aware of this than Prime Minister Modi and the BJP.  
To be successful Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs effective communication, the channels of which are firmly in control of his opponents. 

India's powerful media is extremely hostile to Modi. They suppress his government's and individual achievements, exaggerate the weaknesses and mistakes. They constantly smear him, trying to drive a wedge between him his party and the Indian public. 

To succeed Communism has to destroy Nationalism. Hence  the main stream media has tried desperately to limit Modi's ability to communicate with the Indian public and the outside world. In the earlier world of mass communication and massive bureaucracies only those 'facts' would be communicated that the media and the bureaucrats chose. 

Mr. Modi has risen from humble grassroots. First, to become the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujarat for 13 years before being decisively elected as India's Prime Minister in 2014 and again in 2019. 

Modi is a very shrewd, seasoned politician, a powerful orator and a extremely hard working man on a mission to make India the second largest economic and cultural power in the world while preserving its unique and rich heritage. He will never let the media muzzle him nor let the  bureaucracy hold him back. 

Always denied fair and unbiased coverage of his ideas, and messages by the main stream media, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi simply sidestepped them and took to radio and social media. 

He leveraged the  State owned All India Radio to reach out to the tens of millions of Indians directly and in 20 different languages. 

The innovative 30 minute monthly radio, and Social media broadcast 'Maan ki Baat' meaning 'Heart's voice', has seen Modi receive a very wide listenership and following.

Though started as a broadcast Maan ki Baat has evolved into a dialogue between the public and Modi's administration. The public not only provide feedback but also highlight problems and make active suggestions on their alleviation. 

Evaluation, follow up and resolution of programs, problems and initiatives of the Maan ki Baat initiative is handled by a dedicated team of officials duly authorised with adequate resources to act. They are in turn backed up by cross functional teams and experts.

Many people detest Modi and many adore him, but there is no denying that Mr. Modi has emerged as a powerful storm that shows no signs of abating. 

So far the score is Modi = 5, the Media = 0. 

This article is not about politics but a lesson I provide to attendees of my seminar on 'Effective Communication and Conversation'. Its about lessons of intelligence, cunning and skill in the area of communication in the battle for winning the hearts and minds of people.

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Summary: 

Not every challenge needs to be confronted. Confrontations are a drain on resources and time. Avoidance or in this case sidestepping /bypassing is more effective and economical than confrontation.