Peter Gonsalves, Clothing for Liberation: A Communication Analysis of Gandhi’s Swadeshi Revolution, New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2010, ISBN 978-81-321-0310-3, pp. 164,350 rupees

The author, Peter Gonsalves, is an accomplished scholar in the field of media and communication studies. He is Professor of Social Communication Sciences at the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome and even served as Head of Department. He started his career in the media field while working for rural development at Bosco Gramin Vikas Kendra, Ahmednagar-Maharashtra. He was responsible for founding ‘Tej-prasarini’, a multimedia production center geared towards spreading awareness of the urgent need for pro-life education. He promoted a series of teacher training manuals under the title of ‘Quality Education for Life’, the first of which was his own work: Media Education Exercises (1994). Throughout his career, he has served as president of INTERSIG, the international wing of SIGNIS, a global association of communicators for a culture of peace, and has coordinated the establishment of a web portal in five languages ​​for the Salesian Society of which he is apart

Based on his impressive resume and my knowledge of him, I set out to read this book with great expectations. The book is the final result of a study carried out in order to analyze the communicative impact that clothing had on the life and activity of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948), who came to be recognized as the ‘Father of the Nation’. ( India) for his instrumental role in galvanizing the masses and organizing a systematic and effective, yet non-violent, struggle for independence from the oppressive British Imperial government. The author endeavors to use the communication theories expounded by Roland Barthes, Victor Turner, and Erving Goffman as a framework for a deeper analysis of communication that brings to light Gandhi’s unique clothing strategy for the liberation of India: creation of a “fashion system” through the laborious deployment of the swadeshi ‘social drama’ while still being the undisputed ‘performance manager’ of the thirty-year freedom fight (front cover flap).

The book is well laid out with a foreword by Dr. Keval Kumar whose groundbreaking article ‘Gandhi’s Ideological Clothing’ paved the way for further study and research on the communication impact of Gandhi’s clothing, to which this book is an answer; an ordered list of all the tables, figures, photographs, and abbreviations that appear in the book, an illuminating introduction, four substantial chapters that form the core of the book, and a fifth chapter that introduces “Gandhi’s approach to symbolization.” It basically doubles as a conclusion and a springboard for further research. The author presents six constitutive principles of a Gandhian approach to symbolization, but chooses not to elaborate very much because he feels that “a substantial amount of research and reflection is already available” (p. 127, footnote 1). The last few pages of the book are devoted to a pictorial history of clothing in Gandhi’s life, a brief but well-selected appendix highlighting the impact of Gandhi’s communication, a glossary of Indian terms, a fairly detailed bibliography, and an index.

The first chapter tries to offer a broad perspective of ‘Gandhi the communicator’. Thus, the various aspects of Gandhi’s communicative activity are briefly and lucidly presented. This includes Gandhi’s verbal, written and non-verbal communication throughout his life. Such an introduction helps provide a backdrop for the rest of the book and places the reader in the context of Gandhi’s communication. The details are backed by academic research; the copious notes at the end of each chapter bear witness to this fact.

The middle chapters, i.e., chapters two through four, which form the crux of the book, are quite demanding to read and take in, but offer an interesting insight into Gandhi’s philosophy and lifestyle. They also help to understand, in part, the reason for Gandhi’s widespread appeal and communicative effectiveness.

The second chapter is dedicated to analyzing Gandhi’s fashion system based on the ideas of Roland Barthes. Barthes (1915-1980) was a French cultural analyst, structuralist, and semiotician. His work Systemof fashion (The Fashion System) serves as a point of reference for the ideas developed here. Barthes’ semiotic theory of Denotation, Connotation and Ideology yields initial insights when applied to the Indian ethos. It helps to understand how something as mundane as clothing can become a symbol of oppression or liberation. The reader is led to understand the reasons for Gandhi’s clothing choices and the consequent impact he had on the freedom struggle and on the world.

The third chapter analyzes Turner’s concept of ‘Social Drama’ and its application to swadeshi Revolution started by Gandhi. Turner (1920-1983) developed the science of ‘comparative symbology’ whose aim was to analyze symbols within time frames, both in relation to other symbols and in their impact on all the actors involved, while remaining embedded in practical experience. (p. 73). Turner breaks down the structure of ‘social drama’ into four phases: 1) Default 2) Crisis 3) Corrective Procedures and 4) Reintegration. Each of these phases is dealt with separately and systematically treated in the context of Gandhi’s work. swadeshi movement. The aim here is to show the power of Gandhi’s chosen symbols and their role in his overall communication strategy.

The fourth chapter is as interesting as it is brilliant. It delves into Gandhi’s personal life and gives insight into Gandhi – the man. Although Gandhi is discussed throughout the book in relation to his sociopolitical activity, this chapter sets out the foundations of his sociopolitical activity. The person of Mahatma Gandhi becomes the object of study using Goffman’s ‘Dramaturgical Model’. The end result is a holistic understanding of the personality of Mahatma Gandhi and the effect of that personality on India’s freedom struggle.

The author deserves praise for producing this wonderful and timely work. He has done a good job using communication theories to analyze and discover the value of Gandhi’s symbolic communication through clothing. As I mentioned earlier, the book offers a number of useful insights both in the field of communication and in rediscovering Gandhi’s influence. For a communication student like me, the book was a real treat. He not only gave me lessons on communication and its application, but also helped me better understand and appreciate Mahatma Gandhi’s role in the fight for freedom. The communicative dimension of the freedom struggle is usually mentioned in passing, if not entirely left out, and thus this work comes as a refreshment in that sense. Regarding the content of the book, I found three typos that fortunately do not cause much confusion. However, I also discovered two glaring errors in the references. Other than these minor flaws, the book is excellent. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all those interested in the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi, as well as those interested in media studies.