In a room packed with security and strategic experts, former information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari launched former Principal Information Officer I. Ramamohan Rao's book 'Conflict Communication - Chronicles of a Communicator' at the Indian Habitat Centre here on Saturday.
Lauding Ramamohan Rao, who has been a journalist for sixty long years and still continues to mentor the Asian News International (ANI), Tewari expressed his delight on being able to read the early print of the book.
"He (Ramamohan Rao) is a legend in his own right. I was humbled and delighted to read the early print of the book and also launch it. It is wonderfully written. Whoever picks up the book will not put it down. He has written a chronicle of our times," said Tewari.
Speaking on the occasion, Ramamohan Rao recalled his long-career in the Indian Information Service and said that he was fortunate enough to have worked with four Prime Ministers namely Rajiv Gandhi, V.P. Singh, Chandra Shekhar and P.V. Narasimha Rao.
"The Indian Information Service must be part of the governance of the country. The press thought that I was one among them and the government thought that I was one among them. I could share the concerns of both parties with each other," he said.
The Dr. MV Kamath Memorial Awardee said he has put together his experiences since the 1950s through this book.
"I started as a Communicator during the mid 50s. Those days, the nation was confident of building a nation under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru...The good old days were over when the conflict India had come out of came back with the Chinese aggression. We haven't seen peace after that. I have experienced them all: the 1965 war, 1971 war and insurgency attempts by India's neighbours. I have put together my experiences in handling those conflicts," he said.
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With a book based on Conflict Communication, a conflict of views and vehement communication of the same could not be kept at bay. The presence of former Research and Analysis Wing chief Vikram Sood, senior journalists Kalyani Shankar and Sushant Singh in the panel added to the sharpness of the moment.
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The book, which will be an inspiration for the people associated with the Indian Information Service, has been published by ANI and Pentagon Press.