Keeping up with its resolve to provide standard academic and scholarly exposure to the students, the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (DJMC), Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) on Sunday held a special online lecture by Dr Nirmala Mani Adhikary, the eminent communication scholar from Nepal who has theorized the Asian Model of Communication. Dr Nirmala who propounded the ‘Sadharanikaran Model of Communication’ currently teaches at the Department of Languages and Mass Communication in Kathmandu University, Nepal and has authored 50 published books and 70 research articles.
Besides describing the whole process of theory building involved in the development of the communication model, Dr Nirmala demonstrated the scholarly significance and practical relevance of the Sadharanikaran model of communication. He illustrated the contribution of his model and how it filled the research lacuna in the existing scholarship on communication studies.
During his introductory speech, Dr Nirmala presented his critique of the existing western communication models and informed the audience about nuances and the fundamental shortcoming of these models.“The existing diagrammatic communication models are fundamentally western-centric and they fell short on applicability and practicality when it comes to non-western and complex cultural settings like Asia. What existing models of communication fundamentally lack is the element of commonality present in multicultural and plural societies and that is the main reason I found the need to introduce this model,” he said.
Dr Nirmala while establishing the relevance of his model, stressed the need to look at communication studies through a multi-disciplinary, multi-paradigmatic and multi-contextual approach. The descriptive part of his model is primarily indebted to Natyashastra (dramatic art) and Vakyapadiya (meanings of Words).
“The Sadharanikaran Model calls for the state of common orientation, commonality or oneness. Senders and receivers become sahridayas with the completion of the process of Sadharanikaran. Multicultural societies have complex and asymmetrical relationships between communication parties, it is only due to sahridayata, that two-way communication and mutual understanding is possible” he added.
While introducing the guest speaker, HoD, DJMC Dr. Mujeeb Liyakat, highlighted the importance of the Sadharanikaran Model and stated the relevance of this model in existing socio-cultural realities.
“During covid-19 situation we witnessed self-centred attitude within people and this Sadharanikaran Model becomes essentially useful in engaging people through the sense of harmony, commonality and mutual understanding as espoused by Dr Nirmala’s path-breaking model”, Dr Mujeeb added.
The session moderator, Dr. MonisaQadiri (faculty member DJMC) in her vote of thanks expressed the significance of indigenous theorization of Communication that not only challenges the western-centric focus of communication, but expands the avenues of communication studies at large.
The speciallecture witnessed active participation from both students and scholars of the department. DJMC faculty members Dr. Ruheela Hassan, Dr. Rabia Noor, Dr. ArifNadaf, Dr. Sayar Ahmad Mir and Dr. Tawseef Majeed were also present during the session.