The development of the Indian press was closely linked with the growth of political consciousness, spread of nationalist ideas and struggle for civil liberties in colonial India. Newspapers gradually became the most important instrument for political education, criticism of government policies and mobilisation of public opinion.
The first newspaper in India was started by James Augustus Hickey in 1780.
After this, several newspapers emerged:
The East India Company officials feared that newspapers might expose administrative corruption and misdeeds to authorities in London. This led to attempts to impose restrictions on the press.
Lord Wellesley introduced this Act anticipating a possible French invasion of India.
Later, under Lord Hastings, these restrictions were relaxed and pre-censorship was abolished in 1818.
The acting Governor-General John Adams introduced these regulations.
As a result, Raja Rammohan Roy’s Mirat-ul-Akbar had to cease publication.
Governor-General Charles Metcalfe repealed the oppressive 1823 regulations and earned the title:
The result was rapid growth of newspapers across India.
Passed during the Revolt of 1857.
This reflected colonial fears during the revolt.
This Act replaced Metcalfe’s Act and was regulatory rather than restrictive.
Every newspaper/book had to:
Defence of civil liberties, especially freedom of press, became an important objective of Indian nationalists.As early as 1824, Raja Rammohan Roy protested against restrictions on press freedom.Between 1870 and 1918, the nationalist movement relied heavily on newspapers for:
The Indian National Congress in its early phase depended mainly on newspapers for propagating resolutions and proceedings.
Several influential newspapers emerged under fearless nationalist leaders and journalists.
| Newspaper | Associated Personality |
|---|---|
| The Hindu | G. Subramaniya Aiyar |
| Swadesamitran | G. Subramaniya Aiyar |
| The Bengalee | Surendranath Banerjea |
| Voice of India | Dadabhai Naoroji |
| Amrita Bazar Patrika | Sisir Kumar Ghosh and Motilal Ghosh |
| Indian Mirror | N.N. Sen |
| Kesari | Bal Gangadhar Tilak |
| Maharatta | Bal Gangadhar Tilak |
| Sudharak | Gopal Ganesh Agarkar |
| Hindustan | G.P. Verma |
| Advocate | G.P. Verma |
Other important newspapers included:
These newspapers were not profit-oriented ventures. They were considered instruments of:
Their influence extended even to villages through local libraries where newspapers were collectively read and discussed.The nationalist press:
The Government introduced repressive legal measures to curb nationalist journalism.
Anyone attempting to create:
could face:
Nationalist journalists cleverly bypassed these restrictions by:
The Vernacular Press Act (VPA) was introduced by Lord Lytton after growing criticism of colonial policies, especially during the famine of 1876–77.The English press generally supported colonial policies while vernacular newspapers strongly criticised the Government.
To suppress nationalist writings in Indian languages.
The Act empowered district magistrates to:
The Act became known as the:
Proceedings were initiated against:
To avoid the Act, Amrita Bazar Patrika converted overnight into an English newspaper.Strong opposition eventually forced Lord Ripon to repeal the Act in 1882.
In 1883, Surendranath Banerjea became the first Indian journalist to be imprisoned.He had criticised a Calcutta High Court judge in The Bengalee for insensitivity towards Bengali religious sentiments.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak became the most important symbol of the nationalist struggle for press freedom.Through:
Tilak spread anti-imperialist ideas.He also popularised:
to mobilise nationalist sentiment.
Tilak organised:
Government repression during plague administration caused widespread resentment.After the assassination of plague commissioner Rand by the Chapekar brothers, Tilak was arrested.
Tilak was prosecuted on the basis of:
The prosecution portrayed Tilak’s writings as incitement against British officials.He was sentenced to:
This transformed Tilak into a national hero and earned him the title:
The Government strengthened sedition laws by:
Made it a criminal offence to:
This generated protests across India.
This Act targeted extremist nationalist activities.
Magistrates were empowered to:
Tilak was again arrested and transported to:
This led to massive protests, especially among Bombay workers.Lenin described this as the political awakening of the Indian working class.
This Act revived many oppressive features of the Vernacular Press Act.
During the First World War:
In 1921, based on recommendations of the Tej Bahadur Sapru Committee:
This Act was enacted to suppress the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Provincial governments received sweeping powers to:
In 1932, the Act was further expanded.
During the Second World War:
At one stage:
The Indian press became one of the strongest pillars of the freedom struggle.It helped in:
Nationalist newspapers transformed the press into a weapon against colonial rule and played a decisive role in India’s freedom movement.