Development of Press in British India

Introduction

• James Augustus Hickey’s The Bengal Gazette, the first newspaper in India called The Bengal Gazetteor Calcutta General Advertiser in 1780 and it was seized  in 1782.

• Other newspapers and journals that emerged, such as The Bengal Journal, The Calcutta Chronicle, The Madras Courier, and The Bombay Herald

Censorship of Press Act, 1799, enacted by Lord Wellesley

• Pre-censorship and wartime press restrictions due to anticipation of French invasion of India.

• Restrictions were relaxed under Lord Hastings in 1818, who had progressive views

Licensing Regulations, 1823, enacted by acting Governor-General John Adams

• Penal offence to start or use a press without a license.

• Restrictions directed mainly against Indian language newspapers or those edited by Indians.

• Rammohan Roy’s Mirat-ul-Akbar had to stop publication.

Press Act of 1835 or Metcalfe Act

• Metcalfe (Governor-General—1835–36) repealed the obnoxious 1823 ordinance.

• The new Press Act (1835) required a printer/publisher to give a precise account of premises of a publication and cease functioning if required by a similar declaration.

• Resulted in a rapid growth of newspapers.

• He is known as  liberator of the Indian press.

Licensing Act, 1857

• Enacted due to the emergency caused by the 1857 revolt.

• Imposed licensing restrictions in addition to the already existing registration procedure laid down by the Metcalfe Act.

• The government reserved the right to stop publication and circulation of any book, newspaper, or printed matter

Registration Act, 1867

• Replaced Metcalfe’s Act of 1835 and was of a regulatory, not restrictive, nature.

• Required every book/newspaper to print the name of the printer and the publisher and the place of publication.

• A copy was to be submitted to the local government within one month of publication.

Vernacular Press Act of 1878:

Introduction

• The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was a legislation enacted by the British Government in India during the colonial period.

• It was aimed at suppressing the Indian-language press and curbing its freedom of expression.

• The Act was proposed by Lord Lytton, the then Viceroy of India, and was passed by the Imperial Legislative Council.

Reasons for the Act

• The Indian-language press was gaining popularity among the masses in the late 19th century.

• The press was used as a means of expressing public opinion and bringing social, economic, and political issues to light.

• The British Government was concerned that the Indian-language press was becoming a potent force for the Indian nationalist movement and the independence struggle.

Features of the Act

• The Vernacular Press Act required newspapers in Indian languages to give an undertaking to the government to maintain "good behavior".

• Any newspaper that failed to give the undertaking could be subjected to a security deposit or had to face the prospect of pre-censorship.

• The government was given the power to confiscate any printed material and printing equipment of a newspaper that was deemed to be seditious or incited rebellion against the British Government.

• Required newspapers to give a deposit of Rs. 2000 to the government, which was refundable after 3 years if no objectionable content was published.

• Gave the government the power to seize printing presses and papers without a trial if they were suspected of publishing objectionable content.

• The Act was initially intended for a period of two years, but it was later extended indefinitely.

Impact of the Act

• The Vernacular Press Act was highly criticized by the Indian press and nationalist leaders.

• The Act was used by the British Government to suppress any criticism of its policies and actions.

• Many newspapers closed down or reduced their publication due to the restrictions imposed by the Act.

• The Act also led to the rise of underground press and secret publications, which continued to criticize the British Government and its policies.

Repeal of the Act

• The Vernacular Press Act was finally repealed in 1881 due to the strong opposition from the Indian press and nationalist leaders.

• The repeal of the Act was seen as a victory for the Indian nationalist movement and the struggle for independence.

Conclusion

• The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was a draconian legislation that curtailed the freedom of expression and press in India during the colonial period.

• The Act was aimed at suppressing the Indian nationalist movement and maintaining British dominance over India.

• The repeal of the Act was a significant moment in India's struggle for independence and paved the way for the growth of a free and independent press in India.

Why the Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was called the Gagging Act:

• The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was called the Gagging Act because it aimed to gag or silence the Indian-language press.

• The act was designed to curb the freedom of the Indian press, particularly the vernacular press.

• The act gave local governments the power to confiscate printing presses, to impose fines on publishers, and to take legal action against editors who were deemed to be publishing seditious or objectionable content.

• The act also required publishers to provide a security deposit of Rs. 2,000, which was a significant amount of money at the time.

• The act was criticized by Indian nationalists and reformers, who saw it as a blatant attempt to stifle dissent and suppress free speech.

Facts-

• Under VPA, proceedings were instituted against Som Prakash, Bharat Mihir, Dacca Prakash, and Samachar.

• The Amrita Bazar Patrika turned overnight into an English newspaper to escape the VPA.

Newspaper (Incitement to Offences) Act, 1908

Aim of the Act:

• Aimed to curb extremist nationalist activity.

• Empowered magistrates to confiscate press property that published objectionable material that could lead to incitement of murder/acts of violence.

Trial of Tilak:

• Tilak, the leader of militant nationalists, was tried on charges of sedition.

• He was transported to Mandalay (Burma) for six years.

• This led to countrywide protests
• Textile workers and railway workshop workers went on strike in Bombay and took on the army in the streets.

Impact of the trial:

• Lenin hailed it as the entrance of the Indian working class on the political stage.

Indian Press Act, 1910

Features of the Act:

• Revived the worst features of the Vernacular Press Act.

• Empowered local government to demand security at registration from the printer/publisher.

• Printer of a newspaper was required to submit two copies of each issue to the local government free of charge.

• Offending newspapers were forfeited/deregistered.

Prosecution under the Act:

• According to the Press Association of India, nearly 1,000 papers were prosecuted under the act.

• Over 500 publications were proscribed under the Act.

• The total amount of securities and forfeitures which went into the hands of government during the first five years of the act was nearly Rs 5 lakh according to an official return made in 1918.

Other provisions-

Indian Press Act, 1910:

• The act revived the worst features of the Vernacular Press Act of 1878.

• Local governments were empowered to demand a security at registration from the printer/publisher and forfeit/deregister if it was an offending newspaper.

• Printers of newspapers were required to submit two copies of each issue to the local government free of charge.

• Nearly 1,000 papers were prosecuted under the act and over 500 publications were proscribed.

The Defence of India Act, 1915:

• The act provided for strict press censorship during World War I.

• The government had the power to suppress any newspaper that published news or opinions that were deemed prejudicial to the safety of the state.

Rowlatt Act, 1919:

• The act authorized the government to detain political activists without trial for up to two years.

• The government also had the power to confiscate press property and suppress any publication deemed to be a threat to public safety.

Role of Indian Press in India's Freedom Struggle

I. Introduction

• The press played a crucial role in India's freedom struggle, serving as a tool for the nationalists to spread their message, raise awareness among the masses, and hold the government accountable.

• This article explores the significant role played by the Indian press and highlights some of the famous newspapers and their writers.

II. Early Nationalist Movement

• The early phase of the nationalist movement, from around 1870 to 1918, focused on political propaganda, education, formation, and propagation of nationalist ideology, and arousing, training, mobilization, and consolidation of public opinion through the press.

• The Indian National Congress in its early days relied solely on the press to propagate its resolutions and proceedings.

III. Famous Newspapers and Their Writers

• Many newspapers emerged during these years under distinguished and fearless journalists.

• These included The Hindu and Swadesamitran under G. Subramania Aiyar, The Bengalee under Surendranath Banerjea, Voice of India under Dadabhai Naoroji, Amrita Bazar Patrika under Sisir Kumar Ghosh and Motilal Ghosh, Indian Mirror under N.N. Sen, Kesari (in Marathi) and Mahratta (in English) under Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Sudharak under Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, and Hindustan and Advocate under G.P. Verma.

• Other main newspapers included Tribune and Akbhar-i-am in Punjab, Gujarati, Indu Prakash, Dhyan Prakash, and Kal in Bombay, and Som Prakash, Banganivasi, and Sadharani in Bengal.

IV. National Service

• These newspapers were not established as profit-making business ventures but were seen as rendering national and public service.

• Their impact was not limited to cities and towns; these newspapers reached remote villages, where each news item and editorial would be read and discussed thoroughly in the 'local libraries' that would gather around a single newspaper.

• In this way, these libraries served the purpose of not only political education but also of political participation.

• In these newspapers, government acts and policies were put to critical scrutiny, acting as an institution of opposition to the government.

V. Subverting Legal Hurdles

• The government had enacted many strident laws, such as Section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code, which provided that anyone trying to cause disaffection against the British Government in India was to be transported for life or for any term or imprisoned up to three years.

• But the nationalist-minded journalists had evolved many clever strategies to subvert these legal hurdles.

• For instance, writings hostile to the government used to be prefaced with sentiments of loyalty to the government, or critical writings of socialists or Irish nationalists from newspapers in England used to be quoted.

• This was a difficult task that required an intelligent mix of simplicity with subtlety.

VI. Conclusion

• In conclusion, the press was an essential tool in India's struggle for freedom, playing a significant role in spreading the message of nationalism, raising awareness among the masses, and holding the government accountable.

• The brave and distinguished journalists who ran these newspapers were instrumental in shaping public opinion and bringing about social and political change.

Repression against Nationalist Journalists in India's Freedom Struggle

Introduction

• The Indian press played a crucial role in India's freedom struggle, serving as a tool for the nationalists to spread their message and raise awareness among the masses.

• However, the British government was determined to suppress any voice of dissent that threatened their rule in India.

In this article, we explore the repression faced by nationalist journalists during India's freedom struggle, including some examples.

Laws against Free Press

The British government used several laws to suppress the free press and curtail nationalist activities. These laws included:

• The Press Act of 1910, which aimed to restrict the freedom of the press by giving the government the power to censor and confiscate newspapers that were deemed seditious or anti-government.

• The Indian Penal Code, which criminalized any act that was deemed seditious, including writing or publishing articles that were critical of the British government.

• The Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1908, which allowed the government to detain anyone without trial for up to two years if they were deemed a threat to public safety.

Examples of Repression

Several nationalist journalists faced repression and punishment for their work in the press, including:

• Bal Gangadhar Tilak: Tilak was the editor of the Kesari newspaper and a prominent nationalist leader. He was arrested in 1908 and charged with sedition for writing articles critical of the British government. He was sentenced to six years in prison.

• Bipin Chandra Pal: Pal was a prominent nationalist leader and editor of the English newspaper, New India. He was arrested several times for his articles critical of the British government, and his newspaper was banned multiple times.

• Lala Lajpat Rai: Rai was a nationalist leader and editor of the Punjabi-language newspaper, Bande Mataram. He was arrested and sentenced to six months in prison in 1908 for writing an article critical of the British government.

• Firozeshah Mehta: Mehta was a prominent nationalist leader and editor of the Gujarati newspaper, Bombay Chronicle. He was arrested and sentenced to six months in prison in 1908 for publishing an article that was critical of the British government.

Conclusion

The repression faced by nationalist journalists during India's freedom struggle was a testament to the power of the press in shaping public opinion and challenging the British government's rule in India. Despite facing imprisonment and censorship, these journalists continued to fight for the freedom of the press and the right to dissent. Their sacrifices paved the way for India's independence and serve as a reminder of the importance of a free and independent press in any democracy

Bal Gangadhar Tilak and press repression during the freedom struggle in India:

Background

• Bal Gangadhar Tilak was a prominent leader of the Indian National Congress and a renowned journalist.

• He was the editor of Kesari (in Marathi) and Mahratta (in English), two influential newspapers that played a significant role in the freedom struggle.

• Tilak was known for his fiery and provocative writings that openly criticized the British government and called for complete independence

Repression by the British Government

• Tilak was repeatedly arrested and jailed by the British government for his writings and speeches.

• In 1897, he was charged with sedition and sentenced to 18 months in prison for his editorials in Kesari that criticized the colonial government's policies.

• In 1908, he was again charged with sedition for an article in Kesari that praised the assassination of a British official in Pune.

• He was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison, where he wrote his famous book "Gita Rahasya"

Impact of Repression

• The repression of Tilak and his newspapers had a significant impact on the freedom struggle.

• It galvanized the nationalist movement and led to widespread protests and demonstrations across the country.

• The British government's actions against Tilak were widely seen as an attack on free speech and the press, and it strengthened the resolve of the nationalist leaders and the people to fight for their rights.

Legacy

• Tilak's writings and speeches continue to inspire generations of Indians to this day.

• His contribution to the freedom struggle and his role as a journalist have been widely recognized and celebrated.

• The Kesari newspaper, which he founded, continues to be published to this day, more than a century after its inception, as a symbol of India's rich journalistic tradition and its long struggle for freedom.