DEVELOPMENT OF INDIAN PRESS Study Materials

Development of Indian Press

DEVELOPMENT OF INDIAN PRESS

We will extensively discuss the Indian Press and its developments under British Rule, including acts like the Vernacular Press Act and Censorship Press Act.

ORIGIN OF THE PRESS IN INDIA

The first printing press was established in Bombay in 1674, the second in Madras in 1772 and the third in Calcutta in 1779. Although the British were responsible for bringing the printing press in India, they were most allergic to the emergence of a newspaper in this country.

HICKY’S BENGAL GAZETTE

Hicky’s newspaper known as Bengal Gazette or Calcutta General Advertiser born on 29 January 1780 was the first newspaper in India.

The newspaper was mostly devoted to gossip, rumour, and juicy and sob stories about doings and misdoings of the East Indian Company staff where he himself was employed as a clerk.

The closure of the paper came about in March, 1782 when an order was issued for the seizure of the printing types.

CENSORSHIP AND REGULATIONS Censorship of Press Act, 1799

Lord Wellesley enacted this, anticipating French invasion of India.

It imposed almost wartime press restrictions including pre-censorship.

It required the newspapers to carry the names of the printer, editor, and proprietor in every issue and to submit for scrutiny all material meant for publication.

These restrictions were relaxed under Lord Hastings, who had progressive views, and in 1818, pre- censorship was dispensed with.

Adams regulations of 1818

Acting governor-general John Adams, holding reactionary views, enacted these regulations.

Editors were given freedom to publish, but their content was closely monitored.

Using or starting a press without a licence became a penal offence.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy and James Silk Buckingham advocated for press freedom.

Indian language newspapers, such as Rammohan Roy’s Mirat-ul-Akbar, were targeted, leading to their closure.

Press ordinance of 1823

The press began to criticize the administration, prompting the issuance of the first press ordinance in 1823.

The ordinance imposed stringent regulations on editors, with severe penalties and fines for any violations.

East India Company staff were prohibited from having any involvement with newspapers.

While political content was banned, social and religious news, especially those promoted by missionaries, were encouraged.

Press Act of 1835 or Metcalfe Act

Governor-General Metcalfe repealed the controversial 1823 ordinance, earning the title “liberator of the Indian press.”

The new Press Act of 1835 required printers and publishers to provide detailed accounts of their publication premises and shut down if ordered by a similar declaration.

Licensing Act, 1857

In response to the 1857 revolt, this Act introduced licensing restrictions alongside the existing registration procedures established by the Metcalfe Act.

The government had the authority to halt the publication and circulation of any book, newspaper, or printed material.

Registration Act, 1867

This replaced Metcalfe’s Act of 1835 and was of a regulatory, not restrictive, nature.

As per the Act, (i) every book/ newspaper was required to print the name of the printer and the publisher and

the place of the publication; and (ii) a copy was to be submitted to the local government within one month of the publication of a book.

FAMOUS JOURNALISTS AND NEWSPAPERS

During this period, numerous newspapers were established by distinguished and fearless journalists. Notable examples include The Hindu and Swadesamitran by G. Subramaniya Aiyar, The Bengalee by Surendranath Banerjea, Voice of India by Dadabhai Naoroji, Amrita Bazar Patrika by Sisir Kumar Ghosh and Motilal Ghosh, Indian Mirror by N.N. Sen, Kesari (in Marathi) and Maharatta (in English) by Balgangadhar Tilak, Sudharak by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and Hindustan and Advocate by G.P. Verma. Other important newspapers included Tribune and Akbhari-am in Punjab, Gujarati, Indu Prakash, Dhyan Prakash, and Kal in Bombay, and Som Prakash, Banganivasi, and Sadharani in Bengal. In response to the growing criticism from Indian newspapers, especially concerning Lord Lytton’s administration and its harsh treatment of famine victims during 1876-77, the government introduced the Vernacular Press Act of 1878. Additionally, laws like Section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code were enacted, imposing severe penalties, including life imprisonment or up to three years of imprisonment, on anyone attempting to generate disaffection against the British Government in India.

Vernacular Press Act of 1878

The Vernacular Press Act (VPA) was designed to ‘better control’ the vernacular press and effectively punish and repress seditious writing. The provisions of the Act included the following.

The district magistrate was empowered to call upon the printer and publisher of any vernacular newspaper to enter into a bond with the government undertaking not to cause disaffection against the government or antipathy between persons of different religions, caste, race through published material.

The printer and publisher could also be required to deposit security which could be forefeited if the regulation were contravened, and press equipment could be seized if the offence re-occurred.

The magistrate’s action was final and no appeal could be made in a court of law.

A vernacular newspaper could get exemption from the operation of the Act by submitting proofs to a government censor. The Act came to be nicknamed “the gagging Act”. The worst features of this Act were—(i) discrimination between English and vernacular press, (ii) no right of appeal. Under this act, proceedings were instituted against Som Prakash, Bharat Mihir, Dacca Prakash and Samachar. Incidentally, the Amrita Bazar Patrika turned overnight into an English newspaper to escape this law. There was strong opposition to the Act and finally Ripon repealed it in 1882.

Newspaper (Incitement to Offences) Act, 1908

It aimed against Extremist nationalist activity. It empowered the magistrates to confiscate press property which published objectionable material likely to cause incitement to murder/ acts of violence.

Tilak as the leader of militant nationalists was tried on charges of sedition and transported to Mandalay (Burma) for six years.

Indian Press Act, 1910

This Act revived the worst features of the Vernacular Press Act.

The local government was empowered to demand a security at registration from the printer/publisher and forfeit/deregister if it was an offending newspaper, and the printer of a newspaper was required to submit two copies of each issue to the local government free of charge.

ROLE OF NATIONALIST IN DEVELOPMENT OF PRESS Surendranath Banerjee

In 1883, Surendranath Banerjea became the first Indian journalist to be imprisoned. 

In an angry editorial in The Bengalee, Banerjea had criticised a judge of Calcutta High Court for being insensitive to the religious sentiments of Bengalis in one of his judgements.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Bal Gangadhar Tilak is widely recognized for his role in the nationalist movement for freedom of the press.

Tilak worked to build anti-imperialist sentiments among the public through festivals like Ganapati (1893) and Shivaji (1896) and his newspapers Kesari and Maharatta.

The government sought an opportunity to curb this militant trend and hostility towards the press, using Tilak as an example.

Tilak was arrested in connection with the murder of Rand, based on a publication of a poem titled ‘Shivaji’s Utterances’ in Kesari and a speech justifying Shivaji’s murder of Afzal Khan at the Shivaji festival.

He was found guilty and sentenced to eighteen months of rigorous imprisonment.

The arrest and sentencing led to widespread protests, making Tilak a national hero. He was honored with the title ‘Lokmanya’, a leader who inspired through his actions.

In 1898, the government amended Section 124A and introduced Section 153A, making it a criminal offense to bring the government into contempt or promote hatred among different classes, especially between the English and Indians.

PRESS AND WORLD WARS I & II

From 1914 to 1947, the freedom struggle gained significant momentum. During the First World War, the British Government sought the support of the press for its war efforts, but the press generally aligned with the nationalists in their fight for freedom.

To suppress political agitation and free public criticism, Defence of India Rules were imposed.

In 1921, following the recommendations of the Press Committee chaired by Tej Bahadur Sapru, the Press Acts of 1908 and 1910 were repealed.

Indian Press (Emergency Powers) Act, 1931

This Act granted extensive powers to provincial governments to suppress propaganda for the Civil Disobedience Movement.

In 1932, the Act was further expanded to cover all activities aimed at undermining government authority.

World War II

Between 1925 and 1946, Mahatma Gandhi and his journalistic principles significantly influenced the Indian press, with opinion-based journalism gaining prominence and editorials often taking precedence over factual news.

This period also witnessed a notable expansion in newspaper publications across various Indian languages, especially in Hindi and English.

At the outset of World War II (1939–1945), Indian newspapers largely aligned with the British government's stance.

However, the British authorities soon issued a directive that banned the printing or publication of any content— either directly or indirectly—that could incite resistance to the war effort.

It was during this time that the All India Newspapers’ Editors Conference (AINEC) was established. Its core aims included upholding the ethical standards and traditions of journalism, protecting the freedom to report and express opinions, and serving as a representative body of the press in dealings with the public and the government.