7/30/2019 Role of Newspapers During Freedom Struggle

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ROLE OF NEWSPAPERS DURING FREEDOM STRUGGLE

The printing press preceded the advent of printed news in India by about 100 years. It was in 1674 that the first

printing apparatus was established in Bombay followed by Madras in 1772. India's first newspaper, Calcutta General

Advertise , also known as theHicky's Bengal Gazettewas established in January 1780, and the first Hindi

daily,Samachar Sudha Varshan , began in 1854. Within this framework, it is instructive to examine India's press intwo broad analytical sections: pre-colonial times and the colonial, independent press. The post-Emergency phase,

which continues at the present, may be the third independent phase of India's newspaper revolution

James Augustus Hicky was the founder of India's first newspaper, the Calcutta General Advertiser also known

asHicky's Bengal Gazette , in 1780. Soon other newspapers came into existence in Calcutta and Madras: the Calcutta

Gazette , theBengal Journal, the Oriental Magazine , theMadras Courier and theIndian Gazette . While theIndia

Gazette enjoyed governmental patronage including free postal circulation and advertisements,Hicky's Bengal

Gazette earned the rulers' wrath due to its criticism of the government. In November 1780 its circulation was halted

by government decree. Hicky protested against this arbitrary harassment without avail, and was imprisoned.

TheBengal Gazette and theIndia Gazettewere followed by the Calcutta Gazettewhich subsequently became the

government's "medium for making its general orders" (Sankhdher 24-32).

The Bombay Herald, The Statesmen in Calcutta and theMadras Mailand The Hindu , along with many other rivals

in Madras represented the metropolitan voice of India and its people. While Statesmanvoiced the English rulers'

voice, The Hindubecame the beacon of patriotism in the South. The Hinduwas founded in Madras as a counter to

theMadras Mail.

In the struggle for freedom, journalists in the twentieth century performed a dual role as professionals and

nationalists. Indeed many national leaders, from Gandhi to Vajpayee, were journalists as well. Calcutta, Madras,

Bombay and Delhi were four main centers of urban renaissance which nourished news in India..

There were nationalist echoes from other linguistic regional provinces. Bengal, Gujarat, Tamil, Karalla, Punjab and

Uttar Pradesh produced dailies in regional languages. Hindi and Urdu were largely instrumental in voicing the

viewpoints and aspirations of both Hindus and Muslims of the Northern provinces..

Notable Role

In the struggle against the British, some newspapers played a very notable role. This included theHindi Patriot! Established in1853, by the author and playwright, Grish Chandra Ghosh, it became popular under the editorship of Harish Chandra Mukherjee.In 1861, the paper published a play, "Neel Darpan" and launched a movement against the British, urging the people to stop

cultivating the crop for the white traders. This resulted in the formation of a Neel Commission. Later, the paper was taken overby Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. The paper strongly opposed the Government's excesses and demanded that Indians be appointedto top government posts. TheIndian Mirrorwas the other contemporary of this paper which was very popular among the reading

public.Yet another weekly,Amrita Bazar Patrika which was being published from Jessore, was critical of the government, with theresult that its proprietors faced trial and conviction. In 1871, thePatrika moved to Calcutta and another Act was passed to supressit and other native journals.