ROLE OF PRESS IN INDIAN FREEDOM STRUGGLE

Mohammad Arsalan

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While looking back to the history and advent of the press in India, one would realise the pivotal role newspapers have played in bringing social reforms as well as in the freedom struggle of the country. It goes way back in 1780 when James Augustus Hickey started the first Indian newspaper in Calcutta (now Kolkata) known as Bengal Gazette. Further social reformers and freedom fighters like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Annie Basant, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, M. K. Gandhi, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, J. A. Nehru, Shukat Ali, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and so on started different newspapers that possessed contents paving avenues for freedom and social reform. Many philosophies and debates on freedom of press also have the history from its origin. As the newspapers were becoming influential in decoding policies and the hegemony of the then British government many laws were passed to gag the press like Vernacular Press Act 1878 under the Viceroy ship of Lord Lytton and Gagging Act by Lord Canning.  

James Hickey also known as father of journalism in India wrote fearlessly against the Government policies and mainly targeted the then Governor General of India – Warren Hastings. He used words like “The Great Moghul” and “Dictator” to describe him. He tried to expose the hidden agendas of British East India Company. In repercussion of his blunt writings he was also put behind bars for more than two years. A great educationist and founder of Aligarh Muslim University Sir Syed Ahmad Khan started two journals Tehzib-ul-Akhlaq and Aligarh Institute Gazette. Philanthropist Raja Ram Mohan Roy started first nationalist newspaper in India. Roy started Brahmanical Magazine in 1819, Brahmin Sebodhi in 1819 – a bilingual periodical, Sambad Kamudi in 1821, in the same year he also started Mirat-ul-Akhbar: a Persian newspaper. Roy was a great statesman who brought dramatic social reform in Hindu society. He abolished the draconian Sati Pratha, Roy was against the orthodoxies prevailing in the Indian societies, he firmly stood against cast system, idol-worship and challenged other social dogmas. In that era, local newspapers in Indian languages were also started like Dig Darshan in 1818 (Bengali monthly), Samachar Darpan in 1819 (Bengali weekly) and so on.

The revolt of 1857 can be seen as a vital phase in the British India as it marked a drift in Indian media. In 1857 a Hindi-Urdu publication Payam-e-Azadi was started that urged people across the country to fight against the British. Revolutionaries felt the extensive need to vocal their struggle and reach to the masses. For that matter a lot many newspapers were started after 1857 and many of them still exist today like Times of India started in 1861, Amrit Bazar Patrika in 1865, Madras Mail in 1868, The Statesman in 1875, The Pioneer in 1865, The Hindu in 1878 etc.

Seeking the influence of the newspapers in Indian freedom struggle and active circulation of it, Newspaper Act was passed 1908 and Indian Press Act in 1910. A bit of freedom was enjoyed by the Indian press till 1930. However, the press law of 1932 and Foreign Relations Act of 1932 diminished the freedom of Indian Press. Section 124-A, commonly known as sedition law was introduced in the year 1870, under this law sedition charges were slammed on many of the freedom fighters like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gandhi etc. for descending against the British government, they also suffered imprisonment for the same. 

Gandhi arrived in India in 1915 from South Africa. After the death of B. G. Tilak in 1920, Gandhi was given the responsibility of Indian National Congress. To propagate his views and reach the masses he started three main journals Navjeevan, Young India and later Harijan. He frankly wrote for the interest of the people and vehemently criticised the government. Later on, for that matter he also had to suffer imprisonment. Gandhi mostly articulated the topics in his journals that were vital for the interest of the nation and people. He wrote editorials on the burning topics in his journals. Gandhi was a strong supporter of freedom of press; he also advocated the idea of liberty. Gandhi argued “a newspaper justifies its existence only by the public support it received for its editorial content”. He had no advertisements in his journals; he was against the idea of selling ads. He said that weather the news if of one page it will work rather than having useless news of many pages. When Dandi March was started by Gandhi on 5^th April, 1930, the press gave full publicity and helped a lot in mass mobilization. Arbitrary detention and arrests of leaders became headlines in the newspapers at that time. The Press Ordinance Act 1930 was enacted at that time to expeditiously promulgate better control over the press keeping in view the on-going movements around the country for freedom, despite all that Salt Stayagrah became national campaign.

The Free Press Journal was born on 13^th June, 1930. By publishing the dispatches of free press news agency it kept informed the people about the on-going protest in the country. In 1933 Indian Express was started in Madras, Harijan was started on 11^th February, 1933 which advocated the idea of truth and non-violence in the country. To propagate the national struggle and work of intelligentsia among literate masses Jawahar Lal Nehru started National Herald in August 1938, Al-Hilal and Al-Balagh was started by Maulana Azad, Shaukat Ali started Hamdard and Comrade. Later on different newspapers were also added in the queue of struggle and mobilization of masses in India against the British government. The country finally was declared independent on 15^th August, 1947.

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