Topic: Press in British India

 

Topic: Press in British India

Reference Materials:

1. Primary Reference: Degree Second Year Textbook (Telugu Academy - ఎర్రవట్ట పుస్తకం).

   • Contains over 30 pages on the press, especially before the Indian National Movement section.

   • Lists over 80 pre-independence newspapers.

2. Not Essential (according to speaker): NCERT, Spectrum Series, Bipin Chandra.

3. Study Advice:

   • Focus on the Newspaper Name and its Founder.

   • Initially, don't focus heavily on the exact Year of establishment for all papers.

   • Learn papers contextually as they appear during the study of the National Movement. Don't try to memorize the entire list at once.

Key Concepts & Early History:

1. Fourth Estate:

   • The Press is often referred to as the Fourth Estate.

   • Term first used in England by Lord Macaulay.

   • Context: In the British House of Commons, the press gallery was seen as the fourth entity observing the three traditional estates (Clergy, Landlords, Commoners).

   • In the Indian context, it's seen as the fourth pillar alongside the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary.

2. Origin of Printing Press in India:

   • Started by the Portuguese (not the British).

   • Established in Goa around 1556/57.

   • First printing press at St. Paul's College, Goa.

3. Early Newspaper Attempts:

   • Bolts attempted to start a paper in the 1770s but was stopped by the British government.

   • First Newspaper in India: Bengal Gazette (also known as Calcutta General Advertiser).

     • Founder: James Augustus Hicky (జేమ్స్ అగస్టిన్ హిక్కీ).

     • Year: 1780.

     • Fate: Criticized Governor-General Warren Hastings; shut down in 1782 (after 2 years); Hicky was arrested.

     • Hicky's View: Press freedom is incompatible with British rule in India.

4. Other "Firsts":

   • First paper in a vernacular (regional) language: Digdarshan (దిగదర్శన్).

   • First paper founded by an Indian: Samvad Kaumudi (సంవాద కౌముది).

     • Founder: Raja Ram Mohan Roy.

     • Language: Bengali (Weekly).

     • Content: Argued against Sati practice.

Major Press Acts & Regulations:

1. 1799 - Pre-Censorship Press Act:

   • Introduced by: Lord Wellesley.

   • Reason: Triggered by critical articles, like one in the Asiatic Mirror (ఏషియాటిక్ మిర్రర్) suggesting Indians could easily overthrow the British.

   • Rule: All newspaper content required pre-approval (censorship) by the government before publication.

   • Repealed: 1818 by Lord Hastings.

2. 1823 - Licensing Regulations/Act:

   • Introduced by: Acting Governor-General John Adams.

   • Rule: Required a license to start or operate a press.

   • Impact: Raja Ram Mohan Roy opposed it; his Persian paper Mirat-ul-Akhbar (మిరాత్ ఉల్ అక్బర్) closed down as he refused to seek a license. He appealed to the Privy Council.

   • Thomas Munro Committee (1823) supported censorship.

3. 1835 - Press Act (Metcalfe Act):

   • Introduced by: Charles Metcalfe (చార్లెస్ మెట్‌కాఫ్).

   • Very Important: Removed the 1823 licensing regulations and earlier restrictions.

   • Result: Granted significant press freedom.

   • Title for Metcalfe: "Liberator of the Indian Press" (భారతదేశ పత్రికా స్వేచ్ఛ పితామహుడు).

4. 1857 - Licensing Act ("Gagging Act"):

   • Introduced during the Revolt of 1857.

   • Reimposed licensing requirements and restrictions.

   • Temporary measure, lapsed after about a year.

5. 1878 - Vernacular Press Act (VPA):

   • Very Important ( )

   • Introduced by: Lord Lytton.

   • Reason: To curb criticism in the regional press, especially regarding the handling of the 1876-78 famine.

   • Rule: Targeted only vernacular (non-English) newspapers. Required them to sign a bond promising not to publish anything inciting dissatisfaction against the government or creating hatred between different races, castes, or religions.

   • Key Impacts:

     • Amrita Bazar Patrika (అమృత్ బజార్ పత్రిక) (Founder: Sisir Kumar Ghosh - శిశిర్ కుమార్ ఘోష్) famously converted from Bengali to English overnight to evade the Act. Praised by Navin Chandra Sen (నవీన్ చంద్ర సేన్) as a "masterstroke of patriotism" (దేశభక్తికి మార్గదర్శనం).

     • Som Prakash (సోమ్ ప్రకాష్) (Founder: Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar - ఈశ్వర చంద్ర విద్యాసాగర్) had to close down.

   • Repealed: 1882 by Lord Ripon.

6. 1908 - Newspaper (Incitement to Offences) Act:

   • Context: Rise of Extremism, aftermath of Bengal Partition.

   • Rule: Aimed at preventing newspapers from inciting violence or offences.

   • Impact: Led to the closure of extremist papers like Bande Mataram (వందేమాతరం - Aurobindo Ghosh), Yugantar/Jugantar (యుగంతర్/జుగంతర్ - Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Bhupendranath Datta), Sandhya (సంధ్య - B.B. Upadhyay).

7. 1910 - Indian Press Act:

   • Similar restrictive nature to the 1908 Act.

8. 1921 - Repeal:

   • Based on the recommendations of the Tej Bahadur Sapru Committee, the 1908 and 1910 Acts were repealed.

9. 1931 - Indian Press (Emergency Powers) Act:

   • Context: Civil Disobedience Movement.

   • Gave sweeping powers to the government to suppress press promoting the movement. Temporary.

10. 1932 - Foreign Relations Act:

    • Restricted publications that could damage relations with friendly foreign states. (Speaker notes this and 1931/1857 acts might be less important for SI/PC exams).

Other Points:

• Surendranath Banerjee (SN బెనర్జీ): First Indian journalist to be imprisoned (in 1883). (Found in NCERT, not Degree book according to speaker).

• Press Trust of India (PTI): Established in 1947, became India's largest and oldest private news agency.