THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY
The Story of the Indian Press
(Continued from page 292 of issue dated February 26, 1955)
A B O U T this t i m e t w o d o m i -
n a t i n g personalities a p p e a r e d
o n the sceneJames S i l k B u c k i n g -
ham and Raja R a m M o h a n Roy,
w h o were destined to p l a y a sig-
n i f i c a n t p a r t i n t h e f i g h t f o r t h e free-
d o m of the Press. B o t h a t t r a c t e d the
staunchest supporters f r o m a m o n g
t h e i r c o u n t r y m e n a n d a t the same
t i m e p r o v o k e d the bitterest a n t a -
gonisms. B u c k i n g h a m e d i t e d his
paper, Calcutta Journal, fearlessly
t i l l 1823 w h e n he was d e p o r t e d .
Raja R a m Mohan's incursion into
j o u r n a l i s m was o n l y t o propagate
the t r u t h a n d have i t tested i n the
l i g h t o f discussion. H i s c o n c e p t i o n
of f r e e d o m of the Press was f r e e d o m
t o pursue the t r u t h a n d t o evolve
a w a y of life p r o v e d by the test of
reason.
VIEWED WITH FEAR
R a j a R a m M o h a n ' s paper a n d the
progressive I n d i a n Press were v i e w -
e d w i t h apprehension i n official cir-
cles, w h i l e newspapers w h i c h f a v o u r -
e d the o r t h o d o x p o i n t o f v i e w d i d
not a t t r a c t the same measure of hos-
tile a t t e n t i o n . A l m o s t simultaneous-
l y w i t h R a j a R a m M o h a n ' s news-
paper, a p o w e r f u l o r t h o d o x H i n d u
Press came i n t o b e i n g w h i c h oppos-
ed social a n d religious reforms at
every stage t h r o u g h o u t the n i n e -
t e e n t h century. James S i l k B u c k i n g -
h a m , m o r e t h a n any other single per-
son, by a tireless c a m p a i g n against
the restrictions a n d censorship i m -
posed on the Press, c o n v i n c e d m a n y
eminent minds in England and in
I n d i a o f the useful f u n c t i o n w h i c h
a free press c o u l d p e r f o r m by an
exposure of t h e lapses of the a d -
m i n i s t r a t i o n a n d b y c r i t i c i s i n g its
policies. Governor-General John
A d a m passed a n o r d i n a n c e i n D e -
cember 1823 w h i c h r e q u i r e d t h a t
a l l m a t t e r s to be p r i n t e d in a press
or to be p u b l i s h e d thereafter, except
s h i p p i n g i n t e l l i g e n c e , etc, s h o u l d be
printed and published under a
licence f r o m t h e G o v e r n o r - G e n e r a l
in Council. T h e application for a
a license s h o u l d give a l l the details
r e g a r d i n g p r i n t e r , publisher, p r o -
p r i e t o r , etc. A m o n g t h e newspapers
whose w r i t i n g s w e r e c i t e d i n j u s t i -
f i c a t i o n o f these regulations was R a m
M o h a n ' s Mirat-ll-Akbar. T h e paper
was restrained i n its language a n d
constructive i n c r i t i c i s m , b u t d e a l t
Reba Chaudburi
social a n d a d m i n i s t r a t i v e evils a n d
c r i t i c a l l y e x a m i n e d the B r i t i s h p o l i c y
both in India and Ireland.
the e x t i n c t i o n of Calcutta Journal,
the John Bull a n d Hurkara t o o k up
the controversy o f the f r e e d o m o f
Press.
LORD BENTINCK'S ENCOURAGEMENT
John A d a m ' s regulations were the
fore-runner of the Vernacular Press
A c t of 1878 w h i c h b o t h in concep-
t i o n and its application drew a clear
distinction between the t w o sections
of the Press. F o l l o w i n g the Press
regulations,, the Indian-owned I n d i a n
language papers seemed to have kept
clear of political topics for about
seven years. In July 1824, C J Fair,
E d i t o r of the Bombay Gazette, was
hauled up for casting aspersions on
the Supreme C o u r t and asked to
furnish a security of Rs 20,000. As
he was unable to do so, he was de-
ported. D u r i n g this period, t h o u g h
liberal concessions were allowed to
papers published by the Scrampore
missionaries, only n o m i n a l conces-
sions were given to Indian-owned
I n d i a n language newspapers. F o r d
Bentmck's assumption of Governor-
Generalship was marked by a signi-
ficant change in the attitude of the
Government towards the Press in
general and the I n d i a n language
Press in particular. Bentinck saw
the obvious advantage of newspapers
published in I n d i a n languages pur-
suing freely social controversies, and
of generally relaxing the restrictions
on all sections of the Press in the
interest of efficient administration.
He extended facilities to newspapers,
and between 1831-1833 nineteen
newspapers came i n t o existence. A trictions were enforced and placed on
noteworthy development at this t i m e
was that b o t h Bengal and Bombay
started official gazettes, t h e Bombay
G o v e r n m e n t Gazette and the Cal-
cutta Gazette. In Madras about this
t i m e t w o newspapers were started,
one in T a m i l and the other in
T e l u g u . I n N W Provinces, a H i n d i
journal and an U r d u journal were
successfully launched under Govern-
m e n t patronage.
In 1867, an act for the regulation
of p r i n t i n g presses and newspapers,
for the preservation of copies of books
printed in B r i t i s h India and for the
regulation of these was passed to
replace t h e M e t c a l f e A c t X I o f 1835.
I n this A c t were incorporated all the
provisions o f t h e M e t c a l f e A c t w h i c h
347
March 12, 1955
dealt w i t h p r i n t i n g presses and news-
With
papers and later came to be k n o w n
as ' T h e Press and Registration of
Books A c t '. After this it was
amended by A c t X of 1890 and by
Acts I I I and X of 1914 and it was
further modified in 1952 and 1953.
VERNACULAR PRESS ACT
M e a n w h i l e , G o v e r n m e n t was be-
c o m i n g increasingly uneasy about t h e
attitude of the Press generally and
its relation w i t h Government. It
was particularly apprehensive of the
I n d i a n language press as preparations
for the rebellion of 1857 were made
w i t h the use of seemingly harmless
words and symbols. In 1878, the
Vernacular Press A c t was passed w i t h
a view to having better control over
newspapers published in Indian
languages, in spite of the representa-
t i o n made from all the I n d i a n presses
concerned. A deputation on behalf
of the I n d i a n Press Association wait
ed upon the Viceroy under the lead-
ership of Surendranath Banerjee,
B u t it was all in vain. T h e gagging
A c t of 1857 was a m u c h milder piece
of legislation than the Press Act of
1878.
The Vernacular Press A c t was re-
pealed in December 1881 under t h e
enlightened regime of L o r d R i p o n .
'The Nationalist movement since 1883
gave an impetus to the development
of the Press in I n d i a . As a matter
of fact, it is very difficult- to distin-
guish the development of the Press
and important events in this respect
from the crucial events and develop-
ments of the Nationalist movement,
A number of Press Laws and res-
the statute book f r o m t i m e to t i m e .
After the establishment of the I n d i a n
N a t i o n a l Congress, there were sec-
tions 124A and 153A of the Penal
Code enacted in 1898. T h e r e was
also section 565 of the I n d i a n Penal
Code. Four new measures were
enacted between 1 9 0 8 - 1 9 1 ; , namely,
the Newspapers (Incitement to
Offences) A c t of 1908, the Press A c t
of 1910, the Prevention of Seditious
Meetings A c t of 1911 and the C r i m i -
nal L a w A m e n d m e n t A c t of 1908.
There was also" the Official Secrets
A c t as amended in 1903.
DEFENCE OF IINDIA ACT
In 1914 the enactment of t h e
Defence o f I n d i a A c t added t o t h e
restrictions imposed on the Press.
 M a r c h 12, 1955 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY

T h e Press Association of I n d i a in a at t h e suppression of a l l news relat- Procedure C o d e s h o u l d n o t b e a p p l i -

memorandum on the operation o f i n g t o Congress activities. T h e n o t i - e d t o t h e Press.
t h e Press A c t of 1910 stated t h a t fication was w i t h d r a w n after consul- (6) All a c t i o n t a k e n against the
nearly 1,000 papers had been prose- t a t i o n w i t h t h e A l l - I n d i a Newspaper Press in t h e exercise of emergency
cuted under t h e A c t . The total Editors' Conference w h i c h gave an powers should be preceded by con-.
a m o u n t of securities and forfeitures assurance t h a t newspapers would s u l t a t i o n between the Provincial
w h i c h went i n t o t h e hands o f G o v - observe certain voluntary restraints Governments a n d Press Advisory
e r n m e n t d u r i n g t h e first five years in t h e m a t t e r of p u b l i c a t i o n of news C o m m i t t e e s or similar bodies.
of t h e A c t was nearly Rs 5 lakhs regarding the ' Q u i t India ' move-
according to another official r e t u r n m e n t organised by t h e Congress. THE PRESS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION
made in 1918. Over 500 publica- A n account o f t h e development
tions were proscribed under t h e A c t . W i t h the adoption of the C o n s t i -
of t h e Press w o u l d be i n c o m p l e t e
T h e Defence A c t Rules i n I n d i a were t u t i o n m January 1 9 5 0 , t h e G o v e r n -
w i t h o u t a reference to unauthorised
n o t merely used f o r war purposes, m e n t o f I n d i a was c o n f r o n t e d w i t h
and cyclostyled news-sheets w h i c h
b u t also for all p o l i t i c a l purposes so a new set of problems in regard to
were circulated f r o m time to time.
as to carry o u t t h e policy of t h e the Press. Certain newspapers
Some were p u b l i s h e d w h e n press
I n d i a n G o v e r n m e n t i n regard t o re- against w h i c h action had been taken
restrictions resulted either in the
pression of p o l i t i c a l agitation or free successfully appealed t o t h e High
closing d o w n of newspapers or in
public criticism of its n o r m a l acts C o u r t and the Supreme C o u r t w h i c h
newspapers being c o m p e l l e d to ex-
and methods of a d m i n i s t r a t i o n in overruled t h e action of t h e E x e c u t i v e
clude t h e news of the n a t i o n a l move-
India. on t h e g r o u n d t h a t they were u l t r a
ment from their c o l u m n s , while
vires o f A r t i c l e X I X (2) o f t h e C o n -
others were u n d e r g r o u n d publications
PRESS EMERENCY ACT 1931 stitution. T h i s A r t i c l e laid down
even i n n o r m a l times. A t one t i m e ,
that ' N o t h i n g in t h e sub-clause (a)
instructions were c o m m u n i c a t e d by
W h e n Gandhiji started his Salt of clause 1 of t h e A r t i c l e (which
means of w r i t i n g s on walls and
Satyagraha in M a r c h 1930, t h e peace guaranteed t h e r i g h t o f freedom o f
streets. In 1930, the promulga-
between t h e Press and G o v e r n m e n t , speech and expression to all citizens)
t i o n of a Press O r d i n a n c e m a d e t h e
w h i c h had been m a i n t a i n e d f o r n i n e shall affect t h e operation of any exist-
printing of Gandhiji's Young India
years, snapped, A Press O r d i n a n c e i n g l a w in so far as it related t o , or
impossible, and it was issued in
was issued, reproducing t h e stringent prevent t h e State f r o m m a k i n g any
cyclostyled sheets.
provisions of the repealed Press A c t law regarding, l i b e l , slander, defama-
of 1910, on January 4, 1932. S i m u l - When in September 1946, a t i o n , c o n t e m p t of c o u r t or any mat-
taneously w i t h G a n d h i j i ' s arrest, t h e popular i n t e r i m G o v e r n m e n t was i n - ter, w h i c h offends against decency
earlier Press A c t of 1930 was a m p l i - stalled a t t h e C e n t r e , a l m o s t i m m e - o r m o r a l i t y o r w h i c h undermines t h e
fied in the form of the Criminal Law diately, t h e extensive powers f o r the security of, or tends to o v e r t h r o w ,
Amendment Act o f 1932. The c o n t r o l of t h e Press assumed by t h e the State ' . T h e Government of
struggle for freedom passed t h r o u g h Government of India under the De- I n d i a amended A r t i c l e X I X of the
m a n y vicissitudes between 1932 and fence of I n d i a Rules came to an e n d . C o n s t i t u t i o n in t h e face of t h e strong
1946. T h e r e were intervals, t h o u g h However, in 1946-47 m a n y of t h e opposition of the All-India News-
brief, of understanding between Provincial G o v e r n m e n t s were c o m p e l - papers Conference. T h e same year
Government and the Congress. led t o resort t o Ordinances t o b r i n g the Press O b j e c t i o n a b l e M a t t e r s A c t
T h r o u g h o u t this p e r i o d , however, t h e t h e c o m m u n a l situation under c o n - was passed.
Press Emergency A c t of 1931 r e m a i n - trol. These Ordinances were subse-
ed in force and was applied w i t h q u e n t l y replaced by emergency legis- NEWS AGENCIES
greater or less severity according to lation b y t h e Provincial Govern-
p o l i t i c a l circumstances. T h e record ments. W h e n the Vernacular Press A c t
of prosecution in t h e 15-year period was passed in 1878, a Press C o m m i s -
exceeded t h e one under t h e 1910 PRESS LAWS ENQUIRY sioner was a p p o i n t e d to give i n f o r m a -
Act. W e l l over a 1,000 newspapers t i o n t o t h e E n g l i s h - o w n e d and e d i t e d
I n M a r c h 1947, t h e Government
were victimised i n B o m b a y , B e n g a l , Press. H i s f u n c t i o n was later w i d e n e d
of I n d i a a p p o i n t e d an e n q u i r y c o m -
D e l h i , M a d r a s , P u n j a b and U P . t o enable h i m t o deal w i t h the l a n g u -
m i t t e e t o report o n Press Laws in
age Press t o o . Some of t h e E n g l i s h
force i n t h e c o u n t r y . T h e c o m m i t t e e
language papers l i k e t h e Statesman,
WORLD WAR II made certain recommendations. The
E n g l i s h m a n and Indian Daily News
more i m p o r t a n t o f t h e m a r e :
W h e n W o r l d W a r I I broke out pooled t h e i r resources together and
i n 1939, t h e G o v e r n m e n t of India (1) T h e repeal of I n d i a n States brought into being the Associated
under t h e Defence o f I n d i a A c t a r m - Protection against Disaffection A c t , Press of I n d i a w i t h B u c k a n d Coatee
ed itself w i t h the power of pre-ccn- 1922, and t h e I n d i a n States Protec- as its first directors. As K C R o y was
sorship of material p u b l i s h e d in t h e tion A c t 1934. refused a d i r e c t o r s h i p , he f o r m e d a
Press relating to certain matters. T h e (2) The repeal of t h e I n d i a n Press rival organisation, t h e Press Bureau,
penalty of i m p r i s o n m e n t was extend- (Emergency Powers) A c t , 1 9 3 1 . together w i t h Shri Usha N a t h S e n ,
ed to five years; t h e O f f i c i a l Secrets Roy's genius threatened to d e v e l o p
(3) H i e repeal o f F o r e i g n Rela-
A c t was amended to provide a m a x i - the Press Bureau i n t o a serious r i v a l ,
tions A c t a n d t h e e n a c t m e n t i n its
m u m penalty of death or transpor- and he was offered a directorship on
place of a m o r e comprehensive mea-
t a t i o n for t h e p u b l i c a t i o n o f i n - the Associated Press o f I n d i a . The
sure on t h e basis of reciprocity.
formation likely to be of use i n f l u e n c e of K C R o y in t h e deve-
to t h e enemy. T h e Press E m e r - (4) T h e modification o f section l o p m e n t o f t h e m o d e r n I n d i a n news-
gency Powers A c t was also similarly 124A of the I P C and the exclusion, paper has been t r e m e n d o u s . T h o u g h
amended. W h e n Congress adopted by explanation, of the application of h e was never a n e d i t o r , his genius f o r
t h e ' Q u i t I n d i a ' resolution i n 1942, section 153A, to t h e advocacy of t h e shaping of news have p r o v e d 4
a fresh n o t i f i c a t i o n was issued u n d e r peaceful change in t h e socio-econo- more p o t e n t f a c t o r i n b r i n g i n g I n d i a n
Rule 41 of the Defence of India A c t . m i c order. j o u r n a l i s m u p t o d a t e accordtng to
D e f e n c e o f I n d i a Rules directly a i m e d (5) Section 144 of t h e Criminal Western notions than that of any

348
THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY March 12, 1955

editor in the previous four decades. f o r m e d in 1939, to a c t as a c e n t r a l r i n g , o f course, t h e war periods, in

In 1 9 1 5 K C R o y started t h e I n d i a n organisation o f t h e Press of I n d i a , a free a n d democratic c o u n t r y , why
News Agencya news b u l l e t i n of a n d t o p r o m o t e a n d safeguard c o m - s h o u l d such restrictions be imposed
.about t w o t y p e d pages foolscap sup- m o n business interests. Independent on t h e Press in t h e n a m e of safe-
p l i e d at t h e rate of Rs 60 per copy o f t h e I n d i a n a n d Eastern N e w s p a p e r g u a r d i n g t h e i n f a n t democracy, w h e n
t o leading c i v i l a n d m i l i t a r y officials. Society, b u t nevertheless f r o m i t , de- the existence of a vigorous and in-
T h e I n d i a n N e w s Agency c o n t i n u e d veloped the All-India Newspaper dependent F o u r t h Estate is t h e rear
t i l l 1947. Editors' Conference in 1940. The guarantor of a t r u e democracy? At
T h e Reuters Agency was started by All-India Newspaper Editors' Confer- times one feels t h a t these stringent
Julius R e n t e r as a carrier-pigeon ser- ence was an o u t c o m e of t h e efforts of Press regulations are p r o m u l g a t e d w i t h
vice on t h e c o n t i n e n t a n d it develop- some m e m b e r s o f t h e Indian and a v i e w to safeguarding t h e interests
ed i n t o a telegraphic news service Eastern Newspaper Society w h o were o f t h e present administrators. To
based o n L o n d o n i n 1858, O n matters alarmed by t h e comprehensive pre- quote R a t n a v a l i , an o l d newspaper of
relating t o I n d i a and t h e service t o censorship order in respect of news B e n g a l , " T h e K i n g of E n g l a n d is
and f r o m I n d i a , Reuters was subject relating t o t h e Satyagraha m o v e m e n t n o t in charge of g o v e r n m e n t ; the
t o strong official influence b o t h i n passed by G o v e r n m e n t in the closing people make a k i n g of t h e i r o w n , as
L o n d o n a n d i n D e l h i . T h e Associated m o n t h s of 1940. The I n d i a n Fede- in Bengal an earthen p o t is p u t up
Press of I n d i a was later on taken ration of W o r k i n g Journalists came and w o r s h i p p e d . " In the same way,
over by Reuters, w h i c h was essentially i n t o existence i n O c t o b e r 2 9 , 1950. t h e present administrators of t h e
a B r i t i s h c o n c e r n . Reuters a n d t h e T h e F e d e r a t i o n has also k e p t a vigi- c o u n t r y are n o t in charge of govern-
Associated Press were very much l a n t eye on all matters affecting t h e m e n t , b u t are p u t up there by the
under official c o n t r o l . T h e news o f rights of t h e Press a n d of w o r k i n g people of I n d i a and as such they
non-co-operation a n d c i v i l disobedi- journalists. must not try t o stifle t h e popular
ence was k e p t d o w n to the barest A perusal of t h i s report leads one voice by i n t r o d u c i n g various Press re-
m i n i m u m i n t h e early 'twenties, a n d t o the conclusion that the Indian gulations in the n a m e of safeguarding
e m i n e n t I n d i a n s i n politics and busi- Press is today subjected to m o r e t h e interests of t h e people.
ness felt that on controversial matters stringent Press regulations t h a n it
like t h e rupee ratio, etc, t h e i r views was in p r c - I n d e p e n d e n c c days, bar- (Concluded)
were not adequately carried to
L o n d o n , and this led to t h e esta-
b l i s h m e n t of t h e Free Press of I n d i a
News Agency.
I n 1933 t h e U n i t e d Press o f I n d i a
N e w s Agency was started in C a l c u t t a
by Shri B Sen G u p t a . In 1948 t h e
newspapers i n I n d i a joined hands a n d
f o r m e d t h e Press T r u s t o f I n d i a w i t h
t h e object of establishing a co-opera-
tively-owned i n t e r n a l news agency.
T h e r e are at present t w o news ser-
vices operating in I n d i a on a c o u n t r y -
w i d e basis, t h e Press T r u s t of I n d i a
w h i c h subscribes t o Reuters World
Service a n d t h e U n i t e d Press T r u s t
of I n d i a w h i c h , by an agreement
w i t h t h e Agence France Presse, gives
a service or f o r e i g n news to its sub-
scribers in I n d i a .
T h e first press association was f o r m -
e d i n 1 8 9 1 , after proceedings had
been i n s t i t u t e d against t h e Bengali
newspaper Bangabasi w i t h the object
of " i m p r o v i n g t h e t o n e of t h e native
Press a n d preserving m o d e r a t i o n in
t h e discussion o f p u b l i c questions " .
In 191 5, five years after t h e rigorous
enforcement o f t h e Press A c t o f
1910 despite i n d i v i d u a l protests by
p o l i t i c a l leaders a n d newspaper edi-
tors, t h e Press Association of I n d i a
was f o r m e d f o r t h e defence of t h e
interests of t h e Press in general, a n d
p r o t e c t i o n against u n d u e encroach-
m e n t u p o n its liberties b y legislation
a n d executive a c t i o n . In the early
'twenties, a n u m b e r of journalists'
associations were f o r m e d at t h e p r i n -
cipal centres of newspaper p r o d u c t i o n ,
notably in Bombay and Calcutta.
After long negotiation, the Indian
a n d E a s t e r n N e w s p a p e r Society was