9. Print and Censorship – Swastika Shiksha

India and the Contemporary World-II | NCERT Class 10 | History

About Lesson

The East India Company initially showed little concern about press censorship 🧐.
Early measures were not aimed at controlling the press as a whole, but rather to limit criticisms from Englishmen in India 🏴‍☠️.
The Company feared that these criticisms could be used in England to attack their monopoly on trade 💼💰.
These English critics raised concerns about Company misrule, and the Company feared this could undermine their reputation 🌍 and power in India 🇮🇳.
To prevent backlash, the Company started regulating printed materials to protect their business interests in England ⚖️.

In the 1820s, the Calcutta Supreme Court passed new regulations to control the press 🏛️.
These regulations were designed to restrict freedom of the press and suppress anti-British sentiment 🇬🇧❌.
The East India Company began encouraging newspapers that would celebrate British rule 🎉📜, aiming to present British governance as positive and benevolent.
By 1835, in response to petitions from editors of English and vernacular newspapers 📣, Governor-General Bentinck agreed to revise the press laws 🔄.
Thomas Macaulay, a liberal colonial official, formulated new rules that restored some press freedoms ✨, allowing newspapers to publish more freely while still keeping control over critical material.
These reforms reflected a shift towards a more liberal stance on press regulation, though still under colonial oversight 🏴‍☠️.

After the 1857 revolt, the colonial government became much stricter in regulating the press 📜🔒.
The authorities were concerned that vernacular newspapers 📰 might spread nationalist ideas and encourage resistance to British rule.
Fearing the influence of the press, the government decided to clamp down on vernacular publications that were seen as seditious ⚔️.
The press was now viewed as a tool for spreading anti-colonial sentiments and a threat to the British Empire 🌏👎.
This shift led to a widespread suppression of the free press 🛑, especially for Indian-language newspapers that were now viewed as dangerous.

In 1878, the Vernacular Press Act was introduced to give the government broad powers to censor and seize newspapers that were deemed seditious ⚖️.
The Act allowed the colonial government to monitor vernacular newspapers closely, especially those that criticized British rule 🌍❌.
If a report was found to be anti-government or seditious, the newspaper could face warnings or even seizure of its printing press 🖨️🚫.
This law led to the confiscation of printing machinery 🏭 if the warnings were ignored, drastically affecting the ability of newspapers to publish freely.
Despite these repressive measures, the vernacular press continued to grow, becoming an important source of nationalist sentiment and resistance 📢💪.

Despite government repression, the nationalist press continued to flourish, with newspapers highlighting colonial misrule 📰🔴.
These publications became powerful tools for spreading anti-colonial sentiments and nationalist ideas 💥.
The press provoked widespread protests and sparked a renewed cycle of persecution 🔄, with colonial authorities retaliating against critics 🛑.
One significant incident was the 1907 deportation of Punjab revolutionaries ✈️, which further fueled nationalist anger.
This led to a vicious cycle, with repression and protests going hand in hand, strengthening the resolve for freedom 🕊️.

The colonial government struggled to find editors for loyalist newspapers that would comply with its views 🧐.
Many editors were hesitant to take up the position because they feared losing editorial freedom 📝🔒.
Sanders, the editor of The Statesman, refused to accept government subsidies, stating that taking money would compromise the paper’s independence 💸❌.
Some loyalist papers feared that government support would lead to editorial control, and they preferred to maintain their freedom of expression 💬.

During World War I, the Defence of India Rules required 22 newspapers to furnish securities 💰.
Many of these newspapers, unwilling to comply with government demands, chose to shut down 🚫 instead of compromising their independence.
In 1919, the Sedition Committee Report imposed even stricter controls, further restricting freedom of the press 📚🔒.
The Defence of India Act (1939) was passed during World War II, allowing the censorship of any content related to the war effort, including news about the Quit India Movement 🛑.
This period saw increased suppression, with around 90 newspapers shut down in August 1942 as they were seen as anti-colonial 📰❌.

Swastika Shiksha