Growth of Press in India

The growth of press and journalism formed an important background for the rise of new consciousness during the modern period. The spread of printing technology meant that books were easily available.

In other words, widespread printing opened new channels of communications across India. This new printing technology helped the growth of press and journalism. The newspapers began getting published in English language in the late 18th century. During the 19th century, a large number of newspapers in local languages also started.

James Augustus Hickey published the first newspaper in India named The Bengal Gazette in 1780. It was followed by a series of newspapers from Bengal, Bombay and Madras. Some important papers were The Calcutta Chronicle (1786), The Madras Courier (1788), and The Bombay Herald (1789).

These early newspapers in English were meant primarily for the European and Anglo-Indian community staying in India. However, the Company’s officials were concerned about news of their misdoings appearing in these papers. Therefore, restrictions were often imposed.

Lord Wellesley (1796-1804) imposed strict regulations through the Censorship of the Press Act in 1799. This Act warranted that all content was to be cleared by the Secretary to the Government. Names of the printer, editor and proprietor were to be clearly printed in every issue.

Lord Hastings (1813-23) relaxed some of these laws in 1818 and removed the pre-censorship of the press. However, these relaxations proved temporary as John Adams, who became acting Governor General in 1823, imposed some tough regulations on Press in the same year.

License was made mandatory for starting or using a press. The Governor General reserved the right to cancel a license. The officiating Governor General, Charles Metcalfe (1835-36) was a supporter of free press. He removed the regulations of 1823.

Metcalfe’s Press Act just wanted publishers to give a declaration about the place and premises of the publication. This liberating influence had a positive impact on the growth of press as a large number of newspapers started publishing till stiff regulations were again imposed in 1857 due to the Revolt.

Most serious restriction on the growth of Indian language newspapers was Lord Lytton’s Vernacular Press Act of 1878. A highly biased and racial measure, this Act attempted to stifle any opposition to the government voiced in the local languages of the country.

Similar restrictions were not imposed on the English language newspapers. It was an important example of Lytton’s conservative and arrogant attitude. It indirectly empowered the government to control all seditious writings by Indian intelligentsia. There was no appeal against the decision of the District Magistrate. This Act was repealed in 1882 by Lord Ripon who was a very popular Viceroy among Indians for his liberal views and measures.