OPEN FORUM
New Delhi, 18 May 2006
Fascinating Story
INDIAN PRESS AT 190
By T.D. Jagadesan
The scintillating story of the
indomitable Indian Press is, indeed,
a fascinating one. Let us take a bird’s eye view of this 190-year story.
The Bengal Gazette was started in 1816 by a patriotic Indian,
Gangadhar Bhattacharjee. At this
juncture, Raja Ram Mohan Roy appeared on the scene. His Indian and Persian newspapers gave
undivided attention to fight social evils like Sati. He also used his
papers to awaken the masses to the
cultural and political ideas of the West.
Thus, the beginning of modern history of Indian journalism could be
rightly attributed to the pioneering patriot, Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
The great Indian mutiny of 1857
saw a new turn. It gave rise to a situation when harsh censorship laws were
deemed inevitable by the Government of the day.
It also exercised a check on the free growth of Indian journalism. Despite the Press
censorship, Dadabhai Naoroji of Bombay and
Surendranath Banerjee of Calcutta
launched two newspapers, Rast Goffar
and Bengali respectively. Both the papers reflected the personality of
their Editors. They kindled dormant
nationalism in the educated classes
of the Indians.
It was, however, left to the Father
of the Nation, Gandhiji to make a memorable beginning with the launching of the
Young India in 1919. He realized the power of the pen to fight the
Raj. So, from his powerful pen flowed
articles and editorials. This trend was not looked upon with sympathy by the
Raj. Therefore, it took a critical view and the Editor-Gandhiji was
incarcerated in 1922. However, this
could not silence the Mahatma.
Earlier, fiery patriot and
pathfinder, Tilak broke new ground in Journalism, as in politics. In 1881, he started two newspapers, the Kesari and the Maharatta, the former an English daily and the latter a Marathi
daily. In their columns he launched
frontal attacks on the Raj and its heartless
ways. The Hindu made its historic
appearance from Madras
in 1878. Even from those early days, it
displayed its distinguishing traits, namely fair comments and objective
reporting conforming to the ethics of the profession.
Around 1868, Sisir Kumar Ghosh
brothers came out with the Amrit Bazar
Patrika. Seven years earlier, the
Times of India made its bow under a great Editor, Robert Knight. It is a matter of pride to recall here that
this daily from the year of its inception made its news coverage
extensive. However, its sympathies lay
with the Raj.
The contribution made by an
Englishman, Benjamin Guy Horniman to the growth of Indian journalism could not
be ignored. His editorship of the Bombay Chronicle remains memorable. He mounted relentless
attack on the misdeeds of the Raj, especially the Amritsar massacre
and the Rowlatt Act. This was not
tolerated by the authorities of the day.
He was deported in 1919. The Pioneer of Allahabad indulged not in naked attacks, but
in satire. Its celebrated Editor,
Rudyard Kipling played a key role in making the paper popular.
Newspapers edited by Indian
Journalists continued to play a decisive part in fostering nationalism in those
formative years. The names of Indian Review, Liberty, Forward, Advance, Servant
of India, Justice, Bande Matram, Al Hilal, Swarajya and Hitavada have thus found an abiding
place in the hearts of the people; so also their Editors.
During the pre-independence era,
Indian journalism concentrated its attention on the ways of the Raj and little
else; with the dawn of independence in 1947, the role underwent a change. Nation
building activities became its main focus.
In a larger sense, it became the watchdog of Indian democracy.
In post-independence India,
the Press experienced repressive measures during periods of emergency. The first emergency was proclaimed in the wake
of the Chinese aggression in
1962. The second was ordered in 1971
when Pakistan launched an
undeclared war against India. While the second was still in force, a third
emergency on grounds of “internal disturbance” was clamped down in June, 1975
when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister. Many courageous Editors and
Journalists did not bow to these repressive
measures and fought a grim battle to uphold the freedom of the Press. This
will, indeed, constitute a glorious chapter in the history of Indian journalism.
Free India witnessed
many changes in the growth of our Press. The first Press
Commission was constituted in 1952
with comprehensive terms of reference.
It was headed by an eminent jurist and comprised distinguished public
figures drawn from varied walks of life.
It made many recommendations, far-reaching in character, after a labour
of two years. The Chairman, Justice G.S. Rajdhyakksha’s vision made the
recommendations solid and enduring in nature.
The Commission’s
recommendations centred on such important areas as the Price-Page schedule,
legislative control, restrictive practices, appointment of the Registrar of
Newspapers for India, diffusion of ownership and advertisement agencies, not to
mention the Press Council of India.
Accordingly, the first Press Council of India was constituted in 1966 under
the provisions of the Press Council
Act of 1965. It laid down certain
guidelines for safeguarding the ethics of the profession. It continued to be the watchdog of the
freedom of the Press and its healthy
functioning. The Council has been
clothed with effective powers to make its functioning purposeful and beneficial
to the Press as well as the public.
In 1955, the Working Journalists
(Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1955 came into force.
It provided many safeguards to working journalists. Perhaps, for the first time, the working
journalists were assured of security
of service. A Press
Consultative Committee was constituted in September, 1962 with a view to bringing
about a closer liaison between the Government and the Press;
it was abolished in 1964.
Small newspapers too received
considerable attention. An Enquiry Committee on small newspapers was
constituted to foster its growth. Its
report was submitted in 1966. The
Committee recommended the re-introduction of the Price-Page schedule. It also recommended that 50% of display
advertisements to be given to small newspapers to sustain their development.
According to one of the
recommendations of the First Press
Commission, the office of the
Registrar of Newspapers for India
was established in 1956. It is a
statutory authority for the collection of all aspects of statistics regarding
the Press in the country. Its annual
report is placed on the table of Parliament during the Budget Session every year.
Investigative journalism has come
to stay in India. Almost all the leading dailies and
periodicals vie with one another to spotlight a fact of an on-going scandal,
apolitical as well as political, or unearth a new one, only to sustain the
interest of their readers. Examples are
not far to seek, even the traditionally conservative English daily like the Hindu thought it expedient to front-page
the Bofors scandal. India’s
front-rank periodicals like the India Today, the Sunday and the Week have
stolen a march over the English dailies in this all important area of
investigative journalism.
Taking advantage of a wide
spectrum of hi-tech, colour printing has scaled new levels of production
excellence. With the result, superbly
produced periodicals at moderate prices are available to the reader today. In this respect, our cine journals printed by
the private sector and the brochures produced by leading corporate
organizations like Voltas are all shining
examples of superb colour printing. All
this is made possible by the
extensive, computerized use of sophisticated offset and gravure process.
In the coming years, the Indian
Press will no doubt move to fresh
fields and pastures anew. Three cheers! ---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
|