MP Board · Class 10 · Social Science · History: Print Culture and the Modern WorldExplain the measures taken by the British Colonial Government to control the freedom of the press in India, with special reference to the Vernacular Press Act of 1878.

As nationalist consciousness grew in India during the 19th century, the press became a powerful tool for criticizing colonial policies and mobilizing public opinion. Fearing revolt and discontent, the British colonial government imposed various measures to censor and curb the freedom of the press.

• Early Censorship Measures (Before 1857): Before 1798, the East India Company was mainly concerned about criticisms leveled by Englishmen against Company officers. By 1823, the Calcutta Supreme Court passed regulations to control press freedom, and the Company encouraged newspapers that supported British rule.
• Post-1857 Shift in Attitude: After the Revolt of 1857, the attitude of the British towards the Indian press changed drastically. As vernacular newspapers became assertively nationalist, the colonial government felt an urgent need to control the native press.
• The Vernacular Press Act of 1878: Enacted under Lord Lytton, this act was modeled on the Irish Press Laws. Key provisions included:
  • It provided the government with extensive rights to censor reports and editorials in vernacular (local language) newspapers.
  • The government kept regular track of vernacular newspapers published in different provinces.
  • If a report was judged as seditious, the newspaper was issued a warning. If the warning was ignored, the press was liable to be seized and the printing machinery confiscated.
• Impact and Nationalist Resistance: Despite repressive laws, nationalist newspapers grew in numbers across India. When Punjab revolutionaries were deported in 1907, Balgangadhar Tilak wrote sympathetically about them in his Marathi newspaper Kesari, leading to his imprisonment in 1908. This sparked widespread protests across the country. \nIn conclusion, while the colonial state introduced harsh legal measures like the Vernacular Press Act to suppress dissent, it failed to stop the growth of nationalist journalism, which continued to fuel India's freedom struggle.