Newspapers were suppressed in 1942 under the Defence of India Act because they reported on the Quit India Movement and criticized British rule. The colonial government feared that such reports would inspire public unrest and fuel nationalist sentiments against their authority during the Second World War.
Read the given source and answer the questions that follow: Print and Censorship The power of the printed word is most often seen in the way governments seek to regulate and suppress print. The colonial government kept continuous track of all books and newspapers published in India and passed numerous laws to control the press. During the First World War, under the Defence of India Rules, 22 newspapers had to furnish securities. Of these, 18 shut down rather than comply with government orders. The Sedition Committee Report under Rowlatt in 1919 further strengthened controls that led to imposition of penalties on various newspapers. At the outbreak of the Second World War, the ‘Defence of India Act’ was passed, allowing censoring of reports of war-related topics. All reports about the Quit India Movement came under its purview. In August 1942, about 90 newspapers were suppressed. (8.1) Why were newspapers suppressed in 1942? (8.2) How did the colonial government’s policies affect nationalism? (8.3) Examine the role of the press in colonial India.
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(8.1) ANSWER: Newspapers were suppressed in 1942 under the Defence of India Act because they reported on the Quit India Movement and criticized British rule. The colonial government feared that such reports would inspire public unrest and fuel nationalist sentiments against their authority during the Second World War.
(8.2) ANSWER: The colonial government’s strict censorship and repressive press policies intensified nationalist feelings among Indians. Suppression of newspapers exposed the oppressive nature of British rule, uniting people against injustice. It inspired freedom fighters to use the press as a tool for spreading awareness and mobilizing public resistance.
(8.3) ANSWER: The press in colonial India played a crucial role in awakening national consciousness. It spread patriotic ideas, criticized British exploitation and exposed colonial injustices. Despite censorship and suppression, newspapers became powerful instruments for uniting people, promoting reform and strengthening the movement for India’s independence.