Question

Read the given source and answer the questions that follow:

After the Revolt of 1857, the attitude to freedom of the press changed. Enraged Englishmen demanded a clamp down on the 'native' press. As vernacular newspapers became assertively nationalist, the colonial government began debating measures of stringent control. In 1878, the Vernacular Press Act was passed, modelled on the Irish Press Laws. It provided the government with extensive rights to censor reports and editorials in the vernacular press. From now on the government kept regular track of the vernacular newspapers published in different provinces. When a report was judged as seditious, the newspaper was warned, and if the warning was ignored, the press was liable to be seized and the printing machinery confiscated.

1. On which rule was the 'Vernacular Press Act' based? (1)
2. Why did the attitude of the British change towards the freedom of press after the Revolt of 1857? Explain. (1)
3. Explain any two impacts of passing the 'Vernacular Press Act. (2)

Answer 1

1. The 'Vernacular Press Act' was based on the Irish Press Laws. This act was designed to curtail the freedom of the press, particularly the vernacular press, in India by imposing stringent control measures similar to those used in Ireland.

2. The attitude of the British towards the freedom of the press changed after the Revolt of 1857 because the revolt greatly alarmed the British. The uprising, which was a significant challenge to British authority in India, led to a surge in nationalist sentiment that was often reflected in the vernacular press. Enraged Englishmen, witnessing the role of the press in mobilizing and spreading nationalist sentiments among Indians, demanded a clampdown on the 'native' press to prevent the spread of seditious content and to maintain their control over the colony.
3. Two impacts of the 'Vernacular Press Act' were:
   • Increased Government Censorship: The act allowed the government to censor seditious content, limiting the expression of dissent.
   • Seizure of Press and Machinery: Non-compliant newspapers could have their presses seized and machinery confiscated, stifling free press and public discourse on anti-colonial movements.