journalism in south asian subcontinent

8/21/2019 Journalism in South Asian Subcontinent

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History of Journalism inSouth Asian Subcontinent

Prepared by:Mahbubul Haque Osmani

Lecturer, MSJ, ULAB


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Press in India The Portuguese, the first Europeans to arrive in

India, established themselves in Goa fifteen yearsbefore Babur, founder of the Mughal empire(1526AD)

They carried printing press in this sub-continentat first

But with the local conflict, deprived from

government co-operation So, Printing press was stayed in Goa

About 215 years later, printing press launched in

Bengal realm


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William Bolts In September 1768, William Bolts, ex-servant

of the East India Company, informing thepublic that the want of a printing press in the

city A notice or advertisement was found affixed

to the Council Hall and other public places atCalcutta

But by the Councils pressure Mr. Bolts wasforcibly removed to the boat and taken awayfrom India and nothing came his offer


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The Bengal Gazette/HickysGazette/

Calcutta General Advertiser

Bengal Gazette (English weekly) published byJames Augustus Hicky in 1780 January 29th onSaturday from Calcutta.

It was the first news paper in South Asian sub-continent

Bengal Gazettealias Hicky Gazette, Calcutta

General Advertiser Declaration a weekly political and commercial

paper open to all but influenced by none


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Much of its pages were devoted toadvertisements

It was a two sheet paper, about 12 inches by 8

inches, with three column printed on bothsides, print and style was not decorated, notpolite or modest or decent

It published extracts from the Englishnewspapers and correspondence from localand distance writers


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Hicky had his own column, many personswrote by pen names

Its special features were addresses to the

public from Mr. Hicky, a Poets Corner and allthe local gossip relating to the BritishCommunity in Calcutta

The first few months the Gazette waspolitically harmless, though it tended after thefashion of the times to abroad humor


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Its public was mainly the merchants and traders and

at first the non-official European class

Bengal Gazette could not survive more than two

years due to sharp confrontation with GovernorGeneral Warren Hastings and Chief Justice Elijah

Impey

Sir Philip Francis, a member of the Governor-

Generals council and an enemy of Warren Hastings,

supplied Hicky with slanderous information

Hicky skillfully used it in his paper to annoy Hastings


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The India Gazette India Gazetteas a rival to Bengal Gazette,

published in the same year (1780) by Peter Read,a salt agent (backing by Hastings)

In June, 1780, Hicky appealed to his supportersnot to deserts him for the new paper

In November 1780, appearance of the IndiaGazette, four pages, each 16 inches long with

three columns and well-printed

The grant of postal facilities to the India Gazettewhich were not allowed to HickysGazette


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Consequences of Bengal Gazette

and Hicky

Hicky had exhausted the patience of Warren

HastingsGovernment

Malice intruded his writings, where vulgarity

was the main feature before

The chief objects of his attack were Warren

Hastings, whom he attack through his wife

and the Chief Justice, Elijah Impey

Sir Philip Francis, left India and Hastings

prepared to take action against Hicky


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and Hicky In June 1781, Hicky resisting arrested by the

Chief Justices men, presented himself in Courtthe same day and was detained

A bail of Rs. 80,000 was demanded which hecould not furnish

Hicky claimed that several Europeans, some

sepoys (soldiers) and between three or fourhundred persons had come to effect thearrest and that he had repulsed them


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and Hicky

On the two indictments of Hastings on which

Hicky was charged

Hicky was convicted to one years

imprisonment and Rs. 2,000 fine on the first

It is a strange commentary on the times that,

though Hicky was sent to jail and the intention

of the action was to silence his newspaper


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and Hicky Bengal Gazette continued to appear regularly

and with no change of tone

In fact, Hickysaddress to his public were even

more rebellious of the Government Even the invective and personal attacks

continued unabated

With Hickysreferences to his constitutionalrights and to the persecutions of the GovernorGeneral and the Chief Justice, the BengalGazettebegan to receive considerable support


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and Hicky Hicky lampooned all the members of the

Government

In March 1782, four fresh actions by WarrenHastings were instituted

A plea was made for permission to seize thetypes

The types were seized and the Bengal Gazettewas destroyed finally

The advertisements in the Gazetteprovide aninteresting sidelight on social life in Calcutta

At no stage did the Gazettesell over 200 copies


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Thank You

journalism in south asian subcontinent

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