Consider the following statements about the press and literature in Co

Consider the following statements about the press and literature in Colonial India :

1. The print media enabled the nationalists living in different parts of the country to exchange views with one another.
2. The British rulers were prepared to tolerate the nationalist criticism of their rule.
3. The Vernacular Press Act (1878) evoked a nationwide protest against the encroachment on freedom of expression.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

1 and 3

2 and 3

2 only

1 and 2

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2009

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Statement 1 is correct because print media, especially newspapers, played a vital role in connecting nationalists across different regions, enabling the exchange of ideas and coordination of activities. Statement 3 is correct as the Vernacular Press Act of 1878, which severely curtailed the freedom of the vernacular press, sparked widespread protests across the country, highlighting the importance Indians placed on freedom of expression. Statement 2 is incorrect; the British rulers were highly intolerant of nationalist criticism and used various laws and measures to suppress the press.

– Newspapers were a crucial tool for nationalist mobilization and communication in Colonial India.
– The British Government actively sought to control and suppress the nationalist press through legislation like the Vernacular Press Act.
– The Vernacular Press Act was a significant event that demonstrated the government’s repressive policies and fueled anti-British sentiment.

The Vernacular Press Act was repealed in 1882 by Lord Ripon, partly due to the strong opposition it generated. Despite this, press freedom remained a contested issue throughout the colonial period, with the government enacting new restrictions whenever nationalist activity intensified.

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