The Role of News Paper in Freedom Struggle of India
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Central Asian Studies
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New India was an early 20th century daily newspaper published in India by Annie Besant, to highlight issues related to the Indian freedom struggle.[2] New India was a newspaper founded as a means to spread news related to the Indian freedom struggle, and as a means to vocalize the views of its founder, the freedom fighter Dr. Annie Besant, through her editorials. It was in the same league as Gandhi's Harijan and Tilak's Kesari.[3][4] Annie Besant was a London born half Irish half English, pro workers union, pro Irish independence woman who happened to first come to India in November 1893. She had helped start the first trade unions in London, was a member of the Fabian Society and a close associate of a number of socialists of her time including Sydney Webbs, George Bernard Shaw, George Lansbury and Ramsay MacDonald. In 1866, she read two theosophical books written by Mr A. P. Sinnet, and in 1889 read Mme H. P. Blavatsky's ‘The Secret Doctrine’. These influenced her greatly and she came to India. In May 1889, Besant joined the Theosophical Society in Madras, and became Blavatsky's pupil and helper. She gradually became a prominent worker of the Theosophical Society and was elected president, a position that she held until her death in September 1933.[5]
In October 1913, Besant spoke at a public meeting in Madras recommending that there should be a Standing Committee of the House of Commons for Indian affairs which would go into the question of how India might attain freedom. Realising that a newspaper would help propagate her political thoughts, she founded a weekly newspaper in January 1914. In June 1914 she purchased an existing newspaper called 'Madras Standard' and renamed it 'New India'. The New India subsequently became her chosen organ for her tempestuous propaganda for India's freedom, and was widely read by the English educated Indian middle and upper classes, post world war when the Indian freedom struggle was beginning to gather momentum.[6]
Keywords
newspaper, freedom, struggle, Annie Besant, Standing Committee, momentum, New India