The Impact of Newspapers on Creating Awareness Among The Indian Peasants

The aim of this paper is to discuss the impact of newspapers on creating awareness among the Indian peasants during the period between 19th and 20th century. Indian nationalists, Intellectuals observed the socio-economic conditions of peasants and propagated the agony of the Indian peasants through their news papers to the entire country, and also brought to the notice of the government. The peasants were educated by the newspapers and played a key role in getting justice and meeting the demands of the peasants. This paper throws the light on some of the important revolts led by the newspapers having national and regional eminence. For instance Indigo revolt, tax reduction revolt, and many more by the newspapers such as Somprakash, Sambad Prabhakar, The Hindu, Amrita Bazar Patrika, Jameen Raithu, Janmabhoomi, Praja Shakthi, Vishala Andhra, etc.

Cultivation has been in existence in India from ancient periods – Indus valley civilization, it is the perception of human beings that it is part of their cultural pride. Now a days, agriculture has been adopted by the people not due to the fact that it is far profitable, but because they have no different opportunity and they can feed themselves at least for few months from the crop they're getting[1].From the Ancient times, Indian peasants did cultivating through customary methods and harvest revolution, by using the regular composts. Amid the 19th and 20th century, peasants of India, and every one of the villages of India were self sufficient as the leaders of India led the country with the aphorism of agriculturalist's welfare as the nation's welfare and furthermore through the approach of "exchange of goods".

Henceforth, they didn't find the need for the help from others. But, from the beginning of British's East India Company's rule in India, individuals and peasants of India had a disgraceful existence. Amid Company's rule, peasants were deceived by their economic reforms, and also at the hands of middlemen and pawn brokers. With the Industrial policy of British regime the Indian agricultural sector was further deteriorated. British rulers looted the peasants in two ways even after Queen Victoria promised that their government will work for the welfare of both farmer and petty workers on 1st Nov 1858. From this period, on words, Peasants started cultivating commercial crop and used to export it to Britain at the very low price and also used to procure the finished product at higher prices. By observing all the troubles faced by the peasants, there were many newspapers who tried to educate the peasants and also supported them in fighting for rights. The subsequent pages will discuss various kinds of newspapers and the kind of support they had extended to the peasants.

Santhal Rebellion (1855-56):It was started in the year (1855). This is the first peasant revolt that occurred in India. Santhals are the tribals group residing in Jharkhand. It was started to resolve the issue of Permanent Land settlement (1855-56). This revolt was very effective for a while but it could not succeed against.

Indigo Revolt (Neel Bidroho) (1859-60):Indigo rebellion was begun in opposition to the regulations of the organization. Indigo peasants were revolted in Nadia district, Darbanga territories in Bengal. east india organization, who have an area with British authorities made usage of indigo organization for change commercial enterprise. East India Company, who have a place with British government made utilization of Indigo Company for trade business. Peasants around there were compelled to develop just Indigo, however not to develop food crops. In the event that the peasants conflicted with the orders of the company, at that point their property was detracted from them strongly and the workers were forgotten like workers. To develop the indigo plants company used to give them loans and its name:

Dadon. However, they used to charge high financing costs to reimburse the advance. Due to the said challenges, workers were battled a great deal. Working class individuals of Bengal helped the Indigo agriculturists, by illuminating it. Harish Chandra Mukherjee portrayed the situation of poor peasants in his daily paper "The Hindu Patriot". With this daily papers promotion, government at long last dealt with the issues by putting a commission on Indigo planting in 1860.

Chaparan Movement: British government forced several peasants living in Champaran, Bihar to harvest indigo plants in their land. To fight against it, a cash loan professional named Raj Kumar Shukla contacted Gandhiji and asked for him to come and assist them. Gandhiji came right down to this vicinity on April 10 of 1917 with a band of criminal advisors, such as Dr Rajendra Prasad, to struggle it out with the British.