Rajesh Pandey
Greater Noida India
Abstract
This manuscript analyzes the central role the vernacular language press played in mobilizing the Indian masses against colonial rule during the freedom movement. Targeting newspapers and magazines distributed in local languages, the study illustrates how such media outlets managed linguistic divides to disseminate nationalist ideas, coordinate mass groups, and resist imperial narratives. Using a mixed-methods approach of qualitative document analysis and a quantitative survey, this study analyzes the content, dissemination, and methodology used by the vernacular press. The analysis shows that vernacular publications not only disseminated information that was widely available but also fostered grassroots resistance networks, critically contributing to creating political consciousness in various communities. A survey of contemporary historians and media practitioners further underscores the enduring relevance of the vernacular press as a force in social and political transformation during colonial times. Observations on the study conclude how the values upon which that movement was founded remain relevant within the modern media landscape, as well as provide lessons on the role of the regional media in democratic discourse during the modern era.
Keywords
Vernacular Press, Indian Freedom Struggle, Colonial Journalism, Anti-colonial Mobilization, Regional Media
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