JOURNALISM IN INDIA.
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—The weekly Statesman of Calcutta in its issue of August 21st quotes certain remarks from the Forward (the organ of the Swaraj party) which are of considerable interest. An Indian civilian has recently been awarded by the Bombay High Court Rs. 15,000 damages against the Bombay Chronicle
for libel. " This rigorous and, if we may be permitted to remark, narrow interpretation of the law," says the Forward, " is well calculated to put a stop to independent journalism."
It is not suggested that the comments which led to the judgment against its Bombay contemporary were true in fact or devoid of malice : the Forward takes much broader ground :-
" It seems to be more and more the well-established practice of the Courts all over India that in commenting upon the conduct of a public official with reference to a particular incident, it would not be safe to say anything against him unless ono has a knowledge of the facts."
The Indian Press Act has been repealed, and yet "it would not be safe" for an "independent journalist" to trust entirely to his imagination when he wishes to publish abusive comment on an individual ! The contention that the operation of the law of libel is inconsistent with the existence of " independent journalism " in India, advanced by the organ of the Swaraj party, seems to deserve wide publicity. For very few people in England read the Indian Nationalist papers, or know what these mean by freedom of the Press.—I am, Sir, &c.,
EUMAEUS.
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