This Quote Means: ‘Freedom of the press is a precious privilege that no country can forego’, by Gandhi

May 3 marks World Press Freedom Day, in recognition of protecting the core principles guiding journalism. The United Nations proclaimed the day as such in December 1993, to mark the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek.

Signed in Namibia in 1992 during a UNESCO seminar on “Promotion of an Independent and Pluralistic African Press”, it outlined ideals such as the important responsibilities of journalists towards their profession, the need for a non-monopolistic media industry, and the freedom of the press.

During a recent address at the UN General Assembly, its President Dennis Francis said: “In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, ‘freedom of the press is a precious privilege that no country can forego.’ On #WorldPressFreedomDay, let’s reaffirm our commitment to protecting journalists and media workers worldwide.”

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While Gandhi the politician or Gandhi the mass leader is often talked about, a lesser-known aspect of his public persona is how he also considered himself a journalist. Gandhi served as a writer and editor for several magazines and newspapers. Why did Gandhi say this quote, and what relevance does it have today? We explain.

Notably, quotes related to historical figures also form a part of the UPSC Civil Services Exam.

Gandhi the journalist

As a mass leader, Gandhi was aware of the power of people coming together to demand large-scale social change. Since his days in South Africa, he attempted to mobilise the Indian community.

At 33, Gandhi launched the newspaper Indian Opinion. As historian Ramchandra Guha notes, its goals were “To make the white man sensitive to coloured needs and aspirations, and to unite the diaspora, were the two principal objectives. But there was also a third: to make Indians more sensitive to their own frailties.”

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Here, we see some of the evergreen principles related to journalism. It serves as a common medium through which people can exchange ideas and know about what is happening in their world. It acts as a record of a period in time, showing what people thought then, their aspirations, and who they were aimed at.

Through stories, journalism can help people understand their commonalities and issues of mutual concern, or even help them see things from different perspectives. On a basic level, it can serve as a bridge between various social groups by reporting on all sections of society.

Research | How Mahatma Gandhi became a US news star in the 1930s

Gandhi also recognised the need for a free press. The idea refers to not just safeguards from political repression, but also corporate interests.

He once wrote in an edition of Indian Opinion in 1912: “We now feel that we should also discontinue the practice of publishing advertisements. We believed then that advertisements were a good thing to have but on reflection we see that the practice is wholly undesirable. Advertisements are inserted by people who are impatient to get rich, in order that they may gain over their rivals…”

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Also, especially in Gandhi’s era, there were very limited accessible means of mass communication. Over time, he would launch papers in India too, such as Young India, Navajivan and Harijan.

What the quote means

A free press may not be perfect. Often, the structure of the press is such that dominant social groups can take control of narratives for the most part, ultimately advancing their own interests and ideas.

By no means was Gandhi’s work as a journalist without flaws. As Guha writes, “Some later historians of a Marxist bent have seen Indian Opinion as reflecting the class bias of the merchants who financed it. The journal did indeed take up questions of taxation and trade that affected the merchants.”

Nonetheless, a lack of restrictions on the press can also allow for its criticism and pave the way for course correction. Therefore, while flawed, a free press matters.

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Guha writes of Indian Opinion, “It also vigorously polemicized on behalf of Indian indentured labourers. And on occasion it took up the cause of the Africans, writing of their dispossession by European farmers, and of the ‘anomaly’ whereby they could not get to represent themselves in Parliament.”

Foregoing the freedom of the press means there are few avenues to register criticism of institutions in society – the government, the politicians, the judiciary; or ideologies such as patriarchy, casteism, colonialism and so on. This would mean a top-down system with no system for feedback, leading to the decay of a country which refuses to see its flaws.

In this way, freedom of the press is a privilege – something not accorded easily. But its absence is detrimental to the society as a whole.