Question

The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre which shook the British rule in India was reported in the British Press after eight months when the Hunter Committee of Inquiry formed to inquire into the matter gave its report. The Indian Press also took little note of the incident and buried it in the inside pages of the newspaper. Why, do you think, that such a gruesome massacre remained the most underplayed news stories of its time?

Answer 1

Because of colonial control and fear, not lack of horror: the British government tightly censored and suppressed reports that would embarrass or inflame anti‑British sentiment, and Indian newspapers downplayed the story or hid it inside pages to avoid reprisals (fines, bans, arrests) and because their reach was limited. The British press itself largely ignored or postponed coverage (only giving broader attention after the Hunter Committee’s report), while official propaganda framed the killings as “necessary” suppression, all of which kept the massacre underplayed.