During the era of the British Raj, while most Englishmen maintained the status quo of colonial dominance, a select few chose to follow their conscience over their crown. Among luminaries like Allan Octavian Hume and Annie Besant, the name of Benjamin Guy Horniman (1873–1948) stands out. A journalist by trade and a revolutionary by spirit, Horniman utilized the power of the press to tear away the mask of British "benevolence," revealing the repressive reality of colonial rule.
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| British Journalist Horniman www.facebook.com |
Above image: Horniman,a British Journalist,adoyan in the area of investigative journalism in those days never failed to Defy the Raj and the British atrocities on the soil of India. First journalist to expose the truth behind the Jallianwala bagh massacre of Amritsar (April 13, 1919) to the entire world despite the press censure. His motto was 'Let the world know about Jallianwala Bagh tragedy staged by Brig Gen Reginald Dyer and the Panjab Governor Michel O'Dwyer, ICS'.........
It is impossible to believe that the people of England could ever be persuaded that a British General was justified or could be excused for the breach of military norms
Born in Sussex and trained in the rigorous landscape of British journalism at the Manchester Guardian, Horniman arrived in India in 1906. His time at The Statesman in Calcutta and later his role as the founding editor of the Bombay Chronicle in 1913 transformed him into a fierce advocate for Indian self-rule. Horniman was the first editor of The Bombay Chronicle that was founded by a group of like-minded Indian liberals in 1913. With a view to protecting the practising journalists and the press from arbitrary laws and the ruling power, in 1915 Horniman founded the Press Association of India, a union of working journalists.The union acted as an armor for the journalist and the reporters
Unlike his contemporaries, Horniman’s weapon was the "mightier pen." He did not merely report news; he campaigned for the dignity of the Indian people, demanding parliamentary democracy and social justice for the marginalized Dalits.
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| peepultree.world/ |
Exposing the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
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| Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.facebook.com |
Horniman’s most defining contribution to the Indian freedom struggle occurred in 1919. Following the horrific Jallianwala Bagh Massacre on April 13, where General Reginald Dyer ordered troops to fire on a peaceful assembly, the British administration imposed a strict press gag. They sought to suppress the truth and frame the victims as the aggressors. It is impossible to believe that the people of England could ever be persuaded that a British General was justified or could be excused for the breach of military norms.But for Horiman, the tragedy at Amritsar would have been relegated to the hidden history of the Raj.
Defying censorship, Horniman managed to obtain authentic photographs and eyewitness accounts of the carnage. He smuggled this evidence out of the country and published the gruesome details, exposing the massacre to a global audience. His reporting forced the British Parliament to conduct an inquiry and drew worldwide condemnation of the Raj's brutality. For this act of "sedition," he was arrested and deported to England in 1919, yet he continued his crusade from London, remaining an active voice for the Satyagraha movement.
Legacy and Memorial
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| Horniman Circle.Mumbai youtube.com |
Above image: What is supposed to be called Mumbai Greens in the midst of concrete jungle,Horniman Circle Garden is steeped in history and heritage, offers colly shade and respite to the weary and casual walkers. Surrounded by banyan and coconut trees at the heart of the busy Fort area and by the Reserve Bank of India and the Town Hall on its eastern side and Flora Fountain at the other end,this green space is a jewel in this part of busy and jostling Mumbai........
Horniman’s influence extended beyond his own writing; he was a mentor to a generation of legendary Indian journalists, including Pothen Joseph and Russi Karanjia. In 1941, he helped found the influential tabloid Blitz, which remained a staple of Indian journalism for decades.
His deep love for India was reciprocated by its people. Upon his death on October 16, 1948, shortly after India achieved the independence (and eight months after Mahatma Gandhiji's demise) he had fought for, the nation mourned a true friend. In a symbolic gesture of gratitude, the Elphinstone Circle—a prominent landmark in Mumbai’s business district—was renamed Horniman Circle. Today, this garden stands as a memorial to the Englishman who became "more Indian than the Indians," proving that the quest for justice knows no nationality, nor does it know any boundary or race.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._G._Horniman
K. N. Jayaraman
