After reading the letter, the figures began to contemplate its contents. Although they were against the British, they lacked the strength to oppose them openly. While they were pondering, Mehboob was not idle; he ordered Elizabeth to arrange for Vikram, the head of the newspaper, to meet various newspaper heads to unite for the freedom of the press. He acted behind the scenes, and no one knew who was behind the Indian Daily News. Recognizing that it championed the cause of press freedom, various newspapers quickly joined forces.
Two days later, personnel from the Indian Daily News came to meet Syed Ahmed Khan. As Syed Ahmed Khan sat in his office at the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, he was informed that someone from the Indian Daily News had arrived. He immediately called them in. The visitor was Iqbal Mudassir, the in-charge of the Aligarh branch of the Indian Daily News. He entered and looked at the old man before him.
At nearly 65 years old, Syed Ahmed Khan had a white beard and an aura of an intelligent professor. He played a crucial role in educating the Muslim community, which was suffering after the 1857 revolt. During that revolt, he did not support it, understanding that defeating the British by force was not feasible due to their overwhelming strength. Instead, he believed in improving the community's current situation first. This belief led him to establish the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, which later became a foundation for the rise of Muslims.
Looking at the old man, Iqbal said, "Assalamualaikum! Syed Ahmed Khan, my boss is grateful for your contributions to the Muslims."
"Walaikum Salam! Thank you for the praise, but I am very much interested in your boss," Ahmed Khan replied.
Iqbal smiled and said, "I believe Mr. Ahmed knows about the purpose of my visit. So I won't beat around the bush—have you made your choice?"
"Yes, but don't be in a hurry. I just want to know about your boss; if possible, could you tell me?" Syed Ahmed inquired.
"Mr. Ahmed, I know you want to know, but believe me, I myself don't know much. I only know the head of the newspaper, and other than that, I know nothing. However, I believe soon everyone will know," Iqbal replied.
"Then who is the boss of your newspaper, and where is he from?" Syed Ahmed Khan pressed.
"Well, our headquarters is in Hyderabad. The boss of our newspaper is Vikram Rao," Iqbal answered.
Hearing this, Syed Ahmed Khan had an unexpected thought: 'Could it be the Nizam of Hyderabad?' But this thought was quickly quelled, as he remembered that the Nizam had supported the British during the 1857 revolt. Nevertheless, Syed Ahmed Khan agreed to write columns advocating for press freedom.
Prominent figures such as Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Raja Ravi Varma, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, and Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who were already against the British, also lent their support.
The next day, on the streets of Hyderabad, Delhi, Bombay, and other cities, young boys shouted, "Newspaper, Newspaper… Major news… Freedom of press… Only 1 paisa!"
They approached groups of people, saying, "Do you want to buy a newspaper for just 1 paisa? We will read it for you if you can't read."
"Really? Okay, then read it for us," the group of people replied. The populace of this era was very interested in news, particularly regarding various British policies published in newspapers.
After collecting money, the child began to read aloud: "The British are suppressing the voice of the Indian people." Various dark expressions appeared on the faces of the listeners, but the child continued:
"The British are suppressing our freedom of voice through their policies…"
"The British are suppressing press freedom so that people remain unaware of their crimes…"
"The British are deliberately issuing policies to force us to forget our mother language…"
"The British are imposing English on the press so that local people cannot understand their anti-India policies…"
As the reports continued, people initially tried to ignore them, but as more detailed information and columns by various public figures were read, they became enraged.
These reports continued to sell, and whether Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, or Christian, everyone was filled with anger. The Indian Daily News grew increasingly popular.
Other newspapers followed suit, publishing various reports. Even newspapers that had supported the British began to support this movement.
"We need Freedom of Press," stated a report from the Times of India.
"Free the Press," declared The Hindu.
This movement gained momentum, and various other newspapers joined in, amplifying their reports. The Indian Daily News, as the leader of this movement, led the charge.
They utilized the latest lithography printing technology to include various pictures in the newspapers and employed young children aged 15 to 18 to read the newspapers aloud for the people, a practice other newspapers did not adopt. Mehboob had anticipated this and instructed Elizabeth to select various young people to teach them how to read the newspaper for the community. He also intiated to print newspaper for free for one month, with 1 paisa serving as a commission for these young readers. Thus, every time they sold and read the newspaper, they could earn 1 paisa. Their motivation grew as well.
These young people continued to sell, and the Indian Daily News persisted in its reporting. They also invited various writers to contribute stories in which the protagonist was from the press. These new ideas gained popularity, prompting other newspapers to emulate them.
The movement continued to grow, and on March 20, 1882, the British could no longer remain passive. The Viceroy's secretary finally issued a statement: "We are working to remove the policy; kindly wait for the result."
Three days later, on March 23, 1882, the Vernacular Press Act was revoked. This was the opportunity Mehboob had been waiting for; he immediately instructed Elizabeth to initiate action.
The Indian Daily News promptly reported: "Victory of unity! The British have bent their knees! Victory to the Indian people…"
"Unity, faith, and discipline are the keys to our victory…"
"United we stand; the stronger we are…"
"The people of India should be united, instead of being divided…"
Not only that, but various pictures and stories were also printed in the Indian Daily News. A new propaganda campaign was underway. While success would not come immediately, when everyone was celebrating, no one anticipated the storm that was about to come—a storm that would change their fate.