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| Sunday, 8 August 2004 |
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Salt & Spice The birth pangs of 'The Fourth Estate' by Rohan Jayatilleke On February 16, 1796, Colombo surrendered to the British forces and the Dutch possessions of the coastal area came under the British rule. Then in 1803 the government inaugurated the Government Gazette to make known to the establishment and the people orders and directives of the government. In 1815 Kandyan provinces were ceded to the British by the Kandyan chieftains under a treaty signed by both parties and Ceylon in its entirety became a British Crown Colony. During the Dutch rule printing had been introduced to the island. Printing was invented by Jhonnes Guttenberg, a goldsmith of Germany in 1430s. Printing never improved Guttenberg's life, but it revolutionised the lives of his fellow Europeans. In 1448 Guttenberg moved to Mainz and found himself a backer, Johann Fust, a local venture capitalist, loaned him 800 guilders in 1450 and later gave him 800 guilders. The two men fell out in 1455 and Fust sued Guttenberg to recover the loans. In 1457 the first printed book in Europe, the Mainz salter, came off Guttenberg's press. The salter and also the Bible would have been actually produced by Fust and an associate named Peter Schoffer. Guttenberg was insolent and passed away in penury and nothing is recorded of his last days. In 1832, 'Colombo Journal' was started and run by the Government and contributed to by Government officials. In 1833, 'Colombo Observer' newspaper was started by the British merchants of Colombo and edited by Winter, who had set up his sugarcane plantations and sugar mill at Baddegama. This journal was necessitated by the merchants to give their indignation and opposition to government over the administration. Winter became a 'stormy petrel' to the government and was tried for criminal libel and acquitted. Winter was succeeded by fiery Irishman (doctor of medicine) Dr. Elliot. He never called a spade an agricultural implement and lampooned the government incessantly. His popularity with the people prevented the government from suing him for 'dishonour to the King of England'. The government started an opposition journal 'Ceylon Chronicle' and George Lee, the Postmaster-General, erudite scholar was appointed the editor. Governor Horton, Templer, Rev. J. M. S. Glenieand, high government officials were the contributors. Thus there was a keen competition between the merchants 'Colombo Observer' and the 'Ceylon Chronicle'. However, the 'Ceylon Chronicle' fell in disfavour of the people and folded up untimely. The 'Colombo Observer' became the 'Ceylon Observer', In order to set Dr. Elliot's to rest, he was appointed Principal Colonial Medical Officer, head of the government health services of the island. The British followed the principle 'to convert a Radical and that is to give him a week-end at Hatfield or Blenheim, in England, two extravagant health resorts. Gerorge Wall was an official member of the legislative council and the head of the princely house of George Wall & Co., Colombo. He was large hearted man with a passion for fairplay. He espoused the causes of the poor in the council. In the 'Ceylon Observer', he wrote a series of letters under the nom-de-lume 'Speculum' which contained most courageous and inspiring criticism of the government, Englishman though. As there was no government newspapers to back up interests of the government, 'Kandy Herald was started with Keppel Jones editor and a host of government servants as contributors, printed at 'Times' Office at Chatham Street, Colombo. Keppel's brother Arthur Jones ex contracted fever at Hantane estate and Keppler being infected died. The 'Kandy Herald' was carried on by Dr. Augustus Baylis and his staff of Monsterrat Estate, Madulkelle. It was finally incorporated with the 'Ceylon Times' not 'Times of Ceylon' and edited by John Capper, co-worker with English author Charles Dickens on the staff of 'All the Year Round' and 'Household Words' in England 'Kandy Herald' after a few indiscretions died a natural death. The first indigenous language newspaper in Sri Lanka was 'Uday Tharang' (Morning Star) printed and published in Tamil at Jaffna by the American Christian Mission. Decades later Sinhala and Muslim newspapers too reached the news stands. The English newspapers in the babyhood of theirs with the government newspapers enacted Shakespearean episode of Montagues and Capulets'. This all happened towards the end of 1860s. |
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