Reich Reporting in the Raj: Investigating the Times of India’s Coverage of Fascism, 1922–45

The newspaper entered India as a colonial import at the end of the 18^th century and quickly became a tool for the British to consolidate their imperial footprint on the subcontinent. But over the 19^th century, Indians repurposed this tool to agitate for freedom and to bring about social reforms. The Times of India (1838—) emerged during this century, first to represent the interests of the business class, and then to become the voice of India. As the twentieth century dawned, The Times of India was undivided India’s largest newspaper. It also served as a platform for ideological contestations during the interwar period when there was tremendous intellectual and political ferment, both in Europe and in India.

This paper examines the coverage of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany by the newspaper between 1922 and 1945. There are two objectives behind the study: to explore how the newspaper framed and interpreted the unfolding events in Europe during the rise and fall of fascist regimes; to look at how it reported on Hindu nationalism as represented by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, India’s homegrown fascist movement. Through a scrutiny of news articles, editorials, and letters to the editor, the newspaper’s positions and the socio-political contexts that shaped them are being analysed. The paper provides a valuable lens to assess the interplay of journalism, ideology, and public perception in the context of a rapidly changing global landscape and rapidly emerging violent sectarian movements in India.