Nil Darpan - Background of The Trial of The Play Nil Darpan

Background of The Trial of The Play Nil Darpan

James Long realised that the British mercantile community and even the Government unjustly and oppressively treated the Indigo cultivators. His view concurred with Dinabandhu Mitra who expressed his sentiments in a play entitled Nil Darpan (the original Bengali play was written by him) and published anonymously from Dhaka in 1860. Mitra sent Long a copy of the play as early as 1861. Long brought it to the notice of W. S Seton-Karr, Secretary to the Governor of Bengal and ex-President of the Indigo Commission. Seton-Karr, sensing its importance, mentioned Nil Durpan in conversation with the Lieutenant Governor, Grant.Grant expressed a wish to see a translation of it and print a few copies to be circulated privately amongst friends. After the discussion, Seton-Karr asked Long to arrange for a translation of the play in English. Michael Madhusudan Dutta translated it under the supervision of Long. Long as the editor cut out some coarse passages and wrote a short prefatory note for the play. When the translation was complete, Seton-Karr ordered printing of five hundred copies in lieu of Grant's wish of a few copies. Then Long sent the translated manuscripts to Clement Henry Manuel, the proprietor of the Calcutta Printing and Publishing Press to print five hundred copies and the cost came to around Rs.300. It was published in April or May, 1861. Unknown to the Lieutenant Governor, Long began sending out the copies in official Government envelopes that had the heading: "on her Majesty's Service". The translation revealed the nature of the oppression against the indigo planters. It naturally offended the establishment of the play so much that a razing propaganda was started by the Anglo-Indian Press against the publisher and the translator. One of the leading newspapers named The Englishmen and some indigo planters instituted a libel suit against Long and the printer- C. H. Manuel. The words mentioned in Long's Introduction to the play stated that what was presented in it was "plain but true". This was subsequently used by the planters in their prosecution of Long for publishing defamatory statements.

ounsel (acting on Long's advice) named Long as the one responsible as Long had given Manuel a copy of the play for publication.

The planters filed for only nominal damages even as they had decided to prosecute Long for libel in a criminal suit.

Friday, 19 July, 1861 was fixed as the first date for the trial and it lasted from then to 24 July, at the Calcutta Supreme Court. It was regarded as the first of the "state trial of India under the Empire". Mr. Peterson and Mr. Cowie were prosecuted. Mr. Eglinton and Mr. Newmarch appeared on behalf of the defendant. Sir Mordunt Wells presided as the Judge.

It is true that it becomes difficult to censor any literary work when it becomes so available in the public domain. That is why it became very urgent to find out the list of people who had the books after its printing. The issue of finding out the list was the concern for the first day of trial on 19 July, 1861. The list given in at the trial contained the number of copies that had been issued was said to be two hundred and two.

The agenda for the days of 20 to 24 July was to justify the two counts brought against James Long. The first count referred to a libel or the supposed libel against the two leading newspapers named the Englishman and Hurkaru published from the city of Kolkata. These two papers were alluded to in the preface of the play, Nil Durpan:

The Editors of two daily newspapers are filling their columns with your praises; and whatever other people may think, you never enjoy pleasure from it, since you know fully the reason of their so doing. What surprising power of attraction silver has! The detestable Judas gave the great preacher of the Christian religion, Jesus and others, into the hands of Odious Pilate for the sake of thirty rupees; what wonder then, if the proprietors of two newspapers, becoming enslaved by the hope of gaining one thousand rupees, throw the poor helpless of this land into the terrible grasp of your mouths. Being aggrieved, Mr. Brett, the managing proprietor and formerly joint editor of the Englishman, brought a criminal prosecution against James Long. He claimed that the implied meanings of the allusions were defamatory because the extract symbolises, they wrote for reward from the indigo planters and not otherwise.

The second count which concerned the interests of the society at large was the alleged libel against that portion of the community called as the indigo planters of Lower Bengal.

Sir Mordunt Wells accused Long of slandering the European women in the Nil Durpan the question of shame was brought up through the episode of a woman riding on horseback with Magistrate of Zillah through the village)as well as injuring the reputation of every European in the country by calling Planter or Civilian or Soldier.The fictitious characters named Mr. Wood and Mr. Rose in the play represent the indigo planters. This also became a reason for attacking Long.