Halla Bol campaign
Encyclopedia
Halla Bol means "Raise Your Voice". It was a campaign started in 1994 by then Chief minister of Uttar Pradesh
and leader of Samajwadi Party
Mulayam Singh Yadav
against two Hindi newspapers who were not following his party's lines . The newspapers were Dainik Jagran
and Amar Ujala .
On October 12, 1994 addressing a public meeting Mulayam Singh Yadav denounced the two papers, "Halla Bol", he exhorted his followers, "Commence the storming". Why read them, he
told them, you don't have to even see them. No one present had any doubt what they meant: Don't let them be seen, that is what it meant.
After that call, hawkers and news agents selling the two papers were beaten up. Journalists of the two papers were beaten up. Vehicles carrying Jagran were waylaid and burnt.
The house of the editor of Amar Ujala was attacked. Advertisements to the papers were cut. Thousands of copies of the papers were torched.
The national press did not take note of this assault on the freedom of press .
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
and leader of Samajwadi Party
Samajwadi Party
Samajwadi Party is a political party in India. It is based in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It describes itself as a democratic socialist party...
Mulayam Singh Yadav
Mulayam Singh Yadav
Mulayam Singh Yadav in Hindi मुलायम सिंह यादव is an Indian politician and has influence mainly in Uttar Pradesh state of India...
against two Hindi newspapers who were not following his party's lines . The newspapers were Dainik Jagran
Dainik Jagran
Dainik Jagran is a Hindi language daily broadsheet newspaper in India. According to the IRS Q1 2010, Dainik Jagran ranks No. 1 among the dailies with a Total Readership of 54,254,000.-Overview:...
and Amar Ujala .
On October 12, 1994 addressing a public meeting Mulayam Singh Yadav denounced the two papers, "Halla Bol", he exhorted his followers, "Commence the storming". Why read them, he
told them, you don't have to even see them. No one present had any doubt what they meant: Don't let them be seen, that is what it meant.
After that call, hawkers and news agents selling the two papers were beaten up. Journalists of the two papers were beaten up. Vehicles carrying Jagran were waylaid and burnt.
The house of the editor of Amar Ujala was attacked. Advertisements to the papers were cut. Thousands of copies of the papers were torched.
The national press did not take note of this assault on the freedom of press .