Deshamata Magazine and the Home Rule Movement

The Telegu press made a profound contribution to the Indian Freedom Struggle by mobilizing the Telugu speaking masses. Chilakamarti Lakshmi Narasimham, the famous author and journalist who was born in the West Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh, edited the Deshamata journal which propagated the message of nationalism and swaraj. Deshamata vociferously supported the cause of the leagues. Deshamata emphasized the need for political learning of the millions of Indians and argued that the larger mass was yet to be attuned to the nationalist struggle. In this regard, it maintained that the Congress, constitutive of a handful of the educated class people needed to redouble its efforts to reach out to the masses. The Deshamata also wrote that any true struggle for freedom can occur only with the support of the masses. Through its writings, the journal played a critical role in preparing the minds of the people for the national struggle, and bringing about political awakening. The Deshamata contributed to the growth of the political consciousness among the masses during the Indian freedom struggle in numerous possible ways.