An examination of the changes in press laws after India gained its independence in 1947 shows how a free press is shaped mostly by the structure and evolution of the democratic society that it is intended to serve. The most salient features that have characterized the Indian press, from the early nineteenth century to the present day, are political opposition and reaction to a number of laws with regard to the media that India inherited from Great Britain (for example, registration of books, newspapers, and periodicals). Prior to independence several bodies of legislation shaped the tenor of the increasing tension between the press and government. In 1947, the new constitution superseded all previous restrictive press laws and guaranteed all individuals "freedom of expression." Analysis of legislation passed since then and a comparison with other countries' policies towards freedom of the press, shows that political history and geography can mean as much as ideology. The single issue which continues to play a major role in both the political and press life of the nation is the tension between maintaining communal calm and the freedom to inform, incite, and excite on religious issues. The laws the press now functions under have the capacity to engender repression, but judicial sanctions help ensure the continuing ability of the Indian press to function critically. (Eighty-one notes are included, and 37 references are appended.) (MS)