The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) strongly slammed machinations of the ruling parties at the Centre and several States to curb freedom of the media by overt and covert measures. It called upon the working journalists and editors in the country to resist such attempts with all the force at their command. It also urged upon the democratic forces and intellectuals to support the cause of the free press, a cornerstone of democracy. National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Union, which met in Delhi on 18-19 August, discussed the matter in detail. In a resolution, it alleged, "ruling parties were misusing the government power to browbeat and bring to heel the newspapers and news channels perceived to be critical of their acts of omissions and commissions".
The NEC cited the recent incident of the pressure by the Central government on the management of Hindi news channel Abp News to sack two of its senior editors critical of the NDA government in their news programme by first denying them advertisements from corporate houses close to them and then by blocking the transmission signals of the broadcasting of the programs critical of the Central government. The resolution said, "The combined pressures from the governments and the managements are undermining independent journalism by inducing the working journalists to self-censorship, which is detrimental to freedom of the press and freedom of expression.
Another worrying factor is erosion of the independence of the editor and dominance of business managers in the newsroom. It is leading to pernicious and unethical practices like 'paid news'. All these developments are weakening the institutional strength of the free press and respect for it among the people." The IJU said, "It is of the firm opinion that pressure on media houses and independent journalists to conform to the diktats of ruling dispensations not only weakens the foundations of democracy in the country but also violates the freedom of expression guaranteed under the Constitution."
The fundamental duty of independent media and journalists is talk to power and call those in power to account. The NEC noted that a combination of forces, those in power and weak and greedy managements are undermining the freedom of the press, independent journalism and the people's right to know." The IJU condemned "cease and desist" notice served by Anil Ambani-led Reliance group on some newspapers to block the exposure of shortcomings in the Rafale fighter aircraft deal and demands that the company should withdraw this notice immediately and unconditionally.
The NEC also expressed its deep concern over government maneuvers to weaken media institutions and impinge on the Right to freedom of expression and access to information, critical to the country's democracy. In particular, the recent reconstitution of the 13th press Council of India and the Central press Accreditation Committee has come into sharp focus. The IJU said, "Shockingly, this time round, the PCI Chairman chose to brazenly do away with well-established procedure and interpreted the rules and guidelines perversely with the intent to keep out some organisations and its choice of members. Worse, he held a series of meetings of a truncated Council (with 20 of the 28 members yet to be officially notified) to get himself entrenched for another term as well as make/change rules and guidelines to give the government a handle to choose its own members by keeping out legitimate unions and organisations in the future."
"Likewise, the CPAC, which grants accreditation to representatives of various news media organisations at the headquarters of the government of India, to free access information, has been reconstituted without the representatives of organisations of working journalists, editors of the news media. This is in clear violation of stipulated guidelines and amounts to veiled censorship. The CPAC is composed of 'not more than 25 members', representing various media unions/organisations, but in March the Information and broadcasting Ministry appointed a committee consisting of a few handpicked journalists", it added.
The NEC also has observed that some of the state governments have followed the same pattern in constituting the state accreditation committees. The Assam government has recently reconstituted the state accreditation committee by handpicking few journalists. There government deliberately has not included any member of Journalists Union of Assam, a state affiliate union of IJU.
In totality, the NEC was firm that government’s nefarious designs to subjugate the media, through the various means discussed, the IJU and its State unions should organize a nation-wide protest by writing to Chief Ministers, governors and the prime Minister, and holding demonstrations on one particular date. The meeting agreed to hold it on September 1.
The NEC meeting reiterated its demand for amendment to the Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees (Miscellaneous provisions) Act to bring the journalists working in electronic and internet media within the ambit of the definition of the working journalists. "The press Council of India and the parliament Standing Committee on Information and broadcasting took cognizance of the above anomaly and has favoured that the present press Council of India be converted into a Media Council with some more statutory powers so that there is peer supervision over the media of all platforms, print, electronic and internet", it noted.
At the same time, the IJU expressed deep anguish and anger over the non-implementation of the Majithia Wage board as well as the government turning a blind eye to their demand for a fresh Wage board. Recalling, that the Majithia Wage board was constituted over a decade ago, in May 2007, its recommendations submitted in 2010, the Union government accepting these in 2011 and the Supreme Court directing managements to implement it in totality in February 2014, the NEC said it was shocking that majority of journalists under the Wage board are yet to receive the benefit. Further, it demanded that the Central government constitute a new Wage board as over a decade has lapsed since the last one.
The NEC meeting welcomed the decision of State governments of Assam, Tripura and Haryana to introduce new pension scheme for retired journalists with a pension amount of Rs. 8000/- in Assam and Rs 10,000/- in Tripura and Haryana. It also welcomed the decision of the odisha government to introduce Medical Coverage of Rs. 5 lakhs to the working journalists and their families in the State.
The NEC meeting expressed its solidarity and stood with the people of Kerala who are suffering from devastating floods, worst in 100 years' history. The IJU urged the Centre to declare the Kerala flood a national disaster. It also acknowledged the efforts of the Air Force, the Navy and the Coast guard, the Army and legions of rescue personnel, to get all the stranded people to safety. The NEC appealed to governments, NGOs, journalists unions, media employees and all other organizations to extend help to the marooned people of Kerala by sending relief materials and donating to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. A sum of 27 thousand rupees was collected on the spot and later handed to over Resident Commissioner of Kerala in Delhi for the Relief Fund.
The Union called upon the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to exempt the working journalists from the Road Toll collected at numerous tollgates, who have to travel through these roads for their journalistic duties almost every day. It also appealed to Airports Authority of India (AAI), metro and municipal bodies all over the country to exempt the parking fees at airports and at the parking lots.
Calls for unity and strength The NEC members, presidents, general Secretaries and special invitees in the meeting discussed at length the changing face of journalism in the country and journalists' State specific problems. The participants vowed to strengthen the State unions by encouraging journalists, particularly the younger generation through their innovative activities to join the union.
The NEC congratulated Amar Devulapalli and Sabina Inderjit for their unanimous election as president and Secretary-General of the Union in the recently concluded election. Central Returning officer Prem Nath Bhargava tabled his report on the election of the President, Secretary General and NC members from the States, which was accepted by the NEC.
Chandigarh-Punjab Union of Journalists (CPUJ) President Balwinder Singh Jammu offered to host the plenary National Council (NC) meeting in Punjab on October 27 & 28, 2018. The NEC thanked CPUJ for its offer and accepted it.
