Historic call to amend the Constitution and grant official recognition to the press as democracy’s fourth pillar
New Delhi, 22 November 2024
Rashtriya patrakaar mahasangh ( RPM) organized a grand and historic event at the Constitution Club in New Delhi on the occasion of National Press Day. Journalists from 25 states & UTs participated in the program and strongly advocated for recognizing the press as the fourth pillar of the Constitution. The event witnessed thought-provoking discussions on pressing issues in journalism, including the rising threats of fake news and paid news. Speakers called upon the central government to address the demands of journalists and take concrete actions to ensure their welfare and safety.
Addressing the gathering supreme Court senior Lawyer Advocate Asad alvi said, “Seventy-five years have passed since India attained independence, but no significant steps have been taken to protect journalists’ rights and ensure their safety. In a democracy like India, where the press is considered the fourth pillar, it is imperative to grant it a proper place in the Constitution. Unfortunately, India is currently listed among the most dangerous countries for journalists.
It is high time that the Modi government takes decisive action to fulfill the demands of journalists and ensure their safety and dignity.”
Dr Rabindra Narayan Behera, ,Hon’ble MP, Jajpur,Odisha also extended his support and remarked, “For a strong democracy, it is crucial to recognize the press as the fourth pillar. The government must seriously consider the demands of journalists. Journalists are warriors of truth and must continue to fulfill their responsibilities with unwavering commitment. We fully support their cause.”
K.S. Dhatwalia, retired PIB Principal Director General and a distinguished guest at the event, emphasized the need for government action and said, “Journalists have the trust of the people of this country. They must continue their duties with honesty and integrity. The government should take positive steps to address their legitimate demands.”
Dr. Pabitra Mohan Samantaray, National President of the Rashtriya patrakaar mahasangh pledged to work at the grassroots level for journalists’ rights. He stated, “With collective efforts and cooperation, we will strengthen the movement for journalists across the nation.”
The program highlighted concerns over the impact of fake news and paid news while reiterating the demand for granting constitutional recognition to the press as the fourth pillar. On this occasion, senior journalists were felicitated and awarded certificates for their contributions to journalism.
Eminent Journalists, Filmmakers & Actor Educationist, Social worker Sri Lalit garg, Prof Ravi chaturvedi, Sanjay ray & Dr Indira ray, jawahar jairath virendra saini, & Reeta saini sushil sharma, jagdish yadav, Babloo chakravarti, satyanarayan chaturvedi, Dhiraj kumar, Surrender verma, K sanjev, Sri shivprakash, Sri Ravindra pradhaan, Nigamananda prusti, Gagan Biswal, Miss sabnam adeni, Sibananda rout, Pankaj kumar mistry, Mehetab khan chand, Deepak sharma, Chandrasekhar Barve, Pawan bhoot, B shreekant, Hemant sharma, Dr Kamal saxena, Actor Brijesh were felicitated on the occasion.
The second session of the program was held at the Press Club of India from 6 PM to 10 PM, where 84 senior journalists shared their views and deliberated on challenges faced by the media fraternity. The speakers warned that if the government fails to act promptly, a large-scale movement would be launched. Rashtra Times Chief Editor Vijay shankar Chaturvedi & Ishan times chief editor Sanjay ray were chief guest & chief speaker respectivelyAll delegates, Founder members, life members were felicitated on this occasion.
Next day there was a massive demonstrations at Jantar mantar which was addressed by BMS delhi incharge Devendra kumar pandey, CITU General secretary Anurag saxena and many media leaders Arun Goyal, Chairman of IFSMN, hailed the event as the most significant in the past 40 years.
He said, “The central government must amend the Constitution to formally recognize the press as the fourth pillar.”The event saw active participation from journalists across Delhi, UP, West Bengal,Haryana, Bihar, Himachal pradesh, Chandigarh,Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra Telangana,Karnatak, Tamilnadu,Kerala and several other states. Many participants emphasized the need for journalists to take their fight to the streets if their demands are not met.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by NMC Deputy President Surinder verma who expressed gratitude to all dignitaries and participants for their presence and support. The evening ended with a dinner invitation extended to all attendees.Rashtriya patrakaar mahasangh announced that if the demands of journalists are not addressed, a large-scale protest will be organized at Jantar Mantar. A memorandum of demands has already been submitted to the Prime Minister, urging immediate and decisive action.
This historic event was graced by prominent journalists from across the country, including Sushil Sharma, Virendra Saini, Jagdish Yadav, Sanjay Rai, Dhirendra Jaiswal, Pankaj Mistry, Priyabrata Nayak, B Srrekant lal, Tahir Ahmad,Deepak sharma Manoj girl, Satyanarayan chaturvedi,, P awan Bhoot,Govind ram ratree shanti gautam,Vikash sharma, Sibani, KD Mishra,Babloo Chakravarti,Burendra Pathania, Vikash sharma and many other esteemed members of the media fraternity.
