PCI TO FORM HUMAN CHAIN AGAINST LYNCHING OF JOURNALISTS ON GANDHI JAYANTI 2ND OCT

On the day of Gandhi Jayanti, 2nd October the Press Club of India of which I am too a member, is organisising a protest demonstration and a forming a human chain to register the opposition of the entire media fraternity and right thinking people towards the recent obnoxious and anguishing incidents of despicable murders of journalists across the country.

The protest demonstration of the entire mediaPCI TO FORM HUMAN CHAIN AGAINST LYNCHING OF JOURNALISTS ON GANDHI JAYANTI 2ND OCT fraternity of Delhi in which various media organisations and its members would participate would take place at the Press Club of India precincts, Raisina Road at 1.PM sharp to be addressed by senior veteran journalists and important figures of the media fraternity. The PCI has always been in the forefront to always take the lead in registering its protest and opposition in matters pertaining to unfortunate killings and attack on journalists and demanding immediateand forthright penalisation of the culprits.

It has recently been the very first responsible organisation to convene the protest meeting at the PCI precints to register its condemnation on the arbitrary CBI raids on the NDTV premises all over the country compounded with a large attended protest meeting against the brutal murders of outspoken progressive journalists Gauri Lankesh of Bengaluru and Shantanu Bhowmick demanding expeditious action in bringing the obnoxious culprits to justice. 2nd October’s protest demonstration and formation of the human chain is a continuous exercise to keep the state and central governments aware and mobilised about their negligence and ignorance in not securing the lives of journalists nationally.

It really disturbing and shocking to note that during the last ten years amongst the 70 working journalists who have been killed while on line of duty, except a very negligible few none of the culprits have been brought to justice despite tall claims of the successive governments at the state and the centre. In addition to these protest demonstrations it organises seminars and discussions on issues of national significance anf matters pertaing to media freedom and rights. Programmes pertaining to book releases and lectures of various foreign dignitories on Indo foreign relations are also organised from time to time. The Press Club of India also organises obituaries of its veteran member journalists and honour the veteran journalists from time to time. The PCI’s standing in solidarity gesture with journalists in distress is always laudable.

Uttarakhand Journalists forum demands a CBI inquiry in all these murders and adequate financial compensation to the bereaved families.

SUNIL NEGI, MEMBER PRESS CLUB OF India and PRESIDENT, Forum of Uttarakhand Journalists