New delhi ( Ishan times): The Fortieth Foundation Day commemorative event of ( Registered) was organised at the Press Club of India New Delhi premises on Tuesday, The Fortieth Foundation Day commemorative event of IFSMN ( Registered) was organised at the Press Club of Indiath April. The meeting was attended by the national office bearers and representatives from various states of the country. The senior Vice president and main force behind this organisation Ravindra Gupta graced the meeting by his significant presence. The meeting was presided over by the Delhi unit chief Surendra Jindal, Prominent amongst those sitting on the dias were Lakshman Patel ( chief guest) Secretary General, special guest of honour joint general secretary of the Federation, and joint general secretary Ashok Kaushik, senior journalist and leader Sanjay Singh and management committee member of Press Club of India and editor Uknationews Sunil Negi.
A seminar titled “Challenges in journalism in the present day scenario and their resolution”, was also organised on this ocassion.
The meeting was ably anchored by Rajnikant Tiwari, Incharge and observer of the Federation’s Delhi unit.
Speaking at the seminar and the 40 th foundation day of the Indian Journalists Federation of Small and Medium Newspapers, the senior journalist and leader of working journalists Sanjay Singh said that there is an urgent need for laws to safeguard the journalists at the central as well as state levels saying that Chattisgarh government during the Congress rule has taken a lead in this regard and on his request and that of fellow journalists of Chattisgarh a law protecting the interests of working journalists in that state has been officially introduced. This law known as “Patrakar Suraksha Kanoon” should be implemented in other states of the country too emphasised Sanjay Singh. He also expressed his annoyance over the injustice being done with the small and Mediam Newspapers snatching their rights to survive by blocking their advertisements and literally leading to their financial crisis which was not the case earlier said Singh.
The senior journalist, member of the management committee of Press Club of India and President, Uttarakhand Journalists Forum Sunil Negi expressed his strong objection to victimization of the small and media newspapers especially after 2014 with their advertisements stopped to negligible levels and thus depriving them of their rights to survive and manage their family’s sustenance. This was never the case earlier.
Negi said that if the small and Mediam Newspapers will not be allowed to survive at the grassroots then democracy comes at stake as the small papers are the true voice of those living at the lowest ebb and confronting the real challenges. He urged the Small and Media newspapers Federation to take a lead and approach all the other Journalist organisations to launch a strong movement compelling the government to open the doors of advertisements and other facilities like pension and medical support to the small and Medium level journalists of the country who are the real lifeline of Indian media functioning at the grass roots, strengthening democracy in true sense.
The secretary general of the Indian Federation of Small and Medium Newspapers Association Lakshman Patel who has come all the way from Gujarat said that the time has come when the journalists organisations of small and Mediam Newspapers should unite and fight for their rights, tooth and nail.
IFSMN General Secretary Laxman Patel thanked all the journalists who had come and said that on the occasion of the 40th foundation day, 40 journalists will be decorated with jewellery made of 40 grams of silver as a token of solidarity towards them.
Ravinder Gupta, convener of the Accredited Journalists Welfare Committee, Delhi, while expressing his views, said that the units of the Federation of the states which have done good work should be honoured in the future. While also informing about the activities of the organisation on the occasion of Foundation Day, he said that this organisation has continuously struggled in the interest of journalists and publishers. He emphasized on introducing the pension schemes for the journalists and said that the Federation is very seriously working in this demand.
He requested the government to implement a solid and transparent pension scheme to provide social security to senior journalists.
At the end of the programme, all the journalists took a pledge of unity for the freedom and strength of journalists and journalism.
Federation’s Joint General Secretary Ashok Kaushik said that the government needs to take steps in the interest of journalism and newspapers by adopting a flexible attitude and creating a cooperative environment towards newspapers.
The event was ably managed and moderated by Federation’s Delhi in-charge Shri Rajnikant Tiwari. The Guests were welcomed by Shyam Sundar and pawan Kashyap. On this occasion, tribute was paid to the Pulwama martyrs by observing a two minutes of silence.