STATE IGNORED JOURNALISTS’ PLIGHTS: DAREKAR

Journalists, who are the fourth pillar of democracy, have found themselves in big trouble for the last few years. Many of them lost their lives while on duty during the pandemic, and have still not received government assistance. We have also raised voice in the legislature for the journalists to get the status of Covid Warrior but the government is ignoring the issues of journalists, said Leader of the Opposition in state Legislative Council, Pravin Darekar, on Sunday.

He was speaking at the first state-wide convention of the Maharashtra State Union of Working Journalists, a nationwide organisation of journalists headed by the Indian Journalists Union (IJU), held at the Kohinoor Hall in Dadar (East).

The event was presided over by president Maharashtra State Union of Working

“We have also raised voice in the legislature for the journalists to get the status of Covid Warrior but the government is ignoring the issues of journalists”

Journalists, Srinivas Gundari.

At the outset, general secretary, Maharashtra Union of Working Journalists, Pramod Waman Kharat, explained the role of the organisation.

The logo of the organisation was unveiled by Darekar.

National president, IJU, K Srinivas Reddy spoke about the ongoing nationwide crackdown on journalists, protection of the law against journalists, freedom of expression and current journalism.

IJU general secretary Balwinder Singh Jammu, secretary Narendra Reddy, former Press Council member MA Majeed, Telangana general secretary Virat Ali, M Konda Reddy of Navi Mumbai Telugu Arts Committee, Ranjit Chaturvedi, Ashok Rajgiri of Rajgiri Foundation, ETV India Bureau Chief Suresh Thamke and many others from Maharashtra were present.