Friends,

It was only two years back that we

re-launched the IJU's website
www.indianjournalistsunion.org with
a determination to make it a livewire
platform for intra-union and inter-
union communications between
affiliated State Unions and the IJU. It
was also intended to be a bridge
between the working journalists all
over the country and the IJU. I am
happy to note that the experiment is
more than successful. The website has
added tremendously to the exchange
of ideas among the fraternity. The
launching of this newsletter, I am
sure, will add further to our endeavour
and strengthen the bonds of unity
among the country's journalists.
This unity, friends, is an urgent
need of the times. For, we are living in
a period when the labour laws of the
country which give some semblance of
'protection' to the working class and
employees are under big threat. The
employers are pressing hard for what
they call labour reforms, a
euphemism for giving the employers
unilateral and absolute powers to 'hire
and fire' and to pay wages at their 'will
and pleasure'. Newspaper
managements have already introduced
contract system to scuttle and sabotage
the wage board regime which has been
regulating the wages and salaries of
newspaper employees for the past
many decades. And now the entire
working class of the country is
undergoing trying times, leaving them
no option but to fight back to preserve
their hard earned right to job security
and living wages.
This newsletter, I am confident,
will go a long way in fostering and
strengthening the bonds of unity
between the working journalists and
the rest of the working class and
employees in the country to resist these
attacks.
S. N. SINHA
From the President's pen
T
he National Executive Committee (NEC) of
the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) called
upon the working journalists and other
newspaper employees to unitedly fight for
the implementation of the Justice Majithia
Wage Board recommendation and beat back
challenges of contract employment and role
of managers in the news room. The NEC
which met at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, on 13-
15 September 2014 also decided to
participate in all agitations called by the
central trade union organisations to oppose
the proposed amendments to the labour
laws in the country to facilitate entry of hire
and fire policy by the corporate in name of
development and business friendly policy.
In his opening remarks the President of
the Union S N Sinha said the Indian
Journalists Union (IJU) has emerged as the
most representative organisation of working
journalists in the country after the
disgruntled elements that tried all sorts of
litigation and failed. He said the Press Council
of India (PCI), the Central Media Accreditation
Committee and the Ministry of Railways
recognised our union and refused to
entertain the disruptive elements.
Sinha said the recent
(Contd. on Page 2)
IJU President S N Sinha addressing the NEC meeting held on 13-15 September 2014 at Tirupati,
Andhra Pradesh. Union leaders D Amar, K Sreenivas Reddy, Sabina Inderjeet are seen in the picture.
A section of delegates and invitees at the Inaugural Session
FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY HYDERABAD OCTOBER, 2014
IJU calls for UNITED STRUGGLES
Opposes proposed labour reforms
Calls for united struggles
Endorses TRAI Recommendations
Demands Media Commission
IJU Newsletter October, 2014 2
(Contd. from Page 1)
recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India ( TRAI) which
recommended the diffusion of monopoly
ownership of the media and common
regulatory authority for the electronic and
print media were in line with the demands of
the IJU. He said the TRAI also supported the
working journalists long standing demand
for appointment a Second Media Commission
to study media situation in the country and
make suitable recommendations for
emergence of an ethical and independent
media in the country.
He informed the meeting that about 70
media organisations have so far implemented
the recommendations of the Justice Majithia
Wage Board and said the our stat unions should
take lead role to get the recommendations
implemented in their states. Since the Supreme
Court upheld the validity of the
recommendations, the managements have no
excuse to evade the payment of statutory
wages. He asked the state unions to collect data
on the situation in their states and send the
same to the Head Office of the IJU to chalk out
future course of action in the matter.
The Secretary-General Devulapalli Amar
presented a report on the activities of the
union since the NEC meeting at Bengaluru.
He called for strengthening the organisation
at state and central levels so that it could
become a fighting machine for the welfare of
the working journalists in country. He
regretted that a large number of newspapers
in the country failed to implement the
recommendations of the Wage Board even
though the Supreme Court clearly and
categorically stated in a case filed by the
association of the newspaper managements,
the Indian Newspapers Society (INS) that all
the newspaper establishments in the country
should implement it by May 2014.
It is a clear case of contempt of the
Supreme Court. We should explore the
possibility of filing a contempt petition
against the newspaper managements which
failed to implement the Supreme Court
Order on Wage Board recommendations. In
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, except a
couple of English and Telugu Newspapers, a
large number of working journalists were
deprived of the wage board salaries. No
newspaper implemented the wage board
salaries to the muffossil journalists, he said.
The Secretary-General said that It was
disturbing to note that several media
organisations, which defaulted in
implementation of the statutory wages, were
resorting to retrenchment of journalists in
name of cost cutting rendering thousands of
scribes unemployed. He said This is the
biggest challenge the journalists professional
and trade union movement in the country is
facing today. The NEC should discuss the
problem in all its facets and chalk out a action
program to face problem. He hoped that the
NEC would come out with an action program
to find solution to our pressing problems.
The State Union leaders presented their
reports highlighting the situation in their
respective states. The Assam Union leaders
narrated their struggle against the
management of the Assam Tribune group
which summarily dismissed Geethartha
Pathak, the Secretary of IJU from service.
Some other leaders of the Union who were
working in the same group were also
suspended for a few days. They said it was
victimization of the trade union leaders and
the leaders of other state unions should
come to their rescue.
S N Sinha, Devulapalli Amar, K Sreenivas
Reddy and several others who spoke on the
dismissal of Geethartha Pathak, called for an
action program where representatives of all
the affiliated unions would be present to
press for his re-instatement. Prabhat Dash of
Odisha offered to take fifty journalists from
his state to Guwahati for the combined
agitation. Several state leaders came forward
and offered to take journalists to Guwahati
for a dharna. The President and Secretary-
General said that they would fix date and
inform all the state unions. They made it clear
that the IJU should not rest until its leader
was re-instated with honor.
The NEC passed several resolutions. In a
resolution, the NEC welcomed the TRAI
recommendations calling for a single
regulatory body for both print and electronic
media. However, the resolution opposed the
suggestion of the TRAI that the regulatory
body should be pre-dominantly manned by
the non-media persons. The meeting also
decided to conduct a seminar in Delhi on this
issue. It was also decided to conduct another
seminar on the proposed labour reforms.
The meeting in a resolution condemned
the blocking transmission of TV9 and ABN
Andhra Jyothi channels by the Multi System
Operators (MSOs) for the last three months in
Telangana State. It also condemned the
utterances of Telangana Chief Minister K.
Chandrasekhar Rao threatening media. It
called upon the Union Government to take
action on MSOs who were blocking the
channels illegally. The NEC welcomed the
decision of the Press Council of India (PCI) for
appointing a committee to probe the matter
at the request of the Indian Journalists Union
and its affiliate Telangana Union of Working
Journalists (TUWJ).
In a resolution, the NEC condemned the
killings of journalists in Assam. In another
resolution the Union condemned the
beheading of two American and British
journalists by the militants in Syria. The NEC
passed resolutions condemning the
summery removal of Geethartha from service
by Assam Tribune management and
condemning the monitoring of crime
reporters by Tamilnadu police.
The Secretary-General Devulapalli Amar
proposed the schedule for election of
principal office bearers of IJU, President and
Secretary-General and the National Council
Members and it was accepted by the NEC.
The NEC appointed B. S. Ramakrishna of
Telangana Union of Working Journalists
(TUWJ) as Central Returning Officer for the
election. He is based at Hyderabad.
It was decided that next National
Executive Committee meeting would be held
at Imphal, Manipur tentatively on 22 -23
November.
The host Union, APUWJ organized a trip
to Sriharikota, about 75 KMs from Tirupati,
where the Satish Dhavan Space Centre is
located. The Director of the Centre took the
journalists around the centre and explained
the process of launching space vessels. From
there the NEC members visited the SRICITY, a
multi product Special Economic Zone.
NEC to meet next at
Imphal on Nov. 22
It was decided to hold next meeting
of the National Executive Committee
(NEC) of Indian Journalists Union (IJU)
on 22-24 November at Imphal, Manipur.
The meeting would be hosted by the
All Manipur Working Journalists Union
(AMWJU). The members of the NEC
would have the opportunity of
watching the Inaugural Session of the
Sangai Festival, the biggest and most
popular festival of the Manipuri people
on 21 November.
The Vice President of AMWJU, Ratan
Luwangcha requested the IJU leaders
to reach Imphal on 21 November so
that they could witness the cultural
extravaganza of the region. He said the
Union would arrange visits to Loktak
Lake and Moreh town on the borders of
the Myanmar.
IJU calls for UNITED STRUGGLES
IJU Newsletter October, 2014 3
The National Executive Committee
(NEC) of the Indian Journalists union (IJU)
meeting at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh on 13-
15 September 2014, expresses its deep
concern over the non-implementation of
the recommendations of the Justice
Majithia Wage Board for working
journalists even after the Supreme Court
clearly ruled that the Wage Board
recommendations should be implemented
by all media establishments immediately.
The NEC notes that very few newspaper
establishments implemented the wage
board recommendations and paid the first
installment of the arrears while some have
implemented in truncated form. But about
90 percent of the small, medium and big
newspaper establishments did not bother
to implement the wage board scales. In
case of muffossil journalists, no newspaper
establishment in the country implemented
the recommendations.
The NEC further notes that all most all
state governments in the country
remained mute spectators in face of the
refusal of the newspaper managements to
honour the judgment of the apex court.
Even though the Ministry of Labour,
Government of India directed the state
governments to set up Tri-partite
committees to monitor the
implementation of the Wage Board, very
few state governments complied with it.
The Union condemns the actions of
newspaper managements which are
resorting to retrenchment of working
journalists in name of cost cutting or
forcing them to join the ranks of the
contract employees to avoid the
implementation of the Wage Board scales.
This is illegal as the Working Journalists
and Newspaper Employees (Condition of
service and other Miscellaneous
Provisions) Act clearly bans such a practice.
The Union welcomes decision of the
Union Government for appointing a
committee of officials in the Ministry of
Labour to monitor the implementation of
Majithia Wage Board recommendations. It
urges upon the Union Government to
include the representatives of the all India
level journalists unions so that the
monitoring can be effective and fruitful.
The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) urges
upon all the state governments in the
country to immediately set up tri-partite
T
he National Executive Committee (NEC)
of the Indian Journalists Union (IJU)
meeting at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh on 13-
15 September 2014, strongly opposes the
proposed amendments to several labor
laws paving the way for the managements
to deprive the workers and the employees
of their rights, privileges and security of
employment. It would ultimately result in
introduction of hire and fire policy
Even though, the Government of India
said that it intended to introduce labor
reforms with the common intention to
make the labor laws more compatible and
beneficial for labor and industry, the fact of
the matter is that the proposed
amendments will rob the working class and
employees their hard earned right to
security of tenure and unilateral actions of
the managements. The reforms will give
unbridled rights to the managements to
freely hire and fire without following due
process of law and with giving the workers
to present their view point following the
principles of natural justice.
The NEC notes that the Government
has already pushed through some
amendments to the Factories Act and
Apprentices Act. More such steps are on the
anvil. Some state governments are coming
out with their own versions of labor
reforms inimical to the rights of the working
class and the employees.
The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) feels
that the proposed amendments to the
labor laws would further jeopardize the
security of employment already under
threat as the media managements are
already resorting to contract employment.
The Unions feels that what is required is a
national debate on real labor reforms to
regulate the wages and other benefits of
the workers, guarantee their job security
and codify their terms and conditions of
service and work, including post-retirement
benefits.
The IJU calls upon the Government of
India to withhold its plans to force anti-
labor changes through Parliament and to
initiate genuine steps to set the stage for
an adequate security net for the working
people. It calls for discussion debate on
real labor reforms at an extended
national Labor Conference to be
attended by all Central trade union
organizations as well as national
professional trade unions.
The NEC calls upon the State Unions to
unitedly fight along with the all India trade
union bodies to fight back any attempt to
undermine the security of employment, fair
wages and safety and security of workers
and employees.
Amendments to Labor Laws Opposed
Implement Wage Board Wages or face Stir
committees and take stringent action
against newspaper managements which
failed to pay statutory wages to all
working journalists including muffossil
journalists.
The NEC directs all the State Unions to
build a powerful movement of journalists
and other employees of newspaper
establishments to force the media barons to
respect the law of the land. It also directs the
Secretary-General to examine the issue of
filing a contempt petition in Supreme Court
against the newspaper managements which
failed to implement the recommendations
of the Wage Board.
NEC Resolution
NEC Resolution
AN APPEAL
The State Union leaders are requested
to send reports and photos of their
activities and important events
concerning journalists for inclusion in
the IJU News Letter. The reports may be
sent to amardevulapalli@yahoo.com
Postal Address:
DEVULAPALLI AMAR
Secretary-General, Indian Journalists Union,
5-9-60/B Deshoddharaka Bhavan,
Basheerbagh, Hyderabad - 500 001
Mobile: + 9848048536
IJU Newsletter October, 2014 4
N
ational Executive Committee (NEC) of
the Indian Journalists Union (IJU),
meeting at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh on 13-
15 September 2014, welcomes the
recommendation of the Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for
single Regulatory Authority for the print
and electronic media. The NEC notes that
the working journalists movement in the
country has been demanding the Union
Government to amend the Press Council of
India Act to bring the electronic media in
to its ambit. The Unions were also
demanding the amendment of Working
Journalists (Other Newspaper Employees
Regulation of Service) Act to bring the
journalists working in the electronic media
within the definition of working journalist.
The IJU leaders however strongly
opposed the proposal of the TRAI that the
Regulatory body should be manned pre-
dominantly by eminent-non media persons
as that recommendation would go against
the self regulation of the media preferred by
the working journalists and other stake
holders besides the eminent civil society
intellectuals. The IJU feels that Press Council
of India (PCI) which consists of working
journalists, editors, managers and owners of
small, medium and big newspapers,
parliamentarians, representatives of Lawyers,
Academia and presided over by a retired
Judge of the Supreme Court, is the best
mechanism in the present circumstances.
The IJU urged upon the Press Council of
India (PCI) to take cognizance of the
suggestion of the TRAI and to act to
proscribe the perennial practices of private
treatise and take action against the
managements of media who indulge in
paid news. The Government should
immediately take steps to protect the
editorial independence of the working
editors and journalists.
The NEC welcomes the observation of the
TRAI that There still exists the need for
comprehensive evolution of the legislative
and legal framework in order to establish
robust institutional mechanism for the long
term.The IJU demands that the Government
of India should immediately appoint a media
Commission headed by a retired or serving
Judge of the Supreme Court as suggested by
the TRAI to comprehensively examine the
various issues relating to the media, including
the role and performance of the existing
institutions, the way forward.
The IJU welcomes the recommendations
of the TRAI on cross media ownership,
monopoly, ownership of the media by the
political parties etc. and feels the Government
should hold wide ranging and thorough
discussions with all the stake holders in the
media and civil society leaders on these
recommendations.
TRAI Recommendations Welcomed
Beheading of American
and British Journalists
Condemned
The Indian Journalists Union (IJU)
expressed its deep shock at the barbaric
murders of two US and one British
journalist by the ISIS forces in Iraq
recently. The National Executive
Committee of the Union which met at
Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh on 13-14
September in a resolution noted that
after the appalling beheading of US
journalist James Foley, who went missing
in Syria in 2012 another US journalist
Steven Sotloff was beheaded by the IS
militants. A video that showed the
beheading of Steven Sotloff was
delivered as a "second message to
America" to halt air strikes in Iraq.
The responsibility for the killings was
claimed by a Jihadi group The Islamic
State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS) in video
footage posted online that showed the
gory killing of journalists.
The Indian Journalists union calls
upon the international organisations of
working journalists to launch a powerful
movement to secure the lives of
journalists covering conflicts at various
places in the world.
Veteran Journalist
M V Kamath dead
Veteran journalist and
former Chairman of
Prasar Bharathi, M V
Kamath died at Manipal,
Karnataka on 9 October
2014 of cardiac arrest.
He was aged 94. He was
a bachelor.
Madhav Vithal Kamath started his
journalistic career at Free Press Journal at
Mumbai in 1946. He also worked for some
time for its eveninger Free Press Bulletin.
He later joined the Times of India and
worked as Editor of Sunday Times in 1967-
69. He was the Washington Correspondent
of the Times of India for a decade. After
returning from Washington, he was Editor
of Illustrated Week of India in 1978-81.
During his media career spanning
over six decades he worked in New Delhi,
Washington, Paris, Geneva, New York and
other centres in various capacities and
various publications. He was awarded
Padma Bhushan.
The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) in
statement mourned the death of M V
Kamath. Ina statement, IJU President S N
Sinha and Secretary-General Devulapalli
Amar said in the death of Kamath the
country lost a good journalist and a writer.
IJU demands immediate
re-instatement of
Geethartha Pathak
The National Executive Committee
(NEC) of Indian Journalists Union (IJU)
meeting at Tirupati strongly condemned
the summery dismissal of Geethartha
Pathak, Secretary, IJU and Assistant Editor
of Asam Bani, an Assamese weekly
published from the stables of Assam
Tribune group of publications by the
management violating the provisions of
Industrial Dispute Act 1947 and the
notified Standing Order.
Geethartha Pathak was victimized
mainly because of his union activities
which are clearly stated in the
termination letter. The replies given by
the Assam Tribune group to the protest
letters of the IJU president and other
state unions clearly indicate that a deep
conspiracy is hatched by some rival
forces which are collaborating with the
management.
IJU demands the state and union
labour departments to intervene
immediately and take action against the
Assam Tribune management for illegally
terminating a reputed journalist who
worked with dedication in the Assam
Tribune group for the last 28 years.
NEC Resolution
IJU Newsletter October, 2014 5
Exclusion of Sakshi Reporters from
AP CMs Press-Meets resented
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Indian Journalists Union
(IJU) meeting at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh on 13-15 September 2014 takes
strong exception against barring the reporters of the Sakshi Newspaper
and News Channel from the Media Conferences and Briefing of the Chief
Minister of Andhra Pradesh for the last one month.
It is noted that the Reporters of the Sakshi media organisation
are duly authorized and accredited to the Government of Andhra
Pradesh and get regular invitations from the Information & Public
Relations Department of the state government. But whenever the Sakshi
Reporters go to cover the Chief Ministers Media Conferences/Briefings, the
Security Personnel prevent them from entering the premises.
The action of the Chief Ministers security establishment is illegal,
undemocratic and goes against the freedom of the press. They cannot
prevent an accredited and duly invited media person from covering the
CMs Press Meet and it amounts to an attack on the freedom of expression
and right of the people to know. It may be noted that the Sakshi newspaper
is second largest circulated newspaper in the state.
It may be noted that in February 2014, then Principal Secretary of Home
Department of the state, assured the Press Council of India (PCI) that the
government would take necessary steps to ensure that all the invited press
persons would be admitted by the security personnel in to the premises
where the official even takes place. The Hyderabad Union of Journalists
(HUJ) complained to the PCI that the security personnel did not allow a
section of the press corps to enter hall where Prime Minister was address a
world conference on Bio-diversity. The PCI disposed off the case after the
Home Secretary assured that such incidents would not recur.
Concern over Retrenchment of
Media Employees
National Executive Committee
(NEC) of Indian Journalists Union
(IJU) meeting at Tirupati, Andhra
Pradesh on September 13-15
expressed grave concern over the
large scale retrenchment of
journalists and
other media
workers from a few media houses in Assam and
also in other parts of the country.
Ne Focus TV, a regional TV channel, jointly by owned by
industrialist Mr. Navin Jindal and former union cabinet minister
Matang Singh retrenched hundreds of employees including
journalists recently. More than 100 media employees became
jobless last year when Sharada scamster Sudipta Gosh owned
'Seven Sisters Post' and 'Sakalbela' English and a Bengali daily,
were closed down abruptly by the management. Another
newspaper closed was 'Sangbad Lahari' a Bengali daily
published from Guwahati and owned by Shillong Times
rendering more than sixty people jobless.
The Indian Journalists Union demands the Union
Government should intervene in the event of large scale
retrenchment by media houses as livelihood of large number of
people is involved. IJU urges upon the government to impose
stricter conditions while giving permission for launching media
products like TV Channels, newspapers, radio station and other
form of media keeping in mind the interests of journalists and
other media workers.
Athree member Committee of the Pres Council
of India (PCI) consisting of senior journalists
Rajeev Ranjan Nag (Convener), Krishna Prasad
(Member) and K Amarnath (Member) held
public hearings at Hyderabad and Warangal on
16 and 17 September 2014 to probe alleged
threatening statements against media persons
attributed to the Telangana Chief Minister K
Chandrasekhar Rao.
The Convener of the Committee Rajeev
Ranjan Nag is a Delhi based senior journalist
and General Secretary of the Press Association.
Krishna Prasad is the Editor-in-Chief of Outlook
Weekly, while K Amarnath is a senior journalist
and member of IJU NEC.
The PCI Chairman Justice Markandey Katju
appointed the Committee on a complaint filed
by the Indian journalists Union (IJU) alleging
that the Chief Minister of Telangana K
Chandrasekhar Rao threatened that he would
break the necks of media persons and bury
them 10 KMs deep in the ground. Speaking at a
public meeting at Warangal on September 8, he
allegedly said that they (media persons) should
salute the Telangana people if they wished to
live there, the complaint said. IJU said the
statements of the Chief Minister violated the
Article 19 (1) (a), (e) and (g) of the constitution. It
also alleged that there was a threat perception to
the media in Telangana and its free functioning.
Representatives of the various journalists
unions/associations, senior journalists,
representatives of the TV9 and ABN Andhra Jyothi
Channels appeared before the Committee and
gave their views and perceptions.
A team of the IJU led by former member of the
PCI and Secretary-General of IJU K Sreenivas Reddy
appeared before the Committee at Hyderabad and
a team led by D Krishna Reddy, NEC member of IJU
attended the hearing at Warangal.
In their submissions, oral and written, the
IJU leaders said that the verbal attack of Chief
Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao against the
media persons and stopping of the telecast of
TV9 and ABN Andhra Jyothi Channels by the
Multi System Operators (MSOs) were nothing
but an attack on the freedom of the media.
These actions created sense of insecurity and
fear among the media persons and hence they
are not able to discharge their professional
responsibilities without fear and favour, they said.
The IJU leaders submitted The Chief
Minister Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao is trying to
tame the media by using a tasteless, derogatory
and unethical program telecast by TV9. Even
though the channel unconditionally apoligised
and the matter is pending with the Speaker of
Telangana Assembly, he wants to send a
message to all media establishments and
working journalists that he would not brook
any criticism and if anybody dares, they have
face the music,
The Committee could not meet the Chief
Minister, the Chief Secretary and Director General
of Police as there was no response to their request
for appointments during their two day stay. The
report of the committee is still awaited.
PCI team probes complaint against Telangana CM
NEC Resolutions
Press Council of India committee convener Rajeev
Ranjan Nag and members Krishna Prasad, K.
Amarnath at a public hearing recently conducted at
Hyderabad. The committee is probing into the
alleged threats to media freedom in Telangana State.
IJU Newsletter October, 2014 6
Arrest of Journalist
in Assam condemned
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of Indian Journalists
Union( IJU) meeting at Tirupati on Sept 13-14, condemned the
arrest of Jaikhlong Brahma, Kokrajhar Correspondent of Newslive
and The Sentinel an English daily under National Security Act for
his alleged link with National Democratic Front of Bodoland (S)
(NDFB (S), an outlawed extremist group.
The IJU taking strong exception to label journalists who kept
contacts with all sorts of people including leaders of the outlawed
outfits in the line of their professional duty, as part of those
banned outfits. . The IJU reiterates that journalists have rights to
keep contacts with sources of news irrespective of the legal status
of such sources.
The police and security forces were often harassing
journalists to cover up their own intelligence failure for keeping
contacts with sources of news, particularly if sources are ultra
organizations. The IJU calls upon the journalists to not to cross the
legal limits in collecting news from outlawed outfits. Journalists
can not involve themselves with any extremist orgnisation
beyond collection of news in public interest.
IJU demands immediate release of Jaikhlong Brahma or else
the police should place in public domain the convincing and
credible proof of his active involvement with the extremist
organisations. The Union also urges upon the Press Council of
India (PCI) to immediately intervene and do justice the journalist.
Telangana MSOs ban on
TV9 and ABN Andhra
Jyothi Opposed
The National Executive
Committee (NEC) of Indian
Journalists Union (IJU)
meeting at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh on 13-15 September
2014 strongly condemns the action of the Multiple
System Operators (MSOs) in Telangana who banned the
transmission of Telugu News
Channels TV9 and ABN Andhra
Jyothy for last three months
ostensible to protest against a
satirical program telecast by
TV9 denigrating the elected representatives of the state.
There are no specific allegations against the ABN
Andhra Jyothy channel except a perception that it is
critical of the ruling party in the state.
The IJU completely and unequivocally
disapproves the tasteless and unethical portrayal of
the Telangana MLAs in the TV9 program and
condemns it. The TV9 has already tendered
unconditional apology over the program and the
Telangana State Assembly referred the matter to the
Speaker for suitable action. The matter is pending
before the Speaker. We should all await his decision.
The NEC feels that the action of the Telangana
MSOs is illegal and an attack on the freedom
expression and right of the people to know enshrined
in the Constitution. It urges upon the Government of
India and Government of Telangana to immediately
take steps to restore the transmission of the TV9 and
ABN Andhra Jyothi Channels by the MSOs.
CIRCULAR
23
rd
September, 2014
To
President/ General Secretary of the State Unions
Dear Comrade,
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Indian Journalists Union (IJU)
met at Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) on 13-14 September, 2014 and decided to hold
elections of the President, Secretary General, National Council Members. The NEC
finalized the election schedule and appointed Mr.B.S.Ramakrishna, Senior Journalist,
Hyderabad as Central Returning Officer (CRO) to conduct the elections.
According to IJU constitution rule 22(C) the President and Secretary General shall
be elected by primary members by secret ballot and simple majority. Rule 22(a) says
The National Council shall consist of 150 members elected by the ordinary members
of the respective affiliated State Unions besides the President and General Secretaries
of such State Unions in the manner approved by the National Executive Committee.
The National Executive Committee shall determine the proportion of representation
to each State Union on the basis of their approved membership.
The nomination for the post of the President and the Secretary General shall be
filled by at least six state unions with one proposer and ten seconders in the
prescribed proforma with their (Proposers and Seconders) signatures endorsed by
state returning officer of the respective State Unions.
Each candidate or his proposer for the post of the President and the Secretary
General has to pay non-refundable nomination fee of Rs.1000 by demand draft or
cash in the name of Indian Journalists Union (IJU).
Each nomination for the membership of the national council will be
accompanied by prescribed non refundable fee of Rs.100 each.
The cut off date for membership is December 2013. Every state union of IJU shall
prepare the list of its members and send to the Secretary General from 25
th
September, 2014 (Thursday) to 24th October, 2014(Friday) along with quota money,
affiliation fee and any other dues by cheque or draft, payable in the name of Indian
Journalists Union. State unions failing to pay the financial dues will not be eligible to
participate in IJU elections.
The Secretary General will return the list of certified members and number of
National Council members to be elected from the respective state unions by 5
th
November, 2014
The following is the Elections schedule:-
1. Filling up of Nominations for the post From Thursday 6
th
November 2014
Of President & Secretary General to 15
th
November 2014 (Saturday) 3PM
2. Scrutiny Monday 17
th
November, 2014 at 3PM
3. Last date for withdrawal and
Declaration of final list of Contestants Monday 21
st
November 2014, 3PM
4. Polling process for the Post of the
President , the Secretary General,
National Council Members and
Delegates shall be completed by Monday 22
nd
December, 2014
5. List of elected National Council
Members delegates, should be send
By SROs to reach the CRO with a
Copy to the IJU Secretary General Monday 29
th
December, 2014
6. Ballot boxes/parcel and postal Ballots
Of the President and the Secretary
General should reach to CRO Monday 5
th
January, 2015
7. Counting of Votes Wednesday 7
th
January, 2015
8. Declarations of results not later than Friday 9
th
January, 2015
CRO will send formal elections schedules separately.
NEC Resolution
IJU Newsletter October, 2014 7
Bhubaneswar: Devulapalli Amar, Secretary General of Indian
Journalists Union (IJU) called on the journalists all over the country
to wage a united and sustained struggle to force the
managements of the media houses as the Supreme Court of
India has finally threw out the cases filed by the Association of the
Media owners, the Indian Newspapers Society (INS) and some
media managements and directed them to pay revised wages to
all working journalists and other newspaper employees
immediately. Addressing the 4th Annual General Body and Annual
Day meeting of the meeting Odisha Journalists Union at
Bhubaneswar September 21, he called upon the State
Governments to take stringent action against the managements
which refuse to heed the directions of the apex court. Prabhat
Dash, State President of OJU was in the chair.
Lamenting at the plight of the working journalists in the
country, Amar said the rural journalists who were sentinels of
democracy were getting less salary than a hotel boy of a D grade
Hotel and Restaurant. He said the plight of working journalists,
particularly those working in rural areas was pathetic to the extent
that the management did not even provide them identity cards,
leave alone appointment letters. He criticized the Odisha Chief
Minister Navin Patnaik for not coming to the rescue of journalists
and called on him to take stringent action against media barons
exploiting the working journalists. He said the state government
should enforce the laws of the land and ensure implementation of
Majithia Wage Board recommendations to all journalists. He said
the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) would hold a massive rally in
Delhi to highlight the demands of the working journalists in the
country.
Prof. Dr. Mrinal Chatterjee, Principal, Indian Institute of Mass
Communication, Dhenkanal, Odisha, who was the Chief Guest at
the function, said that it was insult to the society that the working
journalists were facing the acute problems of life and livelihood
even in the 21st century and denied wages to meet the minimum
needs of his family. It may turn out to be a catastrophe for the
entire society, he quipped. Prof. Chatterjee said the working
journalists were facing danger to their lives and livelihood and
called upon the Central and all State Governments should take the
responsibility for both.
Presiding over the meeting Prabhat Dash, State President of
OJU, said that Odisha Government should immediately call a
meeting of Tripartite Committee constituted to monitor the
implementation of Majithia Wage Board in the state. He
demanded that a committee should be appointed for
simplification of rules of Working Journalists Welfare Fund,
Identification of journalists of Odisha. He demanded that a health
and life Insurance scheme for the journalists and their family
should be implemented. He said a law should be enacted for the
safety of journalists with provisions for stringent and exemplary
punishment to the culprits. He also gave example of Government
of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Bihar
and West Bengal, where many facilities were extended to the
scribes. He also demanded the constitution of Media Council, as
soon as possible, in place of Press Council bringing electronic
media in to its purview. He warned the State Government that if
the long standing and genuine demands of the journalists are not
fulfilled in a stipulated time, the OJU would start an agitation in a
phased manner till all demands are met.
The General Body unanimously re-elected Prabhat Dash as
State President of OJU for another 3 year term. Around 700
journalists from throughout Odisha participated in the meeting.
Later, Prof. Chatterjee imparted training on Rural Journalism,
limitations and the focus factor, to the participating member
journalists.
IJU calls for Chalo Delhi'
to press for demands
Prabhat Dash re-elected President of OJU
Devulapalli Amar, Secretary-General, IJU addressing the
4th Annual General Meeting of the Odisha Journalists Union (OJU)
on September 21 at Bhubaneswar. Prof. Mrinal Chatterjee, Principal,
Institute of Mass Communications, Dhenkanal. OJU President
Prabhat Dash and others are seen in the picture.
A section of journalists attending the
4th Annual General Meeting of the
Odisha Journalists Union (OJU)
on September 21 at Bhubaneswar.
IJU Newsletter October, 2014 8
IJU Secretary-General Devulapalli Amar welcoming the NEC members at
Inaugural Session. S N Sinha, K Sreenivas Reddy, and others are in the picture
IJU President S N Sinha addressing the
Inaugural Session
Printed and Published by : Devulapalli Amar, Secretary-General, IJU on behalf of Indian Journalists Union. Secretary-General Office : 5-9-60/B, Deshoddharaka Bhavan, Basheerbagh,
Hyderabad - 500 001, Telangana State. Telefax : 040-23232660. Printed at : Sai Likhita Printers, Khairatabad, Hyderabad - 500 004. Ph: 040-6554 5979.
Senior IJU leader K Sreenivas Reddy addressing the Inaugural
Session on 13 September.
Tirumala Tirupati Devastanam (TTD) Dy. Executive Officer
Chinnamgari Ramana addressing the Inaugural Session.
Dr. Asha Latha of Indian Medical Association (IMA) felicitating
IJU senior leader L S Hardenia at the Inaugural Session.
IJU leaders at Satellite Launching pad at SHAR, Sriharikota
on 15 September.
IJU leaders at Space Monitoring Centre at SHAR, Sriharikota
on 15 September.
NEC member A. Suresh Kumar introducing IJU leaders and
members to SHAR director MYS Prasad