A two-day meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) was held a Puducherry March 24 and 25, 2007. The meeting was inaugurated by Mr R. Radhakrishnan, Speaker of the Puducherry Legislative Assembly, who lauded the role played by the journalists in the society and assured them of his full support for their cause. IJU President Suresh Akhouri presided. Member of parliament Mr. M. Ramadoss also addressed the meeting.

In his initial remarks, Mr Akhouri expressed his concern over the delay in the constitution of the Wage Board although the Government had sought and been provided the nominations by the concerned organisations over two months ago. IJU leaders had already met Union Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes, who had assured them of early action in the matter.

The committee later discussed organisational matters and measures to strengthen the democratic functioning of the IJU and its organisational set-up. After threadbare discussion of various proposals, the committee decided to divide the country into four zones and hold regional conferences in the following four regions:

i)   North-East and Sikkim;
ii) West Bengal, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, U. P., Jharkhand and Orissa;
iii) Delhi, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh,               Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh; and
iv) Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa and                 Puducherry.

It also directed all State unions to constitute Wage Board committees to help prepare the case for presentation before the Wage Board. All State unions were directed to secure the balance sheets of the newspaper establishments in their respective States and send these to the IJU headquarters. Secretary-General Mr. K. Sreenivas Reddy said that I.J.U. will put up a strong case for the improvement of conditions of the mofusills correspondents in the Wage Board preparation.

The meeting, however, expressed the NEC’s grave concern over the persistent delay in the constitution of the Wage Board and, through a resolution, called upon the Government to steer clear of the employers’ stratagems and go ahead urgently with the constitution of the Wage Board as already announced.

By another resolution, it condemned the attacks on the freedom of the Press from not only the state but also terrorist and anti-social elements. It took a very serious view of the ULFA’s directives to the NETV and sought security for the organisation’s offices and staff. Condemning the attack on the daily Siasat editor, Mr Zahid Ali Khan, the NEC sought protection for the newspaper and its staff from anti-social elements. The NEC also expressed its dismay at the Andhra Pradesh Government’s attempts to gag the Press through nodal officers.

The NEC also passed a resolution supporting the PJU (Puducherry Journalists Union’s) demand for the setting up of a State Press Academy. Earlier, welcoming NEC members, PJU president P. N. S. Pandian said his union had been successfully working for the welfare of the journalists and their demands, including one for the introduction of a pension scheme for them. Puducherry Journalists Union hosted the NEC meeting

Other Decisions

The NEC took the following other decisions:

1.   The Himachal Pradesh Journalists Union sought and was granted            affiliation to the IJU. With this the number of State Unions affiliated to the IJU is now 26.

2.      The following were nominated to the National Council under Rule 53 (H) of the IJU Constitution:
          i) Com. Sachin R. Borker (Goa),
          ii) Com. P. N. S. Pandian (Puducherry),
          iii) Com. Kaushal Kishore (U. P.),
          iv) Com. Bijay Bantawa (Sikkim), and
          v) Dr. Shashi Bhushan (Himachal Pradesh).

3.      The two vacancies of the NEC left vacant by the Sirsa plenum were filled up with the nomination of Coms. A. Anjaneyulu and D. Krushna Reddy (both Andhra Pradesh).

4.      Com. G. Prabhakaran of Kerala, too, was coopted to the NEC;

5.      The IJU will bring out a souvenir.

The meeting concluded after passing a vote of thanks to the chair. Earlier, both Com Akhouri and Com. Reddy commended the Puducherry Journalists Union for having made excellent arrangements for the NEC meeting.

April 21, 2007