Getting respect and a fear-free environment is necessary to a journalist's pen - Ashok Wankhede
Jalna, Maharashtra.
Thousands of journalists from various parts of the country and abroad, as well as from all districts of Maharashtra, participated in the ninth International Journalist Awards and Conference, held at Matoshree Lance Ambad Road, Jalna, under the auspices of the Indian Journalist Association. The conference discussed in detail the interests of journalists,
their safety, rights, harassment, the power of organizations, and future action plans. The program began with the lighting of a lamp. The guests on the stage were then honored with a shawl, bouquet, memento, and souvenir.
Addressing the program, the keynote speaker, senior political analyst Ashok Wankhede, expressed his views on journalism and the problems faced by journalists, saying that journalism is not just about writing news, but also about giving voice to society's suffering and protecting democracy. He said that journalists gather news from morning until late at night,
working in the community. Sometimes they witness the tears of a grieving family, sometimes they bring the problems of a poor person to the attention of the government through their news, and sometimes they raise questions against corruption and injustice. This responsibility puts a journalist's own comfort, time, and sometimes even their safety at stake. He noted that the nature of journalism is rapidly changing today.
Along with print media, digital media, social media, and independent journalism have expanded. This change has created new opportunities for journalists, but it has also posed new challenges. Maintaining factuality and credibility in the race to deliver news at a rapid pace is a major challenge for journalists today. He appealed to journalists to verify facts before publishing or broadcasting any news and to prioritize journalistic credibility.
He commended the Indian Journalists Association for its efforts, saying that the gathering of journalists from across the country and abroad, and from all districts of Maharashtra, on one platform, sends an important message of journalistic unity.
Akram Rais Khan said that journalists question the problems of others, but today there is a need to seriously question their own problems as well. When the voice of a poor person is suppressed, a journalist becomes their voice. However, when a journalist themselves faces threats, harassment, pressure, or fear, it is the responsibility of the entire journalistic community to stand with them.
Jalna District Magistrate Ashima Mittal said that journalists are vigilant guardians of society, working day and night to highlight social problems and convey the public's voice to the government and administration. Better communication between the administration and journalists strengthens democracy.
When journalists draw attention to shortcomings in the government and administration, the administration also has the opportunity to rectify those problems. Therefore, journalists and the administration are not adversaries, but rather can play a collaborative role in the larger objective of public interest. She said that it is important to understand the difficulties of journalists' work. Intense competition,
the changing media landscape, the growing influence of digital media, economic challenges, and the responsibility of maintaining the credibility of news are major challenges facing journalists today.
The event's chairman, Mr. Kailash Gorantiyal, a former MLA, concluded, "A journalist's pen has the power to transform society. That pen must receive respect, freedom, and security. Only when journalists fearlessly raise the voice of the public and
the administration listens to that voice with sensitivity will democracy become stronger." Congratulating the Indian Journalists Association for the success of the conference, he said that such events organized for the benefit and respect of journalists generate new energy and positive dialogue in the journalism world.
The presence of thousands of journalists from India and abroad, as well as from various districts of Maharashtra, at the Ninth International Journalists' Awards and Conference made the event special. Journalists demonstrated solidarity regarding their rights, safety, respect, and future. Along with respect for journalists, an important message was conveyed regarding their safety, rights, freedom, and social responsibility: only when journalists remain safe, fearless, and wield their pens with respect will the voice of democracy become stronger.
National President of the Indian Journalist Association, Seraj Ahmad Quraishi, said that if a journalist has to fear for writing the truth, has to worry about pressure before publishing a story, or has to worry about the safety of his or her family, then this is not just a journalist's problem but a matter of concern for democracy.
The keynote speaker said that honoring journalists is a good tradition, but the true meaning of honoring a journalist is to protect their freedom of work, their safety, and their rights.
He said that in addition to a certificate and garland, a journalist also needs an environment where they can wield their pen without fear. Respect for a journalist is meaningful only when their voice is heard seriously and society and the administration stand up against injustice. The greatest strength of journalists is their unity. If journalists raise their issues individually, their voice may weaken. However, when thousands of journalists unite and express their views in a democratic and constitutional manner, their voice becomes stronger.
The power of the organization should not be used to oppose any person or organization, but to protect the rights, security, respect and dignity of journalists and journalism.
In the program, 24 talented people from different fields and 500 journalists were honored with mementos and souvenirs.
On this occasion, senior journalists from Nepal, Isteyaq Ahmed and Mewalal Yadav, National Secretary Salman Ahmed Prayagraj and Masood Javed Qadri Khandwa MP, Md. Ejazul Haq National Council Member, Bhubaneswar Odisha, Professor Vijay Kamble, Anna Bhau, Ibrahim Pasha, Mithilesh Kumar State President Bihar, Ashraf Arif State President Madhya Pradesh, Md. Kalam Qureshi, State President Bundelkhand, Arun Banka, Manish Kamaliya,
Rafiq Tigala, Nehal Ahmed, Mohammad Tabish, State President Marathwada, State Vice President Javed Khan, State Organization Secretary Syed Anwar Qadri, Program Coordinator and District President Amer Khan, Sunil Bharti, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Sheikh Salim, Bashit Baig, Syed Nisar, Anil Khadse, Devidas Kharat, Raju Cardile, Shakeel Khan, Salim Qureshi, Mahjabeen Anjum Nikita Kale, Manisha Magre, Hafiz Ahmed, Subodh Prasad Singh, Gopal Sahni, Sunil Kumar, Syed Zakir, Rahul Shende and thousands of journalists were present.
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