ONLY ONE CREDIBLE PANEL CONTESTING UNITEDLY IN THE PRESS CLUB OF INDIA ELECTIONS DUE FOR 9 th NOVEMBER
After the final withdrawal date of 2 nd November elapsing and scrutiny etc already ended – there are finally four candidates contesting for the post of president, five for vice president, four for secretary general, four for the post of joint secretary and four for the post of treasurer. For Managing committee there are total 35 candidates.
However, despite so much candidates on every post, including the managing committee there is only one credible panel led by the former president and secretary general Gautam Lahiri and Neeraj Thakur which is holding its reputation intact and leading in credibility and invaluable contribution to the Club in terms of qualitative food items , (vegetarian and non vegetarian,) upgradation of the club, profitability margins increasing and even covering its past losses and creating a fixed deposit of Rs 25 lakhs.
The current PCI team led by Gautam Lahiri has always been in the forefront to stand with the victim journalists and had protested in Press Club premises standing rock solid with the journalist fraternity on various occasions including registering its written protests with the authorities by way of sending them letters and memorandums taking into confidence the other media organisations as well.
Always being at the forefront for the Journalists causes the present PCI panel had also been ahead in formulating a national media policy and journalists protection law.
The outgoing management committee released a draft bill called “The Media Transparency and Accountability Bill 2024 for wider discussions and suggestions on May 28, 2024 24.
The panel promises to work positively for the final version of the bill to be tabled in Parliament.
In its menifesto released two days ago the PCI’s new panel led by its outgoing president Gautam Lahiri apart from the Media transparency and Accountability bill to be tabled in parliament it also promises to uphold and defend media freedom in letter and spirit including leading the pushback against persecution of journalists under various laws that are being increasingly used to silence the media and induce a chilling effect.
The outgoing management committee of the present panel has to its credit – preparing a blueprint for a legal cell in order to provide legal aid to journalists including operationalization of a blue print to build a team of counsel across the country for providing legal advise to journalists confronting prosecution by the state and non state actors.
The PCI team apart from organising orientation programmes for the protection of journalists including you tubers and independent journalists it will also relentlessly work for the protection of rights of the media workers and that of the workers of the Press Club of India.
Though only six days are left for the PCI elections scheduled for 9 th November with election results to be out by 11th November afternoon, all the contesting candidates are busy campaigning through personal contacts, telephone contacts, through social media WhatsApp and other means, majority of the contestant fighting independently are those who contest every year and lose.
The single panel led by the outgoing president Gautam Lahiri which is contesting on all seats has a perfect team representing various print and electronic media working journalists carrying behind a credibility of its past outstanding achievements with unity and affability whereas the individual independent contestants for various posts are banking solely on their individual standing without any ideological based which hardly counts in front of a credible team and panel led by senior and experienced journalists who had to their credit several achievements taking Press Club to the new heights of progress and prosperity.
