Sudhanshu Kumar Satish

New Delhi, October : The Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has assured a delegation of the ‘Indian Federation of Working Journalists’ (IFWJ) that he would certainly ask the government to get the legislation enacted for the safety and security of the journalists. He said that a healthy, fearless and objective journalism was necessary for the vibrant democracy and if the journalists were to live in the atmosphere of fear then it would harm not only the journalism but the democracy as well. Therefore, there could never be two opinions with regard to providing them with the conducive working condition. He was speaking to a delegation of the IFWJ last evening at his house in New Delhi.

The delegation was led by IFWJ Vice-President Hemant Tiwari, who in his brief address said that Shri Om Birla is known for his accessibility and problem-solving attitude, but he is equally determined in taking tough decisions. Shri Tiwari thanked Shri Birla for attending the IFWJ conference at Jaipur in 2016 at very short notice.

The IFWJ also handed over a memorandum to the Lok Sabha Speaker said that, of late, attacks on journalists by crooked politicians, gundas and mafia dons, police and other anti-social elements have grown manifold because they do not want anything to be published or shown against their dirty activities He said that since journalists work in the public interests and therefore, it is the bounden duty of the government to ensure that the full protection was provided to them in due discharge of their duties.

The memorandum also requested the Lok Sabha Speaker to ask the government to legislate for the prevention of the yellow journalism and fake news and blackmailing by some irresponsible persons who work in the garb of journalists.

15 member IFWJ delegation also included its Secretary-General Parmanand Pandey, UPWJU President Bhaskar Dube, IFWJ’s Legal Advisor Mohan Babu Aggarwal, senior journalists, Niraj Pandey, and Ashok Tiwari.