Indian Journalists' Association

The Indian Journalists Union (IJU), one of the oldest journalist bodies in the country, has elected its two principal office-bearers.

The President of the Chandigarh-Punjab Union of Journalists and a Press Council of India member, Mr. Vinod Kohli, was unanimously elected as the President of IJU. He was the lone candidate in fray.

The President of India’s oldest journalists union, Indian Journalists’ Association (IJA), West Bengal, Mr. S. Sabanayakan, was unanimously elected as the Secretary General of IJU. He too was the lone candidate in fray.

Mr. Habib Khan, Central Returning Officer for IJU Election 2022, declared the election results recently at Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh).

The two principal office-bearers of the IJU will have the onerous task of not only rebuilding the Union into a vibrant one but also have the tough task of spreading the Union to all parts of the country. Shri Kohli, who would be leading IJU for the first time in over four decades of journalistic life, said, “The primary task is to rearrange the priorities of the IJU. Unionism in the country is in shambles as there are too many splinter groups operating without any aim or agenda. Our task is to bring all likeminded Unions under one umbrella and give a momentum to the movement.”

Elaborating further, he said, “IJU would like to walk the thorny path to achieve its goals nationally. IJU would also focus on its state unions and encourage them to renew their drive to bring in more journalists under their ambit so that a greater cause can be served.”

Shri Kohli has more than 48 years of experience in journalism having worked in various print outlets. A graduate in psychology and journalism, he had been the General Secretary, Chandigarh-Punjab Union of Journalists; General Secretary of The Tribune Journalists Guild and presently the President of Chandigarh-Punjab Union of Journalists.

He has been made a member of the Press Council of India (2021 onward). He is also a member of Election Commission of India, Level Committee on Paid/Fake News (April 2022 onward), he was also a member the Central Press Accreditation Committee (CPAC), Govt. of India (2004 to 2007) and was an IJU Convener, Majithia Wage Board Committee for Working Journalists.

Shri Sabanayakan has nearly four decades of experience in journalism after joining Indian Express Kolkata bureau in 1980. After four and a half years, he joined The Telegraph, Kolkata. After spending exactly a decade, he joined The Hindu, Kolkata news bureau and served the institution for a little over two decades. Thereafter, he began to contribute to The Assam Tribune group and in 2018 he joined Eastern Chronicle when it opened its Kolkata edition.

Shri Sabanayakan was a member of West Bengal Union of Journalists for 10 years before joining IJA on assuming office in The Hindu. After being in the Executive Council for many years, he accepted to head Indian Journalists’ Association in 2013. After a break of one year in 2016, he returned to head IJA from 2017.

GODARIA: The Howrah District Unit of the Indian Journalists’ Association, West Bengal,  organised a journalism workshop on March 13 at Biswanath Niketan, Godaria, Jagatballavpur in Howrah district where nearly 100 young and practising journalists participated.

The chief guest of the function was local MLA Sitanath Ghosh whose speech on media was invigorating to the young minds.

State president S. Sabanayakan spoke on two language formulas in journalism and how one more language other than the mother tongue will help in the profession. State general secretary, Sekhar Sengupta, lectured on journalism, the role of IJA in encouraging the profession and its centenary programme.

The question and answer session was very lively with the audience asking questions that varied from journalism to morality of the society.

On the occasion a souvenir was released. Local organisation headed by district president Shyamal Naskar, general secretary Ashis Ghosh and convenor Manas Manna did a wonderful job.

The district committee distributed participation certificates to all in the second session after a sumptuous lunch.

BURDWAN: The new executive committee which was formed on March 6 for 2022-23, met for the first time under the chairmanship of district president Swapan Mukherjee at a city hotel.

Among the 19 members, apart from Mukherjee, dist. secretary Arup Laha, and dist treasurer Sheikh Samsuddin were re-elected including two invited members. Tanushree Bandyopadhyay and Ram Narayan Kundu have been elected as the vice-presidents.

Atanu Hazra has been elected as the secretary. Suprakash Chowdhury and Santosh Das have been elected as asst. secretary. Anirban Hazra has been re-elected as the office secretary.

The newly elected members of the executive committee were: Mithilesh Roy, Manotosh Poddar, Dhiman Roy, Kaushik Chakraborty, Somnath Bhattacharya, Bijan Ghosh, Sujit Dutta, Bijoy Prakash Das. Besides, former president Debabrata Chattopadhyay and Partha Chowdhury have been made invitees.

BURDWAN: A new committee of the Purba Bardhaman District Committee has been formed at the Annual General Meeting on March 6 at the Burdwan Lions Club Hall.

A minute’s silence was observed at the beginning by remembering the members of the organisation, Geeta Ghosh, eminent Singer Lata Mangeskar, Sandhya Mukherjee, Bapi Lahiri footballers Subhash Bhoumick, Surajit Sengupta and others who passed away.  Member Shyamaprasad Chowdhury started the programme with an inaugural song. District Committee President Swapan Mukherjee presided over the function.