Parmanand Pandey –
New Delhi, 9 August. Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ) has expressed deep concern over the revelations made by some Members of Parliament during the debate on the no-confidence motion yesterday that some journalists in India have been working at the behest of foreign forces particularly China to destabilize the country. It has been alleged that by planting unfounded stories, these journalists have been compromising the unity and integrity of the country.
In a statement the IFWJ President BV Mallikarjunaih and Secretary General Parmanand Pandey have demanded a thorough probe should be conducted into the allegations and that if there is even an iota of truth in what the Members of Parliament have said then it is a serious matter and it should be thoroughly inquired into to get to the bottom of the fact. If there is truth in it, then stern action should be taken against those journalists but, if there is no truth in it then concerned Members of Parliament must be hauled up and be made to apologise because it concerns the reliability of the noble profession of journalism.
Needless to say, journalism is the fourth pillar of democracy, which should be robust, fair and objective and any attempt to weaken this pillar either from inside or outside is a matter of grave concern. The community of Journalists must come forward to protect this Constitutional freedom with all its might. Freedom of speech and expression is as much the right of journalists as those of any citizen of the country therefore, it is the bounden duty of everybody to ensure that this noble profession is not maligned either by those who are practising it or by any other person, particularly by the lawmakers.
Parmanand Pandey
Sec-Gen: IFWJ
