Special Law for Journalists’ Safety
- ‘Journalists’ Demands Day’ on October 2
- Comprehensive law needed for media protection
- Attacks on journalists must be curbed
- Centre must enact a special law: IJU
IJU NEC, Bengaluru, 8-9 August, 2026: The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) has demanded the enactment of a special law to ensure the safety of journalists. The two-day NEC meeting, held in Bengaluru, concluded on Sunday evening. IJU National President Balwinder Singh Jammu presided over the meeting. In a resolution adopted during the meeting, the IJU demanded a robust, special law to safeguard journalists and media organizations in India, citing the recent rise in physical assaults, intimidation, legal harassment, and violence against journalists, as well as the lack of legislation protecting the confidentiality of news sources.
Moving the resolution, former IJU President and Telangana Media Academy Chairman K. Srinivas Reddy expressed concern over the deteriorating state of press freedom in the country. The resolution noted that despite the Indian Constitution guaranteeing freedom of expression, threats and attacks against working journalists are on the rise due to the absence of comprehensive legislation for their protection; it further observed that while some states have enacted specific laws regarding journalist safety, these measures are inadequate. The resolution condemned the practice of central and state governments using their Information and Public Relations budgets—as well as advertisements issued by various departments—as tools for favorable publicity.
In another resolution, the IJU demanded the enactment of a comprehensive law to ensure job security, wage security, and improved working conditions for working journalists, following the repeal of the Working Journalists Acts of 1955 and 1958. Through a separate resolution, the IJU meeting urged the Central Government to raise the retirement age for employees in various media organizations from 58 to 60 years. IJU Secretary General D. Somasundar presented a report on the state of the media in the country and the activities undertaken by the union over the past four months. Presidents and General Secretaries of state units from fifteen states, along with over twenty national executive committee members and delegates, participated in the discussion on the report.
IJU Steering Committee members S.N. Sinha, Devulapalli Amar, and M.A. Majid, National Vice-Presidents Amar Mohan Prasad and Y. Narendar Reddy, National Secretaries D.S.R. Subhash, P. Bhaskar Reddy, and Narendra Bharadwaj, Karnataka State Journalists Union President M. Janaki Mohan, General Secretary Anjan Kumar, and others addressed the gathering. The IJU National Executive Committee called for the observance of “Journalist Demands Day” across the country on October 2nd—the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi—to seek resolutions for journalists’ issues.
Regarding National Press Day on November 16th, the IJU National Executive Committee called for a nationwide discussion on the current state of the Press Council of India, which has become ineffective. It urged for a campaign to raise awareness about this issue and proposed organizing round-table meetings and seminars involving journalists, civil society figures, public representatives, legal experts, and academicians.
The meeting also decided to host a national conference for women journalists in Hyderabad during the last week of October. The “Karnataka Rajya Prashasti” awards presentation ceremony was held in an enthusiastic atmosphere at the conclusion of the National Executive Committee meetings. The “Rajya Prashasti” awards, announced by the Karnataka State Journalists Union for prominent figures from various walks of life, were presented by national leaders of the IJU.
