Indian Journalists Union (IJU), the premier organization of media persons in the country.
The Early Days of Journalists Movement
In October 1950, leading and militant Journalists of the country met at New Delhi to set up the first all-India organisation of working journalists – Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ) with M Chalapathi Rao veteran Journalist and Editor of National Herald, as President.
In 1952, the IFWJ adopted the Delhi Declaration which formed the basis of the struggle of the working Journalists for a long time.
The formation of the Press Council of India in 1966, the adoption of The Working Journalists And Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) And Miscellaneous Provisions Act,1955 and the acceptance of the wage board machinery to determine the salary structure of working journalists was all the result of the struggle launched in pursuance of the Delhi Declaration.
However, before it could make any headway in its struggle for delinking newspaper ownership from other industries, the organisation had to face a split when a section of journalists broke away to form the National Union of Journalists in 1974.
IJU is Formed
Vested interests, however, continued to weaken the organisation until a stage was reached when it was usurped by certain self-serving individuals. After a long struggle within the organisation to correct its course, the militant sections of the community were compelled in the late 1980s to sacrifice the name of the organisation to carry forward its spirit of struggle with the result that a majority of IFWJ members formed the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) in 1989. It was registered, under the Indian Trade Unions Act, 1926, by the Registrar of Trade Unions in June, 1990.
The Indian Journalists Union (IJU), the natural successor to the movement of working journalists since the days of the freedom struggle against the British Raj, held its first Plenum at Ranchi on December 27 to 29, 1991. The meeting adopted the constitution of the organisation, elected its leadership.
The founders of IJU include stalwarts like J.P. Chaturvedi, A. Raghavan, C.P. Ramachandran among others.
IJU has been facing new challenges since its inception. It has been struggling hard to discover the spirit that guided its pioneers. IJU and its state Unions have been fighting to defeat the designs of disruptive elements, opportunists, self seekers etc., and fighting for the cause of working journalists and newspaper employees.
It was this struggle led by IJU that forced the Government of India to set up Manisana Singh Wage Board for Working Journalists and News Paper Employees.
The IJU is fighting against the Government move to amend the Working Journalists Act of 1955 that ensured wage board, freedom to Journalists, job security etc.
The Government and the newspaper barons do not want the militant sections of the employee to fight for the rights of Journalists. They are trying to create all sorts of hurdles in our fight for freedom of press, freedom of Journalists and the implementation of Working Journalists Act of 1955.
The press in India has a glorious tradition of fighting for the freedom of the country. Many of the leaders of the freedom struggle from Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi to great freedom fighter and Bharat Ratna awardee Aruna Asaf Ali were Editors, Journalists and writers.
Many of the newspapers in India were started to help from freedom struggle. After India got freedom from the British yoke the Journalists played key role in nation building. They helped the struggle of the people for social progress and cultural developments.
Now when the freedom of press is facing an alround attack the task of IJU is stupendous and call for unity not only among our rank and file but a united action in co-operation with all other forward looking forces in the country.
The struggle for the freedom of press and the problems faced by the media people have to be fought by the entire nation because without freedom of press our great democracy will not survive.