ABAJ OF INDIA Celebrates National Press Day: Calls for Recognition as the Fourth Pillar of Democracy

Bhubaneswar,(KCN): In a significant event held at Hotel Shailgiri, Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh, the Apex Body of Working Journalists Association of India (ABAJ/AWAJ OF INDIA) observed National Press Day on November 16, 2023. The celebration, presided over by Senior Journalist Sunil Kumar Mishra, featured Sadhaka Pandit Bipin Bihari Dash as the Guest of Honor and Journalist Mustak Mohamad as the Speaker.
During the occasion, Chairperson Sunil Kumar Mishra highlighted the aims and objectives of AWAJ OF INDIA, emphasizing the need for unity among Indian journalists to address issues related to their development, protection, and safety. Mishra urged the government to officially recognize journalists as the Fourth Pillars of the Constitution through a formal notification before the 2024 General Election.
Mishra expressed concern that without such recognition, journalists may consider mobilizing citizens to boycott elections, underlining the citizens’ inherent perception of journalists as integral to the constitutional fabric. He argued that journalists, often serving as the voice for those denied justice by the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary play a crucial role in exposing systemic issues and ensuring justice prevails.
Asserting that journalists are the real fighters and nation builders, Mishra suggested that their role transcends that of the Fourth Pillars, indicating that they sometimes stand above the Judiciary in delivering justice and results to those failed by the legal system. He concluded by urging the government to acknowledge the indispensable role of journalists and officially designate them as the Fourth Pillars of the Constitution.
The celebration of National Press Day at Ambikapur was deemed a grand success with the event resonating with the broader mission of securing recognition for journalists as integral pillars of India’s democratic framework.