Dues and Press Freedom Various Journalists bodies including the Press Club of India , the Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) , the Press Association of India, Editors Guild of India and News photo journalists’ Association held a protest meeting at the Press Club of India on 25 February, 2022 to protest against the new Press Information Bureau accreditation guidelines and connected developments which give the government’s Information department virtually sweeping powers to curb independent journalism. They castigated the government rules and the formation of a new body without the due process of consultation.
This many felt was a continuum of government’s attacks on freedom of the press. They called for an end to such practices. Later on after spontaneous protest, a joint memorandum was sent to the government. Earlier in the day, the Delhi Union of Journalists and the National Alliance of Journalists joined a solidarity meeting at the United News of India to protest against the suicide of Chennai photo journalist T.Kumar, due to heavy back log of salary. According to reports, the employees of the agency protested outside its bureaus in Chennai, Chandigarh, Patna, Bengaluru and Bhopal where members of the Madras Union of Journalists, Tamil Nadu Press Photographers Association, Women Journalists Forum, Network of Women in Indian Media, Kerala Union of Working Journalists and Brihanmumbai Union of Journalists too expressed their solidarity. The protesters demanded that the bereaved family should be given Rs 10 lakh as interim compensation and other dues worth Rs 1 crore immediately.
