Delhi Government Endorses Rao Led IFWJ; Reorganization Of AUWJ Implicated
The Delhi government has endorsed the office bearers of Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ) headed by president K Vikram Rao, as the legal and representative body of the working journalists across the country.
The government in the national capital of India took the decision after five months of intensive scrutiny, as a dispute was raised by IFWJ’s former secretary general Parmanand Pandey.
It may be noted that Pandey, a practicing lawyer in the Supreme Court, claimed before the Registrar of Trade Unions that he was leading the journalists’ body, founded on 28 October 1950 and registered in 1992 under the country’s trade union act, replacing Rao. However, the Registrar UK Sinha termed his claim as vague & fictitious.
The Registrar also directed the Central Bank of India (66 Janpath, New Delhi branch) to allow joint operations of the IFWJ savings account by its treasurer Shyambabu and headquarter secretary Vipin Dhuliya, who were authorized by the IFWJ president Rao.
Meanwhile, the Director General of Press Information Bureau AB Frank Naronha had rejected Pandey’s demand for withdrawing the IFWJ representative (Mr Shyambabu) from the Central Press Accreditation Committee.
The Bar Council of Delhi is presently examining the IFWJ’s petition insisting that a lawyer (read Pandey) cannot claim to be a working journalist as the Bar Council Rules specify that a practicing lawyer cannot pursue another profession.
Earlier, the IFWJ complained to the Chief Justice, Supreme Court of India that Pandey was wrongly claiming to be a working journalist and intending to lead a working journalists’ forum. Honorable Chief Justice TS Thakur had already asked the Bar Council of India to probe into the matter.
In another development, IFWJ president Rao asked the members of its Assam unit to reorganize the committee, as the present body officially shifted its loyalty to the Pandey led faction.
He advised the members of Assam Union of Working Journalists (AUWJ) convene a meeting soon and complete the formalities with an aim to reemerge as an active journalist body to safeguard the interest of working journalists across the State.