Skip to content Skip to navigation

JFA urges PCI to intervene on Guwahati newspaper-distribution impasse

By Nava Thakuria |

Journalists' Forum Assam (JFA) has expressed utter dismay at the prolonged strike of newspaper hawkers in Guwahati since February 16 and urged the Press Council of India (PCI) to intervene on the matter as the agitators have directly implicated on people's right to get essential information.

Taking queue from the PCI chairman Justice Markandey Katju's comment on Arunachal's recent media-deadlock, following the conflict between the Itanagar authority and media persons, that the suspension of newspapers is 'not in public interest', the JFA pointed out that similar situation is now prevailing in Assam as the hawkers have neither distributed nor allowed others to do the same inside Guwahati city for consecutive six days.

"The newspaper agents and hawkers in the city can resolve their differences on financial shares of earnings even without affecting the distribution of newspapers to the households. Without insisting on continuous strike any more, the newspaper hawkers should pursue their demands through other peaceful democratic means," said a JFA statement.

The conflict between the newspaper agents and hawkers in the city turned worse as the latter had engaged in physical assaults with some youths who were employed by the agents to distribute morning newspapers to the city dwellers. The statement, issued today by JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria, also appealed to the owners of Guwahati based newspaper houses to look into the matter critically and help the conflict resolved at the earliest. Otherwise, the unavailability of morning dailies for day after day might result in a serious negative implication on the local media enterprise.

The Assam based scribe body also got astonished that the unavailability of morning newspapers for almost a week has not instigated the city based readers to raise voices against the deadlock. Shockingly few people have talked about the matter in public that too with little worries only indicates that the Guwahatians might have fulfilled their need of daily news inputs from the local news channels and portals.

Insisting on due benefits to the newspaper hawkers, the JFA has also maintained its old demands for implementing the statutory wage boards in all newspaper houses of the State which recommend due salary and other facilities to the journalists and non-journalist media employees.

"Offering due financial benefits to the employees under the wage board recommendations should inspire the media workers to perform their duties in a better way," said the JFA statement adding, "It would also help the media group owners to earn enormous goodwill from the esteem readers, which is seemingly decreasing in the recent past, for a sustained growth of the media enterprises in Assam."

  • 6737 reads

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Eye screening camp concluded at press club

Guwahati: Most of the city based scribes need thorough eye check-ups as they constantly use digital screen for hours in a day. In a day long eye screening camp, organized EYE DOCTORS, a city based eye institute and surgery centre, at Guwahati Press Club on 7 July 2018 it was observed that half of the participants were in need of thorough check-up and necessary treatments. Senior eye surgeon Dr Bindu Singla Goel conducted the camp, where around 60 journalists participated and went with preliminary screening of their eyes. The practicing physician was assisted by health workers Afsana Khatun and Robita Roy. Few employees of Cipla and Alcon were also present to support the camp.

Film screening initiative begins at GPC

Guwahati As part of a wider initiative to help member-journalists add value to their professional experience, Guwahati Press Club has begun to screen award winning and critically acclaimed films and documentaries every week. On Friday (11 May), the non-verbal documentary ‘Glass’ was screened at the GPC auditorium. An Oscar-winning documentary made in 1958 by eminent European filmmaker Bert Haanstra, ‘Glass’ brilliantly contrasts glassblowing techniques used at the Royal Leerdam glass factory in Netherlands, with modern machines churning out glassware on industrial scale. The film captures the art of the glassblowers with great sensitivity, their marvelous craftsmanship imparting each...

Lipid profile tests for Guwahati scribes

Guwahati: Assam’s well known Dispur Hospital organizes a free lipid profile tests for the journalist-members of Guwahati Press Club starting on Monday (9 April). The series of camp will continue for five days till Friday at the press club premises where 20 blood samples will be taken every day (from 12 noon to 1 pm). It may be mentioned that the lipid profile (lipid panel) test includes various types of blood screenings to measure the level of cholesterol and triglycerides. The tests can identify certain genetic diseases and determine approximate risks for cardiovascular disease, certain forms of pancreatitis, and other related diseases. In case the number of participants increases (even...

Singer bats for State Sangeet Natak Academy

Acclaimed Assamese music composer and singer Kula Barua emphasizes on a State Sangeet Natak Academy for the benefit of performing artistes and also the new generation who would study the Assamese culture in future. Attending the ‘Guest of the Month’ program at Guwahati Press Club on Thursday (2 November 2017), the soft spoken gentleman also insisted on relentless appreciation of Assamese music and songs. Answering various questions raised by the participating journalists, Barua expressed concern that the lyrics have now been ignored by a section of present time singers. He remembered Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s contribution to modern Assamese lyrics and termed him as an emperor who used to create...

Physiotherapy camp organized at press club

On the occasion of World Physiotherapy Day, a physiotherapy camp has been organized tomorrow (8 September 2017) at Guwahati Press Club. The free camp, open for all member-journalists of the press club, will start at 1 pm and conclude by 5 pm. The camp, planned for detailed physical assessment & effective treatments for the participants, will be supervised by senior physiotherapists namely Dr Kangkan Talukdar (PT), Dr Lopa Das (PT), Dr Pankaj Das (PT) and Dr Pooja Saikia (PT). They will be assisted by a number RCPHS, CPMS, ADTU College students namely Anuradhapura Das, Rupam Kalita, Munindra Gogoi, Rijuwana Begum, Himashree Medhi, Soni Phom, Gautam Das, Sneha Das, Sasanka Mahanta, Mr...

CP Saikia memorial meeting at press club on Tuesday

Journalists and well-wishers have decided to pay homage to Chandra Prasad Saikia, a renowned author-journalist of the region, at a function organized in Guwahati Press Club on August 8 on the occasion of his 11th death anniversary. Padma Bhusan CP Saikia mentored many journalists of Assam during his tenure as the editor of Natun Dainik, which heralded a new wave of modern journalism. The illustrious editor-journalist was also credited for initiating the book fair movement in the State since 1984. As the secretary of State publication board, he not only edited Prakash, an Assamese literary magazine, but also took leadership to publish a number of invaluable books like Hasti Vidyarnava,...

Weekly clinic at press club roles on

Nilakantha, a middle-age scribe of Assam, participated in the weekly evening OPD clinic at Guwahati Press Club out of curiosity. He had a brief discussion with the attending doctor, who advised him to check his blood pressure. Initially Nilakantha asserted that he had no pressure (meaning no irregularity in BP). But when the sister in the camp measured his blood pressure, the outcome emerged simply shocking. He had hypertension (280 by 170), which compelled the doctor to strongly advise him to take medicine urgently. Meet Jyotiprasad, a young contributor of news & features to local newspapers in the city, who casually came to press club on a Saturday. He was asked to consult with the...

Community work to conserve bird

The news was astonishing as an Assamese lady was selected for Whitley Award, also known as Green Oscar, and invited to London to receive the coveted award. Suddenly Purnima Devi Barman emerged as an icon across Assam. But the residents of many parts in Kamrup were familiar with the and her mission to conserve Greater Adjutant Stork (popularly known as Hargila or Dhadang). Purnima, 37, has been working in the villages since 2009 where once the people found the bird as dirty, but today they feel proud of it and virtually own the responsibility to preserve the tall bird’s habitats adjacent to their localities. The rural ladies came forward to join hands with Purnima to adopt the birds as...

Apollo gynecologist attends press club OPD

Senior gynecologist from Apollo Chennai Hospital Dr A. Vinutha on Saturday (6 May 2017) attended the evening OPD clinic at Guwahati Press Club and offered free healthcare consultations to around 20 participants. The program, organized under the ‘Evening with a Doctor’ series, was exclusive for women journalists and spouses (and daughters) of the press club members. Prior to it, the experienced gynecologist delivered a talk on various women related ailments and their preventions at the press club auditorium, where around 50 participants interacted with the physician. It was organized by Apollo Hospitals Information Center, Guwahati in association with the press club. The next media OPD...

Former students’ get-together at Makhibaha HS School

The entire batch of 1982-83 high school leaving certificate examination participants from Makhibaha High School (now an HS standard) under Nalbari district of central Assam will assemble along with their families on 16 April next in the school campus. The get-together programs comprise felicitation/ tributes to former teaches, commemoration of batch mates, plantation, cultural shows and vivid interactions. A small convener committee under the leadership of Hareswar Dutta (96134 51514), Narayan Majumder, Nabadeep Bharali, Utpal Bhattacharya, Golak Pathak etc was also formed to plan the ceremony, which is expected to be an annual affair.