Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu and senior journalists at the inaugural ceremony of Federation of Press Clubs in Hyderabad
Hyderabad: Stressing the need for free speech and journalists’ rights more than ever, members of prominent press clubs across India came together to form the Federation of Press Clubs (FPC).
It was formally launched in Hyderabad on Saturday, August 22, at the concluding day of its two-day conference.
The Federation of Press Clubs is described as a non-partisan national body governed by eight founding members, including the Press Club of India, Press Club Hyderabad, Mumbai Press Club, Press Club Kolkata, Chandigarh Press Club, State Press Club MP, Gauhati Press Club and Agartala Press Club.
Gautam Lahiri has been elected as FPC’s president
Speaking on the occasion, Press Club New Delhi president Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty pointed out that random arrests of reporters and independent media houses have “become a norm” and a “punishment.”
“The dilution of the Right to Information (RTI) Act and spread of media serving political propaganda has amplified this,” she said.
“In a democracy, no one, including the Prime Minister of India, is exempt from press scrutiny,” she said.
In complete agreement with Pisharoty’s statements, Anant Nath, who heads The Caravan and was also the former Editors Guild of India president, highlighted that press freedom has significantly declined post COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Information Technology Act (2000), Press Information Bureau (PIB), the official Centre’s fact-checking unit, the Sahyog Portal (which allows content takedown within three hours on a senior police officer’s approval) and the new criminal laws present a very vague definition of treason and false information,” he said.
Director of The Hindu Group N Ram praised the Telangana government’s approach to press freedom but cautioned that constitutional and legal safeguards alone cannot ensure its survival.
He blamed the declining quality of journalism on algorithms and suggested that press clubs could help address the issue. Citing the withdrawal of the 1988 Defamation Bill during the Rajiv Gandhi government following protests, he highlighted the collective strength of press clubs in defending press freedom.
Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who was the chief guest, recalled India’s first Prime Minister, the late Jawaharlal Nehru’s exchange with the famous cartoonist Shankar, “Don’t spare me, Shankar“, as a model for a healthy democracy’s relationship with the press.
Press Club of Hyderabad president Vijay Kumar Reddy said he always wanted to unite press clubs under Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution. He called the fraternity “the need of the hour” and pledged support, including legal help, for journalists facing harassment.
This post was last modified on August 22, 2026 5:55 pm