Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, Hon’ble Upa Rashtrapati-ji,

Smt. J. Mercykutty Amma, Hon’ble Minister for Fisheries,

Adv. V. Rajendrababu, Mayor, Corporation Kollam,

Shri N.K. Premachandran, Member of Parliament,

Shri M. Noushad, Member of Legislative Assembly,

Shri M. Mukesh, Member of Legislative Assembly,

Shri Jayachandran Elankath, President, Press Club, Kollam,

Shri G. Biju, Secretary, Press Club, Kollam,

Shri C. Narayanan, General Secretary, Kerala Union of Working  Journalists,

Priyappetta Madhyama Suhruthukkale,

Sahodaree Sahodaranmare,

Ellavarkkum Ente Namaskaram.

       It gives me great joy to preside over the inauguration of the Golden Jubilee Celebrationsof theKollam Press Club,which is a unit of Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ).

We are really fortunate to have our respected Upa Rashtrapati-ji to inaugurate the Golden Jubilee celebration. On behalf of everyone present here, I welcome our Hon'ble Upa Rashtrapati-ji to Kollam, which has a rich reputation both in commerce and in the movements that ensured the dignity of the working class.

I am informed that the Kollam Press Club, which has been associating with the socio-cultural fabric of Kollam during the last five decades, has become a people’s institution. It is well known that this Press club took shape in the sixties with the support of the Government, individual donors, and ordinary people including cashew workers, who happily shared a portion of their wages to help the journalists to raise a building. In fact, most of the Press Club buildings in Kerala had been raised through people's participation.

As all of us know, the Kollam Press Club is named after Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai, the doyen of Malayalam journalism, who bravely faced the anger of the then government, which finally exiled him from Travancore. His name calls to mind, a story of fearless journalism. Therefore, the members of an institution that carries his name and a legacy of people's involvement, have an obligation to be worthy of the trust accorded to them by society.

As a person hailing from the Judiciary, I would remind our media friends that it is to ensure a fearless and objective Press that the Constitution imposes only the reasonable restrictions in the Freedom of speech and expression, as given in Article 19 (1)(A). The society expects from the Media, a fearless response to social evils, a readiness to hold power-centres to account and a responsibility to educate, convince and mobilize people on the ways to strengthen our ideals of democracy, freedom and equality.

As a collective of professionals, the Press Clubs have been instrumental in active in the attempts to ensure the rights of media-persons within their organizations as well as in society. In Kerala, many Press Clubs have taken laudable steps to promote the profession through training in journalism. Press Clubs have also established their role in facilitating interactions with media for people of all classes.

As the former judge of the highest court in India who heard and gave the verdict in favour of journalists in the case on the ‘Majithia Wage Board’ suggestions, I had an opportunity to study the wage and service conditions in media organizations. With newer forms of media emerging, I feel it is time to consider a positive standardization of the wage structure across various types of media.

I am happy that Seminars, Exhibitions, Debates, release of Postal Cover and Stamp etc., are being planned as part of the Golden Jubilee.  I hope the Jubilee would also be a time to think loudly on issues like ‘Paid News,’ the social impact of sensationalism, the challenges in the era of social media and above all, on ways to protect the Media's role as  a trustworthy watchdog of democracy.

I wish the celebration all success and compliment the organizers for conducting this meeting in a befitting manner.

With these words, I invite our Hon’ble Upa Rashtrapati-ji to inaugurate the programme.

Ellavarkkum Ente Suvarna Jubilee Aashamsakal

Thank You

Jai Hind

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