Press freedom facing danger in TS: Uttam

PNS|Suryapet

Declaring that the freedom of the press is in danger in India, especially Telangana, Congress MP Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has appealed to journalists to be on guard to defend independent journalism.

Speaking at the meeting of the Telangana Union of Working Journalists (TUWJ) in Suryapet District on Sunday, Uttam spoke about the glorious past of journalists and their commendable role in India’s freedom movement.

“Mahatma Gandhi was the greatest journalist of all time. Gandhi Ji was associated with six journals and he was the Editor of two journals. His first paper, Indian Opinion, was started in South Africa. ‘Young India’ and ‘Harijan’ played an important role in India’s freedom movement. Gandhi Ji has clearly stated that the sole aim of journalism should be service,” he said.

Similarly, he said Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru began his career in journalism and became a great journalist of those times. He established the ‘National Herald’ on September 9, 1938. The paper carried on its masthead the words ‘Freedom is in Peril, Defend it with All Your Might’.

Likewise, Bal Gangadhar Tilak started ‘Kesari’ in Marathi and ‘Maratha’ in English and used them to gain freedom for the country. He was an icon of fearless journalism. He did not change his views despite the British booking sedition cases against him. He said that journalists played an active role in the Telangana movement and fearlessly exposed injustices.