The Indian Journalists' Association celebrated 70 years of it formation at a small gathering in India club on 29 May, the venue that hosted many many pro-independence meetings for India League before 1947. The event on Monday was graced by the richest man in the UK- G P Hinduja, along with hotelier and Chairman of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Joginder Sanger and Vitabiotics owner Dr Kartar Lalvani.
Deputy High Commissioner of India to UK, Ambassador Dinesh Patnaik addressed the gathering saying,“IJA started in 1947 and seen how UK-India relationship has progressed over the years...We are here in a very interesting time and these are times to work together. Our work is to provide you information as much as possible and in the last 6 months we have developed an excellent relationship between the journalists and High Commission of India. We are in the process of redoing the High Commission, we are setting up a journalist lounge, where journalists can have access to informations.” He was accompanied by the Director of Nehru Centre and Minister for Press, Information and Culture Srinivas Gotru and R S Virdi Second Secretary, Press and Information from the High Commission of India.
Gopi Hinduja, who has supported the IJA through fundraising dinners and several other occasions said, “Among journalists I can see old faces and new faces, I have been directly associated with the association since 1978. IJA has a very important role- post Brexit there is so much to do for IJA. Media is a lense, if you have a transparent lense, it helps even the decision makers to take the right decisions- moralistic, realistic journalism helps from all aspects.”
The Indian Journalists Association (IJA) was formed on May 29, 1947, weeks before India’s independence, as a representative body for UK-based correspondents and journalists reporting on and covering India and South Asia related issues.
IJA’s membership today comprises of foreign correspondents as well as journalists of Indian origin working for mainstream media and journalists working for British Asian news organisations. The President of the organisation is veteran journalist Ashis Ray and Secretary is Rupanjana Dutta.
IJA has hosted many important events that has been attended by Heads of state, heads of government, members of royal families and eminent persons in various walks of life. Guests have also included former Indian PM Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Morarji Desai, P V Narasimha Rao, Rajiv Gandhi, Atal Behari Vajpayee, Clement Atlee, Harold McMillan, Alec Douglas Home, Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, James Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher and the Duke of Edinburgh.
