Himalayan trout, ‘lack of transparency’, cheaper booze: The campaign and characters of the PCI polls

A bastion of press freedom on the right-wing’s radar. A low-budget watering hole. Or a carrom room for banter. The Press Club of India’s building in the heart of Lutyens Delhi means different things to different people. But an election this week may mean it’s at the cusp of change.

Or maybe not. 

Because like last year, the governing panel is facing a weak challenge. In fact, there’s not even a full-fledged opposition panel this time – only independents and a cluster of mini panels in the fray. And campaigning is dead-beat.

The poll promises, meanwhile, have ranged from the trivial – like cheaper beer and roasted peanuts – to those linked to more serious concerns like the safety of Indian journalists. 

All the journalists Newslaundry spoke to on the club’s premises agreed that the polls are not as exciting as they used to be, with slogans, pamphlets and canvassing.

The profile of the 63-year-old institution has evolved over the years. Some days of the week, there are more corporate members inside the building than full-time journalists. These members are not entitled to vote but don’t mind shelling out a higher fee in return for a cost-effective restaurant experience for themselves and their acquaintances.

The club has 4,536 ordinary members, 477 corporate and associate members, and its annual budget is around Rs 11.5 crore. Every year, it holds elections to select 16 managing committee members and five office-bearers. Panels are a tradition though there’s no bar on independents.

Why no opposition?

A panel seen as a “left-liberal” clique has remained in charge over a decade. This time, incumbent president Gautam Lahiri is seeking a return to the post. His panel has two new faces – The Wire journalist Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty for the post of vice-president and Navbharat’s Afzal Imam for the post of joint secretary. Like Lahiri, The Probe’s Neeraj Thakur and News Nation’s Mohit Dubey are contesting again to be the general secretary and treasurer, respectively. This panel is called the Gautam-Sangeeta-Neeraj-Afzal-Mohit panel. 

Among the independents in the fray are Arun Sharma and Atul Mishra for the post of president, Prahlad Singh Rajput and Rahil Chopra for vice-president, Laxmi Devi Aere and Mohammad Siraj Sahil for general secretary, Ajay Kumar Srivastava, Anwar Chauhan and Swati Verma for joint secretary, and Atul Yadav and Naresh Gupta contesting to be the treasurer.

A total of 28 people are in the fray, including 16 candidates fielded by the Gautam Lahiri panel.

Voting will be held on November 9, but when Newslaundry visited the premises from November 3 to November 5, more than half the club was empty. Some candidates distributed pamphlets from one table to another. And it was the Lahiri group that was mostly seen in the lawn.

Rahil Chopra, a Navodaya Times columnist who is contesting for the post of vice-president, pointed to “two answers” when asked about the lack of opposition. “First, most members are busy due to the Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections. And second, everyone has started feeling that in the end the Lahiri panel will win so what’s the point of fighting?”

‘A lion fights alone’

A few independents have formed small panels to contest certain posts. For example, senior PTI journalist Laxmi Devi and PTI photojournalist Atul Yadav are contesting for the posts of general secretary and treasurer, respectively.

Laxmi Devi was part of the Sanjay Basak panel which was accused of being backed by the RSS and BJP in a closely contested election in 2022. The journalist dismissed all such allegations as a conspiracy and rumours.

Another panel has been formed by Arun Sharma and Prahlad Singh Rajput, who are contesting for the post of president and vice-president, respectively. On Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, both of them were seen inside the hall but they did not seem to be in campaign mode.

When we asked Arun Sharma about his journalistic career, he pointed to the website of the Media Federation of India – he is its national president. Asked why he didn’t try to form a strong opposition panel with candidates like Laxmi Devi and Rahil Chopra, Sharma sipped on a glass of whiskey and said, “A lion fights alone. And those who fight in a group…you must have understood.”

The fiercest contests in the club’s recent electoral history were seen in 2021 and 2022, with two camps clearly divided on an ideological basis. Recalling the 2021 poll where Hindustan journalist Umakant Lakhera was pitched against Sanjay Basak’s panel, a senior journalist said, “That election was the most closely contested. Both panels had tried political tactics like money power, deceit and allegations and counter-allegations.”

The issues

Naresh Gupta, an Amar Sahara special correspondent who is contesting independently for the post of treasurer, was seen distributing pamphlets alone in the lawn. Most of the declarations in his 11-point manifesto are related to food, service and cleanliness. “The packet of peanuts which is available outside for Rs 10, costs Rs 30 here, which is absolutely wrong. The service of the waiters here is not good, the reception is also not attractive. If we win the election, we will try to correct all this,” he told Newslaundry.

He spoke about a greater need for transparency in the club’s functioning but his views on issues such as freedom of speech and safety of journalists were not clear. Asked what he would do for journalists outside this club, he said, “We will stand with them.” That is not part of his manifesto.

While Naresh Gupta was distributing pamphlets, a senior journalist appeared miffed. “Is this their understanding about the Press Club of India? We will reduce the price of food? We will reduce the price of peanuts? Do they have any agenda for the welfare of journalists and journalism?”

The panel comprising Arun Sharma and Prahlad Singh Rajput, whose slogan is “try believing once”, also mentions cleanliness on the premises and prices of food and liquor in the manifesto, with no mention of issues plaguing the media fraternity.

The Laxmi Devi-Atul Yadav panel has promised to bring transparency and make the club gender neutral, apart from reducing restaurant prices. 

“The beer which is available in the market for Rs 100 or Rs 150, costs Rs 300 here. In such a situation, how will the common member be able to afford it here? Not everyone gets a high salary in journalism, so all these things should be available at subsidised rates on the lines of the parliament,” said Rahil Chopra.

‘This isn’t a place just to have fun’

Taking a dig at the manifestos of all the opposition candidates, the club’s former treasurer and supporter of the Lahiri panel, Chander Shekhar Luthra, said, “The Press Club is not just a place for eating, drinking and having fun. It is a community formed to protect the rights of journalists and journalism. It is foolish to limit its election issue to only food and drink. Ever since our panel is in power here, we have stood shoulder to shoulder with the journalists. Whether it is to issue a statement for them, hold a press conference or protest.”

“At present, the club has a staff of about 140 people, whose salary is about Rs 36 lakh per month. We do not get any government help, so where will this money come from? Then this club is much cheaper than the rest of the clubs in Delhi."

In terms of manifestos, Gautam Lahiri’s panel seems to be the most organised compared to others. In their announcements, they emphasise on getting the Media Transparency and Accountability Bill, 2024 tabled in Parliament, creating a cell to provide legal help to journalists facing official highhandedness and forming a Federation of Press Clubs through an amalgam of press clubs across the country. It has also promised to organise programmes related to skill development of journalists and to maintain the independence and autonomy of the Press Club of India. There is no mention of reducing the prices of food and beverages.

The panel also lists out several achievements, such as the inclusion of the Himalayan trout and desi chicken in the food menu, preparing the draft of the National Media Policy and Media Transparency and Accountability Bill, and the blueprint of the legal cell for journalists. 

Besides this, the club under Lahiri has tied up with four hospitals in Delhi-NCR to provide treatment to members and staff at CGHS rates. The building has been improved with renovated furniture and washrooms, the panel points out.

Opposition alleges lack of transparency

However, many contestants who spoke to Newslaundry accused the Lahiri panel of a lack of transparency.

Atul Mishra, who runs a local newspaper in Ghaziabad and is contesting for the post of president, alleged, “There is no transparency in making members. The incumbent panel makes whoever it wants a member and rejects whoever it wants.”

Laxmi Devi claimed, “There is a perception that the current panel makes only those who can vote for them the club’s members. I am not saying that this is 100 percent true because I am not in the power structure right now, but a lot of people are saying this. Therefore it cannot be ignored.”

Naresh Gupta alleged, “Ten years ago, the list of people who were made members was displayed near the reception of the Press Club. But this is not done now because no one except the current panel knows who has been given membership. Even whether the person who has been given membership is a journalist or not.”

In the manifesto for the year 2021, the incumbent panel had announced that on the lines of the Mumbai Press Club, the Press Club of India will also start awards for journalists. But now this announcement has been shelved.

The Lahiri panel denies allegations

Newslaundry sent a questionnaire to Gautam Lahiri, including queries on allegations about the lack of transparency in membership and unfulfilled promises.

In his response, Lahiri said, “On the membership issue, we follow the procedure as laid down in the Memorandum of Association (MOA) since 1958. As the media is enlarging every year, it is a routine process to give membership to bonafide journalists, who meet the criteria laid (MOA). We strongly refute the allegations raised by the ‘opposition’ as you have mentioned. Nevertheless, if there is any concrete proof of allegations we promise to hold enquiry. As per the MOA, giving membership to any journalist is the sole prerogative of the Managing Committee. As the annual General Election of the PCI has been announced, the total roll of membership is with the election authority of the club. Approximately 100 journalists (ordinary membership) have been given membership during the past one-year tenure of this committee.”

On the promise to institute an award, he said, “After 2021, the entire country was reeling under pandemic…No organisation was ready to sponsor such an award on the lines of the Mumbai Press Club award. But you will be glad to know that in 2023, PCI has awarded three journalists an award in the name of the country’s first journalist martyr in1887 – Ali Bakar. One English,one Hindi and one Urdu journalist were awarded for their work. If we are elected again, we will institute journalism awards on the lines of the Mumbai Press Club. We are searching for a sponsor who has no conflict of interest with the PCI or does not go against the core principles of media freedom that this institution stands for.”

 Read the full statement below.

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