Press Club of India elections: Battle to reassert ‘democratic-secular values’ vs RSS influence |
“We will not succumb to this attack. Today, the world should know what Hindustan is doing to Kashmir. The world should know that this is Modi’s India, not Gandhi’s,” declared Sheikh Abdul Rashid – then an independent MLA, today a sitting MP – his voice steady even as black ink and oil dripped from his clothes. Moments earlier, a Hindu fringe group had hurled the mixture at him outside the Press Club of India, enraged by his criticism of the government.
Rashid had just concluded a press conference where he accused the Centre of “dividing the country on religious lines” and spotlighted two Kashmiri truck drivers attacked in Udhampur, whose relatives he had brought to Delhi.
It was October 19, 2015 – a date that has since become part of the Press Club of India’s lore.
The incident underscored how the club, reasserting its 'democratic-secular' bearings under left-liberal executive committees after a faction-controlled era through the 2000s, had remained a rare safe space for anti-establishment voices and for protesting attacks on press freedom.
A sanctuary for dissent
Over the past decade and a half, the Press Club has repeatedly positioned itself against what its members describe as alleged attempts by the government or its supporters to influence, or even take over, the institution. This defensive posture has become central to the club’s image.
As the club heads into its annual elections on December 13, that sense of vigilance dominates conversations among its left members. For many of them, the election is not merely about choosing new office-bearers but about preserving the club’s character as a democratic, secular space.
Any individual or collective challenge to the entrenched left-liberal “syndicate,” critics say, is interpreted internally as part of a broader design by the Narendra Modi government to capture or neutralise the institution. Even suggestions that the club should more actively promote journalism through fellowships draw sharp reaction.
A familiar election script – with fewer challengers
Like in the last two years, challengers to the left-liberal unity are scarce. Two office-bearers – joint secretary and treasurer – have already been elected unopposed. About 4,500 members of the press are eligible to vote for a president, vice-president, secretary general, joint secretary, treasurer and 16 members of the managing committee. This year, 32 candidates are contesting 21 posts – a stark contrast to the 63 who stood in 2022, when it was a full-fledged panel-versus-panel showdown.
The left-liberal alliance, victorious for nearly fifteen years, is widely expected to retain power. Leading the panel, freelance journalist Sangeeta Barroah Pisharoty is fighting for the........