The International Press Institute's (India chapter) 'Award for Excellence in Journalism 2024', was given to Bhanu Prakash Chandra of THE WEEK for his coverage of the Ukraine war from the frontlines at a function in New Delhi on Friday. The award consists of ₹2 lakh, a memento and a certificate.
The jury also gave away a special award to a host of media outlets for their resolute coverage of the Manipur conflict. The winners included Vijaita Singh (The Hindu), Ashutosh Mishra (India Today), (Scroll.in), Caravan and The Print team.
The award was presented by Supreme Court Justice Abhay Sreenivas Oka, who said that “for democracy to survive and fundamental rights to remain intact, the judiciary has a crucial role to play in protecting journalists.”
In his presidential speech, Justice Madan Lokur expressed the importance of not only maintaining high standards but also the need to uphold the values of journalism. He emphasized that journalism serves the public good, benefiting society as a whole and warned that any pressure on journalists harms everyone.
While stating that journalism today demands courage, he also highlighted recent instances of harassment, including the seizure of journalists' laptops, as a worrying trend. He said, "Access to a website was recently blocked because the government did not find a cartoon funny."
Award-winning journalist Bhanu Prakash Chandra described journalists as the chroniclers of history.
Judge of the Supreme Court A. S. Oka saluted all the awardees and mentioned that this was the first time he had accepted such an invitation, as he believed judges should express themselves through their judgments. He shared a personal experience, stating that being a Marathi, he was required to read both Marathi and English newspapers, a habit that continued even after he became a judge. However, he pointed out that while judges have freedom, they often lack the time to read extensively. Referring to Justice Lokur’s speech, he highlighted the importance of Article 51A, which mandates that every citizen must abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions.
Oleksandr Polishchuk, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to India, expressed his deep appreciation for meeting journalists who have risked their lives in dangerous situations to uncover and report the truth from the frontlines. Speaking about the Ukraine war Polishchuk said, "57 journalists had been killed, with some falling victim to sniper attacks."
Guest of Honour G.K. Pillai acknowledged the impactful articles on Manipur, some of which were recognized at the event. He noted that despite the resignation of the Manipur chief minister and President's Rule, the crisis in Manipur persists. Reflecting on the situation, he emphasized that even after being powerful at both the Centre and State, the ruling dispensation failed to create buffer zones, leading to an unprecedented ethnic divide.
Every year IPI- India Chapter gives away the 'Award for Excellence in Journalism. A jury chaired by former supreme court judge Madan Lokur and consisting of Ms Shobhaa De, well known writer, Mr Vijay Joshi, Chief Editor of PTI and Mr Riyad Mathew chairman IPI- India selects the award winner.
