TNINS 

Agra,  The Indo-Nepal-Bangladesh Conclave-2023 concluded, stressing the need for advancing towards collective prosperity by promoting mutual harmony and cooperation among all South Asian countries.  

The event held on May 17 was based on the subject of 'challenges and solutions in contemporary scenarios in media'. It was organized by the Press Club of India and UP Journalist Association, Agra branch in collaboration with the SAARC Journalists Forum. 

The Conclave was attended by 25 journalists from Nepal, 12 from Bangladesh and around 300 from India.  

India's central minister of state Pro SP Singh Baghel inaugurated the event and it was virtually addressed by UP Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak. During his address, the deputy chief minister described journalism as the 'the fourth pillar of democracy', highlighting the need to further strengthen it by bridging a gap between the power and journalism.  

"Incomplete and inaccurate media stuff in the name of competition are capable of misleading the society. Democracy will be at risk if any of its pillars turn weak," he said, urging journalists to fulfill their roles and responsibilities in a very transparent way.  

Uttar Pradesh minister Yogendra Upadhyay said the government and journalists were expected to think about the betterment of society and act accordingly.  

Addressing the event as a keynote speaker, senior journalist Vinod Agnihotri, said if the Agra Summit, a historic meeting between India and Pakistan had been successful, the maps of two countries would be different.    

Shiv Manohar Pandey, the State president of the Association, was of the view that issues of rural journalists were the priorities of none.  He was against restrictions in the media.  

SAARC Journalist Forum President Raju Lama said journalists were always on the frontline in South Asia for safeguarding democracy. He urged the Conclave to prioritize the issues of journalists in Afghanistan.  

Forum general secretary Mohammed Abdur Rahman from Bangladesh said India's democracy was prosperous and inspiring and other nations in the sub-region should learn from it.  

Senior journalist Arun Tripathi gave his presentation about challenges in journalism.