ECI Desk
“I am speaking like a wounded editor" - Amitabh Agnihotri
Noida: At FM News Channel’s conclave “Udaan,” Amitabh Agnihotri, President of the Editors Club of India, attended as a distinguished guest. He responded to Vishal Kalra’s sharp questions with remarkable ease and composure.
"Today, I am not speaking as a president, but as a wounded editor—
like an editor who, every single day sees some truth being killed right in front of him.
Our pen is called the heartbeat of democracy, but the truth is, that very pen is also the most restrained, suppressed, and crushed.
We are the ones who hear the truth first in this country, and often, we are the first to suffer the consequences. We carry the pain of every incident to the world, yet no one listens to our own pain. We become the voice of others, but to keep our own voice alive we have to constantly struggle.
At times, there is pressure from those in power; at times, the burden of capital; at times, the compulsions within our own institutions; and above all, the same old question from the public:
“Why don’t journalists report the truth?”
No one asks: Who allowed them to write? Who allowed them to stand? Who paid the price for speaking the truth?
We give more time to the nation than to our own families, and what do we receive in return? - Doubt, accusations, and often, not even basic security.
We write stories through sleepless nights, but who understands the loss of our own sleep?
Friends, being an editor is no longer just a profession, it is a trial by fire.
Every day, we must prove ourselves; every day, we must fight some force or the other.
But this is also the moment where I ask you for a promise— we will no longer remain divided.
No one will be able to buy us, no one will be able to silence us through fear.
We will become each other’s shield, each other’s strength.
The Editors Club of India is the front line of our fight.
Our voice will no longer be suppressed- it will be loud and loud enough that the country will have no choice but to listen.
The truth will no longer walk alone. We stand with it- and together, we are here to change history.
Thank you.
Jai Hind. Jai Editors Club of India."
"Today, I am not speaking as a president, but as a wounded editor—
like an editor who, every single day sees some truth being killed right in front of him.
Our pen is called the heartbeat of democracy, but the truth is, that very pen is also the most restrained, suppressed, and crushed.
We are the ones who hear the truth first in this country, and often, we are the first to suffer the consequences. We carry the pain of every incident to the world, yet no one listens to our own pain. We become the voice of others, but to keep our own voice alive we have to constantly struggle.
At times, there is pressure from those in power; at times, the burden of capital; at times, the compulsions within our own institutions; and above all, the same old question from the public:
“Why don’t journalists report the truth?”
No one asks: Who allowed them to write? Who allowed them to stand? Who paid the price for speaking the truth?
We give more time to the nation than to our own families, and what do we receive in return? - Doubt, accusations, and often, not even basic security.
We write stories through sleepless nights, but who understands the loss of our own sleep?
Friends, being an editor is no longer just a profession, it is a trial by fire.
Every day, we must prove ourselves; every day, we must fight some force or the other.
But this is also the moment where I ask you for a promise— we will no longer remain divided.
No one will be able to buy us, no one will be able to silence us through fear.
We will become each other’s shield, each other’s strength.
The Editors Club of India is the front line of our fight.
Our voice will no longer be suppressed- it will be loud and loud enough that the country will have no choice but to listen.
The truth will no longer walk alone. We stand with it- and together, we are here to change history.
Thank you.
Jai Hind. Jai Editors Club of India."
