Shivani Pandey-
Published on: August 2, 2021, at 10:30 AM
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition has been filed in the Bombay High Court seeking a direction to the Maharashtra government to classify Journalists and other staff from the Media Industry as frontline workers and permit local train travel.
Advocate Sudha Dwivedi representing Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh stated that Journalists have already been recognized as frontline workers in 12 States and Maharashtra’s Government torpidly in doing the same suffers from the doctrine of reasonableness.
‘There cannot be instant justice, but there cannot be constant delays either,’ the plea stated, quoting Vice president M Venkaiah Naidu.
The petition strongly stated that the Covid stuck Citizens heavily relied on Journalists and News media for accurate information during the pandemic.
“Suffice to say that the common man was made aware about the laws of the land, be it in the form of legislative or in the form of judicial, relatively because of the journalists doing their jobs the way they were supposed to, i.e in a noble manner” the plea stated.
Requesting the Court to consider the significant role journalists have played in the pandemic, the association pleaded that it is necessary for them to be treated as frontline workers. The petition highlights the fact that several journalists come from modest backgrounds and live in Mumbai’s suburbs.
“Without even thinking of diminishing the importance of the frontline workers, such as health-care, police, clean-up related personnel amongst others, the journalists and media in general, have played an equally important role to which one may not turn Nelson’s eye”, the petition mentioned.
The Petition subsequently prayed to allow the journalists and other staff in the Media Industry, especially in the City of Mumbai, to avail the suburban train service or the Mumbai Local.
Also read: Bombay High Court: Fully vaccinated allowed to enter Goa without Negative Report