Nai Office : The 21-year-old national movement for inter-faith harmony led by renowned Indian author Dr. Khwaja Iftikhar Ahmed received a significant institutional boost, as senior journalists and the leadership of the Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ) formally pledged their support at a historic assembly in Harmony Secretariat, New Delhi.
Dr. Khwaja Iftikhar Ahmed, founder-president of the Inter-faith Harmony Foundation of India, addressed media professionals drawn from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, calling on them to counter divisive sectarian narratives weaponised for political gain.
The IFWJ, represented by President Gopal Misra, Vice President Upendra Singh Rathore, and National Secretary P. Anandam, formally committed to advancing “unity in diversity” through the federation’s national platforms. Somaiah Mamidi, President of the Telangana Working Journalist Union and Salman Khan President of Madhya Pradesh Journalist Union, joined fellow office bearers in pledging to use media channels to bridge social and economic divides and foster peaceful coexistence.
The assembly doubled as a cultural exchange, with Midday journalist Roma Misra presenting her book “Palkon Ki Munder” to Dr. Ahmed in the presence of noted writer and poet Dr. Nishi Misra, affirming the arts as an instrument of social advocacy.
National Secretary Vishwadev added historical weight to the occasion by presenting volumes on his grandfather K. Rama Rao, founder-editor of the National Herald, freedom fighter, and parliamentarian who helped draft the IFWJ constitution, alongside “Na Ruki Na Jhuki Ye Kalam”, a work by his late father Dr. K. Vikram Rao, former IFWJ President and a journalist imprisoned for resisting press censorship during the Emergency.
The IFWJ’s endorsement directly reinforces Dr. Khwaja Iftikhar Ahmed’s landmark publication, “The Meeting of Minds: A Bridging Initiative”, and signals a renewed commitment by India’s press community to champion authentic inter-faith dialogue over polarising rhetoric.
The President of Journalist Union of Delhi (JUD) Maroof Raza was also present along with his teammates.
