Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, an Indian journalist and writer from Assam, has made history by becoming the first journalist from the Northeast and the first woman journalist to be elected President of the Press Club of India (PCI).
Pisharoty led a clean sweep in the elections, with her team winning all office-bearer and managing committee positions, securing an emphatic 21–0 victory in the polls held on Saturday, December 13. The counting of votes took place on Sunday.
Speaking to EastMojo, Pisharoty described her initial reaction to the win as one of gratitude and responsibility.
“My first feeling was gratitude to all the members who thought I could do justice to the position. This position has been given to a woman for the first time. The second feeling is responsibility. We have a very talented team, put together very thoughtfully, and I am sure we will be able to do a lot, carry forward what the previous team has done, and also take it a few notches higher,” she said.
Highlighting the significance of her election, Pisharoty noted that the role carries a double responsibility, as it is both the first time a woman has headed the PCI and the first time a journalist from the Northeast has held the position.
“For any new president, the challenge is how to take the institution forward. But being a woman from the Northeast, I feel an added responsibility, not just as president, but as the first woman president and the first journalist from the Northeast to be in this position, on what more can be done for women journalists and to make the space more inclusive,” she said.
“I also belong to a region where people often feel that New Delhi does not care much. That, too, is an added responsibility—to make this place more vibrant and inclusive,” she added.
Reflecting on her three-decade-long career, Pisharoty recalled joining journalism at a young age.
“This is my 30th year in journalism. I was 21 and still studying after graduation when I joined UNI. I was the first woman from the Northeast to be hired at the New Delhi headquarters. Over these 30 years, I have not only broken glass ceilings but also worked with many women who have done the same,” she said.
On what inspired her as a journalist, Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty said she entered the profession at a time when strong newsroom values shaped young reporters.
“We joined at a time when journalism was practised seriously in newsrooms. Nothing else was acceptable. I feel very lucky to have had seniors who would never compromise on journalism. That gave me a strong grounding,” she said.
Pisharoty is the author of two books, Assam: The Accord: The Discord and The Assamese: A Portrait of a Community. She has previously worked with The Wire, The Hindu and United News of India (UNI).
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