While new leadership takes hold at the Press Club of India in Delhi and a senior journalist, Shambhunath Chaudhary, has been elected president of the Ranchi Press Club in neighboring Jharkhand, these developments cast a stark light on the unrealized potential of Bihar’s journalists. Bihar, a state with a rich journalistic history that once guided the nation, tragically lacks its own dedicated press club. This void is especially poignant considering the Nitish Kumar government’s initiative in 2019. The government allocated 1.5 acres of land behind Patna’s Golghar to construct a modern press club building for journalists, presenting a historic opportunity for the state’s media fraternity. The building was occupied, membership drives began successfully attracting over 600 members and collecting ₹6 lakh in fees, and significant government funds were allocated. However, internal conflicts, ego clashes, and greed among a few influential journalists derailed the project before elections could even take place. The dream of the Patna Press Club crumbled before it could materialize. Faced with this disarray, the state government repossessed the building within months, repurposing it for the electricity department. This loss extends beyond a physical structure; it represents a significant blow to the collective credibility and opportunities for Bihar’s journalists.
