The Beast, FCC Newsletter, March 2024
The Governing Committee of FCC South Asia for 2023-25 is looking forward to meet and greet you, and also implement wonderful plans to make the Club a vibrant and happening place. We are now again organising events at the FCC's well-equipped auditorium and the lawns. This is the March 2024 issue of our newsletter The Beast with a story on the special preview of the film, ‘Yes Papa’, a discussion with Ajay Bisaria on his book, Anger Management, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud for an interaction, a book discussions on ‘Being Muslim in Hindu India’by journalist Ziya Us Salam, and India-China Relations. Plus FCC Monthly Quiz.
You may kindly share interesting stories/experiences during your reporting assignments, and news about journalists who arrive in India or depart after completing their assignment, with The Beast's Editor Simran Sodhi. Contact her at simraj68@yahoo.com
WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS
 
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS

Ruslan Imaev
RT (Russia Today)
Editor, Head of Social Media, RT India
JOURNALIST ASSOCIATES
Jaya Aditya P Reddy
The First Witness

Kelly Kislaya
The First Witness

Swadeep Srivastava
BOTT - Business of Travel Trade
 
GENERAL ASSOCIATES
Aroon Kumar Aggarwal
Bradford Consultants LLP

Vijay Kumar Choudhary
NBCC
 
ABOUT FCC SOUTH ASIA
 
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia is a group of more than 700 journalists and photographers covering India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Afghanistan and Tibet.

New members are always welcome. The club was started by “Foreign” correspondents, or those who work for news outlets outside of the region. However, we welcome journalists from Indian newspapers, magazines, television channels and news portals. In addition to journalists, we also admit diplomats, lawyers, and people dealing with the media from non-governmental organizations and companies as Associate Members.

As India’s economy has boomed in recent years, and tensions continued to grip Afghanistan and other neighboring areas, the FCC has become an important meeting point for far-flung travelling journalists to reconnect and recharge. The club has also substantially expanded what it offers to members, to include more press conferences, sports match screenings, book launches and other cultural events.
 
MARCH 2024 EVENTS
 
FCC Monthly Quiz
6 pm, March 30, 2024
FEBRUARY 2024 EVENTS
 
FCC Monthly Quiz

6 pm, February 24, 2024
INDIA-CHINA RELATIONS TODAY

6 pm, February 19, 2024
BEING MUSLIM IN HINDU INDIA

6 pm, February 16, 2024
BANGLADESH-INDIA RELATIONS TODAY

6 pm, February 8, 2024
PAKISTAN: AN INDIAN DIPLOMAT REMEMBERS

6 pm, February 6, 2024
SPECIAL PREVIEW OF YES PAPA

6 pm, February 2, 2024
 

This edition of The Beast has a report on the special preview of the film, ‘Yes Papa’, a discussion with Ajay Bisaria on his book, Anger Management, an interaction with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, book discussions on ‘Being Muslim in Hindu India’ by journalist Ziya Us Salam, and India-China Relations. Plus FCC Quiz.


On Feb 2, the FCC held a special preview of the film, ‘Yes Papa’. Saif Hyder Hasan, who produced, wrote and directed the film, was present for the screening. Actors Anant Mahadevan, Geetika Tyagi, Nandita Puri, Hasan Zaidi, and music director Ratnesh Bhagat and Producer Sadia M Hasan also joined in virtually.

The film touches on a sensitive issue but as the audience pointed out, it has been shot and directed with much delicacy. It was a powerful message that the movie delivered and the session later, where the audience interacted with the director and the leading actors, threw light on how the funding for the movie took place and how it came to fruition. The movie has also won four awards at the India International Film Festival of Boston.


On Feb 6, the FCC hosted diplomat Ajay Bisaria for a discussion on his book, Anger Management, an interesting take on Pakistan and on the frayed relations between India and Pakistan. It was a discussion that went on for more than one hour, and the audience had many questions regarding Pakistan, the elections and its current political status. Bisaria had served as India’s last High Commissioner to Islamabad, and his insights provided for a wonderful interaction.

On Feb 8, the FCC hosted the Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud for an interaction.


It was an auditorium filled to capacity and the Bangladesh Foreign Minister, after making his opening remarks, took questions from the audience. There was a wide range of issues and questions posed to him, ranging from the recent elections in Bangladesh, to the India- Bangladesh relations today and the perspective of the western nations to the elections in Bangladesh. Dr. Mahmud answered the questions patiently and it was a great session for all as he offered his and his government’s views on the various issues raised.



On Feb 16, the FCC hosted a discussion on ‘Being Muslim in Hindu India’, a book by journalist Ziya Us Salam. It was an interesting discussion where the audience and the author discussed the current state of Muslims in India. There were many questions posed to the author about the various facets of his book. He answered them in an interaction that lasted for about an hour.

On Feb 19, the FCC hosted a discussion on India-China Relations. Three Indian authors, Dr Kavita Sharma who has written ‘India and China: Expansion, Equity and Excellence’, Madhav Das Nalapat who has authored the book, ‘Cold War 2.0’ and Shastri Ramachandran who has written a book titled, ‘Beyond Binaries: The world of India and China’ discussed the topic with JNU Professor Srikant Kondapalli. It was a great discussion as this topic is


debated and discussed within the arena of global politics very frequently. The audience was equally involved, and it was a discussion that covered many important aspects of the India- China ties today.



On Feb 24, the FCC hosted the sixth round of the monthly Quiz. It was a great evening filled with fun, where a total of eight teams participated. There were questions from the world of arts to sports to science. The audience members were also active participants in the quiz.

The quiz master was senior journalist Srinjoy Choudhary, a veteran of about a thousand quiz competitions either as quiz master or participant, and author of a few quiz books too. The Ambassador of Belgium to India Didier Vanderhasselt  was the chief guest and handed the prizes to the winners.

All in all, it was a great event which is being held on the last Saturday of every month.

It was sponsored by the Prabha Khaitan Foundation, which provided the winners with lovely prizes.

The next quiz will be held on March 30.



Editor: Simran Sodhi
Design: Anil Yadav




Gallery
Yes Papa
The discussion with Diplomat Ajay Bisaria on his book 'Anger Management'
An exclusive interaction with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud
A discussion on‘Being Muslim in Hindu India’, a book by journalist Ziya Us Salam
The discussion on three books on India-China Relations
The Monthly FCC Quiz


FCC Members Can Now Enjoy Access to 45 Clubs in 30 Countries!
FCC South Asia is a Member of The International Association of Press Clubs (IAPC), and our Active Members can enjoy access to Clubs that are Members of the IAPC (https://pressclubs.org). Our members can now have access to 45 clubs in 30 countries across the globe. By presenting your valid FCC Membership Card, you can gain entry to the Clubs that are listed below:
1. NATIONAL PRESS CLUB OF AUSTRALIA
Canberra ACT
Phone: +61 2 6121 2152
Email: npc@npc.org.au

2. PRESS CLUB CONCORDIA
A-1010 Wien, Austria
Phone: +43 1 533 85 73
Email: office@concordia.at

3. BRUSSELS PRESS CLUB EUROPE
Brussels, Belgium
Phone: +32 2 201 37 05
Email: secretary@pressclub.be

4. PRESS CLUB BELARUS
220029 Minsk
Phone: +375 33 361 57 48
Email: press-club@press-club.by

5. MAISON DE LA PRESSE DE LIEGE ET DE LUXEMBOURG
4000 Liege
Phone: +32 4 222 23 39
Email: maisondelapresseliege@teledisnet.be

6. FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' CLUB OF CHINA
Beijing
Phone: +86 10 8532 3807
Email: fcccadmin@gmail.com

7. SHANGHAI FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' CLUB
Huangpu, Shanghai, China
Phone: +86 21 2311 1111
Email: fcc.sfcc@gmail.com

8. INTERNATIONAL PRESS CLUB OF PRAGUE
110 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic
Phone: +420 000 000 000
Email: sekretariat@ipcprague.org

9. PRESS CLUB DE FRANCE
92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux
Phone: +33 1 4133 7309
Email: info@pressclub.fr

10. CLUB DE LA PRESSE DE BORDEAUX
Bordeaux Cedex, France
Phone: +33 05 5644 0365
Email: contact@club-presse-bordeaux.

11. CLUB DE LA PRESSE DE LYON
Lyon, France
Phone: +33 04 7837 7545
Email: presselyon@clubpresse.com

12. CLUB DE LA PRESSE DE MONTPELLIER
Montpellier, France
Phone: +33 04 6765 3909
Email: secretary@clubpresse.org

13. CLUB DE LA PRESSE DE STRASBOURG
Strasbourg, France
Phone: +33 03 8835 6661
Email: info@club-presse-strasbourg.com

14. CLUB DE LA PRESSE NORD-PAS DE CALAIS
Lille Cedex, France
Phone: +33 03 2838 9840
Email: clubdelapressenpdc@nordnet.fr

15. BERLIN PRESS CLUB
Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49 30 40815504
Email: sekretariat@berliner-presse-club.de

16. FRANKFURTER PRESSECLUB
Frankfurt, Germany
Phone: +49 6928 8800
Email: info@frankfurterpresseclub.de
17. BIRMINGHAM PRESS CLUB
Birmingham, Great Britain
Phone: +44 00 0000 0000
Email: info@birmingham-press-club.co.uk

18. LONDON PRESS CLUB
London, Great Britain
Phone: +44 020 7520 9082
Email: info@londonpressclub.co.uk

19. FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' CLUB OF HONG KONG
Hong Kong
Phone: +852 2521 1511
Email: fcc@fcchk.org

20. THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' CLUB OF SOUTH ASIA
New Delhi, India
Phone: +91 11 2338 8535
Email: manager@fccsouthasia.com

21. PRESS CLUB OF INDIA
New Delhi, India
Phone: +91 11 2371 9844, +91 11 2373 0248, +91 11 2335

Email: contact@pressclubofindia.org

22. THE DELHI FLYING CLUB LTD.
Delhi, India
Phone: (+91) 91589 31656, (+91) 93508 56838
Email: secretary@delhiflyingclub.in

23. DEHRA DUN CLUB
Uttarakhand, India
Phone: 75057 75750, 0135 - 265 6660
Email: contact@doonclub.com

24. GULMOHAR CLUB
New Delhi, India
Phone: +91 9999562171, 011-26868139, 011-46098938
Email: info@gulmoharcentre.com

25. JAKARTA FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS CLUB
Jakarta, Indonesia
Phone: +62 21 390 36 28
Email: office@jfcc.info

26. JERUSALEM PRESS CLUB
Jerusalem, Israel
Email: info@jerusalempressclub.com

27. CIRCOLO DELLA STAMPA MILANO
Milano, Italy
Phone: +39 02 7602 2671
Email: eventi@circolostampamilano.it

28. JAPAN NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (JNPC)
Tokyo, Japan
Phone: +81 03 3503 2721
Email: secretary@jnpc.or.jp

29. FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' CLUB OF JAPAN
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: +81 3 3211 3161
Email: front@fccj.or.jp

30. FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' CLUB OF MALAYSIA
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Phone: +60 3 2028 5000
Email: info@fccm.my

31. NATIONAL PRESS CLUB OF MONGOLIA
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Phone: +976 9911 1851
Email: baika@hotmail.com
32. INTERNATIONAAL PERSCENTRUM NIEUWSPOORT
Den Haag, Netherlands
Phone: +31 70 346 94 40
Email: receptie@nieuwspoort.nl

33. NATIONAL PRESS CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND
Wellington, New Zealand
Phone: +64 4 474 13 08
Email: secretary@nationalpressclub.org.nz

34. PRESS CLUB POLSKA
Warszawa, Poland
Phone: +48 22 299 71 27
Email: sekretariat@pressclub.pl

35. POLISH CLUB OF INTERNATIONAL COLUMNISTS
Warszawa, Poland
Phone: +48 501 201 306
Email: bankowicz@acn.waw.pl

36. CLUBE DE JORNALISTAS
Lisbon, Portugal
Phone: +351 21 396 57 74
Email: cj@clubedejornalistas.pt

37. FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
Shaw Centre, Singapore
Phone: +65 9432-5695
Email: secretariat@fcasingapore.com

38. SINGAPORE PRESS CLUB
Singapur
Phone: +65 1234 5678
Email: secretariat@pressclub.org.sg

39. SEOUL FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS’ CLUB
Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82 734 3272~5
Email: master@sfcc.or.kr

40. BARCELONA PRESS CLUB - ASSOCIATION OF CATALAN JOURNALISTS / COL·LEGI DE PERIODISTES DE CATALUNYA
Barcelona, Spain
Phone: +34 933171920
Email: mvinas@periodistes.org

41. GENEVA PRESS CLUB / CLUB SUISSE DE LA PRESSE
Pregny-Chambésy, Switzerland
Phone: +41 22 559 77 95
Email: info@pressclub.ch

42. TAIWAN FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS’ CLUB
Taipei
Email: info@taiwanfcc.org

43. FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' CLUB OF THAILAND
Bangkok, Thailand
Phone: +66 02 652 0580 1
Email: info@fccthai.com

44. UKRAINIAN PRESS CLUBS ASSOCIATION
Kyiv city, Khreshchatyk
Email: info@pressclub.org.ua

45. OVERSEAS PRESS CLUB OF AMERICA
New York, United States of America
Phone: +1 212 626 92 20
Email: info@opcofamerica.org

46. National Press Club (of Bangladesh)
18, Topkhana Road, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
Phone: +88 02 223390203, +88 01730020370.
Email: nationalpressclubnpc@gmail.com/ mediacentre.pressclubbd@gmail.com
,