Kohima (Nagaland) [India], May 3 : Nagaland Minister Temjen Imna Along took to social media on Sunday to extend his wishes on World Press Freedom Day, sharing his thoughts on how journalists have often misspelled his name, yet continue to highlight stories from Nagaland that often go unnoticed by the rest of India.
In a post on X, the Nagaland Minister humorously acknowledged the various misspellings of his name by the media--"Temjin," "Timjen," and "Temken"--but added that despite these errors, he continues to "love the press." He further expressed his gratitude towards the media for consistently covering Nagaland, a region frequently overlooked by the broader national discourse.
"In my career, journalists have called me: 'Temjin', 'Timjen', 'Temken'. Once, memorably, 'the short minister from somewhere in the Northeast', and yet, I love the press. Because even when they spell my name wrong, they showed up. To Nagaland. To cover a story that most of India ignores," Along wrote.
He further saluted the journalists who travel to the Northeast and bring the region's untold stories to the forefront, adding, "On #WorldPressFreedomDay, I salute every journalist who travels to the Northeast, who tells our stories, who puts a face to a region many still cannot locate on a map."
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, the Congress party also raised concerns about the state of press freedom in India. They pointed to the country's rank of 157 in the World Press Freedom Index 2026, which places it in the "very serious" category.
In a post on X, the Congress party lamented the diminishing freedom of the press and expressed solidarity with journalists who continue to "speak truth to power" and safeguard democratic values.
"A free press is the voice of democracy, but today that voice is under attack. India ranks 157 in the World Press Freedom Index 2026, falling into the "very serious" category. On World Press Freedom Day, the Congress party stands firmly with every fearless voice that speaks truth to power and fights to protect democracy," Congress wrote.
May 3 acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. It is an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; assess the state of press freedom throughout the world; defend the media from attacks on their independence; and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a recommendation adopted at the 26th Session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991. This, in turn, was a response to a call by African journalists who, in 1991, produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration.
The Windhoek Declaration is a benchmark for ensuring press freedom worldwide. It began at a seminar in Windhoek in 1991, but the ideas exchanged by the African journalists and media professionals acted as a catalyst to encourage press freedom, independence, and pluralism in Africa and other parts of the world.