This meeting of the national executive of the National Union of Journalists(India) held at Rishikesh on May 19-20 expresses grave concern at the rising trend of physical assaults on working journalists including their killing in their offices, homes and on the streets, mostly by individuals and groups often supported and even encouraged by ruling parties, powerful entities and assorted brokers who fear truth. Working journalists and the media they work in are regularly targeted directly and indirectly and more often than not the public authorities who are expected to help them refuse to act in time and effectively. The situation has worsened with the rise of conformism in political parlance, perceived threat to mafias that grab land other resources with political support, blind hero worship in politics and general atmosphere of intolerance and appeasement. As reporters of events working journalists including cameramen and even office staff of newspaper and media establishments are exposed to vandalism and physical assaults by the groups claiming victimhood. The police fail to intervene in time or effectively and more often than not they come to the scene after the event despite getting tipped off. This meeting finds that the lack of a specific legal mandate to the law and order authorities to protect working journalists and other media staff is a major hurdle to media people to demand protection from vandals and mafia paid criminal gangs. To obviate this lecuanae and help demand entitlement to protection against physical assault, media staff especially working journalist need a specific law being enacted. The NUJ(I) notes the promise already made by Maharashtra to enact such a Working Journalists and other Media Personnel Protection Act treating them on par with public servants in this matter. This meeting demands that the Centre intervene to enact such a legislation and also encourage the states to follow suit. An action programme for such an enactment should be formulated and pursued by the NUJ(I) leadership.