Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists completed 52 years in the service of the practitioners of journalism in the state on Monday, 17th August 2009. Founded on 17th August 1957, the APUWJ is now the biggest Union of working journalists in the country. The Foundation day was commemorated throughout the state by holding meetings.

In Hyderabad, the day was celebrated by garlanding the statue of the doyen of Indian journalism and founder of the journalists professional and trade union movement in the country, M Chalapathi Rau at the Tri-Junction at the Chalapati Rau Journalists Colony, Jubilee Hills.

Press Academy of Andhra Pradesh Chairman D Amar, Indian Journalists Union Secretary-General, K Sreenivas Reddy, Secretary K Amarnath, National Exccutive Members M A Majid, K Satyanarayana , APUWJ President D Somasundar, General Secretary  Y Narender Reddy, Secretary Riaz Ahmed, Senior Journalist and head of the MAHA TV, I Venkat Rao, Editor K Sekhar  Reddy,  NSS Managing Editor  Konda Lakshma Reddy,  TV9 Input Editor A Suresh Kumar, AP Electronic Media Journalists Association President C Hariprasad, senior Journalist Pasam Yadagiri garlanded the statue of M Chalapathi Rau, popularly known as MC, and paid homage.
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Speaking on the occasion, K Sreenivas Reddy and D Amar called upon the journalists to rededicate themselves to uphold the freedom of the press and highest values of the profession. They said the APUWJ played a historic role in achieving several welfare measures for the journalists in the state and evolved as a role model for the journalists elsewhere in the country. They urged on the members of the Union to redouble their efforts for upholding the freedom of the press and for maintaining the ethical values in the profession. Foundation Day functions were simultaneously held at Vijayawada, Srikakulam, Rajahmundry , Machilipatnam and other places.