India, a thriving democracy asserting its influence globally: ANI Chairman Prem Prakash at his book launch

India is not just an emerging power but has power of its own in many ways, ANI Chairman and veteran journalist Prem Prakash has said and noted that the withdrawal by China in Pangong Lake area in eastern Ladakh as part of mutual disengagement agreement "is the first withdrawal Chinese may have made anywhere" and "further withdrawal is going to take place".

Speaking during an interactive event through video conferencing on February 20 in which his book 'Reporting India: My Seventy-Year Journey as a Journalist' was launched here by Lord Rami Ranger CBE.

The book authored by ANI Chairman Prem Prakash had earlier been launched in India.

Answering a query, the veteran journalist referred to progress made by India over the decades and its growing influence."India was known as land of snake charmers and elephants as I found in Britain.

But today it is not just an emerging power, it has power of its own in many ways.

We have just asserted it on the Chinese.

This is the first withdrawal that the Chinese may have made anywhere that they made in Ladakh just now and further withdrawal is going to take place," he said.

Prem Prakash is a pioneer in Indian journalism and in his long career has covered some of the most important stories of post-independence India including the 1962 war with China, 1965 and 1971 wars against Pakistan, Emergency, the assassination of Indira Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri's fateful Tashkent journey.

The book provides a detailed account of his professional life and stories he covered from Nehru's demise to rise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The 225-page book has been published by Penguin India and is also available on Amazon and Flipkart.