NEW DELHI: Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Friday asserted that democracies truly thrive only when the press informs, questions, and promotes informed public debate while remaining strictly committed to facts, credibility, and the highest professional standards.
Addressing the 80th Foundation Day celebrations of Organiser Weekly at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, the Vice President stated that press freedom becomes meaningful only when it is exercised with immense courage and responsibility.
He described the publication’s eight-decade journey as one defined by “continuity, resilience, and sustained commitment to public discourse across generations.”
A Legacy of Courage and Media Freedom
Reflecting on the publication’s history, VP Radhakrishnan pointed to Organiser’s legal challenge against censorship in 1949. He noted that this early fight became a landmark moment in the evolution of media freedom in independent India, fundamentally underlining the critical importance of an independent press that is willing to raise difficult questions.
He also paid a glowing tribute to the publication’s pivotal role during the Emergency. The Vice President highlighted that Organiser and its sister publication, The Motherland, became crucial rallying points for those fiercely committed to safeguarding constitutional democracy.
“Such moments demonstrate that the true value of press freedom lies in exercising it with courage,” he observed.
Documenting India’s Intellectual Evolution
Over the decades, Organiser has actively participated in and shaped national debates on unity, integrity, security, culture, and governance. VP Radhakrishnan cited the weekly’s extensive engagement with critical issues such as Jammu and Kashmir, the Praja Parishad movement, national security during the wars with China and Pakistan, the Swadeshi movement, and the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.
During the event, the Vice President released two significant books:
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Hindutva Discourse After Independence – Reading With Organiser Pages by Prafulla Ketkar and Gautam Choubey
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Temples Beyond Bharat by Dr. Ujwala Chakradeo
Referring to the first book, he remarked that Organiser’s eight decades of meticulous documentation provide an invaluable archival record of India’s political, social, and intellectual evolution, offering deep insights into the development of Hindutva discourse in independent India.
The ‘Voice of the Soul of the Nation’
Congratulating Bharat Prakashan Limited, the editorial team, and readers on the massive 80th-anniversary milestone, VP Radhakrishnan said that true to its enduring tagline, “Voice of the Nation,” Organiser has consistently highlighted issues that many others chose to overlook.
Echoing the remarks made earlier by RSS Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale, he concluded that the publication has remained the “voice of the soul of the nation,” constantly guided by an unwavering commitment to the larger national interest and the vision of building a strong, prosperous, and self-confident Bharat.
The grand event was attended by several prominent dignitaries, including RSS Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale, Bharat Prakashan Limited Managing Director Arun Kumar Goyal, Organiser Editor Prafulla Ketkar, and RSS Delhi Prant Sanghchalak Dr. Anil Aggarwal.
