Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Friday said democracies thrive when the press informs, questions and promotes informed public debate while remaining committed to facts, credibility and the highest professional standards. He added that press freedom is meaningful only when exercised with courage and responsibility.
Addressing the 80th Foundation Day celebrations of Organiser Weekly at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, the Vice President described the publication’s eight-decade journey as one of “continuity, resilience and sustained commitment to public discourse across generations.” Referring to Organiser’s legal challenge against censorship in 1949, he said it became a landmark in the evolution of media freedom in independent India, underlining the importance of an independent press willing to raise difficult questions.
V-P Radhakrishnan said Organiser has actively participated in national debates on unity, integrity, security, culture and governance over the decades. He cited its engagement with issues such as Jammu and Kashmir, the Praja Parishad movement, national security during the wars with China and Pakistan, Swadeshi, the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and several other significant developments in India’s public life.
Paying tribute to the publication’s role during the Emergency, the Vice President said Organiser and its sister publication, The Motherland, became rallying points for those committed to safeguarding constitutional democracy. Such moments, he said, demonstrate that the true value of press freedom lies in exercising it with courage.
During the event, the Vice President released two books—*Hindutva Discourse After Independence – Reading With Organiser Pages* by Prafulla Ketkar and Gautam Choubey, and Temples Beyond Bharat by Dr. Ujwala Chakradeo. Referring to the first book, he said Organiser’s eight decades of documentation provide an important archival record of India’s political, social and intellectual evolution and offer valuable insight into the development of Hindutva discourse in independent India.
Congratulating Bharat Prakashan Limited, the editorial team and readers on the publication’s 80th anniversary, V-P Radhakrishnan said that true to its enduring tagline, “Voice of the Nation”, Organiser has consistently highlighted issues that many chose to overlook. Echoing remarks made by RSS Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale during the programme, he said the publication has remained the “voice of the soul of the nation”, guided by a commitment to the larger national interest and the vision of building a strong, prosperous and self-confident Bharat.
Among those present at the event were RSS Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale, Bharat Prakashan Limited Managing Director Arun Kumar Goyal, Organiser Editor Prafulla Ketkar and RSS Delhi Prant Sanghchalak Dr. Anil Aggarwal.
