Organiser drew strength from the collective consciousness of the society – Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan Ji
New Delhi. Organiser (Weekly) marked eight decades of nationalist journalism with the grand celebration of “Organiser: 80 Years of Media Movement”, where Vice President of Bharat C. P. Radhakrishnan Ji and RSS Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale Ji paid rich tributes to the publication’s enduring contribution to journalism, public discourse, and nation-building. They described Organiser as a thought movement, a fearless advocate of press freedom, and the voice of the nation’s conscience that has consistently upheld Bharat’s civilisational values and nationalist perspective over the past 80 years.
Speaking at the valedictory session, RSS Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale Ji revisited his college days and explained how Organiser shaped his and the larger society’s ideas and personalities. He thus exclaimed that for 8 decades, Organiser has played a pivotal role in shaping ideas, thoughts, arguments and nationalist perspectives. He thus thanked Organiser for being a “distant and affectionate teacher”, during his early days in the University campus of Bengaluru.
Sarkaryavah Ji further said that the Organiser is not just a weekly, but it is a thought movement and an integral part of the national movement, in the pre-digital era. The Organiser is rooted in ethical journalism and is a fierce advocate of freedom of press, he further added. He also affirmed that Organiser is the most quoted magazine in the Parliament.
He also remembered the fierce and brave journalism of K.R. Malkani, who is the former editor of Organiser. He said, KR Malkan was a thought leader and a crusader of freedom of speech. Despite being kept behind bars, during emergency, KR Malkani strived for freedom of speech and democracy.
Dattatreya Hosabale Ji also underscored that the Organiser has produced and nourished hundreds of journalists and writers across the country, who have later contributed immensely to the nationalistic discourses.
Meanwhile, highlighting the attributes of ethical journalism, Dattatreya Hosabale Ji reiterated that journalism is not just disseminating the news. But it is, educating the people & shaping ideas and public views. Journalism should not be driven by the profit-oriented market like any other business. Thus, he congratulated the Organiser for striving for idealism and nationalistic ideology beyond profit and acting as the “voice of the soul of the nation” for eight decades even amidst contemporary challenges.
Vice President of Bharat C.P. Radhakrishnan, acknowledged himself as an ordinary swayamsevak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) who is indulged in national duty. He reiterated it represents continuity, resilience and sustained commitment across generations in public discourses and nationalistic journalism.
He also revisited his younger days, where he was reading Organiser and gaining knowledge, facts and perspectives about national issues. He said, Organiser was born during one of the turbulent times in history and drew strength from the collective consciousness of the society to accelerate nationalistic journalism. The birth of Organiser during independence reflects the ethos of participative democracy, the Vice President asserted. He highlighted how Organiser acted as the voice of the people and refugees during partition.
The Vice President also mentioned that the Organiser has always advocated for the unity, integrity, culture and national security of Bharat. He illustrated how the Organiser raised critical and nationally important questions under crucial circumstances. This includes the issues in Jammu & Kashmir during 1950s, the untimely death of Shyam Prasad Mukherjee or the mysterious death of Lal Bahadur Shastri.
The Vice President also highlighted that today Organiser is accessible in more than 54 countries including UK, USA, Canada, thus channelising the perspective of Bharat on the global stage. Eight decades of journalism also renders great archival value to the Organiser, thus it is a “great historical recorder of independent Bharat”, the Vice President thus hailed the contributions of the organiser in the post-independent Bharat in articulating nationalist thoughts and journalism with ethics and integrity.