NEW DELHI: Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan, who graced the 80th Foundation Day celebrations of Organiser weekly on Friday, praised the publication for its steadfast stand during the Emergency and its historic fight against censorship.
He said that responsible journalism and a courageous press are indispensable pillars of a vibrant democracy.
He said democracy flourishes when the press informs, questions and encourages informed public debate with courage, responsibility and adherence to the highest professional standards.
Referring to the Organiser's legal challenge against censorship in 1949, he said the episode became a landmark in the evolution of media freedom in independent India, reinforcing the importance of an independent press willing to raise difficult questions.
The Vice President further said that over the decades, Organiser has actively participated in national debates on unity, integrity, security, culture and governance.
He referred to its engagement with issues concerning 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, C. P. Radhakrishnan noted that Organiser and its sister publication, The Motherland, became rallying points for those committed to safeguarding constitutional democracy.
He observed that such moments remind us that press freedom derives its true value when exercised with courage.
He also released the 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 Hindutva Discourse After Independence, the Vice President said that Organiser's eight decades of documentation constitute an important archival record of India's political, social and intellectual evolution and provide a valuable window into the evolution of Hindutva discourse in independent India.
Congratulating Bharat Prakashan Limited, the editorial team and readers on the significant milestone, C. P. Radhakrishnan said that, true to its enduring tagline, “Voice of the Nation”, Organiser has consistently brought to the forefront issues that many preferred to overlook.
Referring to the observations made by Dattatreya Hosabale during the programme, he noted that the Organiser has served as the “voice of the soul of the nation”, guided not by any narrow or self-serving motive but by an abiding commitment to the larger national interest and the vision of seeing Bharat emerge as a strong, prosperous and self-confident nation.
Among those present were Sarkaryavah of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Dattatreya Hosabale; Managing Director of Bharat Prakashan Limited, Arun Kumar Goyal; Editor of Organiser, Prafulla Ketkar; and Sanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's Delhi Prant, Dr Anil Aggarwal.