Organiser's 80-year journey celebrated with new publications launch

Vice‑President C P Radhakrishnan addressed the audience at India Habitat Centre on July 3, emphasizing that a vibrant democracy requires a press that educates citizens with accurate facts, poses hard‑hitting questions and encourages a well‑rounded public conversation, while maintaining the highest journalistic standards. He added that press freedom is genuine only when exercised with both daring and responsibility.

During the ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the "Organiser" weekly, the Vice‑President lauded the magazine’s eight‑decade record as an embodiment of continuity, resilience and an enduring devotion to public debate that has reached across generations. He highlighted the 1949 legal struggle against censorship, labeling it a pivotal episode that advanced media liberty in free India and demonstrated the press’s willingness to confront tough issues.

He noted that for decades the "Organiser" has actively engaged on topics such as national unity, integrity, security, cultural identity and governance. Specific references were made to its reporting on Jammu‑Kashmir concerns, the Praja Council movement, wars with China and Pakistan, the Swadeshi initiative, the Ram Janmabhoomi dispute and numerous other landmark events shaping Indian public life.

Radhakrishnan also cited the publication’s contribution during the Emergency, where the "Organiser" and its sister journal "The Midland" became vital hubs for those defending constitutional democracy. He concluded that moments like these remind us that press freedom attains its true value only when wielded with resolve.

The event also featured the launch of two new books: "Hindutva Discourse After Independence – Reading with Organiser Pages" by Prafulla Ketkar and Gautam Chaubey, and "Temples Beyond India" by Dr Ujjwala Chakradev. The Vice‑President praised these works as essential records of India’s political, social and intellectual evolution.