Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan on 4 July 2025 addressed the 80th Foundation Day celebrations of Organiser Weekly at India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, asserting that democracies flourish only when the media informs citizens, poses meaningful questions, and fosters informed public debate while upholding facts, credibility, and the highest professional standards.

'Freedom of the press is meaningful only when exercised with courage and responsibility,' Radhakrishnan said, setting the tone for an address that wove together eight decades of the publication's history with broader reflections on media's role in a constitutional democracy.

A Publication Forged in India's Turbulent Dawn

Radhakrishnan described Organiser Weekly as one of the few publications that can claim to have 'witnessed, documented and participated in India's journey from the very dawn of Independence.' He characterised its eight-decade arc as one of 'continuity, resilience and sustained commitment to public discourse across generations.'

The Vice-President drew particular attention to a 1949 legal confrontation in which the publication challenged censorship orders before the Supreme Court after it raised issues concerning Hindus in Pakistan. 'The history of Organiser cannot be separated from the history of free expression in Independent India,' he said, calling the legal battle 'a landmark in the evolution of media freedom.'

Key Moments the Publication Covered

Radhakrishnan enumerated several defining chapters of post-Independence India that Organiser engaged with — including the Jammu and Kashmir question, the Praja Parishad movement, national security during the wars with China and Pakistan, the Swadeshi movement, and the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

He paid tribute to the publication's conduct during the Emergency, noting that Organiser and its sister publication The Motherland became rallying points for those committed to safeguarding constitutional democracy. 'Such moments remind us that press freedom derives its true value when exercised with courage,' he said.

Archival Value and Hindutva Discourse

The Vice-President stressed that Organiser's eight decades of documentation constitute an important archival record of India's political, social, and intellectual evolution, providing what he called 'a valuable window into the evolution of Hindutva discourse in Independent India.'

He congratulated Bharat Prakashan Limited, the editorial team, and readers on the milestone, noting that the publication had — true to its tagline 'Voice of the Nation' — consistently brought to the forefront issues that many preferred to overlook.

Books Released, Dignitaries Present

At the event, Radhakrishnan released two books: 'Hindutva Discourse After Independence – Reading With Organiser Pages', authored by Prafulla Ketkar and Gautam Choubey, and 'Temples Beyond Bharat' by Ujwala Chakradeo.

Referring to remarks made earlier at the event by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, Radhakrishnan noted that Organiser had served not merely as the 'voice of the nation' but as the 'voice of the soul of the nation', guided by an abiding commitment to the larger national interest rather than any narrow motive.

Others present included Bharat Prakashan Limited Managing Director Arun Kumar Goyal, Organiser editor Prafulla Ketkar, and RSS Delhi Prant Chief Anil Aggarwal. As the publication enters its ninth decade, the occasion marks both a historical reckoning and a renewed assertion of its editorial identity.