Organiser (newspaper)

Organiser is the official publication of the Hindu nationalist volunteer organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),^[1] launched as a newspaper in 1947 in the weeks before the Partition of India. It has since been edited by A. R. Nair, K. R. Malkani, L. K. Advani, V. P. Bhatia, Seshadri Chari and R. Balashanker. ^[2] The current editor is Prafulla Ketkar. Organiser was relaunched in a magazine format since the edition of 1 April 2014.

History

Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), was opposed to publicity and mass communication. He preferred informal communication of verbal messages carried by RSS pracharaks (full-time workers). However, after the second world war, the `activist pracharaks' - those that favoured more wide-ranging activities for the RSS than societal organisation - argued that the RSS needed to publicise its position on the Partition, on the goals of independent India and on how Hindus should respond to communal tension. After discussion, the RSS leaders consented to the establishment of trusts that could publish newspapers and journals sympathetic to the RSS.^[3]

In late 1946, swayamsevaks (volunteer members) in the Punjab and Delhi region sold shares for the Bharat Prakashan Trust and raised Rs. 400,000. The Trust started publishing the Organiser as a weekly starting on 3 July 1947. The initial issues of Organiser focused on the impending partition of India and called for resistance to such proposals.^[4]

The 1948 ban of the RSS following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and the press attacks on the RSS strengthened the `activist' members calling for a network of newspapers. In subsequent years, further newspapers were started in vernacular languages, including Panchjanya and Rashtra Shakti, and a news wire service Hindusthan Samachar.^[5]

`Activist' members of the RSS worked for the Organiser and other newspapers of the RSS. They were also the most regular contributors to the Organiser, writing on a wide range of social and policy issues where the RSS had a point of view.

• In 1952, Organiser opposed Federalism and separate provincial governments. It also opposed the linguistic reorganisation of the states.^[1]
• It opposed the Hindu Code Bill.^[6]
• It covered the reconversion of Muslims and Christians.^[7]
• It announced the formation of the Sangh Parivar organisations such as the Vishva Hindu Parishad and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, and explained their rationale.^[8] It also printed regular news reports regarding their activities.
• It argued for political participation by the RSS.^[9]
• It contemplated the form of the national government, whether it should be parliamentary, presidential, or some other form.^[10]
• It expressed outrage about the perceived injustices to Hindus.^[11]
• It denounced the Mandal Commission recommendation of reservations.^[12]
• It denounced multinationals, the World Bank loans and the economic liberalisation.^[13]
• It campaigned against the NCERT textbooks that went against Hindu nationalist views.

See also

• Panchjanya (newspaper)

References

Sources

External links

• ORGANISER