Bhubaneswar: The weekly magazines Organiser, Panchjanya and Rashtradeep, which focus on national thought and publish content centred around Bharat and Bharatiyata, need to significantly expand their reach. This was emphasised by Chittaranjan Mahapatra, editor of the weekly magazine Rashtradeep, published from Cuttack, while addressing a readers’ conference held at Saraswati Shishu Mandir, Unit-6, Bhubaneswar. The conference was chaired by Baikunthanath Sahu, Prant Kutumb Prabodhan Pramukh of RSS Odisha (Purv) Prant.
In his address, chief speaker Mahapatra posed a pertinent question: with so many magazines being published, why should one read Organiser, Panchjanya, and Rashtradeep? He explained that these magazines are unique because they strive to help readers understand Bharat, experience Bharat, and establish Bharat as Bharat.
He criticised the narrative propagated by colonial rulers, which misrepresented Bharat’s identity. According to him, the British depicted Bharat as a collection of fragmented states rather than a unified nation, portrayed Bharat’s history as a series of defeats, and described the Aryans as non-indigenous people who migrated to Bharat. They dismissed Bharat’s ancient texts, such as the Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas, as mere myths and characterised Bharat as a poor, backward, and starving country.
For decades, this negative discourse has been entrenched in Bharat’s society through literature, academic institutions, and foreign publications, leading to the creation of an intellectual class influenced by these perspectives.
Mahapatra emphasised that the articles published in these nationalistic magazines present fact-based narratives about Bharat, countering misinformation and highlighting the damage caused by false narratives. He added that engaging with such discussions and content fosters awareness of Bharat’s true identity and its rich heritage.
Quoting Swami Vivekananda, he stated, “When the educated intellectuals of this country study Bharat, experience its ethos, and work towards establishing it as Bharat, the process of Bharat becoming the ‘Vishwaguru’ (global teacher) will commence.”
Mahapatra asserted that these magazines not only help readers understand Bharat better but also awaken a sense of self-awareness in Bharat’s society. He credited the inspiration of the second RSS Sarsanghchalak, Guruji, for initiating these publications, which have been performing this significant task for decades.
Highlighting the importance of readers, Mahapatra remarked that every magazine’s best advisors are its readers. In line with this thought, readers such as Pradeep Nayak, Ganeshwar Satpathy, and Sudam Charan Nayak shared their insights during the conference.
The event commenced with welcome songs and a rendition of Vande Mataram by the students of Bandurga Sanskar Kendra. Vijay Ketan Sahu introduced the guests, while Neelamani Mahapatra elaborated on the objectives of the readers’ conference.
The conference was attended by Golak Chandra Das, Bhubaneswar correspondent of Rashtradeep; Hiranmay Das; Malati Mahapatra; Tapas Jena; Dilip Pati; Arjun Charan Nayak; and Rashtradeep’s manager Jyoti Prakash Mishra, among many others.
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