The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is facing media trouble from unexpected quarters. The employees of its official English and Hindi publications, Organiser and Panchjanya, have revolted against the management of Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Limited, which runs the two publications. However, fear of retribution has forced them to keep their rebellion extremely guarded.
Instead of publicly venting their grievances or taking legal recourse, they have sought RSS chief Mohan Bhagawat’s intervention for the resolution of issues they have been agitating against. In a letter written to Bhagawat, these employees have pointed out that they didn’t mind working on low wages – sometimes even getting their salaries in bits and parts – when the financial condition of the publications was not good.
“But the situation has changed now, and the company is showing profits,” the letter said, adding that the new management is still keeping them in deprivation. “In violation of all rules, even our basic salaries have been tampered with. When someone tries to object to these violations, he is victimised,” the letter said.
According to a senior editorial member of the Organiser, “The advertisement situation as well as the circulation of both the RSS organs have improved dramatically after the formation of the Narendra Modi government. The present management of Bharat Prakash that began functioning after the formation of the government is discriminating against the old employees, those who worked at very low wages during the bad days of the Organiser and the Panchjanya.”
Uncertain future
Bharat Prakashan’s managing director Paramanand Mohariya, who took charge on August 13, 2014, three months after the formation of the Modi government, said he was not aware of any such letter to Bhagawat.
“I have no knowledge about the existence of any such letter,” Mohariya said. "All the allegations in the letter you are referring to are baseless,” he added.
The employees of the Organiser and the Panchjanya, however, are waiting for Bhagawat’s intervention. “Working for the Organiser and the Panchjanya is like performing our national duty. But we are deeply anxious about our future because of the way we are being subjected to mental and financial torture by the present management,” said the letter dated December 2, 2015.
The letter cited four specific examples of victimisation of senior employees, who were allegedly forced to sign on their resignation letters, and accused the management of Bharat Prakashan of creating “an atmosphere of fear” within the RSS publications.
The employees have also threatened that, in case the victimisation continues, they would be forced to think about legal action. “Victimisation of staffers is rampant. There is an atmosphere of fear in the office. If this does not stop, we will be forced to think about legal options,” the letter said.
Copies of the letter have also been sent to RSS general secretary (Sarkaryavah) Bhaiyyaji Joshi, joint general secretaries (Sah Sarkaryavahs) Dattatreya Hosabale, Krishna Gopal, Bhagaiah and Suresh Soni as well as to the Sangh’s all India communication incharge Manmohan Vaidya.
Organiser, the official English publication of the RSS, was launched as a weekly newspaper in July 1947. In April last year, months before the new management took over Bharat Prakashan, it was relaunched in a magazine format. Panchjanya, the Sangh’s Hindi paper, was launched a few months after its English counterpart, on January 14, 1948, with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as its first editor.
Full text of the staffers' letter to the RSS chief
Instead of publicly venting their grievances or taking legal recourse, they have sought RSS chief Mohan Bhagawat’s intervention for the resolution of issues they have been agitating against. In a letter written to Bhagawat, these employees have pointed out that they didn’t mind working on low wages – sometimes even getting their salaries in bits and parts – when the financial condition of the publications was not good.
“But the situation has changed now, and the company is showing profits,” the letter said, adding that the new management is still keeping them in deprivation. “In violation of all rules, even our basic salaries have been tampered with. When someone tries to object to these violations, he is victimised,” the letter said.
According to a senior editorial member of the Organiser, “The advertisement situation as well as the circulation of both the RSS organs have improved dramatically after the formation of the Narendra Modi government. The present management of Bharat Prakash that began functioning after the formation of the government is discriminating against the old employees, those who worked at very low wages during the bad days of the Organiser and the Panchjanya.”
Uncertain future
Bharat Prakashan’s managing director Paramanand Mohariya, who took charge on August 13, 2014, three months after the formation of the Modi government, said he was not aware of any such letter to Bhagawat.
“I have no knowledge about the existence of any such letter,” Mohariya said. "All the allegations in the letter you are referring to are baseless,” he added.
The employees of the Organiser and the Panchjanya, however, are waiting for Bhagawat’s intervention. “Working for the Organiser and the Panchjanya is like performing our national duty. But we are deeply anxious about our future because of the way we are being subjected to mental and financial torture by the present management,” said the letter dated December 2, 2015.
The letter cited four specific examples of victimisation of senior employees, who were allegedly forced to sign on their resignation letters, and accused the management of Bharat Prakashan of creating “an atmosphere of fear” within the RSS publications.
The employees have also threatened that, in case the victimisation continues, they would be forced to think about legal action. “Victimisation of staffers is rampant. There is an atmosphere of fear in the office. If this does not stop, we will be forced to think about legal options,” the letter said.
Copies of the letter have also been sent to RSS general secretary (Sarkaryavah) Bhaiyyaji Joshi, joint general secretaries (Sah Sarkaryavahs) Dattatreya Hosabale, Krishna Gopal, Bhagaiah and Suresh Soni as well as to the Sangh’s all India communication incharge Manmohan Vaidya.
Organiser, the official English publication of the RSS, was launched as a weekly newspaper in July 1947. In April last year, months before the new management took over Bharat Prakashan, it was relaunched in a magazine format. Panchjanya, the Sangh’s Hindi paper, was launched a few months after its English counterpart, on January 14, 1948, with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as its first editor.
Full text of the staffers' letter to the RSS chief
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