As we celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to commemorate 75 years of freedom and the glorious history and socio-cultural, political and economic achievements of the country, it is pertinent to know enough about the struggle for India’s freedom waged from other corners of the world and the role of expatriates in it.
Significantly, our Cover Story this month highlights the Indian expatriates’ contribution towards India’s freedom, and underlines the need to remember those unsung heroes who took the war for independence beyond the country’s borders and involved global forces against the British Raj. Penned by Samudra Roychowdhury, it delves into the exploits of the Indian diaspora in foreign lands, particularly during the turbulent political climate of World War I.Post-Independence, Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan led another struggle called Sampoorna Kranti or Total Revolution, championing the right to dissent against the ruling establishment, which forms the subject of his recent, much talked-about biography The Dream of a Revolution, written by historian Bimal Prasad and author Sujata Prasad. We have published an interesting excerpt from this book chronicling JP’sojourn in America.
Our regular columnist Dr Sanjeev Chopra this time provides readers an insightful review of Tryst with the Tribes, an eminently readable, anecdotal account of IAS officer Pravir Krishna’s experiences in Sarguja and Bastar districts, and later as the managing director of TRIFED. The narrative is imbued with rich historical as well as contemporary exploration of the immense possibilities of the State helping the poor.
A different but not dissimilar spirit of exploration impels our food columnist Anand Manikutty to make us familiar with both the skill and the knowledge acquisition aspects of Indian cooking, enriched with historical and cultural references.
This issue carries a special supplement on Indo-Canada Relations, published in association with the Bharat Centre of Canada (BCC), an independent non-partisan policy think tank that focuses on strengthening the bilateral ties between the two countries. Contributions from eminent persons of distinguished background comprising academics, scholars, diplomats and practitioners from both India and Canada make this special package highly engaging, thought-provoking and insightful. Apoorva Srivastava, Consul General of India in Toronto, talks about how she is working closely with the diverse Indian diaspora, represented by more than 150 community associations, to help them celebrate the rich and vibrant Indian heritage, organise various events and remain connected with one another.
Our diaspora stories this time span diverse geographies across continents.
The Culture Column by noted danseuse Sonal Mansingh narrates how her lifetime’s training in Indian classical dance and a richly evolved philosophical and spiritual perspective came in handy in overcoming the vicious coronavirus infection.
The connoisseurs of culture can also relish an evocative account of the upcoming Madhubani Literature Festival. As our young but highly gifted writer Nivedita Nidhi puts it, it is a fest of and by the village, a carnival to celebrate human expression in its myriad forms, a space to witness an integrated cultural sensitivity, a platform to express differences with the goal of finding and enriching common values.
These are just glimpses of the scrumptious potpourri of stories that our November issue seeks to present to our readers, as always. Happy reading!
Warm regards,
Rashmi
CEO and Publisher
