August has come and gone again, and along with it the closing musical notes of the symphony to some, cacophony to some of the freedom struggle and Independence day celebrations are also fading. But lets start where we left off in the last issue, and conclude with a wee bit of analysis of all that has transpired to made India what it is today … in the here and now, an emerging economic powerhouse no doubt, and unquestionably the world’s largest democracy, home to a large proportion of the world’s combined scientific manpower, sprawling urban agglomerations, the advent of world-class infrastructure, and stadially progressing development. As a contrast, current concerns this August have also been a burgeoning current account deficit, a rupee that is still in free-fall vis-a-vis the strengthening dollar, so much so that just in this year, the rupee has shed more than 20% of its value. A boon to some, but a bane to many nevertheless. This, coupled with slowing industrial growth, seems to be a cause for concern in an atmosphere that is the prelude to a looming general election in 2014. Will the incumbent government bite the bullet and usher in fiscal prudence and balancing measures that will send out the right signals ? Tile will tell.
We once again touch upon India’s trajectory to Freedom, with an article that concludes what we started with in our main feature the last time. We trace the many trends in the freedom struggle that turned it to a torrent, and take them to their logical conclusion in this edition of NRI Achievers. And so the unique ‘cover feature’ of last issue reappears with its sequel, the concluding part, which gives you a subaltern view of the struggle, and the people and events that have shaped this now pan-Indian identity.
Apart from this, we would like to share with you that we are at work on several of your long-standing demands, so expect some new content in our forthcoming editions, like astrology and numerology, fitness and health, etc. Our regular sections continue, providing you with several interesting glimpses from all walks of life, so you have news from the domains of ‘business, sports, and cinema’, ‘heritage and architecture’, ‘metaphysical musings,’ and of course our ubiquitous ‘travelogue,’ which this times takes you on an excursion to little known parts of Agra. ‘Heritage’ this time charts the GT Road, the Grand Trunk road that stretches from Afghanistan to Chittagong. The special column on ‘real estate’ is also very much there, along with the section on ‘health & wellness.’
Do take time out and spend some time reading this evolving mix of content, and do not forget to send in your comments. We thrive on your feedback, and so do share with our team all about what else you would like us to bring to you via this magazine in the future.