Category : EDITORIAL
The month of August brings with commemorations of independence, freedom and the memories of the struggle and quest for a free nation, envisaged and shaped over 75 years ago. But it is no longer shocking or questionable to say that what remains of that image is a pale shadow, disturbed by the realities of present-day India’s political and social condition. Freedom is truly at a knife’s edge with the slightest evocation of critical thinking being punished by jail time or immense censorship. With the recent arrests of social activists such as Teesta Setalvad, RB Sreekumar, and later, Mohammed Zubair (who is now out on bail due to the Supreme Court’s order), it appears that speaking fact is tantamount to crime while spreading myths and propagandist narratives whether through media debates or by denying international statistics on hunger and poverty, is the accepted norm.

In this atmosphere, our brave young writers who took part in the Article Writing Competition held by Aura stand out for their honesty and courage in not just pointing out the problems, but also offering solutions and a vision for a different kind of India – one in which they envision themselves and their future generations blossoming in some relative sense of freedom, security and vibrancy. We have published the top seven entries, including the top three winners who will be receiving prizes, in this issue as a mark of recognition. We encourage our readers to go through them and offer them comments and help the writers improve.

Some of our other interesting stories this month include a detailed interview on the intersection of disability and education, a conversation with a medical expert on cancers that particularly affect women, and the conclusion of the Historiography series. We hope that it will be a useful resource for you to ponder upon and reflect.

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