A LETTER FROM

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FIFTY years ago, on the first of September, SEMINAR was born. It was an endeavour that stemmed from a profound respect for a recently liberated, young and energetic nation state, one that was emerging from years of colonial subjugation. For an India grappling with devising and crafting policy models and economic strategies to deal with disparities as well as rich pluralities, the task was challenging. This is where SEMINAR, a journal of record, became a lively and accessible forum for new thinking, discussion and debate, conflicting points of view and more, on diverse issues that were of abiding concern for a fledgling democracy. The subjects ranged from politics and economics to culture and tradition, film and theatre, literature and faith, cities and urban renewal, environment and science. One theme each month was argued and analysed within its pages. In an effort to influence the narrative on a range of realities that the subcontinent was confronted with in those early years following Independence, and to actively engage in the search for sensible solutions, SEMINAR gradually consolidated its position, reputation and status.

The best and brightest minds participated in the many dialogues for half a century with no holds barred and no editorial diktats because that was its premise, its special nature. The mandate was free thought. The best of corporate India supported SEMINAR with no questions asked and no demands made, by advertising regularly in its pages thereby enabling us to publish without ‘grants’ that usually come with many undesirable do’s and don’ts. This convergence of the thinking of India, men and women working on ideas and alternatives, with the support of those generating the economic wealth, represents a confluence of the vital strengths of any civilization, in this case, that of a complex and rapidly changing nation state. I salute them all and thank them for their unflinching commitment.

When we inherited SEMINAR, we believed its mandate was as relevant in 1987 as it was in 1959 and, therefore, the generational transition was smooth and not fraught with trauma. Tejbir, who had worked part-time with Raj and Romesh from 1971, believed in the same fundamentals, opted to take over the reins. Familiar with the nuts and bolts and with a sense of quiet effortlessness, he navigated SEMINAR with care and compassion, into its next avatar. In 1997 Harsh Sethi joined our small, cohesive and compatible team, bringing his academic and institutional experience and more, into our open plan, informal office space where people from all disciplines – students and professionals, writers and academics, scholars and environmentalists, film-makers and story-tellers, politicians and administrators – visit and spend time sharing ideas, suggesting new issues for debate, introducing us to a wider world. Mr N.K. Pillai, Sushanto Ghorui and Kesar Singh work silently with us to ensure SEMINAR is born, month after month, always on the first of every month.

There are many stories, and lessons, that have accumulated over the years. The challenge of putting together an issue every month, sometimes with exasperation and anxiety, but more often with fun and more than a little satisfaction. Each month is a renewal of faith – in our many contributors, willing and keen to participate despite a token honorarium. If SEMINAR survives, it is because a wide circle of professionals share the larger project of a platform that is liberal and non-partisan, research-based yet accessible, working to contribute to a reasoned discourse. The individual views are sharply articulated, but together they help introduce the reader to the complex, multi-layered reality that we live in. There is no claim to a final, definitive position – only an invitation to treat other viewpoints with respect, to move away from certitudes and remain open-ended. It is this, I believe, that has helped us survive and remain relevant, even in an environment that is fast becoming less accommodating of others – people and views.

Thank you all.

Malvika Singh

1 September 2009

 

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