Editor’s Note – February 2015

It’s that time of the year again—roses and cakes, candlelit dinners and movie dates, kisses and hugs; most of you are gearing up to celebrate Valentine’s Day. But has our society accepted that Valentine’s Day is a festival of love and not a threat to culture, or worse, immoral? In this month’s Special Feature, ‘Make Love not War’, we take a look at how there has been a surge in the number of attacks on couples, especially on 14 February, by self-appointed moral police in the name of upholding Indian culture and maintaining public decency. How valid are their reasons? While we aspire to be as developed and economically forward like Shanghai or New York, we’re still stuck on insecurities about our culture being eroded and invaded by foreign elements. Can’t we have the best of both worlds—to be rooted to our culture and also welcome new changes?

Making India proud and inspiring young girls to push their limits and fulfil their dreams, our Prodigy of the month is Bhakti Sharma, the 24-year-old open-water swimmer who set the world record for swimming 1.4 kilometres of the icy cold Antarctic Ocean in 52 minutes. Being the first Indian woman to manage this feat, she was also congratulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee. This is a big step up for us as Modi’s Beti Bachao Andolan kicks into action, proving that girl children are as important and capable as their male siblings.

Cricket lovers, you’re in for a treat this month, as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 rolls around the corner. To get you warmed up to the sporting spectacle of the year, we give you a run-down on everything you need to know in our Cover Story, Cricket Crazy: who will surprise us, who will be in form, the promising teams and the potential disappointments, the players and the rankings.

Whether you’ll be looking for the perfect place for a date or the perfect spot on the couch to watch the World Cup, here’s wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Nitish Shah, Editor-in-chief