As India enters an election year, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party looks as invincible as the Congress once looked in the first few decades after Independence. Many believe that the only way a regime change can be effected is if political parties in the opposition come together to form a mahagathbandhan, or a grand coalition. As the opposition faces the arduous task of uniting disparate interests and ideologies, there is much they can learn from the story of Ram Manohar Lohia—the first architect of coalition politics in India.
Also in this issue:
Bela Bhatia on what really happened in the Nulkatong encounter; Hartosh Singh Bal on how caste trumped class in the state elections; Himanshu on why the Modi government is obscuring data on unemployment; Yogendra Yadav on what the Modi government has done to farmers; Gabriele Cecconi on the environmental crisis unfolding in the world’s largest refugee camp; Sara Rai on her journey out of and into language.
The country's first and only publication devoted to narrative journalism, The Caravan occupies a singular position among Indian magazines. It is a new kind of magazine for a new kind of reader, one who demands both style and substance.
Since its relaunch in January 2010, the magazine has earned a reputation as one of the country's most sophisticated publications-a showcase for the region's finest writers and a distinctive blend of rigorous reporting, incisive criticism and commentary, stunning photo essays, and gripping new fiction and poetry. Its commitment to great storytelling has earned it the respect of readers from around the world.
• "India's best English language magazine", The Guardian, London
• "For those with an interest in India, it has become an absolute must-read", The New Republic, Washington
The Caravan fills a niche in the Indian media that has remained vacant for far too long, catering to the intellectually curious and aesthetically refined reader, who seeks a magazine of exceptional quality.
