his month the nation celebrates 75 years of independence. There is little doubt that these celebrations come at a difficult time. Surrounded by challenges including political instability, economic hiccups that are fuelling poverty, increasing disparity and adding to a general unease among the people, there is little to cheer about. The political volatility that has been a constant over the past few months has exposed the lack of maturity among the country’s political leaders. At the same time, it has made the country and its democracy vulnerable, an unfortunate repeat of the many times the democratic process has been threatened, allowing the undemocratic elements to encroach on the space that rightfully belongs to legitimate political workers.

Times and challenges like these call for introspection. In this edition, the Special Report reflects on the various social, political, economic aspects of the country’s history and growth over the past 75 years. From questions of political identity, governance, economic growth and challenges to how the media has shaped over the past many years and where it is headed, we explore how competing narratives, policies and actions have shaped the country since its inception.

There is a lot one can learn from our experience. Perhaps, there is also a need to acknowledge and celebrate small victories till there are big ones galore. We need to acknowledge our mistakes, learn from those and set precedents for course correction. May the national resolve strengthen in the right direction.