Dear Reader,
Are we afraid of 2024 and what it will bring? Do we need to be?
2023 was not a positive year, either for India—as it saw Manipur split into two factions and burn disastrously—or for the world—which saw two wars raging, in Ukraine and in the Gaza Strip. On the positive side, in August, India made history by landing a rover on the moon on the remote lunar south pole side. But this was overshadowed by the fact that India’s women wrestlers had to take to the streets just to get the police to act against the head of the Wrestling Foundation of India, a man who was shielded by powerful political masters. The fiasco culminated at the end of the year with some of the nation’s most esteemed sportspersons relinquishing their awards and the government belatedly making some conciliatory noises yet stopping short of dispensing full justice.
Then, there was the severe and serious challenge to the principle of federalism that has been the bedrock of India. The Governors of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal, and the Lieutenant Governor of New Delhi, at the apparent behest of the Centre, went beyond their Constitutional remit and blocked the functioning of the elected governments in these States.
While 2023 saw the formation of the INDIA political bloc, created in July to fight the rise of the BJP, 2023 was also the year when the INDIA bloc could not make much headway. With the Congress’ defeat in three crucial Hindi heartland States, the bloc began to look shaky. The year also saw a manufactured existential crisis around the very name “India”, with a section of the right-wing rechristening it as “Bharat” in an immature and panicky response to the potential popularity of the INDIA bloc.
In October, the Supreme Court refused to grant legal recognition to same-sex marriage under the Special Marriage Act, a step back after the historic reading down of Section 377 in 2018. Months later, in another blow to Constitutional federalism, the Supreme Court upheld the abrogation of Article 370 that had given special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Even as these blows were dealt, in an ironic twist, 2023 was the year when India inaugurated a spanking new high-tech Parliament building in May. Within seven months of its inauguration, the new Parliament building became the first to see the historic mass suspension of 145 Members of Parliament from the Opposition parties. Bills continued to be passed in their absence, marking one of the darkest chapters in the history of India’s parliamentary democracy.
In early 2023, in an explosive 106-page report released on January 25, American short-seller firm Hindenburg Research alleged that India’s business tycoon Gautam Adani was orchestrating the largest stock market con in corporate history. However, as has become the norm now, neither the stock markets nor the regulators nor the Indian public paid much heed, remaining indifferent to the real economy, to the country’s ground realities, to the rising unemployment, and the growing unaffordability. In 2023, India’s stock markets posted a 20 per cent growth.
Frontline has diligently recorded these events and responded in ways it deemed fit. We began the year with a cover story on the ecological devastation being wreaked in the Great Nicobar Islands. Subsequent covers looked at the sinking of Joshimath, a region that has become emblematic of the short-sighted and unplanned “development” plans that are being imposed on fragile mountain and forested regions.
To cover the crisis in Manipur, which is still burning as we write this, Frontline devoted two cover stories, bringing to you every angle of the seething discontent, the deeply biased state responses, and the Centre’s inaction.
Our in-depth cover story on Gaza was the first among media worldwide to call the Israeli action for what it was—genocide. We also responded to the rise of generative artificial intelligence, legislation around online gambling, and the Centre’s murky plans to implement a national uniform civil code. We looked at how the Bihar caste survey pointed to the return of caste in India’s politics, the stress and political pressure that is piled on our stand-up comedians, and how it was a great year for Indian documentaries. Not to mention, we had a brilliant centenary issue on the legendary filmmaker Mrinal Sen, an issue that collectors are still looking to procure.
Culminating the year’s journey, we bring to you, dear reader, our Year-End Special (2023: A Year of Challenges). We recognise that it is your support and encouragement that allows our brand of journalism to survive—a vocation of unbiased truth-seeking.
For the year-end special, we enlisted 10 writers from various disciplines to examine the challenges that India faced in 2023 in 10 crucial areas, which, in more than one way, will shape 2024. With India poised for a general election in 2024, it is sure to be a journey that will be chaotic and confusing, but also hopeful and compassionate.
Yes, there are reasons to be afraid of 2024. But we prefer not to be afraid. We prefer to face it head-on, just like we know you will. As our brand ambassador, influencer, and auditor, we are sure you will continue to support us. And together, we can say, “Who’s afraid of 2024?”
On that note, we extend our warm wishes for a meaningful New Year. As a colleague said, “Let’s hope for a new year that makes us better, more empathetic people, pushing us to introspect on our actions and engage meaningfully in a constant struggle against injustice, tragedy, and farce.”
For Team Frontline
Jinoy Jose P.
We hope you’ve been enjoying our newsletters featuring a selection of articles that we believe will be of interest to a cross-section of our readers. Tell us if you like what you read. And also, what you don’t like! Mail us at frontline@thehindu.co.in
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