We take pride in telling you that the new magazine you are browsing through is born out of our collective conviction. Breaking away from the shackles of the prevailing conditions, pre-conceived notions and prejudices, we plan to take a fresh look at the world. And there are some questions that are bound to be thrown at us: What is the need for launching yet another magazine?
Well, the objective is to stick to objectivity, keep away from the vicious clutches of any pre-conditions and dare to tell the truth. But how do we claim to be different from other news magazines? Do we really understand our responsibility towards society which is turning into a wasteland?
The same set of questions crossed our minds too. In fact, we feel that as a society, we are trapped in a vicious cycle, not knowing where we are headed. So these questions force us to take clear, concrete, concerted and corrective steps to bring about changes in society and to show corrupt and dishonest people their place. In our strife-torn society we are cursed to a state of constant conflict.
To our mind, there are only three types of "conflict" – between Man and Nature, Man and Man, and between Man and the Man within. We would make it incumbent upon warring factions of society to implead us. Many may not remember, but the (dis) credit for a plane hijack was registered against Palestinian leader Yaser Arafat. Then came a day when the same Arafat was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize! Similarly, dacoit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi's name was also recommended for this coveted award. And the day US President Barack Obama received the peace prize for his initiative shown in the Afghan war one could hear the soul of Lord Buddha cry out in agony. In the words of Charlie Chaplin, "One murder makes a villain / Hundred a hero, / Numbers sanctify".
One may also recall, Norway came forward to the rescue of Prabhakaran and his dreaded outfit LTTE in Sri Lanka. It is the same country that awards the Nobel Peace Prize and also provides financial aid to several NGOs. Amidst all this, the questions that come to one's mind are - Where do Indians figure in this era of globalisation? Whether this is a globalisation of wealth or a globalisation of poverty? So, when we, at By-Line, will speak of the prosperity of our nation, we would certainly demarcate disparity. We will certainly not ignore the oblique motives of every Mulayam, Maya, Manmohan and Montek. We also believe that a dialogue is a two-way communication. We have our own parameter to encompass globalisation afresh. As we have a right to know whether this is a globalisation of poverty or of wealth.
For us (Team By-Line), our committed reader is not merely a "consumer" but a valuable member of the extended By-Line family. We would always be with them in their quest for justice. And lest we forget, in a democracy everyone is a part of the crew. We are not a group of "independent journalists"; rather, we wish to be "dependent". Dependent on truth, that is! We are here to dig out the truth and fight tooth and nail against injustice of every hue. We are emerging from a kind of darkness where the "old" needs revision and the "new" an expression. We don't know how successful we will be in this bold endeavour but we certainly can say this:
Mortality of efforts can't prevent us
from making scratches on seashore.
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