Letter from the Editor

Ever since my school days when I repeatedly topped scripture class, the biblical story of the young man who went away sorrowful has remained lodged in my subconscious. For those unfamiliar with this narrative recited by all the apostles who wrote the New Testament, it tells the story of a rich centurion’s son who asked Jesus what he needed to do to be saved. Jesus told him to give away all he had to the poor and to follow him. But the young man went away sorrowful: he had too much to lose.

To a greater or lesser extent the predicament of the centurion’s son is shared by every individual fortunate to have received a half decent education and is relatively well positioned in society. Especially in the Indian subcontinent there is a strong tradition — exemplified by Prince Gautama who attained Nirvana and metamorphosed into the Buddha — to get off the getting-and-spending treadmill and devote oneself to helping out the poor and disadvantaged, of whom there is no shortage in the under-developed nations of the third world, misled into barren wildernesses by Marxist intellectuals and/ or greedy dictators. But as the biblical story of the young man who went away sorrowful indicates, that’s not an easy decision to make. Yet fortunately for Indian society, every day dozens, if not hundreds of proven professionals make this difficult decision and cross over to work in the voluntary or third (i.e apart from government and private) sector.

That’s why I am delighted to feature our year-end cover story detailing the courage, confidence, motivations and aspirations of several of the growing number of corporate high-fliers who have made the difficult crossover into NGOs (non-government organisations), particularly those involved with education. As assistant editor Summiya Yasmeen who has painstakingly researched, coordinated and written this issue’s cover story insightfully observes, within the nation’s political class there is growing disillusionment with the 18 million-strong, slothful, corrupt bureaucracy which is unable to deliver the promises of politicians. Hence the latter are increasingly becoming aware of the virtues of public-private partnerships with NGOs, particularly those led by professionals with proven organisation management and development skills. The stories of some corporate professionals who have deserted enviable corner offices to cross the rubicon into voluntary sector organisations are recounted in our fascinating cover story.

Our special report feature is also about an open, continuous injustice — the denial of early English language education to the children of ordinary, forgotten people at the bottom of Indian society’s iniquitous social pyramid. Although everyone countrywide is aware that English language proficiency is the prerequisite of upward social mobility, the exceptions are the country’s myopic politicians and bureaucrats who for numerous unsavoury reasons are hell-bent on denying children of the socio-economically disadvantaged easy access to English language learning. But whether they like it or not, English learning fever is sweeping this country, as it is the rest of the world. For further and better particulars I recommend our second lead feature.

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