Amoment of joy! A moment of pride! And more significantly, a moment of glory – for the mission of development journalism which Blitz India pioneered over a year back. Reaching the United Kingdom, and launching several multimedia platforms simultaneously, is a cogent proof of the success of the mission and a fillip to all of us at Blitz India to carry it further.
The rationale behind Blitz India’s UK edition has been explained in detail on the Cover Page, and we promise to deliver what we commit in all sincerity. We are happy that we are coming to you at a time when the India-UK friendship and the trade relations between the two countries are set to witness a new dawn. Blitz India intends to play a constructive and meaningful role in this new era. Moving ahead, here’s a recap of what all Blitz India has to offer in this inaugural UK edition.
As a tribute to the exemplary contribution of India-origin community to the growth and development of the United Kingdom, we carry special write-ups concerning two prominent members of the British House of Lords – Lord Swraj Paul and Lord Raj Loomba – and the Hinduja brothers. In an interview with Blitz India, Lord Paul, who prides in describing himself as “100% Indian and 100% British,” talks about his ties with India, his life journey, and the Indian and UK economy. In a signed article, Lord Loomba describes how as a young boy, his anguish over the torment faced by his mother after the death of his father led him to start an international movement against the plight of widows. A thought-provoking piece about the birth of the Loomba Foundation! The Centrespread zooms in on the Hinduja brothers’ acquisition of the Carlton House Terrace and the Old War Office at Whitehall. The overall focus of the report is on the Hindujas’ acquisition of heritage properties in the UK and their efforts to restore them.
In keeping with the think-tank character of Blitz India, we bring you four pages of Perspective, two from New Delhi and two from London. In the first piece, celebrated Indian journalist and author MJ Akbar writes about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cogent policy towards Pakistan – ignore the state and punish the rogue terrorist; while in the second, an Army veteran elaborates on the concept of ‘Two-Front War’. London-based Bhawani Shankar’s well-argued piece stresses how the upcoming FTA will be a win-win for IndiaUK IT ties. Another London-based writer Mukesh Kacker, a former IAS officer, also focuses on the FTA, from the perspective of visas for skilled workers.
G20 Podium is our regular feature that covers the deliberations of all the key meetings and events being held under India’s presidency. This week, it also includes a special write-up by a top former bureaucrat, besides focusing on the meetings of tourism and energy transition working groups. Booming Britain, devoted to upbeat news developments, carries a comprehensive report about two major events that led to India-UK defence ties rocketing to a new high.
Read all this, and much more, in this special package curated for our readers in the UK.
Over to you!