.

Dear Readers,

There has never existed a greater learning curve for humanity, than in the times we live in. We have been witnesses to a string of some of the most unexpected events over the recent and the not-so-recent times… battling COVID-19 – a deadly, mysterious virus which we are yet to discover a cure for; or  adapting to the house-arrest situation – mandatory to the long-stretched lockdown; or acclimatizing to the new protocols of this supposed freedom, post the lockdown, which come with masks, gloves, sanitizers and social distancing as disclaimers; or the looming Indo-China situation which could potentially spell war; or the loss of a string of artists and personalities – with the latest heart-breaker as recent as last Sunday, where a fine, young Bollywood actor took his own life, succumbing to depression.

You’d have to be extremely thick to look around without raising a brow. And you’d be even more unfortunate if you’d let it all go by without gaining a renewed perspective of life – its fragility, and reflecting on who and what really matters most, and realising how fortunate and grateful we are for all that we are blessed with – family, friends, livelihood and so much more…

I thank our numerous readers who participated in PT’s ‘Father’s Day Contest’ – your display of talent has wowed us all and your emotions, expressed in words and art, convinces me that there’s going to be a whole lot of very happy and lucky fathers out there (Pg. 13)!

And speaking of readers’ response, last week had our inboxes overflowing with feedback to the article, ‘A Month And A Week Of Good Food And Great Community Service’, commending the timely intervention of the BPP Trustees and the excellent community service provided by volunteers, throughout the lockdown. In fact, with a large number of readers writing in to further commend the efforts of our volunteers, we put together an article celebrating this unsurpassed show of dedication and unity, during one of the community’s most critical phases. (Pg. 03-04)

Here’s wishing all our lovely fathers and father-figures out there, a Happy Father’s Day! They say, ‘A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.’ It’s true! When they don’t have your hand, they have your back!

Have a safe and lovely weekend!

– Anahita