Our cover story this issue is devoted solely to one story, one argument – though including a plethora of threads. In it, Ramachandra Guha, the eminent historian and author, argues in favour of a political philosophy of moderation and dialogue. Using examples from a variety of Southasian conflicts – including in the Kashmir Valley, Sri Lanka and the erstwhile East Pakistan – Guha seeks to demonstrate how the extremism and inflexibility of the contending parties have worked to intensify and deepen the conflicts. The people are left to suffer. Sometimes this inflexibility has come from the state; at other times, from rebels or insurgents. Either way, Guha suggests that it is the special responsibility of writers and intellectuals to seek and promote the middle path of compromise and reconciliation.

“The Beauty of Compromise” was the inaugural lecture of an annual series sponsored by Himal. As an independent magazine that seeks to promote peace and progress in Southasia on the foundation of idealism and realism, we believe in the importance of a fuller understanding of the subcontinental history of the last six decades. Two central figures who have defined the terrain of these sixty years have been Jayaprakash Narayan, featured on this issue’s cover, and Mohandas K Gandhi. We see both of these figures as quintessential ‘Southasians’.