One of the warriors during this lockdown is Dr Sudhir K Gupta, Professor and Head of Department, Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at the AIIMS, New Delhi. Dr Gupta who has worked closely with Interpol and CBI and received recognition from FBI and Scotland Yard among others, headed a task force of the Government to lay down the protocol to be followed during the performance of the last rites of COVID-19 deceased. Associate Editor Anjay Sinha has an insightful interview with Dr Gupta, an exclusive.

Our magazine takes this opportunity to salute those brave men and women who are working overtime to bring us essential services, risking infection, and battling their own inner worries. These people are providing medical and para-medical services, ensuring law and order, delivering absolute necessities to millions of homes, including food, pharmaceuticals, and groceries. They are defending our borders, seas and skies. They are taking care of water and gas supplies. They are at the cutting edge of reporting—bringing us news and keeping us abreast of developments across the world. There are those that are briefing the media on a regular basis. For these brave-hearted, India may be under lockdown, but not certainly their spirit. Their untiring efforts should lead us to believe what Martin Luther King once said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.”

After all, hope does spring eternal.

Happy reading.

(sayantanc@gmail.com)