Dear Readers

A party is due. It’s DoubleSpeak’s birthday and it is three years old now. If only we could all meet up and celebrate. We do need to celebrate and here’s why. How many of you have I met ever? How many of you have I known even personally, albeit being on the other side of the internet? Do I know what dreams you get in the night, do I know your nightmares? Do I know your favourite food, drink or colour? Do I know when you needed a song or a shoulder to lean on? I don’t think the answer is in affirmative and yet it feels that I know you all as you have supported me through your apparently phantom and yet profoundly loving existence. This space was never meant to make any money and neither it has done so. But I believe the dividends are uncountably infinite. Let me explain how.

The artists or authors do not simply create a piece, they take out a part of their being and show it to the world. It is an act of courage to remain true to one’s deepest feelings of love, despair, fear or angst. And all of this and much more come together in those woven words, painted easels, crafted mosaics or captured images. That numerous artists could trust this space with those parts of their own being can never be measurable by any monetary standards. And that you all (I know the number is not a big one) read and saw these works and encouraged these artists is such an immeasurable act of kindness. That’s gratifying, humbling and perhaps the kindest thing to have. I hope you will remain kind to DoubleSpeak in the coming months and years and this space will help bring forward many new authors and artists of the future.

It is important that you also see this space with a critical eye. It’s not about blind and blatantly useless criticism. Instead it is about critiquing the pieces constructively, so that a logical discourse can find its way. I believe that’s the way of a civilised society. That discourse will in turn help the creators create better in the future or may be a healthy debate can show us how conflicts can be resolved without hatred or violence but with meaningful conversations. I am simple school teacher and every time I walk into my class of bring young minds, I see that hope that this world will see more of meaningful conversations to fight their problems or differences and violence would eventually give way to kindness. It might seem hugely improbable, but hoping isn’t a crime yet.

I would wait to hear from you. Thank you ever so much for standing by DoubleSpeak.

Arpan Krishna Deb

Founder and Managing Editor of DoubleSpeak Magazine.