I was born in south-central India in the 60s. My parents were liberals. My dad always read Indian newspapers. During my college days I was also exposed to radical ideas that led me to explore further.
In those days it was extremely hard to get international news. In the early 90s, when India liberalised the economy and opened the doors to global markets, some of the newsagents would sell international newspapers and magazines. By this time, I was earning an income.
One day I visited a bookstore and to my surprise the Guardian Weekly was being sold. I was thrilled to see it on the shelf – I bought it for 70-80 Indian rupees, which was considered expensive. I would visit the bookstore every weekend to check whether the newspaper was available, and I would save the money I earned to buy it.
I migrated to Australia on a skilled-student visa and realised my purchasing capacity had increased. Since the late 90s I have lived in Australia and I never ceased to buy the Guardian Weekly. In the last few years I have subscribed to it.
I read every page and cut out the interesting articles, and create small booklets so that I can read them again. Guardian Weekly is the best in journalism (the sophistication of the language and breadth of analysis). I have introduced it to my daughter Anu, and I hope she will continue the subscription.
If you would like to appear in this space, send a brief note to guardian.weekly@theguardian.com
