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2 Editorial<br />
Subcontinental Contradictions…<br />
The Indian Subcontinent: it’s a phrase that<br />
reveals and conceals – one part defi nition<br />
and two parts deception.<br />
The Oxford English Dictionary defi nes<br />
the word subcontinent as “a large land mass<br />
smaller than a continent”. So much for the<br />
defi nition; the deception lies deeper, hid-<br />
den more in the character of the land and<br />
its people.<br />
The Subcontinent contains the world’s<br />
tallest peaks, harsh wastelands, temperate<br />
climes and tropical forests. You can fi nd<br />
heart-breaking poverty and incredible<br />
riches side-by-side; lose yourself in a sea<br />
of humanity in Delhi or Karachi, or stand<br />
in the middle of Rajastan with no sign of<br />
life for miles around.<br />
Diversity of land and of people: India<br />
alone recognises 22 offi cial languages and<br />
845 dialects. It is a land of ancient faiths<br />
that either embrace or ignore the trim-<br />
mings of modernity. It is a high-tech/low-<br />
tech region, a place where the ox cart and<br />
the satellite share equal billing, where the<br />
power of technology and the power of<br />
prayer are both celebrated.<br />
Dictated<br />
For more than twenty years <strong>GAC</strong> has<br />
been part of this rich mixture, growing<br />
and changing as the times have dictated. In<br />
the pages that follow, you will read about<br />
what we are up to in India, Pakistan and Sri<br />
Lanka and glimpse the range of activities<br />
we have developed in this fascinating – and<br />
sometimes frustrating – region.<br />
Its very diversity has a habit of creating<br />
challenges, either natural or man-made. At<br />
<strong>GAC</strong> we have a tradition of overcoming<br />
the odds.<br />
A case in point is the way our Sri Lanka<br />
team responded to the December 2004<br />
tsunami (page 10). Another is the way<br />
we are managing the infrastructure chal-<br />
lenges of the transit trade into Afghanistan<br />
(page 12).<br />
You…<br />
Both in the Subcontinent and around the<br />
world, we are nothing without you – our<br />
customers. We have given concrete rec-<br />
ognition to your importance through our<br />
commitment to Customer Relationship<br />
Management (CRM). CRM puts you at<br />
the centre of everything we do. You will<br />
meet our CRM team on page 20.<br />
Lars Peter<br />
Heisselberg,<br />
Editor<br />
larspeter.heisselberg@gacworld.com
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