Learn, and move on!

Caught in the current wave of activism, associations such as ‘Staying Alive,’ formed by a group of PR professionals, have been organising nation-wide campaigns and meets to focus the government’s inability to the rising terror attacks in the country.

Special: Mumbai terror attack

That there is unity in India’s diversity has been brought out again by this brazen terrorist attack on India’s financial capital. People across the nation have now found a common forum to come together and show their might.

This rare show of unity and strength has surely shaken a few from their political slumber. Alarm bells are ringing across all political headquarters about the power of franchise. For the first time, politicians are face the direct ire of voters, and have been forced to start rethinking their role in both the national and local arena. This is probably the most successful mission of the year that is bidding us goodbye.

Let us not forget however, that apart from the 70 serial blasts and terror strikes across seven states, 2008 did have its moments of pride too. Among the foremost was India’s first unmanned moon mission, Chandrayaan-I, whose successful launch enrolled India as a member of the global lunar club. The planting of the Indian tricolour on the moon on November 14, the birthday of India’s first prime minister Jawarharlal Nehru who sowed the seeds of space research during his regime, was very apt.

Chandrayaan Special | Olympics 2008 

Indian sportsmen too had their moments of glory. While Abhinav Bhindra opened the individual gold medal tally for India at the Beijing Olympics, Vishwanathan Anand, India’s very own grandmaster, checkmated his Russian adversary to retain his world chess championship title.

And of course, the year saw the signing of the historic the civilian nuclear agreement with the US, which puts us at par with the other ‘legitimate’ nuclear weapons states. Whether the 123 Agreement best serves our national interests or not is another question.

Indo-US nuclear deal | Chennai lad wins Man Booker

It was heartening to see Chennai lad Aravind Adiga win the prestigious Man Booker Prize for his maiden novel, The White Tiger. And there was India’s champion of the downtrodden, Krishnammal Jagannathan, who won the Alternate Nobel Prize in Stockholm.

Business, however, was not as usual. India did feel the ripple effects of the gloom in the global economy that saw a slowdown in several sectors, and the BSE Sensex, the indicator of investor confidence, took a deep southward dive, losing over 50 per cent in comparison to last year.

But a few brick and mortar companies of the previous era helped the Indian economy from faltering. Success stories like the Nano offering the much-needed panacea. India Inc came under the global media glare with the $2500-Nano launch from the Tata’s stable, which Time Magazine described as the most important event in the automobile industry since Ford’s revolutionary Model T.

Global financial crisis | Tata launches Nano

Yet in this year of financial crisis, India actually saw a record number of seven domestic firms enter the list of global Fortune 500 companies. Economy experts, however, still predict tough times ahead at least for next two to three quarters.

No doubt, there is terror, trauma and trouble all around us as we step into a new year. These are undoubtedly testing times. But as the old saying goes, the tough get going, when the going gets tough.

As we ring in the New Year, it’s time to move on, and get set to face the future with renewed vigour and energy. Even the terror-struck, bullet-ridden Taj and Trident Hotels are back in business, ready to greet the future with a cheery countenance.

Check out Sify.com year ender special

Let’s turn these mishaps to our advantages, learn the lessons and move on.

The future is always full of hope, happiness and peace.

(K Sreedevi is Deputy Managing Editor, Sify.com)