Decoding the Decade

All the Celebrations are on… people are having a gala time to welcome not only the New Year but a new decade !!
Before starting codifying 2011, let see the ‘Good, Bad and the Ugly’ of the era!
Some factors are constant in this ever-changing world. Though the Constants too fall under the various categories of ‘Good, Bad and the Ugly!’
With Consistent performance within the 22-yard, the tallest man in the world cricket is 5’ something!! The milestones he has achieved and the way this 37-year-old is going, it reminds me the most celebrated tagline of Adidas, ‘impossible is nothing!’ Man o’ man, you are the most constant across discipline: Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar!
It seems ‘small is beautiful’ gels well with Indian context. Aamir Khan can easily be tagged as Mr. Steady. With his conviction and perfection he has delivered one after another smashing hits be it a potboiler like Ghajini or a thoughtful Taare Zameen Par or Black Comedy Peepli Live (producer only). ‘Lagaan’ the movie which I have seen at least 22 times made India proud at the Oscars! It can be told, many more to come…!
Caste politics and horse trading is another constant for Indian democracy. Badly enough, we cannot shed it off as no political party is willing to bring this to an end.
Jammu & Kashmir is another factor which is ruling the roots of India-Pakistan relationship. Every time a confidence building measures take place, the very next time terror attack take place! Yes, terror attacks across the world unfortunately an ugly continuity!
And the ugly one? Without any doubt American dominance! To rebuild their dwindling economic condition, America has started witch hunt in the name of terror-free world!
These are few aspects which will be alive atleast for another half a century. But what were the events that were momentous but memorable.
Let look at the West first. All were historic on its own terms.
9/11 and ‘Black Man in the White House.’ Osama Bin Laden,’ the Frankenstein’ had allegedly destructed the pillars of American Economic dominance: Twin Towers on 11th September, 2001. The irony is that, 911 is the emergency number of USA! Since then, the definition of terror has changed and American Imperialism has redesigned itself and Laden became the mystery!
Barack Hussain Obama ha s re-written the history of USA by stepped into the White House. The ardent follower of Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi and Abraham Lincoln, this man has promised a ‘Change we believe in- yes, we can’. This presidential campaign slogan has actually become most quoted sentence! Though, world is yet to see ‘Change’ in the literal sense.
Everything seemed perfect until September, 2008. The Eclipse sets in…Either it was Total or Partial. But it could be seen from all over the world- the Economic Meltdown! It spread thick n’ fast. From USA to Europe to Asia to Africa... the effect was so far reaching that overnight some called it a ‘New World Order’. Though Indian Economy was stirred but not shaken during the period due to its own policy!
Execution of Saddam Hussain by Bush Administration was another heart-wrenching event world had witnessed. Erstwhile American president George W Bush had punished him for ‘crime against humanity!’ Just think!!
Some natural tragedies had united the world. Lakhs of people from several countries had lost their lives in Tsunami in 2004. Earthquakes in Bhuj, Kashmir and Haiti had proved how vulnerable humans are in front of natural fury. Floods in Pakistan and India too have proved the helplessness of individuals. Helps poured in from all parts of the world for the survivors!
Man made catastrophes too were there: the most ghastly one was Gujarat Genocide of 2002. The perpetrator of the crime is still ruling the state. Series of terror attacks (mostly in religious places) in India have tried to shake the secular base of India, though we are successful enough to prove our resilient. Rise of the Maoists due to lack of development and economic backwardness.
We have lost leaders like Jyoti Basu, a magic called Michael Jackson.
No, everything is not shrouded in pessimism. ‘If you look for the stars, you will land on the moon’ India has indeed proved this under the captainship of R Madhavan Nair. Team Chandrayaan was a super success story for us. In the world of sports, Saina Nehwal, Abhinav Bindra, Sushil Kumar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Lakshman (for crushing mighty Aussies in 2001 and SA in 2010) made us proud. By winning Oscars A R Rahman and Gulzar simply made us ecstatic. India for the first time ever got Madam President, which is indeed very significant from Indian sociological point of view. Sunita Williams, Kalpana Chawla, Amitav Ghosh, Kiran Desai and others had made an Indian Summer.
Here in India, Right to Information Act, 2005 has become a reality. Right to Education has become a fundamental right. Environment awareness now is at its best.
If we name this decade as the decade of Information Revolution, that won’t be an exaggeration. Advent of dozens of news channels in India and few thousand papers are giving each other a healthy competition. New Media, internet, social networking, and micro blogging are the latest trends which have empowered the general mass.
Now, a little personal anecdote. How was the decade for me? I have finished my schooling, universities with a good percentage and topper awards. Joined my dream job and left it. Presently serving an institute which I never thought that I could land there…
May be New Decade will see many such impossible! The beginning is indeed unique…
1.1.11!!
*(Probably I have forgotten many things, these are from my memory only!! So pardon me…)