As the first decade of the new millennium hurtles to a close, there
are lessons that we have to learn, both as individuals and as
a nation, from the troubles that beset 2010

By Raj Chengappa, Editor-in-Chief

Most of us remember our lives not in years, months, weeks or days but in moments — as freeze frames — as if time had stood still to enable us to commit to memory every detail. Significant happenings are stored not in fast forward but in slow motion. Some of these are so vivid they do not fade in their intensity despite the passage of time — the day you got the results of your board examination, your first job offer, the way you proposed to your beloved. Some are more painful — when you first heard about the death of a dear one. Reviewing a year in the life of a great nation like India is a process no different than that of your own.

A Kashmiri protester carrying a petrol bomb runs towards policemen during an anti-India protest in Srinagar on February 5 that saw the Valley descend into chaos in 2010. Photo: Reuters

Recall does not come in the form of statistics, labels or events, but as brilliant flashes or as searing images that etch themselves into our memories. So in sports, India may have lost by an innings to South Africa in the first Test, but the enduring image is that of Sachin Tendulkar raising his head and his bat to the heavens after crossing the unsurpassed target of 50 centuries in Test cricket. We are a nation of a billion-plus individuals, but for that moment our hearts seemed to beat as one as we all applauded his feat. As we did when Saina Nehwal held her nerve and won India the gold for badminton at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Or when, despite the controversy that dogged the Games, the giant aerostat was raised with a dazzling display of laser lights, fireworks and drums to unveil the awesome opening ceremony at the Nehru Stadium. For once we all felt the power of being Indian as the Romans of yore must have done when they witnessed gladiatorial battles at the Coliseum.

There was much in 2010 that gave us glimpses of the greatness of India. It was a year when India's chance of securing a permanent seat at the high table of nations brightened with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seen supping with leaders of major powers with boring regularity. In just six months, the heads of the P-5 countries, the US, China, France, Russia and the UK, paid state visits signalling India's arrival on the world stage. That this year the economy continued to grow at a creditable 9 per cent, second in pace only to China, had a lot to do with the deference shown to India by powerful nations. Nothing symbolised it more than the image of US President Barack Obama hugging the Prime Minister on his first state visit to India — in the past only the Russians did so! Or Obama’s stirring address to Indian parliamentarians where he said, "In Asia and around the world, India is not simply 'emerging'; India has already emerged."

There was also much in 2010 that we as Indians would recall with shame, concern and even horror. Unfortunately, the Commonwealth Games contributed to a fair share of these memories. Leaking stadia that smelt of graft shook our faith in our leaders. Leaks of a different kind in 2010 would shake not just India but the world too. While the now famous WikiLeaks made public what nations or its leaders thought of each other privately, the infamous Radia tapes exposed the shenanigans indulged in by some of our leading lights in politics, business and even the media. The storm over the oddly termed 2G scam would tear Parliament asunder and plunge the nation into debilitating political convulsions. The stench of the scandal seemed to rub off even on the Prime Minister whose integrity had never been in doubt — till now.

There were other troubling images that would haunt us for a while. Policemen strewn like ragdolls after a Naxal attack in the forests of Dantewada in Chhattisgarh. Disconcerting scenes of stone-throwing protesters on the streets of Srinagar as the Valley descended into mayhem. Buses being burnt in Hyderabad as the Telengana agitation gained momentum. The long-awaited Ayodhya verdict reigniting the communal discord over the issue.

Across the globe 2010 had its share of tragedies and turmoil. Pakistan experienced much grief during the floods and our sympathies go out to its people. But its political and military establishment showed no intention of turning off the tap on terror against India. China's aggressive actions spoke louder than the words of friendship it professed. The two Koreas came closer to a war. Iran defiantly continued its quest for nuclear weapons. Afghanistan threatened to sink into chaos again. And the world came no closer to an agreement at Cancun on staving off the disaster that would befall us from unchecked global warming.

For all these reasons and more, The Tribune editors have labelled 2010 as the year of disquiet. In the following pages we present you a sweep of the major events and personalities that shaped and decided the outcome of 2010. It is not meant to be a comprehensive listing but a staccato presentation. Much the way we recall episodes that impacted our lives.

As the first decade of the new millennium hurtles to a close, there are many lessons that we have to learn, both as individuals and as a nation, from 2010 and the preceding nine years. While the defining moments remain etched in our memories, the first year of a new decade holds the promise of change. So let's just not brace ourselves for 2011 but embrace it with open arms and resolve to make India and the world a better place to live in.

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