Positivity

If, as the cliche goes, every cloud has a silver lining, then the cloud that had shrouded Mumbai on 26/11 was the darkest, most ominous one that this beautiful vibrant city had ever seen.

But as the days pass, a faint light is tinting this cloud, slowly but surely.

There have been positive fallouts of this catastrophe:

1. India has won a strong, firm, assertive ally in the US which was hitherto sitting on the fence as far as Pak-India relations go. With their support and strong arm tactics (the need of the moment), India can tighten the pressure on Pak and have them follow up their words with decisive, committed and long term action.

2. NDTV 24x7 has shown us what responsible, professional, discerning, informed, well researched and balanced reporting is all about. Hats off to Barkha Dutt (spirited, energetic, fiesty, focussed and relevant) and Sreenivasan Jain (how can intelligence and good looks be combined so well!). In the midst of the other (especially the hysterical Hindi ones) sensational, irresponsible and amateur news channels, NDTV was sober, sensible and sensitive. This should be the future of News in our country.

3. Every citizen has at long last taken his and her democratic rights seriously. Even if it is something apparently small(but hugely significant) like casting a vote, the truth has finally hit home (and hit hard) that we are ultimately responsible for the government we get. Action committees are being formed at housing societies, we are finally raising our voices and demanding to be heard. Candles being lit may be a symbolic sign of our protest, but it is not a token gesture, since it keeps alive the anger, indignation and resolve at the brutal massacre of whatever our city stood for. Its a springboard to continued action - and memory. We need more black bands, candles and midnight vigils.

4. Hats off to Moshe's nanny, the frail, dimuntive woman who braved all the bullets and rushed this little child to safety. What guts and courage - and all for a boy who was not her own child and not even of her own family or nationality. Just goes to show that women and children can and will show the path to peace and progress....:-)

5. Mumbai and its people are no longer willing to turn the other cheek. We are no longer proud to be considered a 'reslient city' and a 'city that bounces back'. Phrases like these have made us, the highest tax paying Indian population, easy scapegoats for vote banks. We no longer want to believe in the 'spirit of Bombay' - which is what will spur us into now doing what needs to be done. (Though I am not a fan of her writing, Shobha De made a fervent ,relevant, exceptional point on NDTV in this regard) Enough is really enough!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRTZ8-K0jiE

6. We have started looking beyond our own selves, our small cocoons of safety and our narrow interests and existence for the greater common good. To effect a change, we must truly BE the change we wish to see. We do it for our kids, for our future generation, and we know WE must do it, and do it NOW.

Every situation has a positive side. Even something as dark and sinsiter as this. But see it we must, to learn, to live, to love and to move on.