26/11. Did it impact us?

Life is the most precious but most fragile entity. Life may have seldom meant more to us the way it means after Mumbai attacks. In this busy hectic life when we don’t have time for most of our cherished hobbies such heinous acts of terrorism, have made us take a pause and reflect on whether we are prepared to die today, or may be even next moment.
Death even though, an indomitable reality is least thought of aspect by most of us. In these changing times of our value system wherein we are driven by our aspirations, ambitions to constantly struggle and achieve higher professional growth, such moments of tragedy has made us introspect about our priorities and very essence of life.

Many Indians were the spectators of these fateful and ferocious moments when the coverage was almost shown live through various channels of media, and this topic has been discussed in greater breadths and depth at all levels; from government officials & policy makers at the centre & journalists and reporters of media to municipality laborers cleaning the roads . But is that enough?
In these silent moments when we reflect personally on what are the learning’s that we have derived from this event, one could only feel the numbness of words & pacing up of the heartbeat. The very thought of “It could have happened to me or my dear ones” blows us out of our senses, deepening our hidden insecurities, making us feel victimized and helpless. It is then that most of the reflective individuals start searching for options/ solutions through various dimensions and horizons rather then resorting to the fatalistic attitude of accepting things. This change in the attitude depicts the phase of social dynamism & awareness, a sense of which has been inculcated in majority of Indians after 26/11. What does this phase symbolize?
It symbolizes a sense of responsibility and accountability amongst the citizens. It is the phase that initiates the paradigm shift in the attitude of people when the blame game is shifted to the state of “ I am responsible as I am a part of this system and I shall make the difference”; the difference in this case is relative; it could be as simplistic as being patient enough to wait in queues for the security check up at metro stations and other public places , casting the vote to the deserving candidate after meticulous background research of the contestants, to as vital decision as choosing civil services as a carrier option.

This malevolent attack has made us appreciate the precious gift of life, more than ever before. It has given most of us a clear impetus to live each moment to its fullest. It has initiated social binding for a cause and kindled the spirit of social dynamism and awareness, but above all it has made every Indian realize that they are a vital entity of this social set up, and cant be apathetic about the prevailing political system; as the system is the mere reflection of the society as a whole and every individual is very much responsible for his/her own life.