Rememering those who are gone...

Tomorrow is November 26th....the day every Indian will remember with a little fear and a lot of sorrow. In particular, this day will be a black day in the history of one of the most vibrant cities in the country - Amchi Mumbai....

2008 - November 26: The day terrorists struck at the heart of every Indian, all over the world. Technically, they took over the Taj, the Trident and Nariman House, but in reality, they had taken over the whole country. For three days, the world watched in terror as a handful of young men, held innocent people hostage and then brutally killed them.

The incident not only caused numerous deaths and loss of property, but it showed how lax our security systems are. Even after one year, we are still grappling at facts and trying to figure out what actually happened.

The media did it's bit in publicizing how the spirit of Mumbai is that of "Never-Say-Die", but how many times?? How many times, will a city....a nation, allow such attacks on it's soul? And not surprisingly, this time the city of Mumbai retaliated - they spoke out that they will no longer bear all of this silently, any more.

Probably, we need to take all of this beyond just words - each time there is an act of terrorism , there is talk of how this is the last time. Processions are carried out as signs of protest, there is immense media coverage, important people say a lot of things.......and then within a few days, the issue dies out. People remember about the incident, when it is time for the next anniversary.

There are only a few who remember the incident forever - the ones who have lost their loved ones. Ask the parents of Major Unnikrishnan, and they will tell you how the one day changed their lives forever! Talk to the families of the police officers who bravely laid down their lives for the sake of others, and you might get an inkling of what is the true meaning of loss.

It's high time that we decided that we no longer want to be victims of mindless violence..........we want our world for ourselves!! And in the words of Professor Moody (from the Harry Potter series) the only way of protecting ourselves is - Constant Vigilance!