The year that will be

2008 began its journey promising change.And it did deliver change.It was perhaps the most volatile year i have seen in my 18 years.
India and Pakistan seemed to be on very good terms...and it looked like it would end like 'and they lived peacefully ever after'...but then 26/11 had to come.
Commodity prices reached skywards fuelling inflation.It certainly never looked like the inflation would end up in the 8% category given the rate of growth.
2008 has been a big blow to India's progress.The GDP growth has come down from 9% to possibly 5.5%.
The glass was half empty.But the glass was also half full.
Oil prices were hovering above $120 for most of the year only to crash down to $40 now.This combined with fall in inflation could be the trigger to restart India's powerful consumption boom.
Perhaps,the biggest event in 2008 was the victory of a Barack Hussain Obama in the US presidential race.The United states has bravely elected a man whose main message is one of hope and change.
"Rosa Parks sat so King could walk.King walked so Obama could run.Obama ran so we all could fly" - Anonymous SMS.

Also not to forget,2008 gave us some very good movies and more bad ones.

For India though,Sports has been the biggest victor.With the best ever Olympics performance and the golden run of the cricket team and many other notable achievements...2008 has been a huge year for Indian sports.

2009 is also promising change,as does every year.But since the general elections are coming up...the change is for real this time.Seeing the debacles in Nandigram and Singur...the Left's seat share may decline and this should give the Congress more freedom to do business,if UPA wins.It could be a year of huge change if Rahul Gandhi would step up to the throne.That would definately bring hope and change...and it would be as dramatic as Obama's emergence.
On the terror front,I don't think in a huge country such as ours any security measures could stop the terrorists if they are up to it.So,all we can do is hope that we are done with it.
The major talking points have been the climate change,job cuts,housing prices,recession,terrorism.2008 has had its up's and down's and more down's.This year has the capability to put the past behind it and bring change,for good.
We may have already the witnessed the worst and pray or we may just be witnessing the lull before a storm.

Hope.