The true significance of 26/11

Yes, I can hear the groans as people read the title and the weary voices which say, “not another one please.”
As I write this article (April 26) it is exactly five months to theday that Mumbai’s major institutions like the The Taj and CST stationfell a prey to terror attacks. Distance from the event lends toperspective.
I am very clear that 26/11 was the day that a nation’s perception ofitself changed. Till then, yes there was talk of a recession. The mood however was largely optimistic and there was still faith in the India story. Newspaper editorials largely talked of how India was finally ready to take its rightful place on the world stage riding on the backof its growing economic clout.
Five months on we know that this is not entirely true. Yes, India does get invited to the G-20 to discuss the global economic problems. On the other hand, there have also been job losses and salary cuts.
And yes, Indians are rushing to take terror cover from insurancecompanies and the IPL has been moved out of India to South Africa. TheIPL shift one may argue is a fallout of it coinciding with the elections and the attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Pakistan.South Asia one may argue is the most dangerous place in the world now and India is just unlucky to be there. Think of it 10 years or maybe even five years back would we have re-scheduled cricket matches just because they coincided with elections? Let me make it clear that I do not want to joint the blame game by pointing fingers at governments past and present but am merely stating facts.
This has brought home to us a simple truth. Economic growth is no substitute for security. This is the simple truth that has guided nations for centuries now.
Yes, we have reason to celebrate that the Indian economy is still growing at 5 per cent levels even when most of the developed world is in the midst of an economic crisis with Japan being officially in recession. This growth whether even if it continues will however not compensate for loss of lives. Economic growth has not been an insurance against terror attacks but the reverse in fact has beenquite true in India’s case. Whichever government comes to power in the ongoing elections will do well to remember that. To modify thecampaign slogan in a previous US election-it is the security stupid.That to me is the true significance of 26/11.