Another year has drawn to a close and the query might linger a little longer. Is 2019 the last year of decade or 2020?

Before answering when the decade ends, let’s take a moment to sink in the effects being caused to environment and how close we are to the brink of destruction. What are we passing to the next decade. Ironical that we welcome the new year with fireworks when the world is in extreme need of shot in the arm before it is too late.

India has its share of turmoil. The troubled territory of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) is no more a state in India. The state of J&K, is a part of India but chunks of it are occupied by Pakistan & China. Unrest has been happening since times unknown, rocked by terrorists, once a heaven on earth is no more considered safe. The special status given to it is now revoked and it is now 2 Union Territories. Has it been peaceful, depends on who you are asking.

Before end of year, Government of India introduced Citizen Amendment Act & National Register of Citizens. Confusion has ensued since then and students are agitating. No one cares to explain the issue nor trying to understand how this can be worked out. At the time of writing this, students are still agitating while opposition parties mostly missing from the game – why? The parties are indirectly playing behind the students while students are acting like the mob brain.

When is the decade end?

Thinking of mob brain, we come to main question: When is the decade coming to an end, 31 December 2019 or 31 December 2020?

There are 3 answers and all are correct.

• Simplistic. Depends on how your number line starts. 0 to 9 or 1 to 10. First one supports the 31 December 2019 while latter 31 December 2020. It is a point of view.
• Decade is a period of 10 years. Everyday is marks the end of a 10 years period. Therefore logically, 31 December 2019 marks end of the decade which started on 01 January 2010 & similarly 31 December 2020 end the term 01 January 2011.
• Probably factually correct but what is the starting point? The year system of Before Christ (BC) & Anno Domini (AD), doesn’t have a 0 BC or 0 AD: … 3 BC, 2 BC, 1 BC, 1 AD, 2 AD, 3 AD … For AD period it starts from 1 AD, considering every period of 10 years since comes to 31 December 2020. But time is infinite & stretches both ways. Why should we start from 1 AD? A lot of things happened before it that has shaped the course of human destiny.

Where were you on New Year Day?

I may not post the year round but make sure a post is up on the 01 January every year – something to keep me regular :). I had some important client deliverable going live over new year & I for a change was a key member (show-off alert). Could’ve auto-published but how can I prove I’m lazy so waiting while to write. Now obvious things out of the way, Wishing you all a very Happy New Year 2020.

Finally, it’s here – the last of the teens. Last year, the year 2000’s turned 18 and now we are looking it to turn a new chapter. Oddly enough, it’ll be the last year we can call 2000’s teenager. May be enough of pranks and turn things serious.

Delhi, as always breached all pollution levels and continue to threaten the life while our Governments both centre and state continue to ignore and play dirty politics. We’ve celebrities endorsing a no-cracker Diwali but then compensate on their weddings. Companies promoting products for sale to build a healthy lifestyle by chopping off the life giving trees (without new plantation).

People are becoming smarter and need better governance, while there are few who love to go to ballot paper and reverse the digital era. We’ve Supreme Court whose judges enjoy a healthy amount of vacation can open doors for terrorists at midnight, pass judgement on religion but no time to expedite the pending cases which span years.

Aadhaar, probably a scheme no one liked initially to a something everyone wanted (I liked it for I’d have one ID proof which is online) to basic tatters. Instead of separating the monetary angle, the ease of use was scrapped. In my honest opinion, both Government and Activists have been high headed and no one tried to solve a problem but just highlight.

A lot of people have sacrificed their life for India’s independence. Many want separate state, some a separate country. A lot of people have tried keeping it together. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel happened to be the first and the most known. We got the tallest statue in the world but I still feel if it was needed. This has indirectly started a war of claims to build more statues. Build a park with statues of all great leaders or may be make our own wax museum like Madame Tussauds.

Some great movies this year. Big names failed, new names ruling the charts & hearts. Intelligent movies are being appreciated. Character actors are gaining the limelight more than the main lead. An indication that even though it is the last teenage years of year 2000s, they don’t need to act like one. Someone said, movies are an indication of the society.

The millennials will now be part of building the nation in next year General Elections 2019. I hope we all will learn from past and build the nation instead of acting like teenagers or playing dirty politics. On this note, I wish everyone a very Happy New Year – 2019.