Synopsis and reminiscences of the year 2000

Lucky Sapam *

With the picture of the cold, dreadful chilling December nights of 1999 of the release of the hostages and the reaching of an agreement with the Indian Airlines Hijackers still vivid in the minds of everyone, it was the dawn of a new millennium, the year of 2000. A general euphoria seemed to engulf the city and the people.

As the minute hand of the clock approaches the hour mark of midnight, the digital world sat in silence and waits with great anticipation and with doubts in their mind of a problem, so called as the 'Millennium Bug'. The world braces for the assumed 'pandemonium' as the midnight approaches.

"Will the computer systems around the world crash when the calendar switches over to 2000?" was indeed the talk of the town, but when the clock struck twelve, nothing significant happened and it was all back to normal of welcoming the New Year. Globally speaking, it was the Line Islands in Kiribati to first welcome the new millennium. To inculcate a strong liking of the subject Mathematics, the year 2000 was declared as the 'World Mathematical Year'.

Generally for people, with every New Year, there comes the task of setting new goals, new aspirations, new ambitions and achieving various targets and objectives. In every New Year's celebration talks, the word 'New Year Resolutions' is never missed out and the very word acts as a leverage to take the first step in doing something they ever wanted to do.

The sudden realisation of life and beyond starts only on the 31st December of every year. All the nitty-gritty of wanting to live a decent and meaningful life is taken well into the considerations and people move into the New Year with confidence beaming high.

The year 2000 was indeed a year of great importance and was eventful in many ways. The tides were changing its course and the gloomy air was getting thinner, Presidents of both North and South Korea signed a peace accord, and at least symbolically, ended a half-century of antagonism.

The visit of Bill Clinton to India threw the old suspicion, distrust and discord away and a new chapter began with great positivity and excitement, months later, after the visit of Bill Clinton to India, the world witnessed a tight and contentious presidential election battle in the USA with George Bush winning with a narrow margin.

The states of India were bifurcated with new states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttaranchal coming to the fore, seeking the prosperity of new direction and a new journey. The calculations of achieving the policies and benefits of the bifurcation were made solely on the line of socio-political and not on the line of linguistic. That was a bold step and the government took a calculated risk in doing so. The dividends and benefits of the bifurcation are out on the people's court till today.

Every time when we step into a New Year, various thoughts begin to wander around in our heads with each passing day. While we sit and contemplate about various ways of achieving the goals and desire that we want in their life; the precious time moves and waits for none. And when we look at the dusty calendar that hangs on the wall, we will realise that one year has gone by so quick.

With the churning of various seasons of life, the prediction about future or destiny is not always right and possible. The worrisome factors thus exist and it leads to total breakdown of morale and strength at times. But we can't keep complaining and grumbling about the petty issues in our life and in this world. We need to accept the existence of indifferences and uniqueness.

Along the roads of life, there are always two ways of going about, one way is to find an alternative road whenever there is a roadblock and the other way is to bulldoze right through it. Both seem to cause no harm and are right and legit in many ways. Therefore the choice about anything is ultimately down to us and no one else. Perspective is always the individual's prerogative and should remain so.

The whole year of 2000 was air waved and echoed with songs like 'Opps! I did it again' or 'It's my life', the other songs like: All the small things by Blink 182, Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Last Resort by Papa Roach, and Higher by Creed as well made sure that everybody got a fair share of different genre of good music.

Back home in Manipur, Sharmila began her bold, iconic perpetual fast and also the arcade game seeds were sown. The year 2000 also bred a new desire, a vicarious desire of money by watching 'Kaun Banega Crorepati'. Suddenly, everybody irrespective of age was showing a great amount of interest in general knowledge.

The simple television game show of questions and answers with question like: What does N stand for in the name of the organization abbreviated as UN? With correct options given as New, Neutral, Nations and Nature, indeed created massive waves of aspirations and hopes. The show garnered large audiences and reached every nook and cranny of the country.

On the world stage and going by the statistics, India was home to world's most beautiful women as three Indian women won the three prominent international pageants of Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss Asia Pacific International in the same year. And with that, there was a great sense of hope and satisfaction among the bachelors of the country.

More or less, the year of 2000 was indeed an eventful year with many significant happenings constantly occurring throughout the year. And now, as the Earth completes its revolution around the sun, we move into the New Year of 2016 leaving 2015 behind and we know it's time to start all over again, starting from setting up of new goals and objectives to resolutely defining some 'new resolutions'. And thus the cycle always repeats itself until death part us from this world.