Greeting New Year

Dear 2016,

As I stand on your threshold to greet you, I wonder what it is you hold for us. Will you be the year when we see two women finally breaking the ultimate glass ceilings as President of America and Consul General of the UN?

Will India catch up with the rest of the civilised world and repeal the archaic and offensive Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, decriminalizing homosexuality and allowing the LGBTQ community to live and love in dignity?

How about the refugee crisis: Will we see a cessation of strife in the Middle East known as 'the Rubik's Cube' of international diplomacy? Can we bet on hopes that Cyprus will reunite, bringing some much needed healing in the region? Will we never have to witness the horror of desperate men women and children in makeshift rafts screaming to be let in to countries that show no mercy?

Will photographs of drowned children not have to remind us of our humanity?

What's in your bag of tricks, 2016? What do you bring?

Terrorist attacks? I hope not. Certainly not another assault on Paris – the city once known for leisure and love but now scarred with the two deadly assaults on its people last year – Charlie Hebdo and the dastardly attack in November. Not another terrorist attack please. Not Paris. Not anywhere. We have had one too may. We cannot take any more.

Certainly not any more of hatred, violence, intolerance, rape or misogyny either. No lynchings in Dadri please, no murdering of rationalists and secularists, no hate speeches and petty sectarian acts. Give us instead leaders who stoke our goodness and compassion. Like Canada's Justin Trudeau, like Bhutan's Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck; certainly the success of Britain's Jeremy Corbyn and Pope Francis' Rockstar-like tour of America points to a yearning for statesmen at the helm of world decision makers.

Which reminds me, you are the year in which we will say goodbye to one those most sterling examples of true leadership Barack Obama. It is with a heavy heart that we will bid adieu to the first black leader of the United States who brought such a depth of humanity, elegance, wit and vision to the White House. Will you now replace him with Donald Trump, dear 2016? Could you be so cussed and play such a mean trick on the unsuspecting world? I hope not.

What about the things that clang headlines and make ticker tapes go faster, dear 2016?

Like dastardly double murders of artists, society figures and the like? Or like political scams and scandals involving cricket, big business interests and huge contracts? Have we seen the back of the Lalit Modi Vasundhara Raje Sushma Swaraj tangle? Seems so. Will we see the end of the Jaitley-Kejriwal-DDCA skirmish? Doesn't look like it.

What will you bring for us dear 2016, what's in that sack on your shoulder? Another royal baby for William and Kate? Another suit with his name emblazoned on it for Modi? Another vacation for vacation-starved Rahul? Will we see a spate of high profile star couplings, with Ranbir and Kat finally tying the knot? Will Anusha and Virat follow suit? And will Ranveer and Deepika tie a neat little bow around their Bajirao success with a wedding ceremony?

And what about Salman and Priyanka? Will they be the last bachelors standing in Bolly-land? Do tell, dear 2016.

Water parks on Mars? A few more drop dead gorgeous Olympic gold winning transwomen? Another record-breaking album from Adele? More literary spats at neverending literary festerings? Another rat on India's national carrier? Another financial meltdown in China? One more international hacking scandal? Further evidence of the horrific growth of ISIS? Great leaps in genetic science? A closer encounter with Pluto? More evidence that the world's climate has changed beyond repair?

What do you hold for us, dear 2016 – the balm of healing or the threat of more anguish?

Will you be kind or cruel? Friend or foe?

As I stand here at the door of your entry, I am filled with wonder and hope.

Fare thee well 2016. You came not a moment too soon!

With best regards,

Yours sincerely etc.
malavikasmumbai@gmail.com, @msangghvi
(The columnist believes in the art of letter writing)