We have a few months to go, but it felt like the right time to take stock of what the year has been like given that we’re closer to 2026 than ever. I feel as if there’s been a fair amount of pessimism lately, and criticism about the fact that life appears to be harder than ever even though ten years have passed since we were promised Better Days.

I know things didn’t get off to a great start, what with the stampede in January that may or may not have claimed the lives of 30 people. I mention facts and figures with disclaimers these days because we live in a time when things happening before our eyes may be disputed by an official press release within 24 hours. Facts are not facts, remember? So, while the year may have begun with tragedy, it isn’t an indication of the fact that crowd management is a problem in this country. Stampedes may happen more often than any of us would like them to, but they are acts of God and should be treated as such.

There was a train accident that month, too, in Jalgaon district, but I like to think we are immune to issues with trains by now. Our ministers have been posting photographs and reels related to rail safety on Instagram, and if that doesn’t reassure us that trains are safe, little else will.