Even as the country comes to terms with the mayhem unleashed in Mumbai, the hour of reckoning and rectification has dawned. Resilience alone will not heal wounds. It’s time to harness our reserves and hone our responses.

In the context of the devastating terrorist attack on Mumbai on 26/11—most unpredictable and horrifying—it is time for our government and administration to:
• respect human lives
• take a realistic stock of the situation
• analyse the country’s standing in terms of:
    - pre-emptive measures to prevent recurrence
    - identification of deficiencies that undermine our capability to defend our nation, our boundaries and protect the lives of our citizens
    - analysis, identification and corrective action in the areas of administrative failures
    - evaluation of existing apparatus with a view to assess whether it needs overhaul or total replacement with mechanisms, systems and organisations capable of neutralising the newly emerging threats that have totally overwhelmed our current security establishments, raising serious doubts about their viability and relevance
• learn the right lessons from Washington’s response to 9/11 as India has been reduced to a soft target
• place demands on the defence industry to provide advanced technology, effective deterrence and the capability to pre-empt acts of terrorism
• adopt pro-active policies to identify and annihilate terror groups with evil designs on India
• rigorously implement measures to protect innocent lives from the bullets of remorseless assassins

Expressing our shock and outrage at this ghastly and dastardly act of terror, we at SP’s extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims. May the country rally around this crisis and find the will to build the shield that will protect our nation from such violently divisive and decadent forces.

Defying such acts of terror that aim to derail progress of our nation and bring life to a standstill, this issue of SP’s Aviation seeks to reflect the unrelenting human spirit and determination to carry on with the pace and quality of our commitments despite the daunting challenges.