Person of the Year 2021

Like every year, there were several contenders.

- Navneet Munot

The Greek letters intentionally skipped by WHO in naming variants of Covid are Xi and Nu. Well unsaid. The next alphabet after Omicron is Pi. Yan Martel’s words in the ‘Life of Pi” are pertinent: “You must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it”. Humanity made the best of what came to it.

I admire the young Girl power in the likes of Dr Swati Mohan leading the touchdown of Perseverance on Mars, Olivia Rodrigo raiding billboards, Greta thundering at Glasgow, Emma Raducanu acing US open and Momiji Nishiya winning Olympic Gold.

‘Rising power of women’ was my person of the year exactly a decade back. I called it a trend of the decade and even century. It’s not about Leena Nair breaking the glass Chanel doors or Nykaa creating buzz on the stock market, but an orbital shift visible across spheres.

Merkel, the Angel(a) of Germany was a strong contender. Few leaders match this short lady’s tall stature, grand persona and a long legacy created over seventeen years. Leaders with Cuddling arms, a Caring heart and a Clear mind overcome Challenges and create Charm. EU, you owe her so much. Auf wiedersehen, the crowning legend.

Boris has a new baby at home to party with while the post-Brexit economy is sobbing in its cradle. England lost the Euro cup to Italy, but got a prized win in Ronaldo. Barca will miss the Lion(el) as Messi switched to Parisian stripes. Macron wishes rightly that AUKUS could have been FAUKUS.