It was a little after 9.45 pm on November 26 when the phone rang. It was my sister calling me frantically to tell me that a gang war had broken out in South Mumbai. That there were reports of firing at the Taj Mahal hotel and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and that I should check the news on TV.

Over the next nearly 60 hours, I sat transfixed in front of the flickering screen, occasionally switching from one hysterical coverage to the next, as the entire drama of the biggest terrorist attack on Indian soil unfolded before me. Thanks to the intrusive, intimate reach of the camera, the entire horror of the spectacle was brought home to millions of Indians who had access to a TV set.

At the end of it, I was left with a feeling of numbness and rage — a seething, helpless kind of anger — at the terrorists, at Pakistan, at the government, at the corruption in society, but mostly, anger at myself especially of not being able to stand up to all of this and say "This won't do!"

Many candlelight marches and peace rallies later, what is left in many of us is sadness but also a determination to bring about a change and thus make a difference. But the change won't occur by bombing Pakistan or the terror camps of the 'non-state actors' in Pakistan, or by heaping scorn and abuse on thick-skinned politicians, or in voting one party out and bringing another equally corrupt and inept one into power, or by equipping our police and armed forces with the best of equipment - the change has to be deeper and start within us. Once again, we have to turn to that apostle of peace, the Father of Our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, who told us so many years ago, "Be the change that you want to see in this world."

And does the average Indian need to change? If you have any doubt at all, refer to India Today's article on the pathetic moral nature of our society in its 1998 issue. (http://www.india-today.com/itoday/24081998/cover.html) Ten years down the line, the Ugly Indian is still the cause of all that is happening in our country - yes, my reader, you and I are responsible for what has transpired and what will continue to happen unless we radically transform ourselves.

So what do you, as young citizens of the country, do in the aftermath of such an attack? For this is not the last time that this has happened; the next time around, it could be worse! And it could happen IN YOUR HOMETOWN!

Here are a few things you can do to prepare yourself for the challenges that lie ahead. Some of these are immediate in nature - some long term.

1. Familiarise yourself with the security system in your building, society, school and neighbourhood

You need to know what arrangements are in place, if at all, should an attack take place. What are the emergency measures, how functional are the escape routes, what is the condition of safety equipment? How well trained are the security guards in your area? In case of an attack, are they equipped to protect themselves first, leave alone protecting the residents? Organise safety drills in your schools, colleges and neighbourhoods with the help of the local authorities. If you find lacunae in any of these, bring this to the notice of the superiors. It is your right to demand this as a citizen.

2. Organise yourselves into small neighbourhood groups

In an emergency, smaller, organised groups are better equipped to deal with the crisis. Form street committees comprising representatives of all buildings/settlements in your street. These committees can work for issues like clearance of garbage, greenery, street lighting and others in peace time and gear up for security measures in times like this. Every committee must insist on each building enforcing strict security measures including screening of security guards and visitors to the building. For guidelines on how to go about this, look up the Advanced Locality Management (ALM) scheme that has been implemented successfully in Mumbai on the Internet.

3. Get to know the police and civil services set up in your area

Do you know who your Municipal Officers are? Which department provides you with which service? Do you have the numbers for the local police station, fire-brigade and ambulance service? Get to know them and compile a list of emergency numbers to be distributed to each and every household in your neighbourhood.

4. Be the eyes and ears of your neighbourhood

Form Youth Brigades in your locality. Speak with the local police station as to how 'Eagle Brigades' can assist them in stopping crime and also reporting suspicious activity to them in quick time. In today's world, security agencies lay great importance on what they call human intelligence or 'humint'. As former Maharashtra chief secretary N Raghunathan says "Suspicious activity must be reported to the police. Maintain civic vigilance. There should be inquiries in each neighbourhood into the identity of new residents. Create local vigilante units, citizen action groups and hotlines, so that a network of information, communication and administration can be established."

5. Develop and seek to develop in others an Attitude of Gratitude

Many of our service providers, be they sweepers, municipal conservancy workers, domestic help or our police, do thankless jobs at very little pay. Appreciate their efforts, recognize and reward them for a job well done. This will not only ensure a deeper relationship between them and you but will also result in better service.

6. Reach out

Youth today have the opportunity to break down the centuries-old divisions of religion, caste, creed and economic barriers that have plagued the onward march of our country. You are educated, broad-minded and inclusive enough to stand against anybody and everybody who tries to divide the country along these lines. As Satish Sahney, former Mumbai Police Commissioner and co-founder of the Mohalla Ekta Peace Committees says "…youngsters should drown out the voices of those hoping to stoke flames of communal tension. Protest against politics of hate, against those who seek to politicise a national tragedy." Reach out to your domestic help, reach out to the street vendor, reach out to the slum-dweller and take them along on your mission.

7. Get involved in social service

It is a fact that most conflict arises due to a disparity in the sharing of resources. The more you involve yourself in serving the less privileged, the more you will understand the diversity of this country and the condition of the less fortunate. This empathy will serve you well as you approach larger issues facing your society and the country.

8. Speak out!

In a democracy, the greatest weapon is the voice of the people. Use all fora at your disposal — be it school and college debates, newspapers, magazines and newsletters, websites and blogs, sms, social networking websites, street theatre and silent protests to wage a war against all ills in society. This attack has awakened the citizens to the absolute rot that has set in. It is your duty to speak out and keep speaking out till a change occurs.

Especially raise your voice against corruption. The tons of RDX that landed on the shores of Mumbai would not have landed without some corrupt policeman turning a habitual blind eye to the consignment, probably not knowing what it contained. Public money would have gone to equip our policemen and soldiers with better equipment if some corrupt politicians hadn't siphoned off funds for their own benefit. Our institutions would have been more secure if the corporates or government bodies that own or run them hadn't taken shortcuts with security measures to save a few bucks and by greasing the palms of pliant officers. With your elders and with the help of the media, formulate a plan to identify, isolate and shame people in all departments who ask for bribes. But for that, you need to take a pledge, and convince your parents as well, never to give a bribe, no matter what the consequences.

9. Vote and encourage people to vote

The time for apathy is over. If you are 18, get yourself registered as a voter and come out and vote. Run campaigns in your college to get more and more youth registered for voting and ensure that every adult in your neighbourhood votes. Do not let the money politics of politicians and the helpless complicity of the slumdweller decide who will rule the country.

10. Stand up and be counted!

The time for us to stay outside and criticize our politics and politicians is now over. The only way we can clean up the system is from the inside! Take leadership in local efforts and, when you are eligible, stand for elections. It is said that evil spreads in the world not because of bad people doing bad things; it is because good people do nothing. Come forward and lead the country to its rightful destiny.

The best thing to come out of this horrific incident is that it has forced people, across all segments of society, to wake up and introspect. We hope that the current crisis will not escalate into a war with our recalcitrant neighbour, but even if it doesn't, we cannot afford to again sit back and be complacent. The Americans have not given up their vigilance after 9/11; let us not go back to our "chalta hai" attitude after our very own 9/11. The consequences could be disastrous!