Mumbai Terror Attacks - Why And How and Its Effect

How devastating is the Mumbai Terror Attack to the Indian psyche?

Mumbai terror attack is the culmination of a long year of terrorist strikes in India. Terrorists have struck at will from Bangalore to Jaipur to Guwahati, in fact all corners of India. Given the resilience of the Indian people, it has devastated some but the majority of Indian people have gone on with life as before. The Mumbai terror attack is different. Terror has struck at the soft underbelly of the Indian landscape – the moneyed, the powerful. A bank’s chairman captured and killed, the Hotel’s GM’s family murdered. A newspaper editor still missing. These are killings the press will remember. If the Press will remember, the country will remember. And with elections approaching – The Govt. will have to do something about it. The terrorists however have been kinder to their Muslim brethren in this country. I dread the type of retaliation that would have been fuelled and abetted by the ultra right politicians, if the terrorists' attacks had just been on Hindus.

The terrorists reportedly were looking at British / US passport holders and attacked a Jewish house. That brings us to the agenda of the terrorists. There is no doubt it was funded by international agencies and planned abroad. Their view was to gain international attention. Maybe it was a double-edged sword. They wanted international attention and to get the support of the anti- Indian, Kashmir groups, local support so to say, the indiscriminate strikes at public places happened – to get back at India. The developed World has been quiet. How does Al-Qaeda and its supporting arms like LET keep the terror army motivated? Where do the terrorist funding come from if the boys being trained on the high mountains of Pakistan do not get a job? India is always an easy target. But with so many strikes another strike doesn’t really catch the country’s attention. Hell, they have even got away with shooting in the Indian Parliament (the common man’s refrain at that time was – God, why didn’t they kill the lot – truly). So the international flavor to the strike. Through India – maybe crippling Indian growth and setting it back 2-4 years. The purpose is solved – anti-kashmir terrorists get back at India and Al-Qaeda training and funding purpose solved with attacks on Jews, US and UK tourists.

However I feel another purpose of the terrorists could not materialise. Taking hostages and negotiating. The Indian Army and Police with their chaotic handling of the situation ensured that there was no scope for negotiations. They created enough confusion for any demand for negotiation to be lost in the mayhem. The police had lost their top brass – so maybe they didn’t care any longer for lives lost. Anyways when already 100 people had been killed how could 20-30 more lives matter – the commandos job as I can gather from news was to capture or kill the terrorists – at any cost. Actually, this might be the only positive that might have come out of this strike. The nation still cringes at the memory of a smiling Jaswant Singh handing terrorists crores of rupees plus releasing a top terrorist during the Kandahar hijacking.

So will India get back on tracks – you bet. That means people will continue to travel and move as before. The country’s growth will be affected. That means there will less jobs and more unemployed – this will lead to more unrest. I just hope this part of the World doesn’t become one more Afghanistan. It will be a difficult time for the World – the next few years, India included.

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Ten Toys We CAn Make - Home Made Toys We Have Forgotten!

As I look at the toys being advertised, the shops being crowded, the rush for popular toys, I am reminded of the toys we had when we were younger. Toys were so simple then. Do children really play with all the toys they wish for? Why do they mess around with glue, clay and colours when the latest gizmo occupies pride of place on their table? Isn't it just part guilt, part affection, part "keeping up with the Joneses" that make us give them the latest and the best, year after year. How would you and by transference the child feel should a $100 Toy break in a day?

Children love simple stuff. However they are hardly exposed to simple joys these days! I am listing here some toys every child will love. You would enjoy making them, getting your hands dirty or getting them from the store. They are replaceable but most of all they are FUN. Kids from 2-7 years will enjoy them. And sadly most of them have been forgotten.

A Wireless Set - Just a piece of string with cardboard boards at the end for earphones (maybe you can do it better!)

Marbles - Oh, the joys of playing with marbles!

Stitching a new dress by hand - not with the sewing machine.

Kites

Water Colour

A Clay Set - Try digging the clay from the yard, making shapes and then putting it on the stove to fire it!

Plastic spoons (generally found in formula milk)

Collectibles like bookmarks, stamps, labels, pencil stubs

A Homemade Book of Quotations

Picture frame

Little boxes, bottles to play stack, or glued to form monuments or just mess around with!

Paper planes, Boats!

I remember clearly two sets of precious toys I had in my childhood that I never tired of - one a little doll not more than 6 inches in height and another a clay kitchen set. I guess they are too frugal for today - but we could still make a start and bring simplicity back to our children's lives!