New Delhi, India was witness to yet another terrorist attack on Saturday the 13th. The bombs were placed strategically in crowded market places during the weekend evening. Four blasts occurred, killing around 40, maiming several others. The responsibility for the attacks has been claimed by the SIMI (Student's Islamic Movement of India), a banned terror outfit. I sometimes wonder whether "banning" an outfit is of any use in today's world. The same outfit is behind the recent bombings in Jaipur, Bangalore, Ahmedabad blasts. The master-mind is one Tauquir, alias Ahmed Subhan, and Qayamuddin. The former is an ex- software engineer, now devoted entirely to terrrorism. Where is he now? Hacking more computers, and master minding more deadly projects, supposedly. Terrorism is a virus which has come to stay. In crowded India, it will continue taking more lives with ease. What do the terrorists gain by killing innocents? This is a question which is forever going to be on the minds of people, for which there is no answer. It is a total lose-lose situation: no one benefits from this. The only "gain", if it can be termed that is a sadistic mindset which gloats over spilled blood.

My heart goes out to the victims of such horrifying acts, and their families. No one knows who the next set of victims will be and where. Truly, one of the darkest things ever to happen in our country. May the perpetrators of such crimes never rest in peace. The fact that they are not really religious by any stretch of the imagination lies in the fact that they can a) so cold-bloodedly take so many lives, repeatedly and b) they do not believe in their own religion, Islam, in which the ongoing Holy month of Ramzan is a month of forgiveness and prayer. They seem to be doing exactly opposite of what their religion preaches, so in which category do these terrorists really fit in?

May God Bless every person who is doing their bit to restore sanity, humanity, charity and other virtues in today's tough world.

                                                                                                   ********************

(Visit epaper.timesofindia.com for further updates on this topic)

             My husband's work takes him  to different countries. Being a person deeply interested in other cultures, he brings back with him various souveneirs, gifts and other memorablia. These become my window to the world. Through these souveneirs I get a glimpse into others’ countries, cultures and way of living. (My imagination too, tends to run riot on such occasions!) Travelling brings about something which no book can ever provide: deep insights into the good and the bad of any country, and an inherent respect and appreciation towards people who speak a different language, look different and have beliefs very different from yours. (For example, a friend of mine whose husband works in Korea relates how a moustache-sporting man is indicative of a “bad” man. No one wants to appear as “bad” in front of others, so off came the moustache, which, in India is considered a sign of manliness!)

         Here are some of the token items that I have received recently as gifts: (Interestingly, most of these countries are our neighbouring countries, and so it makes it all the more important to know more about them!)  To the avid traveler visiting these countries, this list may serve as a guideline on what to buy and take home as gifts.

1. Malaysia : a model of Petronas Towers, batik shirts and tops,  a sample of fish sauce, postcards of some famous beach resorts like Langkawi, a traditional Malay outfit which is a sarong and top. Like it's neighbour Indonesia, Malaysia boasts of a rich tradition of wood craft, carvings and nib paintings on rice paper.
2. China      :  a beautiful, hand-painted set of miniature tea cups and tea pot, a sample of Chinese hand painted scrolls with calligraphy, memorablia of the Great Wall of China and The Forbidden City and plenty of video footage of the same. You may want to buy a bolt of Chinese silk, but be forewarned: these come at a price which is not too pocket-friendly. Indian silk gives more for less. For people with large purses and wallets: Chinese Feng Shui models: the Dragon, chimes, good luck charms, etc., abound. Also, global fashion and jewellery brands.
3. Thailand : T-shirts, straw hats, a cup with a personalized image of yourself on the beach, perfumes and a key chain. The T-shirts traditionally sport elephant images .Thailand makes for a dream shopping destination (like Singapore) due to it’s economical range of clothing, footwear and children’s products. One can pick up an Armani, Gucci or Ralph Lauren product at a fraction of the cost here! For people with large purses: pick up gem stones and jewellery, but not before checking out the authenticity.
4. 4. Sri Lanka :  More T-shirts with the elephants, cheap clothing, Sri Lankan tea and    aromatic spices. This is a land fabled for it's gemstones, so do go with someone who knows all about the business before picking up some rare and beautiful pieces. 

 5. Nepal       : No prizes for guessing! Photographs and more photographs of breath-taking Himalayan scenes. Junk jewellery,  and  Buddhist religious tokens, as well as Hindu temple art.(3-D models of Pashupatinath Temples come quite reasonably priced.) Brass sculptures, Tibetan art and curios are in plenty.

6.   Bangladesh: Besides the traditional Jamdani and Dacca muslin sarees, there is not much here that you don’t get back home in India.

 7.   Afghanistan: Now here comes the surprise! Besides an array of dry fruits, rugs and carpets, Afghani music is very much alive and kicking, contrary to the news reports. I received music DVD’s (audio-visual) which brought to light this fact. Afghani women are great dancers, believe me, and their hip and belly movements will leave Shakira looking like a beginner. The accompanying music is played to precision by a male band.

            I  wonder if the beautiful breed of dogs called 'Afghan Hounds' really originate from here.

8.    Pakistan:   Special blended spices used for making kababs and meat dishes. Pakistani handloom products and ready made garments are famous, but I haven’t had anyone to give me any first hand account of our neighbour country. All the spices that I received were sourced from supermarkets in the UK and US. Pakistani onyx is world famous, and can be stalls selling the same can be seen at exhibitions and trade fairs here.
                                        *****************
It is always helpful to know exactly what one wants from another country. Every country has it’s own unique charm and culture, and if you are lucky to have the opportunity of visiting these places yourself, nothing like it. The next best option is to have  obliging friends or relatives who always remembers you on their tours and trips abroad. Think hard the next time you turn down an offer for a gift from overseas!

                India is in turmoil once again, thanks to regional politics and natural calamities. The floods which are ravaging the state of Bihar show no mercy. The waters are gobbling up more and more districts, and the poor are as always, getting the wrong end of the stick. Fleeing with their cattle and marooned in waist deep waters for over a week, these people have started a journey on foot, not knowing where exactly they are headed. Government hospitals are ill equipped to deal with this mammoth evacuation, and are falling short of medicine supplies and other facilities. The calamity will bring in it’s wake, hundreds dead and thousands dying of epidemics and water-borne diseases.

                Unpardonable damage is being done to our country by political parties with vested interests. In Maharashtra (west India), Raj Thackeray asserts regional language everywhere, intolerant of “outsiders”. In Jammu and Kashmir (North), a civil war-like atmosphere has prevailed for the past three weeks, over a land issue, wherein a piece of forest land was being given to the Amarnath Temple authorities. In the East, a belligerent politician named Mamata Bannerjee is wrecking havoc over the country’s latest car project, the much-awaited “Tata Nano”. It is this last personality on whom my thoughts dwell.

               How is a petty politician, so-called leader of the Trinamool Congress (a regional party) in the state of West Bengal holding so much sway over the populace of the region? The Tata car factory built at Singur cost a whopping Rs.1600 crore (a multi-million dollar project), but due to the violent protest against starting it up, all work has come to a grinding halt. The workers are being attacked by Mamata and her supporters, and this atmosphere has been continuing for a year. How is the government tolerating such impudence and indiscipline? Who is supporting Mamata and her ideals? Has anyone thought of how well she must be protected, by getting away with all the disturbance and violence she is creating? Here is a letter to the Editor I wrote in my anger against Mamata and her short sightedness. Since the letter never got published, I decided to publish it anyway. Someone has to stand up against this woman and take punitive action against her. Do we have a wimp of a Central Government or what??

HERE GOES MY LETTER TO THE EDITOR, The Times of India:

The fact that Mamata Bannerji and her party workers are being allowed to carry out their audacious attacks on the Nano Car Project at Singur, WB, shows how anti-national elements are gaining full control on the local administration. Their presence seems to grow from strength to strength. They take sadistic pleasure at making powerful industrialists and chief ministers of state fall at their feet. The likes of Mamata Bannerji should be tackled head-on by the Centre, and they should be shown their rightful place as a citizen as per the Indian Constitution. Will someone stand up and explain why these crafty party leaders are being tolerated for so long? Have the educated class been reduced to dumb spectators? It will not be long before the Army will have to take over to rein in the prevailing chaos in the state of West Bengal. Mamata Bannerji is just another selfish, self-centred, egoistic party chief, resorting to dramatics at the cost of millions of rupees of investors. West Bengal, wake up to the fact that this is one person who is not working in your best interest!

Thanking You,

Ruma Sen,

Bangalore.

                                                            ******************************

All those pseudo intellectuals who claim to be upholders of the down trodden ( in this case the farmers from whom the land was purchased) should try sinking in some of their life savings and see it go up in smoke before siding with Mamata and her ill conceived ideas. We are talking about a national project here, of prime importance, not a petty investment.

People of India, arise before our country falls helplessly into the hands of our politicians!!