Are Toys Still Relevant?

During my childhood, especially on my birthday eve, I remember how desperately I would be waiting for my parents to return home. The moment they stepped in, I would eagerly run and grab their bags, looking for something special. In one such instance, to my surprise, I found a cute little puppy doll. I used to talk with it, dance with it, play with it, and even fight with it. I sometimes imagine a scenario where we try to save the world from an evil doctor, which is obviously my parents’ hard-earned pillows, which ends up getting beaten by us. Thus, the world is saved!

My shelves were always filled with toys of different kinds. They gave me happiness, company, made me creative, and taught me how to derive joy from even little things. But in today’s world, we are witnessing the digitalization of toys, replacing them with one flashy box–the smart phone. So, this has instigated a question in me–are toys becoming a relic of the past?

Once upon a time, Remote cars, Superhero action figures, Barbie dolls, Power-rangers face masks, and LEGO building sets were dominating the shelves of the kids. They not only captured the playroom, but also the imagination of every child playing. Every toy had a story behind its arrival in our homes. The childish desire, endless fasting, those raining tears reflecting an adamant resolve, yet ready to comply with any parental conditionalities, all those endeavours just to get one new toy. However, in reality, such sweet battles were fought every time for another new toy.

Besides that, playing together with our friends and sharing their toys was like a Marvel-DC crossover of universes. And further, the eventual growth of envy towards our friend’s toy would start a new battle with our parents, which would usually be met with benevolent repression. So, we used to make add-ons to our existing toys to make it look superior. Costless competition through creativity was the norm back then.

But today, all such experiences are slowly fading. The easy availability of videos has civilized the kids, making the hard-fought wars for toys barbaric. The stubborn tears are being dried by the mobile’s bright blue lights. Endless fasting is now replaced by suppressed hunger due to the immersion into the screens. Parental conditionalities now turn into phone passwords that could be solved more easily than a zeroth-level Sudoku puzzle. Those children who were supposed to script their own dramas with their toys, are now losing their imagination to a pre-recorded animated video, played endlessly by that flashy box. The shelves and rooms are increasingly becoming empty, and so is the child’s childliness.

While screens have brought in equality, accessibility, and simplicity, one cannot deny how they are slowly depriving the kids of the joy of first touch, the ecstasy of accomplishment, and the filament of imagination associated with toys. In fact, science supports the positive impact of toys on child development. Toys not only drive emotional and social growth, but also build a child’s cognitive and motor skills. Many doctors even recommend physical toys like fidget spinners for stress and anxiety relief, especially for people with ADHD and autism.

Today, mobile phone games have containerized creativity and universalized its access. However, it cannot replace the original imagination ignited by a physical toy. Parents may feel that it is inexpensive and convenient to feed their kids by showing an animated video, but they must be aware of the physical and mental costs that their children might pay later. While using a smart phone has become essential, if not inevitable, that cannot be a valid reason to confine a child’s childhood to a recorded reality. So, the solution is not to abandon it, but to acquire a balance between the animated entertainment and active experience.

Therefore, the question is not whether toys are still relevant. But whether are we willing to hand them to our next generation or not? Are we going to let the toys that once made us capture the world through imagination, vanish? Definitely an interesting question to ponder upon!

 

February 14 – Indian History of Love and Blood

On February 14, 2019, when the sun was slowly gliding down the orchards of Pulwama, a sudden explosion abruptly forced it to set in red. A day which usually twinkled in love was instantly turned black. This transformation was born out of a horrific act of terror that sent ripples across the country.

A Tragic Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day of 2019, which planned to spread the fragrance of love across the parks and party halls, instead, painted the roads and pavements of Pulwama with blood. The night, which was supposed to be passionately lit by crackers, instead, was lit by candles in an act of solidarity. The rose, which was supposed to be in the hands of a lover, was despondently left on the tomb of martyrs.

At approximately 3.15 pm in Lethapora area of Pulwama, a convoy of 78 vehicles with more than 2500 CAPF jawans travelling on NH 45 to Srinagar, was targeted by a terrorist outfit. Suddenly, a car carrying more than 300 kilograms of explosives rammed into one of those convoys, causing a huge blast that killed 40 CRPF personnel and injured many. Subsequently, a Pakistan-based militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammed, claimed responsibility for the attack. They released a video of the assailant, Adil Ahmad Dar, a 22-year-old boy from Kakapora area of Pulwama, who joined their group a year earlier. Dar’s family recalled last seeing him in March 2018, when he left his house on a bicycle one day and never returned.

While this attack was severely condemned by both the Indian and the international communities, the incident itself, which coincided with Valentine’s Day, has revealed the hidden cost of the widely celebrated love.

Love and Blood

Love and peace, often hailed as universal human values, are not truly universal; they are neither accessible nor affordable without a significant cost. The tax for the warm peace enjoyed by the citizens of the country, is unfortunately, collected from the service of the dutiful jawans. And the tragedy is that such a heavy price is not paid in a single transaction, but made every day in tears, sweat and blood along the freezing Indian borders. And major incidents like Pulwama vehemently expose one such day to the world; while other days, filled with several minor misfortunes, often are undeclared and silently go unnoticed.

Every morning, while students usually pack their bags with stationery, the Agniveers load their rifles with bullets. Unfortunately, some radicalized youths also load their bags with bombs instead. In a society where love, patriotism, and radicalization co-exist, it becomes solemnly difficult to detoxify such a union. While many efforts from outside are in place, and of course, more checks could be proposed, it is all futile unless and until we all realize something within. The love, the celebration, the freedom of thought and expression, all arise from the blood spilt on the borders every day. And every morning, if we remember such a profound selfless act by someone we haven’t seen, and recall why they are doing so, we might live a life where the cost of peace might eventually disappear.

So, Valentine’s Day celebration elsewhere may signify the serenity of love alone, but in India, it also becomes a reminder of the silent sacrifices and the gratitude that must not be forgotten. Thus, there is no doubt that the Indian calendar will remember February 14 as a day of love and blood. But the real question lies here–are we willing to remember this day, every day? The answer will determine the fate of our future!

Death is Polysemous

In popular opinion, death is perceived as an end of existence, a lapse of life, or even as an eternal pause. But in reality, death is too abstract to be confined within the boundaries set by the human mind. Beyond these popular perceptions of what death means, different people knowingly or unknowingly reshape the definition of death over the course of their life. And exploring and understanding even a few of those rare perspectives might add clarity and purpose to our living.

Polysemous Term

In many philosophies, death is considered as liberation—freedom from all the sufferings of life. This view assumes that life is full of miseries and one needs to aim and desire for death to liberate them. The proponents of this view also advise people to live ethically to earn this ultimate death.

However, this view is strongly contested by another popular opinion, which proposes death as a capital punishment. This popular opinion is legalised in many countries, including India. Despite contentions, to some extent, this legalised opinion helps to deter those who are afraid of death from committing crimes.

Unfortunately, some dare to illegally take such an extremely rare, last-resort legal weapon in their own hands, to commit the very crime the law intends to deter. They believe that death is revenge—inflicting pain on one by killing their loved ones. This view, filled with vengeance and thirst, is considered as a mere expression of weakness and insecurity. Many leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, publicly denounced this view, arguing against the use of revenge even when practiced against evil.

Another infamous belief holds death as an escape from pain, not liberation, but surrender. Some people, in the face of adversity, tend to quit. And, according to this belief, death is considered an extreme form of quitting. Suicide points on mountain peaks, made popular by “love birds,” are often criticized by many as an extreme act of cowardice.

However, such criticism does not hold true, always. Sometimes, suicide is not an escape, but an act of sacrifice and valour. Besides, it also becomes a measure to safeguard one’s dignity. Pritilata Waddedar, a prominent Indian freedom fighter and a revolutionary, killed herself to evade capture from British forces. Another prominent Indian revolutionary, Chandrashekhar Azad, also became martyred on the same lines.

This view was mostly prevalent during the Indian freedom struggle, where all those great leaders successfully reinterpreted death as a duty towards their motherland. An Indian revolutionary organization, Gardar Party, recruited volunteers on the promise of “death as the salary and martyrdom as the reward!” They saw death as a fulfillment of their purpose, thus breathing their last breath with pride and pleasure. Even in modern times, many believe in a purpose and denote death as a token of completion of their purpose.

At the same time, some modern thinkers also regard death as a continuous phenomenon with constant signalling of opportunities, rather than one final indication of fulfillment. They argue that a person dies and is reborn every moment. And this continuously presents an opportunity for one to reshape and reform themselves, without being bound by the shackles of their past.

Overall, death is extremely abstract in nature and is undeniably beyond the end. While this article ponders its polysemy on a limited scale—from liberation to punishment, cowardice to sacrifice, and fulfillment to continuity, it ultimately boils down to one question—What do you consider death to be? The answer will ultimately determine the trajectory of your life.

A Cough

Morning hardly dawned out of the smog. Despite being an early riser, I woke up at nine. “Good, khuf, karhk…. karhk…. Morning,” I said. A dry cough had been chasing my sleep out for several nights. The cold last night made things no better. It was Monday. I already had an appointment fixed with an ENT specialist in a famous multi-specialty hospital. My father accompanied me. We went with the hope of finally ending the drought in my throat.

As we entered the hospital, we were directed to the admission counter to get a new patient ID card for the first timers. Then, we entered the lobby. It was a busy environment, echoing the rhythmic flipping of the cash at bill counters, digital screens flashing the token numbers, the constant buzzing of nurses and doctors around while the cleaning staff mopped the floor repeatedly once someone crossed. Out-Patients seemed to wait for eternity, growing pale by minute, as their friends and family members were made to fill out endless application forms. Since I was blessed with an appointment, we luckily bypassed such a cumbersome procedure.

After verifying my appointment, we were shown our doctor’s room. He did not notice us as he was looking down at his notepad, waiting for the next patient. When we got a little closer, sensing a patient, he straightaway asked what the problem was. As I tried to reply, the cough interrupted me. He paused for a moment and looked up, and slowly nodded as he remembered my previous consultation with him in his private clinic.

Wasting no time, he gave me a list of tests to be taken. We took all the tests across a couple of floors. On our return to his room, he guided us to the 3^rd floor, giving a new list of some more tests. And we needed the payment receipt for those new ones too, for which we had to visit the cash counter, yet another time!

On showing the receipt in reception, we were directed to yet another diagnostic lab. On my way to the lab, I realized that this floor had a similar number of young doctors, presumably trainees, like the outpatient ward. They all looked well-dressed, with the usual white coats, a stethoscope around their neck, and a mask, though some had it hanging below their chin.

When I entered the lab, I was asked to leave my footwear outside. My father was told to wait in the waiting room. As the lady trainee was preparing the monitor, I stood beside her, nervously staring at those sharp, glaring instruments. Suddenly, I heard the clacking of some heavy boots, marching towards the sterile lab in haste. In came two other trainees – a male and a female.

The guy asked the lady trainee on the monitor about the test as the other one asked me to lie in the operating bed, and rest my head on the headrest. As he picked up a long, thin, tube-like instrument, my brows furrowed and eyes widened in panic. It was an endoscope. As he came closer, my body started to stiffen. Without any warnings, he guided the endoscope into my nose. I seized the rails of the bed, braced my feet with all my strength, and bit my teeth so hard, but didn’t make any sound. As he was chatting with two other lady trainees about his college assignment, he drove the endoscope further. Tears rolled down my face as I tightly closed my eyes, yet he never cared to look. But suddenly he could drive no further. Yet he didn’t quit. Every time he tried again to push deeper, I felt a sharp, icy shock deep down my intestine. He looked at the monitor and murmured, “A crooked nose!” after which, he finally showed me mercy and withdrew the endoscope.

I went to the waiting room, wiping the tears before entering. My father eagerly asked, “How did the test go?” I slowly nodded my head, showing a thumbs up, while silently hiding the pain to myself. As we waited, we saw those trainees with my test reports, consulting their senior doctors. After a long buzz, that same trainee, that guy, came and sat near me. Eagerly we stared at him. With a mean look, he said, “Look, you have a deviated septum.” Puzzled by what it meant, I asked, “Sir, May I beg your pardon?” He exhaled a heavy, exasperated sigh before repeating, “Your nose is bent. Your nasal passage is swollen because of it. That is why you struggle to breathe. If it goes untreated, your condition will become critical.” After a brief pause, he added, “You will need surgery immediately.”

For a brief moment, my father and I were frozen. We stared at each other a couple of times. I wondered if I should remind him that I had come to treat my dry throat, not for the cold that I had caught just a day before. Meanwhile, he dragged his chair, got a little closer, and, with bulging eyes, insisted, “It is an emergency. So, you will need to get admitted right now.” I desperately grabbed my father’s hand over his lap. Sensing my nerves, my father replied to him, “Please let us go home to get his mother’s blessing before the surgery.”

We somehow managed to get out to the car park. I breathed a sigh of relief. My father asked me to call our doctor. He attended my call only the second time. I told him about the whole incident and asked him if we could meet now. With an icy sigh, he replied, “We will discuss once I return.” When I insisted again, he said with a deep, heavy voice, “I am admitted to the same hospital for the same reason. We will meet once I am discharged.” I cut the call and never rang again!

Where does India’s Neighbourhood Relations stand at the end of 2025?

“You can change your friends, but not your neighbours.”

This quote from former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee denotes the importance of neighbourhood relations for any country in the world, let alone India. India’s neighbourhood relations, guided by the “Neighbourhood First Policy,” has undergone a pragmatic evolution over time, advancing towards strategic engagements while also simultaneously defending its sovereignty and upholding its moral ideals. This article adopts a progressive analytical lens to determine India’s position in its neighbourhood geopolitical landscape at the end of 2025.

Improved Neighbourhood Relations

India-Afghanistan relations, which were strained after the Taliban's takeover of Kabul in 2021, witnessed a new sunrise in 2025. The Taliban’s ministerial visit to India and India’s upgrade of the Kabul embassy signalled India’s pragmatic engagement without political endorsement of its regime. This also shows India’s intention to slowly reshape Afghanistan’s political atmosphere through strategic diplomacy rather than social distancing.

The Maldives’ relations with India became the highlight of 2025, which profoundly shifted from President Muizzu’s initial “India Out” campaign to the current “India First” approach. This was made possible by India’s calm and persistent efforts to rebuild trust through various initiatives such as extending financial support to ease Male’s debts, providing digital integration by launching UPI and Rupay cards, and rekindling critical developmental projects, including the Great Mali Connectivity Project. And further, PM Modi’s visit as the “Guest of Honour” for the 60^th anniversary of the Maldives became a defining moment that reaffirmed New Delhi’s commitment towards its Indian Ocean neighbour in Male.

For Sri Lanka, which historically oscillated between India and China, 2025 proved India to be a more reliable partner. The strategic ties between the two nations were solidified by PM Modi’s Colombo visit in mid-2025, underlining India’s commitment to support Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and strengthen connectivity and security in the Indian Ocean Region. Furthermore, India’s swift response and humanitarian assistance at the time of the grave crisis brought by Cyclone Ditwah in late 2025, secured New Delhi a spot over Beijing as Colombo’s first responder.

India-Bhutan ties, historically administered by the “1949 Treaty of Friendship,” further deepened in 2025. PM Modi’s bilateral visit to Bhutan as the “Guest of Honour” on the eve of the 70^th Anniversary of the 4^th King of Bhutan, father of the current king, enhanced trust, and cultural ties. In addition, their sectoral partnerships, including the inauguration of the 1020 MW Punatsangchhu II hydroelectric project, intensified the strategic cooperation between the two neighbours.

2025 also saw a slow shift towards normalization phase between India and China. The thawing of tensions between both were marked by border de-escalation measures, resumption of diplomatic engagement through special representative dialogues, and reviving people-to-people contacts by restoring flights, visas, and pilgrimage. However, occasionally, hostility also emerged when China falsely claimed to have brokered peace between India and Pakistan in the May 2025 War, and when it detained an Arunachal Pradesh traveller in Shanghai airport citing the absence of a Chinese passport. These acts by China have added pessimism to the normalization process, signalling New Delhi to be more cautious and calculated in future engagements with Beijing.

Degraded Ties with Neighbours

Indo-Pak ties touched a new low with Pakistan’s Pahalgam attack in April 2025, claiming 26 lives of innocent Indians. India responded with Operation Sindoor and the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), reiterating New Delhi’s hardened stance against cross-border terrorism. On top of that, Pakistan’s claim of the USA, China, and Saudi Arabia’s mediation to attain a ceasefire, which India firmly denies, further dented the ties. Moreover, the Pakistan Army’s consolidation of power through the 27^th Constitutional Amendment, deal with the USA for advanced military procurement, and its strategic defence agreement with Saudi Arabia at this time signals India’s need to prepare for the worst in the near future.

The ouster of ex-PM Sheikh Hasina from Bangladesh in 2024 came as a significant blow to historical India-Bangladesh relations. Further, the influx of illegal migrants, the interim government’s renewed Pakistan ties, its demand to extradite the fugitive ex-PM, and rising anti-Indian sentiments within Bangladesh’s population have posed a significant challenge for bilateral relations as well as for regional security. Bangladesh, besides being India’s largest trading partner in South-East Asia, is also a crucial link for north-eastern states to access the Bay of Bengal. So, India’s future engagements with Bangladesh’s new political architecture, increasingly carved by Gen-Z students, must go beyond historical 1971 Liberation War Legacy-based diplomacy to more pragmatic, opportunity-based, and transactional bilateral engagement.

Calibrated Engagements

Despite intensifying conflicts between the military junta and ethnic armed groups in Myanmar in 2025, India has maintained a calculated working relations with the junta for strategic and security purposes. India was forced to reinforce security along the northeast border, especially by suspending the free movement regime (FAR). At the same time, New Delhi supported the ASEAN-led efforts to bring political resolution within Myanmar. Besides, the elections in Myanmar in 2026 on a promise to restore democracy, is expected to bring in more formal, pragmatic, and calibrated engagement between both nations, especially in trade and connectivity sectors.

India-Nepal ties, despite the Gen-Z revolution in Nepal in 2025 leading to the ouster of PM K.P. Sharma Oli-led coalition government, remained largely stable while also alert. With new, young generation of political actors emerging in Nepal with no prior established ties with India, it remained uncertain for India to move forward with its diplomatic outreach. Yet, India’s tactical move with RBI reforms in late 2025, permitting Indian banks to lend in INR to Nepalese entities to reduce currency volatility and enhance cross-border investment, has strengthened ties. And again, like in Myanmar, the new elections in 2026 to restore democracy will also enhance the opportunities for India-Nepal to foster cooperation, especially in sectors such as connectivity and energy.

To sum up, India, in 2025, has carefully navigated through considerable uncertainties in its neighbourhood terrains by revitalizing long-standing partnerships, retaliating against cross-border adventurism, and recalibrating its strategic positions and priorities. On moving forward in 2026, the lessons learnt last year require New Delhi to carefully cultivate in engagements and pragmatically adapt its diplomacy style to favourably reshape its neighbourhood architecture.

What challenges do you think India might face in its Neighbourhood landscape in 2026? Do comment below!