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Myanmar on the cusp of change |
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fifty fifty
On the record
PROFILE
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Myanmar on the cusp of change The new President of Myanmar, Thein Sein, did the unthinkable last month. He invited Aung San Suu Kyi to the Presidential Palace, met her cordially in a hall, where a postrait of her father hung prominently on the wall. Even the ministers were kept in the dark about the meeting. Later, the President’s wife invited Suu Kyi to join her and other ministers’ wives at dinner. The meeting could well signal a new dawn. The winds of change are certainly beginning to blow through the country and real change seems to be in the pipeline. The key to this is the new President’s willingness to accommodate the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. This rapprochement between Thein Sein and Aung San Suu Kyi - after their first meeting some six weeks ago — seems to have set a new tone for Burma’s political future. And more meetings are imminent. Everything now depends on the release of these political prisoners - of which there are more than 2,000 according to the human rights group Amnesty International. Only after a significant number are freed will the country be launched on a genuine path to democracy. But in Rangoon there is mounting speculation that the government is set to free political prisoners - or at least a significant number of them - within the next week. They will be released in three batches, said a senior government official on condition of anonymity. More than two hundred political activists may walk free within the next week, including the internationally renowned comedian, Zaganar. This would be a clear signal both to the country and to the international community that Thein Sein means business and that his reform-agenda is not simply window dressing. In the past few months there has been growing signs that the new government, formed more than six months ago, is serious about economic and political reform. "There is enough to make us cautiously optimistic, with the stress on optimistic," the head of the International Labour Organisation in Rangoon told this author. Even the pro-democracy icon, Aung San Suu Kyi seems to be more sanguine than before. "I believe we have reached a point where there is an opportunity for change," she told a small crowd gathered outside the National League for Democracy’s headquarters in Rangoon - on the occasion of the International Day of Democracy. "I think it would be fair to say that winds of change are clearly blowing through Myanmar. The extent of it is still unclear, but everyone who’s gone there recognises that there are changes," US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell told reporters in Washington. WINDS OF CHANGE However, hints of real change continue to seep out of the regime - though without any formal announcements. To mark democracy day, the government unblocked many international news sites, including the Bangkok Post, the BBC, the exile-run Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), the Burmese language broadcasts of Radio Free Asia and Voice of America, all of which have been systematically blocked for more than two decades. This follows earlier relaxation of media censorship, including allowing access to Skype, Yahoo and Youtube. There is a new attitude amongst the government ministers, according to diplomats and UN officials who have been dealing with them for years. Ministers are far more responsive than before," ILO’s Steve Marshall said in an interview. "There’s a real discussion now unlike under the previous regime. Decisions do not have to be passed back up to be approved." The role of the parliament is also becoming crucial, as the Speaker of the lower House, former General, Thura Shwe Mann, tries to boost its influence - and of course strengthen his role in government at the same time. The debate in the parliament is much freer than it was when it first met in January. Significant motions have been passed, including calling for the release of political detainees. Oversight committees have been formed - along the lines of the US Congressional system - to make government more transparent and accountable. The list of small changes and signs is endless. But the most critical is that the country’s new quasi-civilian leader is looking to involve the democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi in the country’s political future - albeit tentatively. THE MEETING The recent landmark talks between the pro-democracy leader and President Thein Sein seem to have set the pace for significant reforms, though much will depend on the government releasing political prisoners. There is no doubt that the historic meeting between the Nobel Peace Laureate and the President in Naypyidaw in July signalled a real shift, especially on the part of the government. While Aung San Suu Kyi declared herself happy with the outcome, she has revealed few details of their talks. There seems to have been a tacit agreement between the two not to reveal their discussions. The two met privately — "four-eyes," as Asian diplomats like to call it -- for a little over an hour. Few others have had that kind of access to the Burmese leader. Both came out of the meeting relaxed and smiling. More importantly, a photo of General Aung San - the opposition leader’s father -- was purposely hanging in the presidential palace in which they met, according to Burmese government officials. In the past decade, the former ruling General Than Shwe had tried to obliterate his name and image. But Thein Sein has pointedly shown his respect for the independence hero."It was important to show the Lady that we are willing to work with her," said a government official close to the president. "We see her as a potential partner, not an adversary." In the meeting, Thein Sein talked about the role she could play in the future, according to sources in Naypyidaw. It was not a negotiation, but a trust-building meeting in which both leaders laid out some scenarios that could help the process of genuine reform and democracy take root, according to Burmese government sources. Thein Sein assured the pro-democracy leader that although her party is currently illegal, it would be left alone and she would be free to travel wherever she wants. She was treated as a VVIP, a Burmese academic at Aung San Suu Kyi’s meeting with government ministers and advisers before-hand told this author. She was greeted warmly - although not by all, as the hardliners opposed to Thein Sein’s new era were aghast. The President’s wife later invited her to an informal working dinner with other ministers’ wives at the end of the day. The President’s spouse is a keen admirer of the Lady, according to family friends. POLITICAL PRISONERS Of course the issue of political prisoners was high on the agenda for the pro-democracy leader, who told her host that there could be no movement forward without their release first. Thein Sein knows that this is also the key to improved relations with the outside world -- and even with their neighbours and supporters in ASEAN. It would certainly smoothen the path to Burma being confirmed as ASEAN chairman for 2014 later this year. But the release of political prisoners remains a delicate and vexed issue. General Than Shwe has made it clear on at least two occasions -- once just after the elections last year and again earlier this year before Thein Sein took over the reins of government -- that the release of political prisoners and the jailed military intelligence officers was not an option. Both Thura Shwe Mann and Maung Aye tried to convince him to make the gesture, but he remained intransigent. Of course, the recent motion to free political prisoners adopted by Parliament by a large majority may have set the seal on the release of some them at least in the near future. It was highly significant that it was the Speaker of the lower House, Thura Shwe Mann - the former third top General in the junta’s army - that steered this through Parliament. When it looked like the motion was going to be rejected, the Speaker called a 15-minute recess using the fact that the computer screens, which show the voting results was down. During the break he convinced the military MPs - who make up 25% of the Parliament, a quota set be the new Constitution adopted in a sham referendum more than three years ago - to support the proposal. As a result it got passed with a large majority. Thura Shwe Mann is strongly supporting the President, according to sources close to him. He sees the issue of the release of political prisoners as something he can do which would make a difference - both domestically and internationally. And the signs are that they will be released in the next few days, after the current parliamentary session finishes. This is crucial, for the government cannot be seen to be bowing to international pressure. The freeing of these political activists is a necessary step in the democratic transition that Thein Sein says he is committed to. They have to be freed before the planned bye-elections - possibly in November - take place. And of course it is believed that the President promised Aung San Suu Kyi this, when they met last month. But the most important thing to come out of the meeting, and which may have turned the page in Burma’s long struggle for democracy, is the strong personal warmth that has developed between Aung San Suu Kyi and Thein Sein. This seems certain to set the stage for future cooperation. There are several personal matters that the two exchanged views on, according to sources in the Burmese government. Crucially, Thein Sein has intervened to save the house in which Aung San and his family lived in Pymina, while her father was leading the battle against the British for independence. It is run down and was about to be demolished. Thein Sein intervened recently to ensure the building is left standing and is reportedly paying for its refurbishment. Aung San Suu Kyi has reportedly sent the President an old photo of the house with her standing outside it when she was a very young child in appreciation for his gesture. So, it seems certain that the meeting has set the scene for significant changes in the future, including a role for Aung San Suu Kyi. Diplomats in Rangoon, who have met the Lady recently-- all say she is confident about the future and optimistic about the possibility of genuine change. Thein Sein can be trusted, he is trying to reform the country and needs support, she told them recently. But the current optimism needs to be tempered, said a senior liberal-minded minister. The hardliners are still waiting in the wings to pounce, if they are given an opportunity to flex their muscles. These same hardliners - led by the vice-president Thin Aung Mying Oo - were not happy to see Thein Sein meet the Lady. Some ministers did not even know the meeting had taken place until they saw it on the evening television news. Many diplomats and analysts believe there is a real rapprochement under way. But Aung San Suu Kyi’s role is going to be crucial, if this is not yet to be another false dawn. She is obviously willing to support the President’s reform process. But whether the next big step is taken will depend on Thein Sein and the government releasing political prisoners. In anticipation of that beginning to happen next week, another meeting is already planned between the two soon after that. While for the moment the signs are good, the hardliners are still lurking in the background ready to spring. "If we fail, we’ll end up in jail," said a senior member of the government recently, on condition of anonymity. Another military coup is also possible, if the army can be convinced that these changes are not in the interests of peace and stability. For the moment, the army chief is supporting both the President and the Speaker of the lower house, but the army’s continued support is by no means certain - especially if the former military supremo Than Shwe decides to intervene.
dam defiance
In the latest sign of change, Myanmar’s government on September 30 suspended a controversial US $ 3.6 billion dam being executed by Chinese firms. President Thein Sein told the Parliament that his government had to act according to the desire of the people. Recent overtures by the government include calls for peace with ethnic minority guerilla groups, display of greater tolerance to criticism and more communication with Suu Kyi.The dam would have flooded an area about the size of Singapore, creating a 766 square-Kilometre reservoir, mainly to cater to growing energy needs of China, which would have imported 90 per cent of the power generated by the project. The dam appears to have become a symbol of resentment over China’s growing influence. On Saturday, China called for talks to find a way out of the stalemate.
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fifty fifty Last night was spent at The Ramblas---a famous pedestrian path which takes you down to the port where the statue of Christopher Columbus gazes out to the sea, forever. Sitting and eating sea food paella made with black rice, and drinking the famous rioja, at a roadside restaurant, watching a parade of humanity stroll past under a starlit sky may not have been a challenging task----but it certainly was very soul satisfying. And today, another day of wandering the colourful streets of Barcelona awaits….topped up with an evening of , finally, flamenco ! The literary festival, many miles from where I am today, turned out to be set at a fantastic venue : Segovia, where the near-perfect ruins of an ancient Roman aquaduct still remain intact, towering over the rather pretty little town. It is amazing that after nearly 2000 years, each stone in the carefully arched waterway are in their original position ---and indeed, if even one stone is shifted perhaps, the whole structure might come crumbling down as no cement has been used in it. It is a testament to the Roman understanding of technology as they transported water Segovia is also known for its religious connections---though some not-so-happy ones, such as the Spanish Inquisition---but the cobbled streets are full of buildings decorated with stone and paint patinas which are still wonderfully maintained. Indeed, the mayor and his team can rightly pride themselves on a little jewel of a town, which is squeaky clean and appears to have a socially cohesive quality. We spent one lively evening in the town square and were struck with the fact that families still spend their evening together, dressing up to share tapas, drinks and conversation. Certainly, no one seemed to be cooped up at home, watching TV! And of course, the town was decorated with the posters and reminders of the Hay Festival and nothing can beat the wine and food at the festival ( I can vouch for that, having attended them on Hay-on-Wye as well as in Kerala). Thus, as soon as we arrived we were whisked off for lunch at the Plaza del Conde Cheste, hosted by the Marqueses of Loyoza. You can be assured that the lunch was every bit as grand as it sounded -as the palatial home is set within a glorious garden that overlooks the city and the aquaduct.
Writers & writing So,under a green leafy canopy ---we nibbled and drank and discussed our books with other fellow authors as well as the local guests. Of course, it was wonderful to catch up with the author and bureaucrat Upmanyu Chatterjee as well as the author and film maker, Sangeeta Dutta -from our own part of the world. My husband, Meghnad -who had been invited for a discussion on India and China ---was then asked by the mayor to participate in a ceremony which involved scooping up the meat of five freshly cooked suckling pigs ( for which Segovia is famous ) ---and then crashing the plate on the stone floor. The meat was then shared by everyone at the party! My own event on The Art Of Writing was with two very powerful women writers -Gail Jones (Five Bells) from Australia and Tiffany Murray (Diamond Star Halo )from Wales ---and was conducted in an old Church by the books editor of The Telegraph, the very glamorous and vivacious Gaby Wood. As both Gail and Tiffany are not just academics but prize winning authors, it was a great chance to share my own experiences of writing with them. What was also astonishing was that even though we came from completely different backgrounds, our inspirations to become authors were very similar ! Quite oddly enough - our early inspirations came from popular cinema ---and cowboy books ! In my own case, because I was a precocious reader and read whatever I could lay my hands on, as a young child, I was always reading my brother’s books. My own deep desire was, thus, when I grew up, to one day write books about cowboys living on ranches. It was a completely strange yearning because my life as a child in North India could not have been further removed from Texas! So I was reassured to find that the other women authors had similar aspirations. Our conclusion? We wanted to write books which were heroic ---dominated by larger-than-life figures who could deliver justice (however rough!) in some way ! Popular cinema had also influenced us deeply. All three of us confessed to a strong imagery in our writing. Again, in my case, because I also worked in the electronic media for a long time ---I still actually see the book I am writing appear like a movie in front of my eyes -and then I describe the action taking place. I was relieved to find that the other two authors also had similar styles of writing ! The conversation between the four of us continued into the late hours after the event at a lovely restaurant with traditional wooden floors and rafters. In fact, Segovia with its quaint traditions and customs has made this festival into a hugely relaxed and culturally rich literary event. And because it has given me a chance to visit this lovely country…I can only say ‘Ole!’!
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On the record His superbly portrayed characters won him two national awards for films in Raakh( 1989) and Ek Doctor ki Maut ( 1991). He made a debut on television with popular detective serial Karamchand, followed by poignantly played roles in Kab Tak Pukaroon and Neem Ka Ped ( Doordarshan). The TV serials, Zuban Sambhal Ke and Mohandas B.A. L.L.B. brought out the comedian in him. For his much talked about role in Maqbool, he was given National film Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2003. Recently, he made his directorial debut with Mausam. Anupam Kher, Naseeruddin Shah and now you, why do senior actors turn to direction? All directors have their own way of story telling. As an actor, you may never get an opportunity to tell the story your way- not even getting the script your way. So, if you have a story to tell and you like to tell it in your own way, you have to direct a film. And, almost all theatre artists follow the same progression- theatre- television- films… I was trained for theatre- it offers an instant rapport with the audience. Actors come to TV for survival and also because TV has a larger reach. As an actor and as an individual, all these experiences- theatre, films, TV- are enriching. The craft gets refined. You touch different aspects of acting with different media. With stalwarts like Vijay Tendulkar, Habib Tanvir, B V Karanth, Badal Sirkar no more, do you think modern theatre- as we had known it- is dying? We have no culture of modern theatre. We had classical Sanskrit theatre and a strong tradition of folk theatre in different pockets of the country- jatra, bhawai, swang, yakshagana, nautanki etc. Theatre, as we know it today, has graduated from Parsi theatre. If you see Hindi films of the 40s and 50s, they too were enactment of Parsi theatre. Even today the format of the Hindi film follows the same pattern- there is a hero, a heroine, a villain and a comedian. Our films do not show life as it is, they still stick to the old format. Very few films have been able to break the mould. And I don’t think theatre is dying. Several dedicated directors like Nasiruddin Shah, Nadira Babbar, Rajit Kapoor, Feroz Khan, Paresh Rawal and others are travelling with their shows across the country and their shows are well received. Theatre cannot die because it has its own strength. Why do excellent actors, when they turn to direction, tend to fail? I will not call it failure. People have different tastes, each one needs a different space and pace of expression- a different grammar. It’s in fact very easy to make a film that does not challenge the established sensibility, to follow the proven pattern is simple. In Mausam, I set out to make a saga, a novella in cinema. For me, reaction is a healthy sign. If they do not react to something, that would mean it does not exist. Some people found Mausam too long; they must have their issues and they should have. But what I object to is rejection or dismissal of a work without even seeing it. Dismissal reflects bias and that is something I strongly object to. In the age of everything fast track- from food to love- don’t you think slow paced, introspective cinema would be hard to swallow? No, period films have been made in the past and they follow a different pace. Today, even in a village people are exposed to world cinema, thanks to hundreds of TV channels. There is an understanding of different grammars of film making even among the small town audiences. In 1992- the period Mausam is set in, there were no e-mails. Life was not as it is today. Could it be that people appreciate different experiments in French and Iranian cinema, but when it comes to Hindi cinema, they look for the old, trusted formula? I think, there is enough space for different genres in the Hindi cinema. Experiments are being done, and some of them are well received. Criticism is unavoidable. Whenever something new is done, it creates resistance, that’s natural. Has criticism rattled you? I set out to make a film with my kind of experience, and I do have 30 years of experience in the industry. I have learnt a lot, after all this was my directorial debut. I might have made a few mistakes and I will learn from them.
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PROFILE ‘Just as there is smoke where there is fire, in this country there is filth wherever there is a bus stand’ (Raag Darbari) But Shukla, a provincial service officer in Uttar Pradesh elevated to the Indian Administrative Service, kept himself busy and awards regularly came his way, including the Vyas Samman in 1999 for his novel, " Bishrampur ka sant" in 2008 the government conferred the Padma Bhushan for his service to Hindi literature. Yet, he continues to be remembered for ‘Raag Darbari", a satire that reflected post-Nehruvian despair and disillusionment of the citizens. It also mourned the death of idealism and towards the end of the novel, the protagonist, Ranganath is told by a college principal, " Your ideas are elevated no doubt but they also prove that you are a prize ass". Well-known writer and critic Namvar Singh said of Shukla, " he tried to discover the lie so that he could reach the truth". And indeed Raag Darbari is full of ironical twists that continue to delight readers. He took a dig at babus when he wrote, " just as the sun does not rise depending upon where the east is—it is generally the other way round—senior government officials do not undertake official tours depending on work to be discharged-rather, whenever they go anywhere for anything, the visits become official tours." Raag Darbari has been translated into English and 15 Indian languages. A television serial based on the novel continued for several months on the national network in the 1980s. A few other books , like ‘Pehla Padaav’, have also been translated into English. Born in village Atrauli in Lucknow district, 86-year-old Shukla received his education first in Lucknow and then at Kanpur and Allahabad. A graduate of Allahabad University, he entered the state civil services in 1950. Although Shukla became interested in literary writing fairly early in his career, he started writing regularly only in 1957 when he published his first novel-Sooni Ghati Ka Sooraj. His second novel-Agyatvas-was published in 1961. Besides his novels, Shukla has also written a large number of satirical essays and articles which are remarkable for their pungent wit. His deep human concern, a keen sense of humour and irony, are marked by subtle craftsmanship. It is the careful juxtaposition of the real and the typical, regional and universal, which give to his works their special authenticity and punch. Shukla has a way with language which has the subdued flavour of spoken Avadhi. Raag Darbari remains one of those landmarks which has raised satirical fiction in Hindi to classical stature.
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Already there are hints from the government. Burma’s foreign minister Wanna Maung Lwin told the UN General Assembly in New York that the government intended to free more prisoners in the near future - though he did not mention whether political prisoners would be included or when. 
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Ludhiana-born
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