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Justice delayed
Dismal sex ratio |
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PSEs bleed
Chance for CBI independence
Time for siesta
CINEMA: NEW RELEASES
fear factor (L-R): Kunal Khemu, Vir Das and Saif Ali Khan
High school drama
A complex trek
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Justice delayed
The
manner in which the cases relating to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi have been dealt with and people’s reaction to that has, yet again, shown that justice delayed is justice denied. The killings were a blot on the nation. A minority community was singled out and attacked in a series of planned attacks. A large number of innocent citizens were murdered in the Capital and in other cities, lawlessness prevailed in the days that followed the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Even as people tried to rebuild their shattered lives, they had to contend with the fact that various attempts to bring the perpetrators of violence to book were thwarted by powerful vested interests and only a few cases were registered against those who had inflicted the violence and murdered people. Only recently, three persons have been convicted for their role in the killing of five members of a family —Kehar Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Raghuvender Singh, Narender Pal Singh and Kuldeep Singh —in the Raj Nagar area of Delhi Cantonment 29 years ago. They have been awarded a life sentence by a Delhi court. The main accused, Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, was acquitted by the same court which gave him the benefit of the doubt. The verdict had sparked off protests in various parts of Delhi, as has the sentencing. A sense of hurt still evidently persists in the people who had to suffer the violence, especially those who lost their family members. The country pays a terrible price every time there is a riot. Lack of swift judicial recourse leads to festering resentment among the victims and prevents wounds from healing. It is simply unacceptable that mass violence should be allowed to happen in the largest democracy in the world, one that has a record of people of diverse backgrounds living together. The feeling of impunity that people who commit such ghastly crimes can often be traced to political machinations. Only if the police and the judiciary act to deliver justice can such blots on the nation be prevented in the future.
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Dismal sex ratio
On
social parameters Haryana shames all that has been achieved by its improved infrastructure and economic development. Behind all those glitzy shopping malls and six-lane highways lies the medieval mindset, responsible for thousands of Haryana’s missing daughters. The battle in the state is between the concepts of modernity based on gender equality, propagated through education system, supported by government-run women and child healthcare schemes, panchayats and local bodies and an equally potent force of institutions like khaps that want to keep the social structure in the time warp of rigid medieval patriarchy, where a daughter is still considered to be a liability, so much so that she can be killed — overriding all the ethical beliefs that go against killing a living being. No economic development can sustain peace and harmony if it is not based on the concept of equality. The problem of daughter killing seems to grow unabated in the state, where the caste system still rules the roost and gender equality is seen as a foreign concept imposed by the government with some hidden agenda to destroy their ‘culture.’ As a result, it is pulling the state down on social indexes with the worst child-sex ratio in the country. The sex ratio in the age group of 0-6 is pegged at 834 girls for a thousand boys in the state, whereas the national ratio, though not very impressive, is 919 girls for a thousand boys. On this parameter Haryana is worse than Punjab. Two of its districts have the worst child sex ratio in the country. Only the predominantly Muslim area of Mewat shows a better child ratio at 906 girls, but female literacy and healthcare are equally abysmal. The government that could turn around the state economy has failed its women, raising serious questions about the seriousness of efforts put in to improve their lot.
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PSEs bleed
A
report of the Comptroller and Auditor General for 2011-12 tabled in Parliament recently has revealed an erosion of equity investment in 60 of the 303 public sector enterprises (PSEs). Barring government companies operating in the power, coal and petroleum and oil and gas sectors, most are making losses. This is despite the fact that they are given liberal government aid or concessional loans whenever in trouble and many operate in monopolistic situations. For others competition from the private sector is the cause of their undoing. PSEs came into being in the post-Independence period as the country's leadership embarked on building a strong public sector. This was partly because of ideological commitment and partly because investment from an under-developed private sector was not forthcoming adequately. An investment of Rs 29 crore made in 1951 in the public sector has grown to Rs 7.29 lakh crore now. Employing 14 lakh people, the PSEs' contribution cannot be undermined. After the 1991 economic reforms private sector companies have grown sharply but the work culture and management practices in PSEs have not changed with the time. The need for greater operational autonomy and professional managements has been stressed often but most PSEs continue to function as personal fiefdoms of ministers and top bureaucrats. The plight of PSEs at the state level is even worse. Since the role of government has shrunk post-reforms, many of these could have been shut down. However, these are used as parking places for ruling parties' leaders who cannot be accommodated in ministries due to legal restrictions. The heavy losses made by the Central and state PSEs bleed the exchequer. Barring some PSEs which serve the public purpose or are commercially viable, most can easily be dispensed with. The money saved can be better spent on education, health and infrastructure. But political will to reform is lacking.
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Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great. —John D. Rockefeller
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Chance for CBI independence Believe it or not, the Supreme Court gave the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) an opportunity to be independent in one of the matters before it, asking the agency why it was not independent. Yet the CBI failed to grab the chance with both hands. It had a foolproof case against Law Minister Ashwani Kumar when he amended the report on the coal blocks allotment scandal. The government’s blatant interference resulted in a “corrected draft,” exactly the way the Law Minister wanted the report to be. The Supreme Court said that the CBI had “shaken the system” and it expected the agency to give its independent verdict on the probe. But it did not because the agency realised that it would have meant opposing the government. Apparently, it was the failure of both the CBI and the government. They could have seen to it that the agency would have its own say. Now that it has lost the chance to be viable, the way out for the government is to make the CBI independent. The present Bill pending before Parliament falls short of giving the CBI an independent character. It looks that both major political parties, the Congress and the BJP, do not want the agency to have teeth. I do not know how far other parties want the agency to be independent. In any case, the CBI has lost the opportunity to become viable. Corruption still gets most attention in Indian politics. The present government at the Centre beats all records in scandals. Never before did the CBI have so many eyes riveted on it and what comes out again and again is the inadequacy of its powers. The reason, simply put, is that the CBI realises the extent of independence it can exercise in the present set-up. The Law Minister’s argument that he has not committed any wrong by vetting the report as his ministry has been the authorised legal adviser of the agency sounds hollow. However, every time a scam tumbles out of the government’s cupboard, there is a familiar exercise that follows. The CBI is asked to conduct a probe. But when the agency remains a department of the government and part of the system, doubts about its functioning cannot be brushed aside. Several former Directors of the CBI have written articles and books to show how they were given instructions from above to decide a case in a particular way. In the entire scenario, it is difficult to say whether or not Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had been briefed. Because of his clean record in public life, we come to infer that he did not know. It is probable, if not possible, that such a situation did obtain and that Manmohan Singh knew what was happening under his nose. But then you expect some heads to roll when the scams come to light and particularly when you can spot out the officials in the loop. Why has no one been punished till today and why has nothing concrete emerged after practically every investigation? This doesn’t surprise me at all. The party has been confronted with several such situations before and had weathered them all without much ado or damage to its existence. Yet what the Ashwani Kumar and Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal episodes have brought to the fore is that even before one controversy dies down, there is another one waiting to catch the administration on the wrong foot. No government since Independence has been as badly battered and shattered as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s has been. But there is a certain pattern to the CBI-Law Minister controversy. As was to be expected, the Congress first dismissed the accusation and then issued a perfunctory explanation before finally admitting that the Law Minister did go through the report and suggest some changes to it. But for the three-judge Bench, which ordered CBI Director Ranjit Sinha to file an affidavit, the actual behind-the-scenes activities would not have come to light, although we know the agency always functioned under the influence of the government of the day. Hence, the confession by the CBI Director before the Supreme Court that “the investigation agency does not exist in isolation” is no revelation. However, Sinha’s admission has let the cat out of the bag. We knew that institutions like the CBI have been devalued over a period of time. And it is the government which has its last word on a charge-sheet because of political power. Even with the Supreme Court breathing down its neck, there have been several instances where the CBI’s investigations have remained questionable. In fact, political parties have their own views and positions on ways and means to improve the efficiency and accountability of the CBI. But no government has been ever willing to give up its administrative control over the agency. Take the case of the BJP, the main opposition party. It did create a ruckus in Parliament over the issue, demanding the resignation of Ashwani Kumar. So did the other parties with their leaders baying for his blood. But we have not seen anybody making concrete proposals to insulate the CBI from government interference. In a way, it is good that the apex court is seized of the entire matter and is determined to liberate the agency from the clutches of the government. But it remains to be seen what structure it would recommend to give the CBI full freedom. Unfortunately, the government does not seem to be even sorry for what has happened to revive faith in governance. Some ministers try to explain things “in proper perspective.” Yet what the Manmohan Singh government does not realise is the yawning trust deficit: none of its claims is accepted, none of its explanations is considered credible and none of its actions is taken seriously. It is thus the loss of faith which has put a question mark against every segment of the
administration.
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Time for siesta Oh! I feel sleepy”, “My eyes are closing”,” “I want to lie down” are some of the expressions which I mumble in the afternoon these days. These are a natural corollary if one has a sumptuous carnivorous lunch as I do at IIM, Lucknow. I am learning management as part of my civil services training. Post-lunch sessions are difficult, not because management is tough but remaining awake is a challenge. Yesterday after lunch, I faced a dilemma. My mind supported the afternoon lecture whereas my heart preferred the cosy bed. Eventually the mind won; worrying about the attendance, but mind you, it was not the final victory. I reached the lecture hall, I was late. I saw an old rickety male professor looking at me as if I was the person who eloped with his daughter. “May I come in sir”, I asked hesitantly. I only got a head nod in reply which indicated that I take the vacant seat in the first row. Now this is a disadvantage of reaching late in class as back benches are readily taken. I passed a smile at my friends and got seated. The shrewd professor started with a moral lesson of discipline in his Bengali accent. All this, of course, was directed at me. I thought in self-defence: “This isn’t fair as I was late just by two minutes”. The topic for the lecture didn’t interest me as I was already familiar with it. Initially, I tried to be attentive; nodding my head indicating my understanding of the concept but soon I slipped into a comfortable sitting position. The voice of the professor transformed into a cacophony. A glimpse of my friends at the back showed a big contagious yawn; half stooped heads and sheepish stares at my female colleague. The wall clock showed 2:20 pm. “Oh no! Just 20 minutes passed till now.” I talked to myself. It seemed like ages have passed since I had entered. Now this is “relativity” that Einstein talked about. I tried to see the professor with my half-opened eyes; he was going away from me as his voice faded and eventually he disappeared. Calmness and peace engulfed me. I felt like I was meditating. “It is criminal to have classes after lunch. Why don’t they plan something intriguing for post lunch sessions?” I said to Adish, who was sitting diagonally behind me. He mumbled back, “Just imagine, your stomach is full of chilli chicken, malai kofta, pulao and delicious ice cream, upon that the air-conditioning comforting milieu topped with a salvo of verbal sedatives by an old uninteresting professor. “Isn’t it a chef’s special for an afternoon doze?” I just smiled and nodded my head in affirmation. Soon others joined in, there were giggles and gags, laughs and gossip, the attendance sheet torn apart and no where the professor was to be seen. I was feeling rejuvenated, interacting with my friends and planning for a late-night movie. Suddenly I felt an earthquake, which shook me.. I could hear Adish calling me. My eyes opened and I found my friend shaking me. “Was I dreaming?” I questioned myself. I got the answer from the professor, who marked me absent for sleeping in the
class.
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CINEMA: NEW RELEASES
Flesh
eating zombies, a picturesque locale which is in reality more than just Goa and a bunch of friends who are more losers than winners….. so what do you get? Well, India's first zombie film and yet another affirmative expression of how the hundred-year-old Bollywood is changing and changing fast. So here it is a zombie film that is experimental alright yet fits the mould of a regular commercial film, is not a complete rip off from foreign flicks even if the concept of zombies is borrowed from Hollywood. Of course, as the narrative tries to keep the fun quotient high, at times it succeeds and at many points it flags. Taking off from the tale of three friends (Vir Das as Luv, Kunal Khemu as Hardik and Anand Tiwari as Bunny) living in Mumbai the setting soon moves to Goa. Cut to a rave party at a secluded island and rest is an all out zombie affair. In case you don't know what zombies are, well the film does proffer a half-baked explanation, even tries to link up with a drug gone haywire. Indeed, the film's strength does not lie in logic and rationality but in brain dead men (women too) walking and killing and being killed. Seriously, the tightrope balance between horror and comedy is not a cakewalk, yet works for most parts. All thanks to Vir Das and Kunal Khemu, who not only have the best dialogues, some corny too. Together they hog the screen space and pull out a neat job and keeping them company is the female presence by way of Puja Gupta. As for Saif Ali Khan (as the Indian turned Russian Boris) whose blond look has been the talk of Bollywood, well even at the risk of disappointing Khan fans, he doesn't have a major, major role. Yet he is our action man who knocks off zombies like glass bottles. By the time the film ends the "let's kill dead people" act becomes repetitive if not outright dreary. Even though the film clocks less than two hours, the anticlimax gets to you. Another irritant is the anti-smoking ticker that is almost as constant as the zombies. Yet, by no stretch of imagination is the film a gone case even though a zombie film does run the risk of becoming one fit for morons alone. However, if you are looking for thought provoking serious cinema, stay away. This one despite the heavy duty sermon in the finale is not meant to be taken seriously. But mirthful moments, including the one in which Khemu and his once one night stand, now a zombie running around the trees, are aplenty.
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High school drama For
those who are way past figuring out how to be a popular girl at school, how to get (grab is a better word) boyfriends, how to deal with nagging parents (this seriously has nothing to do with age); and for those who are still dealing with this-just-cannot-be-avoided phase, the movie Gippi has something to say. Really, is it so tough to be in ninth grade? While you sort that out, the director Sonam Nair makes things easy for you; a storyline that you wouldn't take a brain as small a mollusc to accept and digest, and dialogue as easy as a cotton candy that melts in your mouth. However, it is amazing to see Riya Vij and the rest of the cast of young boys and girls carry the weight of Dharma Productions on their fragile shoulders. What makes the kids and their words believable is that they don't make over the top effort to act. Sonam Nair in this sense has managed to draw good work for her team. The interesting bit about Gippi is the relationship she shares with her mother Divya Dutta, who of course is good in her role of an easy-going, loving mother. Of course, there is another thing that you might like in the movie - the regular occurrence of songs picturised on Shammi Kapoor! This Gippi happens to be the Junglee actor fan, so that explains the music. The film moves on its own pace…you know how kids are! The fact that High school is a time that no one forgets and yet wants to secretly visit again, you might want to smile with Gippi. Otherwise, who (especially girls who weren't that hot in school) would want to discuss their menstrual cycle and how boys always know everything about it. The music of the film, which probably doesn't register at all, is foot-tapping and romantic. We understandfoot-tapping, but romantic songs of the broken heart…does a ninth grader need that? The Karan Johar touch maybe! |
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A complex trek The USS Enterprise is on a mission to keep a volcano from erupting and Commander Spock's (Zachery Quinto) has been endangered. But Capt James Kirk (Chris Pine) had been earlier chosen ahead of Spock and hence an ongoing rivalry. But there is even more trouble in the galaxy far, far away, with the Klingon folks at war with the Enterprise and using all kinds of superior weaponry. So much for razzle-dazzle FX and the entire frame littered with speeding objects. The story too is no less complicated and Ltn Nyota (Zoe Saldanha) continues from where she left off but there is a father-daughter skirmish between Adm Marcus (Peter Wellis) and his cute daughter Dr Carol (Alice Eve) who is ashamed to be his daughter. Director JJ Abrams has a vast canvas but is not always in full control. Though his establishing shots are good, he seems to lapse in the latter half. Form should never score over content and then too he could have reduced the number of characters. It is too much to keep track and he could have been more objective. It could easily have been reduced by half an hour. Not that it calls for special acting skills but Chris Pine has an edge over Zachery Quinto (that fringe-wig is a clear no-no), Benedict Cumberbatch does full justice to the Khan characters and Zoe Saldanha ends up second best to Alice Eve. Not the greatest space adventure but like the curate's egg. Not highly recommended either.
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movies on tv
Tanu Weds Manu Tanu Weds Manu is a romantic comedy film directed by Anand L. Rai, and produced by Shailesh R Singh. It stars R. Madhavan, Kangna Ranaut and Jimmy Shergill in the lead roles. The story of the film has been written by Himanshu Sharma, music is directed by Krsna and the lyrics penned by Rajshekhar. ZEE CINEMA 7:15AM Tanu Weds Manu 10:20AM Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Sathiyon 2:05PM Shirdi Ke Sai Baba 5:25PM Karma 9:00PM No 1. Businessman STAR GOLD 8:30AM Chamatkar 11:55AM Sivaji: The Boss 3:00PM Jaan 6:00PM Akhiyon Se Goli Maare 9:00PM Singham STAR MOVIES 8:00AM You Don't Mess with the Zohan 10:10AM The Front Row with Anupama Chopra 10:40AM Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 12:40PM The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian 3:02PM The Darkest Hour 4:58PM Johnny English 6:53PM Rise of the Planet of the Apes 9:00PM The Lorax 10:55PM Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull SONY PIX 8:15AM The Karate Kid 10:35AM Transporter: General's Daughter 11:40AM Arthur Christmas 1:30PM Rogue Assassin 3:20PM The Pink Panther 2 5:05PM Wild Things: Diamonds in the Rough 6:45PM The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 9:00PM Shrek 2 11:05PM Step Up 3D HBO 8:00AM A Monster in Paris 9:55AM The Dukes of Hazzard 12:00PM Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 2:35PM Get the Gringo 4:30PM Blue Crush 2 6:40PM Bridesmaids 9:00PM The Hangover Part II 11:25PM Johnny English Reborn ZEE STUDIO 7:00AM TV Products 8:00AM Turner & Hooch 10:10AM Bad Company 1:00PM Dragonfly 3:00PM Robin Hood 6:00PM The Bourne Ultimatum The Hangover Part II The Hangover Part II is an American comedy film produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the sequel to 2009's The Hangover and the second film in The Hangover franchise. Todd Phillips directed the film in addition to co-authoring the script with Craig Mazin, and Scot Armstrong. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Jeffrey Tambor, Justin Bartha and Paul Giamatti. ZEE CINEMA 7:00AM Hum Hain Kamaal Ke 9:55AM Shaan 1:55PM Aitraaz 5:25PM Hungama 8:30PM Hum Aapke Hain Kaun...! STAR GOLD 9:30AM Bal Ganesh 12:00PM Betaab 3:25PM Ramayana: The Epic 5:45PM Taqdeerwala 9:00PM Dabangg 2 STAR MOVIES 8:19AM Terminator Salvation 10:40AM The Lorax 12:38PM Rise of the Planet of the Apes 2:21PM Tangled 4:25PM Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 6:52PM Fantastic Four 9:00PM You Pick the Flick 11:31PM Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines SONI PIX 7:55AM The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 9:50AM Transporter: Harvest 10:55AM Gridiron Gang 1:10PM Shrek 2:50PM Shrek 2 4:40PM Daddy Day Camp 6:35PM The Bone Collector 9:00PM The Forbidden Kingdom 11:10PM John Rambo FIRANGI 7:00AM Samundar Ka Aatank 1:00PM Dragon Returns 4:00PM Jurassic City 7:00PM Samundar Ka Aatank 10:00PM Dragon Returns ZEE ACTION 7:00AM Chor Aur Chand 10:30AM Patthar Ke Phool 1:30PM Khilona Bana Khalnayak 5:30PM Mr. Azaad 8:30PM Champion: The Winner ZEE CLASSIC 9:41AM Saagar 12:52PM Satyam Shivam Sundaram 3:57PM Padosan 7:00PM Andha Kanoon 10:15PM Hero HBO 8:10AM Blades of Glory 9:55AM Bridesmaids 12:20PM Johnny English Reborn 2:25PM The Hangover Part II 4:25PM Lethal Weapon 2 6:35PM The Matrix Revolutions 9:00PM Super 8 11:33PM Final Destination 5 ZEE STUDIO 8:00AM Mars Needs Moms 10:05AM The Bourne Ultimatum 1:00PM Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit 3:00PM I Am Number Four 4:50PM Remember the Titans 8:00PM The Karate Kid, Part II 10:30PM The Stepfather
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Flesh
For
Undisputedly Indian in essence even if with a contemporary urbane twist, Go Goa Gone is not just chills and thrills. More than making shivers run down your spine where the film scores is the manner in which it blends horror with comedy. Actually it offers more laughs than gore even though an army of zombies has been let loose. The film's USP is its fun element a lot of which lies in dialogues laden with pun as well as situational moments, largely the interface between zombies and our heroes who are not quite heroic in the conventional sense. 
Directed by Sonam Nair, this Dharma Production movie will either transport you to 'oh-those-days' or just won't make a difference because you have already seen Revenge Of The Nerds. Here she is Riya Vij (Gurpreet Kaur; everyone calls her Gippi), a 'not-so-hot-and-happening' girl trying her best to be the best as she struggles to get past the ordeals of a ninth grader! 
Saturday may 11
Sunday may 12