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Water carries a cost
Dropped from the top |
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Boosting tourism
China adamant on border
Keeping up with friends
CINEMA: NEW Releases
A bumpy ride
Not in the fast league
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Water carries a cost
The
Punjab Government has assured the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it will install water meters on all tubewells in municipal areas to measure the amount of water being drawn from each. This is in pursuance of a court order asking it to ensure no ground water is used for construction activity, as directed by the Central Ground Water Authority. Extraction of ground water for construction work has been prohibited in 46 blocks of Punjab, a state in which the water table has fallen to precarious levels. The court has expressed dissatisfaction with the state government just issuing orders and notifications, but not following those up with action to ensure the policies are implemented. The two agricultural states of Punjab and Haryana have for long been struggling to arrange sufficient water for irrigating their fields, but today the availability of drinking water is equally at stake. In cities, polluted by industrial effluents, the quality of drinking water is particularly an issue. As proposed by the state government, the use of surface water and that from treated sewage could serve two purposes — prevent the flow of polluted water into natural aquifers, and recycle the precious commodity that water is. As for construction and other industrial use, it is unconscionable that clean drinking water be used without paying a cost, when homes either don’t have access to it or have to pay a price for it. It is well known, and is already being witnessed, that water is going to be the most fought over commodity in future, whether between neighbouring farmers, city dwellers or countries. Many states in India are in court over river water sharing disputes, yet fail to conserve what they have. Water saved is water created. Unfortunately, such long-term policies rarely yield immediate political dividends. In fact, in the short term, such restrictions only get flak for the government, which is one of the major reasons for constructive policies not being implemented. And for that, we the people are as much to blame as the government.
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Dropped from the top
If
you go through the unsavoury tales of top honchos, who are ousted from their glorious positions for seeking sexual favours from female subordinates, you will find a few common strains. Most of these men, dropped from the top, are responsible for steering their companies to top positions. If they made their companies bigger, they could not turn them around for better. For, almost all of them tried to be rewarded with extra sexual favours for bringing home the trophy of earning high revenues for the company. Their high performance earned justification for their sexual misconduct. Mark Hurd, the ousted CEO & Chairman of HP, under whom the company’s revenues crossed the $100 billion mark, for the first time, was shielded initially by the company, terming Jodie Fisher’s allegations of sexual harassment as “isolated incidents of impropriety.” Fisher, the onetime actress and marketing contractor, had worked for HP as a greeter and hostess at company events, and was paid $30,000. Phaneesh Murthy, who is sacked after facing charges of sexual misconduct, as CEO of iGate, was once more dropped from the top job. As the Global Sales Head of Infosys, he was credited for taking the organisation from just $2 million in revenues to $700 million in less than 10 years. In 2002, he was fired from Infosys after the company settled an out-of-court case of sexual harassment. Repeating his power driven adventure, this time, he is accused of keeping a relationship with a subordinate on the sly, who claims to be pregnant. If these cases are products of board-room politics, as has been accused by Murthy and before him Hurd, whichever way, the fact that remains unaltered is women are manipulated to feed the power drive of high achievers. In top corporates, where the hiring of “eye-candies” is an unwritten law, under the excuse that men spend their entire day in office, it is considered proper to view women as glamorous entertainers. The media exposes only high-end cases. How many more remain unreported, is anybody’s guess.
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Boosting tourism
It
is indeed heartening that Jammu and Kashmir is trying to capitalise its good run on the tourism front. From developing Gulmarg as a hot spot for adventure sports to wooing Bollywood filmmakers to organising cultural festivals to enhancing tulip gardens, the state is now moving towards developing lavender gardens fragrant with the aroma of exotic plants. With the state’s climate just right for lavender parks, it hopes to emulate the European concept of lavender festivals which are a major tourist draw. Indeed, the state whose 30 per cent people rely on tourism for livelihood, can’t afford to let up the hold it has regained in this sector in recent years. Ever since Mughal Emperor Jehangir uttered those famous words, “If there is ever a heaven on earth, it’s here, it’s here, it’s here”, few have disputed the ethereal beauty of the Valley. No wonder till 1989 the state that attracted tourists in droves was considered as Asia’s top destination. In the strife-torn years, however, there was a steep decline in tourist footfall. But with winds of peace blowing in the Valley, there has been an upsurge in the number of tourists visiting the state dotted with picturesque spots. If the year 2012 saw the arrival of nearly 13 lakh tourists, the state is expecting a record tourist inflow this year. However, if J&K has to continue attracting tourists, both domestic and foreign, apart from ensuring that there is no let-up in security, it must also provide world-class infrastructure, the need for which fortunately Chief Minister Omar Abdullah realises only too well. In fact, to boost tourism the state needs to work in more than one direction. While on the one hand it must lay renewed emphasis on facilitating Bollywood shootings, at the same time to maximise its potential as an adventure hub, it must remove all irritants. Regular supply of water and power, clearing off snow from roads during winter are basic requirements of a tourist destination. Merely reiterating that Kashmir is open for tourists 365 days a year is not enough; the Valley has to be made hospitable in all seasons.
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Life is the flower for which love is the honey. — Victor Hugo
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China adamant on border HAVE you forgotten the punishment we gave you in 1962 after you had violated our borders?” This is what a retired top army General asked me at Beijing nearly a decade ago. I recalled his warning when India was shaken in the midst of China’s inroads into our territory. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese premier Li Keqiang, on his visit to Delhi, have discussed the subject at length. But the victory by Beijing has not let it feel differently and it continues to ride a high horse. China argues that normalcy can prevail if the border issue is sealed. This means it continues to occupy our territory it has usurped. Our Prime Minister is correct in maintaining that “no peace and tranquility is possible” without the settlement at the border. I do not know whether people on both the sides are really familiar with the border dispute between India and China. When the 1962 war ended with our defeat, China unilaterally ceased fire and then indicated the ceasefire line as the possible border. But the line, despite India wanting the delineation of a firm one, was not acceptable to China. It changed its mind and declared the actual line of control as the border. China advanced its troops on its own. This line violated the traditional border both in Ladakh and in the Northeast on the Arunachal side. Even these borders were not sacrosanct for Beijing. The Colombo powers intervened after the 1962 war to ask both India and China to withdraw their forces by 26.5 metres behind the lines where they stood. India withdrew accordingly. But China did not. Even the lines its forces have occupied at present are haphazard and favour it all the way. Beijing’s intrusion (our PM prefers to call it an incident to keep tension down) at Daulat Beg Oldi sector in Ladakh is in the area which it has not allowed to be demarcated. In fact, it has treated the entire disputed area under its overall control without negotiating with New Delhi or even indicating specifically which area belongs to it. Nor has China offered any explanation for staying in India’s territory (Despang) for 23 days and pitching tents inside India. Beijing wants to tell the world that it owes no explanation to anyone for going into its “own territory.” China has made it clear that it is not in favour of having a firm border because an un-demarcated border gives it the leeway to lay claim even on Arunachal Pradesh. For example, no information is forthcoming why a separate visa is issued to people from Arunachal Pradesh and J and K. The real issue with China is Tibet. Beijing may not say so but it links the border issue with the future of the Tibetans who have taken shelter in India in thousands under the leadership of the Dalai Lama. Beijing did raise the issue at the India and China conclaves but kept quiet when it was told that the Dalai Lama was a religious leader, nothing more. Whatever be Beijing’s wishes, New Delhi is in no position to reopen the Tibet issue. Buddhism is one of the religions which the Hindus profess. It should not be expected that for the goodwill with China, India can dare play with the sensitivities of Hindus who are 80 per cent of the population. Even otherwise, the two countries, India and China, are giants and any clash between them is bound to have stirrings in South Asia and the rest of the world. India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, after the 1962 hostilities, warned the world leaders through a personal letter to each one of them that the two nations represented different traditions and conflicting ideologies. India is a democratic country while China a dictatorship. South Asian countries would be interested to know which of the two emerges successful. From the economics point of view, China has beaten India. But political problems have been solved through dictatorship in China. Can that be the lasting solution when India, compared to China, has kept the society open and given an opportunity for a free play of different points of view and different ideologies? Only time will tell. Yet one thing that is clear is that India will have to accelerate the economic growth which is now 4.6 per cent as compared to a little over 9 per cent three years ago. And there is an axis between China and Pakistan. There is the allegation that China is trying to surround India by having close relations with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Even if a war is ruled out, the pressure on India’s security forces will be immense. India need not treat the border as an obsession. China has seen to it that New Delhi does so. This is its weakness. India should talk to China about the Tibetans who are a millstone around China’s neck. Even otherwise, the word Tibet is a bugbear for Beijing. It is too late in the day to question its authority. It is under China because of its suzerainty over Tibet. But there is a difference between suzerainty and independence. However, the issue of Tibetans’ human rights is a point which India can take up. It is strange that none in the world has taken notice of dozens of Tibetans who have burnt themselves in the name of freedom and liberation. India’s determination to increase the bilateral trade with China is welcome. But economic cooperation is not synonymous with people-to-people cooperation which does not exist. If the problem is solvable in the lifetime of the Dalai Lama, he is willing to accept autonomy of Tibet inside China. The youth is not in favour of the Dalai Lama’s formula but cannot oppose him because he represents Tibet as long as he lives. The enunciation that both sides would not attack each other is like what the late Chinese Premier Chou En-Lai told Prime Minister Nehru. Beijing never kept its word. There is no assurance that it would do so in the
future.
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Keeping up with friends Like many others, I spent the major part of my working life saving and collecting for my old age. I saved money, first to get a roof over my head and then to generate enough income so that, in my post-retirement years I would be spared the indignity of having to ask others for financial help. I collected books that would help me fill the empty hours and saved the best linen and porcelain and crystal for those final years. What I forgot to save and collect were my friends. They drifted away with the noiseless days one by one and I, busy in my honey-gathering did not see, did not feel their quiet going. But now and then, a name, a place, a familiar expression on an unknown face or the snatch of a once loved song would bring back a haunting memory. I would make a phone call, write a letter and re-assured, would turn again to my collecting and saving. They were such old friends that the bond could never be broken or wither away. After my retirement I would spend a great deal of time with them, we would catch up on each other and all would be well. I finally retired. I set up home with all the beautiful things that I had collected and saved for this period of my life. I was content – but only for a while. My lost friends came to haunt me with great poignancy. I made every effort to revive my relationships. But it was no use. There was almost always, after the initial burst of excitement, wariness in the voice at the other end of the telephone line. The e-mails in reply to mine became shorter and shorter till they finally dried up all together. Personal visits, after some enthusiastic talk, ended in a surreptitious glance at a wrist watch. We were no longer a part of each other’s lives. We had moved on and evolved, independently of each other, into different human beings. There was pleasure, immense pleasure, in the odd phone call, the greeting card and in the brief meetings. But this pleasure came from happy memories of once glorious relationships. It had nothing to do with our present-day lives. Friends are not porcelain or crystal that can be wrapped up in newspaper and put away to be pulled out as and when required. They have to be carefully nurtured with time spent together, with the constant sharing of joys and sorrows. The panic and poignancy of loss has now passed. Life moves on and having learnt my lesson well, I will carefully nurture my present relationships; I will take them the tulips from my garden and the apricots from my trees. I will visit them on birthdays and anniversaries and in sickness. I will sit with them in silence and listen to the cuckoo and watch the fireflies wafting up from the valley. They will be a permanent part of my
life.
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CINEMA: NEW Releases  Just another love story Nonika Singh
An
Evening in Paris, Love in Tokyo and more recently London Paris New York….. foreign locales as a setting for a love story isn't a new concept. So, you don't quite expect earth shaking revelations to be made in Ishkq In Paris. But that Ishkq is not just the undying ardour-laced love as we understand it but also the name of our lead Preity Zinta whose comeback vehicle the film is, does come as a surprise, if not a shocker. Of course, nothing in the film is shocking or one that would offend your sensibilities. Just like our dear Zinta, soft and sugary sweet with just a little bit of impishness thrown in. Yet at the same time the film does not offer anything refreshingly new. Zinta as Ishkq, a half-French half-Indian girl living in Paris, is her usual self. A bubbly, effervescent girl with a sensitive soul that she hides from everybody. And though there is ample justification for how and why she continues to brim with enthusiasm yet nurses deep insecurities within and abhors the institution of marriage, Zinta seems to be trying too hard to fit into a part that once came naturally to her. On the flip side there is no unnecessary drama in the film. Yes, there is a mandatory Punjabi wedding but not so jarring. Alas, even Salman Khan's gracious presence and peppy number is unable to lift the film beyond ordinary. The twist by way of Ishkq's mom's character Marie (Isabelle Adjani) too isn't all that striking as it is meant to be. In one of the scenes in the film Ishkq says, humein apni picture banane se kaun rok sakta hai. No, we are not suggesting someone should have stopped her only guided her better. Yeh Ishq nahi aasaan…. making a love story is never a dream run. Watch it or not…well if you are a hardened skeptic, the film is unlikely to make you fall in love with the very notion of love. But if you are a diehard romantic it might remind you once again —love exists.
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A bumpy ride Starring Dev Goel and Adah Sharma, Hum Hai Raahi Car Ke is nowhere close to Hum Hai Rahi Pyar Ke, not even remotely close. It is a film about two friends entangled in nightmarish situations while they are driving from Mumbai to Pune.. Yes, the film has no acting despite big names. He looks the most irritating when he plays a fat boss with an irritating accent. As for Sanjay Dutt, the actor is already going through so much that we wouldn't add to his woes. Anupam Kher in the Bengali accent, playing a technology professor, is horribly irritating. In the middle of the chaos, did we miss out on how bad the direction was? It is something like a kid trying to solve a puzzle, after putting in two hours in the exercise nothing worthwhile comes out!
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Not in the fast league Sequels
somehow lack the freshness of originals. They are also a marketing gimmick or an easy way out. The Fast & Furious 6 is no different, all crash-bang alagazam action with no call on one's grey matter. Following their successful Rio heist, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) ad his professional crew have retired around the world trying to live a different lifestyle. But this rarely happens on celluloid, like 007 taking a break because their expertise is needed to save a major catastrophe.
Here it is Diplomatic Security Services (DSS) agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and his partners are called upon to investigate the destruction of a Russian military convoy ("they hit like thunder and disappear like smoke") but he comes upon a road-clock and needs the help of Dominic and his crew which includes former FBI agent Brian walker (Paul Walker), a real hulk of a man, his sister Mia (Jordana Brewester) and Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). Letty Oritz (Michelle Rodrigues), Dominic's supposedly-dead girlfriend, also joins the party. Director Justin Lin has a vast canvas but he seems to forget the title Fast & Furious and on the contrary is slow & ponderous and so its 130 minutes to go. Wanted to leave at the intermission but duty kept me bound to the seat! This is quantitative entertainment Hollywood provides these days. Whatever acting skills were there probably fell to the floor of the editing room. Recommended only for those who leave their brains at home or those who have none in any case! |
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Saturday,
May 25
Vicky Donor Vicky Donor is a Bollywood Comedy-drama directed by Shoojit Sircar and produced by actor John Abraham. The film stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Yami Gautam and Annu Kapoor in the lead roles. The storyline is based on the concept of sperm donation and infertility, which was well appreciated. ZEE CINEMA 7:10AM Bal Bramhachari 10:35AM Phool Aur Angaar 5:10PM Pardes 9:00PM Mard STAR GOLD 8:05AM Chandni Chowk to China 11:35AM Housefull 2 3:15PM Diljale 6:15PM Makkhi 9:00PM Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola FIRANGI 7:00AM Dragon Returns 1:00PM Jurassic City 4:00PM Ek Asman Mera Bhi 6:30PM Astrovani 7:00PM Samundar Ka Aatank 10:00PM Dragon Returns STAR MOVIES 7:29AM Finding Nemo 9:37AM The Front Row with Anupama Chopra 10:07AM Liar Liar 12:05PM Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian 1:50PM Real Steel 4:22PM Ghost Rider 6:36PM The Mummy 9:00PM Brave 11:01PM The Avengers (2012) SONY PIX 8:20AM Safe 10:05AM Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa 11:45AM Welcome to the Jungle 1:45PM Men in Black 3 3:40PM The Spy Next Door 5:25PM Transporter: Give the Guy a Hand 6:25PM Angels & Demons 9:00PM 2012 ZEE ACTION 7:00AM Mohabbat Ke Dushman 10:30AM Hatya: The Murder 1:30PM Military Raaj 5:30PM Khoon ka Rishta 8:30PM Bhrashtachar HBO 7:25AM The Parent Trap 9:55AM StreetDance 2 11:40AM Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 2:15PM The Matrix Revolutions 4:40PM Mirror Mirror 6:50PM Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 9:00PM Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 11:21PM Enemy of the State UTV MOVIES 8:30AM The Legend of Bhagat Singh 12:00PM Vicky Donor 3:00PM Rockstar 6:00PM My Boss Bajrangbali 9:30PM OMG! Oh My God Sunday, May 26
Gladiator Gladiator is a epic historical drama film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the fictional character, loyal Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed when the emperor's ambitious son, Commodus, murders his father and seizes the throne. Reduced to slavery, Maximus rises through the ranks of the gladiatorial arena to avenge the murder of his family and his emperor. ZEE CINEMA 10:50AM Saugandh 2:25PM Yamlok 5:30PM Mard 9:00PM Hungama STAR GOLD 8:45AM Ferrari Ki Sawaari 12:00PM Partner 2:55PM Kurukshetra 5:45PM Singham 9:00PM Mar Mitenge (2012) STAR MOVIES 9:50AM Men in Black II 11:43AM The Avengers (2012) 2:00PM Brave 4:04PM X2: X-Men United 6:38PM The Incredible Hulk 9:00PM Lockout 11:04PM Gladiator (2000) FIRANGI 7:00AM Samundar Ka Aatank 10:00AM James 1:00PM Dragon Returns 4:00PM Jurassic City 7:00PM Samundar Ka Aatank 10:00PM Jurassic City HBO 8:35AM Kindergarten Cop 10:50AM Mirror Mirror 1:00PM Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 3:00PM Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 5:15PM Conan the Destroyer 7:10PM Ong Bak 3: The Final Warrior 9:00PM The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe ZEE STUDIO 8:00AM Loins of Punjab 9:50AM King Arthur 12:30PM TV Products 1:00PM Down and Out in Beverly Hills 2:55PM The Break-up 5:10PM The Rock 8:35PM The Lion King 10:30PM The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day UTV MOVIES 8:30AM My Friend Ganesha 3 12:00PM Joker 3:00PM Jaal: The Trap 6:00PM Sarathi: The Power 9:30PM Khiladi 786 ZEE ACTION 7:00AM Chandaal 10:30AM Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja 1:30PM Hum Paanch Ek Team 5:30PM Kasam Paida Karne Wale Kii 8:30PM Jungle: The Battleground
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To be fair she doesn't look bad at all. But why was the producer in her (in case you didn't know she dons a producer's hat with this one) tempted to choose a predictable love story at a time when Hindi cinema is going places and when she is capable of doing justice to a heroine powered film is a mystery. More so, for this one is no classic love story. Sure the film may tug at your heart strings at a few points mostly post-interval. But by and large it keeps bubbling with the promise of something frothier. Alas, that promise is not delivered. The bubbles remain within the bottle, You may see them but can't feel them as these do not spill over to catch you despite the contemporary chic background, the urban dictionary jargon replete with references to pickup lines and what not. Even the liquid melting eyes of Zinta and Rhehan Mallick paired opposite her can't melt your heart. Indeed, there is very little in the film that will make go you weak in the knees. 
If
To begin with Dev Goel, the actor, let's stick to the 'boy' has no expressions on his face. He has displayed an amazing talent of keeping a dead-pan expression on his face. As for the girl Adah Sharma, give her some better attire, some funky jewellery to make up for the absence of the acting. As for seasoned actors Sanjay Dutt, Anupam Kher or Rati Agnihotri, even Juhi Chawla and Chunky Pandey, is what were they thinking when they signed the movie. We understand Chunky Pandey can play hundred irritating characters in one movie like he does in Hum Hai Raahi Car Ke, but this is the end of the story. 
The Canary Islands, London (with its red double-decker buses for identity), Glasgow and Los Angeles become the locales for cameraman Stephen F. Wondon to freak on. As for the plot, double-crosses take place like there's no tomorrow. The spunky, clever women compete with the men and stealth and speed are their weapons.
star movies 11:04pm