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Top terror catch
Pro-farmer land Bill |
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Broken marriages
Focus on job creation
Reciting Madhushala in Toronto
Not rousing enough
Action without spunk
Nothing funny
about this one!
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Top terror catch
The arrest of the elusive Mohammed Ahmed Siddibapa, alias Yasin Bhatkal, is a major feather in the cap of security agencies that had been chasing the top honcho of the Indian Mujahideen (IM) for many years. He is wanted in over two dozen terror cases and was a major organiser of the terror outfit, besides being a bomb-maker and an active terrorist. He was linked to the 2010 bomb blast at the German Bakery in Pune, the triple blasts in Mumbai a year later as well as other such cases. The police has also arrested Asadulla Akhtar, alias Haddi, another IM operative. Both are likely to yield a rich trove of intelligence as various police forces question them on their past crimes as well as information about terrorist modules in India. The arrests come soon after another wanted terrorist, Hafiz Syeed Tunda, was nabbed and they will make a sizable dent in the terror network aimed at fermenting trouble in India. Bhatkal was particularly dangerous because he motivated youth from within the country to carry out acts of terror. Although he is not educated beyond school, he has proved to be an intelligent and insidious fellow who was counted as one of the top five terrorists wanted by India. Even though he had cross-border links, he has apparently spent most of his time in India, recruiting terrorists and carrying out terrorist activities. As a coordinator of operations in India, he is privy to information that would be of interest to the security agencies. The arrest of the terrorist is certainly to be lauded. However, the time that he spent dodging the police and security agencies also needs to be examined. He was arrested in Kolkata, but released because he gave a fictitious identity; he escaped the police dragnet at least twice. Various security agencies need to take a close look at the lack of coordination between them that hampers their functioning and allows terrorists to slip away through the cracks. Even as they fill in the gaps about Bhatkal's terror operations, the security agencies should also identify and plug the operational gaps so that they can fight terrorism more effectively. |
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Pro-farmer land Bill
The land Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday, takes good care of farmers' interests. No land can be acquired unless 80 per cent of the owners agree to it in case of a purchase by a private company and consent of 70 per cent owners is required for projects to be undertaken in private-public partnership. The amount of compensation will be four times the market value in the rural areas and twice the market value in the urban areas. How market value is to be assessed is debatable. Farmers are also entitled to small portions of developed land for commercial use near the proposed projects. Admittedly, land is the only source of livelihood for a farmer and he should not be dispossessed or displaced without adequate compensation. Since the land Bill has been taken up close to elections, political parties have protected the interests of the farming community, which is a large vote bank, but sacrificed those of industry. Farmers in particular and the country at large will benefit only if industrialists come forward to buy land and then set up projects which are competitive and sustainable. But the proposed changes in the land law may further delay industrial projects since some of the conditions are quite stiff. Procuring consent of 80 per cent of the sellers will not be easy unless compensation is significantly higher than the market price. Even then mischief-makers and land sharks may resort to litigation and resort to blackmail, forcing entrepreneurs to withdraw in frustration. Several industrial projects are already held up due to lack of environmental and other clearances. The land Bill will further add to the delays. If after clearing all hurdles land is finally acquired, the viability of the project will become questionable due to cost overruns. If land acquisition can be so tough for industrialists familiar with the system, why would foreign investors put in their money in India? There is need for balancing the rehabilitation of farmers with making industrialisation smooth and hassle free. |
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Broken marriages
In a patriarchal society like India where women are more often than not at the receiving end, any new law has to protect their interests. The laws pertaining to matrimonial disputes have to keep in mind the unenviable position of a large majority of women who lack financial resources. The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, recently passed by the Rajya Sabha, aims to do exactly that. The Bill provides for a share to the wife in the husband's immovable property after an 'irretrievable breakdown of marriage.' Whether or not it's a 'historic piece of legislation' as claimed by Law Minister Kapil Sibal, there is little doubt that it's a significant step forward. The Bill has been hanging fire for the last three years and intensely debated. To begin with, it was suggested that faster dispensation of divorce cases would work against women. Now men's rights groups are fallaciously arguing that the fear of losing property will prevent men from getting married. Opinions are also being voiced over making it more gender neutral, which it is, according to the Law Minister, since it allows both husband and wife to approach the court on the 'irretrievable breakdown of marriage'. Indeed, given the ground situation with barely 2 per cent women owning assets when it comes to the right over property, it stands to reason that women should claim a share in husband's property. Whether the scope of the Bill that seeks to amend the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, and the Special Marriage Act, 1954, needs to be broadened can be discussed. How many more provisions of the Bill will be added or deleted when it is presented in the Lok Sabha remains to be seen. However, misguided men who are raising the bogey that the Bill will destabilise the institution of marriage must realise that the amended law would actually come into play after the marriage has already been rendered dysfunctional. |
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Once a woman has forgiven her man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast. —Marlene Dietrich |
Focus on job creation
In the present economic crisis involving the rupee's depreciation and onion prices going up, one thing which is not being talked about is the employment situation. In an economy which is slowing down and which is confronted with a major problem of declining industrial growth, there is a much larger problem of job creation. India's labour force participation rate has slipped to 38.6 per cent in 2011-12 from 39.2 per cent in 2009-10, according to a special NSSO survey on unemployment. The number of the unemployed rose to 10.8 million in January 2012 from 9.8 million in January 2010. An important facet of the survey is that self-employment and casual employment account for 80 per cent of the employment. Most self-employment is distress-driven and not voluntary. Jobs can be created only when the economy is on an upswing and there is resurgence in demand for industrial goods. Industrial growth, specially manufacturing growth, can lead to an increase in the number of jobs. But is the demand for manufactured goods increasing? Apart from fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) like toothpastes, soaps, detergents and clothing items, few people are able to afford new white goods (washing machines, TV sets, refrigerators), as their incomes are getting squeezed by food inflation. The successive petrol and diesel price hikes in the recent past and the expectation of future hikes are likely to slow the demand for cars. The common person is busy trying to make two ends meet, especially in times of high food inflation because while the Wholesale Price Index has come down, food inflation has not. If demand for manufactured goods is slack, there is bound to be a cut-back on new investment. This has already happened and has resulted in a fall in productivity and a decline in capital goods production. Manufacturing growth, which has been stagnant, is the only sector that can employ millions of young job-seekers. There will be 400 million job-seekers over the next 10 years. The service sector also employs young people but only the educated and skilled. If there is a decline in manufacturing, there will be a rise in unemployment as is happening in China. With a scale back on new investment, the demand for bank credit has also fallen in India. Credit growth, according to Mr. Chidambaram, has been very slow. Also many of the borrowers are not able to pay back the loans and this has resulted in more bad loans or NPAs (Non Performing Assets) with banks. Even though the RBI's monetary policy of hiking interest rates to control inflation has not helped in easing inflation, it has led to a rise in bond yields over the last two years and this has squeezed banks' margins further. Some big PSU banks have seen their profits fall rapidly as a result. The State Bank of India shares fell 3.4 per cent in Mumbai on August 12, 2013 after it declared a 14 per cent loss in its quarterly net income. This has been mainly due to the accumulation of bad loans. Also, gross NPAs at India's top 10 government-owned banks have doubled in the past two years to Rs 1.4 trillion or 4.4 per cent of the total advances. The banks' provision to cover bad loans has not been adequate and in many cases these can only take care of half the bad loans. The RBI's recent monetary tightening efforts to stem the rupee's slide have further raised the yields of three month Treasury Bills to 10.9 per cent as compared with 8.3 per cent on 10-year government bonds. The longer the banks face high short-term funding costs without an increase in long-term lending rates, the more their earnings will shrink. The banks cannot hope to expand business in the near future in a slowing economy. The only hope is if the Finance Ministry helps in the recapitalisation of state-controlled banks to tide over the difficult period. But it is constrained because it has to reduce the Budget deficit and has no money left for such cleanup operations. Another hope would be if the public bought more PSU bank shares but this is not happening in a stock market which has been down since May. The BSE Banking Index has slumped 27 per cent. Many analysts have proposed that the government should switch policies from one of inflation control and fighting the rupee's slide to that of promoting growth and employment. The RBI should bring down the repo rates because high interest rates are throttling the economy and are also resulting in a rise in NPAs with banks. If the rupee is allowed to fall further, it may revive export growth and this could be good for the manufacturing sector. A looser monetary policy will also help banking business. Banks would be able to expand credit to industry whose investments would rise and industrial and manufacturing growth could be revived. More jobs could be created, especially for women. More FDI would also flow in with high industrial growth and GDP growth could be restored to 6 per cent level. Right now growth projections are growing gloomier by the day. FIIs and FDI will not come back if growth prospects are not bright. It is important that manufacturing growth picks up otherwise India's demographic dividend in terms of having a youthful population could become a demographic liability. Around half of India's population is under 25 years old. Unless they have jobs or job prospects, they will become dissatisfied and disgruntled. Only if youth of the country are channeled into productive activities, they can help in building the nation. If Indian exports become more competitive, there would be more dollar inflows which would help to shrink the Current Account Deficit and the Indian economy's dependence on foreign institutional investors' (FII) funds could be reduced. The FII dollars have been used for funding the Current Account Deficit and around $85 billion are needed this year. In fact the rupee's decline in the last two months has been due to the sudden withdrawal of FIIs from India and returning to the US because of an improved economic outlook. To fight food inflation, vegetables and edible oil could be sold by the government's fair price shops which would increase their supply. Also the surplus foodgrains (instead of rotting under bad storage) could be released from the godowns of the FCI to meet the rise in demand. Onions prices may come down by the end of the monsoon in any case. The long-term RBI policy should focus on reviving manufacturing growth and
jobs. |
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Reciting Madhushala in Toronto
It was early 1994 when I first arrived in the city of Detroit. I resided with my son, who was settled in an area facing the Canadian city of Windsor across Erie lake. Close by was the sprawling and magnificent bungalow of the late Henry Ford, founder of the mighty Ford Motor empire. The bungalow with wide-ranging grape and apple plants had double security provided on the approach road leading from the city centre. It so happened that the youngest Ford was then eight years old and was a school classmate of my grandson studying in a nearby private school. I had joined a ship as the Chief Engineer operating in great lakes. Young Ford's mother was an elegant versatile educated and agile lady, who also invited me to her bungalow for the July 4 American independence day celebrations. In that get-together was Professor Jackson, a brother of Mrs. Ford. He was a professor in oriental languages in Toronto University. He spoke to me about Hindi poetry as nurtured by Jaya Shankar Prasad, Mahadevi Verma, Maithli Sharan Gupta as well as poets like Harivansh Rai Bachchan, who wrote books like Madhushala. Professor Jackson was quick to remark that he applauded the flow and tenor of Hindi poetry. He would certainly like me to attend a Hindi poetical seminar being held after two weeks in Toronto University. I readily accepted the invitation as it suited my ship's programme of proceeding to Chicago for loading. I informed the Captain, who was happy and asked me to prepare myself to present at least 10 choice couplets from the book Madhushala to be recited before the audience on the university campus as he knew that Bachchan's Madhushala was my favourite choice. My Captain rightly pointed out that if Amitabh Bachchan could earn applause by reciting couplets from Madhushala in Germany, England etc, then why we not try to gladden a Canadian gathering? Our ship arrived Toronto one day ahead of the symposium day. The Vice Chancellor greeted us and thanked us to give a marine touch to the symposium. However, he was not informed about the subject of my submission. This we wanted to keep a surprise knowing full well that verses from Madhushala would regale the young and the old. The meeting started with a presentation by various personalities, including those from Vancouver, and were appreciated. My turn was almost towards the end. First, the audience did not accept much from me. But as I declared Madhushala as the title of my recitation, there was a sudden and simultaneous applause. It was the subject about which they most liked to hear whether they liked drinking wine or not. As I stood and uttered the word "Madhushala", most audience members seemed to be electrified. They mildly shouted to increase the volume of the loud speaker. The most favourite for the audience was the last verse of Madhushala which included the words "Laad dularon se tum rakhna tum meri sukumari ko", "Vishwa tumare hatho mein sounp raha hoon Madhushala"! The presiding officer presented to our ship a six-inch attractive model of a heavenly damsel. Below it was printed in bold letters "With blessings to all those who sail with
me". |
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CINEMA: NEW Releases RATINGS: *****Excellent ****Very Good
***Good **Average * Poor Nonika Singh
Idealism, principles and moral values.... where do these stand? More importantly, how do these survive in India of today, ridden as it is by corruption and divisive self-serving politics? This is a question that must have haunted each one of us at different points in life and more recently when Anna Hazare movement captured the imagination of an inert nation. And this is the question that Satyagraha raises, focuses on and answers somewhat, even if simplistically. As for the million dollar question…… is it based on Anna Hazare? Well, certainly the film is inspired by the people's movement led by Anna Hazare. But it's not a faithful or factual representation of those events. Actually, Amitabh Bachchan's morally upright character of retired school teacher Dwarka Anand might have shades of Anna Hazare but is more indignant, forthright and even aggressive. Clearly, it has its own flavour and has been fashioned out of creative imagination and keeping in mind the larger-than-life persona of the once a superstar always one. Actually Jha doesn't make any startling revelations. Corrupt socio-political system is a reality we not only are aware of but is something we live with and even are a part of. Nevertheless, kudos to Jha for bringing unsavoury subjects centrestage every once in a while. Where he fails is it in making it soul-stirring or even hard-hitting, something that one keeps expecting from the director of Gangajal and something which he has not been delivering in his last few films like Aarakshan. Here, the plot holds much promise in the beginning but becomes dreary and chaotic in the second half. Nevertheless, with a battery of gifted actors in tow the movie is watchable for sure. If for nothing else, to know why Amitabh Bachchan is still the colossus of acting and why Manoj Bajpayee's talent remains unrivalled. By the way the bonus here is Ajay Devgn whose characterisation of a man driven by the sheen of billion dollars transforming into one with a king size conscience may not be perfect, but his emoting is spot on. The well-meaning film, however, falls short. |
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Action without spunk
Mixing current teen predilections with myth and sounding totally irreverent, Percy Jackson's return to the silver screen is riddled with problems. After a successful first film, a sequel was inevitable and so we have Percy Jackson-A Sea of Monsters in 3D. This second installment is an apparent film franchise drawn from author Rick Riordan's young-adult novels based on the exploits of Poseidon's teenage offspring Percy. This teen adventure lacks the narrative excitement of the first. The excitement is also quite sorely missing here. The special effects are quite imaginatively rendered and the teen performers make the characters they essay look good. But the heavy dependence on special effects only adds more confusion. Thor Freudenthal's craft is not in the same class as that of Chris Columbus who helmed the first edition. Freudenthal is unable to present a unifying tone for the narrative and that is the film's biggest drawback! |
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Nothing funny about this one!
We’re The Millers is basically a road movie about a quartet of misfits who get together to play out a con. A low level pot dealer poses as a family man in order to pay back a debt to his supplier. David Burke (Jason Sudeikis) has to compensate his supplier Brad (Ed Helms) by retrieving a big drug shipment from Mexico and sneak it back across the border undetected. It's a risky job but Jason has a fool-proof plan or at least he thinks so. Roping in his misfit neighbours-sardonic stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston) assuming the role of his homemaker wife, teenage misfit Kenny (Will Poulter) posing as the awkward son, and rebellious Casey (Emma Roberts) filling in as the wayward daughter. The film starts out as a sort of comedy of errors but ends up being tiresome and unforthcoming. The dialogues are rude, raunchy and distasteful. The recycled jokes add to the tedium. Rawson Marshall Thurber's helming is also quite unremarkable. Jason Sudekis overdoes his acting but Aniston, Will and Emma do restrain themselves in some measure. But the overall effect is just not happening! |
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Movies on tv
Saturday august 31 Nautanki Saala is an Indian romantic, comedy film directed by Rohan Sippy, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Kunaal Roy Kapur along with Pooja Salvi, Evelyn Sharma and Gaelyn Mendonca. The story is based upon the 2003 French comedy film Après Vous. The film was produced by Ramesh Sippy, Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar & Roopa de Choudhury under the banner of Super Cassettes Industries Ltd. in association with R.S. Entertainment. Ayshmann Khurrana sang again in Nautanki Saala!. ZEE CINEMA 7:52AM Bal Bramhachari 11:12AM Aflatoon 2:06PM Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon 9:00PM Himmatwala INDIA TALKIES 6:00AM Mr. Natwarlal 9:30AM Karthik Calling Karthik 1:00PM Tu Chor Main Sipahi 4:30PM Gurudev 8:00PM Shalimar ZEE CLASSIC 7:00AM Geet Gaata Chal 9:51AM Sadhu Aur Shaitaan 12:58PM Vidhaata 3:50PM Trishul 7:00PM Zanjeer 10:00PM Ankhen ZEE STUDIO 8:00AM D-Tox 10:10AM Prom 1:00PM Back to the Future 3:30PM Back to the Future Part II 6:00PM Back to the Future Part III 8:40PM Honey I Shrunk the Kids 10:30PM Pirates of the Caribbean: on Stranger Tides STAR MOVIES 7:26AM Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 9:27AM The Front Row with Anupama Chopra 9:57AM Bean 11:51AM X-Men: The Last Stand 1:32PM The Package (2013) 3:36PM Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 6:06PM Gladiator (2000) 9:00PM Prometheus 11:31PM Kung Fu Hustle MOVIES OK 9:25AM Cheeni Kum 12:30PM Chandni Chowk To China 3:45PM Dil Tera Aashiq 6:35PM Yeh Hai Jalwa 9:00PM Dabangg 2 11:40PM Veergati STAR GOLD 8:30AM Deewar: Man of Power 10:55AM Beta 1:55PM Ayan Vidhwansak The Destroyer 4:50PM Hera Pheri (2000) 8:00PM Nautanki Saala! 10:45PM Tango Charlie SONY PIX 8:47AM Quick 11:06AM Fired Up 12:53PM Resident Evil: Retribution 2:35PM The Terminator 4:32PM Rocky IV 6:21PM Iron Man 9:00PM The Expendables 11:05PM Species III Sunday september 1 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Frank Oz and starring Michael Caine, Steve Martin and Glenne Headly. The screenplay was written by Dale Launer, Stanley Shapiro, and Paul Henning. It is the story of two men competing to swindle an American heiress out of $50,000. Caine plays the suave con man Lawrence Jamieson, who believes in conning corrupt, rich people out of their money so he can spend it on culture and a lavish lifestyle. Martin plays his loud, cocky American rival, Freddy Benson. It takes place in the French Riviera. INDIA TALKIES 6:00AM Gurudev 9:30AM Shalimar 1:00PM Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai 4:30PM Aladin 8:00PM Josh ZEE STUDIO 8:00AM Honey I Shrunk the Kids 10:00AM Back to the Future 1:00PM Notting Hill 3:45PM Back to the Future Part III 6:15PM Surrogates 7:45PM National Treasure 10:30PM The Switch ZEE CLASSIC 7:05AM Bhoot Bungla 9:52AM Bombay To Goa 12:36PM Bobby 3:31PM Arzoo 7:00PM Seeta Aur Geeta 10:00PM Faraar MOVIES OK 9:25AM Bhoot Unkle 11:45AM Thank You 2:45PM Yes Boss 5:55PM Chashme Buddoor 9:00PM Dangerous Khiladi 11:45PM Kasoor STAR GOLD 8:25AM Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! 11:05AM Veer 2:40PM Black Water 4:35PM Baadshah 8:00PM Hero The Action Man 10:25PM Mera Insaaf ZEE ACTION 7:00AM Rampur Ka Raja 10:30AM EK dulaara 1:30PM Officer 5:30PM Operation Duryodhana 8:30PM IPS Vikram Singh Rathod SONY PIX 8:20AM Labor Pains 10:14AM Robocop 2 12:33PM Iron Man 2:48PM The Expendables 4:39PM Species III 6:48PM Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 9:00PM Black Hawk Down |
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As for the trajectory of the movement….well, it does borrow heavily from the actual events. The fast-unto-death, followers wearing masks of the popular leader, the participation of the youth, political alliance-the resemblance is uncanny. Only it is fleshed out of part reality and part fiction. In fact, it does seek recourse to some Bollywood clichés too. Rather as it oscillates between fact and fiction, between a hard-hitting political subject and cinematic liberty, it finds its balance as also loses it. Till the first half it makes for compelling cinema. The clash between two different ideologies, one powered by ambition and greed and the other by social welfare, are suitably pitted. There are some emotionally high rather poignant moments too especially those involving Big B and Ajay Devgn. But as the moral compass turns in one direction and draws a firm line between black and white (you bet the politicians come in different hues of black, the darkest being that of the brilliant actor Manoj Bajpayee), its texture gets diluted. Just as the Anna movement got waylaid, so does the narrative here. The climax and the anticlimax offer nothing new, are almost predictable if not and outright banal. 
Percy (Logan Lehman) and Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) race out to Sea of Monsters (aka the Bermuda Triangle) in search of the Golden Fleece that could save their world. In their quest to confront the ultimate evil, Percy and friends battle swarms of mythical creatures with powers beyond human comprehension.
Despite the promising set-up, there's not much humour here. The story is clearly absurd. Imagine four individuals having nothing in common but their unhinged vagrant personalities, coming together to form a family unit — a typical white American family at that. The copious sentimentality actually gets in the way of enjoyment here.
Nautanki Saala
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels