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Sunday,
February 9, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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GUEST COLUMN
ON RECORD |
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COMMENTARY REFLECTIONS
Harihar Swarup
PM turns philosophical again
Humra Quraishi
Deepti Naval enjoys her new avatar
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GUEST COLUMN
This complex matrix of problems consisted of:degradation of environment, rapid erosion of values, a cynicism about institutions, alienation of younger generation as typified by their rejection of tradition and their loss of faith in the social, political and cultural traditions, insecurity, disparities between and within the nations, poverty amidst plenty and several other disruptions like global terrorism plaguing nations all over the world.
Apparently, every nation had a troubled soul and was in need of a solution. Attempts were made to find technical, political, social and economic solutions without realising that these components strongly interacted with each other. The tragedy was that with all the tools at its command, humankind was unable to provide an adequate response to this complex set of problems. Attempts were made to deal with each component of this matrix separately without realising that the whole is not just the algebraic sum of its parts, it is something more. The 21st century, thus, started with this legacy of the past and now faces the great challenge of providing an appropriate paradigm which would resolve these conflicts. It is, therefore, extremely essential to recognise and understand the origins of the various components of this complex set of problems and their interactions. A deeper analysis of the phenomenon leads us to the philosophical origins of this situation. The roots lie in the developments during 16th and 17th centuries. It was Rene-Descartes whose statement that “I exist because I think” provided the philosophical foundation of the mechanistic view of universe. While Cartesian thought provided the basic conceptual foundation for the 17th century science, Newton's theories and experiments were considered as the marvels of the mechanistic world-view. His mechanics during 18th and 19th centuries met with resounding success. Newtonian system was accepted as a correct theory of reality and was applied not only to various scientific disciplines but also to systems involving human beings. It is indeed interesting to note that John Locke — the celebrated philosopher of his times — developed an atomistic view of human society with human being as its building block just as atoms were considered the fundamental building blocks of the material world. Like John Dalton who tried to explain the physical behaviour of gaseous systems on an atomic hypothesis, Locke attempted to explain the social patterns to the behaviour of individuals constituting a social system. Locke argued that like the equilibrium state of a gaseous system human society also tends to achieve a “state of nature”. He further argued that there existed natural laws of societal behaviour prior to the establishment of institutions like “State”. The governments should, therefore, try to discover these laws rather than to impose any. In Locke's view these natural laws included the freedom and equality of all individuals as well as the right to property, which represented the fruits of his hard work. Karl Marx recognised the highly exploitative nature of the capitalist society. He offered an alternative system which promised to abolish the exploitation of the working class by the capitalists. But Marxism did not or could not prevent the exploitation; it simply transferred the centre of exploitative forces from one point to the other. We are thus led to the inescapable conclusion that the models based on the mechanistic world-view — whether Marxists or non-Marxists — are not in a position to provide an enduring solution to the world problematique. Towards the close of the 20th century the world became unipolar and globalisation was supposed to bring numerous benefits to the developing nations. The yawning disparities among the industrialised world and the third world were to be reduced by accepting the models of economic management through reforms proposed by the advocates of globalisation. The level of inequalities when these ideas were being propagated towards the last quarter of the last century was exemplified by the noted economist Paul Samuelson in a very interesting manner. According to Samuelson, if an income pyramid, out of a child's blocks, was made today with each layer portraying $ 1,000 of income, the peak would be far higher than the Eiffel Tower, but almost all of us would be within a yard of the ground. Perhaps Samuelson was speaking about the people of the Western world; in the third world most of the countries would be within the first block itself. This inequality is not an accident but is a built-in characteristic of the system. It is instructive to have a look at the consumption disparities in the beginning of the 21st century. In the globalised world 20 per cent of the world's richest people account for 86 per cent of the total private consumption expenditure, the poorest 20 per cent consume only 1.3 per cent. The richest fifth consumes 45 per cent of all meat and fish, the poorest fifth 5 per cent, in energy consumption the richest fifth have the lion's share of 58 per cent, the poorest fifth are left with less than 4 per cent. The gap between the rich and the poor is growing at a fast rate, in 1970 the ratio was 30:1; today it is 74:1 or more. The moot question is: can the present model of international economic order provide any solution to the world’s complex problems? Serious doubts are being raised by many noted economists. Joseph Stiglitz, winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics-2001, has argued in his celebrated book, “Globalisation and its discontents”, that the West-acting through the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organisation — has seriously mismanaged the process of privatisation, liberalisation and stabilisation, and that by following its advice many third world countries and former communist states are actually worse off now than they were before. Stiglitz further says, “Globalisation today is not working, it is not working for many of the world’s poor. It is not working for much of the environment. It is not working for the stability of the global economy”. These are the conclusions of a Nobel Laureate closely associated with the management of the global economy and the US Treasury. He had seen first hand the devastating effect that globalisation could have on developing countries and especially the poor in those countries. Stiglitz had further emphasised that if globalisation has to be a force for good, particularly of the poor, then, the way the process has been managed and the policies which have been imposed on developing countries in the process of globalisation need to be radically rethought. Stiglitz thus suggests that globalisation is not at fault but the way it has been managed is faulty. In an article, published in July 2002, entitled “Single economic model does not suit whole world”, he says, “Part of the problem lies with the international economic institutions, with the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO, which help to set the rules of the game. They have done so in ways, that all too often, have served the interests of the more advanced industrialised countries — and particular interests within those countries — rather than those of the developing world. But it is not that they have served those interests, too often, they have approached globalisation from particular narrow mind-sets, shaped by a particular vision of the economy and society”. It needs to be carefully analysed whether the discontents of globalisation arise from its being mismanaged or are the results of a particular world-view or a mix of the two. It can be easily recognised that the affluence of the Western world was the result of a techno-economic system based on Cartesian-Newtonian reductionist approach or the mechanistic world-view. This system was capital and energy intensive, and in order to survive in competition required cheaper labour and raw materials and also huge markets. In order to sustain this system, high growth models were designed on the assumption that there can be no limits to growth. The basic concept that it was possible to have unlimited growth on a limited planet was itself unsustainable. Therefore, it is not the mismanagement of globalisation but the world-view behind it which is responsible for the discontents. Globalisation is designed to be managed the way it is being managed. If one has to provide a solution to the present-day discontents, rising inequalities, prevailing social tensions and psychological dysfunctions, then search for an alternative world-view becomes imperative. Towards the end of the first quarter of 20th century, scientists were also facing certain uncomfortable questions which could not be answered satisfactorily by Cartesian-Newtonian reductionist approach. The developments in physics and biology were demanding a new paradigm to understand nature. The Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, the experiments in biology and other disciplines indicated that the concept of an objective observer standing separated from the system should be replaced by a participatory observer, that to say 'I' here and 'you' there is no longer valid. The universe is not separated from its observer, it is a participatory universe. The most startling consequence of all these discoveries is that the Cartesian concept of reality as parts joined by local connections does not fit in the Quantum Mechanical Paradigm. David Bohn suggested that quantum physics demands a new order. “Instead of starting with parts and showing how they word together, we start with the whole”. Matter, according to Bohm, is a form of the implicate order as the vortex is the form of the water — it is not reducible to smaller particles. Like “matter” and everything else, particles are forms of the implicate order. The question which arises now, is “what is the ‘implicate order’ the implicate order of?” As Gary Zukov says, “The implicate order” is the implicate order of that-which-is. However, “that which is” is the implicate order. This world-view is entirely different from what we are using in classical physics. In the words of David Bohm “Description is totally incompatible with what we want to say”. Says Gary Zukov “Because of the deep-rooted Greek notions in the western mind, it is unable to comprehend this new paradigm. The Greeks believed that only Being is. Therefore, Non-Being is not. Actually in the new paradigm Non -Being also is. Both Being and Non-Being are “that which is”. Everything even “emptiness” is that which is. “In Bohm's physics, there is nothing which is not “that which is”. Bohm's theories have striking parallelism in Eastern thought, in the Upanishadic statements. The quintessence of the Upanishadic thought is given by the following: Brahman alone exists without a second. Atma itself is Brahman. All this is Brahman, I am Brahman, So art thou, and That which is in microcosm is also in the macrocosm. Brahman is all pervading, it is subtler than the subtlest and larger than the largest. The implicate order of David Bohm has striking parallelism in the ancient Hindu philosophy where the Cosmic consciousness connects every “being” with the rest of the Universe. To sum up some of the philosophical consequences of the holistic world-view:
It has been well recognised that no valid socio-economic paradigm can be built unless man's relationship with the world is properly understood. Since the very dawn of human civilisation, the Hindu mind has reflected on the true nature of Universe and man and their interrelationship. The depth and profundity of their enquiry in this regard is revealed in India. The ancient Indian genius had discovered the fundamental unity of all Cosmic phenomena and the earliest clear and unequivocal enunciation of the holistic world-view is found in Upanishads. Researches in modern physics are also establishing the holistic nature of universe. Newtonian or reductionist approach is now being replaced by an integral approach. The holistic world-view offers a new paradigm for building a socio-economic system free from exploitation and also resolving the dilemma which mankind is presently facing. The paradigm has universal applicability and addresses mankind as a whole. It demands attitudinal changes with regard to the relationship between human society and the eco-system, consumption levels and growth rates with consequent changes in the value system of the Cartesian world. In Indian context, rooted in ancient wisdom of the land, the model based on integral approach would find favour with the national psyche. The moot point is: what type of society we want to create. Do we want high affluence with a tormented soul, social tensions, psychological dysfunctions, rising inequalities, violence and hatred all around or a reasonable standard of living with peace and harmony, in a non-violent and non-exploitative socio-economic order, free from the ills of consumerism? Do we prefer a world functioning under the rules of the market forces and devoid of any emotional bonds or a world full of fraternity and working, sharing and caring like a family? Do we want to live in a global bazar or in a global parivar? We have to make our choices right now. I choose Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam and wish the world functions as a nice loving, caring and sharing family. We ought to strive for a more humane social-order, well managed and in harmony with nature. I find ancient Indian wisdom can provided us a roadmap for our life's journey. The writer is Union Minister for Human Resource Development.  |
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ON RECORD An Honours Graduate in Economics and Political Science, the 50-year-old Ms Raje started her active political career as the Vice-President of Yuva Morcha of BJP's Rajasthan unit. Since then she has never looked back. She was a Member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly (1984-1988) before being elected successively to the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th Lok Sabha in 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998 and 1999 respectively. Ms Raje was sworn in as the Minister of Small Scale Industries (Independent Charge) in Vajpayee's Cabinet on October 13, 1999. In addition, she also held several other important Ministries before she was asked to resign on January 29, 2003 and concentrate fully as the BJP chief in Rajasthan where Assembly elections are due before November this year. Ms Raje's real challenge lies now in Rajasthan, with several BJP leaders having reservations on her appointment. Though she has the total backing and blessing of party leaders in New Delhi, it has to be seen how she sheds her royal ways and works among the people of Rajasthan in taking the party to victory. The Tribune interviewed here the day Ms Raje launched her ‘Oust Gehlot’ campaign and the action plan in tackling her new assignment. Excerpts: Q: What will the BJP's poll plank be in Rajasthan? A: It is too early to point out exactly what will be the issues on which the BJP will contest the coming polls in Rajasthan. However, the most important issues in the elections will be the total failure of the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress Government to provide relief to the drought affected people and deal with the acute shortage of drinking water. In short our main poll plank will be good governance, development and fighting drought. Q: How do you propose to tackle Mr Gehlot on drought and drinking water shortage? A: We will go to the people with the Government statistics to nail the Rajasthan Chief Minister who has miserably failed to implement various Centrally-sponsored schemes for drought relief and drinking water supply. In the last four years as much as Rs 5,500 crore have been sanctioned by the Vajpayee Government to the State Government, but Mr Gehlot has failed to utilise them properly resulting in the suffering of hundreds and thousands of people. Grains released by the Centre for distribution to drought affected people in Rajasthan are being sold in the open market. The people who have suffered and are still suffering at the hands of the Congress regime will definitely vote them out of power. Q: While you are blaming the State Government, Mr Gehlot is holding the Centre responsible for not releasing adequate funds. A: Mr Gehlot has made it a habit to blame the Central Government for his every failure. Instead of telling white lies, he should first give an account of why he did not utilise the Centre's funds released so far. Q: In Rajasthan caste plays an important role. Your comments. A: I am not in favour of casteist politics. BJP will try to win the confidence of every caste. Q: There seems to be more opposition within than outside for you, especially with some of the senior BJP leaders in the State opposing your appointment as Rajasthan unit President. A:
Change in any organisation is inevitable and people must be ready for it. Whenever changes takes place there is bound to be differences from some quarters. Even when there was a reshuffle in the Vajpayee Cabinet and the party’s Central office, there were a few who were upset over some changes. But as far as Rajasthan is concerned, my effort will be to take along all sections. Q: Why were you reluctant to give up the ministership at the Centre? A: I was never reluctant to quit the Cabinet position. The moment Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee wanted me to quit I resigned not wasting even a single minute. An unnecessary controversy was created due to media speculation. Q: Do you think you can match the stature of the BJP stalwart and presently Vice-President of India Bhairon Singh Shekhawat? A: It is virtually impossible for me to match his stature and that too in six months time. However, I am confident that with hard work and the dedication of workers, we will be able to take the party to power. Q: When do you propose to form your team in the State and what will be the criteria of your selection? A: I will soon form my team in the State and my effort will be to have a blend of experience and youth in my team. |
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COMMENTARY NO other country has contributed so much to the cultural and economic development of humanity as India. Are we proud of it? We should be. But we are not. Why? Because we know so little of the role played by India in the world. No other diaspora has ever come close to such a global spread, has endured so much of suffering, made so much sacrifice and yet contributed so much to the development of peoples and nations as the Indian diaspora. During the first wave of the Indian diaspora, we find Hindu and Buddhist missionaries reaching out to the very limits of Asia. The whole of Asia came under the impact of the Indian civilisation. But India's commerce went beyond Asia and extended to Greece and Rome. For 2000 years (from 1000 BC to 1000 AD) India was the dominant economic power of the world. It was also home to the crafts. India supplied cotton uniforms to the soldiers of Darius, the Persian conqueror. According to Chinese records, there were 300 Indian merchant families in Fu Nan (Cambodia) in the third century AD. The second wave began during the colonial era with the migration of Indian labour. It went on till the 1950s. They went as far as the West Indies and Americas (Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Surinam), South Africa, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Fiji. They worked at first plantations and developed the agriculture of these countries. Fiji is a creation of the Indians. For two centuries, they gave their blood, sweat and tears to this land to make it what it is today. The University of South Pacific is an Indian creation. In short, Fiji is more advanced than any other island in the Pacific, thanks to the Indians. As a reward, they are now being asked to leave the island. But this is another story. In Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Surinam, Indians live among former African slaves. In all these places Indians worked for freedom and development, which explains how Dr Cheddi Jagan become the first Prime Minister of Guyana. Trinidad produced V.S. Naipaul, the most celebrated writer in the English language and winner of the Nobel Prize. Mauritius, no doubt, is the best example of what Indians can do given the circumstances. India is proud of them. Indians form only 3 per cent of the population of South Africa (SA). Yet when SA become independent, there were four Indian Cabinet Ministers in the SA Government. The greatest NRI of India, Mahatma Gandhi, made a profound impact on the African nationalist movement. Before the Indians came to South Africa, the picture of the country was one of gloom. The Indians changed all that. In fact, their enterprise frightened the whites. Prime Minister Smuts admitted it to Mahatma Gandhi, when he said: “The very quality of Indians counts for their defects in SA. The Indians are disliked in SA for their simplicity, patience, perseverance and frugality”. Both the Africans and whites recognise the contribution of Indians to the growth of SA economy. President of the Inkatha Freedom Party Dr. Buthalezi says: “Without the blood, sweat, suffering and toil (of Indians), SA would not be what it is today.” East Africa owes much to the Indians. Indian labour was brought from Punjab and other places in India to East Africa for the construction of the railway. Most of them stayed after their contracts expired. They took to trade and industry. And they contributed much to the political awakening of the Africans. In 1914, they set up the East African Congress to work for the freedom of East Africa. The third wave of Indian migration began from the sixties and seventies. It was at first called the “brain drain”. It almost drained India of its human talent. Today, they are to be found in all the advanced countries of the world, making their contribution to economic development. They enjoy the highest per capita incomes among the immigrants. There are four Nobel recipients among them — Har Govind Khurana (medicine), Subramanya Chandrasekhar (Physics), Amartya Sen (Economics) and V.S. Naipaul (Literature). In fact, it is difficult to list the great achievers. There are 1.7 million NRIs in America. The Silicon Valley is their creation. These NRIs contributed more to America, says former US President Bill Clinton, than America has contributed to India. Nothing more need to be said of their significance to America. What about our former “mother country” — Britain? The Indian presence is the most conspicuous there. And they are to be found in all walks of life. There are five Indians in the House of Lords. And there are a dozen or so industrialists among the top ones in the UK. It was an Indian company which computerised the London underground railway. More and more Britons turn to India for health and beauty and Indian food is a must with most. Britain has 8,600 Indian restaurants. In London alone there are 3,800, more than that of New Delhi and Mumbai put together. Curry is the national menu of the British tourist industry. Prince Charles visits Indian temples and the queen goes to see Indian films. Two years ago the Asian “Who’s Who” consisted of 200 names. Today there are 2,000 names, most of them Indian. Two generations ago, Indians were desperately looking for jobs in Britain. Today they create jobs by the thousands. Last, but not the least, I must say a word about the three million NRIs in the Gulf. Their contribution to the culture and economics of the Gulf region is incalculable. I said at the outset that no other country has made such an immense contribution to human development. No wonder, India continues to stir the imagination of mankind. |
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REFLECTIONS 360 Degrees is not about temperature or geography but a management concept I recently experienced overseas. I was one of the participants in a group of over 25 top most managers of their respective units or divisions. Since it was an international congregation, it comprised many different nationalities. Like for instance, with me, around my table were a Russian, a Dutch, a Nigerian, and a British. They were all very experienced and holdingm high positions. And the most interesting part of it all was that in this group were peers, immediate juniors and ones own seniors…All together. And guess what it was for? It was for a 360 degree appraisal. Generally in an organisation, performance appraisal is done by the boss. The true impact of a person in his workplace depends on how he deals with his peers, juniors and customers, apart from his seniors. So, the boss may not always be able to correctly assess him or her. To overcome this lacuna in the traditional method of performance appraisal, the 360-degree method is used. Here a person is appraised by a few juniors, seniors, peers and even customers with whom he interacts. The organisers had engaged the services of Geneva-based training consultants to do a survey of the functioning of a particular department. This survey had 50 questions to be rated. These were (1) My work is challenging. (2) I know what results I am expected to achieve. (3) I believe that my work makes a real difference. (4) I am well informed about what is going on. 5) I am consulted on decisions that affect me. (6) I have the opportunity to say what I think in meetings. (7) I have the authority to use my judgement and take action within the area of my responsibilities. (8) My supervisor frequently talks with me about my performance. (9) I am held accountable for achieving results. (10) My supervisor gives me recognition for things I have done well. (11) I am given opportunities to learn and develop myself (12) I contribute actively to bringing about needed improvements and change. (13) I keep my colleagues fully informed in all matters that concern them. My colleagues keep me fully informed in all matters that concern me. (14) I am working at full capacity, giving my best effort. My colleagues are working at full capacity, giving their best effort. (15) I do top quality work. My colleagues do top quality work. (16) I offer to help my colleagues, even when I am busy with my own work. My colleagues offer to help me, even when they are busy with their own work. (17) I give my colleagues helpful feedback on how we can work together better. My colleagues give me helpful feedback on how we can work together better. (18) When I know a colleague is waiting for something from me to be able to do their work, I treat it on a priority basis. When they know I am waiting for something to be able to do my work, my colleagues treat it on a priority basis. (19) We have a clear sense of purpose and direction. (20) We achieve results and have impact. ( 21) We meet the needs and expectations of our clients. (22) We have clearly defined priorities which guide our day-to-day work and decision-making. (23) We meet deadlines and deliver on commitments. (24) We are committed to innovation and to continuous improvement of our performance. (25) We seek feedback from our clients about the impact we are having. (26) We use planning and monitoring as useful tools to get results. (27) Decisions are taken transparently. (28) The workload is distributed fairly. (29) Work is well coordinated. (30) Our processes and work methods allow us to do our work effectively. (31) Meetings are run effectively, a good use of time. (32) This is a great place to work. (33) The work setting is pleasing, attractive and well-equipped. (34) The level of stress is generally acceptable. (35) We work in a climate of trust. (36) We work co-operatively with other units, divisions and departments. (37) Conflicts are dealt with in a constructive manner. (38) The people who are successful here are those who are competent and effective. (39) Managers take their managerial responsibilities seriously. (40) Managers and staff alike demonstrate the organisation’s core values in their daily activities. (41) Our work tends to duplicate that of other parts of the organisation. (42) We operate in a perpetual crisis mode, continuously fire-fighting. (43) Managers avoid taking tough decisions. (44) There is a tendency to micro-manage. (45) Poor performance is tolerated by managers. (46) We avoid talking about difficult issues and problems. (47) Although there is a lot of talk about improvement nothing really changes. (48) We prefer to wait rather than taking initiative and risk making mistakes. (49) If we ceased to exist, it would not make much difference. (50) Nobody feels personally responsible for change and improvement. The results were soul-searching. They were also eye-openers vertically and horizontally. Lessons were drawn. What I loved seeing was that this was a self-chosen exercise to move forward. I am confident that one day 360 degrees will come to Government offices in my country too, sooner or later…Jai Hind.
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Stepping into Bal Thackeray’s shoes Barely five years back Bala Sahib appeared to be more inclined towards Raj but later paternal bonds proved more strong. There was a time when Bala Sahib would shower praise on his nephew, complimenting him for his style of public speaking. Raj could address as many as ten public meetings in a day. Though Raj is six years younger to Uddhav, he plunged into politics three years before his cousin. Both Uddhav and Raj were products of nineties but, it was believed five years back, that the nephew, and not the son, had more potential to succeed Bal Thackeray. Also Raj is almost a duplicate of the Sena patriarch. He dresses like Bala Sahib, speaks and conducts himself in the same style as his uncle. Uddhav, on the other hand, is shy and not so assertive. The fight between the two cousins came to the fore in last four years with supporters of Uddhav and Raj divided in rival camps. Uddhav refused tickets to Raj’s followers in the local bodies elections. Bala Sahib glossed over all this and, in fact, ticked off Raj. The Sena Chief has to choose his successor as he has turned 76, keeping indifferent health and staying away from public events where he himself was to be the centre piece. As the son says himself: “Bala Sahib may not be able to attend meetings held outside Mumbai due to poor health or other reasons. In that event, I will preside over these meetings as executive president”. Uddhav is a former student of the J.J. School of Arts and wildlife photography has been his passion. He is credited with evolving the strategies for the party’s growth. Bala Sahib is sure to project his son as the Chief Ministerial candidate in the Maharashtra Assembly elections due in 2004. Shiv Sena supremo’s ally, the BJP, too is not averse to the idea. A BJP leader went to the extent of saying that that Uddhav
Thackeray may be an “ideal candidate” for the high office. |
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PM turns philosophical again
He nevertheless stunned his audience by speaking in Marathi and quoted verses from Sant Tukaram’s poems. Mr Vajpayee has time and alluded to his stay at the Race Course residence as “temporary” amid intense speculation that the Sangh Parivar is gunning for him. True
story When former BJP President Kushbhau Thakre was asked by current party President M.Venkaiah Naidu last year to proceed to Lucknow to talk to rebel MLAs up in arms against the BJP-BSP coalition government of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, he camped in Lucknow and summoned the 12-odd BJP MLAs for discussions. Some came and went back promising him to return after consultations with their colleagues but none turned up. Old man Thakre, brought up in steely traditions of the Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh was not only surprised but felt hurt. But determined as he is, he decided to approach them again. Prompt came an MLA telling the former President a woeful but true story. He confided that when they met him last time they were forcefully huddled into a waiting van and taken to Raja Bhaiya where they were meted out third degree treatment. Thakre heard him and reportedly broke down in tears lamenting the sharp decline in political behaviour where power was the end all. Thakre, it is said, narrated to Ms Mayawati the sordid incident and the treatment meted out to elected representatives thereby steeling her resolve to teach a lesson to the tormentor. UP MLAs & HP Mayawati has already made seven former Congress MLAs ministers in her cabinet and is on the for more to switch sides. The Congress has adopted the now
familiar strategy of herding the MLAs away from the scene of political crisis but that may not be end of the party’s problems in UP. Mayawati is expected to visit Himachal Pradesh to campaign for her party candidates and may still try to contact the UP Congress MLAs. World
Cup mania Despite a severe beating in New Zealand, hardcore Indian cricket fans are still hoping for a miracle from Saurav Ganguly’s devils lifting the World Cup in South Africa. Daily bombardment of advertisements on the idiot box figuring Indian cricketers is only creating further hype. At the same time there are some feeble voices emerging against the commercial cricket war. One such voice is on the internet world, questioning the hype over cricket. A portion of the mail, now being circulated on the internet states: “An Indian Air Force Flight Lieutenant is paid Rs 1,200 flying allowance per month and he is supposed to make 40 sorties in ageing MIGs. That is about Rs 25 per sortie after taxes. If he dies his family gets paid Rs two lakh. While the man of the match in any Cricket World Cup team gets 3000 pounds, about Rs two lakhs....The least Indian cricket team can do is win the game against Pakistan and send all the reward and match fee to the army relief fund.” The question doing the rounds in BJP circles as to who is the chief spokesperson of the party. Pat comes the answer that it is Pramod Mahajan. However, the reply is not accepted as the right answer because of M. Venkaiah Naidu’s penchant to hog the media attention. On
the prowl Beware mobile phone users! A conman is on the prowl and you may be his next target. His modus operandi is simple. He would call you on your cell phone and identify himself as a company engineer. He would tell you that his company is doing a random check on your phone and tells you to press *90 or 09* or any other number. You must immediately end the call without pressing any number. There is a fraud company on the go using a device that once you have pressed *90 or 09*, they can access your SIM card and make calls from your handphone at your expense. For those who may believe this story to be just a hearsay, let it be disclosed that none other than the American Embassy is sending e-mails to their friends and contacts with a plea that this message be propagated as much as possible. Impulsive
Raffarin French Prime Minister Jean Pierre Raffarin startled a distinguished gathering at the FICCI auditorium when he asked in heavily accented English “are you ready?” A few mediapersons wondered who had taken over the stage. Raffarin did not stop at this. While encouraging the Indian youth to visit France to study in universities there, Raffarin said that Indians had the innate advantage of grasping languages faster as they live in a multi-lingual society. When a student pointed out that non-comprehension of French impeded understanding of French culture, Raffarin walked up to the student, gave a gentle pat and observed that “sometimes, you should allow the heart to speak.” Contributed by TRR, Satish Mishra, T.V. Lakshminarayanan, S.Satyanarayanan, Prashant Sood, Tripti Nath and Rajeev Sharma. |
Of French season & Sufi music THE French season is on. The French team led by Prime Minister Jean Pierre Raffarin spoke at the FICC auditorium, which for some reason was termed for the Indian youth. He laid the foundation stone for a new Alliance Francaise building which would be coming up very close to the Lodi Gardens. And, yes, one road of New Delhi will be named after Frenchman Andre Malraux. The CII is simply going overboard with seminars and meets. Barely had one got over at the Habitat Centre — on safety, health and environment in the context of the Indian woman — came the next where Narendra Modi was the guest speaker. No, I didn't attend it. I did attend one session of the former seminar. All I could say that those efforts and measures to reach out to the women in the context of health and wealth can be wiped clean by the likes of Modi. One of the reasons why my friend Shabnam Hashmi resigned from SAHMAT (after setting it 12 years back in memory of her slain activist brother Safdar Hashmi) is because she wanted to work at the grassroots level in Gujarat, as she'd pointed out that the damage being done by Modi and his men has to be countered systematically and in a practical way. No, not by speeches and seminars getting delivered in air-conditioned environs but by actually countering the propaganda and reducing the damage. This brings me to write that there 's what 's coming up a government backed meet on terrorism and the youth. The joke on the circuit is whether the Parivar's new hero Modi would be invited to inaugurate it and deliver those opening lines on how to go about terrorising hapless people. And then, there's what can be termed as the spill over from the Iranian Head of State's visit to our country — sufi music and musicians and singers from Iran are here…to play at the Cultural House of the Islamic Republic of Iran and then at the India International Centre. Couldn't there have been an interaction arranged with the sufi singers from J&K? Meanwhile, Aparna Sen's film “Mr and Mrs Iyer” is being viewed by our top brass — two days back, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee went to view it. I suppose as this news trickled down to Congress quarters the next day, it was Sonia Gandhi’s turn to watch it!
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Deepti Naval enjoys her new avatar In “Mirch Masala”, “Ek Baar Phir”, “Damul”, “Main Zinda Hoon”, “Chashme Buddoor”, and “Katha”, she portrayed the frail-but-tough character over and over again. Tired of being typecast, Deepti last year broke free with a spirited performance as a U.S.-based single mother in “Leela”, and now a widow who has a roaring affair with her callow paying guest in “Freaky Chakra”. Deepti spoke to IANS about her new avatar. Excerpts: Q: Are you excited about your bohemian rhapsody in “Freaky Chakra”? A: It was quite a role. It was something I had never done before. I was sceptical first, but once I was in it I was in it for good. It's a very unassuming kind of film. I remember how the love scene gave me the heebie-jeebies. The first time it was shot I was unhappy. After shooting non-stop for 16 hours I was told we'd shoot the love scene the same night. I somehow did it. We re-shot in the morning and I was much happier. Q: But how will the audience react to your anti-conservative volte face? A: Fortunately for me, “Leela” was released earlier. There I've a grown-up son and an American lover in my life. Lately I've been talking to the media about the real me instead of the docile persona that's seen on screen. I'm a seriously independent woman and I want people to know that. I played the submissive wife in “Shakti” because I needed the money. But I'm glad I did. Now people can see the contrast in “Freaky Chakra”. Q: What're you doing next? A: I'm going off to Hampi to shoot for a Marathi film by Amol Palekar. It's a period film in the 6th century with Anant Nag and Sonali Bendre. Q: What do you think of the way women are projected in the average Hindi film? A: You know the dances and body language are so provocative. Women are heaving their breasts in men's noses and choking them with their bosoms. I'd rather do a straight love scene than have my physical assets hanging over some man's face! Q: When will you direct a film? A: I'm just writing at the moment. There're a couple of roles I need to tackle as an actress. Today I feel more alive as an actress than ever before. Life has a way of haunting you with experiences.
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THE last two decades of the 20th century witnessed a world-wide crisis. A multidimensional crisis which encompassed every aspect of our life — social, cultural, political, economical and ethical. This crisis then represented the “problematique” experienced all over the
world.
FOR Vasundhara Raje, who was appointed recently as President of the Rajasthan unit of BJP and is projected as the next Chief Minister of the State, it has been a relatively easy political progression, thanks to the royal legacy of her parents Jivaji Rao Scindia and Vijay Raje Scindia.
ALMOST five years back when Bal Thackeray made it clear that his successor would be either his son Uddhav or nephew Raj, there was protest from the rank and file of the party. Balasahib had firmly put down the resentment of Shiv Sainks who accused him of promoting his kith and kin in politics. Apparently, there was no room for dissent in a party whose supremo calls himself “dictator”. Almost in a feudal style, he groomed both his son and nephew to succeed him but ultimately he preferred his son. Elected Shiv Sena’s working president at the party’s conclave at Mahabaleshwar, 42-year-old Uddhav’s succession to the post of the party president is a certainty. The post was held by his father, Bal Thackeray, since 1966. The only threat to Uddhav comes from his slighted cousin, Raj, whose style of speaking and gestures resemble the Sena dictator. 
PRIME Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee drew pointed attention to the impermanance of man and said he is not sure how long he will occupy the official Race Course road residence of the Head of Government. Speaking at a function while releasing commemorative coins in memory of Sant
Tukaram, he observed in a philosophical vein he did not know “where I will be tomorrow though I’m in Delhi these days.”
The “split’’ in Congress Legislative Party in Uttar Pradesh has earned the remaining party MLAs a visit to Himachal Pradesh. Ostensible reason for the MLAs being rushed to Himachal Pradesh by the party high command is to campaign for the Congress candidates. The fact remains that the idea of asking the Congress MLAs in UP to proceed to HP is primarily to keep them away from the clutches of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati.
IMAGES of a timid-yet-strong woman come to mind when one thinks of films starring Deepti Naval.