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PC has a point
Mamata at it again |
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Learning education
Threats to India’s growth story
Wanted a perfect life-partner
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Found & lost
It’s a circus out there
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PC has a point
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram is under pressure from the Opposition, particularly the BJP and its allies, to resign after the Madras High Court refused to dismiss a petition challenging his election as an MP from the Sivaganga constituency in Tamil Nadu in 2009. His political opponents are ignoring the fact that two paragraphs containing serious charges against him --- using the services of government officials, including those working with nationalised banks, and misdemeanours by election officials --- have been removed by the court from the petition filed by a defeated candidate, Raja Kannapan of the AIADMK. That he indulged in corrupt practices and used money power to get votes are among the allegations to be examined when trial proceedings will begin. It is nothing more than an election petition. There are, therefore, “no moral grounds” on which Mr Chidambaram must quit his office, as BJP president Nitin Gadkari has demanded. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, too, is unfair when she says that Mr Chidambaram’s continuance in office “is a blot on Indian democracy”. This is nothing but opposition for the sake of opposition. The minister has a point in questioning the hue and cry over the election petition against him when there are 111 such petitions filed against other members of the present Lok Sabha. And that, too, when the trial is yet to begin. Mr Chidambaram has, in fact, been in difficult straits ever since his name figured in the 2G spectrum allotment scam. He was also unsparing when it came to enquiring into the alleged role of people believed to be associated with the Sangh Parivar in terrorist killings like those in Malegaon and the Samjhauta train bomb blasts. But the fact remains that he is not faced with any criminal case against him. His case is not like that of Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa who continued as the Chief Minister of Karnataka despite his involvement in a major court case of a criminal nature. There is, however, a valid ground for demanding quick disposal of the case against Mr Chidambaram for meeting the ends of justice as fresh parliamentary elections are due in 2014. |
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Mamata at it again
Just by writing a letter at the last minute, Trinamool Congress (TMC) has forced the Union Cabinet to defer a discussion on the pension Bill. The UPA, once again, has submitted to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s political blackmail despite getting the Samajwadi Party on board and making a show of it at the recent Congress Working Committee meeting. Introduced in 2004, the Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority Bill was initially opposed by the Left and referred to a parliamentary standing committee. The Bill was opposed broadly on two grounds: there was no guarantee of assured returns and part of the pension money was to be invested in stock markets. After hearing views of various political parties the parliamentary committee suggested some changes in the Bill. At Thursday’s Cabinet meeting the government was ready to make three amendments to the Bill: (a) allowing the contributor to the pension scheme to withdraw funds in case of an emergency, (b) providing for a minimal assured return and (c) placing a 26 per cent cap on foreign direct investment. With the government agreeing to make these changes, it was hoped that the pension Bill would finally get through. The provision for investment in stock markets makes many people uncomfortable, given the turbulence in global economies and markets. Instead of holding a dialogue to resolve differences, the Trinamool Congress leadership stayed away from the Cabinet meeting. Its objection is that the TMC has not been given representation in the parliamentary committee and it seeks a “broad-based political consensus” on the Bill. Persistently being anti-reform, the TMC has opposed 51 per cent foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail, resisted rail fare hike and got its Railway Minister replaced and disapproves of the land acquisition Bill and oil price hikes. By forcing the UPA to shelve the pension Bill, the TMC has weakened the government’s efforts to revive investor confidence by pushing reforms and encouraging private investment in infrastructure development. Mamata Banerjee’s short-term and short-sighted goal, it seems, is to press for Rs 25,000-crore Central debt relief for her state. |
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Learning education
The disappointment being expressed now with certain provisions of the Right to Education Act is only a confirmation of the apprehensions that were aired before its implementation two years ago. Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal has constituted a panel to review the implementation of the Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) provision under which school boards are not allowed to hold exams till Class 8, and schools are not allowed to detain any student in any class till then. The idea was to remove the ‘unhealthy pressure’ of education from the child and also promote holistic development. States say that while the pressure has been removed to such an extent that students as well teachers have stopped working, ‘comprehensive evaluation’ has eluded government schools that are in a shambles. Sibal has told objecting state ministers that ‘no detention’ should not be equated with ‘no evaluation’. Rather, it has to be other forms of appraisal. That would indeed be desirable, provided it could be had. There are schools run with a single teacher. And the now-mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test has exposed the abysmal standard of teachers in government employment. Most teachers cannot even begin to comprehend the sophisticated assessment parameters required. Moreover, a major complaint is lack of clarity about what these parameters would be. While many private schools have devised ways to implement the CCE, teachers there too have the complaint that students have become careless. Some rod is required, whatever the form. There is, however, nothing wrong with the spirit behind the CCE policy. Only our education system is probably yet to evolve to that stage. Also, the syllabus children are expected to master in the given time is probably way too much for comprehensive assimilation. Education should be a process of learning rather than imbibing mountains of information, which promotes the rote system. The solution in the short term would be to bring clarity on CCE parameters, and, in the long term, raise the education infrastructure to a level that ‘learning’ becomes possible. Santiniketan, after all, is not just a town in West Bengal, but a very Indian concept of education. |
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Very often a change of self is needed more than a change of scene. — A. C. Benson |
Threats to India’s growth story
We've taken all you've given/ But it's gettin' hard to make a livin…/ I know it may sound funny/ But people ev'rywhere are runnin' out of money…/ We need something to keep us going/ Mr President, have pity on the working man. These are excerpts from a song scripted by American satirist and singer Randy Newman to highlight the pitiable state of affairs in which the American middle class found itself in the early 1970s. Unfortunately, the song is finding resonance in India these days. Quiet like the US of the 1970s, where a recession was preceded by economic growth in the 1960s, India’s remarkable growth of a decade and a half is being followed by these difficult times. While America’s setback was a factor of international affairs — Vietnam and Yom Kippur wars — unfortunately in the case of India, it is a case of self-inflicted damage. As the latest GDP growth figures reveal, we cannot dismiss the current slowdown as a temporary phase in the otherwise remarkable growth story. Unless things improve drastically, there may be a permanent full stop on India’s aspirations to become an economic super power and in the process pull billions of its people out of poverty in the near future. The ignominious disinclination of policy makers to admit that the wrong lies with them (they are busy attributing it to foreign factors), makes the whole situation all the more lamentable. It was surprising to see one of the key members of the incumbent UPA government finding solace even in 5.3 per cent GDP growth rate of the first quarter this year. The government is busy convincing people that 5.3 per cent is not bad, considering that other nations are achieving far less, and considering that this growth rate is far better than what India has witnessed for the better part of its post-Independence history. In saying so, the government is being highly disingenuous. While comparing to other nations, it is engaging in the sophistry of comparing apples to oranges. Comparing India’s GDP growth rate with that of the US or the developed countries of Europe is wrong simply because consistent growth rates over past many years ensured that these countries are developed nations and any growth they register, happens on an economic base that is far greater in terms of per capita GDP than what India has right now. India’s comparison needs to be made with upcoming countries at a similar level of development and, as figures show, our growth is behind China, the Philippines and even Indonesia. Also, if one takes into account a monstrous inflation rate, which has perpetually remained close to 7 per cent and an abnormally high fiscal deficit, then even the meager 5 per cent GDP growth appears so paltry that the ignominious “Hindu growth rate” of the miserable days of the 1970s appears impressive! One can argue till the cows come home about what went wrong. In fact, it makes sense to ask what went right that ensured that India registered consistent GDP growth rates of above 7.5 per cent for many years in the late 1990s, leading up to the first few years of the new millennium. As observed by eminent author and thinker Gurcharan Das, it was achieved not because of the government but despite the government. India was lucky to be blessed with a demographic advantage. A burgeoning young population ensured that consumption and investment, the two pillars of economic growth, were self-buoyant without any help from the government. Many economists have argued that even the 7 per cent annual growth rate that India was achieving was way below the Conducive policy-making would have propelled us to double-digit growth during those times. It was only a matter of time when unfavourable circumstances internationally would put a spanner in the wheels of the seemingly well-running economy. That obstruction is here and now government role becomes critical. If all is going well due to macro-economic factors, the government’s role is negligible. It is when the going gets tough, the government has to play a proactive role and ensure that the economy is back on track. Among the many reasons why Franklin Delano Roosevelt is still regarded as the greatest President the US had in the 20th century is his “New Deal. It not only saved America from the devastating depression of the 1930s but also upped the sagging morale of a nation that was to go on to achieve global eminence in the years to come. India today finds itself at a similar critical juncture. At the helm of affairs we have a man who saved India from a precipitous crisis in 1991. Often uncharitably, it is mentioned that in 1991 he was a mere gate-keeper to history. His critics argue that the situation had become so terrible that India had no alternative but to go for liberalization, and Dr Manmohan Singh just happened to oversee it. But this argument is wrong. It goes to Dr Singh’s credit that when he got the opportunity, he ensured that there were no half-way measures about liberalisation. He could have initiated some half measures that would have kept the World Bank and other global lenders happy, but he took a long-term view and ensured that crucial Indian sectors were liberalised and received the much-needed dose of investment that spurred the county’s rise in the decade that followed. It is time for him to show the same resolve again. It would be presumptuous of me or of any other person to tell him what to do. Being a brilliant economist that he is, he is well aware of this. It is unfortunate that due to some imagined fears of public backlash and political expediency, his government has been very feeble in dealing with the situation and, in the process, adding to the woes of the poor and the needy. It is a pity that he has been busy citing international factors behind our current woes and has been saying that in the long term, the Indian economy will continue to be strong and things will improve. Perhaps, he needs to remember what the most illustrious economist of his alma mater (Cambridge University), John Maynard Keynes, said, “In the long term we are all dead!”n The writer is a former Finance Minister of Punjab. |
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Wanted a perfect life-partner
IT would be insensible to dismiss him only because of his youthful bearings as one’s looks are generally deceptive. He is, in fact, emerging as a matrimonial soothsayer. He can easily crack the genetic code of a girl by his sheer glance and foretell her spousal attributes with utmost precision. Having ejected himself from the cockpit of crumbling Kingfisher Airlines, Siddharth Mallya has safely landed himself in an area where he can decode the DNA of a girl and predict whether she would be a “perfect future wife” or not. It was amusing when the futuristic Siddharth is quoted to have stated that the 28-year-old US national, Zohal Hamid, who was allegedly molested by IPL Team Bangalore’s Aussie recruit Luke Pomersbach, did not behave like a “future wife” to her businessman fiancée, Sahil. The spontaneity with which he invaded her matrimonial eligibility triggered an unprecedented commotion on Twitter last month. To me, his palpable comment on the fair sex was pretty unfair. If girls want to be merrily married, they ought to conduct themselves like future wives to their lovers, he ruled emphatically. Would it not, on the flip side, imply that they should also likewise see “future husbands” in their men before committing themselves? But how to judge spousal fitness in a partner was not elaborated by Sid. Though his observation may echo weird, surely, he had a point which reflects his male chauvinism. A male, generally known for his polygamous penchant, considers it his right to explore greener pastures outside the bonds of matrimony, but when it comes to settling in life, he tries to search for a girl wrapped in fidelity and devotion. While he prefers a girlfriend who is stylishly outpouring, but he, on the other hand, wants a wife who is cosmic yet homely. We are all primarily weird and life is also a bit weird. When we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we fall in mutual weirdness called love. But, with time, a male grows uncaring and sluggish as he advances in years. Paradoxical but true, before marriage, he declares from the rooftop that he would lay down his life to serve his beloved; but after marriage he won’t even lay down his newspaper to respond to her. As far as feminine expectations are concerned, they are altogether different and strange. She expects her spouse to be all-in-one, to say the least, a complete package. Echoing Francis Bacon, to sum up, a woman needs a perpetual listener; who has rested his rowing eyes and, of course, who is rolling in wealth. Having come of age at such a young age, Siddharth’s signature statement is ringing a warning bell for girls. Oh, girls of the world, unite to deflate the typical male ego so sarcastically composed by a poet: Some girlfriends come and go like seasons; But one will stay back in my life; Surely for a special reason! Gossip magazines are abuzz with rumours of the vertical split between film star Deepika Padukone and Siddharth. They are asking whether it was Deepika who did not behave like a future wife, or was it Siddharth who did not behave like a future husband? Was it Deepika who had prescribed too many general rules for matrimony, or was it Siddharth who was grounded while devising exceptions to general rules? All in jest.n |
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Movie: Shanghai Dibakar Banerjee who has given us delightful films like Khosla Ka Ghosla and Oye Lucky Lucky Oye before this, moves into hard-hitting realism albeit couched as a thriller adapted from Vassilis Vasilikos' novel Z set in Greece. Indeed, creating a “whodunit” against the background of political conspiracy and manoeuvrings is not easy. But Banerjee begins and ends his narrative with power-packed punch. In between the pace flounders somewhat, yet there are enough ups and downs to make the experience worth its while. More so, if you are a votary of meaningful cinema. Unlike Khosla Ka Ghosla and Oye Lucky Lucky Oye this one is not funny, actually not at all. Rather it is meant to hit and sear you. However, the sting lies in its subtlety more than in-your-face attitude, even though film packs quite a few brutal killings. As with other slices of realism, it’s USP— the frightening similarity to life— is its biggest strength. Characters are for real, credible and believable. Our serial kisser Emraan Hashmi transforms into a beetel-stained, small-time video filmmaker Jogi Parmar with remarkable ease and proves his detractors wrong with his portrayal of a man embroiled in the conspiracy simply because of his profession. Abhay Deol, as the bureaucrat TA Krishnan, with his South Indian accent in place, excels with his understated sterling performance. Other actors from Supriya Pathak to Farooq Sheikh to Prosenjit Chatterjee — be it in bit parts or proper cameos— are a perfect foil to the lead players. The film, however, dispenses with the usual hero-heroine format. Romantic interest by way of Kalki Koechlin too is only hinted at. Interestingly, Koechlin too fits her part as the half foreigner, half Indian supporter of anti-development crusader Dr Ahmadi (Chattterjee). Yes, the film draws a line between those who support India’s mindless globalisation and those who wonder aloud — for whose benefit is this development? The song Bharat mata ki jai that truly rocks says it all. So does the item number Imported Kamariya. In fact, it’s one of those rare times when an item number is not just a gimmick targeted at boosting Box-Office collections but conveys a whole lot of meaning and adds to the subtexts, which are very many. Layered narrative takes care of details that lurk in every conceivable nook and corner. An attendant,standing in attendance, holding a water bottle at the gym where a high ranking IAS officer is exercising is one such moment. It’s not as if Banerjee is giving a clean chit to activists. The final climax underlines that when it comes to grinding one’s axe, all fall in the same category. Except the ordinary common man who remains a mere cog, at the mercy of those who run the system or an occasional officer whose conscience can be stirred but is certainly not enough to change the status quo. In one of his interviews, Banerjee has proclaimed that he is not anti-development, only anti-dumb and pro-brains. So, clearly the film is not for those looking for cheap entertainment. Whether the film crosses the divide between cinema for masses and classes as some members of the cast have reiterated, however, is debatable. Nevertheless, watch it for the sheer joy of good cinema that comes once in a while. |
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Found & lost Movie: Prometheus Now Prometheus” is no Greek God. It is the name given to an exploratory vehicle sent into space in 2093 to find folks missing in an earlier expedition, even before James Cameron’s Alien. Elizabeth Shaw (Neomi Rapace) is a scientist employed by Weyland Corporation and along with her is its founder Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce). They are poles apart. She is a believer while Peteris a sceptic. Also on board is Android David (Michael Fassbinder), the ship’s captain Janek (Idris Elba) and Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), another Weyland employee with an agenda of her own. And there is Charlie Holloway (Logan-Matshall Green) Elizabeth’s love interest. The establishing shots are weak, dark and gloomy. Director Scott says he has modelled David on the Blade Runner character and that may be partially true but the sets are well below par. The surface of the planet is like the moon’s but you have all kinds of speedy vehicles running around. There is a split in the crew which means more trouble, creepy, crawly creatures flow out of bodies like lava. Most of the dialogue is scientific mumbo jumbo and if for nothing else Naomi Rapace must be commended for keeping a straight face. Michael Fassbinder is as wooden as he is supposed to be except for lapses of humanity. Guy Pearce does well as the doddering old man. While Charlize Theron, whose wicked stepmother in Snow White and the Huntsman was imminently forgettable, is as anonymous in this sci-fi thriller. Remember Michelangelo Antonioni losing it in The Passenger and Bernardo Bertolucci selling out to the Americans in Little Buddha, Prometheus surely is an indication that Ridley Scott is well past his prime. |
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It’s a circus out there Movie: Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted Madagascar 3, directed by Eric Darnell, Tom Mc Grath and Conrad Vemon, was world premiered at 2012 Cannes Film Festival. The plot follows a neat route wherein the animals set out to return to New York and they end up meeting a travelling circus by chance. Madagascar 3 sees addition of characters from the circus Vitaly, the tiger and Gia the jaguar. Interesting dialogues that are easy to understand, the movie justifies the 3D effect with banana peels flying right in front of your face. You wouldn’t miss the Hollywood action for a minute with effective animation and crazy action —the penguins with their state of art nuclear reactor, the trapeze acts of Alex and the romance between Alex and Gia. The animation comedy has just the right substance, all elements that kids and adults look for. It is, however, the addition of the circus in the movie that brings in excitement. The voiceover is just right. Artists Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Andy Richter give in the right stops and puns. Soundtrack of Madagascar 3 is yet another hummable and interesting part. As the characters of the movie say, in circus you stay together, so just stay together collect your family and watch Madagascar 3. |
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Movies on tv
Saturday june 9 Anjaana Anjaani is a romantic flick directed by Siddharth Anand, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Zayed Khan. The film is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. The film's music has been composed by Vishal-Shekhar. Anjaana Anjaani is the story of Kiara (Priyanka Chopra), and Aakash (Ranbir Kapoor). Kiara is based in San Francisco, while Aakash is a New York City boy. ZEE CINEMA 7:20AM Gundaraj, 1:50PM The Gentleman, 5:20PM Aankhen, 9:00PM Coolie HBO 9:00AM The Flintstones, 11:00AM High Lane, 12:50PM Congo, 3:10PM Turbulence, 5:15PM Crank: High Voltage, 7:00PM Penelope, 9:00PM 2 Fast 2 Furious, 11:20PM Initial D FILMY 9:00AM Khoobsurat, 12:30PM Julie, 4:00PM Janasheen, 8:00PM Phir Kab Milogi STAR GOLD 6:00AM Anjaana Anjaani, 9:05AM Main Hoon Na, 12:45PM
Sivaji: The Boss, 3:35PM Deewar: Man of Power, 5:50PM Garv: Pride and Honour, 9:00PM Bodyguard 7:21AM Die Hard 4.0, 10:21AM Fantastic Four, 12:27PM Runaway Bride, 2:48PM Black Mask, 4:54PM Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, 6:49PM Night at the Museum, 9:00PM Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, 11:54PM Half a Loaf of Kung Fu Sunday june 10 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Star gold 9:43PM Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a 2006 American adventure fantasy film and the second film of the Pirates of the Caribbean series). In the film, the marriage of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) is interrupted by Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander), who wants Turner to acquire Sparrow's compass, and Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) discovers his debt to Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) is due. ZEE CINEMA 10:25AM Aparichit: The Stranger, 1:40PM Hum Saath Saath Hain, 5:25PM Toofan, 9:00PM Vivah STAR GOLD 6:00AM Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, 9:30AM Jajantaram Mamantaram, 12:00PM Dil Hai Tumhaara, 3:35PM Ek Hi Raasta: The Power, 5:50PM Gangaajal, 9:00PM Wanted HBO 10:45AM 2 Fast 2 Furious, 1:00PM Fast Five, 3:50PM Around the World In 80 Days, 6:30PM Lethal Weapon 3, 9:00PM Fast Five, 11:45PM Due Date FILMY 9:00AM Malamaal Weekly, 12:30PM Dil Maange More, 4:00PM Sherni, 8:00PM Robbery STAR MOVIES 7:49AM Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, 9:43AM Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, 12:38PM The Transporter, 2:34PM The Expendables, 4:37PM Half a Loaf of Kung Fu, 6:46PM Drive Angry, 9:00PM Total Recall, 11:22PM My Father Is a Hero |
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