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Back at the wheel
Two paths and a goal |
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High MMR in Haryana
Media in the CJI's court
Armed sea piracy
No more than a twinkle
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Back at the wheel
The
Congress has shown unusual courage in turning a crisis into an opportunity. Instead of caving in to the threat of support withdrawal by the Trinamool Congress, it has notified the decision to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail and aviation and promised more reforms next week. The parting of the ways has come rather too late in the day. The drama sought to be staged by the Trinamool Congress ministers in submitting their resignations to the Prime Minister on Friday was put to an early end. A Cabinet reshuffle is on the cards to fill the vacancies caused by the departure of the Trinamool members. The series of quick decisions, coming from a coalition government accused for too long of suffering from “policy paralysis”, took the steam out of Thursday’s shutdown, predominantly in the Opposition-ruled states. The Left and the Right had joined hands to protest what they called the “anti-people” measures. The BJP’s demand for a special session of Parliament to discuss the issue of FDI in retail is ludicrous after it wasted a whole session recently. Mulayam Singh of the Samajwadi Party has reiterated support to the UPA after joining the bandh and flirting with the Third Front idea. This puts at rest doubts, if any, about the government’s future. The BSE Sensex jumped 403 points in excitement. For the UPA in general and the Prime Minister in particular there was no alternative left. Dr Manmohan Singh could not have ended his second term as a ditherer on reforms he had initiated as the Finance Minister in 1991. The replacement of Pranab Mukherjee with P. Chidambaram as Finance Minister has given a new thrust to the reform process. The UPA without Mamata Banerjee is much more decisive and clear about what it wants to do. On the contrary, the BJP is on a self-destructive path. It plays the politics of disruption and opposes reforms which aim to serve the national interest. What purpose can a bandh achieve other than causing a huge dislocation, financial loss and inconvenience to people? |
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Two paths and a goal Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal have split. This could be seen as an end of a dream, or, if you like, the building of two. Their two ‘teams’ have a number of members who are stalwarts in their own right and fields. All of them at one time had come together for a common cause — bringing in the Janlokpal in the hope that it would address once and for all the disease of corruption.
That, unfortunately, was not to be. What they sought was a revolution, and India is not a country known for revolutions. The ‘intellectual’ lot sniggered at them for their naiveté. But the experience — especially the failure — has made each of them introspect, and turn realistic. The outcome of this introspection, however, has been different for Anna and Kejriwal. The two have chosen their different paths, following a parting much less acrimonious than it could have been. Kejriwal has decided to go for a political challenge by launching a party; Anna is getting back to what he has always been good at, agitation. Unfortunately for both, their ways may achieve little more than keeping the issue of corruption alive in the minds of the people, though that is no mean task. It may sound cynical, but politics for a man with limited means and a clean intent of Kejriwal is difficult — though it would be a pleasure to be proved wrong. Anna’s agitation too can achieve at the most what any agitation can — keep the ‘establishment’ on its guard and keep the people angry. What is essential is these crusaders do not lose their focus — weeding out corruption. A Janlokpal Bill or removing a particular elected government is not the ultimate goal. Correcting the system that breeds corruption is. And the RTI Act was the right step in that direction. It is this one single tool that can be exploited to set a whole lot right. Kejriwal with his experience could have taken up the task of teaching the whole country how to use it with effect, with Anna providing the impetus to the movement. For now, they set out on different paths. It is hoped they meet at the destination, which is one.
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High MMR in Haryana
Once
again the state with the third highest per capita income in the country, Haryana, also celebrated for its largest number of rural crorepatis (multi-millionaires), has failed at one more social parameter. The state with one of the best rural infrastructures in the country is placed rather high on the MMR (maternal mortality rate) rating— placed 12th in the country of 35 states and UTs. The IMR (infant mortality rate) too is almost on a par with Bihar — 48 infant deaths per 1000 live births. The reasons behind such high incidents of MMR and IMR can be baffling, as the website of the National Rural Health Mission, Haryana, shows an improvement under the reproductive and child health heads on all indices, except for the fact that the fund allocation under different sub- heads remains under-utilised. It also boasts of a hotline number for calling the GPS-fitted ambulance service. Despite these glittering facts, one can observe the target numbers under different schemes floated in the name of mother and child care remain unfulfilled. There are Janani Suvidha Yojna, Vikalp, the Jachcha Bachcha scheme and several other programmes. Yet the results do not show any improvement in the health care of expectant mothers and infants. The reasons behind this failure are simple. To fill the targeted number of beneficiaries under different schemes, neither enough training nor time is spent on preparing the health worker, may it be an ANM (auxiliary nurse midwife), ASHA ( accrued services health agent) or SBA( skilled birth attendant). Their training is reduced to an exercise in meeting targets. As a result, the ground level health worker records health data of expectant mothers the same way as other targets are met, by filling in the right numbers; may it be for blood pressure or haemoglobin levels, which make expectant mothers look healthy on the paper. It is shocking how public money is wasted in the name of welfare schemes, which result in more infant and mother mortality. It’s high time health care of women was accorded the seriousness it deserved in the rural areas.
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Happiness is the absence of the striving for happiness. —Zhuangzi
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Media in the CJI's court
THE news was that the Supreme Court hadn't framed any blanket guidelines for the media coverage of court cases. Most people felt relieved. However, much to the dismay of those who believe in open justice and free speech, the court had actually done worse. It may be a personal victory for the outgoing Chief Justice of India, S.H. Kapadia, but a reverse for the rule of law. The highest judicial officer of the country, a man widely believed to be a crusader against corruption, has perhaps unknowingly, given powerful defendants a route to black out the Press from covering trials. The verdict by the Supreme Court's five-judge bench has held that courts have the power to punish for contempt and postpone publication or broadcast of developments in hearings. This means that any person accused in a civil or criminal case can file a petition to a high court or the Supreme Court to allege that his or her rights have been affected by the media coverage. The media is not interested in reporting cases where the accused are unknown and have committed what editors would term “routine crime”. Newsrooms are interested in reporting cases that involve famous or powerful people, someone who holds public office or cases in which public interest has possibly been hurt. And it is the accused in these very cases that are likely to take this fresh route created by Justice Kapadia. If this judgment had come earlier, former Telecom Minister A. Raja would have cited it and moved an appellate court asking for the media to keep out of the 2G spectrum trial. In fact, all those who wrongfully received coal blocks from the government would be hoping that investigating agencies take the matter to the courts quickly, so that the media limelight could be taken off them by asking for a postponement order. During the hearing of the case, Justice Kapadia did not appreciate that news, if postponed, would cease to be news. He failed to adhere to all the assistance rendered to the court by the finest legal brains, including Soli J. Sorabjee, Fali S. Nariman and Rajeev Dhavan, who warned that a very delicate balance would be disturbed if the court went ahead with its plan. But Justice Kapadia had some other ideas. How the court got to this point is interesting. Having observed Kapadia for nearly his entire term as Chief Justice of India, it became evident to me that the allegations that surfaced after he delivered the judgment in the landmark Vodafone tax case hurt him deeply. A petition wanting to keep Justice Kapadia out of the case made its way to the apex court. As expected, it was dismissed by another bench, but it left a scar on Justice Kapadia's mind. Justice Kapadia is known to be a voracious reader and consumer of the media. The play the petition received in the Press, particularly since it involved his son, Hoshnar, took a toll on him. Subsequently, another article alleged that since his son-in-law, Jahangir Press, worked for the Tata Group, Justice Kapadia should not hear cases involving the corporate house. He transferred all Tata Group matters to other benches. The media did not notice this at the time, but the move spoke volumes about how much his reputation meant to him. Justice Kapadia came from a modest background and, once famously said, integrity was the only asset he possessed. The manner in which the media lapped up allegations against him, perhaps, hurt Justice Kapadia. The 11-13 complaints he received from senior counsels and letters, he said, he got from under-trials, claiming the media had condemned them even before a court convicted them, was probably what made Justice Kapadia constitute the five-judge constitution bench to deal with media excesses. When courts choose to act on letters, reports or complaints, the documents are generally converted into petitions and placed on record. However, none of the letters received by Justice Kapadia from the under-trials were made part of the record. Some complaints by lawyers like Nariman, K.K. Venugopal and Harish Salve were used. The hearing itself seemed to be a waste of time since nothing new was argued or discussed before the court. The judges were asked not to upset the cardinal balance between the freedom of speech under Article 19 (1) (a), its restrictions under Article 19 (2), the right to life under Article 21, and the laws of contempt and defamation. All that the court has done is to open the floodgates to petitions seeking postponement orders along with a temporary stay on trials that are likely to be of vital interest and importance to the public. My feeling is that the judges might come to realise in time that the judgment was not necessary because the courts with contempt power have the authority to postpone news. Justice Kapadia cushioned the reasoning by saying the Press would be protected from contempt laws. None of the lawyers who argued for the media asked for this protection. Journalists were never particularly fond of the sword of contempt hanging over their heads, but this sword will hurt the people's right to know. Hopefully, a review petition — the Editors' Guild of India is contemplating one — will make its way in and the court will consider it. The court rarely reviews its decisions. But that is the simplest way. Otherwise, a nine-judge bench might need to come together to overturn this decision. And that might never happen. The episode reaffirms that the highest court of the land is indeed supreme, but it is not infallible. On this occasion, ego has got mixed with authority. In a way, Justice Kapadia retires this month with the judgment that may adversely affect the media, something which he probably did not
want.
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Armed sea piracy
A
recent meeting held at Chandigarh to rescue sailor Aman Kumar in captivity of Somalian pirates since November 2010 reminded me of my days spent on ships. During my sea career I too had heard a lot about sea piracy and hijackings, but did not expect similar happenings in my own ship. We once sailed with cargo of chrome ore from Capetown to Amsterdam in East Europe. On the way we had to stop at the port of Sierra Leone in Ivory Coast, East Africa, for two days to pick up a consignment of semi-precious stones. Normally precious uncut diamonds from there were transported abroad by air for reasons of security. We arrived at the port early in the morning and anchored in outer harbour. In the afternoon, the ship captain and myself were scheduled to meet the ship’s agents in the harbour master’s office. We were to carry seven sealed boxes of special cargo weighing about 200 kg each. This cargo was to be delivered to our ship by next evening and we were to sail for our destination on the third day early in the morning. After obtaining the necessary loading and delivery instructions we were invited for a short visit to nearby diamond mines which were mostly shallow level types. The entire area was heavily fenced, leaving enough chance for visitors to admire some of the exposed diamond rocks lying uncovered in the open fields glittering in clear night sky. We returned to our ship to make arrangements to receive the special cargo next evening. Loading was completed at the anchorage and the ship was to sail at 6 in the morning. The ship’s gangway was raised with the guard on the gangway post on duty. Then suddenly I heard a sound of loud shout from the guard which woke me up and the captain. The captain, who had a licensed pistol with him on board, rushed towards the gangway. The guard was pointing towards the forward part of the ship where a large motor boat was seen with about four armed persons trying to board the ship while two others had already broken open the hatch of cargo hold containing the seven boxes. We saw the two persons trying to lift a box from inside the hold using powerful torches in their hands. Meanwhile, three more pirates from the large motor boat also arrived. The fourth pirate was keeping his motor boat engine Our captain challenged them and tried to send distress signals ashore. The response we got was inadequate. The pirates tried to mishandle us, and the captain fired two shots. The intruders did not expect that the ship carried any fire-arm. They panicked and rushed out, boarded their motor boat and fled. It appeared that one of the pirates got injured. The use of the private pistol saved us from a big sea piracy attempt. We decided to sail for our next port. Later we came to know that the pirate group was arrested by the police when the seriously injured pirate was found being treated by a private clinic ashore. The same pirate earlier had carried out a ship hijacking at the Somalian coast.n
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CINEMA:
NEW Releases RATINGS: Film
stars and their megalomaniac tendencies in direct proportion with their larger than life egos are not exactly a trade secret. But when an insider turns the gaze inwards one does hope to see him go beyond the surface, delve deep and offer an incisive analysis of the starry ways and their mercurial behaviour. To be fair, director Madhur Bhandarkar doesn't spare anyone. His barbs fly in all directions. Sadly, for most parts, Heroine remains predictable and chews more than it can handle. Of course, it begins on a dramatic note. Shattered, somewhat bruised heroine, Mahi Arora
(Kareena Kapoor) is in the police station to file a complaint. Thereafter, what follows is neither a nail-biting suspense nor exactly a revelation. Instead, the narrative goes on to dovetail the trials and tribulations of a brittle star whose quirkiness more than anything else seems to be her nemesis. Her sea-saw battle between the urge to prove herself and yearning to find love is her undoing, more than the devious film industry per se. Sure it is 'dog eat dog world' where even
Mahi, who couldn't care less about manipulations of filmi duniya to begin with, tries every trick in the book to bring down her rivals. Manipulate kar lo ya ho jao ... Actually with these lines mouthed by image manager played by perky Divya Dutta little else needs to be conveyed. So there it goes. A lover becomes a pawn to bag a major role, a superstar scorned gets his pound of flesh, a political connection is used to settle scores, sex video is leaked to garner publicity and much more. No doubt all this and perhaps even more 'sinister' could be the ways of
Bollywood. Kareena looks fabulous and mirrors the many shades of the confused star with effortless ease. Randeep Hooda delivers as usual. Arjun Rampal as the superstar Aryan is apt. Ranvir Shorey can hardly ever go wrong and is consummate as the eccentric gifted director of realistic cinema. Bhandarkar, however, hasn't paid much attention to minor characters. His perennial favourite Mugdha Godse is there but with very little to do. As for other bit parts, well with none of the other competitors of Mahi looking even half as gorgeous as Kareena, you are left wondering why she has been overtaken by them. Sure there is justification at hand… in her neurotic temperament. Only if Bhandarkar had brought out her dilemma and conflict with greater conviction, the hype (over the film) would have found a match in substance.
Dredd-fully insensitive It is quite an unsavoury dose of Americana that goes by the name of Dredd 3D which is 95 minutes of senseless violence that masquerades as entertainment because of its futuristic flavour.
Set in the distant future after the cursed earth was destroyed and is sort of limping back. On the East Coast (of America of course) is Mega City which is a wasteland (with apologies to TS Elliot) policed by motorbike zooming cops who are far outnumbered by the violent protesters who resort to violence and arson at the slightest provocation. Taking a leaf from Louis XIV's I am the Law the cops are led by Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) who is judge, jury, executioner all rolled in one, and he has in tow a rookie Judge Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Trilby) who is under apprenticeship. Their biggest adversary is drug lady Ma-Ma (Lena Heady) who controls the underworld and Slo-Mo is a drug which slows perception to one degree of normal — enter zombieland! For rookie Cassandra it is all a grey area with everything either enhanced or clouded, unlike her mythical namesake. As for Ma-Ma she is fetchingly built with the camera often zooming on her right cheek spider-like scar. The storyline is non-existent, the violence gory and blood-curdling with all kinds of new blood-splurging weapons. Wonder if the censors were asleep, they've objected to milder stuff. The hero is always behind a shield/mask and seems to enjoy himself but if there is even an iota of acting it must have fallen to the floor of the editing. We surely can do without this senseles:s dose of violence Dread would have been more apt.
Rise of romance It's cute, refreshing and has equal doses of spark and emotion and a host of cameos to look after the attention span. That's Moonrise Kingdom, the latest in the long line of Hollywood's young lovers idyllic adventures. Particularly memorable was Little Romance where pickpocket Laurence Olivier plays guardian to the young ones, one of whom was Diane Lane who went on to become a big star. The less notable were Friends and Blue Lagoon (Brooke Shields).
But in Moonrise Kingdom the young ones are not even in their teens when they decide to elope. It all begins at scout Camp Ivanhoe when Sam Shakusy (Jarred Gillman) runs away and puts Scout Master Randy Ward (Edward Norton) is in a tizzy. In due time the scouts launch on a massive search for Sam. Flashback to a year ago when Sam meets Suzy at a church performance where she plays a bird. They become pen pals and soon Cupid's arrow finds its mark. While Sam is cool Suzy (Kara Hayward) is precocious, gawky and develops a complex due to her eccentric lawyer parents Walt (Bill Murray) and Laura (Frances McDormand) but she also has the best lines. The cameos surely help but it is the delightful duo that warms the cockles of the heart and the young lovers get ample support from the elders, after all doesn't the world love a lover? The locale is picturesque Rhode Island and ably captured by cinematographer Robert Yeoman and dotted by delightful bars of Poster-Mothersbaugh's soothing music. Edward Norton is almost anonymous as the scout master Bruce Willis, Billy Murray (after a long absence). Tilda Swinton and Harvey Keitel are more than adequate in this utterly delightful little romance. Moonrise Kingdom is an absolute delight.
movies on tv
Saturday SEPTEMBER 22 set max 8:30PM Shanghai is a 2012 Hindi political thriller directed by Dibakar Banerjee, starring Abhay Deol, Emraan Hashmi, Kalki Koechlin, Prosenjit Chatterjee, and based on the French film Z, and a novel by the same name, of Vassilis Vassilikos. It’s the story of a bustling Indian city of Bharat Nagar that has an upcoming infrastructure project backed by the ruling political party. Meanwhile, four individuals find themselves tied up in a gruesome game of crime and politics. ZEE CINEMA 7:20AM Run 2:00PM Prem Granth 6:00PM Bajirao: The Fighter 9:00PM Aar Paar - Judgement Day SET MAX 6:50AM Jamai Raja 10:20AM Vaastav: The Reality 1:40PM Ek Aur Rakshak 4:25PM Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi 8:30PM Shanghai 11:20PM Salaam Namaste STAR MOVIES 7:00AM Finding Nemo 9:00AM The Front Row with Anupama Chopra 9:30AM Baby's Day Out 11:30AM Real Steel 2:00PM Planet of the Apes 4:00PM Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest 7:00PM Rio 9:00PM Rise of the Planet of the Apes 11:30PM Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian MOVIES NOW 7:30AM Mrs. Doubtfire 10:15AM Into the Blue 12:45PM The Transporter 2:30PM Broken Arrow 4:45PM The Invasion 6:45PM Ip Man 2 9:00PM Spider-Man 3 Sunday SEPTEMBER 23 STAR Movies 11:00PM Salt is a 2010 American action thriller and spy film directed by Phillip Noyce, written by Kurt Wimmer, and stars Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Daniel Olbrychski, August Diehl and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Jolie plays Evelyn Salt who is accused of being a Russian sleeper agent and goes on the run to try to clear her name. ZEE CINEMA 7:15AM Aatma 10:05AM Desi Boyz 12:45PM Hindustani Yodha 3:30PM Big Brother 6:00PM Dhamaal 9:05PM Phir Hera Pheri STAR MOVIES 8:00AM The Social Network 10:30AM The Spy Next Door 12:30PM Rise of the Planet of the Apes 2:00PM Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian 4:30PM Speed 7:00PM Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines 9:00PM Salt 11:00PM Home Alone INDIA TALKIES 6:00AM Aur Pappu Pass Ho Gaya 9:30AM Tu Chor Main Sipahi 1:00PM Partner 4:30PM Daraar 8:00PM Anjaana Anjaani MOVIES OK 6:30AM Vijaypath 9:45AM Bhoot And Friends 12:15PM Tees Maar Khan 3:00PM Kushti 5:40PM Khatta Meetha 9:00PM Jaanbaaz Ki Jung 11:20PM Jaanbaaz Ki Jung SONY PIX 8:05AM Dance Flick 9:45AM Black Mask 2: City of Masks 11:30AM Madagascar 1:15PM Angels & Demons 3:35PM Underworld: Awakening 6:00PM Hook 9:00PM Furry Vengeance 11:05PM The Eye UTV MOVIES 8:30AM Welcome 12:00PM Housefull 6:00PM Dum - Man of Power 9:00PM Meri Saugandh
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In the first half Bhandarkar does lend an exciting edge and a frantic pace to his storyline. Post-interval, however, he can't quite keep up the tempo and the interest wanes off. In his bid to unveil many cards he brings in far too many texts. Expectedly in a Bhandarkar film, there are caustic dialogues. Yet what you don't get is a compelling whole. Unlike Page 3 and Fashion, Bhandarkar's earlier films, this one falls way short of becoming a tour de force. No doubt, it makes into watchable grade. 
The biggest asset is the sets (after all there's bound to be a silver lining even in trash). And it is shot mostly at night by cinematographer Anthony Dodd Mantle adding to the aura of gloominess.
Don't look for credibility for director, scriptwriter Wes Anderson resorts to poetic licence to provide visual delight and the story weaves around a number of characters like Capt Sharp (Bruce Willis), Social Services rep (Tilda Swinton) and the eccentric Commander Pierce (Harvey Keitel). The narrator is Bob Balaban who was in India over two decades ago for the UFO sequence in Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Shanghai
SALT