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Price rise slows
People are the quarry |
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Child abuse
Tibetans' problems
‘Dance of democracy’
CINEMA:
NEW Releases LOVE LOST: Randeep Hooda & Sara Loren
What a joke!
Neither dark, nor bright Jessica Chastain
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Price rise slows
In
an otherwise gloomy economic scenario, a lower-than-expected inflation rate of 6.62 per cent has brought some much-needed relief. The wholesale price index-based inflation has edged to the lowest rate in three years. This has raised hopes of a rate cut by the RBI to stimulate growth, which at 5 per cent is expected to be the lowest in a decade this financial year. Significantly, RBI Governor D. Subbarao stated on Monday that while the corporate voice was heard loud and clear, the concerns of the poor should not be ignored. He was obviously referring to the corporate and government lobbying for rate cuts when the food inflation rate, which hits the poor the maximum, was still at an acceptable level of 11.9 per cent in January. More than the RBI, high food inflation should worry the ruling parties, especially the Congress at the Centre, since important assembly elections are to be held later this year apart from a general election next year. Food inflation cannot be brought down by keeping interest rates high. It is for the government to improve supplies of essential commodities by paying adequate attention to agriculture, post-harvest handling of farm produce and scientific storage in addition to hoarding and distribution glitches. However, the RBI should remember that a faster growth leaves higher revenue with the government, enabling it to increase its spending on pro-poor welfare schemes. An RBI boost through rate cuts will help industry bounce back and create more jobs. Happily, this is for the fourth consecutive month that inflation has inched lower. Fuel inflation has declined to 7.1 per cent from 9.4 per cent in December 2012. In September, a steep rise in the diesel prices had pushed up inflation, which has started coming down despite the government oil marketing companies resorting to small, staggered oil price hikes. This augurs well for the government’s efforts to cut its fuel subsidy. However, the BSE Sensex has not responded positively to the good news on inflation, perhaps due to the slowing GDP growth, poor corporate earnings and unethical corporate management practices.
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People are the quarry
The
Punjab Government has received auction bids worth Rs 44 crore for 22 sand quarries. This has happened after some of the sites were re-auctioned, as the first time around the auction had been sabotaged by farcical bids. What has happened in the second bidding is a completion of the farce as by now the likely bidders had colluded to form a kind of syndicate, thereby ensuring that there was hardly any competitive bidding. The result is that the amount the government is going to receive for the sand will be a small fraction of what the miners are going to extract out of the public, as there is no cap on the rates at which they can sell. And the ‘syndication’ of the auction has ensured that they will be operating in a monopoly. For the sake of form, the government has said it will ‘monitor’ the prices. The fact is that’s all it can do, as there is no provision to keep the prices under check. It was supposed to have been an open auction, without any sale price specified, so a rate cap cannot be imposed retrospectively. It must be noted that these 22 mines are going to supply all of Punjab, Chandigarh and parts of Haryana, as there is currently no other quarry licensed to operate — the rest (nearly 500 in Punjab) are awaiting environmental clearance, which may not come for a long time. There is a total ban in Haryana. It is thus a killing that the few privileged miners are set to make. Unlike coal mines, there is no development cost incurred in sand excavation — just dig and sell. Sand is a natural resource that is becoming increasingly precious in a state like Punjab which has little wasteland, but construction activity going on at a crazy pace. No individual can be allowed to make unreasonable profit just because one is able to manipulate a licensing system. The government has to be held responsible for not being able to ensure either competitive bidding, or a control of the sale price. The acquiescence gives rise to an obvious curiosity — who might these successful bidders be?
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Child abuse
The
startling revelation made by sitarist Anoushka Shankar, daughter of sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, that she was sexually abused as a child once again underlines the insidiousness of an ugly reality often brushed under the carpet. Supporting a global campaign, “One Billion Rising”, Anoushka’s courage to speak out is commendable. Not all are able to break the conspiracy of silence that keeps similar cases under wraps. Even though cases of child abuse are rampant in all classes of society, the fear of a social stigma deters most victims from reporting such incidents. Studies have reiterated that, more often than not, the abuser is known to the victim and is in a position of trust or authority. Besides this, invariably the very institutions which are supposed to protect children turn abusers. Horrific incidents of child abuse at child care institutions have often come to light. What is worse is the trauma the sexually abused have to undergo not only at the hands of the investigation authorities but also during the medical examination. More recently in the UK, violinist Frances Andrade killed herself after testifying against the man who abused her when she was a teenager, as she felt traumatised during the court proceedings. Cases like these show that child victimisation is an ugly really at the world level. Yet India, considered the most unsafe place in the world for children, can hardly draw any comfort from this situation. The Human Rights Watch, which came up with its report “Breaking the Silence: Child Sexual Abuse in India”, has rightly demanded adequate government mechanisms to protect children. However, the role of parents too needs to be reinforced. Parents must not only educate their children on abuse-related issues but also look out for signs of abuse. Instead of turning a blind eye to incidents of abuse, parents and society must recognise the seriousness and extent of the problem. India should not only rise against sexual violence but also realise that seemingly mild variants of sexual abuse like groping and touching are equally abominable and condemnable as serious offences like rape.
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To jealousy, nothing is more frightful than laughter. —Francoise Sagan
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Tibetans' problems WHENEVER I see the Dalai Lama either in person or in picture, I feel that here is a man who presides over a receding culture of thousands of years and realises that it has a problematic future. Tibet is the home of this culture, a country which is under China that knows only one culture, that of communism which obliterates everything else. The new home of Tibetan culture is straddling Dharamshala, a hilly territory in India. However the Dalai Lama may try, the Tibetan culture he represents in the wilderness is wilting because the uprooted plant from Tibet is not flourishing in a new environment. The Tibetans, the Buddhists, are resisting Beijing's might even after 50 years of suppression through satyagraha, familiar to India which adopted the same method to oust the British masters. But China is different. It has unleashed terror to suppress the out-of-step Tibetans. And some of them have adopted the way of burn- themselves-alive to attract attention to their plight. Already uncomfortable, international society feels horrified over self-immolations of 99 people, including 15 women. But China has only increased its repression and has detained hundreds of potential self-immolators. A few have been taken to law courts and sentenced to imprisonment so that the world is bamboozled by a semblance of order. The Dalai Lama is against self-immolation. But he resides in India which accords him respect but not unrestricted freedom because of China's ever-needling protests. It was 1959 when the Dalai Lama, who along with hundreds of Tibetans, escaped the tyranny of China and took refuge in India. The locals do not like the burgeoning Tibetan habitation. But they know that the Buddhists are akin to the Hindus in religious faith and traditions. Therefore, the Tibetan culture conquers tension because the renunciation which the Dalai Lama preaches is what a Hindu ultimately aspires. The Dalai Lama often talks about the future and realises that the Tibetans have to return home eventually. As a compromise, he has offered China a status for Tibet within the country. But Beijing has rejected the proposition recently after long talks. China's communism represents a regimented society which has no place for an autonomous culture that is religious in content. There was a time when the Tibetans rose in revolt. The Khampas among them took to arms. But the Chinese forces crushed them mercilessly with superior arms and numbers. Atrocities committed were untold. Yet the Tibetans never gave up. Even today, the Chinese army, posted extensively, feels insecure and harassed at the hands of Khampas and other Tibetans. Beijing blames New Delhi, which bends backwards to assure China that it is not India's doing. After giving refuge to the Dalai Lama and his monk followers, India has sealed the border. It has washed its hands off Tibet which the British left under its tutelage when they quit India in August 1947. To be on the right side of China, India transferred Tibet's suzerainty to Beijing. Whether New Delhi regrets it or not, suzerainty is not sovereignty. Suzerainty is handing over political control, not extinguishing all rights as New Delhi has done. It is over-lordship which is many pegs lower than sovereignty. Yet India, overawed by China, has not even questioned it about the plight of Tibetans. Nor is it blunt in queries when China is using Tibet to "control" the Bramhaputra rising from Tibet. The Tibetan plateau and its environs constitute roughly one-quarter of the Chinese landmass, in addition to being the source of fresh water for much of China, India and Bangladesh. Tibet is the land-bound hinge on which the tense geopolitical relationship between China and India rests. Tibet is also unique because the struggle of its people against Chinese domination centres on a charismatic global personality, the Dalai Lama. But what about Tibet after him? In fact, New Delhi has drawn a Lakshman Reka around the Dalai Lama who has to inform it before leaving Indian shores. Many a time he has been told that he should not have made certain remarks he had made. The reference to China regarding Tibet is a taboo. And he has been asked to confine himself to the field of culture and religion. What does the future hold for the Tibetan culture or, for that matter, the Tibetans themselves? This question is never answered by India which feels relieved to see them confined to Dharamshala and the places around it. However, the Dalai Lama has expressed his agony over the future of "his people". He has no solution, nor has he much hope. If prayers could help he has prostrated before the Almighty many a time to suggest him a wayout. The world sees the injustice, but does not speak out lest the mighty power that China has become should be annoyed. And thousands of years old culture gasps for breath. It knows it will live, not at any particular place but in the hearts of the Tibetans who are dwindling in
numbers.
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‘Dance of democracy’ The lion king gazed deep into the forest, his thoughts in a turmoil, as he waited for his adviser — the fox. As she entered, he motioned her to his side and said, “I want to run the forest democratically”. Stunned, the fox asked the lion, “When did you get your blood pressure checked last, seems you are hallucinating”. “No, I am not hallucinating”, said the king. The fox tried to wean away the king from his thoughts by pointing to extreme difficulties if the system was to be changed. She reasoned that the thought was utopian unless all laws and institutions were in place and, more importantly, the people sensitised and told of their duties and discipline before giving them freedom of thought, action and expression. And “You will also have to acquire the thick skin of a crocodile, his patience, deception and guile, and carry his smirk too if you are to survive in a democracy.” “But I love my skin and mane”, replied the king. “If you have an irresponsible democracy you will have pock marks of allegations on your skin and your mane ? Well, it looks good only on a head which rests on a body.” “We can set up a commission of eminent animals to look into all these aspects, said the king. “There ! You have just introduced the bureaucracy and red-tapism in the forest,” thought the fox, but was delighted at an opportunity to delay the final decision on this pretext. “Oh yes, we can set up a commission and keep its report in elegant ant hills that we have for archives with termites as the caretakers, till the time we implement it”, quipped the fox enthusiastically; but, noticing the king's firm expression, got up resignedly and said, “I'll prepare the decree for proclamation.” The king summoned all the animals and much like the Barons who read out the Magna Carta, roared out the proclamation. “From today the forest is for the animals, of the animals and by the animals. You have the freedom of speech, expression and action. You have animal rights. So, set ye forth and awaken to a new dawn while I continue as the elected head of the forest, if you permit”. “Yes, they all cried out and the forest erupted in jubilation.” With the passage of time, the animals became indisciplined, brash and brazen in their behaviour and gradually each bayed for the others' blood. It was common for animals in the streets to “point fingers” at the other and say, “Off with his head”. Soon this refrain reached a crescendo and animals started asking for the royal head also. To unsettle the king, the bees got busy with their “sting” operations while “angry birds” stepped up their smear campaign, flying and aiming their droppings at the king to sully his coat. Simians snooped around the private quarters of the king, giving out imaginative details of his amorous life, debauchery and corruption and swore that they saw skeletons of the antelopes in his cupboard, much more than his entitlement. From panthers to hogs, all wanted the royal den, and in this anarchy the king and the fox slunk away into another forest. There in exile, while the king brooded, the fox reminisced aloud, “Democracy is more about institutionalising the system which has probity and accountability. Liberties, without corresponding duties and discipline, can only lead to anarchy. Freedom is meaningful if the system responds to the needs of society, otherwise it is like an unbridled horse on the rampage, and then the 'dance of democracy' becomes akin to Lord Shiva's dance of
destruction.
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CINEMA:
NEW Releases Well, in the first part with some edge of the seat moments it does hold your attention and before you know the fast pace takes you easily enough to intermission. The way it freezes at the interval point you expect more chills and thrills. But post interval the moment the cat is out of the bag, it does flag if not nosedive completely. Taking off from the Spanish thriller The Hidden Face (La Cara Oculta), the narrative's premise might seem a bit twisted, even bizarre and mind you we are not talking ghosts here. A thriller of sorts, the tale of a photographer (Randeep Hooda) and his inseparable beautiful beloved (Aditi Rao Hydari) who goes missing provides much of the suspense in the first half. Interspersed in between are some lovemaking scenes, aesthetically shot but not the kind that ignite the screen with smouldering intensity for which Murder prequels and Randeep Hooda the hero of the film is known for. Indeed, as Aditi Rao Hydari said before the release of the film, "It's not only about sex." Granted, but it isn't about anything profound either. Set in modern day world and its ever changing ethos where cupid strikes more than once, anywhere and everywhere, and takes you straight to the bed, perhaps the only moral of the film is—don't you dare test your love. To be fair, Bhatts have always refrained from creating sugary syrupy characters that would kill you with their goodness. So, grey is the shade that defines all the three lead characters. But on the flip side none of them flesh out strongly enough to make you fall in love with them. Randeep is getting stymied in atypical yet formulaic slot and doesn't offer anything that you haven't seen before. Aditi, who has shown promise, looks pretty and is convincing too and Sara as the third angle of the triangle is without a doubt beautiful. As for the debutant director Vishesh Bhatt …well as the credits roll in the start of the film, it takes a while before the name of the young director unfurls that too in blood red colour. Actually the film could have been directed by any member of the Bhatt clan and the flavour would have remained the same. Gloss and glitz sans real substance and even the open ended climax doesn't elevate it beyond mediocre and passable fare. Watch it to know how emotions can remain at the surface level yet can lead to 'murder' of love.
What a joke! Someone is stuck in a 'bhai' era here. It is definitely Vivek Oberoi. We understand, he was once a Bhai (Shoot Out at Wadala), but as we said it was once upon a time. Directed by Vinnil Markan, Jayantabhai Ki Luv Story (JKLS) does one good thing. It keeps you on your heels, making you find 'luv' in the 'luv' story. So, the storyline is fairly simple; did you expect Vivek Oberoi to do a Shawshank Redemption? He does what he can be tolerated in, being a bhai. JKLS gives him that platform - definitely not to act, but to play a bhai. But why blame Vivek Oberoi for anything. Love, Paissa, Dilli nothing together or even individually work for him! Ask the director, Vinnil, it is difficult to tolerate Vivek and on top of that, he makes him fall in 'luv'. And on top of that you give tapori dialogues…Joking Re! We agree completely. And guess who else is a part of this one big joke - Neha Sharma, the lead actress of the film. She comes, stays, sings, cries, reveals a bit and vanishes. Act? Are you asking did she act? Now, don't take the joke too far. So, in JKLS everything goes around this bhai Jayanta Bhai. He (Vivek Oberoi) tries hard, really hard to introduce humour. But the only one laughing are those who chose some other movie over Jayantanbhai or decided to conveniently ignore it! The director probably met some soothsayer while making of the movie and introduced something timely music. Dil Na Jane Kyun by good-looking Atif Aslam is the high point of the movie. This could be a discovery, Atif Aslam! Music by Sachin Jigar is a good try to lift the sinking ship. Rest of the movie has characters; you have seen off and on in various don movies. In fact, you have seen everything before, Vivek as bhai. A bhai you can walk away from saying - Joking Re!
Neither dark, nor bright Zero Dark Thirty begins with terrified voices of people about to die in 9/11 and ends by giving us the catharsis of violent revenge. In a style that is reminiscent of documentaries, the film sets out to follow the career of CIA operative Maya who is on the lookout for Bin Laden. The only other idea is to glorify female determination and persistence in a world dominated by men. Jessica Chastain tries her best to score and do what she can with a poorly written role. Although the supporting cast comprising Jennifer Ehle, Jason Clarke, James Gandolfini, Chris Pratt and Harold Perrineau have done a good job, what is not pardonable about the film is its lack of cohesion. Zero Dark Thirty works as a crime procedural, but what mars the film is its irresponsible, destructive, dishonest stance on torture. Kathryn Bigelow is not able to measure up to what she had done in her last film The Hurt Locker. It is a film which may not keep you rivetted to it but those who dig pure cinema may find it palatable.
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Beautiful bodies, beautiful locales and no soul…. In more recent times Bhatt films have specialised in their brand formula genre that relies on sensuous appeal, hummable songs and spooky quotient. Murder 3, the third part in the Murder trilogy, is no different and creates a cocktail out of the known ingredients. The moot point—is the concoction heady enough?
Joking Re…here is one actor who makes the job of the audiences and film critics absolutely easy! All you need to do is walk in (if you have a bad day) and walk out of the movie hall pretty much the same. No matter what Vivek Oberoi does, no matter how much effort he makes to showcase his bhaigiri, you can simply overrule the case in two words - Joking Re! By the way, this is Vivek Oberoi's dialogue in his latest venture Jayantabhai Ki Luv Story. No, not again!
Jyothi Venkatesh
Beautiful bodies, beautiful locales and no soul…. In more recent times Bhatt films have specialised in their brand formula genre that relies on sensuous appeal, hummable songs and spooky quotient. Murder 3, the third part in the Murder trilogy, is no different and creates a cocktail out of the known ingredients. The moot point—is the concoction heady enough?
Joking Re…here is one actor who makes the job of the audiences and film critics absolutely easy! All you need to do is walk in (if you have a bad day) and walk out of the movie hall pretty much the same. No matter what Vivek Oberoi does, no matter how much effort he makes to showcase his bhaigiri, you can simply overrule the case in two words - Joking Re! By the way, this is Vivek Oberoi's dialogue in his latest venture Jayantabhai Ki Luv Story. No, not again! 
The plot is basically about people behind an office who try to piece together clues of Osama Bin Laden's whereabouts. Director Kathryn Bigelow and screenplay writer Mark Boal have done a lot of half-baked research based on information from within the CIA itself, so much so that there are Pakistanis who speak Arabic. 
