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Withdrawal of terror cases Framing law is fine |
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India needs to rethink Afghan policy
Sounds of silence
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Withdrawal of terror cases THE Allahabad High Court has asked the Uttar Pradesh government to seek the Centre's permission before dropping terror cases since the accused were booked under Central Acts. Secondly, if cases relating to terrorism and waging war against the state are to be withdrawn, a specific and special reason has to be assigned. Thirdly, the public prosecutor should make a request for the withdrawal of such cases. The directive was issued on Thursday by a three-judge Lucknow Bench on a PIL (public interest litigation) petition filed by a group of lawyers challenging the UP government order to withdraw cases against those accused in the 2007 serial blasts in Varanasi, Faizabad and Lucknow.
It is true law and order is a state subject and the court order telling the state to seek Central permission is bound to be interpreted as a violation of state autonomy. The Centre has already washed its hands off in the matter. In fact, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde created a controversy in September when he asked the chief ministers to ensure that no Muslim youth was detained unlawfully. That the Congress and the Samajwadi Party follow a policy of appeasement towards the Muslims is no secret. It is, therefore, natural for sections of society to see political motives behind the UP government's action. While contesting the 2012 assembly elections, the Samajwadi Party had promised in its manifesto that, if elected, it would withdraw "false" cases against Muslim youths. Even if its move was genuine and well-meaning, the Akhlesh Yadav government committed a blunder. It should have ordered an independent investigation of each case and followed the proper legal procedure to secure the release of those found falsely implicated, if any. Time and again the UP government has revealed its incompetence. In another case the Supreme Court on Thursday took a serious note of media reports about the death of children in relief camps where Muzaffarnagar riot victims were lodged. Even to carry out its normal duties like helping the needy the UP government has to be told by courts what to do.
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Framing law is fine AN all-new disability Bill, raising the reservation for persons with disability from 3 to 5 per cent was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Thursday. The Bill not only extends the reservation quota, but also covers 12 new categories of the disabled, including the patients of
thalassemia, sickle cell disease and muscular dystrophy. For the first time, the benefits provided can be contested in the proposed special disability courts. Violators of the law will face six to five years of prison or fine. It also provides for the establishment of a National Commission for Persons with Disability with statutory powers. A civilised society is judged by the manner in which it treats its weak. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill 2013 is a step towards making society more humane and just and to give voice to a community that has largely remained invisible. However, the absence of facilities for the disabled is so apparent across the country, yet nothing is done to facilitate a normal life for the disabled. By providing a quota in jobs, or by drafting laws, can the quality of life of the disabled be improved? Or, does it require a change of attitude? For, the implementation of the laws falls in the hands of the same people who have not been sensitised, either by education or by the law to respect and accommodate limitations of others. People alone cannot be blamed. For 54 years the government did not even deem it fit to include disability in its census data. In the 2001 census, when disability was finally included after a few NGOs demanded it, it was done without the required ground work, resulting in a claim that only 21 million disabled live in India, a fraction of the real number. As a result, all our government plans and budgets, rules and regulations, proclamations and posturing were built ignoring a large section of society that needed special
programmes. A large number of the disabled thus have remained unskilled and unemployable, in the absence of proper facilities. Now, the government intends to change it all by passing a well-intended Bill. Hope, it will monitor follow-up action.
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Thought for the Day
The finest steel has to go through the hottest fire. — Richard M. Nixon
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Serious charges against the police
Yesterday we published the closely reasoned judgment of Mr. H. Calvert, District Magistrate of Rohtak in a case in which certain railway officials of Rohtak were charged with having assaulted a constable and obstructed him in the performance of his duty. The Judgment discloses a daring and audacious conspiracy on the part of the men involved, police and others, to fabricate false charges to shield what was an irregular and over-zealous act of an unthinking subordinate. What actually took place, according to the constable's own confession to Sardar Bahadur Shamsher Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police, was that he (constable) wanted to buy tickets for certain passengers from inside the booking office, but was asked to go round to the ticket window. The Deputy Superintendent was not informed by the constable that he was beaten with a cane. But on the appearance of the head constable a case would appear to have been cleverly concocted against the railway officials, the story being that the booking clerk levied excess charges from certain passengers, that the constable remonstrated to the station master who seized him by the neck, and that the booking clerk struck him with a cane. The head constable swore that he saw marks of the cane (probably blue and red marks!) on the constable’s back. Even a medical certificate was produced. The education of Indian priests
We must invite attention of the public to another important matter referred to by Mr. H. J. Bhabha, President of the Zoroastrian Conference held in Bombay last week. He laid considerable emphasis on what may be called reform of religious practices and beliefs and the education of priests. It is a very unusual and probably ticklish subject, but Mr. Bhabha’s point was that the absence of a deeper study of religion and a comparative knowledge of world's religions, was not very favourable to a right spiritual attitude.
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India needs to rethink Afghan policy Afghan President Hamid Karzai is in New Delhi this week, holding talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a time of looming transition in Afghanistan. He will, no doubt, once again press for the stepping up of aid -- both civilian and military, including lethal and non-lethal weapons - a demand that he also made during his last visit, only to be rebuffed by New Delhi.
This visit comes at a time when the final passage of the long-term US-Afghan security pact, as part of which the US could keep up to 15,000 troops in Afghanistan after 2014, focused largely on counter-terrorism and training of Afghan forces, is in turmoil. The on-again, off-again security pact between the US and Afghanistan has been mired in differences between Washington and Karzai with both indulging in brinkmanship. Karzai, with his actions, has made it clear that he is not too eager to have a residual US presence in Afghanistan and has tended to postpone a final agreement with the US. The US meanwhile has been reaching out to other stakeholders such as Afghan Defence Minister Bismullah Khan Mohammadi, army chief Sher Mohammad Karimi and Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Ayub Salangi. Karzai has underscored that he would sign the long-term security pact with the US only if the US helps his government begin peace talks with the Taliban and agrees to release all 17 Afghan citizens being held in Guantanamo Bay. The US has retaliated by making it clear that if the agreement is not signed, the US forces would begin planning for a complete withdrawal at the end of 2014. The NATO countries have also underlined that they won't be able to leave even small forces behind in Afghanistan without guarantees from Hamid Karzai. Indian policy elites have been debating Afghanistan in a context that often appears devoid of any sense of realism. The debate about Afghanistan is not a debate between various 'schools of thought' in India. It is a matter of life and death for ordinary Afghans. They should have an important voice in how India decides to reorganise its Afghan policy in light of the impending departure of the Western forces from Afghanistan in 2014 and the resulting security vacuum that is likely to ensue. The debate on what sort of security footprint India should have in Afghanistan has been going on for years in New Delhi and there has been no urgency in coming up with a coherent response. Even when it is clear that the stakes for India in Afghanistan cannot be higher, the Indian foreign policy establishment has been content in suggesting that India's developmental role makes India an important player in Afghanistan. The truth is that all the developmental investment that India has made will come to naught once the Western forces leave Afghanistan unless India makes it unequivocally clear that it intends to strongly protect and enhance its Afghan security interests even in the absence of a Western stronghold. Over the last decade, Indian policy, despite the nation's self-image as a rising regional and global power, has been unusually dependent on the actions of other actors. Till very recently, there was a widespread belief in the Indian policy-making community that the American presence in the region would continue and this would be enough to secure Indian interests. This was a strange position to take for a nation that otherwise has had no compunction in underlining its credentials as a non-aligned nation and in bemoaning the use of military power by the US. The Indian Prime Minister has been candid in requesting the US not to leave Afghanistan as he knows full well that stepping up India's security role in Afghanistan could mean political mayhem. But even if American and Indian interests converged in Afghanistan, as they did and continue to do, there was no excuse for not articulating an Indian response to the Afghan crisis. And as the Western forces prepare to leave the region, New Delhi is once more at a loss in responding to the new strategic environment. If Indian security situation deteriorates post-2014, as most serious observers believe is very likely, New Delhi will only have itself to blame. New Delhi needs to urgently put its own house in order. Indian policy towards Afghanistan has evolved in fits and starts over the last decade. Part of it has been a function of the rapidly evolving ground realities in Afghanistan to which India has had to respond. But a large part of it has been India's own inability to articulate its vital interests in Afghanistan to its allies as well as its adversaries. There is an overarching lack of coherence in the Indian response as New Delhi seems to be perpetually on the defensive, first making Washington the sole pivot of its outreach to Kabul and then petulantly complaining about American unreliability. On the one hand, India has been signalling to the US that it views a long-term American presence in Afghanistan as integral to its regional security. On the other, it has been reaching out to the Iranians who want to see a full and complete US withdrawal from the region. Even as India has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Afghanistan, promising to enhance its role in the Afghan security sector, it has at the same time been reducing its economic footprint in Afghanistan. As a result, New Delhi has not only complicated its own future options but it has also lost allies who are having difficulty in viewing India as a credible partner in the emerging strategic realities in Afghanistan. As the Western forces prepare to leave Afghanistan in the coming year, India stands at a crossroads where it remains keen to preserve its interests in Afghanistan but has refused to step up its role as a regional security provider. New Delhi needs to recognise that there is no short-cut to major power status. Hamid Karzai’s visit to India this week is another reminder for New Delhi as to what's at stake in the unfolding great game in South Asia. India will either have to step up to the challenge or get ready to be forever marginalised in Afghanistan and beyond. This week's visit will be one of the last few opportunities for New Delhi to restore its dwindling credibility in Kabul. The writer is a Reader in International Relations, Department of Defence Studies, King's College, London
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Sounds of silence “When the English tongue we speak. Why is break not rhymed with freak?
Wherefore done, but gone and lone - Is there any reason known? To sum up all, it seems to me Sound and letters don't agree.” Lord Cromer (The Spectator 9 August 1902)
1. Sarah gave subtle hints to Ramnik to clear the overdue debt. The <b> in “subtle” and “debt” is silent, just as it is in “climb”, “comb”, “numb”, “thumb” and “plumber”. It was added to the word for the Latin connecting word debit (debitum). Quite a few words were re-spelt in the 16th century to mark their origin in Latin and Greek, among them a few had come to English via French. <n> in “damn” and <m> in “phlegm”, silent in these words, were inserted to create new connected words — “damnation” and “phlegmatic” — in which these letters are pronounced. 2. At the Wednesday Tea, Anna noticed Tom use a handkerchief instead of a tissue for the sandwich. The presence of <d> in “Wednesday”, “handkerchief” and “sandwich" is yet another instance of letters present in written English but silent in spoken English. There were practically no silent letters in Old English (mid-5th to mid-12th century) except where two consonants assimilated, as in <sc> to produce the sound /sh/ as in ship. 3. Are you sure the origin of the expression “as you sow, so shall you reap” lies in the Bible? Though spelt differently, “sow” and “so” are pronounced just the same way. The letter <w> in “sow” can be considered to maintain silence in spoken English. As a matter of fact “sew”, as in “sew a fine seam”, too belongs to this family of homophones: “sow, so sew”. English language has many homophones; words different in spelling but the same in pronunciation like “awe, oar, or”. In the pairs of words “in, inn”, “be, bee” and “to, too”, the repetition of <n>, <e> and <o> helps the reader see the meaning differences. 4. The sounds of his asthmatic cough ricocheted in the hall. Sometimes clusters of consonants, as is the case of <th> in “asthmatic”, are silenced to simplify the spoken form of the word. The letter <t> in “ricocheted” too is silent just as it is in “ballet”, “gourmet” and “rapport”. In the 16th and 17th centuries, some writers spelt English words to make them look more Greek and Latin. "Asthma", "diarrhoea" and "phlegm" are some such examples. The sentence above reflects the kind of density of silent letters one can see in English texts: <lo> in “colonel”, <u> in “guard”, <h> in “ghost” and “khaki”, and <w> in “answer” and “sword”. While some call these silent letters little ghosts living in English words, others consider them to be a waste of space. (Pronunciation based on: Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-Sixth Edition) Director, Regional Institute of English, Chandigarh
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Top khan
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has been named the most powerful celebrity of 2013 by Forbes India for the second time in a row. The 48-year-old actor has conquered the Top 100 celebrity list.
It is all over
Soha Ali Khan has spilled the beans about her live-in relationship with her boyfriend Kunal Khemu, asserting that he is very much a part of her personal space and she likes coming back home to him.
Dream come true
Shaking a leg with megastar Amitabh Bachchan once is not enough for actress Madhuri Dixit. She hopes to act with him someday and is keeping her fingers crossed.
CINEMA: NEW Releases Ratings: ***** Excellent **** very good ***good
** Average * poor
Lame and lukewarm Who
among us wouldn’t like to hit a jackpot…. only these bunch of men and a woman pull off a master plan to do so. Con artistes and con games they play to outsmart each other in the pursuit of megabucks is what makes the basic plot of the film set in the picturesque Goa. So here is the owner of a Casino Naseeruddin Shah as Boss, his manager Maya (Sunny Leone), her boyfriend Francis (Sachiin Joshi) and a bunch of his cronies…. All of whom are out to make quick money. As the movie begins, the viewers are taken into a maze to find out who has stolen the jackpot prize money of Rs 5 crore from the casino owned by Naseer. The ace up the Jackpot’s sleeve is that it is fast paced and before you know the film races towards interval. However, in this tale of ‘who is trying to con whom’ there are many jhols (gaps) and the final sag in the end. As the narrative continues to move back and forth it often leaves you confused. The story track isn’t easy to follow…. the play on certain words emblazoned across the screen as if these are some game changing cues… really don’t add up to anything. Sure we are game for intelligent cinema. But to be honest nor does it qualify for that either. By all means this is no brain teaser. In parts the film generates interest…. keeps it going too before it races to a quick finish. All very well only it leaves you with a feeling of dissatisfaction almost as if you have been conned not getting the full worth of the movie ticket as also of the intriguing game it is meant to unfold. More befuddling than chilling and thrilling… its major plus is its short length almost getting over before it begins and some sizzling shots of Sunny Leone who delivers in the department she is most comfortable in. In case you are wondering about talented actor Naseer and his wacky hairstyle which he himself qualifies baal hain rassi nahin….despite the weirdo role he doesn’t go over the top. Nor does the film but that’s the sad part as it turns out to be more than a tad insipid.
Film Jackpot Director Kaizad Gustad Cast Sunny Leone, Sachiin Joshi, Naseeruddin Shah, Makarand Deshpande Rating
**
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A treat for music lovers... The time is the early 1960s, the place Greenwich Village, a seedy quarter of New York known for its dropouts and weirdoes. It was a time Paul Mazursky made Next Stop, Greenwich Village but that film, partially autobiographical, captured the plight of an aspiring actor in the company of misfits. "You can hang me, oh hang me, before I'm dead and gone," is the refrain from this folk singer which typifies the mood and psyche of this crazed generation searching for its identity. The film captures a week in the life of Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac), guitar in hand against the wintry New York skyline, just one of them. He had to surmount great obstacles, some of his own making. Jean (Carey Mulligan) and Jim Berky (Justin Timberlake) are a couple whose lives touch Llewyn and as does Roland Turner (John Goodman) but only briefly. His only attachment is his cat Ulysses who keeps vanishing and reappearing. The Cohen brothers say they introduced it because of the absence of a plot. But there isn't a need for a plot in an entertainer choc-o-bloc with songs of those distant days that warm the cockles of old hearts and win over new admirers. The cast performed the music live which mostly consists of covers of old folk songs in their entirety. Dave van Ronk's music is the starting point. Oscar Isaac virtually lives the part of Llewyn and he is ably supported by Carey Mulligan and Justin Timberlake with the burly John Goodman notching yet another good cameo in this delightful soul-searching music drama. A must for music aficionados, especially folk music lovers. Film Inside Llewyn Davis Director Joel & Ethan Cohen Cast Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan Justin Timberlake & John Goodman Rating
***
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Pleasant, but imperfect Bollywood filmmakers love to reminisce about their misspent youth on the big screen, but unfortunately for the audience it does not translate into any form of entertainment. Tapping into feel-good experiences can only be beneficial if the writing is sharp and witty enough to translate into a full-fledged comedy. They mess about in mausi's pristine apartment under the pretext of caretaking it while she is away on a month-long holiday to her son and his firang wife in the US. Mausi's most-prized possessions are her pet fish, Mishti, a carefully tended money plant, inviolate bed and personal toilet (which she doesn't allow anyone else to use). The situation is ripe for some laughs, but the script is devoid of humour; instead you get exasperated by the shenanigans of the many quirky characters. The use of Haryanvi only makes it more painful to decipher. The promising premise is frittered away in undignified expressions. Toilet humor adds more misery to the narrative. The lack of light-hearted moments makes it that much more disengaging. The music and performances are also not up to comedy standards. Thankfully, there are no loud moments to drag you down so the overall effect is just about pleasant. Film What The Fish? Director Gurmmeet Singh Cast Dimple Kapadia, Manu Rishi Chadha, Anand Tiwari, Geetika Tyagi Rating
**
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Deceptively wild THE Hobbit: The Desolation of the Smaug is the second part of the trilogy which began with The Unexpected Journey and will end with There and Back Again. But director Peter Jackson shot all three together and then did the division. If this second part is 161 minutes long, one can imagine the length of all three together. Hobbit Bilbo Baggens (Martin Freeman) travels with wizard Gandolf (Ian McKellen) and the 13 dwarves led by Thonn (Richard Armitage) into the kingdom of Ecdar taking them through Mirkwood, Esgaroth and Dale to combat the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch). In Mirkwood they are attacked by giant spiders and then captured by wood elves. Bilbo is not among them and therefore helps them to escape where they meet the Lord of Dale who provides them with a boat and provisions to journey on to meet their nemesis Smaug. These locales and the charming creatures are the strength of the film but Jackson spends far too much footage on the action. There is no need for excessive FX because the quaint netherland is enough for children below 12, who are not accustomed to seeing nature in its pristine beauty. Jabu Olssen could have been more severe with his scissors, especially with the unduly drawn out middle during which the attention span is put to test. It is a comedown after the clever establishing shots. As for the acting it is more or less average with Ian McKellen and Benedict Cimberbatch a cut above the others in a film which promises only to deceive. Film The Hobbit: The Desolation of the Smaug Director Peter Jackson Cast Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman Richard Armitage & Benedict Cumberbatch Rating
***
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11:40pm MOVIES now Ocean's Thirteen is a crime comedy heist film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring an ensemble cast. It is the third and final film in the Soderbergh series (Ocean's Trilogy) following the 2004 sequel Ocean's Twelve and the 2001 film Ocean's Eleven, which itself was a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film Ocean's 11. MOVIES NOW 9:50AM Edge of Darkness 12:10PM X2: X-Men United 6:35PM Ocean's Eleven 9:00PM Ocean's Twelve 11:40PM Ocean's Thirteen ZEE CINEMA 8:28AM Main Tera Dushman 11:18AM Kuch Tum Kaho Kuch Hum Kahein 5:54PM No Problem 9:00PM Abcd: Any Body Can Dance MOVIES OK 8:55AM Kaal 11:35AM The Great Veera 2:15PM Dhadkan 5:05PM Tango Charlie 8:00PM Ready 11:00PM The Return of Sikandar ZEE CLASSIC 8:59AM Awara 12:32PM Satyam Shivam Sundaram 7:00PM Dharam Veer 9:54PM Trishul ZEE STUDIO 8:00AM Cinderella Man 10:55AM American Pie 2 6:35PM Mars Needs Moms 8:15PM Out Cold 10:30PM Drag Me to Hell STAR GOLD 10:55AM Jo Jeeta Wohi Baazigar 5:00PM Anari No.1 8:00PM The Fighterman Saleem FILMY 11:30AM Infomercial 12:00PM Main Aisa Hi Hoon 6:00PM Awaargi 9:00PM Ragini MMS ZEE ACTION 10:30AM Rakshak: The Protector 1:30PM Ek Dulaara 5:30PM Suraj 8:30PM Bhai: The Lion 8:00pm zee cinema Hum Aapke Hain Koun.. is a musical romantic comedy family drama film directed by Sooraj R. Barjatya, and produced by Rajshri Productions. It is a remake of Rajshri's 1982 film Nadiya Ke Paar. The film tells the story of two Indian families and the relationships between them, celebrating Indian culture using modern production values. ZEE CINEMA 10:50AM Journey Bombay to Goa 1:50PM Toofan 5:10PM Dhamaal 8:00PM Hum Aapke Hain Kaun...! MOVIES OK 9:15AM Main Krishna Hoon 11:55AM Dabangg 4:45PM Avtaar 8:00PM Dangerous Khiladi 10:40PM Maut Ki Zanjeer ZEE STUDIO 10:45AM Mars Needs Moms 12:30PM TV Products 8:20PM The Frighteners 10:30PM The Last House on the Left ZEE ACTION 7:00AM Bhai: The Lion 10:30AM Pehchaan 8:30PM Tada FILMY 11:30AM Infomercial 12:00PM Sandwich 6:00PM Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam 9:00PM Indra: The Tiger STAR GOLD 9:25AM Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! 12:00PM Golmaal 3 8:00PM Sher Dil 10:20PM Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi STAR MOVIES 11:31AM Up! 1:26PM Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines 3:36PM Terminator 2: Judgment Day 6:23PM You Pick the Flick 9:00PM Titanic |
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In the recent past, con games have become Bollywood’s cup of tea too. Often these are a rip off of some Hollywood flicks or at best are heavily inspired by the same. Jackpot has been suitably spiced up with a desi tadka and there is no direct influence that you can accuse it of except perhaps that like the famous Ocean Eleven this one too is set in a Casino.
Inside Llewyn Davis is about a struggling musician whose favourite haunt was the Gaslight Café and its by-lanes where all they wanted was to make music even if they didn't have a roof over their head.
Gurmmeet (Warning) Singh's second film is a lackadaisical comedy without much entertainment value. Yes, it has seemingly interesting characters but none of them fulfill the promise. So all you get is a wayward, half-baked tale of a cranky, eccentric, cantankerous Sudha Mishra aka Mausi (Dimple Kapadia) and her brush with youthful misdemeanors; courtesy her niece, the niece's boyfriend Sumeet (Sumit Suri) and his friends. 
Saturday DECEMBER 14
Sunday December 15