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Why target the umpire? Breathing in ill health |
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An incomplete tale
Evolving as skilled users of connectives
On a roll...
Sublime satire
A boring game
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Why target the umpire? It
is usually a losing team that picks quarrels with the
umpire. Since the BJP projects itself as the winner, why is it accusing the Election Commission of bias without reasonable proof? If the aim was to fire the fatigued BJP workers with fresh enthusiasm to prepare for a new battle - this time against the EC - it was a bad political strategy which threatened the peace in the holy town. What is its grievance this time? The party has been denied a particular ground for a rally in Varanasi. The venue, Benia Bagh, is a congested, predominantly Muslim area which has a history of violent communal clashes and it saw riots in 1991. The ground can accommodate some 30,000 people, whereas a BJP rally could draw up to one lakh supporters. Citing police and intelligence reports about threats to the peace and given the militant mood of workers of the BJP and its allies in the Parivar, the DM disallowed the rally and the EC has justified the decision. An offended BJP has launched an offensive as if its entire electoral future depends on one particular rally and the denial of permission can derail its victory chances. Modi's angry outburst may have something to do with the FIRs against him. But he forgets that the same District Magistrate had allowed a 5-km roadshow on the day he filed his nomination papers and the EC overlooked its live telecast when polling was on. Yet the BJP PM hopeful has dared the EC to arrest him. To prove that he too can mount ferocious attacks and pick up issues no matter how trivial, Arun Jaitley has said: “Men in constitutional offices need to be bolder. Timid men can dwarf high offices”. Holding a press conference in the middle of the elections, a stung Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath tried to assert his authority by saying that the EC was not afraid of anybody. The BJP badly needs some level-headed grown-ups who can tell the leadership when to hold its horses and how
to pick battles.
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Breathing in ill health Not
that anyone living in Delhi or even visiting the National Capital needed one, but there is yet another reminder that its air is the worst in the world. This time it is a WHO report saying the amount of extremely fine particles suspended in the air in Delhi is the highest in the world. Though India has disputed the data, even by its own claims it only matches Beijing. Earlier, Yale University (US) and World Bank reports had found the Delhi air most foul. Fine-particle pollution particularly causes serious diseases as these penetrate deep into the body. But the more scary fact is that 13 of the worst 20 cities in the world are in India, three —
Amritsar, Ludhiana, Khanna — in Punjab. That means it is not geographical or city-specific causes, but a wider apathy towards the issue of environment. All forms of pollution hit human and animal health ultimately, but air and water pollutions cause the most immediate damage. Vehicular emissions are the biggest culprit in air pollution, but there are other causes too that escape attention, such as industry, construction sites, open cooking fires and farm operations like threshing. India continues to lag in implementing vehicle emission norms on a par with world standards, and there is also no policy move to check the growth of vehicle numbers. What is good for the economy is not always good for mankind in the long run. That has to be kept in mind when formulating policies of the auto and energy industries. Unfortunately, a positive aspect of green living is often ignored — most energy-saving technologies in the long run save more than they cost, besides being cleaner. All of us suffer the ill effects of pollution, yet rarely has pollution become a political issue, except when some industry pours muck next to our house. Election manifestos of all parties this year paid lip service to the cause. A fundamental explanation of this apathy is lack of awareness of the health costs and that it can be changed if we decide to.
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Thought for the Day
The less you talk, the more you're listened to. — Pauline Phillips
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THE latest official report from Simla sounds a distinct note of warning as regards the effect of four hundred Hindus forcibly landing at Vancouver. It says that the order in Council of the Government of Canada prohibiting until after 31st March 1914 the landing at certain ports of entry in British Columbia of artisans and labourers has been extended until the end of September next. But the "China Press" of Shanghai, dated the 12th April, of which we have received a marked copy, asserts that the crew of 400 Hindus (who are all Sikhs) are making a test voyage under the leadership of Gurdit Singh whom the Shanghai paper describes as "the grey whiskered kindly-eyed patriarch who is leading his people to what he hopes to be the open door of opportunity in Canada." That shows the courage and patriotism of the 400 Sikhs who in spite of the official warning, have risked the trouble, not to say expenditure, of a test voyage in a chartered steamer. How land laws hamper educational progress
WITH reference to the discussion that was carried on in these columns in 1911 on the question of the Punjab Land Alienation Act, it was pointed out to us by the Financial Commissioner that provision had just then been made in order that the land laws might not hamper the industries. A circular from the Land Revenue Administration Manual was also quoted as giving authority to Deputy Commissioners for sanctioning sale of agricultural land to non-members of agricultural tribe for industrial enterprise. Section 8 (2) of the Pre-emption Act has been amplified to allow a notification exempting certain specified land sold from the operation of pre-emption law. But unfortunately, land laws have still been hampering educational advancement.
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An incomplete tale However, valuable as this contribution to India’s political literature is, Baru leaves some troubling ethical and moral questions unanswered. Was it right to launch a book of this kind in the middle of a fierce and contentious election campaign merely to seek bumper sales? Second, should not a person privy to many secrets - classified as such or not — pen his thoughts without giving his principal employer some political and personal space. In other words, shouldn’t a kiss-and-tell account wait for a year or two before
publication? Baru is not alone in disregarding these questions in the country’s new political culture. He has many colleagues in power joining a political party almost immediately after retirement. And we have the egregious case of a former Home Secretary spilling the beans to ingratiate himself in the good books of the political party he chose to join. And
Baru, as a former editor and savvy media man, knew that the timing of his book would provide live ammunition to the Prime Minister’s political opponents in the election campaign. And the Bharatiya Janata Party and its chief candidate made full use of the ammunition to take aim at the Congress. Returning to the merits of the book, Baru has written a taut and fluent account of his time in the Prime Minister’s Office. Perhaps the “I” element in the account is unavoidable, given that it is largely a personal narrative, although it will be for historians to judge whether his contribution to the shaping of policy was as significant as is made out to be. As a good journalist, he has been able to illuminate many fascinating aspects of policy-making at the highest level. Any reader with even a nodding acquaintance of the working of the
UPA, now near the end of its second term, knows the constraints under which Mr Manmohan Singh has been functioning. Sonia Gandhi was instrumental in returning the Congress party to victory in 2004. That she decided to stand down because of her Italian birth was a political decision as was the selection of Prime Minister because of the very nature of his understated personality and lack of political ambitions. Five years later, with the Congress improving its position, Manmohan Singh returned to office because the reluctant scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty was not quite ready for the crown. And the Prime Minister soldiered on as he met with greater impediments in enforcing his own
will. Baru raises the interesting point of the Prime Minister's moral ambiguity. Is it sufficient for a person to be personally incorruptible but to resign himself to the levels of corruption that prevails in the system? Perhaps the answer lies in the nature of the man. After all, he was catapulted to power by circumstances, as the title of the book indicates. Essentially, he was a bureaucrat and his success as Finance Minister in Narasimha Rao's Cabinet for opening up the economy was partly due to the latter fielding the political brickbats with aplomb. Yet Mr Manmohan Singh has demonstrated that when he felt strongly enough on an issue, he could dig his heels in, as he did over the nuclear deal with the United States, one of his main legacies. By the same token, he did not feel strongly enough on a lot of other issues and was guided by Sonia Gandhi's preferences and predilections. Nor did he feel strongly enough about the government’s announced policies publicly repudiated by Rahul Gandhi. One of the most blatant incidents was Rahul's denunciation of an ordinance at the Press Club of all places. Nor was Rahul’s declaration of the need for additional gas cylinders against all economic logic resisted and was quickly endorsed. In a similar vein, economists and rationalists will cavil at the manner UPA II opened its purse strings to a number of welfare programmes which, one would imagine, would be against the Prime Minister’s economic instincts. Indeed, it would appear that at times the Prime Minister seems to have relapsed into passivity in UPA II. Perhaps we shall know more about the workings of his mind when he sits down to write his memoir. Certainly Mr Manmohan Singh's two terms have been a unique chapter in India's political history. Even granting that lady luck played a great part in his rise to power, the concept of dual power structure is in a measure self-defeating. In historical terms, there have been confrontations between the Prime Minister and the party president, resolved in many instances by the former assuming both posts. But the perception in the present case of the party chief exercising greater power is corrosive for the smooth running of the government and disciplining Cabinet ministers wont to look over the Prime Minister's shoulders. In any event, it seems highly unlikely that the dual power structure will be repeated in a future dispensation because it diminishes the office of Prime Minister and is an inefficient method of running an administration at the top. Baru has made his contribution to the debate, but one wishes he were not so impatient in cashing in on his time in the Prime Minister's Office and had given his former boss time to last his final days in office. *The Accidental Prime Minister/The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh by Sanjaya
Baru; Penguin/Viking; Rs 599.
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Evolving as skilled users of connectives For a composition to make smooth reading and for an act of speech to effect easy comprehension, unity of thought is critical. Coherence and cohesion work in tandem to ensure that happens by interrelating sentences and paragraphs. Connectives assist them as the adhesive element or what Clark calls “stickum”. They help recall what happened earlier and anticipate what is to follow. Some instances are given below: 1. The storm persists and the situation is grave. Ù It is impossible to move towards the peak. Intent: convey opinion A disconnect exists in the sentences above. If the writer places “indeed” at the beginning of the second sentence, it can connect the stance taken in the second sentence with the situation described in the first. “Indeed” conveys the thought “I may even go so far as to say”. The second sentence will read as “Indeed, it is impossible ...” Similarly, words and phrases like “actually, in reality” and “in fact” may be used. 2. There is a tree which bears the fruit of immortality. Ù When will the king hold court? Intent: show abrupt topic shift Disjointed thinking marks the excerpt. The speaker talks about the extraordinary fruit and soon veers away to the king holding court. The abrupt shift in topic leaves a gap, though with the obvious probability: the speaker wishes to present the extraordinary fruit to the king. If we fill in the gap with “by the way” or “incidentally”, we can account for the abruptness and establish the much needed connection. 3. To the cartoonist, Hitler’s tooth-brush moustache looked interesting. Ù Stalin’s moustache seemed usual. Intent: use contrast and analysis Here, the writer wants to analyse the text through contrast between the two famous faces but in the absence of a connective, the intent is not fully realized. If we insert a connective like “on the contrary, conversely, in contrast” or “by way of contrast”, the analysis will be clearly visible. Considering it is a written piece, the more formal “conversely, in contrast” and “by way of contrast” will work better. The one left out may be preferred in spoken language. 4. The theft was a ruse to make me follow him. Ù He had risked his life to save mine. Intent: present evaluation Evidently, the second sentence provides additional information in the event but there is something amiss. The sense is incomplete. An additive element like “in addition” or “moreover” can be used. Since “in addition” can only give additional information, but “moreover” can lead towards conclusion, “moreover” needs to be selected. So the sentence will read as “Moreover, he had risked...” To conclude, it is crucial to evolve as skilled users of connectives. Besides realizing one's intents, they also contribute towards developing one's critical thinking faculty.
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On a roll... it
starts with a lump in your throat and keeps your heart in your mouth all through its rendering. We often see films that bewitch us, engage and appeal as well appease our senses. But rare is a film that not only motivates us to be better human beings, but also brings forth human goodness in full measure. If a one word review were to suffice it would be, ‘inspirational’. Certainly, this isn’t the first time a sports film showing an underdog winning keeps our eyes moist and makes our hearts sing. Chak De, Iqbal and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag have all been about the stuff sporting dreams are made of. Yet what makes Hawaa Hawaai special is the way it tells the story of Arjun, son of cotton farmer who moves to a slum after his father’s death. Simply and beautifully, the very first song of the film na dar tu kar says it all. Step-by-step we are introduced to his travails. Right from his compulsion to work, his fascination with a pair of skating wheels, its prohibitive price acting as a dampener, his slum friends’ ingenuity to replicate one for him through the great Indian invention jugaad. And finally it zeroes down on his dream of becoming a skating champion. All this while the one-man army called Amole Gupte who is writer, director and also the song writer doesn’t lose his grip or focus. Indeed, with him taking many a responsibility on his shoulders it could have been a classic case of biting more than he could chew. But he remains in command. In fact, at one level the film is as much about their joys and sorrows. The most refreshing part no doubt is, here children are children. Mercifully, the director while mirroring the class divide doesn’t divide the world of children. There are no rich children stereotypes in tow even though it fleetingly refers to a rich drunk kid’s fatal driving antics. Not surprising it’s not only slum kids who root for Arjun, but the privileged ones too. Besides, Gupte isn’t glossing over poverty or ignoring the hurdles en route the path of success. Why, the film even questions what possibly can the victory of a slum kid working in a tea stall mean? But hurdles can’t snatch their right to dream. As street-smart Gochi says — right now focus on the medal. Yes, the climax may remind you of yet another sports film that swept most of the awards recently. But for that minor similarity Hawaa Hawaai not only stands on a firm ground but soars high. Indeed, the feel-good tenor of the film is a trifle utopian. But in a world full of despair it’s about time we not only had a dose of wishful thinking, but also worked towards it. Precisely why the film should be a must see for all schoolchildren not just those from the underprivileged backgrounds, but more importantly for those who come from public schools. If for nothing else it might drive home a lesson on as to how dreams and realising the same are not a prerogative of the well-heeled alone. Tailpiece: Move over Slumdog Millionaire, we have our own heartfelt version of slum children. And move over three hankie master Karan Johar too — this one will make you fill buckets of tears.
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Sublime satire this
is one of the most engaging satires seen in recent times. Janki Vishwanathan’s sequestered narrative manages to capture the right mood and moments to make this mocking bird fly into a realm that hasn’t seen much creative success in Bollywood. The film starts off as a social satire and ends up harping on the political nature of institutions meant to be otherwise. The so-called protectors of our democracy are shown as men with feet of clay and it’s all done with kid gloves on! So there’s little room for any offence or disrespect.
Residing in a nondescript village somewhere in middle India, the Quereshi family struggles with finances until they decide to sell their goat, Shah Rukh, a beloved of their little son (Shameen Khan). The young boy seeks the help of a Mumbai returned barber (Anshuman Jha), who is sneakily engaged in wooing the boy’s older sister. The barber helps out by painting the word ‘Allah’ in Urdu on the side of the goat. And immediately the Quereshis experience a turnaround of fortunes, to the extent that people begin borrowing money from them and they even have a Sheikh from Arabia offering an obscene amount for money to purchase the precious goat. Not to be left behind a steady line of claimants suddenly crop, all claiming some connection to Shah Rukh. A Hindu-Muslim face-off is imminent considering the political overtones that emerge from diverse claimants from across the communal divide. A series of bewildering turns later, the Quereshi family escapes the muddle of their Utopian dream only to find themselves corralled by cops who appear to have their own agenda and political as well as ideological affiliations. Janki Vishwanathan’s scripted narrative takes the slow route to engagement, steadily developing a sublime allegory for neediness and ignorance. The writing is tongue-in-cheek; dialogues and treatment veer towards minimalistic. The focus is on the quirks of the characters. The music by Agni lends polish to the narrative. The cinematography by Abhinandan Ramanujam allows for total believability. Strong on nuances and low on rhetoric, this quasi socio-political satire makes for sublime viewing. |
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A boring game The American business honcho is JB Bernstein (Jon Hamm), who hits on this smart idea he shares with his near-anonymous partner whose twins at home keep him occupied most nights. But in Rinku Patel (Suraj Sharma) and Dinesh Patel (Madhur Mittal), he has two raw rustic youths hoping to find the promised land. The sleepy coach Ray Pointivint (Alan Arkin) is a bad gag and a total waste of over five decades of Arkin's talent. So, between this, that and the other, the only constant factor is boredom. As for performances, whatever talent might have been there, it found its way to the floor of the editing room. And it's supposed to be a true story. Need one say more?
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ZEE CINEMA 11:27AM Dharam Veer 2:33PM Kuch Tum Kaho Kuch Hum Kahein 5:49PM Agent Vinod 9:00PM Toofan ZEE STUDIO 1:00PM Flightplan 5:30PM Carjacked 7:20PM John Carter 10:00PM End of Days MOVIES OK 12:10PM Ghar Ho To Aisa 5:10PM Qayamat: City Under Threat 8:00PM Dushmano ka Dushman (2010) 10:35PM Ragada ZEE ACTION 10:30AM Gola Barood 5:30PM Shapath 8:30PM Krantiveer SONY PIX 9:18AM Open Season 3 10:54AM How to Train Your Dragon 12:54PM Skyfall 5:35PM Men in Black II 7:26PM Scary Movie 9:00PM Elysium 11:10PM Spider-Man 3 ZEE CLASSIC 10:46AM Rocky 1:57PM Sansar 5:08PM Kab? Kyoon? Aur Kahan? 8:00PM Do Jasoos 11:02PM Zanjeer FILMY 9:00AM Dharamyudh 11:30AM Infomercial 12:00PM Darna Zaroori Hai 3:00PM Chachi 420 6:00PM Mumbai Ki Kiran Bedi 9:00PM Lajja
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Sanjaya
Baru
“
So does his cast of actors, including Saqib Saleem as the enthusiastic goodhearted skating coach. Anuj Sachdeva as his loving brother too is in place. But make no mistake — the film belongs to child actors. Undeniably, the lead child actor Partho Gupte does the perfect balancing act in his many nuanced part that demands him to be understanding, vulnerable and an industrious dreamer all at the same time. Equally endearing are his partners in his dreams, the four kids — Gochi (Ashfaque Khan), Bhura (Salman Khan), Abdul (Maaman Menon) and Murugan (Tirupati Krishnapelli) — from the same shanties where he lives.
The opening sequence is of the goat being followed by a group of marching policemen — a ridiculous sight that makes sense only towards the end of the inveigling narration. And in between flows the whimsical tale of the luckless family that suddenly sees riches, only to be thwarted by a system that does not recognise the rights of the poor and the disadvantaged. 
million
"Call me BJ," the honcho tells his wards. For these yanks, everything is in short form. Wish the film was! The latest addition to his entourage is Ash Vasudhavan (Asif Mandvi) who is willing to work free for BJ. The intro to India is tolerable though predictable with AR Rahman's music speaking for itself. It soon becomes more and more distant as we plod on, painfully. The establishing shots are weak, very weak, the script tedious with lines like "having to separate the men from the boys." Come now scriptwriter Tim McCarthy, be more imaginative.
Saturday May 10
Sunday May 11