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Extremist advance No complacency for ragging |
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Narendra Modi's vision for India
Understanding language terms
Utterly Fugly Unpalatable
Short of saving grace
Horrifying affair
Too long a watch
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Extremist advance Mosul, one of Iraq's largest cities has fallen in the hands of the extremist group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis). While the group has had some success in the region earlier, the capture of the city has demonstrated its aggressive tactics and its reach. The Isis is a major combatant in Syria too, where it is fighting President Bashar Assad's forces, and its fighters seem to be able to move from freely between the two countries. The military success of the group also brings into focus the discontent of the Sunnis with their government, since it did not meet much resistance in the Sunni-dominated region. In Iraq, the Sunni minority complains of discrimination by the Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government, which is dominated by Shias. The intervention of the US forces in the region resulted in a regime change, but failed to provide any stability. Their withdrawal has left a vacuum which is being filled by the pro-Al-Qaida Isis. The failure to integrate various elements of the previous regime also resulted in disgruntled former soldiers of Saddam Hussein's army joining the ranks of the extremists. The possibility of Iraq being balkanised cannot be discounted. This would lead to further unrest and instability in a war-torn region. Pleas to the US by the al-Maliki government for military assistance have met with a tepid response whereas, Iraq's traditional rival Iran, has now extended help and offered its elite troops to the regime. While this development highlights the adage that there are no permanent enemies, it must be particularly galling for the US to see a regime inimical to it play a larger role in Iraq. It is clear that the government in Iraq, often charged with sectarianism, is not in a position to fight the extremists. The Isis occupation of Mosul has shown how weak it is. Unless the international community intervenes, Iraq may slide into anarchy.
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No complacency for ragging Of the many mindless expressions of violence unique to our society, ragging is one. The casual manner in which our prestigious educational institutions deal with this issue that has caused a loss of many young lives proves so. How else does one explain the trend going unabated, especially in the professional colleges? This came to the fore at a recent review meeting of the ragging trends, as mandated by the apex court in 2009, after the tragic death of Aman
Kachroo, a young medical student of Tanda Medical College in Himachal
Pradesh. Sadly, the initiative to treat ragging as a crime and start a helpline for the affected students came from the deceased's father and not from the authorities of the institutions where scores of young lives are scarred year after year by humiliating experiences like forced striping, which at times push them to commit suicide. The review committee found medical colleges' contribution to the total number of complaints received to be alarmingly high. Though the committee rapped the Medical Council of India for its failure to prevent this serious crime in its colleges, an anti-ragging NGO, Society Against Violence in Education, has found that ragging is dangerously prevalent in engineering and other professional institutions and their hostels. Why is it that some institutions have prohibited ragging effectively while others have failed? In many private colleges an attitude of laxity is observed towards the wards of the rich and powerful. Those who pay the fat fee think of themselves to be above the law and the authorities feel obliged to look the other way when the laws are violated. In Aman Kachroo investigation, alcohol was found to be the major reason behind the inhuman act. All educational institutions must declare in their brochures/admission forms the regulations on ragging, helpline numbers and names of anti-ragging squad members. Students should not buy forms/brochures of the institutions which do not provide complete information on ragging. It's time the authorities acted proactively on this issue and protected precious lives.
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Thought for the Day
The telephone book is full of facts, but it doesn't contain a single idea.
—Mortimer Adler
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IN India we have been adopting as far as possible English educational methods and ideals. We are importing English scholars and graduates to conduct Indian schools and colleges. Our ideals, therefore, are dominated by English examples, but little attempt has been made to suit our educational ideals to our environments and national ideals. With reference to the new University schemes, we see the conflict of ideals much better. The authorities want to make education costly and available to the well-to-do classes — isolate the students and teachers and attend to quality without reference to quantity. In India our ideals handed down to us from time immemorial are to make education free or cheap so that even the poorest may be benefited from it. Anyhow the fact that Indian education must be made more suited to our social and economic conditions is being generally recognised. English ideals are not after all the best in Europe. It is admitted by British authorities that the British system is far inferior to the German and the latter system is generally advocated now. Charge against purity workers
IN Rangoon a remarkable case was disposed of recently by the District Magistrate in which two persons, an English lady and a gentleman, were charged with trespass and assault by a Chinese woman of the town. It appears the former were purity workers and on receipt of information that a woman was wrongfully confined in the house, they entered it in the night and made a search for her. She was not found and hence the charge. The magistrate remarked that the accused went to the house with the police and did not remain there longer than was necessary for their purpose.
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Narendra Modi's vision for India Quite correctly and expectedly, Modi referred to the need to contain food inflation as the government's top priority. The Modi government will step up investment in agriculture, especially agro-infrastructure by promoting scientific practices and agro-technology. It was mentioned that investment in agriculture would be stepped up so as to make farming profitable. Towards this end, irrigation projects will be improved. This programme of action is timely and most needed in the country. Reports have come that a total of 559 farmers have committed suicide in four months in Maharashtra, which alone has suffered a crop loss estimated at Rs 2,810 crore. There is, therefore, need for giving immediate attention to agro-infrastructure and irrigation facilities throughout the country. Modi's road map spelt out in the Presidential address also included the following highlights: There will be a new health and sanitation policy which will be laid out shortly. Modi's vision also puts considerable emphasis on education. IITs and IIMs will be established in every state. In keeping with his reputation for technology knowledge, much in advance than any of his contemporary political leaders, Modi outlined his proposal to have a national e-Library and open online courses and virtual class rooms throughout the country. More importantly, wi-fi zones are proposed to be installed in critical public areas like Delhi's Connaught Place and Khan Market and make wi-fi facilities freely available for about 20 minutes every day for everyone in the country. Considerable emphasis has been put on the need for developing self-sufficiency in the power sector. Considerable importance has been given to improving infrastructure throughout the nation. Quadrilateral railway connectivity has been envisioned. The Modi Government will give equal treatment to all minorities and weaker sections. Plans will be drawn up to promote their interests throughout the country. With respect to the Muslims, who account for 14-15 per cent of the population in the country, it is proposed to promote modern and technological education among them. The government it will initiate a National Modernisation Programme. However, on this the Modi government will have to proceed cautiously since a report has come from Deoband's orthodox Muslim Educational Society that the Muslims will oppose any interference in the educational system of madarasas. This is unfortunate since according to the Sachar Committee report, only 4 per cent of the students of madarasas are employable. As for women, Modi has promised 30 per cent reservation for them in Parliament. This was further explained by Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs, in Parliament on June 11. Modi's foreign policy initiatives are intended to take India's relations with important foreign countries to a higher level on a steady and continuous level. Narendra Modi demonstrated his imaginative thrust in foreign policy when he invited the leaders of the SAARC countries for his swearing-in ceremony. This was followed up by one-to-one meetings with most of the leaders. This was concluded with a ceremonious banquet hosted by the President. Of all the foreign Heads of States, who visited India for the inauguration, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan was the most important visitor. Extensive discussions took place in Hyderabad House between the two Prime Ministers, the respective Foreign Ministers and the advisers. India reminded Pakistan of the long delay in the trial of those involved in the 26/11 attack in Mumbai. Pakistan's attention was also drawn to the fact that Hafiz Saeed of Lashkar-e-Toiba was having a free run in Pakistan, which was not in the interest of not only of India but also Pakistan. On the recent attacks on Karachi airport, the Taliban elements had claimed these as their revenge attacks for the killing of Taliban chief Masood in the drone attack carried out by the US in the Pakistan Administered Tribal Area. Hafiz Saeed made the preposterous charge that the Karachi attack was carried out by Indian forces who should be taught a lesson by Pakistan. That the fulminations of Hafiz Saeed carried no weight was obvious from the latest communication from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that the future of the poor in both the nations was linked to the common economic destiny. Nawaz Sharif went on to say that he was looking forward to working with Modi in harmony on all unsettled matters. Prime Minister Modi has a busy schedule of foreign visits in the coming months. Modi chose Bhutan for his initial visit this month. Bhutan is home to one of the earliest hydro-electric projects serving both India and Bhutan. Modi is likely to visit Japan in the first week of July when he will revive his old contacts with the Prime Minister of Japan. It may be recalled that during his days as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Japan had invested heavily in various projects in that state. Another initiative will be taken up in activating the civil nuclear power projects in collaboration with Japan. Later in July, the Prime Minister will visit Brazil for the BRICS Summit. During this visit Modi has a programme to renew his close contacts with the Chinese Prime Minister. Foreign Minister Wang Yi was on a visit to Delhi last week. Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister, had extensive discussions with Wang Yi. Wang also made a courtesy call on the Prime Minister. It was explained to Wang Yi during the meetings that India stood by one China policy and like-wise India expected China to adopt a one India policy. The Chinese military presence in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, which also witnessed drone attacks on Indian check-posts by Pakistani irregulars, was pointed out to the Chinese leader. While the Modi government is settling down with a positive and constructive agenda, certain negative forces are raising their heads which tend to take away the shine from the Modi government. In Maharashtra the Hindu Rashtra Sena has been active in promoting communal propaganda which claimed the life of a Muslim techie called Mohsin Shaikh. The Hindu Rashtra Sena chief Dhananjay Desai has been arrested by the Maharashtra police and is being interrogated by the Maharashtra police. NCP chief Sharad Pawar has stated that after the BJP came to power, communal elements had become active in parts of Maharashtra which was not in the interest of the country as a whole. In his speech in the Lok Sabha on June 11, Prime Minister Modi condemned the Pune attack and made an appeal against the promotion of such elements. Prime Minister Modi should remember that the Muslim community as a whole is yet to develop a sense of affinity with this BJP government. The BJP on its part also did not take any step to cultivate the Muslim community. Out of the 282 MPs, who constitute the BJP's strength in the Lok Sabha, not one is a Muslim. Even more tellingly, out of the 73 BJP MPs from Uttar Pradesh, there is no Muslim MP and this happened after Prime Minister Modi's confidant Amit Shah was made in charge of the UP elections. Although Prime Minister Modi promised special steps to improve the lot of the Muslim minority, no special step has been announced so far.
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Understanding language terms “Language has no independent existence apart from the people who use it. It is not an end in itself; it is a means to an end of understanding who you are and what society is like.”
—David Crystal
1. Sahil’s mother tongue is Punjabi but his first language is English. The term “mother tongue” refers to the language one acquires from one's mother or parents and the term “first language” refers to the dominant language in one’s life, which is used for most of the professional and social activities. For many of us, our “mother tongue” is also the “first language”. But in Sahil’s case, English emerged as his dominant language. Sahil could have acquired equal control of Punjabi, too, if he had practised it enough. To refer to the language first acquired, the US census prefers the phrase '[language] spoken in the home'. 2. Parul's mother tongue, Gujarati, is also her native language but Suresh's mother tongue, Kannada, is not his native language. Our "mother tongue" is usually the same as our "native language", since we are raised in the same language community and culture, as in Parul's case. But in Suresh's case, his parents migrated to Washington early in his childhood. And as an immigrant, he failed to get the "native" environment for Kannada. It is believed that the UK seeks information on “first language”, avoiding terms like “mother tongue” and “native
language”. 3. “My professor uses Standard English but his assistant uses a dialect of English I can’t follow,” remarked Suhail. Suhail is unaware that British Standard English is also a “dialect”. With the effort of educationists and publishers in particular, it evolved as a homogeneous variety in terms of grammar, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation in the 18th and 19th centuries. “Dialects” can be standard and non-standard. 4. She speaks English with an accent ever since her return from England. “Accent” is concerned with the pronunciation of words, the rhythm and the pitch variation of a given language. The observation in the sentence is invalid since everybody must use an “accent” to speak a language, be it English, Oriya or Tamil. The speaker is probably hinting at the use of a foreign “accent”. These terms are redefined by society from time to time just as the relevance of different languages is reviewed by an individual. The bottom line is to recognize at least one of them as the dominant one and strengthen proficiency in it.
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Utterly Fugly Unpalatable
It’s
a motley group of friends. A minister's son , a youngster who dreams of setting up an adventure tour company, a girl whose only mission is to see a smile on her war widow mother’s lips and a fidgety lad from a small-time business family. They hang out together, let their hair down at a night club and climb up electricity poles in the after party hours. Expectedly, their idea of fun lands them in innocent wrangles with police-wallahs too. No problem at all, after all they have a minister's son for company. But their bad luck, in their bid to teach a molester a lesson they run into the devil incarnate policeman Chautala and the business gets Fugly. Alas, the problem is it not only bites into every conceivable ill that plagues our society but also is unable to bring it all on a platter as a cohesive, let alone entertaining, whole. So just when you nod in empathy with the heroine's predicament, 'indeed we are a country that doesn't value its war heroes', the dirty tricks department of politicians begins to unfold. From rave parties to lecherous men to the unholy ‘club’ of police and politicians there is too much to digest. Worse still, even credibility takes a leap and none of the laudable motives hold ground. Then there are far too many songs , including an item number. So at the end of the day what you get is a confusing storyline, a concoction that falls neither here nor there. And in the climax when Vijendra Singh emerges wearing a t-shirt with Shaheed Bhagat Singh's picture emblazoned on it (ah the Rang De Basanti syndrome), in sheer exasperation you can only wince…at least the great martyr deserved better. If not us — the viewers! As for the icing on the cake — the debut of our handsome boxer Vijendra Singh. Well, he looks as cute as he does in the boxing ring. On the big screen when he opens his mouth, surprisingly he fits into the part of the politician's son with Haryanvi accent and earnestness in place. So does Arfi Lamba as the nervous end of this foursome. Jimmy Sheirgill, as the bad man Chautala, is like always in fine form and brings out the negative shades of his character with devilish relish. But even he can't make us savour the film, where the male lead Mohit Marwah is undone by the script. Coming to Kiara Advani…before we can hail her cocksure character who has the gall to hit a man below the belt when he dares to accost her, as the new brave heroine, she too sinks at the altar of contrived conjectures. All we are left clutching at is Yeh fugly fugly kya hai… sadly we have little clue. Should you bother to figure it out…well if only F had stood for irreverent fun (as it promises in the beginning), we would have gladly recommended the two hour fifteen minute break from the sweltering heat as a perfect reprieve. However, as things stand just as one swallow doesn't make a summer, a couple of laughs don't make a film worth its while. If you still haven't got it, here it is crystal clear — unless you are as desperate as the lead characters in the film, skip this one.
Short of saving grace Like
Greta Garbo and Elizabeth Taylor before her, Grace Kelly is a Hollywood icon and one may like her or hate her but one just cannot ignore her. Grace of Monaco sets out to capture this near-legend but tries too hard and with too much on its plate. How far it succeeds, therefore, will remain a matter of conjecture. The Monaco royal family ignored it and the opening at Cannes this year was decidedly poor. So were the reviews. But the daughter of a Philadelphia bricklayer has surely carved a niche of her own and those who have lived through her acting career will be drawn to Grace of Monaco. That it takes a while before one comes face to face with her is a gimmick not uncommon to cinema. And may be it therefore ends on the other extreme — her face on the large screen in all its glory. We then come to how Grace is accepted or otherwise in her new role — From 'it doesn't get any better' to the prolonged period of adjustment and the plethora of problems on her plate. Prince Rainer III (Tim Roth) isn't very supportive initially and then Princess Antoinette (Geraldine Summersville) hatches a plot to promote her regent son. It's all happening although liberties have been taken with the political overtones. One also comes face-to-face with a host of celebrities like Aristotle Onassis (Robert Lindsay) with a brash opening line, to Charles De Gaulle, Robert McNamara and singer Maria Callas (Paz Vega). In the first half, the director Olivier Dahan dwells far too long on Grace's new avatar. He isn't helped much by a mundane screenplay. However, Arush Ariel and Maria Callas' singing gives the film some substance. After a lacklustre middle, Dahan tends to go overboard with the climax. But the Grace-Rainer rapprochement is clearly one of its plus points. Nicole Kidman isn't very consistent in a rather difficult role while Tim Roth lacks spark. Frank Langella's Fr Francis Tucker provides some warmth and is balanced well by Parker Posey.
Horrifying affair
Film Machhli Jal Ki Rani Hai But filmmakers latching on to a trend without developing their story idea are also a dime-a-dozen in Bollywood. Deboley Dey is no different from this set of filmmakers. His film is about Ayesha (Swara Bhaskar) and Uday Saxena (Bhanu Uday), who along with their young son move to Jabalpur after a major accident in Mumbai. The accident, of course, changes everything. Their move to their new home in Jabalpur involves them in paranormal activity. Everyone around them appears doubtful. The family is in turmoil and scared out of their wits. Ugra (Deepraj Rana) gets called-in to do the exorcism. It's of course a huge challenge for him. Will he succeed? You just don't want to know because you can't be bothered. That is how uninvolving the movie is. The film doesn't even boast of a genuine scare. The faultily engineered scenes are laughable. Even the performances don't have any conviction. The only time you'll be lucky to be genuinely horrified is when you come across the open ending. Just the thought of a sequel to this horror farce can scare you.
Too long a watch
Film How to Train Your Dragon 2 3D So, it's time for another round of dragons and Vikings; quaint lands and huge creepy creatures with loads of action dotted by dashes of humanity. But quality very nearly goes out of the window in How to Train Your Dragon 2 3D. Hiccup (voice of Jay Barucher) and Dragon Toothless have made peace with the Vikings of Berk and move on to more distant lands in search of adventure. With them is Hiccup's girlfriend Astrid (America Ferrera). True, the animation is of high quality and grows more appealing in the second half but this surfeit of action tends to drag on endlessly, with the result its 102-minute duration seems much too long. There are other sub-plots that only seem to prolong the agony. Hiccup hogs too much of the footage to the detriment of the story with director Dean De Blois drifting in no-man's land pretty often. This is a likely flaw in sequels. And though children below eight will enjoy it, it is their parents, who accompany them, who will not.
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Saturday June 14 ZEE CINEMA 9:28AM Nazar Ke Samne 12:11PM Qatilon Ka Qatil 5:37PM Gopi Kishan 8:30PM Vivah ZEE STUDIO 9:15AM Gun Shy 3:55PM Dinner for Schmucks 6:25PM The Hitcher 10:00PM Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery ZEE ACTION 10:30AM Zakhmi Sipahi 1:30PM Nirbhay The Fighter 5:30PM Mohabbat Ke Dushman 8:30PM Aakhri Baazi INDIA TALKIES 9:30AM Jagir 1:00PM Purani Haveli 4:30PM Honhaar Bachchey 8:00PM Shatru STAR MOVIES ACTION 9:30AM The Marine 11:30AM Death Race 6:00PM Gone in Sixty Seconds 8:00PM Fist of Fury 10:00PM xXx: State of the Union ZEE CLASSIC 9:53AM Padosan 4:41PM Hero 8:00PM Nadiya Ke Paar 11:32PM Jail Yatra STAR GOLD 9:10AM Dragon Wars: D-War 10:50AM Bhaag Milkha Bhaag 5:05PM Golmaal 3 8:00PM O Teri 10:15PM The Return of Sikandar STAR MOVIES 9:00AM Oz the Great and Powerful 12:00PM Iron Man 3 7:00PM Little Big Soldier 9:00PM Outlaw Country
ZEE CINEMA 8:55AM Joker 10:55AM Chennai Express 6:11PM Mera Badla: Revenge 9:00PM Tirangaa ZEE ACTION 10:30AM Khauf ki Raat 5:30PM Army 8:30PM Nafrat Ki Aandhi ZEE CLASSIC 9:54AM Raja Jani 4:47PM Satyam Shivam Sundaram 8:00PM Muqaddar Ka Sikandar 11:28PM Khoon Paseena STAR GOLD 8:10AM Heyy Babyy 11:10AM Biwi No. 1 4:50PM Bol Bachchan 8:00PM Dabangg 2 10:35PM Hukumat Ki Jung ZEE STUDIO 9:15AM Jackie Chan Kung Fu Master 11:00AM Fright Night 5:00PM Grabbers 7:50PM Fighting 10:00PM Air Force One INDIA TALKIES 9:30AM Shatru 4:30PM Black Commando 8:00PM Naya Zamana STAR MOVIES ACTION 10:00AM Fist of Fury 12:00PM xXx: State of the Union 4:00PM Tom Yum Goong 6:00PM Death Race 8:00PM Speed 10:00PM Speed 2: Cruise Control STAR MOVIES 7:00AM There's Something About Mary 9:30AM Jennifer's Body 6:30PM Die Hard 4.0 9:00PM The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2
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Narendra Modi's
Blessed
Yes, you got it right the word means exactly what it implies. It's an…. ugly world out there where men paw at girls, where police traps innocent boys and where the marriage of convenience between the political class and the law enforcing machinery ensures that life of a common man gets even murkier. Perhaps, the intention behind the film is well-meaning, even lofty. 
The film opens in December 1961 in that quaint district of Monaco with Alfred Hitchcock (Roger Ashton-Griffiths) paying Grace (Nicole Kidman) a visit with a film proposal. It's 'Hitch' and 'Gracie' terms of familiarity that gives the narrative a much-needed boost.
Machhli Jal Ki Rani
Adventure they find in the person of Eret (Kit Harrington), a dragon trapper who sells captured dragons to the villainous Drego Bludvion (Djimon Hounsou). Some dragons live in an ice cave under the control of an Alpha dragon. It is in this cave that Viking chieftain Stoic (Gerard Butler) traces his son Hiccup who is to succeed him. They also get in touch with the reclusive vigilante Valka (Cate Blanchett) who has drifted away from her family. It is this reunion (there are some cute lines) that forms the best part of the film.
10:50am
Star Gold
Sunday June 15