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Attracting foreign investment Like teachers, like pupils |
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Lessons from Hong Kong
Phatic communication for sociability
CINEMA: NEW Releases
No thrills Taking along Lost in shortcomings
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Attracting foreign investment Speaking
at an investor summit in Indore on Thursday, Prime Minister Modi claimed that investments amounting to $100 billion from the US, Japan and China "have applied for visas" and proactive states could capitalise on the opportunity. The investor summit was organised by the government of Madhya Pradesh, which has become the fastest growing state in the country. Its growth is led by agriculture and to make it sustainable the state government is trying to attract industry. The government did manage to rope in some of the country's top business houses which have committed investments totalling Rs 1 lakh crore. There is often a huge gap between investments promised and actually made, as the Badals in Punjab must have realised by now. What Modi claims may be true but the challenge lies in ensuring that foreign investments do not just fly away. The Prime Minister has unfairly placed the responsibility of attracting foreign investments on states. Of course, states do have a role and some with far-sighted chief ministers are making efforts to push growth. But a greater responsibility lies with the Centre. Power is key to the viability of industrial projects. Yet after the Supreme Court's cancellation of illegally allotted coal mines, the Union Government has not come out with a concrete plan to restart mining. Many thermal plants in states operate at below capacity or are on the brink of closure due to lack of coal supplies. There are other issues like land acquisition, tax reforms, including the introduction of GST and repeal of retroactive tax (which foreign investors oppose), rigid labour laws and infrastructure development which cry for urgent attention. The Modi government has yet to get down to business. Other than indiscriminate environmental clearances not much has happened. Modi has been busy meeting the foreign heads of government and state but he is yet to find time to interact with chief ministers of the country. He is more focused on winning elections than addressing domestic challenges. Modi needs to behave like the Prime Minister of India.
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Like teachers, like pupils As
if this was not bad enough news that close to 50 per cent of the class V pupils in our schools fail to read a text meant for class II or solve a two-digit sum, there is a report that 95 per cent teaching aspirants have flunked the India Central Teacher Eligibility Test meant to assess their knowledge and instruction abilities. Last year the percentage of failure was even higher, at 98. It offers no consolation to a system that continues to raise serious questions about the quality of teacher training
programmes, poor communication skills, flawed process of selection and complete lack of mechanism to continuously assess and upgrade their skills. Since a majority of the failed aspirants were B Ed degree holders, these questions become even more pertinent. From basic to higher education, nothing seems to be moving in the right direction, while our politicians exhort the young to be world leaders in the knowledge industry. A lot of expectations were raised under the RTE Act, and the government put in more money to make it a success. But like several other half-baked government schemes which are implemented to show rosy data on paper, the changes implemented under the Act resulted in getting higher numbers for universal education, but the quality suffered. If the interest and aptitude of the pupil is the primary motivator behind all education programmes, the selection of competent teachers would follow. The appointment of teachers in government schools has for long been politicised; teaching positions have been offered as rewards by various governments. May it be the illegal appointment of 3,200 JBT teachers in Haryana or that of 1,983 physical training instructors whose appointment was quashed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court for lack of required qualifications, incidents like these undermine the position of teachers on commitment and competence. A flawed education system cannot produce competent teachers. Educationists and policymakers must find ways to improve school education apart from spreading it far and wide.
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Thought for the Day
Marriage is give and take. You'd better give it to her or she'll take it anyway. —
Joey Adams, an American comedian
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The Komagata passengers THE Indian Daily News makes a good and timely suggestion for the consideration of the Government of India as regards the treatment of the men who were concerned in the Budge-Budge riot. A large number of them have already been arrested or otherwise accounted for while the rest are being actively chased by the Bengal police. Our Calcutta contemporary suggests that the Bengal Government might be asked to cease "the hunting down business at Rs. 100 a head" and instead efforts made to get the absconding men to surrender quietly by a promise of pardon or by the influence of the Sikh community. They are by no means a class of habitual criminals. THE Cairo correspondent of the Pioneer, writing under date the 20th September, gives an interesting account of the reception of the Indian troops in Egypt. The famous six-footers of India, viz., the Sikhs have "mightily impressed" the Gypsies. The latter, we are told, follow them about the town "with open mouth wonderment." On the 16th idem the troops were paraded through the city and the entire route was crowded with Europeans and Egyptians. The general impression was "that the troops were in the pink of condition and that they looked every inch the born fighters that they notoriously are." The singling of the Sikhs for special praise is a matter for supreme satisfaction to the people of this Province. "In the native quarters," writes the correspondent, "progress is repeatedly impeded by crowds that gather round these black bearded giants who are being entertained by Sheikh-el-Haret, and if an English officer goes out for a scroll, with his Indian orderly behind him, it is the latter who attracts all attention."
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Lessons from Hong Kong The
massive students’ protests in Hong Kong have ebbed for the moment, but their import is far from extinguished. The agitation, which brought the former British colony’s business district to a halt for days, was centred round the widespread feeling that Beijing had gone back on its word. Hong Kong was transferred by Britain to Chinese rule on the basis of one country, two systems formula under which civil liberties and freedom of speech, severely restricted on mainland China, were retained for 50 years. It was also agreed that the next election of the chief executive of the former colony in 2017 would be based on universal suffrage. Under Beijing's formula, bluntly announced in Hong Kong several weeks ago, the grant of universal suffrage was accompanied by a rider which annulled free choice. Only two or three candidates would be permitted to stand for election and they would have to be approved in advance by a pro-Beijing nominating committee. Many in Hong Kong, and the bulk of its student population felt cheated, if not betrayed, and students took to the streets and performed sit-ins, initially to be met by tear gas and scuffles. While the police were withdrawn after a time, members of triads took on the students who suspected a government hand. The students demanded the resignation of the chief executive, but later agreed to talks with a senior Hong Kong official. Obviously, the fear of the Chinese leadership was that the Hong Kong contagion would spread to the mainland. The new Chinese philosophy, initiated by Deng Xiaoping some three decades ago, was to grant unprecedented freedom to Chinese citizens in conducting economic activity and making money while keeping tight control over their political activities. In a sense, this dichotomy has worked for the Chinese state because China has seen unprecedented progress in economic development and pulling large sections of the population out of poverty. On the other hand, the Chinese leadership has been secure in its monopoly of power. The dissidents, a minority, were dealt with through imprisonment, house arrest or exile. However, the hoary old proverb, that man does not live by bread alone, is increasingly coming into play. Although many Chinese have grown rich and enjoy the good things of life, they are unhappy over the dictatorship under which they live. Apart from the political dissidents, many have taken to Christianity or Buddhism. And a number of Christians turn to Rome, rather than the officially approved church. President Xi Jinping, who has consolidated his position at the political and military levels, has begun a high-octane campaign against corruption, one of the banes of the Chinese system. Indeed, the New York Times ran a series of articles detailing the kind of wealth the families of the leadership has cornered even as the country has progressed. Some big fish, apart from the flies in the Chinese idiom, have been netted and the sumptuous wining and dining of Communist functionaries have been whittled down, but the popular perception is that corruption cases brought into the limelight are only the tip of the iceberg. The Chinese leadership, which imposed rigorous screening of news of the Hong Kong protests, has thus far been unable to solve their dilemmas. They are mainly two-fold. How long can they support the theory of economic freedom and political subjugation? Second, can the Communist creed retain its legitimacy in the face of the technological explosion that is taking place? There are no easy answers because the bending of the Communist creed by describing it as one with Chinese characteristics has limits. It is not difficult for the ordinary Chinese to understand that he is living under a dictatorship governed by the wishes of a few. Up to a point, the Chinese Communist leadership takes recourse to the plank of nationalism harping on the growing might of the country, and given its history, Japan is often a favourite target. China’s new assertiveness, particularly in the South and East China Seas, plays well at home, but there are geopolitical compulsions that also come into play. For instance, while South-East Asia is more united than ever to try to resist Chinese incursions, Beijing’s relationship with Japan in trade and manufacturing is important. There is no prospect of a change in the Chinese philosophy of how it should govern itself. Therefore, Beijing must seek to reconcile the contradictions as best it can. Hong Kong protests, recalling the nightmare scenario of the Tiananmen massacre in Beijing (also involving students), is an unwelcome development for the leadership. Many Chinese are savvy enough to pierce the censorship wall that authorities have built and know what has been going on in the former British colony. Beijing has another problem: the effect its policies towards Hong Kong will have on the future of Taiwan, which it wants to absorb. Unlike during previous phases, Beijing's relationship with Taiwan is more cordial than it has been for a long time because of the present President there has been seeking cooperation. But as he found out for himself, an attempt by him to tie Taiwan’s economy to China's in a new obtrusive way met with mass protests, with students performing a sit-in in Parliament until he gave up on the new scheme. Taiwan is, indeed, running a rumbustious democracy and its people have been assiduously following events in Hong Kong. Thus the prospect of a peaceful “reunification” of Taiwan is becoming more distant. No one doubts that Beijing will prevail in the end over the students, but the pendulum is not weighted as heavily in mainland China's favour as it would appear. Hong Kong is a prosperous money-making proposition for Beijing precisely for the reasons that do not obtain on the mainland. There is rule of law, to begin with, often a doubtful commodity on the mainland. In view of the vast changes that have taken place over the past three decades, China too has changed. But as the periodic confrontation the authorities there have with foreign investors, there is a tentative quality about Chinese norms. The students’ extraordinary sit-ins have shown the contradictions of a growing China.
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Phatic communication for sociability “Mend your speech a little 1. Greeting an examiner: Hi, sir. ... How are you, sir? The greetings graded from formal to informal — Good morning/ Morning/ Hello/ Hi/ Hi there - are normally followed by the hearer’s first name/ last name/ title. These exchanges of greetings make many assertions. Right from who greets whom first to choosing the form of greeting, all steps lead towards defining the status and power of the two within the relationship. “Hi” in place of “Good morning” on the examinee's part shows disrespect to the examiner. Also, the examinee’s inquiry of wellbeing, “How are you”, may not be acceptable, as such an inquiry is generally the prerogative of the one superior in status. 2. Making small talk: What’s your annual package? Social get-togethers and coffee breaks at office functions expect people to engage in small talk rather than discuss personal issues or weighty subjects like religious ideologies. The idea is to encourage sociability and not seek substantial information. In such situations, intrusive questions on somebody’s annual emolument or religious beliefs must be kept at bay. Talking about the weather to make small talk used to be a favourite with the British. Books, films and even positive thoughts about the hosts or organizers can serve the purpose well. 3. Paying a compliment: You are smarter than you look. Compliments usually highlight somebody's accomplishment, possession or appearance. Verbs “like” and “love” and adjectives “good” and “nice” give us popular fixed expressions such as “I love your voice” and “Nice coat”. Compliments function well as conversation openers by putting others at ease. Sincere compliments, in particular, confirm people’s belief about themselves and achieve great results. However, the one above is a backhanded compliment and needs to be replaced with “That’s truly smart”. 4. Accepting a compliment: (A: Nice coat!) B: Oh, actually it is very old. Does it look nice?! Accepting the compliment as a genuine one is gracious behaviour. In speech acts like these, people usually interact in pairs. The turns are short, the language is predictable and the response is mandatory. The expected behaviour for the compliment above could have been - B: “Thanks. It’s one of my favourites”. In addition, familiarity with the conventions of taking leave from a conversation is as critical. Instead of looking over the other person’s shoulder to catch the next interesting person’s eye, it is more dignified to excuse oneself with words like “It was a pleasure talking to you ... Mind if I/ (I think I need to) go meet a friend out there”. Well observed phatic behaviour ensures great sociability.
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CINEMA: NEW Releases
Film: Tamanchey Neither fire nor power…Tamanchey is at best a toy gun in the hands of an amateur team of film-makers. The fact that the film boasts of a visual director and not a director 'director' is itself a pointer that there is not much on offer. But that it would be riddled with so many holes comes as a surprise nay shock to one's sensibilities. Sure on the surface the concept is not bad. A love story in the dark labyrinths of crime-infested- world should make for suitable viewing if not mind boggling drama. Yet, here it is a half-baked attempt that neither warms your heart nor sends a shiver down your spine. In fact, the tale of these two criminals Babu (Richa Chadda) and Munna (Nikhil Dwivedi) is far from engaging. They meet, fall in love, face odds and all through you couldn't care less. Actually they meet in the most unlikely circumstances. Both have been caught by the police. The vehicles in which they are being transported overturn and they find themselves in each other's grimy company. Initially Munna with a desi dialect who calls women 'ladies' and expects them to behave in a certain fashion is taken aback by Babu's audacious ways. But soon he falls for the daring 'ladies' who spews gaalis at the drop of the hat and wears outfits with plunging necklines. With the lady taking the lead in matters of lust too they hop on a goods train and end up on a bed of tomatoes. Move over Tomatino Festival, here is our very own erotic version of it. Alas, it gives no competition to anything western or indigenous for that matter. After the consummation of their relationship, the film moves to another level (and we didn't say up). Here in the Capital, Babu is the mistress of wrestler- turned-drug peddler (Damandeep Singh). She sleeps with him alright but there is no love lost at least from her side. Enter our besotted hero again and the film goes through expected (read boring) twists and turns. In the background plays the song Khamakha. And you can't help but echo the same sentiments Khamakha Hi Tumse Pala Pad Gaya Ab Jaan Yeh Kaise Chhudaayein Khamakha Hi Tumse Hum Bhid Gaye Lo Phans Gaye Baithe Bithaaye. Indeed, without rhyme and reason, here we are in the cinema hall watching what is not only an insipid love story but also a talented heroine wasting herself. Dear Richa, we beg you not to be swayed by the length of the role. In adept hands, you can make a mark even in small parts as you have proved in films like Gangs of Wasseypur. As for dear readers and cine-goers, if you still haven't got the message, here it is loud and clear—no reason for watching the film not even khamakha. For, it has no entertainment value, no emotions, actually nothing that would satiate the film buff in you. In the grand finale in what is presumably a touching moment the lovelorn couple plays ghar ghar for they couldn't realise their dream of setting up a home. Even if you are tired of your dreary homely responsibilities, our advice—remaining housebound for three hours is a far more enticing idea than watching this unpalatable fare. Oh, we forgot the film is less than two hours but then it is torturous enough to make it feel like a lifetime.
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No thrills Film: Anabelle Annabelle is described as a horror movie and is also the name of a doll that is supposed to possess supernatural powers and seems to haunt a young couple who are about to have their first child. It is also a prequel to The Conjuring released last year with Vera Farmagiai in the lead role. But Annabelle is set in the 1960s when John Wayne and Raquel Welch were doing the rounds on the screen. John (Ward Horton) and Mia Gordon (Anabelle Wallis) live in Santa Monica, California and they soon experience weird happenings around them. But the establishing shots are weak and director John Leonetti must be blamed for this. In due time they visit Fr Perez (Tony Arendola) but it doesn't prove very helpful. So they move to Pasadena, a suburb. In due time Mia delivers a lovely girl but the doll that has been put in the bin strangely reappears.They then run into a nosy neighbour Evelyn (Alfre Woodland). Though his cameo plays a vital part in the end by now the narrative has slipped out of the hands. The only saving grace is James Kivest's caressing camera. Anabelle Wallis shows some talent in the lead role but the others are merely academic.
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Taking along
Film: Left Behind Left behind is a doomsday film in which folks keep vanishing, leaving no trace whatsoever. This cataclysmic phenomenon is called "the rupture" and hits people in airplanes as well as on the ground. It's mayhem, giant scale. The central figure in this drama is pilot Rayford Steele (Nicholas Cage — not easily recognisable initially) who is having personal problems as he is seeing pretty air-hostess Hetty Durham (Nicky Whelan). Rayford takes this flight even though he knows that his lively daughter, Chloe (Cassi Thompson) is coming home from college. Chloe, however, rushes to the airport to meet her dad and we get an inkling of his love triangle. Rayford's plane takes off from JFK airport to London but runs into "the Rupture." Passengers just disappear, the same happens on the land as well. Chloe, suddenly finds that her brother has vanished. The airports worldwide are abandoned. Rayford's plane, with air hostess Hetty on it, is forced to turn back because of inclement weather. Director Vic Armstrong does a good job with the establishing shots and as an editor his terse cutting on two fronts, the panic on the plane and the mayhem on land is good. As one might have guessed, and in true Hollywood style all's well that ends well. But, credibility apart, and it even seems forgivable, director Armstrong offers a good entertainer, much better than the other release. Cassi Thomson steals the show as Chloe who's almost all over the place but also shows dollops of emotion, which should take her places in the future but the others are at best fair.
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Lost in shortcomings
Film: Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami, directed by Ravindra Gautam, shows Anupam Kher as an idealistic, honest and forthright common man Purushottam Narayan Joshi, who is nearing retirement age following several decades of unblemished, unstinting service in the Mumbai Municipal corporation. His two sons, one a political hell raiser, Subash Joshi (Dibyendu Sharma) and the elder, also employed in government service, Shekar Joshi (Manu Rishi) are as opposite and opposed to their father as they can get. Both are dishonest, prone to taking and giving bribes and follow the tenets of materialism much more than religion. There's a sub-plot twist that involves the Chief Minister Daya Shankar Pandey (Rajesh Sharma), his dalliance with a starlet Jayaprabha (Neha Dhupia), the expose of which, shown on national television by Arnav Goswami (Asif Shaikh) leads to grave embarrassment and his untimely death. When his sons push him to the limit of endurance, Joshi calls in a rider as his dying wish. His sons need to get him a 21 canon salute befitting his honesty and above-board idealism. With both the CM and the common man hitting death's door at almost the same time, it's anyone's guess as to who finally gets the salute he deserves. The film begins with Shekar and Shubash carrying a tarpaulin wrapped body and boarding a local train enroute to Naigoan where they dispose off the largish package. It's an unbelievable , though fairly shocking opening and what follows, had a lot of promise to begin with. Unfortunately, the writer isn't able to flesh out the story well enough to cash in on all the potential payoffs. The plotting is severely deranged trying to pull off impossible feats. The brief sojourns into brevity lighten up the heavy-on-melodrama and farce proceedings quite a bit though. The intractable performances do the rest. Uttara Baokar as Kalavati Mai, the CM's mother, is a hoot. Anupam Kher puts in a startlingly honest performance while Dibyendu Sharma, Manu Rishi, Neha Dhupia, Aditi Sharma, Supriya Kumari, Sudhir Pande round up the supporting roles with great panache. It's the directionless writing that renders this potential canon fodder into a misfire. Unnecessary supporting characters, too many sub-plots and a poorly orchestrated end play makes it all a little too off-putting. There might have been a moral to the story but it gets lost in the dishonest attempt to contrive a preposterous ending just so as to justify the title. Nevertheless, this is this week’s most engaging fare – despite it’s many 'shot'- comings!
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Saturday October 11
& PICTURES INDIA TALKIES MOVIES NOW MOVIES OK STAR GOLD STAR MOVIES ZEE CINEMA ZEE CLASSIC
Sunday October 12
& PICTURES INDIA TALKIES MOVIES OK STAR GOLD STAR MOVIES ZEE CINEMA ZEE CLASSIC
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