24: Exactly the thing that was missing from Indian television.

            Anil Kapoor's "24" comes in just in time to save Indian television from a drought of an action packed thriller and provides a much needed break from the dreadfully boring days of Saas-Bahu conflicts shown on the small screen as it brings a world of classy production values and mature performances unknown to Indian television.

  

                  The eight episodes, which have been aired till now have proved to be instant showstoppers. Like the show's agile energetic anti-terror hero, there is not an ounce of flab in the hour-long playing time of "24". 

               Rensil D'Silva and Bhavani Iyer's writing is topnotch. While retaining the looming suspense and the breakneck narrative speed of the original American series, the writers have created space for the very peculiar cultural compulsions of urban India where the householder must balance the demands of his posh job with family obligations. 

               The lead Anil Kapoor has shown his fantastic ability as an actor by displaying the range of his performing abilities from the RD of "Race 2" on the 70mm screen to the mature panther-like agility of a family man coping with a national crisis ATU chief Jai Singh Rathore in "24" on the portable screen. It's like a dream role for any actor and one into which Anil sinks his teeth with restrained relish. 56 year old Anil Kapoor's action performance looks comparable to any young actor doing similar scenes. 

                  Nowhere does he over-do the bravura, even in that intrinsically cocky sequence where he injects glucose into his insufferable senior pretending it would kill the boor in seconds. It just made the audience lol and understand the strength of ATU chief Jai Singh Rathore.

                 Though the lead star says it is a show beyond TRP or TVT, I am pretty sure that it will create new records. In my personal opinion it has proved itself better than any movie that is out in the theatre and trust me, it is going to take a lot of persuasive powers from filmmakers to drag viewers out of their homes on Friday and Saturday nights until the rest of the 16 episodes are aired.

                

NOTA: Something missing yet something achieved.

                         The Supreme Court in PUCL v UOI held that the EVMs must now include the NOTA (None Of  The Above) button as an extension of secrecy for an eligible voter’s right not to vote. Since the petition was a Writ Petition under Article 32, the Court had to judge its maintainability, as it was contended that Right to Vote is considered a statutory right. The Court held that although Right to vote is a statutory right, the decision taken by the voter is a facet of Freedom of Expression under Art. 19(1)(a). Fundamental Right under 19(1)(a) and statutory right under S. 79 of Representation of People Act is violated if right not to vote is denied. Thus the Court held that the Writ Petition is maintainable. The Court held that “Democracy is about choice. This choice can be better expressed by giving the voters an opportunity to verbalise themselves unreservedly and by imposing least restrictions on their ability to make such a choice." Additionally, accepting the EC’s suggestion, the Court directed the NOTA button to be included in the EVMs.

                Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath had made it clear earlier this month that the NOTA option would be available to the five Assembly election-bound States, the modalities of its inclusion had been specified in a communication issued on Friday. The option will be provided at the bottom of the panel on the EVMs or as the last row in the ballot paper after all the candidates have been listed with their respective symbols in the same language used to list the candidates.

                             At present, under the Representation of the People Act, the returning officer is duty-bound to declare the candidate who secures the maximum number of votes as the winner. NOTA is not a candidate. Now the question arises whether there will be a re-poll if NOTA secures more votes than any candidate. Under the present law there can be no re-poll. This issue would have to go back to Parliament. 

                             As has been clarified by S.Y.Quereshi (former CEC) in the The Indian Express, the judgment does not actually recognize this form of right to reject. In the article, Quereshi argues that since right to reject will mean that a re-election will have to take place in certain cases (if the rejection option receives more than 50% of the votes or if the number of votes is greater than the highest number of votes for any candidate), it is not a desirable option, primarily noting the wastage/lack of resources and the rights of the contestants.

                 With regard to the disqualification of the candidates, Quereshi argues that the candidates’ right to contest will be violated. This essentially means the former CEC is weighing the right to contest vis-a-vis the electorate’s right to vote and freedom of expression! The former must not be given greater weight over the latter. A suitable solution must be worked out. For example, a minimum percentage of votes may enable the candidate to re-contest. The political parties are unlikely to field rejected candidates in any case. 

                     In India countermanding of elections on voters’ expressing their disapproval will require an amendment in law. The Supreme Court cannot in a writ of mandamus direct the government to do this. Such an initiative has to be shown by the executive and reciprocated by the legislature. However, what is encouraging is the fact that this judgment would lead to very strong demands for the ‘right to reject’ option as is available in other countries. It is of great significance to note that right to reject is already there in many countries of the world.

                 Another biggie of the same league former CEC N. Gopalaswami has presented entirely different view and is of the opinion that the right of negative voting should extend to a right to reject all candidates. He says that "The NOTA case is a classic example of the government’s failure to do the right thing at the right time. The Election Commission of India (ECI) moved the Law Ministry in 2001 for an amendment to the rules to provide for a button in electronic voting machines in order to protect the identity and secrecy of a voter who does not want to vote for any candidate." He has also mentioned in his article that, with 12 crore first time voters who will have NOTA before them in the coming election to Parliament, the stage is set for the electorate to challenge political parties’ commitment to decriminalising the legislative bodies. A comprehensive electoral reform is the need of the hour but if the political class keeps dragging its feet, courts may be willing to clean the Augean stables. Luckily enough I would also be one of those 12 crore Indians who would vote for the first time and I seriously hope that I will not be forced to use the NOTA button. But If I am I won’t hesitate to waste my vote for the cause of ‘right to reject’ which is still to be achieved.

                         

Unnao Gold Hunt: A fairy tale that could turn into reality

Once There was a Sadhu











..Named Shobhan Sarkar, who is the head priest of revered Shobhan temple in Uttar Pradesh.




And He Had a Dream











Not a normal dream like you and me, mind you.


In Which a Martyr King Came




:












Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh was a martyr of the 1857 revolt and Unnao's mid-19th century ruler.He had fought the British forces along with Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi during the 1857 First War of Independence and was overthrown in the process. He went into hiding, but was captured by British forces in Varanasi and sent to the gallows.




And Told Him to Dig up His Dilapidated Fort's Hidden Treasure Trove













He spoke to him in the dream and told him to take care of the gold.


Thats Nearly 1,000 Tonnes of Gold!!











..Worth almost $50 billion




But He Was a Patriotic King







Apparently Bux Singh asked Sarkar to get the treasure dug up and hand it over to the government of India to tide over the economic crisis. Go figure Raghuram Rajan!






But the Government Would Not Have Any of the Amar Chitra Katha Stuff








Initially Sarkar's dream was not taken seriously by the local administration and the state government. He had even written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

And Then a Union Minister Saves the Day







Sarkar reportedly convinced Union Minister Charandas Mahant of his dream.Mahant, minister of state for agriculture and food processing industries, had visited Sarkar's ashram here on September 22 and October 7 and assured him of needful action. His devotee, Congress leader Bhakt Charan Das also visited the saint and then urged the ASI to take up the issue.






So Now Archaeological Survey of India is Excavating to find the Gold Treasure

















ASI officials have been camping at the site for the last three days and have completed marking the area of the potential treasure trove late Thursday amid tight security.




Ofcourse All This After the Sadhus Performed a Yagna



Thinkstock









Praying for the success of the 'Gold Quest'






So Keep Your Fingers Crossed


















Because if they find the gold, it will be one hell of a miracle story. A story better than any fairy tale because it would be reality.

Ordinance on Convicted Law Makers finally withdrawn.

 A good decision arrived from the government but certainly not in a pleasant way. The government has ultimately decided to withdraw the controversial ordinance that protects convicted parliamentarians. The reversal of policy was cleared at a short cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister. The government also decided to withdraw the bill it had moved on convicted lawmakers in the parliament.

         The entire sequence of events was triggered by a Supreme Court (SC) decision that declared as null and void Section 8 (4) of the Representation of the People Act that excluded from disqualification sitting lawmakers even after being convicted of crimes that would have made ordinary citizens ineligible to contest elections. The government moved to amend the SC order, claiming a political consensus on the issue, something that the BJP now says is not true.

       The government moved a Bill that would have prevented immediate disqualification provided the convicted lawmaker had moved an appellate court and the court had stayed the conviction and sentence.

       As a middle path, the Bill proposed that they would not have voting rights and a salary while the appeal was pending. Subsequently to deal with the impending conviction of two lawmakers — Congress’s Rashid Masood and RJD leader Lalu Prasad — the Cabinet approved an ordinance for the same.

       The government move was widely criticised and was not taken lightly by the public who was already tired of the falling standards of public life. Reading the public mood, the BJP declared its opposition to the government move, and several Congress leaders too voiced their concerns.

       Later the president sought a clarification on the issue and reportedly questioned the urgency and necessity of the move.

Serious Coordination Problem??

The very next day Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi came out rather aggressively and termed the ordinance as "complete nonsense" that should be "torn and thrown out". The cause was undoubtedly correct as a person who has been convicted by the court and sent to prison is in fact a criminal. A criminal by any mean is not eligible to be a parliamentarian and to make laws for the country. But unfortunately Mr. Gandhi chose the wrong way; he should have settled this matter in person rather than publicly criticizing the ordinance and by it in a way doing so to the prime minister. These kind of acts decrease the dignity of the prime minister especially his international standing. It left me with extreme anguish that Dr. Singh's Pakistani counterpart said some disgraceful words regarding the Indian's position in the government. However the reality is quite much reversed, the Paki has no control over the situations there in true sense. This act of Mr. Gandhi gave another chance to the Time magazine to put on a caustic remark on Indian politics, the magazine quotes "India’s Prime Minister and ‘Crown Prince’ Have an Awkward Spat". These kinds of acts should be avoided that causes a harm to the dignity of the country's top executive.

Anyways the decision finally taken by the government is more than correct in my personal opinion. A person who has been convicted by a court of law should be immediately debarred from the parliament and should not be allowed to contest election unless and until he gets acquitted by a higher court.

Madras Cafe

Cast: John Abraham, Nargis Fakhri, Rashi khanna

Director: Shoojit Sircar

A political thriller set in the midst of Srilankan Civil war and Rajiv Gandhi Assassination, with a documentary-like treatment in terms of storytelling, realistic depiction for an inglorious event in our political history is what Madras Café is all about. The first half appears to be a preparation for the second, and so appears a bit dragging even with a fast pace but once crossing that hurdle entertains you with its intensity. If not for the last hour, would have turned out into a boring war-account journal of a soldier.

The buildup takes time, almost the whole of the first half and only becomes interesting towards the end. Perhaps a different approach in depiction, like a to-and-fro flash back or a stroke of Vantage-point analysis, would have been something. Rather, they go in sequence which limits the level that this could have achieved.

Madras café revolves around the Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, LTF (as LTTE has been named)’s agenda on tamil liberation, how an Intelligence failure may result into becoming a game changer and the life and times of a Soldier-turned Raw agent to bind it all.




John Abraham plays the character of Vikram singh, who has been deployed in a covert operation to find the solution that the Indian Government needs, i.e, Bring Anna (LTTE Chief Prabhakaran) onto a feasible negotiation, to install peace in Sri lanka to not let it become a security threat to it in future because of any western influence. Although one cannot say much about his acting skills in the movies he has been part of before, but his dedication to try and fit-in this one, shows. Yet, the idea of Director Shoojit Sircar to portray him as someone who could get lost in the midst of the crowd so as to attempt at playing a spy, doesn’t exactly fall into place. It disappointed them who came in to watch John's action packed performance like in Force. But some how he managed to impress the masses.




Nargis Fakhri playing the role of an international war journalist named Jaya, and having to only speak in English with a British accent which she is familiar withThis is actually her re-launch. She not only makes the character her own, but makes it meaningful.


Other notable characters include Siddharth basu as Robin Dutt (RAW Cheif ), Prakash Belawadi (Playing the role of Bala) and Rashi Khanna (Playing the role of John’s wife Rubi), who leave a mark with their performances.

The background score as well as the use of real guns and bullets has put in a sense of authenticity to the thriller, while shots in various south Indian cities, Thailand, Sri-lanka give you the feel and idea of the Civil-war like situation.

If it wouldn’t have been for the intense pace and perhaps the events that followed in the second half, the film wouldn’t have turned out to be the way it is. There were a couple of things that Shoojit Sircar, could have used a bit differently, yet for the realistic depiction and trying to not show the issue in just pure white and black, he deserves and applause.

It’s not great, even takes time to shape up but promises to have depth in everything that it does. With a little patience, you can watch this espionage thriller, which could have been so much better, with a vantage point like treatment. A better climax might have improved things for this film's business. It is somewhat an intellectual film that would definitely not attract the crowd of Dabangg and likewise.

What I can do…

               

                      We come across various problems in our daily life like corruption in government offices, environmental degradation, misbehavior with girls, child labour, poverty etc., we just feel pity or curse the authorities and move on. Quite rarely anybody thinks about taking a stand or doing something against such problems and very few of those thinkers turn their thoughts to action. Max Lucado, a bestselling author quoted in his book Outlive your life “No one can do everything, but everyone can do something”. Here comes the importance of what an individual can do to make our world a better place to live in. In fact, what I can do.

                        An Individual can make a huge difference to this world. Many people believe that they don’t have what it takes to make a difference to the world. They believe only people like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, and the likes, are capable of making a difference. The truth is, every one of us is put in this world to contribute and make a difference to the world in our own unique way. It need not be anything out of the world. It just needs to be something we do with the intention of ‘doing good’.

                         It need not be an enormous task. I already have what it takes to make the world a better place. Making a difference to the world may seem like an enormous task, but it is in fact the collective effort of everyone to make small contributions with a lot of heart. The size of the contribution is not what matters most. The key here is to have the heart to do it. Mother Teresa once said “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” It clearly indicates that our contributions need not be big ones always, smaller ones also matters a lot.

                        My contribution is never too small. If I think that everything has been taken care of by somebody and our contribution is not going to make much of a difference, then we are wrong. In fact, it is my responsibility to seek ways to contribute, large and small. I don’t have to be concerned that I am only capable of making small contributions. What counts, is my sincere effort.

                       Lord Buddha tried to enlighten us by saying” Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” Happiness and love are the two greatest gifts we can give to the world. Too often, we’re too indulged in our own gratifications that we forget there are people in this world whom we can make a little happier and feel more loved. As the saying goes, “To receive, you must first give.” The more we give, the more we’ll receive. Let us remind ourselves that in order to receive more happiness and love, let’s spread more of them first. Peace in the world is good for all and war is equally poor for both the parties no matter who wins or loses. War brings only death and destruction. I can make peace at least at a smaller level but may be an individual like me who holds higher authority thinking in the same way can make peace in the world. If Mahatma Gandhi would have not taken the initiative in the direction of using non-violence for Indian Independence, the struggle would have taken much more time to succeed and would have resulted in much bloodshed. So it was ultimately that one individual that mattered. The world needs love and brotherhood and we can start it at least on a smaller scale. Someone has to start, and I can do that. I can share love and happiness with people around me.

              Abilities wither under criticism; they blossom under encouragement. I can change the world by helping one person at a time. One of the ways to help someone is to empower the person. One of the ways is to be generous in giving praise and encouragement instead of criticism. By praising and encouraging the person, you’d have helped him/her to accomplish what he/she is meant to be, and that would lead to more value being added to the world. I can inspire at least one person and in turn he can inspire another and so a larger chain can be formed and we together can bring a greater change in this world

              As former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli quoted “The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own.” My aim is to look for the bigger good. A person can know his capabilities only when he gets properly educated. Education is that tool which helps a man to discover himself truly and I can work for educating people around. As it is said, give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. By educating a person I can make him sell-dependent.

                If I have time to whine and complain about something then I certainly have the time to do something about it. All the whining and complaining in the world is not going to make a difference to the world. It will only drain us of our precious energy from doing things that do make a difference. Instead of whining and complaining, we need to use the time more productively by engaging in activities that matter. When it comes to making a difference, nothing matters more than taking actions. The things won’t change by complaining about the problems or by cursing the authorities, it will by taking actions. The actions I would take, aiming at solving these problems.

                  A good example has twice the value of good advice. Other than doing things to make a difference, we should also seek to influence others to start doing things that make a difference. And the best way to convince other people is to lead by example. Start doing whatever is within my ability today. Start showing more concern and love to the people around me. I can lead the way to change this world. My actions will act as an example for others to act in the same manner. I can start putting more effort in my work to increase the value output. My every effort will count, no matter how small and insignificant it may seem, it will inspire others and they will in turn inspire more people around. This would make my effort count. So I have to just do something, and do something good.

           A short story by American Anthropologist Loren Eisley always inspires me and tells me that, I alone can make a difference.

         Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up. As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean. He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?" The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean." "I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.
To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die." Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!" At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said,
"It made a difference for that one.”

            It’s not always important that I contribute to the society at large, my contribution to a single person who is in need of my help matters a lot. My contribution will always be helpful to my country. No matter how small it is or in which field it is.

            Today our country is facing major economic problems, value of our currency has depreciated to a large extent in the international Market. The main reason being, imports are much higher than the export. The decreasing value of rupee is of major concern to the country. To improve our rupee’s situation in the international market we need to decrease our imports to protect our foreign reserves and also try to increase it. I can help by stop using imported items and go for Indian brands for my needs. I need to make others also work in the same direction so our contribution matters.

                Only after the last tree has been cut down. The last river poisoned. The last fish caught. Only then, we’ll find that money cannot be eaten. Environmental degradation in the present scenario is the biggest thing to worry about. The whole world needs to put a stop to activities which are contributing to it. In this aspect an individual matters a lot and contribution of an individual are paramount in this direction. I can plant more trees, follow the three R’s, Reduce Recycle an Reuse, conserve water and fuel. There are many other important ways which can help in lessening the degradation. We need to save our mother Earth. To save it my small contribution matter a lot.

                    We all know the biggest problem of India at this precise moment and for last many moments and maybe also for some coming moments. It is corruption. Corruption is eating our nation like a termite and to protect it there is no terminator. Major scams are happening every day, some are getting public others still a mystery. How money gets sanctioned for development of the nation in the office files but not a single building block is properly laid for it. It may now seem how I can help in such huge matters of corruption as a pitiful student. Some may say go to the people fighting for corruption and help them in creating their agitation and rallies. But in my opinion corruption won’t go by doing such acts. The reason being the roots of the corruption are deep down in our society. It needs to be uprooted from the lower levels of our society. The feeling comes deep within us. If corruption needs to be removed firstly we need to stop instances of corruption in our daily life. I can contribute in a significant way by stop supporting any kind of bribery or illegal commissions. Corruption will gradually end at the top level too if it is removed at the ground level. I may not help at the top level but I certainly can at the ground level and I will definitely do everything possible to save my country from it.

                  As a student of law, there is much more I can do in the current scenario. The laws are well made for every single problem of the society. The need is of just proper implementation and enforcement. Lawyers perform a critical role in the promotion of social order by the administration of the law in a manner which answers the fundamental requirements of justice, namely fair outcomes arrived by fair procedures. I have to work to make justice available to one and all. After graduation I would like to work in this regard by taking up matters involving infringement of rights of people who have no legal aid available to them due to their financial status. Some people believe that politics is only for the corrupt and criminals but on the contrary I think you cannot change the system without entering it. If I got a chance I would like to enter the parliament one day and become the part of the law making body.

                   I know I cannot be a superman but at least I can follow the words of the greatest man I have known, Mahatma Gandhi has said “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” I have to work in the direction, in which I want to bring the difference. I just need to work for good and the change I want will follow.  So I will just say one should never underestimate the power of three words I, Me and Myself.