India needs to be decisive

The recent deaths of five Indian soldiers in an ambush killing carried out by Pakistani troops, along the Line of Control (LoC) at Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir has sparked a lot of rage and displeasure among the people of the country. With such kind of heinous killings led by the troops coming from across the border, any sort of good relation between India and Pakistan has now become skeptical.

After Nawaz Sharif was once again sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, he spoke about picking up threads and resuming ties with India. If the sources are anything to go by, Sharif is keen on reviving the K-plan or Kashmir-plan.

Post-independence, there is a struggle between India and Pakistan regarding Kashmir. During the 90s, when Nawaz Sharif was Pakistan PM, India and Pakistan were in a war-like situation which finally led to the Kargil War of 1999. India emerged victorious, but since then, the bilateral ties have been soured.

Kashmir is often regarded as a troubled Indian state, the advantage of which Pakistan tries to take. There are often reports of internal conflict in Kashmir, most of which happen due to the presence of Indian Army in the state. People in Kashmir feel insecure as the Indian Army enjoys a lot of freedom over there and the army men being aggressive in nature, open fire at any one and at any time if they smell any conspiracy or witness any kind of protests or riots whatsoever. This has led to a state of unrest in the Kashmir valley.

The state of destabilization in Kashmir and the Indian army being pre-occupied with the duty of internal securities has added fuel to Sharif’s K-plan. The recent attacks on the LoC, ceasefire violations and infiltrations prove that Sharif’s K-plan has come into action.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Nawaz Sharif are slated to meet at United Nations’ General Assembly meeting at New York next month. It’s expected that there shall be peace talks between the two countries and both shall try to improve the bilateral ties. Nothing on the ‘Kashmir issue’ has been talked about yet.

On the Pakistani side, the blame of infiltrations and ceasefire violations has been pinned on Indian army and government. The Pakistan National Assembly and Punjab Provincial Assembly have accused India for hostile actions on the LoC. But even after this resolution, Sharif has declared that the meeting with Indian PM Manmohan Singh at New York in September will not be in jeopardy.

India needs to act very decisively and diplomatically, if it has to establish good relations with Pakistan. While doing so, it has to safeguard the interests of its countrymen and maintain peace and order in the country. A careful plan needs to be chalked out for Kashmir.

Good governance is a key to sound economy

India’s economy is crumbling by the day. The Indian currency, rupee, has hit a record low of 65 against the U.S. dollar in the past few days and the plunge continues to the extent that Deutsche Bank has claimed that rupee may tumble to as low as 70 in the coming months.

But the situation is not as worse as the way it was in 2011. In the year 2011, the rupee went from  44.80 to 54.20 in a few months. This means that the rupee almost fell down to over 20 percent against the dollar in a matter of few months; whereas, this time around, the decline in rupee is around only 10 percent (from June till now).

There was no hue and cry back then.  But the gloom and doom overspread in the media and public debate in the country over the plummet in the rupee is hard to justify. World Bank chief economist Kaushik Basu who is also a former chief economic adviser to the Indian government said on this issue that the current situation is not as nearly as bad as very often being reflected in the headlines.

The fear which has grown into the minds of the people regarding the fall of rupee is mainly due to lack of confidence in the government. The economy is crashing down, the market is terribly unstable and the government has done little to improvise the situation.

The scenario relating to economy hasn’t changed much in the past few months.  Food inflation is high,  the current account deficit (CAD) is widening, Gross domestic product (GDP) growth is low, imports are ballooning, the bulk of mega projects are yet to take off or are moving slowly.

The main problem with Indian economy is that our imports are way more than our exports, due to which the current account deficit has been burgeoning day by day. In such case, the weakening of rupee should be perceived as a great opportunity to produce those goods in the country which are now being imported. This shall be achieved by strengthening the manufacturing sector.

The government has a decisive role to play in boosting the economy. The RBI and the Finance Ministry lack co-ordination which has led to further disintegration of the economy. Recently, Finance Minister blamed the RBI for the predicament of the economy due to its tight monetary policy (high interest rates). RBI governor D. Subbarao backlashed at Chidambaram saying that the RBI is as committed to growth as it is to controlling inflation.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asserted that there is no throwback to the 1991 economic crisis, even if rupee is plunging. But back in 1991, due to the introduction of the ‘Foreign Economic Policy’, there was a way out of the catastrophe then.

Kaushik Basu has said that there is no substitute for ‘good governance, improved bureaucratic efficiency and better business ethos to drive growth’. Hence, in order to regain people’s faith in the system, the government needs to take stern steps and decisions and devise plans and policies accordingly. All hopes are pinned on Raghuram Rajan to revive the economy, when he joins office as the RBI governor next month.

‘Youth leaders are just for namesake’

Abdul Siddiqui is a Media student and a youth leader of Congress in Bhiwandi. In a no-holds- barred conversation, he gives an insight of his life as a youth leader and discusses few important things about the upcoming elections.

Describe your role as a youth leader.

The concept ‘youth leaders’ is a sham. They are just for namesake. We just have a nominal position. There is no participation from our side. The party leaders and members don’t involve us in any legal or authoritarian matters.  During festive celebrations or rallies, we are summoned and we just stand as showpieces. We aren’t involved in any activities of the party. Moreover, the youth leaders and members are necessarily sons/relatives of party leaders and members. It’s just that they want to remain in public eye, hence the formation of youth and student unions.

What are the prospects of Congress in the upcoming elections?

Nothing has been decided as such. Most probably, Mr. Manmohan Singh would be the Prime Ministerial candidate.We are putting our best foot forward to emerge as a winner in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Due to so much of propaganda of Narendra Modi, does Congress feels the pressure?

Definitely not! BJP and Narendra Modi are on a self-promotion spree. Due to so much propaganda of Narendra Modi, many of their party leaders are apprehended. That’s evident as recently Nitish Kumar stepped out of NDA. Due to too much endorsement of Narendra Modi, BJP is digging its own grave and definitely, Congress will take advantage of this.

Describe the situation in Bhiwandi constituency.

The main problem with Bhiwandi constituency is that there is no co-ordination between the MPs and local leaders. MPs loathe local leaders. Both of them try to pull each other’s legs.  If the statistics are anything to go by, none of the Congress person of Bhiwandi  has become a Mayor yet. Due to so much differences between the two, the local people have to suffer because their issues aren’t addressed.

If in the upcoming elections, Congress emerges as winner in your constituency, what would be the future strategies and plans?
Right now, our plan of action and strategy is to invoke people’s trust in us.  Bhiwandi is an upcoming city and we shall try our best to better the conditions here. We resolve to provide good education facilities, build better roads and create an environment of peace and harmony.

A Scarlet’s journey in the dreamland

A skimpy silhouette to adorn her svelte figure, with tantalizing kohled eyes and a pop of bright red on her lips, she sets out during the wee hours of the evening, waving out to the autowala, asking in an anomalous Goan accent, “Baiya, Film City chalega???’’

A mere mention of a 19 year old would conjure up reflections of an eccentric, cheerful girl wandering in a fairytale. But Janhavi Sawant, a junior artist in films and television, will lampoon your notions about a young soul harbouring myriad dreams.

Janhavi, an unambiguous person, possessing ‘in your face’ attitude, is also an Advertising student in a city college. Like the rest of her fellow artists, she chose this job out of necessity rather than choice. “I would’ve never entered such a profession if I had good money with me. I came to Mumbai for my further studies. I did not want to burden my parents with the fees and expenses of living in this metro city. I came in contact with few model co-ordinators through some of my friends and classmates in college, who then gave me opportunities to work as background artist in TV serials and Ad films. Recently, I have started working for films too,” she reasons.

A layman would possibly think of this job as an easy one, where you have to wear scintillating clothes and stand in the crowd, that’s all! But there’s more to it than meets the eye.  A junior artist’s sartorial choices are often been looked down upon. Describing her over the top clothing and make-up, Janhavi says, “We have to wear really loud make-up sometimes. People disregard us for the kind of clothes we wear. But we are helpless as that is part of our job!”

Even if this wasn’t enough, the profession is marred by the kind of treatment inflicted on the artists. And the tedious working hours make the life of a junior artist even more terrible! They need to slog themselves for almost 12-16 hours a day. Moreover, the unhygienic conditions on the sets and the unhealthy food served to them make this job a big ‘NO’ for anyone.

But for a dainty Janhavi, to survive in the city of dreams, Mumbai, becoming a junior artsist was the only choice left as she has to manage her college, study as well as earn money. But even after sacrificing their personal lives, working day and night, they are paid ‘peanuts’.

“I often do not go home, stay up on the sets the whole night and work till the wee hours of the morning. We have no fixed schedule. As the requirement arises, they call us at any time of the day. And there is no way saying ‘NO’ to them as they would dilly-dally in giving us assignments in the future. Even after so much toil, we have sub-standard payments as compared to the stars, who are paid a hefty amount. If I work day and night for a month, at the end, I manage to get only Rs. 25-30,000,” asserts Janhavi.

Every one of us is aware that things in the Entertainment industry work in a murkier way.  We must have come across the stressed out lives of our so-called ‘stars’. It’s no different for the junior artists either. Spilling the beans on her life in this alluring industry, Janhavi reveals, “I stay away from my family here in Mumbai. They live in Goa. I miss them a lot. Due to my tight schedule, conversing with them is a rare occasion. When I came here, I used to feel very lonely and home-sick. But as time heals all wounds, I eventually made friends here and I am leading a happy life now. But it’s true, people in the industry don’t befriend you; they rather give a cold shoulder!”

As a popular saying goes, ‘There are two sides of a coin’; in a similar fashion, this industry has given Janhavi moments to merry about. Recalling one of them, she says, “One of the lead actors of a popular TV serial complimented me by saying that I look like Hollywood actor ‘Sandra Bullock’. I went head over heels on hearing the comment.”

One of the popular fads in the industry today is the ‘size zero’ figure. Every other woman in the showbiz flaunts a tiny frame and a dented face.  On asking Janhavi, that how this trend affects her as a junior artist, she says, “The fervour has passed on us too and I am already feeling the heat. The production houses select us on the basis of our physique. And the industry is crazy about skinny girls. Recently, for a Yash raj movie, they strictly wanted girls with a zero figure. I was lucky to get that that assignment as I am petite. But for the same, I have to starve sometimes, follow a particular diet, workout hard and maintain my figure.”

Crime against women in the city has increased on a staggering rate. Janhavi, who usually commutes late in night, fears for her life due to the crime rate. “I have to go to different places for my assignments. But mostly, the shoots are in the Film City or Madh Island. Film City, I must tell you, is much safer than Madh Island. Post 12 or 12:30 in the night, it is very difficult to find a transport facility. We get autos in the Film City but it is not easy to find one in Madh Island. But fortunately, we seldom get pick-up and drop services from the production houses. I haven’t yet come across any kind of eve teasing or other crimes. But I do live in the shadows of fear created by some men in the society, says Janhavi.

However tiresome, monotonous, awful her job may be, Janhavi isn’t surely cribbing. She enjoys every split second of it, living and loving the way it has come to her and evolving daily by leaps and bounds.

The Mesmerizing Queen

Nilgiri hills

A mere mention of Ooty would conjure up images of a dark, horrifying forest where Bipasha Basu in the movie Raaz, screams for her life. But there’s more to it than what meets the eye!

Situated on the eccentric Nilgiri hills, also known as the ‘Queen of Hills’ (for its lush greenery), Ooty is a town far from the hustle-bustle of a city life and with splash of many colours, attributing to the presence of exotic tress and beautiful flowers.

How to get there?

Buses are available from Coimbatore bus depot. Also, taxis are available from Coimbatore railway station / airport. But it’s advisable to take the Mysore route because that way you can get time to explore Mysore. And surprisingly, on the way to Ooty from Mysore, one shall trip over Bandipur Tiger Reserve (Karnataka) and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (Tamil Nadu) where you can have enough of animal spotting. One can spot lots of monkeys, common langoor, deer, peacock, peahen etc.

 Attractions/ Sightseeing :

Being a hill station, Ooty has a cool climate all round the year. Summers are also chilled here. Ooty, being an abode to diverse kinds of flora, has many nature parks and gardens such as the Botanical Garden and Rose Garden. Spot distinct flowers/plants/trees here or take a ferry ride at Pykara boat house or enjoy at the cascading Pykara waterfalls. Unfortunately, when I visited there, the water dried up and the lady who passed on the ticket, exaggerated , “Paani kam, Scenery zyada!”

 The Pani kam Pykara Waterfalls (above and below)

Once in Ooty, let not the Nilgiri Mountain Railway be unexplored. Hop on to the toy train which takes you to Coonoor, which is another hill station in the lofty Nilgiri hills. The only shortcoming is that they are less in numbers but are reasonably priced; Rs. 5 per person for II class and Rs. 50 for I class. There are also toy trains available from Coonoor railway station to Ooty. Coonoor is as picturesque as Ooty . The main attractions here are Sim’s park and Dolphin’s Nose viewpoint.

Besides, you can spot marvellous tea gardens in Ooty as well as Coonoor.

Tea garden

                                                      

Khana-Shana :

Both Ooty and Coonoor are popular for authentic South Indian meals. You get varied options but ordering a thali is preferable. The Coconut rice and Sambhar are extremely lip-smacking. Besides, you can also choose to have a Gujarati/ Marwari thali. Non-vegetarians should not miss ‘Chettinad Chicken’. The most striking foodstuff one can find at these places is ‘Home-made chocolates’. Drooling, eh? They are available at almost each and every shop and local restaurants and are quite affordable. Sip on to some fresh Nilgiri tea or slurp some bitter South Indian filter coffee; be spoilt for choice!

If the sweltering heat is bothering you, pack your bags now and head to Ooty!

P.S. : Ooty is an ideal place for honeymoon! Your choice, go with your spouse alone or get bored to death with several members of your family! ;)

Camera Rolling : Fake a Smile!

 Right from one’s childhood till date, every one of us has always fantasized about our darling hero/heroine. We’ve always yearned to be like them, adorn clothes like them, have a style and attitude which our beloved star possesses or maybe fight like them! If none of the above is likely, just to meet them once in a lifetime becomes our hearty desire.

   When I ventured into the media industry (leaving behind my parent’s expectations), I started considering Bollywood as the most glamorous industry as all things starry, blingy catches your eye! But trust me, it seems alluring only if you are outside of it, a step into this sensational world, and all the truths shall be bared! As you go deep, it becomes murkier and there comes a point, when you feel fed up, at the verge of giving up and for the rest of your life, you regret to be a part of this industry ever!

  All these are reminiscent of the days I worked for a self-proclaimed ‘No. 1 news channel’ as an ‘Entertainment Reporter’. I was pretty excited when I joined the office because it was finally the time I would get a chance to meet my favourite celebs. I did get one, many a times! But within few days of reporting, visiting sets and studios, I realized I am into one of the worst jobs in the world. Tedious working hours, fake faces smiling at you whereas they back-bite as soon as you move ahead.

If this wasn’t enough, the ever tantrum throwing stars are the biggest pain in your neck! Whenever I used to approach them for a byte, there was a stern straight face ‘NO’ or a pissed off ‘Ok, do it fast’ retort. For me, the most astounding moment used to come when the cameraman used to utter, “Camera Rolling!!!”. The so-called admired stars in all their frustrated or haughty demeanour, had a big smile on their faces as though they were the only angelic creations on Earth and as if they love their audiences a lot! Everything is a sham here, even you have to be a fake at times and in the process, you might lose your identity to an extent that one day you shall question yourself, “What was I and what have I become????”

But what I consider as the nastiest part of my job is the relentless biting of mosquitoes on the sets! How awful of me to write this! But seriously, more than the grumpy celebs, these mosquitoes have troubled me. As I watch a scene being shot in front of me, I scratch my hands and feet. Pathetic, isn’t it?

But anyways, I’ve had my share of enjoyment and depressive moments whilst my working period. There are many things which I shall be apologetic in my whole life, taking this job might be one! But as there are two sides of a coin, there were many joyous moments which I shall cherish forever. Whatever happens, life goes on! Clueless about the future or whatever grim has taken place, we should strive hard to make it better and never forget to SMILE, the REAL one!

P.S. : Haven’t taken any cues from Madhur Bhandarkar’s Page 3 or Heroine!!!!!