Films reflecting dimensions of real life experiences lacking in current presentations

Chief Minister V.S.Achuthanandan has rightly observed films should reflect lives and then only there would be progress in the industry.

Malayalam films these days are apparently violence-prone, in the sense even the goody-goody super hero indulges in feats of violence one way or other transcending human frailties. These lack sensibility in the real sense.

I heard a comment by Sathyan Anthikad on television that a super hero’s films started receiving less public acclaim only because his characters had turned super human.
Films are telecast every day, most of whom are projecting super human heroes, that is ordinary heroes accomplishing impossible feats.

It would appear real if they don roles of superman, batman and the like because people expect super human feats from such characters.

Even the ageing actors who have talents in the most accomplished realms have a lot to contribute in a realistic way. Either they are taking up roles of characters transcending reality or they are being conferred with such roles by others to suit their convenience. That way the audience are the loosers, for these actors have the talent to act in other realistic roles fitting their age and experience but such contributions are lacking.

If the present state of affairs continues , there would be disadvantages all around, to the film buffs, the industry and the actors themselves.

Sad news items, what is happening to this world?

Monday morning opened up with the sad news of the train tragedy in West Bengal in which over 50 people were killed and hundreds injured. This could have happened because of human error, it is presumed. Ordinary people are the butt of tragedies caused by absent minds, possibly.

On Sunday, near Tiruvalla, in Kerala, a whole family was enjoying the boon of a new car for them. The father was driving the new vehicle, his two daughters were in the car which was being taken out in reverse gear to go to church. The mother was behind, closing the gate. The car lost control and it plunged into the ferocious river, killing the two girls. The father attempted suicide, but still alive, the mother is shell-shocked. What could explain this phenomenon?

The other day, a woman was killed by her paramour who was accosted through missed calls from mobile phone. The paramour killed the woman, took away her ornaments and later he was nabbed. All these things happened when the husband was around, he was sleeping in the next room. Initially the police seemed to have suspected him.
To tag these things along, there was a girl who was driving a two-wheeler in an inebriated condition, hitting several targets in an uncontrolled fashion. Whoever chided her received choicest abuses from her. Cannot a girl take liquor, cannot a girl ride a two-wheeler, in an inebriated condition, she seemed to have asked.
Where are we heading for?

Thank God, there would be further talks between India and Pakistan

Pak Foreign Minister Qureshi wants India to simply solve the Kashmir problem by agreeing to whatever that country wants, it seems.

From media reports Qureshi has always been seen as a hawk and, therefore, it has been characteristic of him to draw parallel between India’s Home Secretary G.K.Pillai and terrorist Hafiz Saeed.

Somehow it has come convenient to him to expect that India would offer the moon, in spite of Pak terrorists indulging in a killing-spree in Mumbai. One of the killers is in Indian custody!!!

Qureshi says he was willing for anything, but India was intransigent and External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna was taking orders from New Delhi.

Where else should Krishna take orders from? And as for Qureshi, will the Government of Pakistan, let alone the numerous terrorist organizations, heed to Qureshi, if he offers something?

Qureshi’s public outbursts might have been meant to appease the home audience, including terrorist outfits which do not want any solution to core issues. They can thrive only in disputes.

India should not be disillusioned by such outbursts, for there is no predictability for whatever is happening in Pakistan.

This neighbour cannot be replaced at all and, therefore, all avenues of living with it should be probed and peace secured through continued dialogue.

Sure strides in the international economic arena

No doubt, India is going ahead with sure strides in the economic sphere, the latest indication being the decision to fix a numerical symbol for the rupee.
Dollar, pound, euro and yen have numerical symbols which are recognized the world over. Now that India is considered an emerging economic power in the years to come, it is only proper that we have gone in for an official symbol.

The government has made it clear that it would become functional in two years, for the symbol has to be etched in various instrumentalities.

Running parallel to the strides, the government should ensure adequate measures to take care of the have-nots in the country. Ultimately, all should fall in the mainstream of development. Of course, the government is keen on it. One indication is the government’s concern to provide educational loans to the needy students so that they would acquire good education and contribute to the development of self and the nation.

Similarly, all sorts of assistance should be provided for food security, and proper housing.

See, the tendency of big companies is to milk the people, for example the reluctance of the petroleum companies to reduce the price of petroleum products. They have only got the power, and they are using the power the wrong way. Are they concerned about the plight of the common people?

What a shame, a drunken patient kills another patient!!!

Morning’s bugle was about the killing of a weak patient by a drunken patient in the closed ward of the General Hospital, Ernakulam, on Wednesday.

Three more patients were injured in the attack by the liquor addict. It is learnt that the attacker was simply beating others with a stick.

The fellow appears to have been suffering from withdrawal syndrome. He wants liquor at any cost. What can other poor patients do to the demands of this fellow?
Definitely, confining the violent person with others was a mistake. Maybe, there was no separate block for treating addicts.

With escalating instances of violence unleashed by drug and liquor addicts, there is a crying need for setting up separate de-addiction centres at government expense. The government which gets a lot of revenue from sale of liquor should set apart sufficient funds for the purpose.

Drugs and liquor are available at joints everywhere in the state. In the days to come, the state would be forced to face violence from addicts of all kinds.

There should be no hurry to arrest Madani

India is notorious for being very slow in dispensation of justice because of the rigmarole involved in the legal procedures and the mounting number of cases in courts. Also we have the tradition of not condemning anybody without proper proof. More than that, every effort is being made to see that the other party should be convinced that he could get justice.

On that score, there should be no hurry in arresting PDP leader Abdul Naser Madani. The leader and his acolytes should not entertain the feeling that justice was denied.
Therefore, the police can wait until Madani exhausts all avenues of legal procedures.
Personally, I don’t think the Karnataka police would hastily arrest him. For that would be found to be expeditious disposal in the wrong way. Our administrators are shrewd enough not to step into foolish situations.

After all, if proof is proof that would be there even after going through a little more of court procedures.

All have to go through the drill of Fate, howsoever high and mighty they may be

Alexander the Great, who conquered all the-then known worlds, had died of a common cold!!!The futility of conquests could be best exemplified by the ordinary death of the great personality.

Southern Naval Chief of Staff Rear-Admiral Jamval, apparently, has died of an accidental self-shot wound. Things are beyond one’s imagination.

The other day a doctor succumbed to his fever infection after treatment for more than a fortnight in hospital. Could his life have been saved?

All sorts of viruses, physical and mental, are creeping into the lives of the people. That may be why mankind, disregarding the unworthiness of attacking others for some gains, or sometimes for no gains than egoism, goes on assaulting others. In fact, one man’s freedom ends at arms length of the other.

Would anyone care to leave the fellow beings to his freedom?

I have seen a lot of worthies holding crucial positions going mean, leading rotten selfish lives, some for a regular supply of bottles of the inebriating kind. People say we have to compromise and be with the mainstream.
But there should be the freedom for a man to remain as he is even as he allows others to have their way of life.

Pawar’s ICC presidentship is prime moment for the PM to reshuffle Cabinet

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has got a golden opportunity to reshuffle his Cabinet without his taking an initiative.

In the Cabinet system of government, it is the prerogative of the Prime Minister to select his Cabinet colleagues. That is true, of course, in a general way. But in a coalition set-up, many considerations creep in with regard to Cabinet formation and consequent tinkering with it.

And Dr Manmohan Singh has been giving prompt ear to Congress President Sonia Gandhi in such matters. And it should be like that only, although political rivals may scoff at the idea.

Now Nationalist Congress leader Sharad Pawar himself has approached the Prime Minister to ease him of some of his Ministerial burdens, now that he has another onerous duty to perform as the president of the ICC. Already there have been allegations that Pawar may not be able to devote full attention to the duties enjoined on him as ICC chief as he is burdened with serious Cabinet responsibilities.
It is generally believed that the PM may go in for some sort of changes in the Cabinet, may be easing out some, making changes in the portfolios of a few and adding new ones to the bandwagon.

Issues like price rise, hike in prices of petroleum products and the like haranguing him, the PM has an opportunity to stem the rot.

For political parties calling for a hartal or bandh is easy; it is nothing but arm-chair politics

The nation is witnessing the worst form of bandh and hartal on Monday, for the Left parties and the BJP have called for the bandh the same day. Although the parties have organised the agitation separately, the people are bearing the brunt of its cumulative effect.

Even the smallest of political parties can organise a hartal or bandh easily. A few workers can forcibly close shops, trade establishments, stop buses and taxis from plying services.

Now-a-days, even force need not be exerted, for the people themselves choose to remain indoors for fear of violence. No one is prepared to take risks, and it should be like that only. Why should the people walk into trouble, for no noble cause?

Actually, if the political parties, whichever these may be, should have taken out foot processions in each corner of the country to protest against the hike in price and to apprise the people of the ill effects. For making this a success a lot of ground work is needed, participation of the grass-roots level work is essential.

For calling for a bandh, nothing of the sort is needed, actually no effort is enjoined.

This sort of agitation is nothing but arm-chair politics, the leaders can gloat over it and the people should bear it.

Congress leadership may be in a dilemma over whom to promote, son or daughter

Senior Congress leader K.Karunakaran has fired another salvo against the present organisational elections of the party in Kerala. He does not approve of the ‘farce’. Someone is trying to corner the party. Whether the cornering is done by Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala or either one severally has not been clarified.

Karunakaran would meet the High Command once again and then decide about the future course of action. That means there may be one more visit of the veteran to Delhi to call on Sonia Gandhi.

Karunakaran has said it in black and white. But suppose the party reveals all the developments, it may be causing confusion.

These days his son, K.Muraleedharan, and daughter, Padmaja, have been in different camps. Karunakaran wants plum posts for both. But apparently, Padmaja is not amenable to offering much to Muraleedharan.

And Padmaja has grown to lead a coterie of her own. What can the party do in the circumstances? Maybe, take both the children and give them their due.