Sunday, March 20, 2011

India will not be a superpower but it won't collapse either

INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

Bangalore-based historian and writer Ramachandra Guha spoke to TSI's Satish Chapparike about the many challenges that India faces. Excerpts from the interview...

Do you really think Indians lack a sense of history?

One cannot and should not make generalisations about a whole nationality: Indians are like this, foreigners are like that. But we certainly need much more historical sense. History is part of modern society. Young Indians are curious about history. May be in the past they were not. But now they are. They want to know how this country was made, the major leaders and the controversies involving the figures who created India. It is a mistake to think that we are not interested in history. If we are not interested in history, why would a 900-page book like India after Gandhi be translated in Kannada? Also in the pipeline are translations of the book in Malayalam, Tamil and other languages. I think there is a growing interest in history in India.

What about the political abuse of history in India?

That is indeed a problem. History is susceptible to abuse or misuse by political parties. Scholars must be careful in this regard. As far as Indian scholars are concerned, I think they are doing a honest and serious job. But the political parties jump in. They either want to present a one-sided interpretation or if someone comes up with book which doesn't suit them, they ban it. That is a very unhealthy atmosphere. For example, Shiv Sena threatened the author of Shivaji (James W Lane) and the Congress threatened the Spanish author who wrote a book on Sonia Gandhi (Javier Moro). But on the whole, Indians are getting increasingly curious about history. They want to understand history in greater complexity and diversity.

Do you think we got Independence at the right moment?

The important thing is that we got it. Yes, things could have been different, but we were prepared for Independence. Of course, some mistakes were made. The loss of life during Partition was extremely tragic. Perhaps the political class should have been wiser, not all, some of them. For example, the Viceroy was advised to deploy more army detachments in Punjab region; he failed to do that. So there was more violence in Punjab. Gandhiji appealed to Jinnah for peace but he refused to sign the peace deal. Some mistakes were made, but I don't think we were not prepared for Independence.

Your take on socio-economic development of India in the last six decades'

I talked about it in my book. I wrote that in India 50 per cent democracy exists. That means we have achieved 50 per cent success. We have a free press, we hold regular elections and we have stayed united as a country. Now we are a growing economy too. On the other side, there are growing inequalities, decline of the political system, environmental degradation and a great urban-rural divide. As an experiment in nation-building, India is only a modest success. The important thing in history is to recognise the gray shades, and not just the black and white. The truth is India is full of contradiction. Some parts are doing well. Others are doing terribly. Democracy in India is robust. For example, we hold this complex election in which 400-500 million people vote. It is a phenomenal exercise. We do it better than most western countries. That is very impressive. But political and other institutions are decaying.

Do you want India to become a superpower?

Not me. Some people have a kind of inferiority complex. That stems from comparison with the West. Some of us think that to overcome it we must become as strong as the US or China. Some sections of the political, media and business elite in New Delhi and the young middle class in general want India to take on the world and become a superpower. But my thinking is different. I want India to be more at peace with itself.

What about the China-India race?

The good thing is that we have put the border war behind us. In the 1950s and 1960s, after that defeat in the war, we had a huge complex about China. We said they are unreliable and that they had betrayed us. Slowly we are evolving a healthy relationship with China. But there are a few unhealthy aspects in this relationship. For one, we have not put enough conditions for the export of raw material from India to China. Not just iron ore from Karnataka, but also bauxite from Orissa and central India. Unregulated mining has wreaked havoc. Forget the corruption; think about environmental and social problems, and all these for feeding the hunger of the Chinese economy. The Chinese are destroying our environment and protecting theirs. In this respect we are very short-sighted. These are the kinds of things we have to be very careful about, not the military side. We are not going to have a war with China.

What do you make of India's disturbed neighbourhood?

The developments in Pakistan and Afghanistan will have a long-term effect on us. We live in a very unstable neighbourhood. Nepal is also highly unstable: are the Maoists there really interested in the democratic process or do they want to go back to the jungle? We don't know. Sri Lanka is just coming out of civil war. Pakistan is on the brink. We have to be very alert.

The threat of red terror is worsening by the day'

I don't like the phrase 'red terror'. These are all catchy media phrases. Again, this is a serious, complex problem and its roots lie in deprivation of the tribal population whom the government has ignored for decades. But at the same time I don't approve of the violence at all. The Maoists of India would be well advised to enter the democratic process. They have to abandon armed struggle and fight elections. If they want to change the policies, they must do so through elections and by entering the government. At the moment violence is taking a heavy toll.

Keeping these things in mind, isn't it still relevant to ask: will India survive?

I posed that question in my book because everyone thought that India will break or it will come under military rule or there will be a civil war. I have to ask, why does India survive? Why this contradiction and puzzle called India, how did it survive? I think India will stumble along. We are not going to become a superpower but neither are we ever going to collapse.

What are the future projects that you are working on?

I have just edited an anthology of 150 years of Indian political writing by personalities ranging from Raja Rammohan Roy to Jayaprakash Narayan. The most interesting thinkers of India writing about gender, caste, nationalism, language, economic policy will be in this book. Some of them are, of course well-known people like Gandhi and Nehru, while there are also lesser known thinkers like Tarabai Shinde and Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay. The book will be out in October. I am also working on a new biography of Mahatma Gandhi. It will take six to seven years to complete.
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Arindam Chaudhuri: Movie time for Kapil Sibal
Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU): Students' Unions can not be banned
The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
Role of Media in the moulding of youth


| Arindam Chaudhuri | GIDF | Planman Consulting | Business & Economy | 4Ps Business & Marketing | The Sunday Indian | The Human Factor | The Daily Indian | Kkoooljobs.com | Amaze, New Delhi | IIPM Old Brochure | IIPM 4Ps Quiz | Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Alternative Budget | For IIPM Students |

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

THE EXPENDABLES: Adrenaline overdrive

INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

TSI Five-O: Good enough if you seek a break after a series of rom coms

If you think Rocky Balboa is back with a bang in yet another avatar, you're highly mistaken! 'The Expendables' greets us with a loaded star cast, unlimited explosions and action, a few twists, some humour, a bunch of clich's and a few surprises too but still manages to barely scrape past the finishing line. It's a flick for those who are hardcore Stallone fans and would watch anything that he stars in. The action is all there but the fun is sometimes subdued due to poor camera handling. The zoom in and out is so extensive that it seems as if one is covering the action scenes live with a handy-cam. 'The Expendables' is a hard-hitting action/thriller about a group of mercenaries hired to infiltrate a South American country and overthrow its ruthless dictator. Enough reason to have A-list action stars like Jason Statham and Jet Li along with Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, and Randy Couture run rampant. Statham, though, takes the cake while there a couple of surprise cameos as well. It's worth a watch for those who like paying to see their heroes get bloody.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri's Snaps
Arindam Chaudhuri: Movie time for Kapil Sibal
Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
Role of Media in the moulding of youth

Sunday, March 13, 2011

DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS: Game for another 'Bheja Fry'

Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India

TSI Five-O: A DVD of 'Bheja Fry' would be far more entertaining


Remember 'Bheja Fry'? If you do, then 'Dinner for Schmucks' is going to feel like one long d'j' vu, and an annoying one at that. But in all fairness, 'Bheja Fry' too was entirely lifted from the 1998 French film 'The Dinner Game' ('Le d'ner de cons '). This time Paul Rudd reprises the role, previously played by Rajat Kapoor, of the corporate guy who needs to bring a dolt to a dinner organised by his boss. Steve Carrell is the schmuck who makes mice dioramas and carries their photographs with him. The difference in this film is that Tim (Paul Rudd) is not a lying, cheating guy but a nice guy going for the dinner just for the promotion. So when Barry (Steve) enters his life and begins to wreck it, you actually feel sorry for the poor chap and the moral in the story takes a back seat this time around. The script is much sillier and the jokes make you cringe more often than guffaw. 'Dinner for Schmucks' is guaranteed to deep-fry your brains.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES
IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri's Snaps
Arindam Chaudhuri: Movie time for Kapil Sibal
Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU): Students' Unions can not be banned
The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
Role of Media in the moulding of youth

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

The Sanjay Dutt dossier

INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

Sanjay Dutt's three decades in the Hindi film industry have been as turbulent as they have been tumultuous. In a chat with Subhash K Jha, Sanju Baba gets candid on Amar Singh, wife Maanyata and his relationship with his sisters

Sanjay DuttSanjay, how is life treating you?

It couldn't be better. I'm happy with my marriage, career and the handful of friends I can trust. I can count them on the tips of my fingers.

What do you think about your mentor Amar Singh turning into a movie actor?

He's pretty good at whatever he does. He's quite a movie buff.

Looking back, do you think that going into politics was a mistake?

I wasn't there for politics. I was there for Amar Singh. And I'll continue to be there in whatever capacity I am required. Helping people has always been my first priority. Even when I campaigned during elections for the Samajwadi Party, I was actually looking after Amar Singh, who was not very well. I was more concerned about him than the party, while he was slogging through his illness for the party. Now see, what the party has done for him. I'm glad he has dissassociated himself from the party.

You too have been through your share of betrayals?

That's what I told Amar Singh when his party had let him down. I told him it was God sent opportunity to know who his real friends are.

Your loyalty to Amar Singh remains unchanged?

He's more of a family than a politician for me. He has always been there for me during bad times. I respect him for that. I'll stand by him unconditionally. He's much misunderstood and even his political party misused him.

How often do you meet him now?

He doesn't come to Mumbai that often. But I visit him in Delhi and Lucknow.

Your dad Sunil Dutt was a fabulous politician. Do you think politics is your cup of tea?

As I said, I did it for my brother, Amar Singh. Otherwise, politics is not my thing. Even my father was not really a politician. He wanted to help and bring about a change. When he took up an agenda, he saw it to the end. He promoted hockey in such a big way. I think he was more (of) a social worker. Politics was just a platform to achieve his means. Maybe you're right. I joined politics for emotional reasons rather than practical reasons.

Your career suffered because of politics?

Not at all. My movies, 'All The Best' did well. It came after I joined hands with Amar Singh. Although 'Blue' went over-budget.

Why don't you do a full-on action film?

I think the action movies are going through a bad phase in this country. We've to reach the level of the action which is seen in 'Iron Man' and 'Avatar'. Sadly, our cinema doesn't have an international market. I wonder why? If Chinese and Korean cinema can have a global market, why can't we? I think we need to change the way we make our movies for the global audience.

You're venturing into film production now?

Yes, we got delayed because of the recession. I don't want to make a small-budget film. My first film has to be a lavish spectacle. I think my film with David Dhawan would be the first Sanjay Dutt Production. But first let the industry recover from the recession. In my 30-year career, I've never seen such bad times in the industry.

Are you happy?

Very happy. It has been a 30-year innings. Things have changed so much in the industry. I'm lucky to have survived.

On a personal level?

Oh, I am very happy. My wife Maanyata really takes good care of me.

And your relationship with your sisters?

Perfect. Every family has its ups and downs. Our differences came into the news because we're the Dutts. Every household has its fights. But we can never be apart. We're the same blood.

What about a baby?

Maanyata and I really want to have a child. Let's see.

Anything else that you really want?

All I want is my freedom. I just need that one line from the law, 'You're free'. Every day I pray to be free. Otherwise everything is fine, I've started working out. And I am back in shape. I don't drink at all.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri's Snaps
An array of unconventional career options
Arindam Chaudhuri: Movie time for Kapil Sibal

Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU): Students' Unions can not be banned

The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
Role of Media in the moulding of youth