Know your rights.. Against sexual harrasment

This is an attempt to speak out against women harassment. Below are a few blogs which address the cause:

http://www.blanknoiseactionheroes.blogspot.com/
http://hemanginigupta.blogspot.com/

Section 354: Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty, under the Prevention of Harassment of Women Act, 1998 reads as:

Whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby outrage her modesty, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

Section 509, under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) reads as follows:

Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman. – Whoever, intending to insult the modesty of any woman, utters any word, makes any sound or gesture, or exhibits any object, intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen, by such woman, or intrudes upon the privacy of such woman, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine or with both.

Please forward this to as many people as possible, it will help in stopping crime against women!

Slumdog Millionnaire

Stereotyping of Indians come with exceptional camera and allied technical specifications in the Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire. The movie relates each question in the Indian version of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' to the life of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) in his journey to find his lady love Latika (Frieda Pinto). The direction inputs are offered by Danny Boyle. It has perfect contrast in presentation of sky high buildings, the Hindu deity Lord Rama, angry mob killing mercilessly at Muslim dominated area, call centres and Jamal Malik - the Chaiwala. The movie is based on the debut Novel "Q & A" written by Vikas Swarup.

Finding her is not that easy, but the hero braves all odds. It begins with the last Rs 20 Million question and a flashback to his childhood.

The unfortunate part is Jamal's brother Salim, who stabs his trust by first leaving childhood love Latika while running from a centre meant to train kids to become experts in begging. They ran just before Jamal's eyes were to be spooned out! Second when Jamal found her again, his brother kept Latika in captivity.

SM has the Taj Mahal, to a kid whose eyes were spooned out pose them to fetch better Alms. From brothels, world of gangsters and of course a ray of hope, exactly its the show 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire'. The show host (played by Anil Kapoor) feds in wrong answer to a question Jamal did not know the answer to. Still Jamal chooses the right answer.

This gets the host to consider that Jamal might be a fraud, cheat, and hands him over to the Police. The contention behind his arrest was, you see Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers do not go beyond Rs. 16,000, what can a slumdog possibly know?? The slumdog was on Rs. 10 Million! Jamal manages to comes out clean based on the narration of explanation about how he knew answer to each of those questions. And he knew that a 100 dollar note has Benjamin Franklin, but did not know that a Rs. 1000 note has Mahatma Gandhi on it. During the night in police custody, he braved the electric shocks, and sticks while being tied to the roof.

Its not money but the belief that Latika would be watching, takes him on the show. She watched and managed to gain Salim's mercy and runs away from the clutches of the gangster. At last they meet, in a safer place. Salim is dead, and Javed Bhai (the gangster) too has been killed. The movie ends with a safe place for Latika and Jamal. With an optimism to be together forever.

Please share your opinion /comments on following :

1. Whether the movie would have won so many accolades had it been directed by an Indian?
2. Does the movie has an inherent advantage of being directed by a western, despite the fact that numerous bollywood movies associating with it?
3. The sheer fact for winning accolades was that it was genuinely a good movie.

Thought I agree to the third one, and would say that 'Movie is a piece of art and SM has an exceptional narration in the most creative fashion'. This is strengthened from the acclaimed received from Indian music maestro A R Rahman who brought home India's very first Oscars for his compositions in the film.

Before coming down to any criticism on depiction of India, I would urge to please stand corrected, numerous Indian films find close resemblance with it, like Sarak, Contract, etc. Besides movies, let us not forget that the nation is full of hate mongers, always ready to offer offensive comments on people from different identity, this ranges from road rage to religion etc.. you know all the drama right!

So let the world speak of our bad too and let us not be too autocratic on only India Shinning features. Lets try and be good, I mean genuinely good.

Don't condemn the language of creativity

Well we are criticising Mr. Ram Gopal Verma for his presence at the Taj, with the CM. He deserves this criticism. After all, India was shattered! Some 10 odd infiltrators taking refuge at the top-end locales, bombing us mercilessly. Mr. Verma was wrong to explicitely hold his commercial interests over the phase which the nation went through. The 60 hour long seige got the entire nation to a stand-still.

Is there any harm in filming the recent Mumbai Seige, or call it 26/11, 2008?
I dont see any!

Movies, theatre, and other forms of art, are ointments for social healing. They reflect the sensibilities of mankind, mirror social - remember the chatter bug that seem to have hit our unsensitive politicians.

As a medium, they reiterate that out intelligence is not upto the mark. It highlight the need for better security. They reflect the diplomacy going around.
We will keep condemning the attacks sitting at some high end eatery, or at the closed walls of our rooms. But the power of cinema will take it to theatre at the interiors of nation.

Movies reflection of society, a historical documentation, reflecting the society and the civilization. The gen next will bank on media archives collected at the virtual world, let them know, let them understand, let us give them the art to better find their way out, rather than messing up the facts.

Let us mature, please dont condemn the art. Bollywood has been credited with maximum film productions in the world reaching out to the tune of 9,000, in various langauges.

Please dont condemn the prospects of reeling up the seige, as these fictional accounts speaks volume about the gravity of the crisis, and bring the unsaid to the forefront.
For more pics, log on to

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/talkingpictures/TalkingPic-Mumbai-Attack.aspx

Permeable routes, irresponsible cues

Sunday the 30th November 2008, saw mass protests, condemning the series of 60 hour long attacks in the financial capital of India. Indiscriminate firing and binding hostages at the gun point by terrorists allegedly linked to Indian neighbour. I offer my heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families. I salute those martyred during the rescue operations....

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I am confident this will happen again, as such instances are not new to India. Terrorists were equipped to blow off 5,000 people and planted bombs at the two landmark hotels. They were waiting for the bombs to blow, so that they can escape the security cover. Thankfully the bombs did not blow at the Taj, and the one which blew at Oberio did not cause any causalities. Sadly only one terrorist was arrested, remaining were killed.

The government officials are already officially declaring their bid of resignations - seemingly this is what they think they can do at max, after exhibiting uncaring attitude for running a state.

Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, took his actor son Ritesh Deshmukh and renowned director Ram Gopal Verma for a stroll in Mumbai’s upscale Taj Heritage posts the attacks. This is seen as a gravely irresponsible act on his part. He had to resign amid stubborn circumstances.

RR Patil, Deputy CM, commented, such instances happen in big cities. This was understood as an irresponsible remark. He has quit from his official designation.

Shivraj Patil, Indian Home Minister has always been feeling the heat whenever terror strikes India. He has quit. Reason being repeated failure in the intelligence network.

Intelligence from Israel and US have come down to Mumbai, to track the 3 days long turf. We need an efficient intelligence, better vigilance, and responsible handling of crisis doing away with casual remarks by the official dignitaries. Our permeable borders and coastlines are paving ways for infiltrators. Bombings could have been averted with sleep inducing chemicals, which could have helped in catching the terrorists alive. Apparently India does not have access to these kinds of tools, which might have put India - now responsible nuclear power, on a better crisis management or to put it as terrorism management denominator.

Terror is not new to India, we are the second worst hit nation with terror in the world after Israel. This calls for assigning greater importance towards measures curbing terrorism and after attack policies. We have to holistically deal with development in economic front and supplement it with better and respectful human resource management. Such setbacks have been reported repeatedly. But no breakthrough in this regard has been achieved so far.

Politicians will propose setting up federal agencies, redrafting laws, and imparting training etc. But this practice is available more on papers than on practice. Socialists and media often catch flaws on the part administration's mishandling of such crisis. Catching the innocents in lieu of getting a pat on their backs is a commonplace for administrators during such times.

How do we mend it?

Do we see our policemen able enough to stand tall when a 20 something is firing indiscrimately?

Do we see out terror squads not letting innocents die, and handle the situation as responsible national representatives?

Can the government handle the situation anymore or should we start off with an NGO initiative aimed at imparting training to common man towards better management of terror crisis?

I am sure the government is working towards documenting the aforementioned points.

Awaiting detailed policy guidelines - on papers!

Terrorists yet again attack Mumbai !

Taj Heritage Property - Mumbai

Reflecting deconstruction from Mumbai attacks

Thakrey's are non vocal! Seems they are everready to breed hatered, so how can they miss this chance? Terrorists stroamed into their beloved Mumbai, and the city has come to a still initiated with the shootouts late at night on 26th November 2007.

Terrorist attack, justifying warnings to target Mumbai after attacks in New Delhi.

This is understood as India's gravest terror attack. Its been more than 40 hours now, and no breakthrough has been achieved on the Mumbai terror attack. Taj Heritage, Trident Oberoi and Nariman House, the three battle fields are on the top priority for news feeders across the globe. Everyone around are hooked to television sets to hear on some breakthrough on mission.

As I understand from the news updates that the terror mongers are Pakistan based, we know the reason - illtreatment of one community in India, non-observance of sharia law amongst, Kashmir issue others. They are not ready to negotiate. They are here to kill as many as possible and ultimately lie on hells lap!

But hello, would you be telling us what we should do with our policies? They pretty well control their operations with efficiency, but they cant run an economy, as for operating an economy one has to have constructing psyche, as against bulging brains for distruction.

I am sure we will come out of it, strong and well equiped to get them out from their caves alive. We are not scared, but now we are better able to braved the attacks and make them smell their shoes. In times like this, there in no hero and its not a fictional tale, we have to stand up stronger, be attentive and support the administration.

I look forward to your responses!

Haridwar Herald - dedicated to Papaji!!

My Haridwar chapter, for the second time again was on a sad note. It left me all the more delighted and refreshed. My paternal grandfather, I use to call him 'Papaji' passed away on 1st November 2008, he died as his suger level was high along with dropping blood pressure, as low as 35. He was admitted in ICU at Tirath Ram Shah Hospital and during his last days he could barely utter, or open his eyes, or even move. he kept lying on the bed, and was being feeded life through a drip on his right hand, oxygen nozzel connecting his nose and his head tilted towards the left. He was paralysed. 

On the 10th November 2008, we had to go to haridwar to perform his last rites. The thought of visiting to haridwar got me thinking that the river would be stinkingly polluted, but as against by belief it was not. We went to Nigam Bodh Ghaat to collect his ashes, which as per hindu mythology are supposed to be simmered in Ganges river. While simmering his askes in the water I felt as if I have lost someone who was very dear to me. He was one of the most jolly, musical, fun loving person for me. He use to help me make strange creative stuff out of piles of rubble. 

I still miss him, when ever I encounter the streets where he use to accompany me, while I go to the bank where he got my account operated, at the barber shop, where we use to have stylish hair cuts from the barber, under his directions!

Author's Note: At last, no matter how logic-less, baseless I found the last rite ceremony, I feel that he has been fared a lovely goodbye from my-side. 

A Wednesday - should have been a non fiction

I wish someone would actualize this fiction!

This flick is a day's account of planning by a "stupid common man" which shook Mumbai's administration. It attempts to convey to the people, it attempts to educate the administration, it attempts to inform the terror! The movie has three dimensions attached to it as to! Namingly, how the administration looks at it? What do the terrorists think of it? And what a common man does?

It begun with a “stupid common man” – named? Anonymous! He visits the police station to file a complaint of his lost wallet, and successfully places a bomb in the Mumbai Police Headquarters. Follows a call to the top cop warning him of bomb blasts across Mumbai, which can be avoided if 4 terrorists were relieved. The negotiations proceeds in a very strategic way. In the meantime he informs a TV journalist to keep himself abreast with live developments on the idiot box.

This is no melodrama, it shows how confidentially and abruptly the police force gets to the act, to knowingly surrender to the demands of an anonymous. Side by side the police arrange a professional hacker, a college dropout by choice, to crack the location of anonymous. Mildly mentioning the laxity on technology updation by the police department, the hacker gets on to the task assigned. Also they try to fetch the sketch os the person who came to file the FIR for his lost wallet, as the police man who filed the case made out that this bag was with the same man.

Assigning deadlines to every negotiation, the anonymous finally succeeds in getting the terror mongers to the desired location, the Air force base. He orders the police in a con-call to follow as he says, make the four of terrorists stand at bench close-by and step out of the place immediately. They followed his orders, but left only 3 of the terrorists at the spot assigned so that they don’t loose the hold on the situation. Walking merely a few steps, a mobile phone set below the bench rings. One of the terrorists picks it up and they explode to ashes.

The explosion leaves the police clueless. The fourth terrorist is terrorized. Again a con-call with the anonymous reveals that he is a common man trying to take revenge from those who blew apart his acquaintances, people whom he did not know by name, but met then everyday in the train and said “hello” to them. He demands the fourth terrorist to be killed then only he would reveal the location of the bombs, and the same should be verified on TV. He got the news, “four terrorists killed in a bid to run away. They were being relocated. Police had to kill them”. Hacker’s computer screen blinks with the location of Mr. Anonymous.
His last call to the top cop says “there were no bombs”. ACP Rathor consents to him by saying that I know, and heads towards the location which the hacker cracked. And Mr. Anonymous destroys his apparatus and rushes out of the place with his vegetable bag.

They met, had a brief chat, not about the incidence, just a normal chat, what’s the time? ACP Rathor was sure of the identity of Mr. Anonymous as he had the sketch of the person who came to file the FIR. They introduce each other, but Mr. Anomymous remains anonymous for the audience. For the ACP, name depicts ones religion – which is the cause of concern.