2015: The Year That Was!!

In a few hours Year 2015 vanishes into the dark marshes of history never to return & a vibrant & youthful 2016 is waiting to emerge into the horizon. The old gives way to the new; unfortunately, though in politics it is never a smooth transition, for the new snatch from the old what they think is rightfully theirs.

My New Year resolution on regular exercise was followed diligently, but has done no  difference to my weight though, much similar to the Indian economy where bureaucracy has been well exercised & disciplined but has not done much to the weight of the Indian growth rate which remains stagnant.  Since exercise enhances fitness, hopefully, 2016 would be a turnaround year, both for me & my country.

While 2014 shall be remembered as the year of the Modi juggernaut, 2015 shall be remembered as the year when the juggernaut was finally stopped in its tracks first by an upstart – Kejriwal in the national capital New Delhi - & then latter by experienced hands – Lalu & Nitish – in Bihar. This is much like the new unicorn startup story: New startups like Flipkart, Zomato etc. build businesses after identifying unfulfilled consumer needs while established ones like Aditya Birla, Reliance at al later follow; this is exactly what happened this year. Hopefully 2016 turns out to be the year of startups producing more jobs since the target of 1.2 crore jobs for the new entrants into the job market every year is unlikely to be met by the govt. alone.

In 2015 we finally realized that “We Cannot Breathe”, off course, only after a prod from the courts. Neither civil society realized it on its own nor have our elected representatives acted with alacrity. In the quest for creating more jobs have they quietly given the quality of air a miss?; not really, for they have failed in creating jobs too.  Delhi is showing the way on tackling pollution & hopefully other cities would follow through in the New Year. With the Paris agreement in place it would be good if 2016 turn out to the year of “renewable energy”. All likeminded Indians should install a solar module on house tops & ultimately start generating additional energy to be handed over to the national grid, as is the case in Germany.

Wish 2016 turns out to be year promising “Better Health”, jobs & hence “Wealth” & consequently “Happiness”. Borrowing my concluding words from Tagore:  Into such world of freedom should India awake.

Modi's Stop Over At Lahore: Stoop To Conquer

Prime Minister Modi’s stop over at Lahore, though touted as a spontaneous “statesman like” decision, perhaps, is not. The Paki political commentator, Ayesha Siddiqa, has mentioned that the Paki High Commissioner was trudging between the two countries, prior to the trip, perhaps to close loop on the contours of the visit. Sushma Swaraj, too, surprisingly, met with “5 generations” of Sharief’s family members during her last visit to Pakistan, for the Heart of Asia conference, in the 2nd week of Dec, which is not a normal diplomatic practice. Likewise the presence of Sajjan Jindal, widely assumed to be the interlocutor between the two PMs, in Pakistan, strengthens the assessment. All these incidents cannot, surely, be brushed off as mere coincidences. Was this all done to create that "Aha" moment for the shutterbugs?

Modi picks his dates well; the architects of the last Indo-Pak peace process, during 1998 - 2004, Nawaz Sharief & Vajpayee were born on 25^th Dec;  that it coincides with Christmas, Mohd Ali Jinnah’s birthday & Nawaz’s grand daughter Merunissa’s marriage day makes it special.  While the diplomatic spin of a "surprise visit" is untrue, any attempt to restart the peace process between the nuclear armed neighbors, is welcome; however, it is disconcerting to note the absence of the Paki NSA, General Janjua, in the meeting where the Indian NSA – Ajit Doval – was present along with the PM. Does it mean the Pak army is not fully bought in? Also surprising was the Paki spokesperson’s assertion that Modi did not know about the wedding but only knew about Nawaz’s birthday; was it pure diplomatic posturing?

Now the billion dollar question: Why did Modi visit Pakistan?

The opposition wants us to believe that it is a “suit boot ki sarkar” trying to push the business interests of the Jindals; that might not be fully true.  Was it to provide diplomatic heft to Nawaz who has been considerably weakened at the expense of the other Sharief – the Paki Army Chief? Perhaps, yes.  The political establishment in Pakistan – both the ruling dispensation & the opposition - realize that if the current situation continues, then Pakistan could very well regress, yet again, into a military dictatorship. Is that the reason that has forced the Paki opposition parties including Bhutto's PPP & Imran Khan's PTI to issue a statement supporting the visit?;  the Jamaat – e –Islami, was the dissenting voice though. However, that runs counter to the conventional narrative that Imran Khan & Qadri's protests against Nawaz's govt., last year, were sponsored by the Paki Army; the PPP though had transitioned power peacefully to Nawaz's Muslim League & hence can be considered to be more interested in protecting the nascent democracy in that country. Against this background it is logical to ask the question : Why has India taken the bait?

History,  is witness to the fact that only when the Paki Military is in power, did we achieve substantial progress in relations, since it is the only institution in Pakistan that can deliver on its promises.  So what does India gain by supporting Nawaz who cannot deliver on any promises? Is there International pressure to prop Nawaz up to sustain democratic forces? Or is the threat of ISIS - which is very real - after its affiliated fighters have overrun 5 districts in Afghanistan, forced a rethink in the Indian Security establishment to buy peace with Pakistan to prevent the further spread of ISIS. Perhaps, under US pressure, the hawkish General Raheel Sharief, has been forced to tone down rhetoric, & his nominee made the new NSA who shall interact with the Indian counterpart; this would be agreeable to the Indian govt. - smarting post a defeat in Bihar & Delhi where its own Paki bashing failed to translate into votes -  since General Janjua can get his promises implemented. It is against this assumption that Janjua's absence in the last meeting is a cause for concern.

There are those who believe that this visit was to deflect public & media attention from the not so successful visit to Russia & Afghanistan; but now that evidences alludes to the fact that the visit was pre-scripted, such allegations can be laid to rest.

Modi’s invitation to the heads of govt. of SAARC nations, in 2014, for his swearing in was definitely a “masterstroke” & when Nawaz attended, India was operating from a position of strength. The attacks on Indian consulate at Herat, Afghanistan, happened at the same time, indicating that ISI & the Paki military were not completely bought in on a reapproachment between the two countries. The BJP govt. did not aid matters by cancelling foreign secy. level talks in 2014 & drawing a Red line  not to meet the Hurriyat; it was largely a jingoistic posturing to win the J&K elections. To rectify matters, the Indian Foreign Secretary, Jaishankar, had to then travel to Pakistan under the guise of a “SAARC tour” but failed. The threads were picked up again, perhaps under Big Brother US's pressure, initially at Kathmandu - away from media glare & at later at Ufa under one; both failed. The absence of “Kashmir” in the Ufa communiqué hailed as a triumph by chest thumping BJP spokespersons torpedoed the process later. Finally, Paris broke the thaw which has led to the NSAs meeting at Bangkok, Sushma Swaraj visiting Pakistan for the Heart of Asia conference & now this 80 min “symbolic” Modi visit.  India, clearly, is now negotiating from a position of weakness; looks desperate to restart talks when the situation in the valley is deteriorating, influence on Afghanistan waning & the international community is seeing Pakistan as more reasonable & India trigger happy. 

It would be prudent for the Indian PM to follow protocol & visit Pakistan after making complete preparations to be followed with measurable outcomes. Carrying Dawood or Lakhvi back in his plane from Pakistan would have been a great story although far-fetched.  Since Kashmir, Terror or Siachen are complex issues that would deny an immediate solution, attending to the smaller irritants like Sir Creek, People to People contacts, Easing visa regulations & Trade - getting Pakistan to give India the MFN status -  could be good starting points. It is important to steer clear of theatrics & talk accomplishments.

Movie Review: Bajirao Mastani

Sanjay Leela Bansali’s magnum opus “Bajirao Mastani” originally conceptualized with Salman Khan & Aishwarya Rai – post their “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam”  success, in 1999 – in the lead, has  finally been served, though, with the “Goliyon ki Ras Leela” cast,  Ranveer Singh as Bajirao, Deepika as Mastani & Priyanka Chopra as Bajirao’s wife Kashibai. Tanvi Azmi plays Radhabai, Bajirao’s widowed mother,  Irfann Khan plays the sutradhar lending his surreal voice to the narration & the film is based on Nagnath Inamdar’s book “Raau”. The long disclaimer at the beginning of the movie was meant to assuage the hurt feeling of the Peshwa’s descendants who protested Bansali’s liberal recourse to cinematic liberties for what they felt distorted history.

EROS’s Bajirao Mastani was pitted against YRF’s “Dilwale” leading to an ugly fight for single screens just like in 2012 when Sharukh Khan’s “Jab Tak Hai Jaan” was pitted against Ajay Devgan’s “Son of Sardar”. YRF, then, had bundled their movie with “Ek Tha Tiger” to usurp more screens & it is EROS’s turn to replicate the same strategy; they have done so with “Bajrangi Bhaijan”. Clearly, this shows who the real superstar of Indian cinema is: Salman Khan.

The movie begins with the Maratha court deliberating on Balaji Vishwanath’s successor as the new Peshwa; Bajirao, despite being only 20 years old, wins the duel despite competing claims from more experienced hands. The political landscape of the times can be gauged by the statement Bajirao makes after the litmus test: The sand mould is Hindustan, the peacock feather placed on the mould is the Mughal kingdom & the arrow that struck at the roots of the feather breaking it into two, the Maratha strategy to win Delhi. This impresses the Maratha King Shahu Maharaj; Bajirao follows through on his promise with impressive victories conquering most of the territories south of the Vindhyas. He then sets sights on the North. That is when he gets an unexpected visitor. 

Mastani enters as a messenger from the King of Bundelkhand, Maharaja Chatrasal, seeking Maratha help to counter the Mughals who had besieged their kingdom. Initially reluctant through, Bajirao is impressed by Mastani’s persistence & finally goes for a cavalry dash to Bundelkhand in 2 days against the normal 5, catching the enemies by surprise &wins an impressive victory against the Mughal General, Mohammed Bangash. “Cheeteh Ki Chal, Baaz Ki Nazar Aur Bajirao Ki Talwar Par Sandeh Nahi Karte, Kabhi Bhi Maat De Sakti Ha”. Expectedly, cupid strikes the couple & the rest is history. 

The remaining part of the movie is about how Mastani – a half Rajput & half Persian Muslim progeny of Chatrasal - suffers the indignation of unacceptability from the Peshwa household, especially from Bajirao’s brother, Chimaji Appa & a scheming Radhabai. Tanvi Azmi - who went bald for the role -  reminds one of Ila Arun’s character “Maham Anga” in Jodha Akbar. Palace intrigues are well scripted & Tanvi Azmi comes out trumps; perhaps, she is the best actor in the movie. Mastani’s struggles are reflected in the heavy dialogue “Kiski Talwar Pe Sar Rakhu Ye Bata Do Mujhe, Ishq Karna Agar Khata Hai To Sazaa Do Mujhe”. Priyanka, though plays a dignified wife.

Kashibai, though initially traumatized by Mastani’s entry into her life reluctantly reconciles to the reality & tries to help her assimilation into the family.  Her angst is reflected in what she tells her husband ”Aap Hamese Hamari Zindagi Maang Lete Hum Aapko Khushi Khushi De Dete, Par Aapne Toh Humse Hamara Ghuroor Cheen Liya". Selfless, that she is, she foils a plan to kill Mastani; however, despite her noble efforts,  when Bajirao is on a Deccan expedition - to crush the NIzam’s revolt - Mastani is incarcerated by Radhabai & finally  Bajirao & Mastani meet their ends – Bajirao after his 40^th military victory and Mastani in prison. This is poignantly reflected in the dialogue “Hamare Dil Ek Saath Dhadakte Hai Mastani… Aur Ek Saath Rukhte Bhi Hai…”

The grand canvas is supported by grandiloquent dialogues. The interplay of “Ishq” (love) & “Ibadat” (Worship) has the impact on the audience  - especially the younger ones & the references in the movie about the preference for “saffron”  or “green” alluding to religious proclivities, attacks religious bigotry & serves as a remedy for our troubled times.

The sets are luxurious & the “Diwani Mastani” song reminds one of the Sheesh Mahal in Mughal-e-Azam & the immortal song “Pyar kiya do darna kya”; perhaps it was Bansali’s ode to the ageless movie.  Similarly, Bansali, cinematic escapades like bringing Chandramukhi (Madhuri Dixit). & Paro (Aishwarya Rai) together for the “Dola Re” song in Devdas continue & is replicated through the “Pinga” song in this movie.

Deepika is evolving into a fine actress with every passing movie & in this film she has succeeded in neutralizing her accent; she still needs to work on her dance moves though.  Along with Akshay Kumar she is known in the industry for her fitness levels & she excels in the fighting scenes for which she specially learned Kalaripayattu.

Ranveer looks the role of a warrior with his chiselled body & rich baritone. Only when he encounters Raja Murad – the Nawab of Hyderabad - does his tone not match up. His use of Marathi lingo is also apt & he carries, excellently, the emotions of a man torn between a doting wife - whom he considers more a friend - & a lover whom he is keen to deliver respectability & justice, even if it means fighting the dogmatic clergy of the day or his Mother. He did suffer some injuries during the demanding shoot earning the sobriquet “Nazuk Nawab” from Priyanka.

Priyanka was shooting for Quantico in the US & Bajirao Mastani in India at the same time; two different characters from two different worlds. She has made the transition effortlessly without displaying the inherent stress of the busy schedule. The designer has revealed the detailed research behind building the character: no makeup for Priyanka; use of the crescent bindi & no sindoor in the hair partition in trend with those times; & no use of kajal for it was only used by the Mughals then. Priyanka imbues the character with dignity, selflessness & grace.  Bansali’s penchant for detail is reflected in each frame which finally shows up more as a portrait; no wonder this film took about  400 laborious days to shoot.

The costume drama looks ravishing due to cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee’s work, Bansali dabbles in Music too & produces predominantly classical fare & supports it largely through elegant Kathak dance movements. Sets are outstanding & there is a talk to convert them into a museum so that art lovers can enjoy the thorough fare.

In the quest for “love” the director seems to have missed the “political” plot of those times; more on that would have delighted the informed. The battle scenes are ephemeral & not detailed; more on that would have been insightful since Bajirao died an undefeated general. The scene where Bajirao attacks the Nawab’s army, alone, does not do justice to his reputation; it was hilarious although it was meant to elicit a few whistles from the audience. The movie had the potential to evolve into a terrific historical but fails at that task; it is still worth a watch though, for it is a Bansali movie: grand in scale with lavish costumes, aesthetically brilliant with lavish sets & wonderfully choreographed. You move out of the theatres humming the line "Bajirao Ne Mastani se Mohabbat ki Hai, Ayyashi Nahi".

Delhi Pollution Control Measures: A Critique

Only after receiving a chiding from the Delhi High Court, which likened the pollution crisis in Delhi to “living in a gas chamber” did the Delhi govt. swing into action & announce a 13 point program, to control pollution. The main thrust of the program was to reduce vehicular pollution by reducing the no of vehicles plying on the road, by allowing either odd or even numbered vehicles, on any day, starting Jan 1^st 2016; this move was to be supplemented by delaying the  entry of truck traffic from, the currently mandated, 9 PM to 11PM to accelerate traffic during those hours & thus reduce pollution Other initiatives include dust reduction mechanisms by employing the use of suction machines on roads, starting April 1^st 2016 & immediately adding further green cover to sidewalks to prevent dust from rising.  Shutdown of the old coal fired thermal power plants at Badarpur – 40 years old - & Rajghat which have outlived their usual life has also been ordered. Surprisingly, no measure to tackle dust emanating from construction sites has been issued. Else, laudable measures they definitely are, but implementation would be a problem because of the known animosities between the Delhi Govt. & the Delhi Police commissioner, B S Bassi, who, incidentally has been accused by the former of corruption. 

The 300 page long, nuanced, IIT Kanpur report “Source Apportionment Study of PM 2.5 and PM 10”, submitted to the Delhi government in Nov 2015, once made public, would shed light if the right culprits are being attacked. A sneak preview of the report reveals that dust, trucks, 2 wheelers & 4 wheelers, in that rank order account for pollution. Logically it would then seem that action on 4 wheelers alone & not 2 wheelers is a sub optimal solution especially when the latter is about double the no of the former; as per the Delhi Statistical Hand Book 2015: Delhi has 88.27 lakh registered vehicles, including 27.91 lakh cars & jeeps and 56.81 lakh motorcycles & scooters, as of March 31, 2015.

Identification of specific contributors to PM 2.5 & PM 10 (Particulate matter of 2.5/10 micrometres in diameter) is urgently needed. Against a WHO mandated norm, for PM 2.5, of 25 micrograms per cubic meter, Delhi trends at around 450 & none can argue against an urgent action. It is time different lobbies like the auto & construction industry, transporters, private owners of vehicles at al are finally called to order & a co-ordinated strategy evolved based on the principles of “equity” & “sacrifice”. Support of neighbouring states too, to control “crop residue burning”, is required for it has an adverse impact on the air pollution levels in the Capital. A seasonality strategy is also needed since dust – the biggest culprit in summer – is replaced by others in winter.  

Governments of all hues at the state or the centre have been repeatedly been shirking responsibility. In July, a bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar lamented "The Centre is saying old diesel vehicles are not causing pollution, (while) Delhi government is saying vehicles from outside are also not causing pollution. Something must be wrong somewhere". The NGT has constituted three teams with officials from transport enforcement, Central Pollution Control Board and Delhi Police to check vehicles entering Delhi at different entry points & castigated the Haryana govt. for moving at a "snail's pace" in awarding the work on the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressway; it is common knowledge that a Delhi bypass if build would reduce truck traffic in Delhi, thereby reducing pollution & traffic snarls.  It is baffling that issues of public interest, that ought to have been proactively taken up by the elected representatives, are usually  not & when the judiciary intervenes, either road-blocks are erected or worse still accusations of “judicial overreach” reach a crescendo.  Surely, if the elected class do their jobs diligently, the use of the PIL (Public Interest Litigation) or courts taking up issues suo-motu would automatically reduce if not cease completely.  Into such order, hopefully, should India emerge.

While “aspirations” of the citizenry to own a vehicle needs to be respected, “health” should take precedence while deciding “Public Policy”. Insistence on freedom to use vehicles with abandon, today, would mean additional healthcare costs tomorrow both for the individual & the government & hence caution is advised. Implementation of CNG, sale of unleaded fuel, ban on diesel run public transport & launch of the Delhi Metro were meant to tackle pollution; it has only helped partially, for the pollution levels have increased now. The city is in need of a “red Alert” now & is now in the infamous company of Beijing which incidentally has already announced one.

Noted Heart surgeon, Naresh Trehan, revealed that unlike citizens from rural & hilly areas breathing fresh air who have “pink” lungs Delhites consistently exposed to pollution have black “charcoal” lungs, which leads to asthma, bronchospasm, irritation etc.. Ingesting antibiotics is proving ineffective to address a cough problem today, because the culprit is pollution. Somnath Bharti, on CNN IBN, made a frightening revelation, that about 22 lakh children in Delhi suffer from breathing problems. If that were not enough, noxious fumes get absorbed by the entire body & could cause neurological problems; usage of masks, is a sub optimal solution because the masks available today address the problem of particulate matter alone & not noxious fumes.  Installation of filters with ionizers inside at schools, offices & homes, though pricy, would help, although the very thought of advocating such a solution indicates the edge of survival we have now reached. This leads us to the chilling realization: Are we creating a “sick” next gen?

Rather than evolve a strategic consensus on this issue, the chatteratti,  condemned the move as a knee jerk reaction while the opposition lamented the “inconvenience” it would cause the “common man”. Others sought waiver of the "vehicle rule" for women, arguing in favour of women safety. Yet others asked if there would be a 50% refund of vehicle tax since the concerned vehicle would now ply for only 50% of the time. 

There were some valid observations though. The strategy of asking Delhi Metro to take an additional load without arranging for additional coaches was ill thought for even if coaches are ordered today, delivery would be 3-6 months away; not sure if additional trips by Delhi Metro can be ordered since the assets are already stressed. While the govt. did plan to requisition the services of school buses to supplement the existing fleet of 4700 buses in Delhi, procurement of additional buses as a planned strategy to tackle the current eventuality would have helped AAP score many brownie points. 

There are valid apprehensions galore that people would either resort to using fake numbered plates or buy another car to circumvent the odd/even rule. While none would buy a car for a measure which is meant to be on a trial run for 15 days only, it cannot be denied that there is truism in the apprehension if the measure is a long term one; therefore, the need to make the cost of ownership of a 2^nd vehicle exorbitant through higher registration fees or a outright ban, even if it appears unduly harsh. However, knowing the “jugaad” mentality, of our population, a more lasting solution can only be achieved, by persuading the citizenry to “buy into” the measure.  Co-opting Delhi Police – the likely executing agency – is a must & they must increase the existing strength of Traffic Policemen from about 6500 now, perhaps by shifting some policemen currently engaged in VIP security.  Likewise, a solution on how and where to park vehicles, tugged away on charges of violation is needed; else traffic flow would be further disrupted adding further to pollution.  

Looking at all the concerns raised, the Delhi govt., is yet to announce a detailed strategy note. It would be prudent for the govt. to have a short term & medium term strategies; they should address the immediate problem of smog expected to peak during the first 2 weeks of Jan by closing educational institutions. This shall release all the school buses for immediate usage as public transport & hopefully confine students indoors, protecting them partially. A staggered timeline for starting & closing of govt. institutes, unlike the standard 10 AM to 6 PM, in existence today, would ideate traffic. As a medium term strategy the govt. should seek time from the NGT & launch a full-fledged drive only after putting the necessary infra in place; a public discussion on the IIT Kanpur report would be extremely useful. Else, chaos would reign supreme diminishing whatever little support the measure has currently evoked. Doing nothing or procrastinating is not a solution for it would mean residing in a gas chamber & one can very easily anticipate one’s destiny by visualizing what happened to the gas chambered Jews in Hitler’s Germany.  So act we must.