Opinion
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| CBFC Drama | | Cutting censor to size? | | | | The Central government recently 'restructured' the Censor Board of India by appointing people loyal to either the BJP or RSS ideology. Last week, en mass resignations, allegations and counter allegations, have all brought into the open the murky state of affairs at the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The recent imbroglio caused by certification of a film has underlined the chaotic state of film censoring in India. The issue also highlights high-handedness of the Government and interference of non-artistic elements in the routine work of a prominent authority. Is politics at work here?
Pahlaj Nihalani now heads the CBFC, or the Censor Board, as popularly known in India. This appointment took in less than a day after the entire Board tendered resignation. New appointees are car... |  | |
| | | Sailing on A Ship..! | | | | What if Earth is a ship on which we sail?
What if each country has a certain portion of the ship to look after? One gets upper deck, the other engine room, another the cabins, and others the lifeboats, hull and so on.
I'm sure our main interest would be on running the ship than in just looking after our little area. Also greater respect for one another as we realize our dependence on each other for the greater common good: Keeping ship afloat!
As such thoughts went through my mind I hear of a person's experience on a cruise ship:
"What impressed me most was the crew!" says the passenger.
"There were 755 crew members from 51 different countries on board. Needless to say, they came in all shapes and colors from many different backgrounds. The one thing they had in common, however, was ... | | |
| | | Sailing on A Ship..! | | | | What if Earth is a ship on which we sail?
What if each country has a certain portion of the ship to look after? One gets upper deck, the other engine room, another the cabins, and others the lifeboats, hull and so on.
I'm sure our main interest would be on running the ship than in just looking after our little area. Also greater respect for one another as we realize our dependence on each other for the greater common good: Keeping ship afloat!
As such thoughts went through my mind I hear of a person's experience on a cruise ship:
"What impressed me most was the crew!" says the passenger.
"There were 755 crew members from 51 different countries on board. Needless to say, they came in all shapes and colors from many different backgrounds. The one thing they had in common, however, was ... | | |
| | | The recurring story of gender violence | | | | Ever since 2012, when there was a public uprising against violence against women following the brutal rape of a young woman in Delhi, the issue of gender crimes has taken centre stage in the national discourse on women's rights and safety. There is heightened awareness among people, we have a new law that promises harsher punishment to perpetrators and there is a slew of helplines and other protection services to deal with complaints. Yet, one look at the crime data clearly reveals that not much has changed on the ground. According to recent media reports, in the last three years the number of cases related to sexual harassment, kidnapping, abduction and rape has gone up from 2.28 lakh to 3.09 lakh. Moreover, around 31,000 rape cases are pending in various high courts.
Issues around gen... | | |
| | | Old Is Still Gold | | | | In the complex where I happen to stay, we had for many years the same security service, made up of old watchmen. They'd been with us for years, had got used to the vagaries of the residents, their temper tantrums, their kind moments, had watched the children grow up, seen many of the people move from scooters to cars and from cars to better cars, they knew the dogs in the complex and the dogs knew them and wagged their tails and even pranced about when these watchmen came by.
But slowly the residents in my complex started noticing that these same men who had entered service when they were young and sprightly, were not so anymore. Sometimes when they forgot to dye their hair, and pulled off their caps, it was noticed they had a head of grey. Very often when my neighbours came back from... | | |
| | | Europe In Islamophobia's Grip? | | The Charlie Hebdo murders | | | More than two weeks on, the debate on the barbaric killings of Charlie Hebdo journalists and the freedom of expression has become a conversation across time-zones and political, cultural and legal divides. This is probably the first time that such a debate is taking place in a world connected by Facebook, Twitter and U-Tube.
The initial shock, which produced the knee-jerk "Je suis Charlie" ("I am Charlie") response, has evolved into a less one-sided reaction, as many people are asking questions about the content of the cartoons which lampoon Islam, and are interrogating the assertion, "you're either with Charlie Hebdo, or you're with the terrorists", which is reminiscent of US President Bush's reaction to 9/11.
Even more serious doubts are being raised about the argument that the attack... | | |
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