That Omar Abdullah decides to quit following ‘allegedly false’ allegations of his involvement in the shocking sex scandal in J&K is understandable. But to contemplate on whether he is a ‘softy’ at heart and fit to rule the turbulent state of J&K is equally incomprehensible. We often forget that politicians and leaders possess a set of feelings too. Feelings when if stretched to an extreme, come back and sting, like a slingshot. But alas! Even Shiney Ahuja knows that being a public figure comes with a price tag. So what keeps Abdullah blissfully ignorant of this?
His emotional move has been called as one meant to uphold his honor and dignity. And why wouldn’t it be called so? Unlike many politicians who choose to remain silent on the face of truckloads of accusations made against them, Omar did something that has seldom been done by any minister. Along with upholding his dignity, he has also set a dangerous precedent to take the moral high ground. One can call it a case of young- blooded surge because the old and sagging are not capable of this. While Omar says he learnt to “expect the unexpected”, one can be sure opposition leader Beig learnt a similar lesson himself. So strong was the young CM’s reaction that the PDP leader had to backtrack on his remarks. Quitting on a mere allegation? Beig clearly didn’t see what hit him.
To think of it another way, it is a win-win situation for Abdullah. Assume he is one of the suspects on the ‘shame list.’ What may be the repercussions? He would be forced to resign his post, a statement that Beig already made in the Assembly. On the contrary, Abdullah decides to quit even before he has been proven guilty. That way, if he is innocent, he will be re-instated on his throne, just as he had left it. To say the least, many have been calling it a move to avoid ‘losing face.’ So true of the young being conscious of protecting their own image rather than thinking in the national interest. Couldn’t he have waited for the CBI to carry out its investigation or test the authenticity of the PDP’s statements? No. Omar evidently seems to have taken a shortcut to being seeded as ‘dignified’ in the political race.
The question is, where does this political chaos leave the state of J&K? Does a sensitive state like this need its share of political bickering? Now even as the opposition party leader Mehbooba Mufti cries foul at the CBI for shielding Omar, no one can deny that the meticulous mudslinging from both sides has put state crisis on the back burner. Why hamper the progress of the state and its governance by resorting to such gutter politics? There is no doubt that Abdullah’s decision was an imprudent one. But would it leave him perturbed about his or his party’s position? Well, whoever said that a quitter never wins will need to re-phrase the time-honored idiom.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Must see, Indians in NYC!
The media is abuzz with Sarkozy “stigmatizing” the Islamic communities in France and Obama urging the ‘post-Obama America’ to stop alienating Islamic communities. While one doubts if France has nothing personal against Islam per say, the Bush-America did everything in its bad book to settle their personal scores. So does America today look beyond 9/11? Kabir Khan’s cinematic genius gives us hope that it almost may.
Though his earlier genius, Kabul Express was given a shrift by critics as being too documentary-ish, New York is definitely high on gloss living up to the Yash Raj banner. The core theme of the movie touches close to another inspiration from 9/11, Khuda Kay Liye, but then again, that’s where massive production budgets, cutting-edge editing and cinematography come in. All these together ensure there isn’t a moment in the film that you will want to miss.
The plot revolves around the lives of three friends whose destinies alter during the same time as the skyline of New York City. Omar (Neil Nitin Mukesh) an Indian immigrant is forcefully detained by FBI officer Roshan (Irrfan Khan) and interrogated for his possible terrorist links. The interrogation forces him to flash back to his days as a student in NYU where he met Sameer aka Sam (John Abraham) the dude of the college. In comes Maya, (Katrina Kaif) a tomboy who he later finds himself falling in love with.
But in a true Bollywood style triangle, Maya fancies Sam. A revelation of this, and the fall of the World Trade Centre, Omar moves out of the lives of Sam and Maya, only to return seven years later, as an undercover FBI agent. Roshan shocks him revealing that one of his friends is a kingpin of a sleeper cell involved in terrorist activities. He agrees to be an undercover agent only to prove his friend’s innocence. Little does he know of the road that lies ahead.
One can’t stop marveling at the director’s sense of vision. The movie explores the reasons people take to terrorism as a form of revenge. Post 9/11 scenario, why now? In fact, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. When the wounds have begun to finally heal, the movie serves as a hope they won’t cut open again. Noticeably, the movie manages to please both, the victor and the vanquished, creating a win-win situation for itself. While on one side it terms America’s scared reaction post 9/11 as being wrong, it also doesn’t distinguish between a ‘good’ rebel and a ‘bad’ rebel.
Striking a superb balance between realism and fun, it is meaningful and entertaining at the same time. John does complete justice to some of the most poignant scenes in the film, of him being illegally detained. Just to watch him being subjected to the despicable atrocities is enough to make you flinch in your seat. Katrina is wonderful finally proving herself, portraying roles other than the ones in ‘non-brainers.’ Neil’s portrayal of an Indian immigrant is effortless and Irrfan is well, Irrfan… doing what he does best. Kudos to Kabir for his attempt to blend entertainment with political sensibility, in a cinematic brilliance! Definitely, something you will not regret having watched.
Though his earlier genius, Kabul Express was given a shrift by critics as being too documentary-ish, New York is definitely high on gloss living up to the Yash Raj banner. The core theme of the movie touches close to another inspiration from 9/11, Khuda Kay Liye, but then again, that’s where massive production budgets, cutting-edge editing and cinematography come in. All these together ensure there isn’t a moment in the film that you will want to miss.
The plot revolves around the lives of three friends whose destinies alter during the same time as the skyline of New York City. Omar (Neil Nitin Mukesh) an Indian immigrant is forcefully detained by FBI officer Roshan (Irrfan Khan) and interrogated for his possible terrorist links. The interrogation forces him to flash back to his days as a student in NYU where he met Sameer aka Sam (John Abraham) the dude of the college. In comes Maya, (Katrina Kaif) a tomboy who he later finds himself falling in love with.
But in a true Bollywood style triangle, Maya fancies Sam. A revelation of this, and the fall of the World Trade Centre, Omar moves out of the lives of Sam and Maya, only to return seven years later, as an undercover FBI agent. Roshan shocks him revealing that one of his friends is a kingpin of a sleeper cell involved in terrorist activities. He agrees to be an undercover agent only to prove his friend’s innocence. Little does he know of the road that lies ahead.
One can’t stop marveling at the director’s sense of vision. The movie explores the reasons people take to terrorism as a form of revenge. Post 9/11 scenario, why now? In fact, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. When the wounds have begun to finally heal, the movie serves as a hope they won’t cut open again. Noticeably, the movie manages to please both, the victor and the vanquished, creating a win-win situation for itself. While on one side it terms America’s scared reaction post 9/11 as being wrong, it also doesn’t distinguish between a ‘good’ rebel and a ‘bad’ rebel.
Striking a superb balance between realism and fun, it is meaningful and entertaining at the same time. John does complete justice to some of the most poignant scenes in the film, of him being illegally detained. Just to watch him being subjected to the despicable atrocities is enough to make you flinch in your seat. Katrina is wonderful finally proving herself, portraying roles other than the ones in ‘non-brainers.’ Neil’s portrayal of an Indian immigrant is effortless and Irrfan is well, Irrfan… doing what he does best. Kudos to Kabir for his attempt to blend entertainment with political sensibility, in a cinematic brilliance! Definitely, something you will not regret having watched.
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