Day: December 20, 2013

After the smooth passages in both Houses of the Parliament, the Lokpal Bill awaits Presidential assent to become a law. There are two extreme views to the proposed anti-corruption body – one labeling it as a paper tiger while the other has been more favourable remarking that a beginning has been made. It is understandable that the Bill is not to everybody’s liking and it is the inherent beauty of a democracy to have multiple opinions. There were sharp differences between the ruling and Opposition benches even some months back but luckily the government agreed to the recommendations made by the Select Committee recently enabling a convergence. Corruption at all level has to be fought and it is necessary that a beginning is made. There is no doubt that there are shortcomings in the present form of Lokpal Bill but improvements can be made step by step.  The main criticism against the present form of the Lokpal is that the Prime Minister has been superseded and the body that appears to be higher than the Prime Minister who represents the country at the international level. Such, it will not be favourable for the country. Further, the opponents of the Bill have argued that the right step to break down corruption should have been the creation of infrastructure, special courts and adequate numbers of judges to bring more than 20,000 pending corruption cases to its culmination points.

But the proponents of the Bill have shot down the argument claiming that the opposition is based on fear as they have something to hide. The ruling Congress party had further claimed that there is another section opposing the improved Lokpal who has termed it too weak. In reality, they are worried that once it becomes a law their political shops will be shut, its spokespersons said apparently taking a dig at the Aam Admi Party. The Congress leaders have also opposed the view from the AAP that the large representation of politicians in the body that is suppose to appoint the Lokpal has made the appointment provisions defective. While the indignant views against the politicians are not surprising, it will be too offensive to stereotype every politician as incorrigible crooks and traitors. As a matter of fact, the leaders of the AAP including its chairman Arvind Kejriwal have become politicians after contesting the Assembly elections of Delhi and other states and the party will not be too approving to its leaders being classified within the genre of a corrupted class. The correct policy will be to put faith on the proposed law and participate wholesomely in augmenting its effectiveness by amending its parts or incorporating practicable options whenever required. Moreover, existing laws have been repeatedly modified to ensure that corrupted politicians face the music for their misdeeds. Laloo Prasad and others have been disqualified from Lok Sabha after court conviction for graft and Parliament had earlier expelled 11 MPs for taking bribes for asking questions. On the other hand even Anna Hazare had welcomed the ‘reformed’ Lokpal Bill. The AAP, the Samajwadi Party and other opposing groups should give the new law a chance to prove its utility.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2013/12/hailing-lokpal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hailing-lokpal

Leader Writer: Paojel Chaoba

Manipur is a place where incident’s that defy logic occurs, and the best part is that the wrongs are projected to the public as the truth. An inimitable style and conduct of individuals, organizations that are well connected in the State.

The 8th Manipur Film Festival which is objected at screening quality films and moreover for promoting the film industry in the State has been mired in controversy. The jury members of the festival have in their cinematographic wisdom judged that standards of the national award winning films are not fit to be screened at the state festival. Leipaklei and Phijigi Mani, The Silent Poet, Gun and a God which have been recognized in a national and international cine arena have been deemed unworthy! Though the wisdom of the jury members are final and binding , the question which begs a rational answer is on what grounds have these films not been shortlisted ?

Is it maybe that the digital mainstream films with the melodramatic formula of; boy meets girl, fall in love, a jilted lover cast as a villain but finally a walk into the sunset with the overdose of dancing in the woods musical scenes qualify as ‘quality films’ and are more aesthetically refined then the national award winners. Or perhaps, the jury members are more fans of these commercial chocolate films than fine cinema and a Akira Kurosawa, Vittorio De Sica or Satyajit Ray directed film may not make it if their work entered for the Manipur State Film Festival.

It may not be an unfounded assumption if the enlightened juries have never heard or seen the works of these mentioned filmmakers. The thought that film is an art form may have escaped their notice while being preoccupied with our Kaiku-Bala musicals and other commercial mainstream films. It can be pointed out that the celluloid productions of the early 80s had been a costly affair for the producers and filmmakers struggled in their profession. However, “Olangthagi Wangmadasu” screened at Friends Talkies for 30 weeks and outran the popular Bollwood blockbuster “Sholay” shown at Usha cinema. Many films like Imagi Ningthem, Ishanou, Sanakeithel etc have received international attention and awards, carving a niche for Manipuri films in the global film map.

However, with the introduction of the digital camera and the cost of production becoming less, editing becoming more technically easier, there has been an upsurge in film production since 2001. For this current year, nearly 60 digital films have applied for certification. The sad part is that Manipuri film production has remained more quantitative and not qualitative. This may be due to the fact that majority of filmmakers lack proper schooling in directorial knowledge and filming know-how. Sometimes , an individual having a good digital camera may double up as producer, director etc. The producer may come in the guise of a contractor or individuals with deep pockets and forking out a few lacs hardly matter to them.

Word of the grapevine tells that some producers just finance films to get proximity with the actors and to be amongst the minuscule glitterati of the Manipur film world. Another issue may be pointed out that aside from the mediocricity being churned out, another lack is of competent film critics. It can be seen in some print publications that some self styled reviewers or critics sum up their work by writing out the storyline of the films instead of a critical analysis. Then, on the other hand one feels that they may not be blamed as there may be nothing worth reviewing for majority of the commercialized films. Small wonder that shelf-life or viewership of these films is limited to a span of weeks.

One assumes that some of these factors may be the cause of the national award winning films being left out from the ongoing film festival. On the other hand, concerned authorities of the MFDC should have at least a vague idea of conducting a film festival and how it should be presented to the public. There are no advertisements in the media of the screening schedule for the festival beside the myriad complaints inclusive of unethical practice conducted in selection.

The MFDC should allow the non-feature films which have no commercial purpose to be screened at the fest. Documentaries and makers should be promoted as they capture the realities and records them as visual archives. The directors in their films also highlight issues of the society and communicate it to the public through the medium of films. As non commercial film, documentaries only get chances in the big screen during festivals. Documentaries are considered as serious film, and hence explained for the kind information of the jury members of the festival and the organizers. Gross ignorance of not screening out the minimum number of documentaries being produced borders not on promotion of film but rather of uprooting it.

Someone said that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. So, let us all ‘do’ our individual parts. Bringing about a change in Manipuri films begins from viewing good cinema, let the public be shown good films.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2013/12/incompetents-in-the-periphery-of-films/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=incompetents-in-the-periphery-of-films