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16 July <strong>2018</strong> OPINION www.theasianindependent.co.uk Gauri Lankesh murder case Strange reticence to name puppeteers THE Karnataka Police has finally claimed to have cracked the Gauri Lankesh murder case. Like all police briefings in the first flush of rounding up of suspects, all assertions need to be taken with a pinch of salt. A frail, fiery activist-journalist, Gauri had unapologetically inserted herself in the maelstrom of local politics. Her forte was her anti-establishment stance with an unalloyed tinge of secularism which also became the reason for her death. But what we have from the police so far is a two-tone, confusing account of investigations. The Karnataka Police is lucid on the six suspects; their earlier contribution to raising the Hindutva pitch in ways unconstitutional is supposed to consecrate its version about their involvement in the extant murder. But elusiveness takes over in painting the larger picture of conspiracy. The police have let it be known that most of those allegedly complicit in Gauri’s killing belonged to a 60-member faceless, nameless organisation spread over five states. The police’s reticence or the inability to present a sharper contour about this apparently sinister body, spread over five states and specialising in the assassinations of ideological thorns in the Hindutva flesh, is confounding. This is especially so when the police are portraying the suspected killer as contrite and regretful. The Karnataka Police, more than trying to corner glory for, admittedly some police footwork, needs to reflect over the need to soft-pedal the busting of a sustained and murderous approach at political muzzling. The police lost precious time in unravelling the murder of Gauri’s ideological fellow traveller MM Kalburgi three years back. Since then, the intimidation of dissenters to Hindutva’s one-size-fits-all press-ganging gained critical mass, leading to yet another killing. Gauri had no illusions about Karnataka’s secular formation; then CM Siddaramaiah’s recant on his atheism came months before Kalburgi’s murder by when these forces had acquired an air of impunity and assurance with the formation of a new Union Government from within their flock. It is never too tough to arraign the gunslinger, as in the case of both Gauri Lankesh and Shujaat Bukhari. It is the network of masterminds and puppeteers that needs to be unravelled. WHY INDIA MUST SAFEGUARD THE RIGHTS OF INTERNAL MIGRANTS It’s not just refugees who often face the wrath of a host State; even internal migrants, especially the poor, face similar roadblocks in their own countries even though they are legitimate citizens. The negative feeling about migrants reflects in India’s policies too: Our social and political rights are based on the assumption that people are sedentary. United States President Donald Trump doesn’t mince words. Last week, even as videos of refugee children being held at a Texas facility did the rounds, Trump said: “The United States will not be a migrant camp… And it will not be a refugee-holding facility — it won’t be.” Although two days later, he signed an executive order to end the separation of the refugee families, Trump’s original views on migrants may not have changed much. His statement was similar to what India’s additional solicitor general, Tushar Mehta, told the Supreme Court, which was hearing a case on the Rohingya refugees, in January: “We do not want India to become the refugee capital of the world.” It’s not just refugees who often face the wrath of a host State; even internal migrants, especially the poor, face similar roadblocks in their own countries even though they are legitimate citizens. For example, China’s hukou system limits where a person is allowed to live. If one is born in a rural hukou, it can be challenging to move to an urban one. South Africa’s apartheid state was as much about racial segregation as it was about controlling, regulating and restricting black labourers from settling in white townships. India may not have a hukou or an apartheid system, but here, too, migrants don’t have it easy. For example, a former Delhi chief minister once blamed migrants for putting enormous pressure on the infrastructure of the city. The Shiv Sena’s Bal Thackeray once said one Bihari brought with him a hundred headaches. These unwarranted comments probably mirror a popular belief that migrants create problems and are a burden on a host state. But in reality, labour mobility is not just good for those on the move but it also has a positive effect on the economy because they are engaged in the construction industry, domestic E-MANDIS CAN WORK BUT MANY PITFALLS REMAIN The e-mandis proposed by the Centre are likely to be opposed by the state governments that guard their agricultural policy zealously Fifteen years ago I travelled the length and breadth of Karnataka trying to find out what ailed agriculture in one of India’s most progressive states, and why farmers were committing suicide. In the agricultural university at Dharwad, the academic staff told me the basic problem was that researchers had concentrated on production and ignored postproduction. A plant physiologist said: “We forgot the market. Now the stark reality is staring us in the face. Farmers come to us and say ‘we did everything you told us to produce crops — now tell us where to sell them’. This bitter lesson has just been learnt.” But the lesson does not appear to have been learnt — farmer suicides, crops being dumped, bills for sugarcane unpaid, the evidence of the anger of sugarcane growers voiced in the Kairana by-election, and last week’s farmer strike all speak of agriculture still in distress. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, has tried to remedy that impression by publishing full page newspaper advertisements carrying his and the prime minister’s pictures with a headline reading, ‘Happy and Prosperous Farmers: Face of the New UP. We Keep Marching Ahead.’ But some farmers might ask, “Who is he fooling?” It is widely agreed that one of the crucial causes of farmers’ distress are the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees, established by governments to ensure that farmers were not exploited by intermediaries when marketing their produce. The mandis by these committees have achieved the opposite — they have become infested by middlemen, colluding to fix auctions, charging double commissions from work, textiles, brick-kilns, mines and quarries, agriculture, food processing and the hotel and restaurant business. Let’s not forget that the backbone of the Green Revolution in Punjab was actually migrant labour. The negative feeling about migrants reflects in India’s policies too: Our social and political rights are based on the assumption that people are sedentary. For example, people’s ration cards are invalid in their destinations of work. So a migrant family will lose out on their rations in their new homes, and will have to both farmers and purchasers, saving tax by refusing to give the farmers the receipts they need to get bank loans, and benefitting from the restrictions placed on farmers’ ability to sell their produce elsewhere. Last year the central government, realising the mandi problem, passed a new, less restrictive, marketing act, which it hopes will serve as a model for state governments to follow. For the last two years the central government has also been encouraging the establishing of e-mandis, which enables farmers to trade online. Now the Cabinet has approved the setting up of the National Agriculture Market, a national e-mandi.Emandis do facilitate payments and receipts. They can establish efficient prices and should eliminate middle-men who collude to fix prices. But opposition from middle-men could slow the development of e-marketing. The links the middle-men have with the political parties are one of the reasons there depend either on their employer or labour contractor for food provisions or purchase food in the open market. This significantly increases their cost of living and reduces the additional earnings they might hope to remit to their families. A migrant’s family may also lose out on schooling and health doles. The only social support migrant families possess is the compensation offered by the state in the case of death at work. “This is because migrant workers are mostly in informal employment and dotted across several sectors and industries, they have little organised space to voice their grievances or articulate complaints,” says Indrajit Roy, lecturer, Global Development Politics, Department of Politics, University of York. His research project, titled ‘Fragmented Transitions’ situates migrants’ experiences and practices within the wider processes of modernity, development and democracy. The project design is multi-sited. Despite these obstacles, statistics show that India is on the move. The last round of Economic Survey pointed to a spike in internal migration: between 2011 and 2016, close to nine million people migrated between states annually, up from about 3.3 million according to successive censuses. India is projected to add 404 million people to its urban population between 2014 and 2050. Some states have already taken cognisance of this movement: Kerala is the only state in India which a scheme which treats migrant welfare as the “duty of the state”. It offers has been so little progress on reforming agricultural marketing. The national e-market is also likely to face resistance from state governments that guard their control over agricultural policy zealously. They are likely to see a national market as yet another incursion by the central government into an area which by rights belongs to them. This is an argument for the BJP government moving rapidly while it controls so many state governments. But even if e-mandis spread rapidly, will they help the small and marginal farmers who are so often left behind? They already count for very little. When governments forgive loans many of them do not benefit because they are in the hands of money-lenders, not banks. The marginal and small farmers are worst hit by lack of storage, they can’t afford to mechanise, and receive little or no help in adapting to new technologies. Who is going to help them to trade on e-mandis? financial support for the medical treatment of migrants, grants for their children’s education in the state and also provides retirement benefits to those who have completed five years under the scheme. The scheme also has provisions for compensation to the enrolled workers in the event of injury or disability, compensation to survivors upon the death of a worker, and allowances for repatriation of the body. The other developed southern state, Karnataka, ensures that all migrant pregnant women, lactating mothers and young children get nutrition benefits under the Mathru Poorna scheme. The central government must now take note of mobility and make social and political rights portable, which means people should not lose the rights they have in their localities of origin when they move; and share in the same bundle of rights as held by others in their destination areas.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk ENTERTAINMENT July <strong>2018</strong> 17 'Sanju': A heart-warming tale, brilliantly portrayed Actor Sanjay Dutt's life may have been an open book, yet Director Raj Kumar Hirani's "Sanju" gives you a peek into Sanjay Dutt's life with an honesty that instantly touches your heart. Sans any gimmicks, Hindi film tropes and unnecessary drama, Hirani lays bare the actor's life, recounting each milestone of his turbulent and tumultuous life. The length of the film here - 161 minutes, is not a deterrent, as Hirani manages to keep you hooked, divulging details about Sanjay Dutt's life, which one may have known, but are brought to life through the sincere and effortless portrayal by Ranbir Kapoor, who essays the character of Sanju with panache. Whether it is his craving for drugs, breaking down upon learning about his mother's illness or being denied giving a speech owing to his "terrorist' connections, there is complete sincerity in his emotions which strike a chord with the audience. It is no denying that Raj Kumar Hirani is an auteur with a flair for storytelling, He effectively manages to keep the audience engrossed with the simple narrative, which is a journey of emotional upheavals, shocking revelations and tender moments. The dialogues by Hirani himself and Abhijat Joshi are straightforward, colloquial, yet laced with humour. The songs too mesh perfectly with the narrative and nothing seems out of place. Ranbir Kapoor shines all the way as Sanju and not only does his physical demeanour resemble that of Sanjay Dutt's, but he slips into his psyche too and becomes an extension of Dutt, making you see Dutt's life on screen. Matching him in histrionics is Vicky Kaushal, an equally talented actor, who is effortlessly convincing as Sanjay's friend Kamlesh Kanaiyalal Kapasi aka Kamli. He is endearing, as he steals your heart with his simplicity and unabashed affection for Sanju. Their on-screen bond is palpable. Manisha Koirala as Nargis Dutt is genuine, while Dia Mirza as Sanjay Dutt's Wife Manyata, is restrained and charming. Anushka Sharma as the renowned author Winnie Diaz fails to leave an impact, but Paresh Rawal as Sunil Dutt renders a heartfelt performance except for his diction that gives him away. Sonam Kapoor, as his love interest Ruby is effective and Boman Irani, as the quintessential Parsi father, is a delight to watch. In cameo roles, Jim Sarb as Zubin Mistry, the drug peddler whom Sanjay Dutt refers to as "God" and Anjan Shrivastav in a one scene role as a prominent political figure, are brilliant. On the technical front the film is mounted with ace production values. The production designs, the camerawork, editing and sound, are expectedly top notch. The script steers clear from Sanjay Dutt's personal life and romantic liaisons, but does in no way appear lopsided, as those do not seem intrinsic to the film's focus. Overall, 'Sanju' with a special emphasis on the father-son relationship, as well as his bond with his friend Kamli, is a heart-warming tale, honestly told. Cops get access to Rihanna's alleged stalker The man accused of breaking into singer Rihanna's house has a few new followers on social media as police has finally got hold of him. According to new legal document, a warrant was issued for cops to gain access to Eduardo Leon's social media accounts as part of his felony stalking case, reports tmz.com. Leon broke into Rihanna's house, here last month and spent an entire night hanging out, waiting for her to come home. He told cops his plan was to have sex with her, but not use force to make it happen. He was arrested instead. Leon was also arrested a few days earlier for allegedly breaking into Rihanna's previous home, believing she still lived there. Police believe gaining access to his social media will prove he was fixated on Rihanna and made repeated efforts to locate her. FOR KID'S SAFETY Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha has joined forces with Unesco to promote a safe and secure cyber environment for youngsters to ensure they are not targeted for bullying, abuse, exploitation and more through the internet. A post on the official Twitter handle of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's New Delhi cluster office read on Thursday: "Sonakshi Sinha joins Unesco to promote safe and secure online environment for children and help empower our future digital citizens." Sonakshi retweeted it, and shared a video captioned: "I stand for protection of children." In the video, she says: "Internet use in India is exploding and mobile access has really changed the game. But what does that mean for a country with the world's largest child's population?" How Shraddha's dream came true Actor Shraddha Kapoor, who will "I've finished shooting for Stree. share screen space with I am almost done shooting for Batti Gul Meter Rajkummar Rao for the first time in Stree, cannot stop gushing about her co-star and calls the experience "a dream come true". "It's the first time that I am doing a horror comedy. It was a lot of fun and Rajkummar Rao is such a fantastic actor. To work with him was a dream come true. I got so much to learn from him," says Shraddha. Asked about the progress of the Saina Nehwal biopic that she is a part of, Shraddha informs, Chalu and am also shooting for Saaho. Those are the films are on floors right now. The Saina Nehwal biopic will happen later this year." Set to make her Telugu film debut in the Prabhas-starrer Saaho, the actor says her coactor is a "gentleman" with inspirational energy levels. "He (Prabhas) is such a gentleman, and an amazing human being. I think it translates in his energy on set and is so inspiring for everybody," adds the actor, who has done films such as Aashiqui 2 (2013) and Ek Villain (2014). Saaho also stars Neil Nitin Mukesh, Jackie Shroff, and Mandira Bedi, and is being shot simultaneously in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. PRIYANKA'S INSTA STORY CALLS NICK HER 'FAVOURITE' Actor Priyanka Chopra and her rumoured boyfriend, singer Nick Jonas, are enjoying a vacation in Goa. An Instagram story that she posted yesterday afternoon has added fuel to the rumours. In the photo, Nick and her brother Siddharth Chopra face the sea, their back to the camera, and the caption reads: 'My favourite men'. The two have also been spotted wearing similar golden bands, leading to speculation that they might be engaged already.
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