Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Ruling parties enjoy advantage in by-elections' that was published in Newsband

Ruling parties enjoy advantage in by-elections

Voters see little point in antagonising their rulers in the by-elections. They are not expected to deviate from the general election trend. In the by-elections to the Lok Sabha, the Bharatiya Janata Party won one each in Madhya Pradesh and Assam, but lost to the Trinamool in West Bengal. The people over there reposed their faith in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Was that “people’s revolt” against the demonetisation move of the BJP-led government at the Centre?

Whether due to the demonetisation or the lower stakes in the deferred elections, there was reportedly a reduced flow of currency notes, and a less intense campaign. By-elections are not pointers to how an Assembly or Lok Sabha election will turn out, but vice versa is true. The results may not reflect the mood of the nation but the margin of win or lose may prove the popularity of the government. The elections held are in some states and not in large number of constituencies. Hence, the results have little impact on policy matters

It is doubtful whether Mamata's claim that the victory of TMC candidate is a vote against demonetisation is true. If it were so, why did the BJP increase its vote share?

In advanced democracies (more a Utopian dream) it is said that by-elections afford an opportunity for resentment voting. That means the opposition has a better chance of winning by gaining on the thorns and horns in those on the throne. Our democracies appear to toe the incumbents' line for the constituents are either bought or are being bought. It is more a cash nexus than an expression of enlightened public reaction. The turning of a new leaf requires a mature electorate not a meek set of supplicants who lie prostrate at the feet of the elected by virtue of their dire dependence on the rulers for favours for themselves and for their kith and kin. It is more extended family politics or politricks than desirable democratic practices leading to progressive development as a nation with a vision. Their mission appears to feather individual nests rather than getting their benefits from overall, extensive development that is more national than parochial or rather familial.

Black money is a course for this country but if it becomes an issue of financial crisis then the result could be dangerous. Centre will have to gain support from state government to make this black money mission accomplish.

Dinesh Kamath's Score in Google Plus Crosses Fourteen and a Half Million or One Crore and Forty Five Lakhs Views on 30 November 2016 at 7 pm

Dinesh Kamath's Score in Google Plus Crosses Fourteen and a Half Million or One crore and Forty Five Lakhs Views on 30 November 2016 at 7 pm

Dinesh Kamath's Score in Google Plus on 30 November 2016 at 7 pm was found to be 14,501,822 Views or Fourteen Million, Five Lakhs, One Thousand, Eight Hundred and Twenty Two Views or One Crore, Forty Five Lakhs, One Thousand, Eight Hundred Twenty Two Views

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'How about having something like China Wall along Indo-Pak border?' that was published in Newsband

How about having something like China Wall along Indo-Pak border?

India needs to try and restore the ceasefire on the Line of Control. After decades of hostilities, the formal ceasefire of November 2003 had come as a big boost to peace. It is a matter of debate if the ceasefire was a contributing factor in the reduction in militancy in Kashmir. But militants somehow manage to sneak into India. The ongoing, almost daily exchange of fire has rendered the ceasefire meaningless. Ceasefire violations have become routine. Small arms, light machine guns, various kinds of mortars and artillery are being used by both sides.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unchallenged hold over political power should enable him to restore the ceasefire. We have done more than our fair share of trying to buy peace with Pakistan. It is high time now Pakistan stopped resorting to actions which provoke us. Sometimes one wonders whether ceasefire is a good idea after all since every time ceasefire happens it provides time for Pakistan to mobilize new militants, resources to attack again. Wouldn’t it be better if India kept vigilant until Pakistan's resources drained out and gave up militancy in Kashmir?

Is Indian Army clueless when it comes to tacking extremist infiltration? Then how is that the extremists succeed in taking them down in an ambus?. This has been going on for a long time. It is high time Indian Army came up with a smart plan not to put its solders in the line of fire. This is seriously affecting the moral of the soldiers on the ground and they are resorting to shelling in retaliation. Indian Army chiefs should have an organized think tank to solve this issue. Why not construct something like a China wall along Indo-Pak borders?

Numerous peace overtures by Modi to Nawaz Shariff are rebuffed by the Pak Army, ISI, and Terrorist leaders. In such a situation what alternative does India have? Should India just sit silently, cross its hands, and fume about the loss of Indian soldiers and killing of its innocent citizens? The soft posture of India these past years and its search for the peace with Pakistan has earned it a name of a Soft Power and Pakistan and China have taken advantages of this posture of India to further their own nefarious and evil designs against our country. Pakistan only understands the tough talks and actions for it to come to the table for real peace talks. The Line of Control is exploding, and once again the potential for greater conflict is growing.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Poor common man is confused' that was published in Newsband

Poor common man is confused

Demonetisation has both supporters and opposition. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was all praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making the demonetisation move. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray feels that people who had voted Bharatiya Janata Party to power were betrayed. But the Sena cannot afford to break up with the BJP at this juncture. Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress with Left Front plan to fight the demonetisation drive. Some see merit in the demonetisation drive although they recognise the difficulties in implementation.

Many politicians are forced to pretend that they appreciate the demonetisation move since none can afford to be seen as directly opposing measures to clean up black money and weed out counterfeits. So they make cashless banks and shuttered ATMs the issue. They are reluctant to criticise the move for fear of being labelled supporters of black money hoarders and counterfeiters. Indian political parties do not seem to be led by principles.

Almost all educated young people are in favour of the demonetization move.

While the BJP is talking of black money demolition and cashless economy - the completely unorganized opposition parties are politically fighting the move of Demonetization, which the BJP and particularly Modi seem to say would tackle black money. The opposing politicians have no economics analysis and plan for alternate actions.

Dr. Manmohan Singh says that implementation of the Demonetization drive has been a "monumental blunder", although he does not counter the need to fight against black money. Those who oppose demonetisation believe that with the nullifying of 86% of the Cash circulation, the life blood of the nations (Cash transaction) became chocked, and the exponentially spiralling impacts wold soon send Indian economy into negative levels. According to them, the total number of notes to be printed for replacement are about 2,500 Cr (500's and 1000's). The Currency printing capacity is 300 Cr notes per month, at 100% efficiency. That means, a total of over 8 months are needed for total replacement, and many problems would crop up

But the supporters of demonetisation argue that the key number is how much of the money was in circulation. That's the amount that needs replacement. Furthermore, some of the money that was in circulation will be replaced by lower denominational notes as well, along with electronic payment. In fact, demonetization amounts to a massive transfer of wealth from businessmen to the government. This is what they would expect from a socialist and yet the opposition comes from everybody who has parroted the socialist dogma for 60 years. That is a great irony.

In this scenario, the only person getting affected is the confused common man on the street. For him these political squabble don't mean a thing - what is important for him is, whether he can feed his family on a daily basis. Right? The supporters of demonetisation say that one with good conscience cannot oppose this good move, hence opposition parties resort to opposing the practice in order to scuttle this move and continue to enjoy their stashed cash.

Video: Dinesh Kamath about Madhur Bhandarkar and his Best Films

Dinesh Kamath liked Boman Irani as Editor of Newspaper in the movie 'Page 3'

Dinesh Kamath liked Boman Irani as Editor of Newspaper in the movie 'Page 3'

 

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Is China a second ‘East India Company’ for Pakistan?' that was published in Newsband

Is China a second ‘East India Company’ for Pakistan?

China and Pakistan had announced plans for an Economic Corridor, the CPEC, to connect “Kashgar to Gwadar” a year and a half back. The trade route was recently operationalized. Many of the infrastructure and energy projects are part of CPEC. Pakistan sees CPEC as a game changer, but there are many challenges. India will need to be very careful since this project could indirectly affect us.

Many Pakistanis fear whether such a project can be viable. Still many fear that China could be a second ‘East India Company’. They question whether China is seeing dreams of colonizing. China could be having some ulterior motive behind initiating this project. Also there are many security challenges considering the fact that terrorist activities in Pakistan are not something new. Along the route there had been in the past terrorist attacks. Militants ranging from Baloch nationalists to the Taliban and the Islamic State have carried out attacks.

If Pakistan-India tensions do not end then this can pose another danger at the place where Pakistani troops are posted. India had been trying seriously to end all tensions with the neighbour, but Pakistan just doesn’t seem to cooperate. One wonders as to what kind of benefits Pakistan derives from these tensions with India.

Many wonder whether this project has a future at all considering the fact that China has been coming down economically and Pakistan is facing severe political instability. China has been trying to be a tough challenger to US but Americans are too clever for Chinese.  

What is India’s reaction to the project? In the past India’s reaction to the project had turned from dismissal and disdain to disapproval and then to outright opposition. India is more concerned about disputed Gilgit-Baltistan where the projects can pose problems. India has expressed concern related to this at the UN General Assembly.

When China invited India to be the part of One Belt, One Road (OBOR) project and the Maritime Silk Route (MSR), India refused to have anything to do with either in spite of the fact that Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are all connected with OBOR and the MSR. India needs to be cautious here. Delhi should consider the security implications of the China-Pakistan clinch and China’s ambition to float naval base off Gwadar. India just should not lose the domination we possess in the oceans around. 

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Pakistan should dismantle all terrorist groups' that was published in Newsband

Pakistan should dismantle all terrorist groups

When will the regular exchange of fire between Indian and Pakistani soldiers at the border stop? What does either side gain by these exchanges? Who exactly stands to benefit by creating tensions across the borders? The exchanges continue in spite of the 2003 ceasefire on the Line of Control. Artillery and mortar fire are used for exchanges. The casualties along the International Boundary and the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir continue to grow. Pakistan did not condemn the Uri attack. India in reply kept quiet about the terror attacks in Balochistan.

Who will be the next army chief of Pakistan and what policies related to India will he adopt? In Pakistan, the tension between Army and government continues. The terrorist build-up and infiltration along the LoC continues too. When will a democratic government replace the army in Pakistan?    

It is high time the governments of the two countries did something drastic to build up confidence among their respective people and started useful dialogues. India’s External Affairs Minister has started the bilateral talks. It was indeed high time that India and Pakistan sorted out things bilaterally. First thing that Pakistan should do is dismantle all terrorist groups on their side. They are the cause of all the problems that the two countries face. Once all the terrorist groups are dismantled there can be sensible dialogues exchanged between the two nations. Till then tensions between the two are unavoidable.   

This continuing tension and violence between India and Pakistan will not benefit either of the two countries. The continuous exchanges at the border will only lead to losses for both the countries and neither of them will be able to focus on development as long as the tensions across the border continue. 

Dinesh Kamath's news 'Now Fashion aspirants have plethora of opportunities!!' that was published in Newsband

Now Fashion aspirants have plethora of opportunities!!

Indian Fashion Academy & Sandip University Nasik come together to introduce Degree courses in Fashion

By Dinesh Kamath

Indian Fashion Academy (IFA) has collaborated with Sandip University, Nashik to introduce degree courses in fashion and beauty. Their objective is to provide the best faculty in the country along with quality education and world class infrastructure.

At the Press meet, 12 fashion courses were introduced, Diploma in Fashion Designing, Advanced Diploma in Fashion Textile Designing, BSc in Fashion, MSc in Fashion, Diploma in Beauty Therapy, Advanced Diploma in Beauty Therapy, BSc in Beauty Therapy, MSc in Beauty Therapy, MBA in Fashion Management, Ph.D in Fashion, MBA in Fashion and Diploma in Fashion Communication. For this course, they have occupied over 20,000 sq ft of space within the University.

IFA was established in 2001 and since then has gained a reputation to be a versatile brand that provides training to students who are keen to join the fashion world. They have qualified and efficient staff, who along with industry experts provide hands on training and experience. They also help students get in touch with reputed employers and train them to acquaint with the selection process in corporate.

Nitin Magar founder of Indian Fashion Academy says, “As we all are aware, fashion changes with every season, every year. Though, there are a good number of fashion institutes today across the length and breadth of the nation, there are a very few who provides quality education for students or offers an appropriate placement opportunity. This is one of the reasons for many learners to not turn their career towards fashion designing or beautician.”

“We focus on providing education to all those who are interested in pursuing their career in fashion industry. With the help of Sandip University who has given us a platform we will manage to make the most of this golden opportunity wherein we have come up with different courses. These courses in fashion and beauty has attracted students from all parts of the country to fulfil their creative learning,” added Mr Magar.

“We are glad to collaborate with IFA, this will provide a platform to both the academy as well as fashion or beauty aspirants who will get a plethora of opportunities with the introduction of umpteen courses in fashion and beauty,” says Dr. Sandip Jha, Chairman of Sandip University.​

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'The value of rupee comes down' that was published in Newsband

The value of rupee comes down

The value of dollar has risen with the victory of Donald Trump in US presidential elections. The value of rupee has come down as compared with the dollar. The rupee has gone past 68 to a dollar. The dollar has considerably risen against the euro too. This can raise US GDP growth to a great extent provided Trump and his team keep their promises of tax cuts, deregulation and infrastructure spending.

The rupee has slumped 2.3 per cent from its 66.62 a dollar close on November 8. The pressure has become more owing to the Centre’s decision to withdraw higher denomination currencies. Demonetisation move might not only affect the banking system but it might make domestic interest rates decline. The rupee might appear less attractive to investors too. The shortage of cash in the wake of the currency move may slow down sharply the GDP growth. That in turn could weaken overseas investment.

The policymakers and the monetary policy committee should hold discussion and take steps to prevent any kind of economic loss. They should somehow make the market and investors develop confidence in India’s economic position today. 

Dinesh Kamath’s column ‘New movies released in Navi Mumbai’ (Dear Zindagi, Sansein, Moh Maya Money, Arrival and Nerve) that was published in Newsband

New movies released in Navi Mumbai

By Dinesh Kamath

Dear Zindagi

Dear Zindagi (English: Dear Life) is a 2016 Indian drama film directed by Gauri Shinde and produced by Gauri Khan, Karan Johar and Gauri Shinde under the banners of Red Chillies Entertainment, Dharma Productions and Hope Productions respectively. It stars an ensemble cast of Alia Bhatt, Ira Dubey, Kunal Kapoor, Ali Zafar, Angad Bedi and Shah Rukh Khan.

The film deals with the heartbreaks that Alia’s character Kaira goes through. Starring Kunal Kapoor, Ali Zafar and Angad Bedi as the three guys who enter her life only to give her heartbreak on a platter with watercress around it, the film finally brings her to The One — her therapist Jug played by Shah Rukh Khan. SRK gives her life lessons, he helps her cope and they end up teaching each other something.  

The film has Alia Bhatt as Kaira, Shah Rukh Khan as Dr. Jehangir Khan / Jug, Ira Dubey, Kunal Kapoor, Ali Zafar, Angad Bedi and Aditya Roy Kapur.

The soundtrack of the film is composed by Amit Trivedi with lyrics written by Kausar Munir. The music rights are acquired by Sony Music India. The film has songs like "Just Go To Hell Dil" sung by Sunidhi Chauhan, Amit Trivedi, "Love You Zindagi" by Jasleen Royal, Amit Trivedi, "Tu Hi Hai" by Arijit Singh, "Ae Zindagi Gale Laga Le - 1" by Arijit Singh, "Ae Zindagi Gale Laga Le - 2" by Alia Bhatt, "Love You Zindagi (Club Mix)" by Alia Bhatt, "Taarefon Se" by Arijit Singh and "Lets Break Up" by Vishal Dadlani.

Sansein

Saansein (English: Breath) is an Indian Hindi-language romantic horror film directed by Rajiv S Ruia and produced by Goutam Kumar Jain. The film stars Rajneesh Duggal, Sonarika Bhadoria, Hiten Tejwani & Neetha Shetty.

Shirin Sonarika Bhadoria is a singer at one of the best clubs in Mauritius. Her beauty invariably gets a lot of visitors interested in her. However Shirin never meets anyone and rather mysteriously disappears every night as soon as her performance is over. Even being close to her is horrifying. That's when the hero Abhay Rajneesh Duggal enters the story. Having come to Mauritius for business purposes, he happens to land up at the same club and falls for Shirin right away. Shirin ignores Abhay, but he refuses to give up. He makes up his mind to find what is actually keeping her away. And that's when he stumbles upon a secret that Shirin has. Abhay is not deterred. He swears to find a way for them to be together come what may. What follows is a harrowing tale that nightmares are made of. What is the secret that Shirin is hiding? And does Abhay manage to bring in peace? Or does he succumb to the fears that knows no boundaries?

The film has Rajneesh Duggal as Abhay, Sonarika Bhadoria as Shirin, Hiten Tejwani as C.K. Bir, Neetha Shetty as Tanya, Sachi Ruia as Aditi, Amir Dalvi as Shubrat and Vishal Malhotra as Deewan.

The film has songs like "Mera Ishq" sung by Arijit Singh, Ash King, Swati Sharrma, Dev Negi, Joy Baurah, "Tum Jo Mile" by Armaan Malik, "Tum Ho Mere" by Najam Bajwa, "Dil Yeh Khamakha" by Dev Negi, "Royi" by             Shibani Sur, "Dil Yeh Khamakha Revisited" by Nikhil D'Souza, "Tum Jo Mile Unplug" by Amit Gupta, Pratap Dodla and "TUM HO MERE Unplugged" by Rajneesh Duggal, Vivek Verma.

Moh Maya Money

Moh Maya Money is directed by Munish Bhardwaj. It is a crime thriller which narrates the tale of a young real estate agent who tries to pull off a scam, but everything goes horribly wrong.

Aman (Ranvir Shorey) is a real estate agent in Delhi who aspires to break away from his ‘middle-class’ lifestyle. In the lieu to achieve a South Delhi style, upper class livelihood, Aman tries to pull off a real estate scam that can earn him big bucks. He is married to Divya (Neha Dhupia) who is a successful TV news producer. Fed up of Aman’s greed and constant cribbing about their middle-class life, Divya’s disconnect in the relationship is quite evident. After having pulled off some small time money laundering scenes, Aman takes on a big project that is bound to put him in trouble. Will Aman pull off a white collar crime without a scratch on his personal or professional life?

The film has Neha Dhupia, Ranvir Shorey, Vidushi Mehra, Ashwath Bhatt and Devendra Chowhan.

Arrival

Arrival is a 2016 American science fiction drama film directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Eric Heisserer, based on the short story "Story of Your Life" by author Ted Chiang. The film stars Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker.

When mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an elite team is put together to investigate – including language expert Louise Banks (Amy Adams). Mankind teeters on the verge of global war as everyone scrambles for answers – and to find them, Banks will take a chance that could threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity.

The film has Amy Adams as Dr. Louise Banks, a linguist, Jeremy Renner as Ian Donnelly, a military astrophysicist, Forest Whitaker as Colonel Weber, a senior US military officer, Michael Stuhlbarg as Agent Halpern, Tzi Ma as General Shang and Mark O'Brien as Captain Marks.

Nerve

Nerve is a 2016 American thriller film directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman and written by Jessica Sharzer, based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Jeanne Ryan. The film stars Emma Roberts, Dave Franco and Juliette Lewis, and revolves around an online objective truth or dare video game, which allows people to enlist as "players" or "watchers" as the game intensifies.

The film has Emma Roberts as Vee, the main protagonist and player of Nerve, Dave Franco as Ian/Sam, Vee's partner and fellow player in Nerve, Machine Gun Kelly (Credited as Colson Baker) as Ty, Vee's main opponent in the game, Juliette Lewis as Nancy, Vee's mother, Emily Meade as Sydney, one of Vee's friends, Miles Heizer as Tommy, one of Vee's friends who has an unrequited crush on her, Kimiko Glenn as Liv, one of Vee's friends, Samira Wiley as Azhar, leader of the hackers, Ed Squires as Chuck, Brian Marc as J.P, Eric D'Alessandro as Hype Boi, Marc John Jefferies as Wes and Casey Neistat as himself, a player.

A high school senior finds herself immersed in an online game of truth or dare, where her every move starts to become manipulated by an anonymous community of "watchers." The complicated truth is that the Internet’s dangers are entwined with its pleasures, the allure of instant fame, the illusion of contact with masses of people. “Nerve” is the first movie to capture all that. Based on the novel by Jeanne Ryan and written by Jessica Scharzer, “Nerve” imagines an online game that is guaranteed to appeal most to that segment of the population that’s short on cash and even shorter on common sense — teenagers. In this fictional game — also called “Nerve” — users sign up to become either “watchers” or “players.” If they become players, they’re assigned to record themselves doing nervy things within a set time period. As they complete each task, they win sums of money, ranging from $100 (for kissing a stranger) to $15,000 (for walking on a ladder between tall buildings). As the tasks get more dangerous, the online audience grows larger and more intense. Emma Roberts is at the center of the action as Venus, a high school senior from Staten Island whose ambition is the same as most people on Staten Island, which is to get out of Staten Island. She has been accepted to CalArts, but is too timid to tell her mother (Juliette Lewis) about it. Her plan instead is to commute to college in Manhattan and do her reading every morning on the ferry and when things come to a head in her personal life, Venus breaks the pattern by signing up for “Nerve.” At a diner, she kisses a stranger, Ian (Dave Franco), and the mob that’s watching them throws them together and starts giving them adventures.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'India makes its presence felt at Marrakech' that was published in Newsband

India makes its presence felt at Marrakech

The United Nations conference on climate change in Marrakech, Morocco, focussed on enhanced finance and technology transfer. India should insist on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change getting upheld. Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions to contain the rise of the global average temperature is necessary. There is need of high financial flows to both mitigate emissions and prepare communities to adapt to climate change.

In India’s case, new developments in sectors such as construction, transport, energy production, waste and water management, as well as agriculture, can benefit from fresh funding and technology.

Adopting green technologies in power generation has a twin advantage. The local environment is cleaned up, improving the quality of life, and carbon emissions are cut.

There is need to raise pressure on rich countries for technological and funding assistance under the Paris Agreement.  The business and industry today prefer a new path, as energy costs favour renewable sources over fossil fuels. Every country should find its own method to curb emissions.

In all, 196 countries agreed that there was need for the highest political commitment to combat climate change, as a matter of urgent priority. This is termed as Marrakech Action Proclamation,

The Marrakech conference did witness dissensions between developed and developing countries. US was threatened that it would be isolated if it pulled out of the Paris climate pact. If things go according to plan, the new climate treaty could come into effect much before the 2020 deadline set in Paris.

The developing countries had a minor victory when they were able to insert a clause, in the final decisions, asking for a scaling up of financial resources. The developing countries refused to be bogged down by the stingy ways of the industrialised countries.

India took the lead in cementing the International Solar Alliance — a group of developed and developing nations that aims to make solar power competitive vis-a-vis conventional energy.

Video: Dinesh Kamath speaks about his 3 favourite Hollywood Films

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Big move by the government without enough planning' that was published in Newsband

Big move by the government without enough planning

Eighty six per cent of currency notes in a country of 1.3 billion people were rendered illegal tender in a matter of hours. Disruption in daily lives was inevitable.

Luckily Farmers’ income was not taxed, but the agricultural economy is still controlled by middlemen and traders. The introduction of the Goods and Services Tax will affect such intermediaries. Rural Indians, like their urban peers, may be in a tizzy for now over the currency swoop and face challenges in transactions. The latest relaxation, allowing farmers to withdraw Rs. 25, 000 a week, came as a boon to the lower group of agricultural sector.

The Reserve Bank of India and the Central government were clearly not prepared for the cash crunch in bank vaults and post offices. A thought should also have been spared for people’s healthcare costs. The long, anxious, and frustrating wait by people outside banks and ATMs across the country over the last five days after the demonetisation of notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 is a painful sight. This chaos could have been anticipated and managed better.

Such a move require planning of the highest order. That preparation was lacking and could have been handled much better. ATMs were running out of cash quickly while banks were dispensing more of the Rs. 2,000 notes than those of lower denominations. Putting out new Rs. 500 notes along the Rs. 2,000 notes immediately after demonetisation would have placed much less strain on those of the Rs. 100 denomination, which are anyway in short supply.

The public were in a state of panic. Thankfully, the Centre has woken up to ease the pressure on the system by increasing withdrawal limits, petroleum outlets and hospitals to accept the old series of notes until a certain time.

The worst-affected were people in rural areas and villages. The decision taken by Prime Minister is really working well and appreciated globally but some measures should be taken before implementation of such a big plan because it is the innocent people who are facing turbulence for long hour for getting money from bank or ATM.

We have to appreciate our Prime minister for his action which put those politicians, who have plenty of black money and make much noise in parliament by shedding crocodile tears for public, in awkward situation. People who are waiting in long queues are used to such exercise since they have been doing it elsewhere too. 

Video: Dinesh Kamath, Editor of Newsband, interviewed by journalists

Video: Dinesh Kamath speaks about best bollywood movies

Video: Dinesh Kamath tries to imitate Al Pacino in movies 'Scarface' and 'The G...

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Will Trump manage to give a boost to Indo-US relations?' that was published in Newsband

Will Trump manage to give a boost to Indo-US relations?

The President-elect, Donald Trump, now has a tough task of picking the White House team that will carry out his policy agenda. His election victory has created terrific impact not only in US but all over the world. Trump will have to pick up a team who will help him please both liberal as well as conservative sections of American public. Americans are eagerly looking forward to Trump delivering all the promises that he made during the campaign.

Trump has picked up Reince Priebus as his Chief of Staff who along with House Speaker Paul Ryan had helped Trump considerably during the darkest days of the campaign. Priebus has proved his organisational acumen and loyalty to Trump who is bound to see to it that he has a great future.  Steve Bannon, the CEO of the Trump campaign and the former CEO of the “alt-right” media house Breitbart News, as his Chief Strategist and Senior Counsellor, are controversial choices considering the fact that under Bannon, Breitbart was accused of being racist, anti-Semitic, misogynist and prone to conspiracy theorising.

It appears that Trump is out to create a multipolar power structure within the White House. American public have no complaint about practical-minded and mainstream-focussed Priebus.

Indians hope that Trump will come up with a team which has as many Pro-India members as possible. With Trump leading the Americans, Indians are eagerly looking forward to see how the Indo-US relations will appear in the days to come. There is no doubt about the fact that Trump is all prepared to begin his first tenure as President with a bang.

Video: Animation and Semi-Animation Films by Dinesh Kamath

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'US should not bully weaker nations' that was published in Newsband

US should not bully weaker nations

The Centre is contesting the ruling in the World Trade Organisation against India’s policy of local sourcing of components as part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission. The U.S. had taken to the WTO its case against India’s policy of favouring domestic inputs in solar cells and solar modules, arguing that it amounted to a discriminatory trade practice and distorted the game. This is a setback for India’s Solar Mission.

By providing a ‘green angle’ to its solar power programme, India has added a new dimension to the ongoing dispute. Hence India should point out to US the fact that solar power or any alternate mode of power should be given the topmost priority rather than focusing on India's inclination towards ingeniously built solar equipment. The law should be equally applicable to US and India. This is indeed a great step towards attaining self-reliance of power by investing on solar energy. India should focus on achieving the goal instead of bothering about WTO/US complaints.

The US cannot discharge its political or moral world leadership role by simply insisting that American businesses must continue to operate the way they always have done (ie economic imperialism), totally disregarding India’s desperate need to provide jobs for her teeming millions of youth, when the last GoI said 67% of Indians need government food subsidy to survive. The world indeed requires a spirit of accommodative co-existence for the larger global good.

We should heed the WTO ruling to our benefit. Our bottom line in the area of Power Sufficiency is generation of power, a good part of which has to be from Solar. If solar cells or panels from USA would cost us less than they would if procured internally then we must go for the imported ones without hesitation. Our aim should be to produce power with efficiency and on lower costs, not to nurture or encourage related industries however noble the thought might be. Aim to make power, not panels or cells.

But we should not stop encouraging our own Indian companies’ product even if it is more costly. It is an admitted fact that the solar cells produced by CEL, a PSU are the best one being manufactured in India.

The aim is to build the eco-system which can sustain solar power generation in the long run. It's in self-interest to build local panel and related industries. The success formula is to attract the right combination of foreign and local players i.e. foreign players who bring in the latest technology and practices, while the local players who can jump on to this new technology and scale it.

US cannot have the cake and yet not eat it. As made out in the Paris conference the onus to curb climate changes has to be borne by every nation. Other countries can take measures that augment this cause but not do anything that undermines it. If USA whose leadership has consistently been at the forefront of promoting eco-friendly measures wants other nations to take this up it must be done on the latters' terms and not in the manner Washington wants it to be carried out. 

Video: Dinesh Kamath about Bollywood Heroines and their best films

Video: Dinesh Kamath's performances inspired by movies of Amitabh Bachchan

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Does Rahul Gandhi need the Congress or vice versa?' that was published in Newsband

Does Rahul Gandhi need the Congress or vice versa?

Why is Congress party shielding Rahul Gandhi? Is it because of the risk of electoral failure or are they looking to him for political leadership and guidance?

Party's old guard know about Sri. Rahul Gandhi's lack of leadership qualities, as of now, but have to sail with the current as they have benefited one way or other, by their association with the party and the family. What is worrying is that the Congress Party could not look beyond the family for leadership. Congress party could throw up leaders in their own right and not because of heredity.

What is the use of making Gandhi the president of a national party? He doesn’t seem to have much interest in taking responsibility? In the past elections, he would help more in attracting masses than displaying competent leadership. The Congress Party has to reorganise itself and look out for an energetic young man from outside the family - someone who can lead the party to greater heights.

Congress, like any Political Party, needs a leader whose right to lead is not questioned at every step but Congress simply does not have such a leader. Fortunately, for Rahul Gandhi, he was born with a political foot in his mouth. His lineage is the only reason why he is on the verge of being coronated. Otherwise, a person of his calibre will not even dream of becoming Congress President. Members of the party’s old guard are sure of his lack of leadership skills but do not dare to cross his mother Sonia Gandhi and oppose his ascension. They were all willing participants in the corruption and scams one way or other and at one time or other during the decades of Congress rule. They have no chance or choice but to sink with Rahul Gandhi.

Clearly, Rahul Gandhi is uninterested in leading the INC and only the others, fearful of losing their political positions, are forcing him. Politics is a full-time job. Unfortunately for Rahul, he wants to have one foot here and another foot elsewhere. This is dangerous for the party because the rudderless INC ship is riddled with gaping holes and the sea is rough with a brewing storm in the horizon.

The widespread opinion is that he simply doesn't have it in him to do so. There are other capable hands in the INC but after Mahatma Gandhi thrust Pandit Nehru as the Congress President on an unwilling INC immediately after Motilal's term, INC has become a family property.

Congress depending on Rahul Gandhi is not surprising given its tradition of dynastic leadership. Sooner or later, the politics of Congress has to evolve around Gandhi. But, his interest and zeal in politics is found wanting over the past few years. This has weakened the party to a large extent. In addition, Sonia's ill-health further deteriorated the chances of the party. Now, the party is in need of a leader from outside the family to make some impression. But, this may not suffice to thwart forces of Hindutva from retaining power.

Video: Dinesh Kamath enacts some scenes from movie 'The Godfather'

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'One of the boldest moves by Government of India' that was published in Newsband

One of the boldest moves by Government of India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a powerful move to curb unaccounted cash, or black money, circulating in the Indian economy by withdrawing the highest-value currency notes of Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 as legal tender. Illicit black money fuels inflation as well as terrorism. It becomes difficult for honest taxpayers to buy a house. The introduction of new Rs.500 and Rs.2,000 notes, the government argues, would not only check counterfeit currency, a problem that has assumed serious dimensions, but also purge India’s economy of the black wealth amassed in the form of high-value notes.

World Bank had estimated India’s shadow economy in 2007 to be nearly $479 billion in unaccounted wealth, according to rating agency Crisil. Hence this is one of the historical reforms of the economy of India. This is indeed one of the boldest moves by the Government of India

This scheme has received mixed reactions till now. The majority of industry and commoners alike reacted to this decision with overwhelming support. Whereas some sections are of the opinion that it is a draconian scheme causing hardships to people. It has also been argued that it would’ve been better if two to three days’ notice had been given. That would, in fact, have defeated the entire purpose of the scheme because by then the money would have been circulated. Overall, this scheme is going to impact the businesses, the aam admi, and financial institutions – all at some level or the other.

With this move in play, black money holders are left with just two options – either route this money through banks, declaring it to be their income or burn the stashed file. In case they opt for the first option, they will have to declare it as income. Consequently, the question arises that how did they earn that income? Their files would be subjected to scrutiny and a minimum tax of 60 percent would be payable.

PM Narendra Modi also said militants operating against India were using fake notes of Rs 500, worth about $7.50 at current exchange rates. “Terrorism is a frightening thing. Enemies from across the border have run their operations using fake currency notes. This has been going on for years,” Modi said.

Hence, withdrawing the entire series of these high-value notes and introducing new notes definitely tantamount to a surgical strike on these groups.

People in rural India who have a significant amount of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes, but no official form of identification, will have a tough time in exchanging their notes.

The logic behind this demonetisation is to curb the use of these high-value notes in the black money market. However, earlier demonetisation only impacted the super rich, big black marketers, and smugglers/hawala operators as only they kept high denomination notes. Now, almost everyone has Rs 500/1,000 notes. How do you expect people running grocery shops, chaiwallas, and maids to leave their businesses and stand in a queue to deposit these notes in the bank? Tax havens and foreign accounts are still untapped. The big fish will be left out whose black money is in the form of foreign currency, gold, and stashed away in tax havens.  How the government plans to nab these offenders is yet to be seen. And what about Illegal election funds of political parties. We all know how much black money is used by political parties. It will be a very tough task to use trucks of money at least for the upcoming five state elections.

There will be favourable impact too. Bank deposits will spike and there will be positive Impact on jewellery and real estate business.

Dinesh Kamath’s column ‘New movies released in Navi Mumbai’ (Force 2, Tum Bin II, Fantastic Beasts and Shut In) that was published in Newsband

New movies released in Navi Mumbai

By Dinesh Kamath

Force 2

Force 2 is a 2016 Indian Hindi action thriller film directed by Abhinay Deo which features John Abraham and Sonakshi Sinha in the lead roles. It is a sequel to the 2011 film Force.

Force 2 is an action thriller film, which is a sequel to the 2011 hit film, Force. Parveez Shaikh and Jasmeet K Reen have jointly written the script for the movie, which brings back ACP Yashvardhan, who teams up with RAW Agent KK to bring down a mastermind terrorist, Shiv. The film is about the evil intention of one man, who puts nation under threat by killing agents of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Force 2 has a good story with interesting twists and turns and the director has got amazing grip over its narration. The music, picturisation and brilliant choreography of action scenes are attractions on the technical front.

The film has John Abraham as ACP Yashvardhan, Sonakshi Sinha as Kamaljit Kaur/KK, Tahir Raj Bhasin as Shiv, Genelia D'Souza as Maya (special appearance), Paras Arora and Narendra Jha

Tum Bin II

Tum Bin II (English: Without you II) is a 2016 Indian Hindi romantic drama film, written and directed by Anubhav Sinha. It is produced by Sinha and Bhushan Kumar, under the T-Series banner. It is a sequel to the 2001 film, Tum Bin. It features Neha Sharma, Aditya Seal and Aashim Gulati in lead roles.

Tum Bin 2 Movie story has no connection with prequel ‘Tum Bin’. It is a new romantic story revolving around the characters of Neha Sharma, Aditya Seal and Aashim Gulati. The story begins when an event turns his life upside down. Taran (Neha Sharma), has lost her fiancé Amar (Aashim Gulati) in a skiing accident in the Alps. After eight months Taran is encouraged by her family to move on. It was baby steps in the beginning with the help of her own sisters that she began to get a hold of her present and future. The wonderful memories from the past still haunted her. Every street in Glasgow where she spent wonderful moments with her drew her back to Amar. Shekhar (Aditya Seal) comes into Taran’s life. Shekhar was privileged to have been through the worst and the best that life can offer. He was a wise man who knew the exact meanings of life and death. Taran finds solace in his company. She discovers how to tread into the life ahead. Most people do not live one fairy tale love story in a life time and Taran was on the verge of living another. Love is a choice that the heart must make, not the mind. Taran is caught in the conflict of the two. The right answer is in the mind and the best answer is in the heart.

The film has Neha Sharma, Aditya Seal, Aashim Gulati, Kanwaljit Singh and Mouni Roy (special appearance).

The soundtrack of the movie is composed by Ankit Tiwari & Nikhil-Vinay with lyrics written by Manoj Muntashir. The film has songs like "Teri Fariyad" sung by Jagjit Singh and Rekha Bhardwaj, "Ishq Mubarak" by Arijit Singh, "Dekh Lena" by Arijit Singh, Tulsi Kumar, "Jager Bomb" by Dwayne Bravo, Harshi Mad, Ankit Tiwari   , "Tum Bin" by Ankit Tiwari and "Ki Kariye Nachna Aaonda Nahin".

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a 2016 British fantasy film directed by David Yates and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. A spin-off of the Harry Potter film series, the film was produced and written by J. K. Rowling (in her screenwriting debut), inspired by her book of the same name. The film stars Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander with Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Carmen Ejogo and Colin Farrell in supporting roles.

It's 1926 and Newt Scamander has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident… were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.

Shut In

Shut In is a 2016 thriller film directed by Farren Blackburn, written by Christina Hodson and starring Naomi Watts, Oliver Platt, Charlie Heaton, Jacob Tremblay, David Cubitt and Clémentine Poidatz.

Following a recent accident that took the life of her husband and left her son paralyzed, a psychologist (Naomi Watts) finds herself isolated in her own home caring for her child. Cut off from the outside world during a storm, she starts to believe someone is inside her house trying to harm them. Thus a widowed child psychologist (Naomi Watts) lives an isolated existence in rural New England. Caught in a deadly winter storm, she must find a way to rescue a young boy before he disappears forever.

The film has Naomi Watts as Mary Portman, Oliver Platt as Dr. Wilson, Charlie Heaton as Steven Portman, David Cubitt as Doug Hart, Jacob Tremblay as Tom Patterson, Clémentine Poidatz as Lucy, Crystal Balint as Grace and Alex Braunstein as Aaron Hart.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Confused voters elect Donald Trump as US Prez' that was published in Newsband

Confused voters elect Donald Trump as US Prez

Donald Trump will be the 45th President of the United States. 58 per cent of whites and 21 per cent of non-whites voted for Mr. Trump, whereas 37 per cent of whites and 74 per cent of non-whites voted for his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. It seems white people in the United States voted overwhelmingly for Trump, and the immigrants and people from other ethnic backgrounds didn't turn up in big numbers for Hillary.

American voters should have given a chance to Mrs. Clinton to become the first lady President to rule USA which was not given by American Voters so far for the last two centuries of their democratic rule. As a presidential candidate to gain more votes, Mr. Trump's campaign was filled with objectionable speeches and dialogues, some of which are not dignified. Now, at least, after becoming President of USA, he should control such type of criticism against existing systems and procedures and form friendly relations with all communities of people residing in USA and people of all countries and get their support/ help in building USA to further greater heights.

Trump even with all his flaws have proven to have more common-sense and pulse of the masses than the candidate supported by the establishment. It is still not known as to what he is yet, so we have to wait and watch.

It is not important for any Indian to know who is Mr. Trump and how is his character. The most important thing is what type of relationship he will establish with India. Because today our country needs a biggest supportive country on the way of fight with terrorism. So, the nature of Trump must be liberal for our country.

Hillary lost because of vote bank politics and demonizing of people who don't accept her arguments. An imaginary group called "white men without college degree" was invented and repeatedly demonized by Hillary, her supporters and Conventional media. This group is something like "Upper caste Hindu male" group invented by people from Indian socialist communist ecosystem. Such imaginary groups are labelled as Racist, communal, Misogynist, sexist etc etc etc. Americans should have learnt lessons after Modi, or after Brexit but learning did not happen and Trump happened.

Much of the Indian media were behind Mrs Clinton as there is an oft-repeated thought that the Democrats are good for India. Mr Modi expressed his preference to Mr Trump. The media and their writers projected Mr Trump as a personification of all evils as it had done in the cases of Mr Modi. It is in vain to try to understand the reaction of the public in any situation and more so in the recent American elections. The news through the media was the only source for the public. And the media projections have been proved wrong. The news watcher was almost convinced from the speeches of the contestants that Trump had lost his trump card! And what happened finally? Politicians appear to be the same all over the globe and the public too.

There are several reasons behind Trumps success, primary among those is the alienation of those who had somewhat different opinion than the so called liberals. Defying all predictions, Trump has made it to the White House. This raises questions on predictions itself. Modern public opinion has become more complex than earlier days. Due to corrupted politicians, public remains undecided till the last minute.

Video: Dinesh Kamath as Bollywood Reporter

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'India and UK come closer to each other' that was published in Newsband

India and UK come closer to each other

It is clear that India and the U.K. are coming closer and closer to each other. They are two pillars of the Commonwealth, sharing democratic values and a world view on many political issues including terrorism. There is a huge Indian community that has settled in Britain. India is the third largest investor in the U.K., and the U.K. is the largest G20 investor in India.

After taking over as Prime Minister of the U.K., Theresa May chose to visit India first. Her visit to India was seen as a way of exploring a trade path outside of the EU. The two MoUs were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ms. May, on improving the ease of doing business and on intellectual property rights. The two MoUs are essential for the people of India and the UK. It is the way by which general people will participate in country's economy.

What made interesting news is Theresa May’s visit to a temple in a sari. Countries like the UK need India for trade,

Besides the U.K., countries like the USA, Japan, and France will also be more important to assist India's growth as a major power. The visit of Theresa May only highlights the realities of today's world order.

India is a largest investor in UK. While both the nations are working towards closer ties economically and politically, much remains to be done in the field of trade and commerce. The exports and imports position has not been very satisfactory. There are many obstacles in free trade.

Both India and UK would have to work on their strengths and needs. UK needs to recover completely from the "recessionary" conditions, and that would need much human resources and further Britain could gain by having skilled human resources from India for developments that add values to local resources. India needs Technology to improve its Resources value additions. While Britain could take advantage of Indian skilled labor, India needs to have partnerships for Technology developments. Mere "businesses" cannot help India's long term Growth needs. We need TECHNOLOGY as the most important Thrust for development.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Nuclear cooperation agreement between India and Japan' that was published in Newsband

Nuclear cooperation agreement between India and Japan

When India conducted its nuclear tests in 1998, Japan put all political exchanges with India on hold, froze aid and announced economic sanctions within hours. In 2001, sanctions were lifted. And then, in 2009, the two countries began an annual strategic dialogue.

There was nuclear cooperation agreement in Tokyo during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit. This is Japan’s first nuclear deal. Japan now recognises India’s exemplary record in nuclear prudence. It is indeed a much-needed moral boost as New Delhi strives for membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

China has been hedging against deeper Japan-India ties in Asia by investing in its relationship with Russia and Pakistan. As the two Asian rivals to China, India and Japan might need the partnership even more in the days to come, as the U.S. President-elect seems to be not interested in “playing policeman” in the region.

The India-Japan relationship might be prove a milestone in developing Nuclear project. This relationship is also important for India in the way of getting NSG membership. Signing of this agreement between India and Japan is the clear indication of increasing India's stature at international level. But India cannot agree to any clause that seeks to constrain its nuclear strategy or tests.  India must show that unless the nuclear powers walk the talk on de-nuclearlisation, they have no moral ground on which they can ask others to stay away from nuclear weapons.

Japan’s positive approach towards nuclear co-operation with India will be helpful if the efforts are directed towards peaceful use. But, the present conditions point otherwise. Even women of Japan have advised the Indian PM to review in the light of Fukushima disaster. The appeals of the affected persons in Japan should be taken into account before taking further steps on the offer. Environment problems must be kept in view.

The India-Japan relationship has come a long way since the Shakti-II tests of 1998. The Japanese reaction in May 1998 was knee-jerk without understanding the ground realities. The 'violent rise' of China, the realization of the inevitability of a nuclear-weaponised India, the changing dynamics between India and the US, the rapidly deteriorating Sino-Japanese relationship, the size of the expanding Indian economy and probably a sober analysis of the geopoloitical & geostrategic situation by the Japanese have all played their role in the massive turnaround. The basic template of the agreement is the same as that between India and the US with an additional 'Note' that registers the views of the two nations. Japan itself has given up its military pacifism lately. There are voices there that Japan must also possess n-weapons in view of a rampaging China and its cat's paw North Korea. Japan possesses a large stockpile of Plutonium too. Japan's moral high ground is quite weak these days.

The nuclear deal with Japan will be fruitful on constructive lines like developing nuclear power projects and Japan will cooperate with full vigour when India operates the deal within the frame. Even the slightest deviation from the agreement will lead to cancellation. Japan’s generosity to have nuclear deal with non NPT member country ought to be cherished in the right perspective and it may increase India's viability to enter NSG.

Japan has been a vociferous and solid supporter of India's entry into NSG even without the nuclear deal. It is China and China alone (though there are a few countries like New Zealand who have some quibble or the other but who can be turned around) that is stopping us from getting our much deserved membership there. If NSG agrees to admit Pakistan, China will relent immediately throwing to the winds all its 'principled opposition'. The chess game on the NSG board is not built by China on any principles except self-preservation.