Editorial
India can become a super power
China is India's largest and most powerful neighbour by far and therefore in a strategic sense the most consequential. It is also India's biggest trading partner, which makes it vital to the Indian economy. So we must be careful how we relate with China.
China is the second largest economy in the world and probably the second greatest military power as well. It is trying hard to be the greatest power on earth. What is constraining its elevation is its internal political and ethno-religious problems, its ageing population, and its peculiar capitalist economy. But even US and UK had internal problems prior to their rise. Those problems did not stop their ascent. So China might also succeed in rising in spite of its problems.
The question is whether it will be China or India which will be the major power in Asia in the years to come? All the major powers in the world today have their own worries about China. We can see how US and western powers show interest in India for the simple reason that India by its virtue of its population and size is about the only country with the scale to potentially balance China in the long run.
Beijing should leave India alone in our attempt to rise to top. There are a number of bilateral issues that bring India and China into conflict territory, Tibet, river waters and Pakistan. The problem is that China may want so much that it will not be possible for India to make sufficient concessions.
India should build its military strength to the point that we can match China. We should produce our own weapons. We are lucky that we have succeeded in successfully building our nuclear weapon.
The only option for India is to accept the support of America in negotiating China. We should also build our economy and internal political resilience and deter aggression across the Himalayas.
In the race to become super power, India's only competitor is China but we have an edge over China owing to the willingness shown by US to help us score over China. Hence India should not hesitate to join hands with US in a big way in its pursuit to become the next superpower.
EditorialAdvanced technology is killing the art of acting?Advancement in filmmaking technology is proving to be a curse for the actors since they get little scope to display their artistic skills. Some lovers of the art called acting feel that advanced technology is signaling the death of film.
Once there existed some golden age of acting. The stars from the past are remembered for their fantastic acting displays. Those days actors were discovered, nurtured and given the opportunity to flower. Today the emphasis is shifted to the technicians sitting behind computers. How can new actors emerge, if they don't even have the scope to act? The advanced technology make the actors appear more like animation figures. The art of acting is under severe threat due to emergence of new technology in the art of filmmaking.
Today the films are technically superb. But where are the actors? In the past, the greatest films only worked because not only did they tell riveting tales but relied on actors to portray plots and characters with befitting finesse. They used to be unforgettable cinematic experiences. But today the filmmakers rely on computer animation technology instead of actors.
According to those who support technology more than actors are of the opinion that at the end of the day movies are about creating stories that leave a lasting impression. According to them, technology today has become an intrinsic part of movie making. They say that apart from giving filmmakers an unprecedented level of control over the pre-and post-production phases, it has made possible cinematography that was previously unimaginable. They don't agree that acting alone carries a film. They cite the examples of blockbuster movies such as Spiderman, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter which according to them could not have been created without the use of computer-generated special effects.
Thus the subject whether technology is superior to art of acting or vice versa is become a debatable issue.
Editorial
Journalists and politicians
The journalists in India are in a very sorry state. They have been grilled on the small screen, sliced and diced in print, and their every written or spoken word critically examined although they did nothing illegal.
The tainted politicians, on the other hand, looted public money and clearly broke the law. Yet, they don't owe an explanation. They don't suffer the image slaughter like the journalists. The politicians don't go to jail either.
Media personalities attract more disgrace because they are intimately involved in people's everyday lives in a way politicians are not. Politicians are far away in the public realm, but TV anchors and star columnists are much nearer home, often in people's bedrooms till late at night. They are expected to abide by law as well as be moral. But people expect politicians to be corrupt. Politicians smile when they assume office and laugh all the way to the bank when they are eased out. Media personalities feel the need to win back their consumers and fans, but the tainted politician faces no such compulsion. Over time people have been trained to expect less and less from politicians. This has increased their dependency on professionals like journalists and NGO activists. The kind of adulation and awe such people elicit in India would be extremely rare in western societies.
A journalist is never seen advertising soap or toothpaste or woolen suiting. It is acceptable for a Shah Rukh Khan or a Sachin Tendulkar to endorse a product, but not a TV anchor or a newspaper editor. They might be famous names and faces, but they disappear during commercials and are never seen hawking goods.
A journalist is like a soldier, judge or priest. He is supposed to care for the public more than personal gain. The media star has a certain celebrity status. But he is certainly not like the movie idol. While film actors can afford to behave rashly, journalists are expected to be serious and caring. People might want their autographs and even be photographed with them, yet it is not the same as hankering after a Bollywood hero.
Even the best-paid journalists are prevented from behaving like either political heavies or business tycoon. When they misbehave they run the risk of popular disapproval which can sometimes be more hurtful than a legal sentence. While the politician who is a scamster can return to another ministry under a new dispensation, it is hard to repair the damage done to the reputation of the journalist. In India, fans matter more than electorates.
India can become a super power
China is India's largest and most powerful neighbour by far and therefore in a strategic sense the most consequential. It is also India's biggest trading partner, which makes it vital to the Indian economy. So we must be careful how we relate with China.
China is the second largest economy in the world and probably the second greatest military power as well. It is trying hard to be the greatest power on earth. What is constraining its elevation is its internal political and ethno-religious problems, its ageing population, and its peculiar capitalist economy. But even US and UK had internal problems prior to their rise. Those problems did not stop their ascent. So China might also succeed in rising in spite of its problems.
The question is whether it will be China or India which will be the major power in Asia in the years to come? All the major powers in the world today have their own worries about China. We can see how US and western powers show interest in India for the simple reason that India by its virtue of its population and size is about the only country with the scale to potentially balance China in the long run.
Beijing should leave India alone in our attempt to rise to top. There are a number of bilateral issues that bring India and China into conflict territory, Tibet, river waters and Pakistan. The problem is that China may want so much that it will not be possible for India to make sufficient concessions.
India should build its military strength to the point that we can match China. We should produce our own weapons. We are lucky that we have succeeded in successfully building our nuclear weapon.
The only option for India is to accept the support of America in negotiating China. We should also build our economy and internal political resilience and deter aggression across the Himalayas.
In the race to become super power, India's only competitor is China but we have an edge over China owing to the willingness shown by US to help us score over China. Hence India should not hesitate to join hands with US in a big way in its pursuit to become the next superpower.
EditorialAdvanced technology is killing the art of acting?Advancement in filmmaking technology is proving to be a curse for the actors since they get little scope to display their artistic skills. Some lovers of the art called acting feel that advanced technology is signaling the death of film.
Once there existed some golden age of acting. The stars from the past are remembered for their fantastic acting displays. Those days actors were discovered, nurtured and given the opportunity to flower. Today the emphasis is shifted to the technicians sitting behind computers. How can new actors emerge, if they don't even have the scope to act? The advanced technology make the actors appear more like animation figures. The art of acting is under severe threat due to emergence of new technology in the art of filmmaking.
Today the films are technically superb. But where are the actors? In the past, the greatest films only worked because not only did they tell riveting tales but relied on actors to portray plots and characters with befitting finesse. They used to be unforgettable cinematic experiences. But today the filmmakers rely on computer animation technology instead of actors.
According to those who support technology more than actors are of the opinion that at the end of the day movies are about creating stories that leave a lasting impression. According to them, technology today has become an intrinsic part of movie making. They say that apart from giving filmmakers an unprecedented level of control over the pre-and post-production phases, it has made possible cinematography that was previously unimaginable. They don't agree that acting alone carries a film. They cite the examples of blockbuster movies such as Spiderman, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter which according to them could not have been created without the use of computer-generated special effects.
Thus the subject whether technology is superior to art of acting or vice versa is become a debatable issue.
Editorial
Journalists and politicians
The journalists in India are in a very sorry state. They have been grilled on the small screen, sliced and diced in print, and their every written or spoken word critically examined although they did nothing illegal.
The tainted politicians, on the other hand, looted public money and clearly broke the law. Yet, they don't owe an explanation. They don't suffer the image slaughter like the journalists. The politicians don't go to jail either.
Media personalities attract more disgrace because they are intimately involved in people's everyday lives in a way politicians are not. Politicians are far away in the public realm, but TV anchors and star columnists are much nearer home, often in people's bedrooms till late at night. They are expected to abide by law as well as be moral. But people expect politicians to be corrupt. Politicians smile when they assume office and laugh all the way to the bank when they are eased out. Media personalities feel the need to win back their consumers and fans, but the tainted politician faces no such compulsion. Over time people have been trained to expect less and less from politicians. This has increased their dependency on professionals like journalists and NGO activists. The kind of adulation and awe such people elicit in India would be extremely rare in western societies.
A journalist is never seen advertising soap or toothpaste or woolen suiting. It is acceptable for a Shah Rukh Khan or a Sachin Tendulkar to endorse a product, but not a TV anchor or a newspaper editor. They might be famous names and faces, but they disappear during commercials and are never seen hawking goods.
A journalist is like a soldier, judge or priest. He is supposed to care for the public more than personal gain. The media star has a certain celebrity status. But he is certainly not like the movie idol. While film actors can afford to behave rashly, journalists are expected to be serious and caring. People might want their autographs and even be photographed with them, yet it is not the same as hankering after a Bollywood hero.
Even the best-paid journalists are prevented from behaving like either political heavies or business tycoon. When they misbehave they run the risk of popular disapproval which can sometimes be more hurtful than a legal sentence. While the politician who is a scamster can return to another ministry under a new dispensation, it is hard to repair the damage done to the reputation of the journalist. In India, fans matter more than electorates.
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