Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Pahlaj Nihalani sacked, replaced by Prasoon Joshi' that was published in Newsband

Pahlaj Nihalani sacked, replaced by Prasoon Joshi

Government has finally sacked Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani. Many a filmmaker found CBFC under him unenlightened, tyrannical and scissor-happy.

Newly appointed chairperson is Prasoon Joshi. He is an adman, lyricist and poet. He is thoughtful, having a modern point of view and a good understanding of the medium.

Shyam Benegal submitted his report on the necessary reforms and recommended that CBFC should only be a film certification body and no longer be a censor board.

There are many film makers who question whether CBFC is required at all. According to them, in this age, in a democracy, there is no room for a "censor" board. It's an anachronism that has flourished to suppress any critical view of the Government and other vested interests, according to them. They further add, “Which other democracy has censorship? India has gone to the extreme, to the extent of even cutting words like BS that are in common use from TV shows. You cannot show even a cartoon character smoking without the annoying message about how smoking kills. The reason why Indian movies follow the same old masala formula is because the directors have no freedom to take up interesting and controversial subjects. Abolish the censor board, make states accountable for law and order to protect free expression, have only a ratings system for movies just as in other mature democracies, and hold theaters responsible for enforcing age restrictions for audience. We can't all be watching movies and TV shows only suitable for children.”

But what these anti CBFC elements do not understand is there are unfortunately many film makers who are a greedy lot and hence if censorship is abolished, they will start offering plain pornography to people.

However, Prasoon Joshi - like Shyam Benegal or Shabana Azmi – is the name that itself inspires confidence. He is the best man for the job. 

Dinesh Kamath's news 'Sandip University takes you on a journey from ancient India to modern India on 71st Independence Day' that was published in Newsband

Sandip University takes you on a journey from ancient India to modern India on 71st Independence Day

Students to host a fashion show that highlights Indian architecture to modern architecture

By Dinesh Kamath

Indian Architecture is vast and has seen a big shift over the years as it gradually moved towards Modern architectural methods. Inspired by this great shift, Sandip University in association with Indian Fashion Academy (IFA) has organized Sandip Desinz 2017 on 71st Independence Day. First Year students of Sandip University presented their designs on August 12, 2017 at Smt Bhuriben Golwala Auditorium, Ghatkopar.

The event was attended by renowned designer Salim Asgarally, he is well known for the innovative fusion of east and the west.  He has taken various steps to make fashion a platform for change. Students who were a part of the fashion show were divided in 8 groups to present the collection based on Indian Architecture from ancient towards the modern era.

Indian Architecture exists since the beginning of civilization, from the Indus valley civilization, temples, and religious structures till Chaityas, Viharas, Stupas and modern architecture. This walk down memory lane will present a kaleidoscope of colours, textures, designs and fabrics from various eras.

“We conduct this fashion show every year but it is for the first time that we have collaborated with Sandip University. This has helped us get a wonderful response in the first year itself; the Indian architecture theme was the result of brainstorming by the first year students themselves keeping in mind art and culture of our nation. We selected independence day since we wanted our students to depict our journey of Indian architecture from ancient to modern.” said Nitin Magar, Founder of IFA.

 “Students have taken inspiration from Rock Garden of Chandigarh ,  Mythological Arches, Lotus Temple, Sheesh Mahal, Konark Sun Temple, Mumbai Airport etc. and have created beautiful intricate patterns with vibrant and neon colors.” adds Nitin Magar.

“We have now set a benchmark in the field of technical education and would like to expand our wings in other streams as well. As our first step we have collaborated with IFA to establish their school of fashion design and beauty cosmetology. The amazing response from students for this course has prompted us to be able to conduct this fashion show and encourage the students of the first year itself.” said Sandip Jha, Chairman, Sandip University and Sandip Foundation.

Video: Rajesh Khanna's best dialogue uttered by Dinesh Kamath

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Slavery still exists' that was published in Newsband

Slavery still exists

There are more people enslaved now than over four centuries of slave-trading. There is need to act to end this trade in misery.

A young woman gets duped into a modelling assignment and then kidnapped by a gang who it is claimed wanted to auction her to the highest bidder for sex. That is a sobering reminder that slavery has not gone away. This appears a case of an attempted trafficking for sexual exploitation.

It is also not a typical story of modern day slavery. Today’s slave tales are about the subjugation of vulnerable, often poor, people who lack basic protections afforded by a functioning legal system. Despite being outlawed slavery remains a business. Slaves today are those coerced to work or to sell their bodies or to part with their organs. They are “owned” by an employer and treated as a commodity. Slavery is found in homes that employ domestic workers.

The reason slavery exists is that we let it. There is need to modernise slavery laws. Slavery is morally wrong and illegal. Slaves are a lot more expensive than people working for a wage as the employer doesn't have to house, feed, and care for employees. Slavery is something quite different. Where a person is subject to the complete will and control of others, has no freedom of movement and no choice of action, is totally constrained.

The accommodation and food supplied is actually the bare minimum to keep the individual - the quasi-commodity - in a productive state. The miniscule wages paid to some workers, are nowhere near enough to keep body and soul together let alone pay for health care

Slavery in its many forms can be distinguished from many other very exploitative forms of 'employment'. There is urgent need to stop people trafficking and slavery. There are at this very minute in this country hundreds of men and women who are no better than indentured servants to their rich masters, with very little right of recourse should their employers decide to abuse them - and abuse them they do. That this can happen in this day and age just shows how much the government actually values human rights when they come up against money: very little, it would appear.

The rich buy their staff to treat them as slaves, massively open to physical and sexual abuse. The government should not exclude specifically "domestic workers" from the legislation, one of the most vulnerable groups because they largely work in an 'alone' situation which is also poorly regulated.

It took the barrel of a gun to end much of slavery in the last century. The Ottoman Empire, one of the largest slavers in history, over 6 centuries, had its Slaver markets closed by force. What is needed is an intervention on a similar scale.

If you see from one angle, aren't many of us slaves to some extent? Since our freedom is constrained between 8 am and 5 pm for five days a week for a meager salary which just about covers a mortgage. Obviously no comparison to slavery in normal sense.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'SBI disappoints its customers' that was published in Newsband

SBI disappoints its customers

SBI’s move to lower the interest rates on savings accounts is a wake-up call for savers. As far as interest rates on savings accounts are concerned, the State Bank of India has moved to lower the rate which was hitherto kept at 4 per cent by nearly all banks. SBI cut 50 bps in the savings deposit rate. Thus it has now set the ball rolling for others to follow suit. The rates on FDs are plummeting by more than 2 percentage points over the past two years. This pinches the large population of Indian savers.

For savers, SBI’s cut should serve as a wake-up call, one that nudges them to consciously shop for higher returns, rather than letting funds idle in savings accounts. For the economy at large, pushing household savings to financial assets can provide a fillip to investments.

Ignorance of law is no excuse; so is ignorance of economics/finance. Buyer beware is an axiom. Indian public look at government bank deposits (including co-operatives), gold and real estate in that order for parking their savings. Rightly or wrongly, they are most comfortable only dealing in currency. Also, we are quite comfortable with the lethargy experienced in government utilities - railway services, bank, electricity, insurance and organizations like PSU banks, LIC, GIC, BSNL etc. In fact customers of these organization are very possessive about these and defend them.

So, you feel for the customers who lose interest because of SBI move; There are some optimists who feel that SBI might report increase in deposits in the next 6 months and also increase in their income. Right now another customer is parking his redemption from mutual funds in to his savings bank account.

One needs to advocate the banks not to cut interest rate on deposits which is one of the key sources of income to them. Time and again the interest rate is reduced gradually and forces depositors to see some other source for placing their savings with reasonable interest and safety. But banks are not bothering the hiccups and they take situation based decisions in reducing the rate.

As per banking-history, in the beginning, banks were charging fee for rendering the service of safe-keeping (custody) of their clients’ money, on which no interest was paid. A time might come when banks would be paying meager interest on savings bank accounts. Savers will remain at the mercy of banks.

While media and analysts dwell in detail on inflation, RBI’s base rates and inadequate transmission of benefits of rate cuts, savers remain a neglected lot. To add insult to injury, banks bargain for reduction of interest rates on savings instruments with long term maturities outside the banking system as a pre-condition for reduction in lending rates following reduction in bank rate. GOI has been obliging.

This indecent challenge from banks which have a monopoly over rural and semi-urban savings has long-term implications. These include savings migrating to non-financial sectors and the traditional moneylender resurfacing in new attire. Earlier the regulator and GOI wake up, the better. Public memory may be short. But savers who keep their savings in banks they trust cannot be expected to forget why they chose bank deposits as an instrument of savings, in the first place. State bank of India and major private sector banks have been challenging the common sense of two categories of savers particularly, since the beginning of the current decade. The savers they have been taking for granted are, (a) elders who keep their ‘retirement corpus’ in bank deposits and (b) the High Net-worth salaried class who maintain huge balances in savings bank accounts.

In 2011, when after long persuasion by depositors, RBI deregulated interest rates on Savings Bank accounts, these banks made a mockery of the regulator’s guidance by either just ignoring the RBI circular (banks like SBI) or making new stipulations and fixing new thresholds for payment of interest on SB accounts (big private sector banks), ensuring status quo in outgo on account of interest payments.  

Dinesh Kamath's news 'Bigg Boss & MTV Fame Imam Siddique at INIFD Panvel' that was published in Newsband

Bigg Boss & MTV Fame Imam Siddique at INIFD Panvel

By Dinesh Kamath

PANVEL: Bigg Boss & MTV Fame Imam Siddique was present at Inter National Institute of Fashion Design to conduct Styling and Personality Development Workshop for INIFD design students. Multi-talented personality Imam Siddique is a fashion stylist and is a famous television personality recognised for his flamboyant personality. 

1 Brand spread over 11 Countries, INIFD with Legacy of 23 Years, over half a million pass outs, 25000 students every year, national and international collaborations, providing the nation's common man a new perspective and career in fashion and design, INIFD is all across the world. INIFD students can now upgrade their skills at UK & USA. After the huge success in London, New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, INIFD is the World’s largest Global network.

“Timeout with Imam” on MTV - It’s all 'bout revealing Imam or watching his life. “Style Addict” Imam is a famous fashion model, a casting director and image consultant. A dancer and poet by passion, Imam as a photographer has launched many faces in the fashion world. He was the man behind the makeover of Mona Singh’s character “Jassi” in “Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi”.

Style Guru & Fashion Stylist Imam Siddique will be taking a Styling session with INIFD designer students and updating them with the latest trends and styles. Imam will be visiting INIFD centres pan India and interacting with the students and sharing his expertise and experiences with them.

INIFD is now Level Next for Gen Next. INIFD design students have now travelled the globe from Lakme Fashion Week in India to Fashion Week in London. INIFD student designers showcased their Collections on ramp at FASHION SCOUT during London Fashion Week for the 2 Consecutive seasons with other top International Designers at world level event at London. After the huge success at FASHION SCOUT during LONDON FASHION WEEK- SS 17 & AW 18, INIFD student designers are all set to rock the ramp once again in September 2017 at FASHION SCOUT during LONDON FASHION WEEK- SS 18 for 3rd Season consecutively.

INIFD revolutionises the entire field of Design education in country, keeping in sync with today's rapidly changing dynamics of the fashion World. World class education facilities, indigenous curriculums blending theory with practical experience, industry interface, and showcase, helps INIFD to stay leagues ahead in fashion and design education. INIFD aims to take education in fashion and design to the common man in India. It prepares students for professional excellence in design, fashion, and business by providing the premier educational experience that fosters creativity, career focus and a global perspective and the spirit to take the Design Education worldwide is unstoppable and unshakable.

Students were feeling fortunate to meet multifarious personality – Imam Siddique and getting clicked with him.  

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Mind-set of our politicians' that was published in Newsband

Mind-set of our politicians

In the Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat the Bharatiya Janata Party won the two seats it was expected to and lost only the one it was meant to. The BJP president, Amit Shah, and Union Minister Smriti Irani got elected. The third seat went to the Congress candidate, Ahmed Patel. The EC demonstrated independence and institutional strength amidst tremendous pressure mounted on it by both parties.

The run-up to the vote saw attempts to win over rival legislators and counter-poaching tactics. The Congress packed off its 44 MLAs to a resort in Bengaluru, where it is in power. This was followed by an income tax raid on a Karnataka minister. The Congress had nominated Mr. Patel, a close confidant of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and a power centre in the party. The ultimate outcome was a morale booster for the Congress.

Buying elected representatives has become the norm. None of the parties refrain from this disgusting practice. Remember how NT Rama Rao had to whisk his party men from the preying forces of Indira Gandhi. History repeats itself; this time the Congress had to adopt the same practice.

More importantly it shows the mindset of the politicians. Their allegiance is to money and power and not to any ideology of the party on whose name they fight the elections. Frankly neither of the major parties Congress and the BJP have any true ideology. The Hindutva ideology is facade for Hindu majoritarianism and the Congress is only paying lip service to secularism.

When it comes to BJP, the advice, admonitions and accusations are free-flowing, fast and furious. Moral high-pedestal, such as there should be no cross-voting in RS elections, is freely the norm. Words like 'coveting' and 'luring' are easily used without pondering over such an accusation or waiting to even think why the INC is unable to hold on to its own legislators and partymen. Jairam Ramesh said that the INC is facing an existential situation. A pathologically trenchant critic of the BJP, P.Chidambaram says that the organizational structure of the INC is no match to that of the BJP and this one win in Gujarat RS poll does not turn around the situation for it. Does a festering wound in the Congress palm need a BJP mirror? The INC might have survived the scare and even rejoiced at the routine turning into hard-earned victory, but it is moribund.

It is ironic that only BJP is blamed for making it a prestige issue. Indeed, Congress made it a survival issue and after triumphing they are going around as if they have already won the 2019 LS elections. During the heat of the battle, one of the spokespersons of the Congress party said that in the land of the Bapu justice shall be done, while seeking invalidation of the two disputed votes. He forgot that in the land of the Bapu there would never have been such a bitter relationship and rivalry between the ruling party and the opposition. In the land of the Bapu, 44 MLAs would not have been carted away to five star comforts for nearly 10 days even as the State was reeling under unprecedented floods. In the land of the Bapu winning a RS seat would never have been elevated to such a status for personal glory.

This is not the way election to RS ought to have been fought. Media tends to lash out at BJP only but not a single word of condemnation of the unseemly herding of the Congress MLAs in the remote Karnataka resort, which is nothing but enslavement of the legislators. It sees wrong in the raids by Income Tax of the Karnataka Congress Minister, it does not have a word of condemnation of the role of this minister in amassing towers of currency notes in his premises. Is unearthing of black money condemnable?

The election to Rajya Sabha unveils the ugly face of horse trade and obdurate authoritarianism. It raises a question on the relevance or otherwise of our system. A routine election has been converted into a prestigious one and the parties contested tooth and nail. The face saving victory for Congress by the successful outcome of Patel serves as booster to the party. Cross voting shows the thankless job of the legislators. BJPs power play may have slowed down and this is the right time for it.