Pakistan matinee

It is legally forbidden in Pakistan to screen a film made anywhere in the world if it has a meaningful contribution by any Indian artist. The ostensible excuse is a threat of cultural invasion. Mercifully, a recent Lahore High Court judgment noted that if a Hollywood film released in Pakistan could not inflict a cultural damage on Pakistanis, what harm could Bollywood do? In any case, the ban itself has long outlived its efficacy. Star Plus and Sony have a massive fan following in Pakistani households and almost all affluent Pakistanis stock a large number of pirated Hindi film DVDs.

The money is going to the underworld piracy network in Dubai, while the Pakistani government and Indian film industry are the quiet losers. With a Rs 18,000 cr Indian film industry, the loss ought to be too hefty to be neglected by the Pakistani government. In fact, Pakistan8217;s entertainment industry should be encouraged to work in tandem with Indian industry. The entertainment industry in India is estimated to grow to Rs 83,000 crore by 2010. In Pakistan, it only generates a miniscule hundred crore in revenues. It is clear to see who stands to gain the most.

The Pakistani government also has a lot to gain from allowing their theaters to screen Indian films, for if they choose to isolate themselves, it is their loss. I am told that people have stopped going to cinema halls because most theaters are in ramshackle condition. Theaters are ramshackle because their owners do not make any money from screening Pakistani films. The circle is vicious and it is high time the government breaks it.

Power politics

The UP government could not come up with a more frivolous explanation for 20-hour power cuts in its major cities. It alleges that shortage of electricity is because the supply is being withheld by NTPC under instruction from the Centre. The malicious, misleading statement is also a shirking of responsibility, as the state actually owes thousands of crores in delayed payments to NTPC. While NTPC offers various terms of repayment, so that even the financially-starved states can pay their dues in time, the UP government has the distinction of being one of the biggest debtors. On the other hand, it has not added to its power generating capacity in the last three years.

The government laments a massive shortage of funds and then plans to spend dozens of crores on buying imported Land Cruisers for its chief minister and others in the cabinet. So far, no other state government has had the gall to buy Land Cruisers for itself.

Only a few months ago, the UP government had appreciated Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh for allocating a huge amount of money under the Planning Commission to the state8212;much more than what the chief minister had asked for. How could one now hold the same Prime Minister responsible for the state8217;s electricity problems?

The real problem lies in rampant inefficiency of the state which not only fails to add new capacity, but also cannot keep a high load factor in its existing capacity. Nobody is accountable for massive power thefts and the government freely indulges in favouritism in power distribution. Important constituncies like Etawa and Mainpuri get round the clock power supply while rest of the state gets power only a few hours every day.

Saving for future

India is one of the few countries which export its precious iron ore despite the presence of a strong domestic steel industry. Exporting iron ore in raw form, at throwaway prices to boot, only benefits the economy of importing countries. So far, it has not affected our steel industry, but the reserves are fast depleting and estimates say a mere 900 million tones of quality iron ore is left unmined in India. The day is not far when our steel producers will have to shell large amounts to import iron ore. Steel minister Ram Vilas Paswan should initiate immediate action and get the exports suspended. Indian iron ore should be reserved for Indian companies. If SAIL cannot handle the large supplies, other companies should be allowed to benefit from this precious resource.

The writer is a Congress MP in Rajya Sabha