sentinelgroup@gmail.com
Bhupen Hazarika beyond borders
When a legend crosses borders, his legacy acquires a new vocabulary. The selection of Bhupen Da Uncut for the Mumbai Indie Film Festival on November 13 is therefore more than a cinematic accolade; it is a salutary moment for Assam’s cultural imagination.
The film’s selection in Mumbai, India’s most formidable cinematic crucible, can help prise open the cultural ghetto in which regional icons are often confined. Bhupen Hazarika was never merely an Assamese singer or composer. He was a polymathic cultural interlocutor who fused music, literature, cinema and social consciousness into an uncommon artistic idiom. His oeuvre traversed linguistic and geographical frontiers, giving voice to the marginalised and articulating the civilisational anxieties of his time.
Bhupen Da Uncut can consequently serve as a conduit between memory and contemporary audiences. At a time when algorithm-driven entertainment is fast levelling cultural particularities, revisiting Bhupen da’s life and vision is not an exercise in nostalgia. It is a way of holding up a mirror to a generation increasingly estranged from its cultural moorings.
The Mumbai screening could also bring his work into the ken of filmmakers, critics and young cinephiles who may know the legend only in fragments. What matters now is to follow through: wider screenings, subtitles, academic discussions, and digital dissemination can help extend his legacy. A great artist does not belong to a place alone. Bhupen da belonged to the world. If Mumbai now tunes in, Assam must ensure that his voice does not merely echo – it reverberates.
Dipen Gogoi,
Teok, Jorhat
India-China trade deficit
India's trade deficit with China is indeed a matter of serious concern. We often complain about trade barriers. But it is unrealistic to think that China would ever lower its trade barriers. Today, China dominates manufacturing because it has built its own capabilities over decades through sustained focus. Rather than trying to outdo China in its domain, we should focus on developing our own competitive advantages in sectors like software, services, and high-skill industries that utilise human capital. No doubt, India is a growing economy. Our country has invested more in research and development to turn the slogan of "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" into a tangible solution, but, sadly, we have almost forgotten that real economic strength comes from creating products and services that the world needs and not from negotiating for fairer access to the commodities market. India remains largely a centre that serves little purpose. We, therefore, urgently need a multi-pronged approach to diversify our supply chains to friendly alternatives in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe. We also need to boost domestic manufacturing and strengthen domestic capabilities apart from diversifying trading partners. We must prioritise economic resilience over passive consumption, as it is essential in the current context.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati
Can the UNO be neutral?
The United Nations Organisation was formed after the Second World War with a clear aim - to stop another world war and maintain peace between nations. For many years after its formation, the UNO played an important role in solving major world conflicts, in peacekeeping operations and in helping poor and needy countries. But now, after 80 years, people are questioning its relevance. In recent times, the UNO seems unable to stop major wars. The war between Russia and Ukraine has been going on for years, and the UNO has failed to bring peace. The escalating conflict between Iran, Israel, and the USA is largely being ignored by the UNO, which remains a passive observer.
One of the main reasons for this is the dominance of powerful countries, especially the USA, over the UNO. Because of this hegemony, the organisation sometimes appears biased and not neutral. The issue of Palestine is the best example. Even after years of suffering for the Palestinian people, the UNO has not been able to provide a just solution. Another big problem is the power of the P5 - the five permanent members of the Security Council. They have veto power and often use it for their interests. This restricts the power of the UN General Assembly, where all countries have an equal voice. Just one P5 member can block a decision supported by most countries. Time has changed and so should the UNO. The Security Council was established in 1945, reflecting the circumstances of that time. Today the world is different. It needs expansion. Countries like India, Brazil, Germany and Japan deserve a permanent seat because they represent a large part of the world's population and economy.
Furthermore, continents like Africa, South America and Australia have no permanent representation in the Security Council. To ensure true representation, we should include at least one country from each continent. An organisation like the UNO must be neutral, unbiased and democratic. Only then can it keep its relevance in the coming years.
Arshad Ali,
Guwahati.
The neo ideology
Right from the post-independence Indian National Congress (INC), it has avoided acquiring sharp ideological edges. Though the party won elections in 1952, 1957 and 1962, it could not retain socialist ideologues like J. P. Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia, who had separated themselves from the INC's agenda and methodologies. While Nehru and Patel were working together to address the post-partition damages, Congress party honchos got busy accumulating power. And to counter the growing Congress monopoly on power, the opposition stood in unison. Parties like DMK, Swatantra Party and CPI (M) came in alliance, and the first non-Congress government was formed in Tamil Nadu after independence. On one hand, Nehru kept on erecting his image as a global leader in international forums; on the other hand, the country was grappling with licence Raj, unemployment and poverty. State control over the major industries slowed economic growth. Clearing FIPB norms was like entering a maze back then. During the Indira era, a new way of power assertion was adopted through the use of coercion. Power, rather than anything else, shapes party ideologies during her period. Mrs. Gandhi's decisions, including the nationalisation of 14 banks, labelling opposition parties as "reactive," and ultimately declaring a state of emergency to suppress the mass uprising known as the "J. P. Movement," contributed to her downfall in the 1977 elections. The conflict between the emerging non-Congress ideologies and state coercion defined the entire era of the 70s. Congress always claimed that its ideologies converge towards national interest, but those assertions proved hollow when Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao, aided by Dr Manmohan Singh, had to ultimately dismantle the Nehruvian economic model and adopt the policy of globalisation, liberalisation and privatisation.
Now the neo-Congress ideology under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi has resorted to street politics by creating mass hysteria, raising bogus slogans and mobilising youths. However, it is important to remember that supporting anarchism has not produced any positive outcomes. The attempt to establish a "dictatorship of the proletariat" ultimately resulted in the dictatorship of Stalin in Russia. India cannot afford to repeat such mistakes again.
Kabir Ahmed Saikia
Rajabari, Jorhat
Strengthening
domestic cricket
Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has said at a function in Nagpur that domestic tournaments in India need to be strengthened for players to hone their skills. He has rightly asked leading Indian cricket stars, without international commitments, to revive their skills by playing in the domestic circuit, like the Ranji Trophy.
When top players take part in domestic tournaments, their class and consistency will be tested because every batter will have to compete against the best in the business and vice versa. There was a time when Indian cricket stalwarts never missed their domestic engagements. Then, of course, there were fewer international tournaments. But there is no better way for a failing cricketer to regain form than playing domestic cricket. Even a legend like Sachin Tendulkar would often go to the domestic matches to gear up for the bigger ones. The BCCI should time the semi-finals and finals of important domestic tournaments in such a way to ensure the presence of top Indian cricketers.
Dr Ganapathi Bhat,
(gbhat13@gmail.com)