Personal Thought: Govt must go ahead on nuclear deal
The Indo-US nuclear deal is in focus these days. The Government must call Left's bluff and the Right's circumlocution. The Left is more worried about China's interests than that of India and the Right is opposing the deal for the sake of opposition. In fact the Right when in power carried out protracted negotiations with the US State Department to hammer out an agreement but now it is opposing the Deal because it sits in the opposition. Issues of national interest must be backed by bipartisan consensus. If the Left and the Right have their own agendas, let them pursue them but the Government must not let this opportunity pass even if it risks early elections. India is not a small country that will be gobbled by the US. India merits attention on its own. Welcome to Indian films in Pakistan According to a report, Pakistan is planning to lift 1965 ban on Bollywood films. This will gladden the hearts of the Pakistanis as the Bollywood movies and stars are extremely popular in Pakistan and come what may, beg, borrow or steal, Pakistanis must see the Indian movies. Pirated copies of the latest Bollywood movies reach Pakistan via Dubai days before they are released in India. While the Pakistani picture halls comply with the government ban and refrain from screening of the Bollywood movies, come evening, every home in Pakistan turns into a picture hall amidst much merrymaking and feasting. In the days Indian television was telecasting the Ramayana and Mahabharta on the TV, the Government of Pakistan was alarmed by the fact that the people from far-flung areas were flying to Lahore to watch the episodes because the TV antennas in those days did not carry the signals to their respective cities. In Lahore, life used to come to a standstill when the episodes were broadcast. The Pakistani ban on Bollywood films didn't work as far as the people of Pakistan were concerned. If the ban on the showing of Bollywood movies in Pakistan goes as proposed, it will help better understanding between the people of two countries united by racial, linguistic and cultural bonds. It will be the harbinger of a new era of relationship between the erstwhile hostile neighbours. I'm sure both the people of India and Pakistan will welcome the policy change. RJ Khurana