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The Observer An IIJNM publication
Vol 19, Issue 16
Households continue to mix waste as penalties not enforced strictly | P 2
Website: http://www. theweeklyobserver.in
Platforms of three train stations in Bengaluru lack CCTV coverage | P 3
Karnataka cities not integrated with it yet: Cops
Without ramps, railings, ATMs out of reach for the differently abled Adilin Beatrice C
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Aarthi N
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Emergency helpline numbers like 100 for police, 101 for fire brigade, 108 for ambulance and 1091 for women helpline were replaced by 112 in November 2019 | Credit: Adilin Beatrice C shocked to see that the call ended immediately. “I don’t know that this is an emergency number. It is usually 108 and 100 that we use when in an emergency. This number does not connect. It is the responsibility of the respective department to resolve the issue.” Manohar L, an autorickshaw driver, said: “The emergency number should always work. People will not dial the number unnecessarily. They will dial when they are in an emergency situation. People who dial it will be at a loss.” Mamta Srinivasan, a bank employee, was confused when she dialled the number. “What is the use of an emergency number if it does not work? The police should make the number accessible to the public.” During the launch of the number, it was announced that when a call is received at the 112 control room, an operator will note down the complaint of the caller and assign the caller to the department concerned. Admitting that there are glitches in the 112 emergency
number, additional commissioner of police K Ajay Kumar said: “In four cities, including Bengaluru, the helpline number 100 continues to be used. With a sudden change in the number, and with lack of awareness, people do not know about it. We are still working to facilitate the number to people in a better way.” Bengaluru, Karwar, Mysuru, Kalaburagi and Mangaluru have not yet completely merged with 112 because of technical issues. “It will take a few more years for us to merge the numbers in cities in Karnataka,” he said. The Observer tried to contact Emergency Management Research Institute (EMRI) but couldn’t reach them. Emergency helpline numbers like 100 for police, 101 for fire brigade, 108 for ambulance and 1091 for women helpline were replaced by 112 in November 2019. It was launched by chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa at a function in the communication, logistics and modernisation wing of the police department. 911 used in the US, page 3
ithdrawing cash from ATMs without help is still a dream for people with disabilities. Most of Bengaluru’s ATM centres lack ramps and railings. Kanagaraj C, a disabled person, informed The Observer: “Every time I go to withdraw cash, I take someone along to help me climb the stairs. Or I look for someone who can go and withdraw cash in my place. This is terrible when you require someone even for simple things. Most of the ATMs in the city with stairs pose a barrier for us to reach the machines. The ATMs should at least have railings so that people who have trouble walking will get support to climb stairs.” “There are people who don’t have legs and use their hands to walk. It is difficult for them to reach ATM screens. It is not just about ATMs; even banks have no ramps,” he added. The Observer found some bank branches in the city have only stairs and no ramps. “Everyone uses ATM centres frequently, so they should be user-friendly and accessible to all. Government buildings and shopping malls are slowly turning to be user-friendly for the disabled. In the same way, ATMs should also provide ramp facilities to help the differently abled,” said Sijo Varghese, a college student with a disability. According to Karnataka State Policy of Disability, the state is required to provide a barrier-free environment and supporting services which facilitate the integration of persons with disabilities into the mainstream.
Trump impeachment moves to the Senate The US House of Representatives has voted to send two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate and approve House prosecutors for only the third impeachment trial in American history. New evidence is raising fresh questions about Trump’s Ukraine dealings.
India are an example for Team Bangladesh Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo wants the team to follow the example of India to grow after years of stagnation in the long format. Bangladesh have identified winning an away Test as one of their goals in 2020.Since their 2000 debut they have managed 13 wins in 117 matches.
Under the provisions of the Differently Abled, Elderly Persons and Children, building Byelaw, 2003, at least one entrance should have an approach through a ramp. R. Prasad, additional director of town planning, BBMP, said: “We have mentioned the criteria in our Building Bye-laws, 2003. We can tell them that certain facilities should be present while you are constructing a building. But... people are not taking facilities for the disabled seriously. We can only give awareness, and not force them to do so.” “To make things easy and clear for the people, we are bringing in
The building bylaw, 2003, states that at least one entrance shouldhave an approach through a ramp.| Credit: Rhythima Agrawal a new building bylaw in which the provision needed for differently abled people is clearly mentioned including the size of the ramp that they need to provide. Earlier, when we question someone on why the ramps are missing, they will tell that the bye-law is a little unclear. But, this won’t be the case anymore,” he added. Some ATMs have ramps which are useless, page 3
Quiz Corner
News briefs Dy SP Davinder Singh stripped of medal The Jammu and Kashmir administration has forfeited the Sher-eKashmir Police Medal for Gallantry awarded to deputy superintendent of police, Davinder Singh, who has been arrested for helping terrorists to travel out of the state. He was arrested on January 11, 2020.
Epaper:https://issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Distress No. 112 doesn’t work, citizens let down he universal emergency number, 112, is useless during emergencies because calls to it get disconnected. Police say Karnataka’s cities have not been integrated with the new number yet. The number was introduced in November 2019 to replace emergency helpline numbers like 100 for police, 101 for fire brigade, 108 for ambulance and 1091 for women helpline. Brinda Adige, a women’s rights activist, said: “If the distress number does not help a woman during an emergency, what is the use of it? A helpline number is almost like electronic handholding. If civil society is not a part of this helpline, then what is it for? The police control room number 100 was not very efficient earlier.” “While dialing 100, it takes more than 40 seconds for the call to connect to a police official. When 112 is dialled, it doesn’t connect. All technical glitches should be set right immediately as these are numbers that people call during emergencies and distress,” Adige added. The Observer conducted a survey to check whether 112 was functioning. All the six persons it requested to call the number said their calls got disconnected. Also, many people do not know that 112 has been introduced as an emergency number. Prajitha P, a college student who tried calling the number, was
@theweeklyobserver
Edelweiss chief questioned The ED questioned Edelweiss Chairman Rashesh Shah in connection with the investigative agency's probe into forex irregularities against currency exchange firm Capstone Forex Pvt Ltd.He said that Edelweiss has no links with firm, which is accused of Foreign Exchange Management Act violations.
1.Where is the Film and Television Institute of India located? 2.Where is Garampani sanctuary located? 3.Durand Cup is associated with which game? 4.What was the name of the Hitler’s party which came into power in 1933? 5.Fire temple is the place of worship of which religion?
CITY
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The Observer Thursday, January 16, 2020
As penalties aren’t enforced strictly, households continue to mix waste Some wards have no marshals, say corporators Shoby Krishna G
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wo weeks after BBMP announced penalties for nonsegregation of waste, they have not been enforced strictly. Most citizens continue to mix the dry and wet waste together in the garbage bags. “Around 70% people in the ward segregate their waste. Initially, we make them aware and then collect fines starting from Rs 100 to Rs 500,” Ramkumar H.N., a BBMP marshal of the Subhash Nagar ward, informed The Observer. Suresh K, a marshal of ward 94 (Gandhinagar), said: “Every day, we collect fines from people who do not segregate waste. We submit the penalty book to the ward office.” Some of the corporators The Observer spoke with said there are no marshals in their wards and citizens in their wards continue to hand mixed waste to waste collectors. BBMP joint commissioner (solid waste manage-
BBMP marshals are responsible for ensuring that only segregated waste is collected by waste tippers in their respective wards | Credit: Shoby.K ment) Sarfaraz Khan said: “We have collected Rs 35- 40 lakh as fine in the past three months. There is only one marshal in every ward to collect fines. It is not possible for them to check every individual household. Around 45% of the households in the city segregate their waste. There should be a behavioral change in people.” The Observer noted the joint commissioner’s office wall has a framed certification that states Bengaluru is a part of the forum of cities that segregate waste as part of an initiative by Centre for Science and Environment. On September 1, 2019, BBMP said it had appointed marshals in each ward to monitor the dumping of garbage and levy fines for
flouting rules. Nearly five months later, some wards still do not have marshals. BBMP’s guidelines mandate segregation of waste into three streams – organic, dry and sanitary. Segregation at source was made mandatory from February 1, 2017, but the deadline has been repeatedly missed. The Solid Waste Management Bylaws notified by BBMP mention a penalty of Rs 500 for a first offence by a households and Rs 1,000 for a second offence. The rules prescribe a penalty of Rs 1,000 on generators who collect mixed waste. The civic body recently announced it would stop collecting mixed waste from 2020 and impose fines. The special commis-
sioner issued a warning to citizens who do not segregate waste. The Hindu, on January 10, reported that BBMP was collecting data of waste segregation patterns of households and commercial establishments. Analysis of these would help the civic body in achieving 100% segregation. It also added that the levels of waste segregation at source was improving after dipping to 30%. Sreenivasa Rao, a volunteer for Citizens for Bengaluru (CfB), an NGO, said: “Auto tippers come and collect segregated waste. But people give mixed waste and there is no serious insistence and monitoring. Citizens do not follow the process of waste segregation seriously.” Asked about BBMP’s new initiative in five wards where the waste-collection vans have separate compartments wet and dry waste, he said: “This move can be successful as people will forced to segregate their waste. If they don’t, the waste collector can say that he would not take it. Right now, the waste collectors also do not feel obligated to collect wet and dry waste separately. So it is a good step which must be implemented effectively and expeditiously.” shoby.k@iijnm.org
Around the city l Assamese festival Magh Bihu, Devarabisanahalli, Near SakraWorld Hospital, Outer Ring Road, January 15 to 18. l RE: Flex Saturdays Ft DJ Nash & Raghu Achar, Farzi Cafe, January 18. l Loft Masquerade Carnival ll, Loft 38, Indiranagar, January 18-19 l Certainty in an Uncertain world By New Acropolis (India), January 25, 6.308.30pm l It's a Mexican Fiesta, a Mexican cultural programme, Kinfolk Montessori, January 18, 10.30am-1pm l Screenwriting workshop, Tattvasrishti, January 18, 6-8.30pm l Indian Music Experience, January 16-31, 5:30am, Oppo. Wood Rose Club, Brigade Millenium Rd,JP Nagar. l International Conference on Maintenance and Intelligent Asset Management, January 17-18, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Thanisandra Main Road, Chokkanahalli. l Art of Mind Control, January 18, 5-6.30pm, Iskon Temple, Chord Road
Passengers delayed as conductors don’t issue tickets in moving buses Aman Bhardwaj
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USELESS DUMMY COP: This traffic police mannequin seems to be of no use as autorickshaws line up in a no-parking area on MG Road | Credit: Adilin Beatrice C
Citizen’s voice Indian Sikhs a separate ethnic group in US census Indian Sikhs residing in the United States will be counted as a separate ethnic group in the country’s census for the first time. This will help in addressing issues like hate crime, bullying and intimidation Rhythima Agrawal Coach-washing plant The South Western Railway’s first automatic coach-washing
plant is to commence operations in a few weeks. The move, announced by SWR’s divisional commercial manager Raushan Kumar, will enable faster cleaning of train coaches. Ritam Chatterjee Drunk people cause nuisance There is a dried up lake in Kumbalgodu where people drink and smoke. They make it noisy causing problems to the residents. Kritika S
MTC buses wait 15-20 minutes every day at the bus stop near the Baiyappanahalli Metro station to allow conductors to issue tickets. The conductors say they don’t have enough time to issue tickets in moving buses. Vasanth Ramu, a commuter, said: “From my house to the Baiyappanahalli station, it takes a maximum of 15 minutes in the morning, but because of irresponsible bus staff, it takes 30 minutes to reach my home in the evening.” Passengers have no choice but to wait for the bus. Mukesh, an employee of an IT company, informed The Observer: “After a tiring day in our offices, we have to wait for an hour in the bus.” To avoid this inconvenience, passengers spend more money by taking Vayu Vajra air-conditioned buses, but they face the same problem there. Nisha, another employee of an IT firm, shared the same concern, adding that she prefers to take the Metro instead of the buses that saves more time than the buses. Rajmani, an Exide employee, said: “I leave my office early so that I can reach home soon to look after my family and children. Due to this issue, I am unable to reach
BMTC buses near the Baiyappanahalli Metro bus stand waiting for the passengers in the evening | Credit: Aman Bhardwaj home on time every day.” BMTC officials must look into it. Drivers halt buses between stops to allow conductors to issue tickets midway. Naga Arjuna, a commuter, shared: “It becomes tough for passengers to wait to buy tickets in the middle of the road.” Vignesh Kurba, a bus conductor, said: “The Baiyappanahalli Metro station is the last station on the west-east line. In the evening, buses are crowded and we help passengers board buses, so we are unable to issue tickets. Hence, we stop in less crowded places to issue tickets.” When The Observer contacted
BMTC PRO Deepak N, he said: “We have received complaints regarding this issue and sent our team to the Baiyappanahalli Metro bus stand to look into the problem. The problem will be resolved shortly.” BMTC might increase the number of buses on the route to cater to the heavy demand, he added. M.N. Sreehari, a traffic and transport expert, said: “BMTC has to look into this matter as soon as possible because the Baiyappanahalli Metro bus station is very crowded most of the time.They should assign more buses on the route. aman.b@iijnm.org
CITY
The Observer Thursday, January 16, 2020
B.H. Anil Kumar, IAS @BBMPCOMM While on an inspection to Banashankari a few days ago, directed officials to place continuous road dividers on Kanakapura road between Yediyur & Jayanagar 8th block junction. This work has been completed & traffic movement has been streamlined. #BBMP #Bengaluru BMTC @BMTC_BENGALURU Besides helping us serve you better, a Queue also is a sign of consideration and courtesy for your fellow passengers @LaxmanSavadi @NSNandiesha #Nammabmtc #bmtc #nammabengaluru #karnataka #bangaloretraffic Shariq Rafeek @_riqsha Protest in remembrance of Rohit Vemula and then a 48 hour Satyagraha at Freedom Park, this Friday, organized by students do go through the screenshot as well 17th January 2020 4 pm, and then 6 pm onwards Freedom Park, Bangalore Bhaskar Rao IPS @deepolice12 A Drum circle Stress Buster Event-was organised near lake side of Orion mall for 600 Bangalore City Police officers and staff. Eminent Star Vasundara Das conducted...a great recognition and opportunity. Bas Rodenburg @basrodenburgMore Only one month left to submit your abstracts for ISAE2020 in Bangalore,
911 universal emergency No. in the US Continued from page 1 his concept of having a single number for multiple emergency services is based on the 911 universal emergency number in use in the US. It was first launched in Himachal Pradesh in November 2018 and implemented under Nirbhaya fund. Haryana has also announced it would start service from March 31, 2020.
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A helpline number is almost like electronic handholding. If civil society is not a part of this helpline, then what is it for? – Brinda Adige, women’s rights activist This number was introduced to allow people to use a single number to reach the major helpline numbers in case of emergency. This emergency helpline number was launched on February 19, 2019, by then Union home minister Rajnath Singh. In October 2019, The Quint reported that a man in Hyderabad dialed 112 to register a complaint but there was no response from the other side. aarthi.n@iijnm.org
Platforms of 3 train stations in Bengaluru lack CCTV coverage Cameras needed only at crowded places: Rlys Aarthi N
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hree railway stations in Bengaluru – Majestic, Whitefield and Baiyapanahalli – are yet to get CCTV cameras despite the government sanctioning Rs 500 crore for installing cameras at 983 stations under the Nirbhaya Fund. The Observer found one camera each at the entrance and exit of the Majestic railway station – the busiest station with more than 30,000 passengers daily. There is no CCTV coverage at platforms in these stations. Divisional commercial manager, South Western Railway, Raushan Kumar said: “CCTV cameras are needed in places with more footfalls. We don’t need cameras in places where people don’t come frequently. Why should money be wasted by having cameras in places where footfall is so less? We do have them in entry and exit.” Passengers say CCTV cameras will be a deterrent against crime. Vinitha R, an employee of an IT company, said: “CCTV cameras are important these days as so many things are happening
Recently, it was announced that the railways had set a target to install CCTV cameras in more than 7,000 coaches | Credit: Aarthi N around us. They should install CCTV cameras everywhere to keep a check on everyone and everything around.” Harinandh A, a shop owner who uses the station frequently, said: “A lot of crime is prone to happen at railway stations. To keep a watch, cameras should be there. Criminals will be scared they will be caught when they see the cameras everywhere.” Kaviarasan S, a passenger
traveling to Mysuru, said, “CCTV cameras have become a necessity these days. With cameras everywhere, passengers and people who come to the railway station feel safe. CCTV cameras should be installed at every platform for the safety of passengers.” Experts say that CCTV can be good for monitoring and managing the crowd. Sanjeev V Dyamannanavar, an urban mobility expert, said:
Steep ramps in ATMs constrain accessibilty for differently abled Continued from page 1 he 2019 building bylaw declares that every building should have at least one entrance accessible to the differently abled. It should be indicated by proper signage. The ramp shall be of 1,800 mm width with non-slip material and 800-mmhigh handrails on both sides extending 300 mm beyond top and bottom of the ramp to enter the building. Some ATMs in Bengaluru are at the ground level, allowing easy access to the differently abled, but most have five to 10 stairs. Ramps will make the access much easier for differently abled people. “This situation is crippling differently abled people. It may look simple, but having financial independence without looking for anyone’s hand is always a luxury to a disabled person. When there are no ramp facilities in ATMs and banks, the differently abled are forced to either ask for someone’s help to climb the stairs or request them to withdraw money on their behalf. They share their PIN which is unsafe,” Nalina, a volunteer at the Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, said.
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“These cameras are the only way for crowd management. Also, during an emergency, cameras can be used to monitor real-time. If in a city like Bengaluru, CCTV cameras are not installed at railway stations, it will be very difficult to manage safety, over-crowding, and footfalls.” There is a possibility the railways did not use the funds or did not have sufficient funds. Now that the funds have been allotted, they must install CCTV cameras in all platforms to have a watch over everything, he said. The Railway Protection Force should be able to monitor all parts of the station through CCTV if any problem arises. According to newspaper reports, in February 2017, minister of state for railways Rajen Gohain had announced that the railways had been provided Rs 500 crore for the installation of CCTV cameras at 983 stations, and that these cameras had been installed at 344 stations. March 2019 was the deadline for the installation of CCTV cameras in the railway stations throughout India. On January 3, 2020, railway minister Piyush Goyal informed Parliament that the railways had set a target to install CCTV cameras in more than 7,000 coaches of mainline passenger trains by March 2020. aarthi.n@iijnm.org
Weather Maximum temperature: 29 degrees Celsius Minimum temperature:15 degrees Celsius Forecast: Sunny Precipitation: 1% Humidity: 37%
Quiz Answers 1. Pune (Maharashtra 2. Diphu, Assam 3. Football 4. Nazi Party 5. Zoroastrianism (Parsi Religion)
Twitterati talk
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Team Observer ATMs which have only stairs pose a hindrance to the financial independence of differently abled people | Credit: Adilin Beatrice C Some ATMs have ramps which are useless, she added, because they are steep. “Rather than saying that the owners of buildings are not taking the rules seriously, the BBMP officials should try to enforce them.” Differently abled people make up 5-6% of Karnataka’s population. According to statistics provided by the department of the empowerment of the persons with
disabilities, 13.24 lakh differently abled people live in the state. The government, in December 2019, extended the deadline for the nationwide ‘Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan’ (Accessible India campaign) to March 2020. The campaign aims to make atleast 50% of the government-owned buildings disabled friendly and create a friendly environment. adilin.b@iijnm.org
Editor: Adilin Beatrice C Copy editors: Aarthi N, Aman Bhardwaj, Adilin Beatrice C, Shoby Krishna G Reporters: Aarthi N, Aman Bhardwaj, Adilin Beatrice C, Shoby Krishna G Photo editor: Aarthi N, Aman Bhardwaj, Adilin Beatrice C, Shoby Krishna G Page layout: Aarthi N, Aman Bhardwaj, Shoby Krishna G, Nissim Jacob Supplements: Ankita Mukherjee, Chirag Dutta
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Arts & Culture A Window into the Soul
The Observer Thursday, January 16, 2020
SUPPLEMENT
The healing powers of art are most evident in treating mental health issues, says Ankita Mukherjee
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f art is a medium to express abstract thoughts, the canvas allows one to channelize those thoughts with colours. Thus painting is often of great value for people who struggle to express themselves, particularly those with mental health issues. Rashida Kalangi, an artist, and Surbhi Dayama, a certified psychologist, started an initiative they call‘Art Therapy' in Hyderabad, where they use art workshops as a therapeutic tool for those who experience mental illness, trauma or challenges in living as well as those who seek personal development. SaysKalangi,“There are people who cannot pen down whatever they want to say but with colours they can depict their thoughts with it.” Adds Dayama“People go through several mental problems, be it depression or any kind of pressure from either office or college. At that point of time, art provides a medium to divert their anxieties into a world of creativity.In our workshops you don’t need to know how to draw, you just need to grab some colours and a canvas and you can start
Art therapy helps those who suffer from trauma, mental illness as well as those seeking personal development | Credit : Ankita Mukherjee expressing your thoughts.” Launched last year, the workshops are divided into two sessions. The first focusses on the therapeutic element (usually run by Dayama) while the second deals with some of the technical aspectsof painting, which is handled by Kalangi. Participants pay a minimal fee to register and all
the materials are provided by the programme. “Art has power to heal,” says Dayama.“It is like a meditative process. I have dealt with few people and friends who have undergone some serious issues mentally and at that time I realisedart can be used to heal and decided to start these work-
shops. Once I met with a person who was dealing with depression and medication was not helping her. Then she joined our workshops and I watched her every mood and as she painted they would change dramatically.” Adds Kalangi, “Art therapy has the ability to address mental health problems by enabling participants to express their feelings or any experiences they have gone through. One creates a painting based on how one is feeling at the moment or how one is seeing the world. We remove the stigma associated with mental healthin the process.” There’s not much difference betweenabstract texture painting and art therapy, it is all about the imagination, the co-founders say. As Dayama recollects, “Once we got a participant who grabbed some acrylic paints and painted layer after layer of colours. After she completed the art piece, we looked at it and realised the painting depicted a cross section of the Earth, from its core to the upper-most layer. She used some red and orange shades at the bottom and some white based
colours on the top, and the fun part is she did this unintentionally.”
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ays one of the participants of the workshop, “I didn’t know what to do on weekends so I’d go out but still feel so stressed out. Then I came across this creative workshop where I felt alive once again. Now on weekends I spend time with myself by just doing something creative with colours.” “Family members should encourage people to share their feelings and anxieties but most people don’t feel safe to talk about their deepest thoughts and fears. Here we give them space to create anything with colours without being judged,” explains Dayama. The therapeutic value of art therapy isn’t a recent discovery. Working with the wounded in the Crimean War, the celebrated English social reformer and founder of modern nursing Florence Nightingale observed, “Variety of form and brilliancy of colour in the object presented to patients are an actual means of recovery.”
Looking Back on a War Midway is more than just anther war movie; it’s a short history lesson brilliantly presented, writes Chirag Dutta
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ovies are as close as we can get to experiencing the reality of war. Midway, directed by Roland Emmerich, popularly known for his movies like Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow and Godzilla, is a powerful, actionpacked and factually accurate depiction of the battle of Midway, fought six months after the Pearl Harbor attack when Japan tried to cripple the US navy’s Pacific fleet. Using incredible visual effects, the movie leaves the viewer with a deep sense of the passions evoked by the confrontation, feelings of nationalism mingled with notions of respect and honor. Emmerich crucially makes sure that his movie doesn’t glorify America’s triumph or romanticise the war, but instead depicts the true meaning of individual courage and love of country. The battle of Midway turned the tides of the Second World War. Japan, with its strong and well-equipped army, tried repeatedly to take control of the Pacific.
There have been several movies about the event like John Ford’s Battle of Midway, Pearl Harbor, and more. Classic books like Miracle at Midway by Gordon. W. Paige also depicted the significance and the importance of the battle. American naval intelligence had intercepted and decoded a message from the Japanese, which was a plan for another air raid. In the retaliatory strike, American jets faced the Japanese naval fleet and air force. The Japanese were very well equipped and the fate of the battle was decided with a few clear airstrikes by the Americans. The US fleet had every odd against them, yet they fought and won with nothing but sheer will and courage. Written by Wes Tooke and with an outstanding cast including Patrick Wilson, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Woody Harrelson, Mandy Moore and Ed Skrein, the movie is fast-paced and crisp without any unnecessary or timeconsuming element. The special
Courage of American pilots decided the battle of Midway | Credit: Fandango effects are perfect and so wellconceived and executed that a viewer could be forgiven for wanting to duck during a scene of aerial combat. The attention to detail is obvious. Each term used in the movie and every dialoguetransports the viewer back to the
1940s and allows us to experience the tension felt by a civilian or an ordinary soldier. The quality of the sound mixing and effects are off the chart, creating a real war ambience fro the movie’s opening shots. From the firing of a shell to the groaning of a plane’s engine before lift-off to the sound of a torpedo moving underwater to clink of a spoon against a teacup, everything is meticulously arranged and recorded. The costumes set the tone for the battle scenes and were good enough to remind the viewers of the true war heroes, soldiers, generals, and mechanics, all of it perfectly falling in place.
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he movie also brings out the little details that make war such a terribly uncertain endeavour, little things like hope, like brotherhood, a desire to end all wars, women waiting for the husbands and lovers to come home, fatherless children on the streets, an unready US army or Japan’s clever military strategies
and tactics. It’s also a short history lesson. How did the tide turn? What if it hadn’t, what if the war dragged on for another year? We are barely aware of the sacrifices made by the US to stop imperial Japanese forces from gaining command of the Pacific, which, had they failed, would eventually led to enemy occupation all over Asia. But even so, war really has no victor.These eternal themes and sheer eloquence of the story tellingmake Midwaya mustwatch and perhaps one of the best movies of 2019.
Director: Roland Emmerich Written by: Wes Tooke Cast: Patrick Wilson, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Aaron Eckhart. Music by: Thomas Wander, Harald Kloser Cinematographer: Robby Baumgartner