Monthly eMagazine – Issue July 2018 by Desi Australia

Now in Sydney

Salford College of Hospitality and Management is an innovative educational institution with many opportunities across diverse range of courses from Cookery in Hospitality to front of house, business and management offered to students to excel academically. At Salford College, the emphasis is on linking theory with practice to ensure students receive not only an academic education but practical life experiences.

ADELAIDE AND

SYDNEY

COURSES OFFERED • English Preparation for Academic Studies (EAP) • Commercial Cookery / Patisserie • Hospitality Management • Business • Leadership & Management

1. One of the largest private training organizations in SA with over 400 enrollments each year

2. Training partnership with 40 schools through NASSSA for high

GOOD REASONS TO STUDY AT SALFORD COLLEGE

school students in SA

3. Approved provider for Work Ready program 4. The only college to have its own commercial kitchen in the CBD in Hotel Grand Chancellor in Adelaide

5. Strong industry links for internships with 5 star hotels like Intercontinental, Grand Chancellor, Stamford and Hilton

6. Silver and Bronze winning students in State And National culinary competitions

w: www.salfordcollege.edu.au | m: +61-431-387-101 | e: sydney@salfordcollege.edu.au Bandicoot Group T/A Salford College

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RTO CODE 40298, CRICOS 03076M

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w w w . m a n j i t s . c o m . a u

MANJITS 10/49 Lime Street Sydney NSW

Change your idea of Indian cuisine forever Call to book

1300 626 548 www.DesiAustralia.com

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#PromisesComeHome

Together, let’s keep our promises no matter where we are. Free & instant* money transfers with Remit2India.

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Terms and Conditions: The offers are available for a limited period and for eligible customers only. The offer cannot be combined with any other offer. Also, customers having multiple accounts shall be subject to disqualification. The offer may be discontinued at any point in time, with or without prior notice to the customers. In case of any disputes, the final decision shall be that of Remit2India at its sole discretion. For detailed T&C, please refer to the Remit2India website. ** A$25 Coles/Myer voucher will be given for successful completion of first transaction of minimum amount A$500. Using coupon code DESI25 is mandatory and can be used only once. Voucher will be sent within 14 working days of completing the transaction. Vouchers are provided by a third party service provider Swych. Post successful transaction, you will receive an option of selecting a single voucher of either Coles or Myer. # A$15 Coles/Myer voucher offer is valid only for one transaction for active users of Remit2India on sending minimum A$2,500. Using coupon code DESI15 is mandatory and can be used only once. Voucher will be sent within 14 working days of completing the transaction. Vouchers are provided by a third party service provider Swych. Post successful transaction, you will receive an option of selecting a single voucher of either Coles or Myer.

* Instant money transfer service is currently available for direct credits from any bank account in Australia into any account within the 23 listed banks in India up to a transaction limit of INR 2,00,000 per transfer. Instant transfer is available subject to certain limits on the amount sent and also on clearing mandatory compliance verification processes. ^ Money on Referral (MOR) program: This is a referral program of Remit2India where you will receive INR 2,500 (equivalent to A$50 at an exchange rate of 50) for every friend that you refer and who transacts with Remit2India for the first time. It is mandatory for your friend to select ‘Money on Referral’ and use your owner id while registering with Remit2India. You can refer as many friends as you like. Remit2India - Money Transfer to India at great exchange rates. Remit2India is a secure online money transfer service for NRIs to send money to India from United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore,Canada, U.A.E., Hong Kong, Germany, Spain & other Euro Countries. The service allows NRIs to send money safely using wire transfer and ACH/Direct Debit. The money can be received in India through direct account credits. Disclaimer: Remit2India services in Australia are offered by UAE Exchange Australia Pty. Ltd. , an Australian entity having its Head office at Level 5, 122 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, NSW2000, Australia.

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Published by: Desi Media Group (Desi Australia Pty Ltd) Editor: Arti Banga Sales and Marketing: Dimple Deez Victoria Editor: Garima Dhawan Queensland Editor: Priya Singh ACT Editor: Rajni Ghai Malhotra Western Australia Editor: Ankita Tandon South Australia Editor: Daljeet Bakshi Address: Desi Australia Pty Ltd PO Box 102, Casula, NSW 2170 Email : info@DesiAustralia.com Mob: 0433121339 Art & Designing: Cosmos Media Creative Designer: Vikas Thakur Web: www.cosmosmedia.info

Hello Everyone, We are excited to announce the official launch of Desi Adelaide on 30th June at the colourful Mela Teeyan Dha. Our heartfelt thanks to the Adelaide community for warm welcome, love and respect.

Arti Banga Editor

We look forward to bringing you more local news of Indian and sub continent community from Adelaide keeping up with our Motto ‘Keeping You Connected’ I hope you enjoy reading the July edition as we have a good mix of information may it be Community News from major cities of Australia, Arts & Culture, Sports, Mental Health & Well being, Entertainment and much more. Please feel free to send your feedback to info@DesiAustralia.com or if you would like to join Desi Australia team. DesiAustralia.com-“Keeping You Connected”

Disclaimer All rights reserved. Do not re-use any content and photo from Desi Australia without the prior written permission from the editor. All the material published in Desi Australia, including articles, features, fillers, advertisements, and all other contents, are published in good faith, and the editor or the Desi Australia magazine cannot be held liable for any errors or omissions. All material is published on the understanding that it is copyright free, and Desi Australia accepts no liability for any subsequent copyright issues. We also cannot accept responsibility for and do not endorse views expressed by the contributors.

CONTENTS 9

Community News (Sydney)

Vanhi - The Smiling ...

Mag Corner

Fifty Shades of ...

Australia News

Australia India Business ...

13 Legal

What Makes us ...

Community News (Brisbane)

The Adani Mine ...

28 Culture

Itsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; all about ...

46 Ayurveda

Ayurvedic Healing ...

Mental Health & Well Being

The importance of ...

Australia News

Growing Relationship ...

54 Technology

MiLife â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Most ...

Community News (Sydney)

Unions in Unison ...

COMMUNITY NEWS (SYDNEY)

Vanhi - The Smiling Star Parents pay tribute to honour 116 weeks of their daughter’s life

ittle Vanhi was only 2 years old when she lost her life to deadly Leukemia. and left a vacuum in the life of her parents for ever. Nidhi and Vishal Kaushik share the heartbreaking story of the loss of their little princess to childhood cancer. Vanhi came in our life on 16th April 2013 and completed us in every aspect. She was most amazing kid and like her name, she was ‘Fire’ personified. She was way ahead of her age, as if she knew the time was not on her side. She was a shooting star who dazzled upon us and left every one awe-struck by her charisma. We were absolutely stunned by her cute face and sparkle in her eyes. She was a pure delight and probably was too good for this world. Like an angel she came on the earth to touch us and make our lives worth living. Vanhi was just 3 months old when our world was shattered by the cruelty of destiny. She was diagnosed with leukemia. We unfortunately experienced reality of a sad and dark world that exists only behind doors of oncology department of Children’s Hospital. In that fearsome place, Vanhi kept all her charm and she shinned as a bright star,

she warmed hearts of her family, her doctors, nurses and everyone around. After 6 months of intensive treatment Vanhi won her first battle and came back home. Our happiness knew no boundaries and we had best time of our lives. Vanhi flourished like a flower, everyone who met her even once, was spell bound by her charm. We were feeling on top of the world. First time since her arrival, we were daring to look at future, dreaming of her first day in school, her college and all those activities that everybody take for granted were looking possible for us. But cruelty of destiny doesn’t care about innocent dreams and tender hopes. Just days before her 2nd birthday, Vanhi relapsed. Our horror journey started again. For next 3 months our smiling star slowly slipped away from our hands. True to her name, she never showed a single sign of defeat on her face. Even till the very last day of her life she kept her strong spirit and kind heart. On the darkest night of 8th July 2015, Vanhi decided to fly away; free from all pains. Three years have passed, but our wound is still very raw. A nightmare became reality and our reality became living nightmare. We are still learning to live with this constant heartache.

On her third death anniversary, this year we thought of paying her tribute by raising 116 units of blood donation to honour 116 weeks of her precious life. Throughout our horror journey, we experienced how much every unit of blood means to those kids and their parents. Stats shows that 1 in every 3 person, we know will require blood at some time in their life but only 1 in 30 donate blood. Least we can do to honour our little super star is to spread awareness about importance of donating blood. So we have launched a campaign under group name ‘Vanhi – The Smiling Star’ please come forward and help us in this noble mission.

Save Life Donate Blood We wish you to become a part of this noble gesture.

RED 25 BLOOD DONATION FOR VANHI THE SMILING STAR

In Memories of our Brave, Beautiful Smiling Star Vanhi who fought bravely against leukemia, Please help us to pay her tribute

by joining our Red25 group of donating blood. One in three of all the people you know will need blood in their lifetime, so please come forward, join our Red 25 group and give a gift of life to someone.

How to get involved: •

Join Vanhi the Smiling Star’s Red 25 group either by registering online (https://www.donateblood.com.au/red25) or by calling 131495.

•

Contact Group Coordinator Vishal/Nidhi on mobile 0433823668 for your suitable time and it will be booked for you under the group name.

•

Our Smiling Star dazzled down on this earth for 116 weeks. On her third death anniversary, Please help us to achieve our target of 116 blood donations for her 116 precious weeks to pay her tribute.

•

Kindly share and support. Let’s join together to save lives this July. Kind regards by : Vishal and Nidhi

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MAG CORNER

Fifty Shades of Brown - The emergence of Identity in Australia. Akshay Raj

kay, well the title may have been a little misleading . Unfortunately this article isn’t about a Bollywood retake on the popular novel ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ although I’m sure that it would cause quite the stir in certain communities. Instead it’s about the diversity in skin tones and recognised language groups that stretch throughout the modern day borders of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and their various diaspora’s . Whether a complexion is classified as wheat-ish, mocha, hazelnut or beige it’s merely another term in western society for being ‘Brown’. Whilst some perceive this as an offensive slur , its a term that is increasingly being embraced by young South Asians as a badge of honour. Whilst the beliefs of yesteryears may have travelled through our elders are our youngsters forging a new and distinct multicultural identity? Perhaps a united and unified identity, perhaps simply a Desi Identity. In the past two decades the term ‘Desi’ has become widely popularised, used and even entered the vernacular of youth within South Asian communities.

WR-Ms-Suri-tying-Rakhi-onMr-Kailyanda

Source- ABC.net

However before I continue.

limitless. Here are a few examples:

Vhat’s this ‘Desi’ term aayeh? Well I’m glad you asked.The term Desh derived from the Indo-Aryan deśárefers to a country or land in all these countries and across the majority of the language groups. The first recorded use of the term in Sanskrit text’s simply refers to the folk traditions and arts of a region. Yes it’s that simple.

Indian/Pakistani Party = Desi Party.

With an increasing number of South Asians born or integrated into Australian society little ownership of title is given to their country of origin. As language evolves, the meaning of words often tends to shift as well. The younger generation of South Asian Australians ‘Desis’ (Plural) use the term Desi as a broad, all encompassing term for everything that’s I guess is ...‘Brown’ or has a link to their country of origin. It’s uses and conjugations are almost

Traditional Parents = Desi Rents. Curries or festive food = Desi Khana/ Food Home brew = Desi Daru. Family event = Desi event/gig. Traditional South Asian mannerism ( good or bad) = Desi style. Subcontinental, South Asian, Brown = Desi ( Bottom line) The term Desi is an embracing term and all encompassing of things related to ancestral traditions from the region in a non-discriminatory manner. As they

Holi Image- Source ABC.net

Bhangra image-source- publicsf.com

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Nick Giannopoulos _Wogs Boys_ - Source- Herald Sun

MAG CORNER

say birds of the same feather, will often flock together and for the odd looking kids with the strange names it’s often these similarities that allows them to stick together. As a result these outliers often seen themselves as one people with a common struggle, identity and story as ‘Desi’. Whilst younger generations have had their identity shaped by the acceptance of a multicultural society , the tribalism of older generations still prevail.Whilst the majority of South Asian groups are united in their vision of a multicultural Australia there is little to no doubt that they are divided both internally and externally. This lack unity is often works to their detriment on issues of common interest or consequence. Perhaps the best and most recent example of this has been with regards to the proposed amendments to s18 of the Racial Discrimination Act, which saw a scattering of uncoordinated yet almost identical submissions from both organisations and individuals all from the South Asian community. There was no real united community statement, press conference or media release to demonstrate a common approach. It’s this sense of disunity that really does a great deal of disservice to our communities when it comes to lobbying or awareness on issues such as domestic violence, immigration matters and deradicalisation amongst others. The constant archaic stereotypes of around groups is at the core of what holds strong this divide held by community elders. In contrast, the young and emerging

Source_MapCentre.com

generation of South Asian’s who embrace the similarities in each others dances, dishes and festivities have shown the power of a united approach and how effective it can be. In 2016 international and domestic students from all different south asian groups created a campaign towards preventing sexual assault and harassment on campus through Project: White Rakhi.In 2009 student’s of Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indian and Nepalese heritage stood together on a united front to combat racism triggered by a spate of racially motivated attacks.

ones ancestral roots, but rather its a deliberate choice to connect and be united. At its most basic the ‘Desi’ identity is built on a shared love an appreciation of each others curries, colourful dress and celebration ( as the original definition would have it) rather than an indifferent divide of the basis of caste, creed and cultural prejudice. Spread out the Dosa, let that Goat meat sizzle away and crack open a VB or three. An ‘Australian Desi’ identity is less about you versus me and more about we.

This unique ‘Desi’ identity isn’t an accidental confusion of the younger generation, nor does it mean forgetting

Dance with you - Jay Sean

This is why I simply say I’m proudly Desi.

Source _www.visasolutions.com

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AUSTRALIA NEWS

Australia India Business Council and Australia India Travel & Tourism Council to collaborate on bilateral travel and tourism MoU signing marks milestone in bilateral relationship

ustralia India Business Council (AIBC), the peak body facilitating bi-lateral trade and investment between the two nations and Australia India Travel & Tourism Council (AITTC), the leading and only bilateral tourism council in Australia, marked a milestone in the Australia-India bilateral relationship with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Sofitel Wentworth Sydney to collaborate on travel and tourism initiatives. While retaining their own identity and organisational goals intact, under the MoU arrangements, AIBC will further enhance and promote travel and tourism business opportunities between the two nations, tapping into AITTC’s key competencies in this sector. This MoU will see the two councils working together for the common and mutually beneficial goal of promoting the bilateral business including travel and tourism in both countries. Commenting on the milestone, AIBC National Chair Sheba Nandkeolyar said: “The Australia Inda Business Council is proud to partner with the Australia India Travel & Tourism Council on this bilateral travel and tourism initiative. We are confident that AITTC will be able to further drive and enhance the bilateral travel and tourism relationship between our two countries. Indeed, with

India and Australia having recently moved to liberalise travel between the two the countries, this is an important step in bilateral relations.” AITTC Chairman Sandip Hor said: “Indeed, travel has enormous potential to build on the peopleto-people links and relationships that are so central to facilitating the bilateral business relationship. Through travel, the two countries can deepen our understanding of each other, our cultural dynamics and build bridges. AITTC is committed to highlighting and promoting travel and tourism oportunities between the two countries and further bolstering bilateral engagement. We see this MOU as a significant step to bring the two organisations closer and add more value to the bilateral relationship.” The MoU signing event – sponsored by AITTC partner ACCOR Group - was attended by senior Government and Industry dignitaries, including; Ms Jodi McKay, MP; Ms Rhonda Piggott, DFATs NSW State Director; Mr Robert Siy, Austrade Adviser, Tourism & Regional

Investment, Trade & Investment Group; Deputy Consul General, Chandru Appar; AIBC Chairman Emeritus Mr Neville Roach; Former AIBC National Chair, Mr Dipen Rughani; AIBC State President Ms Barbara Ward; AIBC NSW Vice President Pallavi Sinha; and representatives from AITTC among others. AIBC was founded in 1986 and is the only national body representing bi-lateral trade and investment relations between Australia and India. The AIBC is a national membership organisation with active chapters in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra and maintains close relationships with federal and state government agencies, the diplomatic corps and industry bodies, and showcases opportunities to the Australian business community through an active program of events throughout Australia. Founded in 2012, AITTC represents the passion and enthusiasm of organisations and individuals from across the travel and tourism industry in Australia and India, keen to enhance and influence bilateral tourist traffic movement between two nations. It’s the only body driving bi-lateral travel and tourism relations between Australia and India. Its membership represents a wide spectrum of the industry from airlines, hotels, tour operators, travel agents, tourism bodies to travel media professionals. AITTC aims to work through its members to ultimately see growth in number of tourists stepping on both the countries.

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LEGAL

What Makes us Human Beings so Vicious and Conniving? Mittu Gopalan

ecently, there were incidents where a wife, along with her boyfriend, was found guilty of murdering her husband. The incident took place in Melbourne, the wife having been torn between the two men in her life and proceeded to choose her boyfriend and made plans with her boyfriend to poison and murder her husband. The boyfriend, Mr Kamalasanam, and the wife, Ms Sam, were sentenced for Mr Abraham’s murder by the Victorian Supreme Court as of 21 June 2018.

A year seven student was thrown to the ground by her attacker, a thirteenyear-old classmate! The teenage girl was punched in the face, thrown to the ground by her hair, and repeatedly kicked. The footage was captured on a mobile phone by another student, who filmed the attack but failed to intervene or stop the attack. The victim is suffering serious injuries that were caused to her face and body. Her attacker was charged by the police for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and intimidation with intent to cause fear or physical harm. The attacker has been granted bail but has been ordered to appear at a Children’s Court next month.

Ms Sam has been jailed for 22 years with a minimum of 18 years before parole can be obtained. Her boyfriend, Mr Kamalasanam, has been jailed for 27 years with a minimum of 23 years before parole can be obtained. The husband, having been poisoned with cyanide in his drink, would have had an excruciating death, the Court noted.

A common reason why a child becomes a bully is because he or she lacks attention from a parent at home and lashes out at others for attention. This is a learned behaviour that can be unlearned. To help a child stop bullying, ask him or her to talk to a teacher, a guidance counsellor, or other school officials. An appropriate doctor could also help to an extent.

This murder could have been avoided if the wife had asked for a separation and divorce.

These incidents confirm that people fail to give consideration to the actual “human life.” It makes us question our values and respect the rights of every individual and to understand and accept our own value, and cherish our own right to life, the freedom to be protected and to protect the intrinsic value and potential of every individual, making absolutely no discrimination whatsoever. Spheres

Another incident that took place in Bega, New South Wales South Coast on 22 June 2018 was a severe bullying situation.

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of human value encompass morality, human traits, human endeavours and social order. If you believe that you have an issue or know someone who is facing an issue or has an issue they would like to be addressed, advise them to seek appropriate and relevant counselling. For example, if they’re facing issues relating to marriage, they should be then seeking help from marriage counsellors. If kids are encountering issues relating to bullying or self-confidence, they should be speaking with their social counsellors at school to be guided appropriately, or their parents should ensure they are taken to their local GP to make a referral to the appropriate entities/organisations who can guide them. Any issue that a parent sees, or a friend or partner observes in another person should be addressed as early as possible, and any issue that you believe you might have can have a right and proper solution, rather than you believing that you have no other choice and adopting drastic measures. We can ensure that your future continues to be secured and appropriate remedial actions are undertaken at each juncture. Please do not hesitate to contact Freedman & Gopalan Solicitors if you wish to discuss any legal issues to arrive at a proper solution that is legally fit for you and family.

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COMMUNITY NEWS (BRISBANE)

Women Squad on a mission to serve the Palate & the Planet! Leading the Indian Food Industry by example.

hey say when strong women come together with a collective intention – MAGIC HAPPENS! Women are the source of new life and undoubtedly the creators of great ideas. Poppin Papadums – is an Indian restaurant located at Camp Hill, Brisbane (Queensland). It is a scrumptious and magical tale of love, camaraderie, passion for food and support. The allwomen squad – Prerna, Jimmy, Hansha, Shatabdi and Mandy; hailing from culturally diverse cities of India and have brought their varied food cultures along with them to Australia. They have known each other for many years and are not just the best of friends but are food enthusiasts. They share a common vision of a world rejoicing with fresh, toxic free, flavoursome recipes made from simplest of ingredients, bringing back authenticity to the food. The food industry is on the cliff of a transformation every day. A new food paradigm has emerged driven by the knowledge of positive health effects of functional and natural foods. On the contrary, increasing availability and popularity of packaged frozen meals of different cuisine amongst folks is defeating the purpose and creating a hindrance in achieving this shift holistically Over the years Australia has witnessed a trend of evolving Indian cuisine to cater to western taste buds. However, with more and more people indulging in healthy food lifestyle; Prerna and Jimmy felt it was time to bring back the authentic and traditional cuisine to Australia. They here by endeavour to bring to your table possibly the least processed, healthy, authentic, and yet fast Indian food cooked with the most flavourful, raw and aromatic spices from the land of spices, India. Most of the Indian spices have medicinal & nutritional properties; so, when the food is cooked using these spices/ingredients; and eaten in balanced/portion size it sure does wonders. From the very first day of opening on 11th May 2018, they pledged to go the most carbon neutral they possibly

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could by using ecofriendly packaging which does absolutely no harm to the environment. At Poppin Papadums they use packaging made from sugarcane plant, which is extremely durable, lightweight, and biodegrades in 3090 days once exposed to composting conditions. It is an ideal alternative to traditional polystyrene meal packaging.

This budding venture is receiving raving reviews every day for the concept and their fresh and delicious Indian food. They are elated to receive such amazing response and support from the local community. These women visionaries are looking forward to initiating many more small but impactful ideas in their restaurant in the near future.

At Poppin Papadums, they are using paper products from managed plantations; as sustainable forestry is one of the most effective means to mitigate climate change. They are only using bio-plastics products made from renewable resources compared to the other conventional versions. These products save fossil resources by using biomass which regenerates (annually) and provides the unique potential of carbon neutrality.

At Poppin Papadums they believe why drive when you can fly? All you need to do is connect your power to your passion and off you go. It provides you energy to become what you wish to be.

This ideology and approach of ecofriendliness came after months of thorough research on how they could make a positive difference in the community – not just by serving good food but also serving it right, in ecofriendly manner; thus, reducing their carbon footprint. Today, Poppin Papadums is ‘Australia’s first eco-friendly Indian restaurant’ aiming to serve the palate and the planet. July, 2018

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For more information visit www.PoppinPapadums.com.au Follow them on: Facebook - @PoppinPapadums Instagram - @Poppin_Papadums Twitter - @PoppinPapadums

ENTERTAINMENT

Anukreethy Vas Crowned Miss India World 2018 student of Chennai’s Loyola College, pursuing B.A. in French to become an interpreter. Raised by a single mother, the just-crowned Miss India World 2018 wishes to become a supermodel as she loves facing the camera.

Harmohan Singh Walia

Participants proved their aptitude by facing some of the tricky questions from the judges’ panel which was studded with some of the iconic personalities like actor Bobby Deol, Kunal Kapoor, Malaika Arora, fashion designer Gaurav Gupta and cricketer Irfan Pathan, along with Manushi Chhillar.

glamorous night, when Anukreethy Vas from Tamil Nadu was declared the winner of the 55th Femina Miss India World 2018 followed by the first runner-up, Meenakshi Chaudhary from Haryana and second, Shreya Rao from Andhra Pradesh. Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar crowned her successor Anukreethy at the star-studded grand finale on Tuesday night, 19 June 2018 in Mumbai at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium. Ninteen-year-old

Anukreethy

The event, hosted by Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar and actor Ayushmann Khurrana, kept the audience entertained throughout the evening. Bollywood was prominently present at the grand finale as Jacqueline Fernandez set the stage on fire by shaking a leg on “Desi Girl”. Dancing diva and actress Madhuri Dixit Nene performed a beautiful dance number during the India round, with her co-dancers presenting various forms of Indian classical dance. Kareena Kapoor Khan looked ravising in her stage performance on “Tareefa” from her latest released film “Veere Di Wedding”. All the state winners were mentored by Neha Dhupia (North Zone), Rakul Preet Singh (South Zone), Pooja Hegde

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(West Zone) and Pooja Chopra (East Zone) who have been instrumental in selecting the best talent from their respective zones as well as training and guiding the finalists. The organising team of the beauty pageant toured all 30 states (including Delhi) of the country and crowned one representative from each state, all aspiring for the coveted Miss India crown. The very talented Anukreethy is a talented dancer and a state level athlete. She loves riding bikes as well. As a French learner, Anukreethy desires to learn different languages from across the world to increase her intellect. One of her purposes in life is to enlighten and bring young souls forward with their dreams and help them get a vision.

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ARTS AND CULTURE

Connecting with roots through THE CULTURE GULLY Shyamla Eswaran

ast edition, Giti Datt and Rishi Sharma wrote about being Australian-Born Confused Desis (ABCD). It resonated strongly with my experience growing up in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire as I spent most of my life trying to fit in with Australian culture. The Shire wasn’t a particularly diverse place to grow up in the 80s and I may well have been the first Indian to attend Oyster Bay Public School. My parents chose not to pass on their languages (Tamil and Hindi), believing that would help me fit in with my Aussie peers. I quickly learned to swap my ditch the roti parcel for a devon and tomato sauce sandwich. I brushed out my ringlets and doused them in lemon juice hoping they’d straighten out and turn surfer-girl blonde. The best chance I had of gaining any sort of cred was by donning surf and skate brands (Rip Curl, Billabong, Quicksilver, Stussy, Vans). The more, the better! It didn’t matter how hideous the designs were, as long as they were authentic. I’ll never forget how cool I felt ripping open the Velcro on my corduroy Billabong wallet. It gave me a sense of belonging. It was my passport to social acceptance. Clothing and language are just two

A graffiti of Lord Hanuman painted on the walls of Delhi

manifestations of culture. Through art, literature, customs, religion, traditions, norms and values we express our way of life, both as individuals and as a collective, and experience feelings of acceptance, rejection or connection. Culture is an illusive and slippery concept that has always fascinated me. It helps us to develop our sense of belonging and our ability to connect with each another. But what IS culture? According to NYC Artist Sean Kitt, “culture is the consciousness of a people manifested in sounds, smells, symbols, movements, music, etc. Culture doesn’t have definite boundaries, so it gets fuzzy at the edges. Culture also reflects things that do not exist like a peoples’ fears, hopes and dreams.”

For Nikita Gupta, a 20-something social media associate from Delhi who runs The Culture Gully (TCG), “the core of a culture does not only lie in grand old monuments. The music, art, stories, underlying philosophy and customs that breathe life into the region and give it its own personal flavor are equally important.” Nikita’s Instagram page, The Culture Gully, is a platform that provides layered, informative and visceral deep-dives into Indian culture. It aims to impart as much cultural knowledge as possible through carefully curated and researched content, revealing the diverse nooks and crannies of different Indian cultures. “When people visit India, they just explore the famous monuments of the

Graffiti in Delhi Dance Map

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ARTS AND CULTURE

Nikita Gupta, Founder, The Culture Gully

country and don’t get involved whole heartedly with the culture of India. I believe that traveling is fruitful only when you have talked to various locals from that city, tried the local food, visited monuments that are less explored and been in alleys which tell a multitude of stories,” says Nikita. “One of the underlying reasons behind naming our page The Culture Gully is to take back ownership of culture from the sanitized ivory towers of disinterested intellectuals and cynical capitalists and bring it back to its fun, chaotic origin: the gully. These gullies take us into the forgotten or ignored corners of the world and show us the hopes, dreams, fears and tell the story of the people in that area and how and why they do what they do. Every gully has many stories of culture to tell and that is where the name The Culture Gully came from.” Nikita’s fascination with culture also began at a young age. “Growing up, I was always intrigued with

Jain Temple in Chandni Chowk, Delhi

history, art and architecture. My mother enrolled me in a Kathak dance course at the age of 5 years and from there my love for the culture of India started. I studied Kathak for 9 years and learnt about various gharanas (schools/styles), tatkars (footwork and rhythmic patterns) and the evolution of dance. I love to paint too and won an award for Dalai Lama for painting, which is why you see so many artists on TCG.” “I used to drag my friends to monuments, art museums and exhibitions (I still do and they secretly hate me for it) and that’s when they convinced me that I should take this seriously. One of my close friends pestered me incessantly into making my love for culture and colours known to the world and that›s how The Culture Gully came about.” In order to make its content more engaging and appealing to its audience, TCG has created its own “Maps of India” series that showcases folk arts, dances, languages and sarees from state to state. While this concept is not new, the beauty of Nikita’s designs is what set her maps apart and the reason why they are widely shared and reposted across social media. TCG also runs a weekly quiz known as the #KnowIndia series where it asks people to identify pictures of various

Indian monuments, dances, art and craft. As someone who grew up disconnected from my Indian heritage, TCG provides accessible, fun and inspiring content that helps an ABCD like me to not only connect with my roots but to develop an understanding of the depth and diversity of different Indian cultures. Every post is painstakingly researched and carefully curated to provide a unique insight into ancient traditions, breathtaking landscapes, impressive artworks, historic monuments and everyday Indian life. Nikita ensures every image is given context and amasses as much knowledge as possible to convey the meaning behind it to her audience. For her, “TCG belongs to everyone. It belongs to people. It is a collective of the works of explorers, photographers and artists from all walks of life and I truly appreciate that.” So for all the ABCDs out there, follow The Culture Gully on Instagram @ TheCultureGully and remember that no matter how far removed you are from your Indian heritage, ours is an ancient culture that runs deep and thick in our veins. It’s never too late to get involved, be inspired and be proud to be Desi. #theculturegully Follow Shyamla on Facebook Instagram @shyamladance

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COMMUNITY NEWS (MELBOURNE)

PH@TT phata phat- Tina’s Fitness mantra Garima Dhawan

ina Nehra Sansanwal, a Senior Consultant at Phatt, in conversation with Garima Dhawan from Desi Melbourne. Tina shares her experience on the benefits of Phatt program and it helps to follow a healthy diet regime. Tina started this journey 2 years ago with an aim to lose weight naturally and through correct diet. At that time, Tina came across Phatt program which appealed to her because it was the most natural way to adapt to healthy living. In a month, Tina lost 10 kg by using nontoxic nutritional products and including healthy diet chart. Now Tina herself is a mentor at Phatt program and guides people to achieve weight loss by indulging in a healthy diet. Whats this Phatt program all about? The crux of the program is Gut Health. We eat specific foods carefully chosen to rest and repair the lining of your gut, and we support the body with top quality nutrition so that the low calorie step can be sustainable and healthy.

Nutrition is important for various reasons, including sustaining energy levels, optimum gut health, supporting your body’s other organs such as the liver, and keeping the skin healthy and retaining the elasticity during your weight loss. The best part?? There are NO SHAKES! You will be eating real food the whole way through – and you will not be doing it alone! Our individual mentorship program is second to none, and if that’s not enough… we also have an online support group of 100,000 people and counting where you can share your stories, learn from others, and gain additional support. What’s the diet plan? We have diet plan and approved food list. The diet plan and food list comes with full calorie counts. It consists of protein and vegetable based. Does it cater to the indian palate? Yes it does! we have vegetarian and Non vegetarian plan. With Protein options like Moong daal, Kala Chana etc. Majority of Indian spices are included in the food list. We also have closed Indian recipe page on Facebook and WhatsApp groups for full support. Are there vegetarian as well as nonvegetarian meals in the plan? Yes, we cater for both Are the meals easy to cook at home? You will be cooking your own meal. The whole Idea of this program is to teach you a new healthy life style. How much weight a person can lose in a month through this plan? This program can be done by anyone – whether you need to lose 5kg or 50kg+ there is a home for you here. Typically our customers experience a 10%-15% weight drop in the first 30 days of the program… so if you weigh 90kg you can

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expect to lose 9-13kg easily!…. And if you want to lose more, you simply repeat the process until you have reached your goal… and then you’re done! Do we need to continue the plan after weight loss? Putting Health at the Top (PHATT) is a weight loss program like no other. We, believe that health should not only be affordable to the wealthy – but to everyone. With that in mind we have worked tirelessly to not only make this program affordable and achievable, but also something that will teach you how to live healthily for the rest of your life, and keep your excess weight off for good! Is there a possibility that we can gain weight again after we finish the program? As mentioned before, we teach you how to live healthy life style, you need to maintain Healthy eating and exercise routine to maintain your weight. That does not mean you need to eat salad all the time. You will eat your normal food but everything will be in moderation.

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ARTS

Discovering the beauty of Kuchipudi with Vanaja Dasika Rajni Ghai Malhotra

ttired in a rich silk saree and carrying herself with a grace symbolic of trained dancers, it was a delight to chat with Vanaja. Sitting in a sunny spot of her cosy home, we had a pleasant conversation about her professional identity as an accomplished Kuchipudi dance artist and trainer, music, her school Sadhanalaya School of Arts, her legendary guru Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam and more. What is evident from the first moment of talking with Vanaja, is her passion for dancing and her devotion to her dance guru (who was also her maternal uncle), Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam, an eminent Kuchipudi dancer and guru. Please tell us a bit about yourself. I am a classically trained Kuchipudi dance artist and Carnatic music trainer. I provide training in dance and music right from beginners to advanced levels to students in Canberra through my school Sadhanalaya School of Arts. I also provide training through skype to students in the US.

from my uncle, first by observation and later under professional guidance from him. I learnt the basics of music from Sri Patrayani Sangeetha Rao garu, who was the music teacher in my uncleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dance school (Kuchipudi Art Academy) and later from Sri Bhagavatula Seetharama Sharma Sir in KalaPeetham music school, I did my Masters in Carnatic Music from the Madras University. I have travelled to various countries to give dance performances and also as a Vocal artist for Bharatanatyam dance performances along with my Guru Sri Bhagavatula Seetharama Sharma Sir.

to learn the dance form in all its entirety.

Please tell us about your work as an artist in Australia. I moved to Australia in May 2010 and started promoting Kuchipudi dance form right since then. I give regular dance performances at every Navratri festival at Vishnu Shiva Mandir, Mawson. I perform in the multicultural festival annually and of course, I also organise music festivals like Sri Thyagaraja Aradhana and Sri Annamacharya Aradhana at the Vishnu Shiva Mandir, Mawson and annual dance performances through my school.

I strongly believe that learning is a combined effort of students and encouragement from their parents. I support my teachings with regular recordings to enable students to practice the specific steps and style of dancing and music.

Kuchipudi is a vibrant dynamic multilayered and visually stunning dance form and I wish to promote this artform in its true undiluted form across Australia. What is your particular style of dancing and expectation from students? I lay extreme emphasis on quality and regular devoted practice to the dance form. There is a certain level of seriousness that is required in a student

How did you come into the field of dancing and music? I hail from a famous Kuchipudi dance and music family. My guru, Dr Vempati Chinna Satyam (Padmabhushan) was the older brother of my mother and I have imbibed all aspects of this dance form

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Kuchipudi, named after the village from which the dance form originates, was propagated and made popular by my guru. I wish to carry forward the heritage of my family and my uncle in promoting and spreading this art form. I am determined not to dilute the standard of this art form and that is evident from my style of teaching. My choreographies are based on the skill level of my students, for both, dance and music, without compromising on the quality of the art form.

Any message for Desi Australia readers? I wish to carry forward the legacy of my guru and hope to see Kuchipudi grow in popularity in Australia. Kuchipudi is a beautiful dance form rich in rhythm, drama, movement and fabulous Carnatic music. And, as with any classical dance form, it requires absolute dedication and focus for students to become true artists. As I mentioned before, it is my desire to promote Kuchipudi in its pure and undiluted form across my student community. For more information about Vanaja and her work, please visit her website: Sadhanalaya [https://sadhanalaya.weebly.com ]

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MAG CORNER

Leading the Future “A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.” – Arnold H. Glasow Eshan Sharma

Leader, well it’s just a word to define a position; a person who leads is a leader. Though the word looks easy but the meaning of the word ‘Leader’ is much deeper, for me a leader is a person who integrates people, work with and for the people, and as Arnold H. Glasow said: “A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of credit. A leader knows how to manage Failures Once the former President of India Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam was made the mission director of SLV III Missile, during the first launch, the missile was crashed in the Bay of Bengal and it landed up being a disaster, now what? Clearly it was a failure but as a leader the then director of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) Satish Dhawan, who was the guide of Dr.Kalam took all the blames and shielded Dr.Kalam, who was about to resign at that moment then the second launch was successful and this time Satish Dhawan decided to give all the credit to Dr. Kalam, this is a perfect example of a good leader. So, the lesson learnt from this incident is that the leader always takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of credit. Leaders know how to manage failures. Leaders are fearless Being fearless is a quality that every

Nelson Mandela

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leader must possess. Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize awardee fought for girls’ rights to education in her native Pakistan. The Taliban fighters attempted to kill the then 11-years-old Malala in 2009, but clearly one bullet wasn’t enough to stop her from fighting. “I had two options. One was to remain silent and wait to be killed. And the second was to speak up and then be killed,” she said, during her Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in 2014, at the age of 17. “The terrorists tried to stop us and attacked me and my friends who are here today, on our school bus in 2012, but neither their ideas nor their bullets could win.” Another example is Mahatma Gandhi, he fought for the independence of India, he was jailed for several years, but he was unafraid of the British government and he led the struggle and shaped it into a widespread mass movement where every Indian participated for their independence. A Leader always has a vision Another quality of a leader is that the leaders always have a vision and he/ she continuously strives to achieve his vision. Without a vision, how can a leader work? It would be like a ship without a sailor. Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam, Martin Luther King Jr. every successful leader had a vision. He was always thinking of the future and always had a clear idea of what he wanted to move towards. A national leader has a vision for the nation, Swami Vivekananda had a vision of Young India, and Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam had a vision of INDIA 2020. If United Nations is working towards a goal like eradicating poverty, sustainable development, education for all then it’s their vision of bringing change in the world. Without a vision, how can a leader work for the society. Importance of Simplicity Another dimension of good leadership which is very important to understand is ‘simplicity’. In our culture, many a times our elders say that we must follow simple lifestyle and noble thoughts, ‘saada Jeevan ucch vichaar’. July, 2018

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Martin Luther King

Mahatma Gandhi was a person who contributed a lot in making of the Freedom struggle a mass movement which was earlier not widely popular, he made that movement popular. How he connected with the people? The answer is his simplicity. He lived a very simple and humble life. He used to wear loin cloth, worked on a charkha, lived in an ashram and talked in a language which was easily understood among the masses. These traits of simplicity made him a popular leader. Another example of simplicity is Steve Jobs, he had everything in his life but he rather chose to remain simple throughout. Even after creating a fortune from founding his company Apple, he always preferred simple things in life. His signature outfit was always jeans along with black turtleneck shirt and white sneakers. He lived in a house located at 2101 Waverley Street which cannot be counted under the category of a mansion. Once my grandfather told me a story about famous Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar and JRD Tata: “At the peak of my career, I was once travelling by plane. The passenger next to me was elderly gentleman dressed in a simple shirt and pants. He appeared to be middle class, and well educated. Other passengers perhaps recognizing who I was, but this gentleman appeared to be unconcerned of my presence. He was reading his paper, looking out of the window, and when tea was served, he sipped it quietly.

MAG CORNER

Steve Jobs

Trying to strike a conversation with him I smiled. The man courteously smiled back and said ‘Hello’. We got talking and I brought up the subject of cinema and movies and asked, ‘Do you watch films?’ The man replied, ‘Oh, very few. I did see one many years ago.’ I mentioned that I worked in the movie industry. The man replied...” oh, that’s nice. What do you do?’ I replied, ‘I am an actor’. The man nodded, ‘Oh, that’s wonderful!’ And that was it... When we landed, I held out my hand and said, “It was good to travel with you. By the way, my name is Dilip Kumar!’ The man shook my hand and smiled, “Thank you... nice to have met you. I am J. R. D. Tata!” “I learned on that day that no matter how big you think you are, there is always someone bigger than you. Be humble, it costs nothings!” – Dilip Kumar So, simplicity is the most important component and the most difficult to follow. Other examples are icons such as Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela, they all were humble men and lived an ideal life. Nelson Mandela was not full of ego and he firmly believed that all great peacemakers had to be people of humility. He said, “I am not a saint unless you think of saint a sinner who keeps on trying.” That humility allowed him to rise above his ego and make great personal sacrifices for his beliefs. Martin Luther King Jr. once said “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

A leader never stops learning Regardless of the source, a leader always strives to learn and believes that learning have nothing to do with your fame, position, age or grandeur. The more you learn the wiser you become. If I am a good leader then I would always appreciate learning new things from which I am unaware of. Like our former president Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam always tried to learn even if from his sub staff, peon, colleagues or even the children. A good leader is always a good learner. They learn to lead, they learn to growth often we see leaders learn through reading books. Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam had over 2,500 books in his library, Narendra Modi has a habit of reading, and Bill Gates still reads around 50 books a year. After learning, they set higher standards for themselves and set an example for the rest of the society. A good leader cares for the people Giving back to the society is an important element in a leader’s life. I have seen many famous leaders working for the society. Aziz Premji, a famous Indian businessman working for his foundation Aziz Premji Foundation and also running an institution for education Aziz Premji University. Not just him Bill Gates, second richest person in the world with his wife Melinda Gates runs Bill and Melinda www.DesiAustralia.com

July, 2018

Gates foundation who are engaged in several programs for the society, not just in the United States but around the globe. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have donated billions of dollars to causes all over the world, making significant differences in the lives of children and adults. This is the kind of caring and empathy that causes people to stand behind a leader. Not just these but also IT Tycoon Narayan Murthy and Sudha Murthy runs the Infosys Foundation which donates books for the youth and establishing different libraries in India. Dr Kalam donated his entire salaries and savings to a charitable trust – PURA (Providing Urban Amenities to Rural Areas) – he had founded. His argument: After becoming the President of India, the government will take care of him till the end of his life. So why not use his salary for better things. So, these are the some personality traits of leaders which must be followed by today’s youth because the youth is going to lead the future and for a great future, we need great leaders and for that we have to inculcate the above mentioned personality traits. (The writer is one of the youngest Indian authors.) DOWNLOAD OUR APP

MAG CORNER

NSW Asian Business Excellence Awards Harmohan Singh Walia

sian Australian Business Council Inc. (AABC) officially launched their website and announced details of NSW Asian Business Excellence Awards on 21st June 2018 at the Union, University and Schools Club, Sydney. Speaking on the occasion, the first President of AABC Dr. Frank Alafaci informed that AABC was established on 17th July 2017. Its founding members and others on the executive committee comprise high profile, experienced, well-connected individuals of impeccable reputation from the Australian, Chinese, Indian, Korean, Thai, Nepalese, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Indonesian and Filipino communities. The organisation focuses on promoting the interests of small and mediumsized Asian-Australian businesses and developing multicultural economic

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relationships between Asia and Australia by strengthening AsianAustralian manufacturing, agricultural and services imports/exports. As part of the organisation’s comprehensive agenda for the upcoming year, the Asian Australian Business Council Inc. will publicly celebrate the successes and achievements of the most outstanding Asian-Australian businesses at the NSW Asian Business Excellence Awards Gala Dinner and Ceremony in October 2018. The above event will bring together entrepreneurs from the Asian Australian business community. This NSW Asian Business Excellence Awards framework comprises of six categories of awards that will be presented to the winners: Food and Beverage; Service Industry; Trade/Wholesale and Retail; Manufacturing and Agriculture; Innovation; and the prestigious “Young Asian Entrepreneur Business Excellence Award”. Nominees for the awards must meet at least five points of the established ten point criteria for nominations, as follows: 1. The business was established and has been operating in NSW for at least two years; 2. The total number of employees must not be less than four; 3. The annual turnover is at least A$500,000; 4. The business has boosted export trade and generated foreign income; 5. The business has brought new technology or equipment to Australia;

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6. The business has opened new export markets for Australian products; 7. The business has created job opportunities for Australian workers; 8. viii)The business has successfully generated foreign capital investment projects; 9. The business has made significant contributions to art and culture, lifestyle, education, tourism, trade, technology, manufacturing and agriculture; and 10. The business has donated substantial sums of money to community charities or social welfare projects. Nominations are being received from 9th October 2017 with the deadline for expressions of interest on 3rd September 2018. The event was attended by several Consul Generals, State MPs, local business and community organisation’s leaders.

COMMUNITY NEWS (BRISBANE)

The Adani Mine Project – Better or Worse? Joseph F. Kolapudi

in the area. There is also the question of the proposed jobs, which is subject to funding from the government, $1 billion of which has now been vetoed by the standing Premier.

or many decades, the mining sector has been the heartbeat of the Australian market, which account for a large percentage of the import/ export business, engineering and social spheres of the economy. Most recently, the Carmichael coal mine, also known as “the Adani Mine Project” has garnered much speculation for proposed opencut and underground mining prospects, new road construction, and fresh jobs for Northern Queensland towns.

Due to the funding cuts, as well as major bank backing having since been withdrawn, the Adani mine project has come to a standstill, amidst public protests and rising concerns over proposed jobs and new funding requirements. As the state funding has since been retracted, new sponsorship for the mines is to be garnered from new funding sponsors, which is currently underway, though the proposed changes may delay the construction of the mine and rail link during the current situation.

The proposed benefits in question, which include billions of dollars in royalties to the Queensland Government, approximately 10,000 jobs, and will also include a 388km multi-link user rail line, amongst other infrastructure development, including roads.

However, chairman Gautam Adani has reassured both the government and the general public that the mine will go ahead as planned, and the jobs promised to the Queensland public will be secured once construction begins.

However, there has been a response to the proposed benefits, both by the Queensland Government and the general public, who are raising questions to the viability of the project, as well as to growing environmental concerns regarding the proximity to natural flora and fauna, especially endangered species

The Adani Group has been a major player in the mining sector, since its investment into Australia in early 2010, where Adani Australia became a moving force within the industry, backing several mines across the country and investing into the local economy through jobs and construction.

Nevertheless, the Adani Mine Project remains one of the biggest projects of the group to date, and, if all goes ahead as planned, would span a 30-year project providing many benefits to the Australian public, not to mention the Indian economy as well. For the moment, the project seems to be going ahead as planned, albeit with several changes to funding structures, government approval, and public perception. The Adani Mine project in the Galilee Basin in North Queensland will determine its success over the next few years. Despite the setbacks so far, the project’s progression remains to be seen. Adani may be down, but not out.

Friends of India Australia (FOIA) charity fundraiser

riends of India Australia is a voluntary, not for profit social and cultural organisation established in 1995. Its mission is to continuously bring together communities that appreciate Indian ideals on a platform of fostering friendship, service and volunteering to preserve promote and showcase dharmic values to future generations and the broader Australian community. FOIA has been constantly striving to give back to the community and in pursuit of this venture, they decided to partner with Liverpool Hospital as a community organiation. As a first step FOIA decided to raise funds for the Children’s ward of Liverpool hospital. Several volunteers of FOIA including

youth volunteers met with the director of Paediatrics, Dr Paul Chay and the nurse unit manager Ms Shobna Wati for an initial scoping meeting. They then organised a vibrant fundraiser, The cultural confluence 2018 on 26th May 2018 at PIA auditorium, Olympic Park, Sydney where multi-talented artists from India enthralled the audience. The community response was amazing and after covering costs (which were minimal as FOIA prides itself in having little overheads), FOIA managed to raise $7000 for the Children’s Ward of Liverpool Hospital.

ready for a real life emergency. SimBaby is a tetherless simulator designed to help healthcare providers effectively recognize and respond to critically ill pediatric patients. The SimBaby simulator represents a 9-month-old pediatric patient and provides a highly realistic manikin that meets specific learning objectives focusing on initial assessment and treatment.

These funds were contributed towards the purchase of a state of the art SimBaby which will help train and up-skill the doctors and nurses so that they are www.DesiAustralia.com

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TEEYAN SOCIETY PRESENTS

Teeyan Teej Diyan 2018 CELEBRATE 15 YEARS OF TEEYAN IN AUSTRALIA Partner

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CULTURE

Its’ all about Teej Shekhar Vijayan

This year the Shravan month will vary from region to region in India . The states in the northern part of India which includes Rajasthan , Uttar Pradesh , Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh will observe Shravan

Reuters-Mehendi

awan ka Mahina Pawan Kare shor. that’s the first song which comes to my mind when I hear the word Sawan with the lead performers in this popular Hindi film song trying to correct the pronounciation of the word shor. Sawan or Shravan month is considered to be one of the most important month for the entire Indian sub continent. The month of Sawan is the fifth month in the Indian calendar which falls between the months of July and August. The most important part of this month is the arrival of the south west monsoon. The month of shraavana is a month for Hindus around the world. Shravana is considered to be the holy month of the Hindu calendar due to the many festivals which are celebrated around this holy month - Krishna Janmashtami, Raksha bandhan, Narali Poornima, Naag Panchami amongst others. Many people fast during the month of Shravan and they have their own beliefs to fast which could be for health, happiness, financial prosperity and a blooming married life. Married Hindu women wear red attire and green bangles praying for the long and healthy life of their husbands.

from July 28th whilst the southern part of India which includes Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will observe Shravan on Aug 12th. There is a strong and a binding belief that worshipping lord Shiva on the Mondays in a Shravan month is more powerful than any other days and to think we suffer from Monday Blues. The Sawan month also drives local customs , values , beliefs and weather related traditions which celebrates love and life in its various forms across the Indian subcontinent. Teej is one of the most sacred Hindu festivals observed in India and Nepal. It is widely believed that Teej gets its name from a small red insect called ‘Teej’ that pops up during the monsoons. The

Shutterstock-Shiv-Parvati

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festival marks the beginning of monsoon. Teej also means third. Therefore Teej falls on the third day after Amavasya (new moon) and the third day after the full moon of every month. In the olden days women did not go to their parents home very often neither did they have the full freedom of speech. So Teej gave them the opportunity to dress up in their best attire with jewellery, Mehendi , Kajal bangles and go meet their parents and strengthen the bond with their siblings. There are 3 variants of Teej festival, namely Hariyali, Kajari and Hartalika Teej. Each of them is celebrated with equal vigour and fervour by women. The Sindhi community also celebrates this festival by the name of Teejri.

CULTURE

Credit to: Surenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Photography

History, tradition and rituals

Legend also has it that Teej is celebrated to honour the devotion of Ma Parvati who underwent penance for years to become the significant other of Shiva. Women seek her blessings for a happy married life and unmarried girls fast to attain an exemplary husband like Shiva. All the creative art forms tend to get inspired during this versatile month The

girls who are married and living in cities miss their childhood memories with their near and dear ones and during the Shravan month come back to smell the fresh mud revisiting the priceless moments indulging in fun and frolic at their native towns or villages.

Sawan. There is a festival vibe in the air which is reflected in the bright colours worn during this auspicious month. Everyone partakes in the local games and customs which could be something as simple and as full filling as sitting on a swing with the weather cheering them on.

The likes of pakoras, samosas, pickles, rich fruits, sweets and savouries announce their arrival in their own aromatic style during the month of

Last but not the least Sawan Ko Aane Do literally, physically and metaphorically.

Reuters-Teej-2

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GALLERY

Official launch of Desi Adelaide at

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GALLERY

colourful Mela Teeyan Da Adelaide

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HEALTH & WELL BEING

YouGo with Rajni – Let’s Be Mindful Series Learn to de-stress through these mindfulness tips and exercises on-the-go Rajni Ghai Malhotra

Part 3 Mindfulness Mantras Mindfulness is the practice of training the mind to be responsive to the breath and to be able to internalise in moments of stress. By bringing attention to the present moment, mindfulness helps people to fight stress and navigate toxic emotions and situations in a calm and controlled manner. However, it may not always be easy to practice mindfulness. Sometimes a little extra inspiration can help make mindfulness more meaningful. That’s where mantras (mottos) come in. Mantras are like keywords that may be used to trigger and encourage the mind into resetting itself and forming a connect with the self. Here are five handy mindfulness mantras that you could use to regain calm, to internalise and move forward with coordinated breath and thought Just Breathe Simple as that! Your breath is the quickest and surest way to connect with yourself and the present moment. And, as you focus on your breath, you could use any of the following words to navigate your emotional state and reestablish a balanced centred you. Inhale peace, exhale stress. Inhale happiness, exhale worries. Inhale confidence, exhale doubt Inhale calm, exhale chaos. “Bringing awareness to our breathing, we remind ourselves that we are here now, so we might as well be fully awake for whatever is happening.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn I am ALL here NOW “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Budha It’s all about being in the present moment. Dwelling in the past brings forth regrets and depression while

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thinking about the future invites worries and anxieties. By focusing on the present, you can escape needless worries and negative emotions. Be present and be present completely. In the famous words of Jim Elliot, “Wherever you are, be all there” – wherever you may be physically present, bring your emotional and mental presence to that same location. I create my own calm “The stiller you are, the calmer life is” Rasheed Ogunlaru Create that calm for yourself where you are able to unwind, to disconnect with the flow of rush around you and Just Be. Identify your ‘calm activity’ - Meditate, walk, sing, dance, read, write, cook (or anything you like). You can find your calm in any activity of your choice. Allow yourself a few mindful minutes every day to de-stress while engaging in this activity. Create your ‘calm space’ – It could be outdoors or indoors, away from home (such as the park or library) or at home, it could be your garden or simply a spot by the fire in a cosy corner of your room. Spend a few mindful moments in your calm space every day to still your thoughts and reconnect with yourself. Insert photo garden.jpg here or at end of article July, 2018

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I accept what is “What would it be like – if I could accept life – accept this moment exactly as it is?” – Tara Brach Acceptance is the art of letting things be as they are and finding peace in that. ‘I accept what is’ Repeat these words to yourself until you are able to train your mind in the art of acceptance. Sometimes it is best to let things be, to let circumstances unfold as they do, to simply watch and move with the flow. Gratitude “The real gift of gratitude is that the more grateful you are, the more present you become” – Robert Holden. Let gratitude become a way of life. When you bring your attention to the blessings in your life, you generate positivity and a happy vibe within you. The attitude of gratitude allows you to shift your focus from what you ‘don’t have’ to what you ‘do have’. There YouGo! simpler still!

Mindfulness

made

To phrase it in the words of Sharon Salzberg, “Mindfulness isn’t difficult, we just need to remember to do it.” Yours mindfully, Rajni Yoga and Mindfulness Consultant, YouGo Yoga

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ENTERTAINMENT

Ash Attri - Computer engineer to online sensation singer Harmohan Singh Walia

here are many new budding singers who are making a place in the music industry and the Indian Music Industry has heaps of such talent. There are many established and acclaimed singers and more are still ruling in the hearts of people. Many budding vocals are lending their voice for super hit tracks. Born in the Nangal Township in Punjab, Ash went on to become a computer engineering graduate and worked for global giants such as Facebook and Accenture in India and the US. But he was destined for bigger things! Since moving to Sydney in 2012, Ash started his own property maintenance business as well as working in IT and construction consulting. His business has grown and now covers all of Australia and New Zealand with hopes to expand further in the future. Ash is a huge cricket fan that loves to travel and of course, has a passion for music. Music has been a major influence in Ash’s life since a young age. A selfproclaimed ‘diehard fan’ of Nusrat Fateh Khan and also a great admirer of Gurdas Mann, Ash dreams of bringing Indian Australian artists closer together to set up an entertainment industry akin to that in the UK and Canada. No small undertaking! With a view of working towards this goal, Ash is the backbone of his own production and direction with the help of his lovely wife Rachita and a very talented group of friends and supporters. So far, with the help of this incredible team, Ash has released two music videos that have been a huge success with over 4 million views on YouTube! His latest track ‘Apne Jehi’ is available on all leading platforms (YouTube, Spotify, Itunes, Gaana, Saavn) make sure you check it out! When asked why he makes music, Ash responded that his darling wife is his biggest pillar of strength and motivation. She puts the song in his heart and makes

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it possible for him to share it with the world. If you’d like to keep up with what Ash is up to you can follow him on Facebook and Instagram @iamashofficial. Make sure you stop by as there are few more tracks scheduled to drop this year and a lot of great music in the pipeline. Like what you see? Ash is available to do shows throughout Australia! He is also open to collaborations with other artists and music producers in Australia or around the globe so if you’d like to get creative drop him a message on Facebook or Instagram @iamashofficial.

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SPORTS

Football Fever Hits Melbourne

he Real Madrid World of Football Experience made its world premiere in Melbourne on Saturday at the Melbourne Museum Plaza with a stunning state-of-theart showcase of the world’s greatest football club. The touring football experience opened amid football fever just ahead of the 2018 FIFA World and in the afterglow of Real Madrid C.F.’s victory in the

UEFA Champions League Final in Kiev. Real Madrid C.F.’s latest trophy has been flown to Melbourne to feature in Real Madrid World of Football Experience, following Real Madrid C.F.’s record13th victory at the UEFA Champions League in May. “We’re honoured Real Madrid has chosen Melbourne to make its world premiere of the Real Madrid World of Football Experience in June,” the Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events, John Eren said. “Real Madrid are a titan of world football, and are no stranger to Melbourne – thrilling thousands of loyal fans at the MCG in 2015.” “This special exhibition will celebrate the decorated and iconic history of this proud Spanish club and give Victorians an exclusive look behind the scenes.” “With football fever and the FIFA World Cup just around the corner, this event will attract visitors from across the country – supporting jobs and

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boosting our major events calendar.” Real Madrid World of Football Experience runs for a strictly limited season until Sunday 5 August. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketek from $19.50. Venue: World of Football Pavilion located at Melbourne Museum Plaza, 9 Nicholson Street, Carlton, VIC 3053

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COMMUNITY NEWS (SYDNEY)

Music Guru and composer Gautam Ghosal Visits Sydney Rekha Rajvashi

autam Ghosal, a renowned award winning Bangla, Hindi singer, music composer and director visited Sydney last month. One of his students, talented Sydney artist Srijani Dan oraganized a concert to acknowledge her Guru’s presence. The concert held at Pennant Hills Community Centre packed with music lovers and live musicians. Gautam Ghosal sang beautifully and mesmerized Sydney audience. Ghosal has devoted his life to music and has trained many students in the industry. A few of them have established themselves as noticeable musicians or artists. Renowned singers such as Amit Kumar, Anuradha podwal, Srikanto Acharya, Subhamita Shampa Kundu, Indrani Sen, Jojo, Pratik Chowdhary, Rupankar, Jayati Chakraborty have lent their voice in his compositions. Here is the brief discussion with him RR. You have been singing for long, when and where did you start your singing journey? I started singing from my early childhood, learnt from various Gurus. In terms of compositions, I took interest in composing at a young age. However, due to my dominant classical background all my compositions were more raga based, but things slowly started changing. Various political scenarios inspired me to pen down mass songs, and compose them in a more contemporary format in my initial days of college life. I gradually took hands on composing modern songs,

not confined to any particular ragas. My first song was “O Sokhi baron kore de”, followed by “Kusum Kusum roddur”. I must mention “Kusum Kusum” was the first composition where there was a reflection of Modern chord progression and it got me the tag of a New Age music director as well, and that is how the journey started. RR. You have trained so many artists any interesting story. One interesting story is, there was a popular artist in Bengal (preferring not to name her). She recorded many songs with great music directors including R.D. Burman, however due to certain health disorder and prolonged sickness, she was unable to continue to sing. One day she visited me and mentioned about her crisis, and was trying to keep herself busy with Theatre, as she could not pursue singing any further. It came to me as a shocker and I took it as a challenge that such a great singer could not give up on singing. Hence, I started training her; I changed her scale and octave, and also gave her some vocal exercises. She worked on them seriously and in a few months’ time, she was able to sing and now she does quite a few live shows as well. I am glad and thankful to God and my Gurus that I have been able to do this for her and she did not have to say “goodbye” to music. RR. Which of your works are closest to you? With all honesty, I am the biggest critic of myself and I am a big time perfectionist, hence it refrains me from calling out any of my songs or compositions to be my best or closest to my heart. But yes if I will have to pick some, then Kusum Kusum, Dujoner Hridoye, Tomaro janala, Meghder Minarey, Chhayaye

chhayae, Dubey jaoa kotha, Sujon re, Kibhbabe kothaye these have brought lots of appreciation and attention. RR. What are your upcoming projects? Is there any private album projects? Yes, there are quite a few projects in the pipeline, including my first Rabindra Sangeet album and I am also recording some songs composed by someone, these are very old compositions, which were done in around the 1940s and most likely a project in Mumbai as well. In addition, a few other projects which I would like to reveal with time. RR. What are the challenges in your musical journey? I am my biggest challenge, my understanding, my mindset, my philosophy somewhere I don’t find them befitting for the industry that I belong to. I am out-spoken; I am not skilled in nagging people to give me some work, or calling up established artists to sing my compositions. It am often misinterpreted to be arrogant but it is not like that. It is my nature or personality, which I understand, is my hindrance but I have not been able to combat that, quiet intentionally. I believe in doing good work, yes of course I want people to listen to my work however I never had a Godfather in the industry. Everyone has helped me to make my place in the industry. RR. Do you listen to Bollywood songs? What do you think about the new trend? I do listen to recent Bollywood songs. Usually Bollywood targets a particular group of listeners and a majority of them being the young generation, who listens

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ARTS AND CULTURE

to a lot of western music. Bollywood has indulged in many western ingredients in their projections. One more thing I have noticed these days is a tendency of singing in exceptionally high pitch, imbibed with a synthetic husk; which again compromises and overshadows the natural voice texture of artists from coming to exposure. Last but not the least, Bollywood’s supply is much more than the demand, we should serve the food according to the hunger or else it will go wasted no matter how good the food was. Having said that we must also accept that Bollywood is always many steps ahead of regional music and it always influence the regional music and musicians as well. RR. Tell us something about the music-making process in your earlier days and how it is different from present time? My initial compositions were more from my heart had more passion in them as it was not meant much for business, so I composed the way I wanted to. However now since it is my profession, many of my songs are composed and written to suit the contemporary demand of music and according to the requirement of

the artists, along with keeping in mind that is noticed in the market as well. I always try to keep myself updated with the current trend of music so for those who have heard me 15 years back will find a lot of changes in my recent lyrics and compositions. It is always good to keep up with time. RR. Tell us something about the people you have drawn inspiration from in your composing career? When it comes inspirations, it is more of the artists and music directors who I have listened to since childhood, as Hemant

Kumar, Rothu Mukherjee, Nachiketa Ghosh, Anol Chattopadhyay, but yes R.D. Burman and Salil Chowdhury are my most favourites. They are undoubtedly the trendsetters. RR. Any dream project you are looking forward to? Yes, I have a dream project. I want to establish a Gurukul, which will not only restrict to musical training but will also will focus on inculcating my philosophy, my understanding of life, learning our culture and heritage.

Meeting of the NSW council for women’s economic opportunity

he NSW Council for Women’s Economic Opportunity (Council) brings together a diverse range of experts from a range of industries in the private, not-for-profit, academic and government sectors to provide specialist advice to the Minister on opportunities to promote economic development and financial security for women. In a recent meeting of CWEO, the discussion focus was on how to improve opportunities for women in social housing and women at risk of or experiencing homelessness to gain and retain employment We are proud to note that our Indian community Pallavi Sinha serves on the Council. She has served on the Council since it was chaired by the former NSW Minister for Women, the Hon Pru Goward MP. CWEO is presently chaired by NSW Minister for Women, the Hon Tanya Davies MP. Pallavi ensures that diverse perspectives are heard by the Council.

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GALLERY

Photo Credit: Harmohan Walia

International Day of Yoga was celebrated at Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, CGI, Sydney on Sunday, 24th June 2018

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World-Renowned Empowerment Speaker, Sister Shivani, Set To Tour Australia

ouTube sensation and Amazon best-selling author, Sister Shivani, is coming to Australia for a national speaking tour throughout August. The India-based international speaker addresses a spectrum of topics such as self-transformation, selfempowerment, life skills, emotional and mental wellness, harmony in relationships, leadership skills and overcoming addictions. Her ability to analyse deep-rooted emotions, provide practical solutions to everyday situations, inspires, uplifts and empowers people to take personal responsibility for their lives. Sister Shivani’s YouTube videos have been viewed over 72 million times, while her Facebook page has nearly two million followers. Her popular television show Awakening with Brahma Kumaris has empowered individuals from all walks of life to overcome mental stress, depression, addictions, low self-esteem and unhappy relationships, by taking personal responsibility of their emotions. The show has crossed the 1000-episode mark and attracts audiences across Asia-Pacific, USA, UK, Africa and Australia.

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Australian tour The overarching theme for Sister Shivani’s Australian tour will focus on overcoming stress, anxiety and fear in order to live a more meaningful and empowered life. Each event will have its own specific topic, either ‘Choosing Happiness’, ‘Being Love’, or ‘Overcoming Overthinking’. The tour, promoted by Brahma Kumaris Australia, will take in all capital cities plus the Gold Coast. More information: www.shivani.com.au ABOUT SISTER SHIVANI Sister Shivani is an empowerment speaker and has been a practitioner and teacher of Raja Yoga Meditation with The Brahma Kumaris since 1996.

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She is a recipient of ‘Woman of the Decade Achievers Award’ (2014) by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Ladies League), for her excellence in empowering spiritual consciousness. In 2017, she was appointed as a goodwill ambassador by the World Psychiatric Association. Sister Shivani’s pragmatic approach to spirituality has generated more than 72 million views on her YouTube Channel and nearly two million followers on her Facebook page. Her popular TV show Awakening With Brahma Kumaris has notched up over 1000 episodes and currently is aired in India, USA, UK, Asia Pacific, Africa and Australia, while her book Happiness

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Associate Status with the Department of Public Information (DPI). Consultative Status with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Observer status to the United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Observer organisation to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Flagship member of Education for rural people (ERP), Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). Independent of any political or religious affiliation, The Brahma Kumaris is run worldwide by volunteers, teaching Raja Yoga Meditation and personal development courses.

Unlimited was a number one bestseller on Amazon India in the Religious and Spiritual category.

“Studying engineering has taught me to think logically. Education is always helpful,” she says.

Sister Shivani has traveled all over India as well as UK, USA, Asia Pacific, Africa and Middle East touching and transforming lives of millions through diverse platforms such as public programs, interactive workshops, retreats, seminars, corporate trainings, blogs, radio and television shows.

Sister Shivani is married and has a software business in Gurgaon with her husband, Vishal Verma.

She is a sought-after speaker by elite businesses and organisations in India, including Infosys, Maruti Suzuki India, Indian Oil Corporation, Jet Airways & Singapore Airlines, Sony Entertainment Television, Airport Authority of India, Airtel Mobile Services and GE Energy. The Indian Medical Association has invited her to talk on the topic of mindbody-medicine in major cities in India, plus she has addressed officers from the Indian Armed Forces, members of social organizations like Rotary and Lions Club and spoken at several hospitals, schools and colleges across India. Sister Shivani completed an electronics engineering degree at Pune University in 1994 and then served for two years as a lecturer in Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Engineering, Pune.

ABOUT THE BRAHMA KUMARIS WORLDWIDE The Brahma Kumaris work for positive change at all levels of society by raising awareness of the spiritual dimension of life and its practical application for personal development, in community building and for the wellbeing of our planet. It is a worldwide network of centres with over 8500 learning centres in 110 countries. The spiritual headquarters in Mt Abu, India is affiliated with the United Nations. It has: General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). www.DesiAustralia.com

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ABOUT THE BRAHMA KUMARIS IN AUSTRALIA The Brahma Kumaris have had a presence in Australia for more than 40 years, with centres and class locations located in the major cities and also three residential retreat centres. The organisation is a registered charity with the ACNC in the area of education (spiritual). It offers practical and experiential spiritual education courses, seminars and residential programs to individuals, business enterprises, organisations and government, aimed at enhancing one’s inner wellbeing to improve the quality of life. The Brahma Kumaris is also active in the wider community; participating in conferences and dialogues of current social significance, such as climate change, interfaith relations and values in healthcare. Programs are offered free of charge in the spirit of making spiritual education accessible to everyone. The ongoing operations of Brahma Kumaris Australia are funded through donations from students and the public. MORE INFORMATION: Australian website: www.brahmakumaris.org.au Australia: www.facebook.com/BKAustralia International website: www.brahmakumaris.org

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PRESENTER

EVENT BY

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Venue: Croatian club, Punchbowl TIME 12PM-4PM

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FOR INQUIRIES CALL MALTI 0415 088 419 www.DesiAustralia.com

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AYURVEDA

Ayurvedic Healing Oil Massage (Abhyanga) Dr Naveen Shukla

Dr Vishal Sharma

bhyanga is the significant part of Ayurvedic medicine that involves skilled practise to massage the body with various herbal medicated oils. It is considered as the ancient physical therapy and alone a remedy for many health conditions. Abhyanga- a kind of selflove to nurture the body and mind.

and massage in circular motion for couple of minutes. A very important Vital/ Marma point in skull helps to calm down the nervous system.

Abhyanga comprises two Sanskrit words Abhi (towards) Anga (Movement) A synchronised body massage with warm herbal oil in the direction of blood flow to achieve a deep feeling of stability and warmth. It is considered as a part of our daily routine recommended by Ayurvedic Physicians to maintain optimal health. Choose the right oil: It is always good to choose special herbal oil recommended by Ayurvedic Doctors or as per your Dosha. Sesame oil is very good Vata balancing, Coconut oil in Pitta Dosha imbalance and Mustard to restore Kapha Dosha. To get a special Ayurvedic herb blended oils contact Nature Care Ayurveda. Steps to do Self Abhyanga: • Take the prescribed warm oil into a mug and warm by keeping the mug in the hot water.

Enhances circulation and restores immunity

Gently perform the massage on forehead, temple, face and ear lobes.

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Pacifies Vata Dosha also balance Pitta and Kapha

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Massage your arms, chest, trunk, pelvis and legs. Always massage in the direction of heart and circular motion onto the abdomen and joints.

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Increases Stamina and Vitality

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Removes Stress, Anxiety, Depression and calms the central nervous system.

Sum-up the therapy by massaging feet. It is often recommended to spend more time on feet and hands as they have the nerve endings and special Marma points.

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Increases flexibility and helpful in Musculoskeletal disorders.

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Strengthens the body tolerance and enhances vision

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Allow the oil to sit for 15-30 min to absorb into the deeper tissues.

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Enhances Yoga and Meditation skills and deepen the experience.

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Enjoy warm shower by using a mild organic soap. After shower, towel dry gently and avoid vigorous rubbing.

Nature Care Ayurveda Yoga Detox & Rejuvenation is the only Sydney based Ayurvedic centre where you can experience a complete range of Ayurvedic therapies like Panchakarma, Shirodhara, Detox, Abhyanga Body massage and consultation from experts. The team is highly professional and working under the direction of Director’s Dr Naveen Shukla (Representative Australasian association of Ayurveda for NSW) & Dr Vishal Sharma (Member International Academy of Ayurved).

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Check the adequate temperature of oil for massage.

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While preparing the oil make sure you are in nice covered area to avoid direct exposure to cold breeze.

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You can either lie down or sit comfortably and perform the therapy in one direction (Head to Toe / Toe to Head).

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Refreshes, rejuvenates the whole body and delay the effects of Aging

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Improves Sleeping Pattern

Apply herbal oil first to the crown

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Tone, soften, hydrate the skin and

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•

increases lustre, glow and Aura

Benefits of Abhyanga: In Ayurveda, Abhyanga is considered as one among the integral part of Dinacharya/ Daily routine. The benefits are priceless as the body feel the experience of being loved.

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For more information /to see a doctor/ for specific health concern visit our website www.naturecareayurveda.com. au or call us on 02 9572 6990

MENTAL HEALTH & WELL BEING

The importance of good sleep and the impact of insomnia on mental health and wellbeing “Sleep is the golden chain that binds health and our bodies together” – Thomas Dekker Some good habit to help you sleep: Sumeet Chawla

leep is essential for our physical and mental wellbeing, potentially providing a period of restoration but also a time when we do not have to think, feel or act. When sleep is disrupted, one may feel very tired, irritable and daily tasks may seem effortful. One may experience an increase in negative feelings which can potentially impact on one’s mood and result in other problems, if better sleep is not restored within a few days. Persistent problems with the quality or quantity of sleep can signal a serious issue called insomnia. Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder and a frequent health complaint amongst the general population. Insomnia is a distressing difficulty where sleep onset, maintenance of sleep, waking up at odd times or a combination of these symptoms occurs and sleep is insufficient for an individual’s needs, despite adequate time spent in bed to achieve sleep. There may be risk of developing insomnia in individuals who are predisposed to the condition. Some examples being excessive worry, separation, divorce, becoming widowed, losing someone close, environmental factors such as, excessive caffeine consumption, shift work etc… Symptoms of insomnia can be associated with other medical issues, for example: asthma, obstructive pulmonary disease, heart condition, and chronic pain, etc… or other sleep disorders, for example: restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorders, and sleep-related breathing disorders like sleep apnoea. The use of alcohol and other drugs, including cigarettes and some prescription drugs may increase sleep difficulty. Certain medications and psychological conditions such as anxiety and depression are often found to interfere with sleep as well.

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Reading a book before going to or in bed

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Go to bed and get up at the same time every day

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Doing relaxation before sleep

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Reduce noise or light in the bedroom

exercises

Some less helpful habits which keep one awake: •

Staying indoors all day with no exercise

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Caffeine intake in the evening

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Use of electronic media before/ close to bedtime

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Excessive worrying

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High alcohol consumption

Alternately, a medical review with a GP or another medical specialist might be suggested to determine whether a physical condition can account for the symptoms of insomnia. A GP or medical specialist can offer advice and assistance around whether medication might be of benefit. When a person also has symptoms of another sleep problem, a referral to a sleep specialist might be made. A medical test called a sleep study, where the individual’s sleep is monitored overnight at home or in a clinic, may be recommended. Where to get help:

Psychological assistance should be considered, if chronic sleep problems are affecting your work, school, home life, or relationships. A GP can organise a referral to a psychologist.

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Some individuals with insomnia benefit from a combination of medication and psychological interventions. Psychological interventions involving cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia have been shown to be highly effective. Collaboration with the referring medical practitioner is essential, particularly in relation to medical conditions, which may be contributing to insomnia and for managing any medications that may have been prescribed.

July, 2018

•

Your doctor

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Psychologists

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Sleep disorder clinic

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MAG CORNER

Privileges in Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra, Chanakyapuri achievements of the Indian Diaspora spread across the globe. Harmohan Singh Walia

PBK is a state-of-the-art Convention Centre with well furnished luxury guest rooms, latest conferencing facilities, 350 capacity auditorium, a restaurant, an elegant banquet hall and lounges. PBK also houses a Library that has a unique collection of more than 2500 books on Indian culture, History & Arts, Migration as well as publications by pravasi bhartiya authors in different languages. Simply put, PBK is a vibrant venue for a range of activities such as conferences, board meetings, seminars, National days receptions, educational and cultural events. These facilities at PBK are open to Government of India Ministries and Departments, PSUs, Embassies/ High Commissions/International Organisations, and any similar/relevant entities on case by case basis. Indian diaspora with OCI card can use these facilities including luxury guest rooms on very reasonable rates as compared to 5-star hotels.

ravasi Bhartiya Kendra (PBK), an institution of pre-eminence showcasing the rich and diverse cultural heritage of India established by the Ministry of External Affairs, was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, on 2nd October 2016 with broad objectives of commemorating the history and celebrating the contributions and

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Unique features: Prime Location (Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri) •

All facilities under one roof

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IT support

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Audio Visual support

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Ample Parking Space

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In-house catering facilities

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Centrally Air Conditioned building

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Modest charges

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Wi-Fi premises

The logo of Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra (PBK) represents India’s national bird – the peacock, depicting the Indian identity, global spread and cultural connection of Pravasi Bhartiyas with India. The centre of the logo signifies that just a fingerprint defines the identity of a person, the Indian identity remains the core identity of Pravasi Bharatiyas. The seven peacock feathers are a metaphor of the global spread of Pravasi Bhartiyas across the seven continents.

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Enduring Caste Surviving thousands of years of social and religious change, invasions, colonialism, independence, migration and more, caste is an aspect of South Asian culture that refuses to go away when the cafe or restaurant isn’t serving South Asian food, or owned by a South Asian person.

Giti Datt

Rishi Sharma

hy do people migrate to Australia? So many migrant stories are about hope, the potential for a better life, for better opportunities, for oneself and for one’s family. For some, it might even be a chance to escape the constraints and restrictions of life back home. And yet we find South Asian migrants have brought to Australia the darkest aspects of our culture back home - casteism. Does Casteism exist in Australia? Just like discrimination in India, instances of casteism range from the blatant to the subtle. Bhanu Adhikari, a retired public servant based in South Australia, reported the first legal complaint of caste discrimination in Australia. When Mr Adhikari’s mother passed away, four Hindu pandits refused to perform her final rites because Mr Adhikari’s family welcomed people of all castes into their house, thus rendering it “impure”. South Asian students of lower castes report that housemates of higher castes separate cooking utensils and show disrespect and contempt when they learn of their friends’ caste status. There are even examples in Sydney of South Asian job applicants telling cafe and restaurant owners that they refuse to work with people of lower castes - even

Why are we hearing about it now? Earlier waves of migration from South Asia to Australia favoured a narrower group of migrants, mainly upper-caste, tertiary-educated professionals. With more recent migration patterns, a more diverse range of South Asian migrants have entered Australia, providing an opportunity for social stratification to become more obvious here. South Asian migrants from different caste groups, class backgrounds and regions have settled in Australia, invoking age-old prejudices in the diaspora, both settled and recent. With a more diverse diaspora, as well as a larger population, there is more visibility of this issue. Along with online media, people are able to tell their stories and highlight these problems more easily than before. How to identify casteism As with all types of prejudice - sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia and others - those who are on the receiving end of discrimination are acutely aware of its existence, while those of us with privilege have the luxury of denying it. People from upper-castes can claim ignorance, especially those born and brought up in Australia. But the simple fact is that until your caste becomes a problem for you, it is unlikely it has ever been brought to your attention. That’s how discrimination works. If you look closely however, you find everyday examples of casteism all around. Throughout the South Asian diaspora we see people seeking

Source: Getty

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out friends and prospective marriage partners in the same caste groups. We also hear caste-based jokes, as well as caste-based insults. People’s surnames are used as barometers of their social standing. Even cultural practices, such as jhoota reflect the caste logic of purity and pollution. These everyday microaggressions can be even more damaging than explicit forms of discrimination, as they are harder to identify and address. How do we stop it? At its core, caste is about community. Your caste denotes your lineage, your regional heritage, your culture. It is impossible to eradicate people’s histories. There are examples of individuals trying to escape their caste through changing their surname or religion, yet this requires elaborate lies and concealment of one’s family, one’s heritage, one’s ancestral home. While people can do this on an individual level, an entire society cannot. What we need to do is eradicate the hierarchical nature of caste. Being conscious in choosing more diverse friends, colleagues and partners rather than sticking to people who are comfortable and familiar. Challenging caste-based stereotypes, along with caste-based jokes and insults. Our culture is constantly evolving, we have seen great movements in South Asia and the diaspora on issues such as genderbased discrimination, and recently with same-sex marriage and relationships. Eradicating caste prejudice is an issue we are yet to commit to with the same conviction. After all, why did we all go through the challenges of migration, if not for better lives and futures?

AUSTRALIA NEWS

Growing Relationship Between Australia & India Harmohan Singh Walia

he Australia India Business Council (AIBC) organised an exclusive function on 21 June 2018 at the NSW Parliament with the Premier, Hon. Gladys Berejiklian MP to debrief her recent trip to India. On behalf of AIBC, The NSW President, Ms Barbara Ward after welcoming the guests passionately spoke of the important role AIBC plays between the two countries, namely Australia and India. “AIBC provides a platform that promotes opportunities to the Australian business community through various events. AIBC is actively engaged in all aspects of trade and also works with partner organisations to ensure growth and prosperity”, Ms Ward said. She also mentioned that this year AIBC’s focus has been in initiating and implementing various chapters from Education, Health, SME’s Start Up’s and Innovation in NSW and nationally. The Premier of New South Wales, Hon. Gladys Berejiklian MP shared her views on her recent visit to India and expressed that it was an extremely successful and life changing experience in a very positive way. She mentioned that there is growing interest in India for Australian produce and cuisine, and

thus, will have Australian food and wine in India in the next two months in Delhi and Mumbai. Among other things, she included that ‘we’ have a lot to learn from each other and our relationship is growing and will continue. She said, “Our official trade envoy to India for NSW, former Premier, Barry O’Farrell enjoys a very close relationship with Prime Minister Modi, many other distinguished community leaders and general community organisations”. She also mentioned, “We support each other in our pipeline infrastructure, exchange two-way trade activity and appreciate Indian Global leadership in many areas of activities”. The Premier has specifically highlighted and said, “Interestingly and very frankly one of the issues raised by many Indian businesses is that lot of Indian businesses are coming to Australia and they want to see more Australian businesses going to India as well”. She also proudly said that The Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar has disclosed to her that SCG is his favourite ground outside India. The NSW Government is leading a delegation to Delhi and Mumbai in the last week of September 2018 to provide opportunities for NSW food and beverage exporters in India. The purpose of the delegation is to promote NSW food and beverage capabilities and producers and create governmentbacked networking and business matching opportunities to potential Indian buyers.

In 2016-17 NSW exported $760 million worth of agricultural produce to India, an increase of 200%. With NSW’s global reputation for clean and safe agricultural products there is substantial potential for further growth. The week-long program will cover in-market briefings, visits to supermarkets/retailers, participation in the Annapurna World of Food tradeshow, B2B and group meetings etc. The participants will be benefitted in B2B matching sessions facilitated by Austrade and the NSW Government. There will be opportunities to meet local distributors and importers, therefore they will meet potential inmarket partners. Other opportunities of participation are that they will be able to develop skills and experience within international markets and can enhance their international profile. They will gain better understanding of the culture and regulatory requirements in India. All travel and accommodation expenses, and sampling expenses including freight will be covered by participating businesses, where as the NSW Government will cover the costs of the business program and related on-ground expenses. About 30 corporate guests attended the function including Parliamentary host Mr. Alister Henskens SC MP, Hon. Minister Ray Williams MP, Hon. Scott Farlow MLC, Hon. Mark Coure MP, Mr. Neville Roach AO, Mr Chandru Appar from the Indian Consulate, Sydney, and Mr. Zarak Khan, Consulate General Republic of Fiji. The past President, Ms Kylie Bell provided vote of thanks.

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COMMUNITY NEWS (SYDNEY)

Waratahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Thanksgiving Gala Dinner for successful

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Photo Credit: Vishaal Kumar from Evergreen Memories

Project Launch “High Society” from GEOCON in Canberra

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TECHNOLOGY

MiLife â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Most Trusted Health Partner for Life distance walked, calories, exercise time, heart rate and few other basic statistics. Sarang Vengulekar

his is a world of social media and smart gadgets without any doubt. We all have our smartphones and hundreds of apps installed on it from day one as we know we will be making use of our data plans to the maximum. New apps hit platforms every day and our smartphone become cluttered with

So what is the Solution to looking after your Health you may ask? Everyone including doctors are now living in this mobile world. Tech savvy doctors know the benefits that can be obtained from using mobile health apps. We are now moving in to an era where the market for mobile health has increased ten folds and it has reached billions of dollars in revenue globally for the past couple of years. Interactive services are been introduced and doctors will let you video chat and text (In some countries). The innovation is taking place but what about our medical records? Do you have anything that keeps track of all our visits to the doctor and the relevant paperwork or reports?

hundreds of apps. It is becoming hard to decide which apps to download and keep and which apps to delete. An issue I normally come across is the number of similar apps so how do you know which is the best app out of the huge collection? It is apparent and a normal practice that the apps we choose are the ones with highest user rating. These are rated by users just like you and me. In fact, it is a real pain staking challenge to keep up with so many apps cluttering our smartphone screen. Most of us use apps daily such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Mail, Safari and many others but how often do you use these smart devices to look after your health? Looking after our Health can be a lot of hard work and most of us would answer the above question with a big zero as we never use the smart devices to track our health although it is now becoming easier as we can now purchase wearable health devices such as Apple watch for iPhone and Samsung Gear watch for Android platforms, Fitbit, Garmin etc. but that only keeps track of steps,

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Well I am sure the answer for most of us would again be Zero. In this electronic world we are overloaded with Apps and of course there are many medical apps out in the market and it is often very hard to know which one you should download since the offerings within these apps vary a lot. As an example, there are apps that allow you to better understand the medicines and its effects, others will teach you how to identify symptoms for a particular unforeseen medical emergency but there are not many apps that can tell you about yourself in particular. In this issue of Desi Australia we are revealing a medical app that you all have been waiting for. This App will show you all your health records with a simple click. In the past month I have had the honour and the privilege of interviewing a wellknown local medical specialist and an IT Engineer who in collaboration developed a medical app for the Australian public that can assist us in keeping our health data right at our finger tips. Dr. Nitin (Nathan) Sachdev is an Eye Specialist based in Sydney. He completed his schooling in Australia and July, 2018

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a medical degree in the UK followed by Ophthalmology training at the Sydney Eye Hospital. He has been a very wellknown specialist since his work on cataract research in year 2004. He also has many international publications which are read by medical professionals all around the world. Dr. Sachdev explained that although we have had a Government based E-Health system for a while we still do not have the means to store all our information in one place like our reports after our every visit to the doctor, not having this ability to store our documents causes inefficiency and resulting in not finding the right documents/reports when required. This is where Dr Sachdev found an opportunity to develop an app and forming a collaboration along with his long-time friend and an IT Expert Mr. Shashank Pawar. Mr. Pawar completed his schooling and his tertiary education in Sydney. He currently works for Microsoft and has been with them for many years. Mr. Pawar has worked extensively with database structure and technology within Microsoft and has been a speaker at TechEd for multiple years. TechEd is Microsoftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ultimate technology geek fest for IT Professionals and Enterprise Developers. Mr Pawar background also involves contributing to the community in various ways as he constantly worked with Microsoft platform within online banking, retail data warehousing,

TECHNOLOGY

Enterprise BI and SAP ERP Solutions as well as participating in local industry events, professional user groups and assisting online community. The App that is developed by Dr Sachdev and Mr Pawar is appropriately named “MiLife”. MiLife straight away coveys the message that it is all about you and your life. Upon downloading this app myself and after looking at its functionality and features I am amazed at how this App can be the best app on your personal smart phone. This will ensure that you have all your data in one place. This is pretty much the gold standard of any medical app out there when the features are compared. MiLife app is a unique app as it is developed by a doctor who understands the information required by all of us. This app is currently available for iOS and Android platforms for a great and low value of AUD $3.99. MiLife can be shared by the means of Family Sharing on your apple devices and will support up to 5 Family members therefore the cost of the app is very low based on per user basis. MiLife keeps track of all your medical paperwork/reports such as prescriptions, test results, images etc. This is a great way of keeping records of all your visits to the doctor. Dr Sachdev and Mr Pawar started this project approximately one year ago and they currently have a team of 10 Software Developers based in Bangalore (India). The project was purely based on providing the facility for every user to store medical records quickly and efficiently, whilst working on the project they even started coming up with extra features that they could introduce which would benefit their general user base and have also covered off any areas where they could see a gap. Using the app is fairly simple as the medical documents can be attached either by scanning using the smart phone camera or by uploading an existing PDF or a JPG file. The most admired feature of this app is the ability to store the data locally as there is no cloud offering

meaning the data stays on your phone and does not get uploaded anywhere maintaining your privacy. The downside to this is that the phone will need to be backed up manually on your computer from time to time to ensure that the information remains on a different device such as your personal computer in case your phone is lost or stolen.

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It is very easy to take images and upload info to your personal folder or transmitted to the doctor.

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Protected by password, fingerprint or Face recognition.

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There is no danger of hacking as there is no cloud involved.

The app is very logical and straightforward to understand and it gets easier as you continue to use it regularly. Once the app has been downloaded from the App Store then simply open it up and create an account. The account will be your account and once logged in you may create additional accounts for your family members.

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Add up to 5 family members, with their own files and their own password.

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Carry your medical records 24x7 as it goes wherever you go.

To add a record simply click on “Add Records” and type in the information such as Record Type, Doctor Name, Date and any Comments then click on the camera icon to take a photo or attach a current file in the system. You can also type a note about the visit. Once completed click on “Save”. This will save the records to your smart phone device. Your records are also stored with a geotag meaning it will save the location data for your reference so you are able to see which doctor you had visited and consulted. You may also share the documents or records by sending it via SMS to your doctor for printing and or uploading to your medical file at Doctor’s Medical Center for their records. You as a user have the full ability to choose the level of security therefore the level of privacy is customisable for every section in the app. You may also add password capability to every document that you have scanned or uploaded providing that extra layer of security on top of already secure app. This is great for people who really respect their own privacy and cannot expose themselves to the outside world. A third layer of security lies in the way that no way to access individual images using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Airdrop as it is locked within the app.

During my conversation with Dr. Sachdev he mentioned that extra app features would be made available from time to time and will be pushed out as a new update. The updates will be free forever as long as you have the app installed on your smart phone. Any image in the photo library can be attached within the records. The images attached can also be of high resolution and up to 600dpi. Dr Sachdev and Mr. Pawar would be introducing new features that they mentioned during the interview. We are not to disclose what they are at the moment but I am sure they are going to be very exciting and excellent features that we can all put to use effectively. Final verdict is that I love using this app as I found it to be very useful. I now know that I will be carrying my medical history along with me and pull out any information instantly when required. I would highly recommend this MiLife App so make sure you go the app store and download it straight away for a small value. As always if you would like to know about this topic then please do get in touch with me on info@desiaustralia.com

There is also number of ways you may share your data with your doctor and that is by sending images via SMS, Email, WhatsApp, iCloud etc. Let’s talk about the features and benefits of this app. •

No more paperwork to lose and not finding it on time. www.DesiAustralia.com

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COMMUNITY NEWS (SYDNEY)

Unions in Unison Multifaith Iftar 2018

nions NSW, Transport Workers Union and South Asia Labor held its first historical Iftar at the atrium of the Trades Hall with Trades Hall itself being a heritage building. Eighty guests participated in this event with twenty union secretaries and politicians. The guests were from a variety of communities. Harish Velji representing South Asia said it was very easy to secure support from Richard Olsen, State Secretary of Transport Workers Union and from the Secretary of the Unions NSW Mark Morey. Richard Olsen, State Secretary of the NSW Transport Workers’ Union said that TWU is proud to have been part of the inaugural Unions in Unison Interfaith Iftar. We have celebrated in an evening of unity and good spirit which saw a community come together. Union members work together, fight together for a diverse workforce, and we triumph together. From many different communities, many different cultures and many different faiths, every day we come together as one to support each other, to share our stories, to learn, and to celebrate. Mark Morey, Secretary for the Union NSW the Co Host for evening noted that the Snowy Mountains project

would not have gone ahead if was not for migrants. They also did not have to sit for English tests. “I congratulate to the vision of Unions NSW and the Transport Workers’ Union. Congratulations to Mark Morey and Richard Olsen for having the vision to do this, and to Harish Veiji and Aisha Amjad from South Asia Labor for making it happen” said Adam Sealre Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations representing the Leader of Opposition Luke Foley. “ Unions have always been at the forefront of promoting fairness and equality in our country, and that has included fighting against all forms of discrimination. Part and parcel of this has been breaking down barriers and enhancing harmony in society, across geography, class and faiths. Friday night was another milestone on that journey.

I am glad to have been part of it. Jihad Dip Member for Lakemba the first Member of Parliament of Muslim origin is the state parliament said “Ramadan is all about self-discipline and helping others where possible, to assist the needy, act justly and to work together towards a better society. “Fasting is the cornerstone of Ramadan but it’s the actions to help others, to better yourself and those around you that is just as important an act. “Tonight’s Iftar brings together the shared values of the union movement and the spirit of Ramadan. Our Australia is a better nation when we take the time to learn, value and celebrate one another’s’ individual story within an Australian context. I thank everyone who has hosted an Iftar dinner this year. “What I want to say to those of you who are fasting and observing this month, those of you of Islamic faith, proud Australian Muslims observing a month of humility is what we are acknowledging tonight isn’t because we are of the same faith but all the people who aren’t fasting who are here, this is the entire leadership of the local community saying to you that we are a better place because of what you are doing” said Tony Burke Federal Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism and Citizenship . Aisha Amjad who was great MC for the evening brought with great sense humor and the seriousness to the event.

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