Gday India August 2020 Issue by gdayindia

AUG 2020

w w w. g d a y i n d i a . c o m . a u

VOL 14 ISSUE 160

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AUSTRALIAN INDIAN PERSPECTIVE

GAURA-YOUR BEST WAY HOME

DENTISTRY DONE DIFFERENTLY

THE THREE CULTURE CHEF

PG.20

RUNWAY DEDICATION BHANG THE INTOXICATED

PG.24

POSITIVITY IN ADVERSITY

PG.32

PG.22

PG.28

MELBOURNE FILMMAKER

PG.27

PG.26

Gâ€™DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

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Gâ€™DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

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Gâ€™DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

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Gâ€™DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

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G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

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CONTENTS

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NEWS VICTORIA

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Pandemic leave disaster payment for Victoria

5 August 2020: The Australian Government announced support for Victorians who don’t have any income because they must self-isolate or quarantine at home. You can claim the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment over the phone.

Who can get it To get this payment, all of the following must apply: • you’re at least 17 years old • you live in Victoria • you have no income from paid work, including sick leave entitlements. In addition the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services must also have told you to self-isolate or quarantine. They must have done this because of any of the following reasons: • you have coronavirus (COVID-19) • you’ve been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19 • you care for a child, 16 years and under, who has COVID-19 • you care for a child, 16 years and under, who’s been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19. If you have to self-isolate more than once, you can claim this payment each time. You can’t get this payment if you already get: • an income support payment, ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Paid Parental Leave or Dad and Partner Pay

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• JobKeeper payment • the Victorian Coronavirus (COVID-19) Worker Support Payment. How to claim You can claim by calling us on 180 22 66. Please don’t visit a service centre. Phone lines are open during the following hours, Victorian local time: • 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday to Friday • 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturday and Sunday. Read more about the: • Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment • https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/ individuals/services/centrelink/pandemicleave-disaster-payment • Coronavirus Worker Supplement Payment on the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website. • https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/1500coronavirus-covid-19-worker-supportpayment.

NEWS VICTORIA

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Support for Victorian families, childcare workers and services

CANBERRA, Aug 5: The Morrison Government has stepped up to provide childcare relief for thousands of Victorian families while ensuring services can remain viable and staff are retained during the Stage four lockdown. From today, the Victorian Government’s restrictions mean children, except for vulnerable children and those of permitted workers, in metropolitan Melbourne will no longer be able to attend childcare for six weeks. To ease the burden, the Morrison Government will invest $33 million so childcare services remain open for vulnerable families and permitted workers, while helping Victorian parents keep their child’s enrolment while they must keep their child at home. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government had listened and responded with support to help Victorians get through their second, more difficult, lockdown. “We are providing a triple guarantee for childcare in Victoria, supporting thousands of Victorian parents and hundreds of jobs,” the Prime Minister said. “That guarantee means that parents will not lose their child’s place as long as they stay enrolled at the centre while their child is at home. Parents will not be required to pay a gap fee when their children are not attending, and we will continue to pay their subsidies to childcare facilities. “We will also make direct payments to childcare centres so they stay operational and staff are kept with an employment guarantee, while remaining open for workers and vulnerable families. “Many people will be worried and stressed in Melbourne right now and our support hopefully eases the burden for parents already juggling working from home, looking after other children or concerns about their job. “Our Government stepped up to support all Australian families and childcare workers at the start of this pandemic and we’re stepping up again to support Victorians during this very challenging time.” Melbourne families in Stage Four lockdown will receive an additional 30 days, or six weeks, of allowable absences from childcare. In conjunction with the gap fee waiver, families should not be charged fees for keeping their children at home so will not have to withdraw from the system. By increasing the number of allowable absence days, the Government can continue to pay its contribution to services through the Child Care Subsidy (CCS), which can be up to 85 per cent of the total cost of care. This will guarantee revenue to childcare services through the Government’s CCS contribution, even if children are not attending care. To further assist services to keep workers

employed, the Government will provide $16.3 million to fund a higher Transition Payment of 30 per cent of pre-COVID revenue for Melbourne childcare services. The Government will provide a further $16 million to fund an additional top-up payment for eligible services that receive low CCS payments and are experiencing very low attendance. For regional Victoria, that is now under Stage Three lockdown, the Government will provide an additional 30 absence days and extend the gap fee waiver and the Outside Hours School Care (OSHC) payment. The gap fee waiver for non-metropolitan Victorians will ensure that if a child is absent from care for COVID-related reasons, the childcare service can waive their gap fee. Which means fee relief for families and certainty they do not have to withdraw from care and lose their place. OSHC services, in regional Victoria, will be paid 15 per cent of their revenue from 6 August, in addition to the 25 per cent Transition Payment and the Child Care Subsidy. Minister for Education Dan Tehan said the Morrison Government had worked closely with the sector and the Victorian Government to understand the impact of the extended lockdown measures on families, workers and services. “We all owe a debt of gratitude to our early learning and childcare workers who have done such important work this year as our country has dealt with the coronavirus every parent values your commitment to their children and their early education,” Mr Tehan. “Across Australia we saw 99 per cent of services remain open and viable during COVID-19 as a result of the temporary, emergency measures our Government put in place. “We are now focusing on supporting Victorian families, workers and childcare services to help them get through their Stage Four lockdown. Our temporary package will ensure families receive continuity of care and services remain viable.”

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Our Government has already announced measures to support Victorian families and child care providers, including: • Child care providers who signed up are receiving an additional Transition Payment of 25 per cent of their fee revenue during the relief package reference period (17 February to 1 March) from 13 July until 27 September, which is estimated to deliver $708 million to providers. • Families experiencing financial hardship, for example through a loss of income, may be eligible for additional support through the Additional Child Care Subsidy (temporary financial hardship). • Up to 31 December, child care services that are open in areas subject to stage 3 or higher ‘stay at home’ restrictions can waive families’ out of pocket fees for families where a child is not attending due to COVID-19. • Up to 31 December, child care services are able to waive families’ out of pocket fees if the service is forced to close on public health advice due to COVID-19. • We are providing about $6 million to support Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) services to continue providing care for the children of essential workers and vulnerable children. • The activity test to access the Child Care Subsidy has been eased until 4 October to support eligible families whose employment has been impacted as a result of COVID-19. Families will receive up to 100 hours per fortnight of subsidised care during this period. This will assist families to return to the level of work, study or training they were undertaking before COVID-19. • Under transition arrangements already in place, service fees remain frozen at pre-COVID levels. The support package announced today is in addition to the $511 million already provided to Victoria through the Early Childhood Education and Care Relief Package. (MEDIA RELEASE)

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Victorians urged to enrol for upcoming council elections

THE VEC is preparing to deliver safe elections during the extraordinary circumstances of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with all eligible residents and ratepayers encouraged to check they are enrolled by 4 pm Friday 28 August to be able to vote in the local council elections across Victoria this October. Electoral Commissioner Warwick Gately has issued a call ahead of the enrolment deadline: ‘If you’re 18 or over and you live in or pay rates to a Victorian council, enrol and have your say on the future of your local council.’ Australian citizens who have recently turned 18 or changed address can enrol or update their details online at vec.vic.gov.au/ enrolment. Anyone on the State electoral roll for their current address is automatically enrolled for

these elections. There are also additional enrolment categories for non-resident owners, occupiers, company nominees and non-Australian citizens who pay rates. People in these categories should contact their local council for further information. The 2020 Victorian council elections will be the State’s largest single election program, with a predicted 4.5 million voters and over 2,000 candidates participating in elections across 76 councils. Casey City Council, Whittlesea City Council and South Gippsland Shire Council will not have general elections this October. Further information on enrolment is available by calling 1300 805 478 or at vec.vic.gov. au, where voters can also sign up to the free VoterAlert service to receive important election reminders by SMS and email.

Recruiting forest firefighters for next bushfire season

MELBOURNE, Aug 1: The Victorian Government is recruiting forest firefighters who are ready to step up and help protect their communities and the environment this bushfire season. Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio today announced applications have now opened for Victorians of all backgrounds to join Forest Fire Management Victoria as seasonal project firefighters. The recruitment drive offers employment, training and pathway opportunities for suitable applicants in regional communities. Successful applicants will join a highly skilled team of more than 1,000 frontline forest firefighters ready to keep Victorians safe. As well as their crucial frontline duties, forest firefighters play an important role in bushfire prevention and preparedness – conducting planned burns, undertaking roadside vegetation and fire trail maintenance and other fuel management activities. They also support other emergency work. The new positions are for a range of seasonal roles including general firefighters, fire support officers and rappel crew. There are also a number of roles to be filled by Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people to create a more diverse workforce that reflects the wider community. These FFMVic crews based in the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning, will work alongside crews from Parks Victoria, Melbourne Water and Vic Forests, the CFA and Fire Rescue Victoria. Applications for Project Firefighters are open from Friday 31 July and close on Sunday 23 August. For further information and to apply visit ffm.vic.gov.au or call 136 186.

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NEWS AUSTRALIA

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Australia’s 2020 Cyber Security Strategy

CANBERRA, Aug 6: Keeping Australians secure online is key to protecting our economy, national security and sovereignty. The Morrison Government’s 2020 Cyber Security Strategy outlines how we will keep Australian families and businesses secure online, protect and strengthen the security and resilience of Australia’s critical infrastructure and ensure law enforcement agencies have the powers and technical capabilities to detect, target, investigate and disrupt cybercrime, including on the dark web. The 2020 Cyber Security Strategy is the largest ever Australian Government financial commitment to cyber security and builds on the strong foundations established by its predecessor. The Strategy invests $1.67 billion to build new cybersecurity and law enforcement capabilities, protect the essential services upon which we all depend, assist businesses to protect themselves and raise the community’s understanding of how to be secure online. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the role of the Australian Government is to keep Australian’s safe, and it is important now, more than ever to protect Australians online from those who seek to do us harm. “The 2020 Strategy means that cyber security is a fundamental part of everyday life, so Australians can reap the benefits of the internet and the digital economy safely, and with confidence,” the Prime Minister said. “The digital economy is the future of Australia’s economy. This has been demonstrated by the coronavirus pandemic. We are seeing how much Australian’s are interacting online – for work, healthcare, education, entertainment and shopping. “We want to enlist all Australians in the fight to create a more cyber safe Australia – you are our secret weapon in our cyber security strategy. And we want to give you the tools to protect your family and your business. “We will protect our vital infrastructure and

services from cyber-attacks. We will support businesses to protect themselves so they can succeed in the digital economy. We will track criminals in the darkest corners of the internet to protect our families and children.” The Government is determined to disrupt the serious criminal activity saturating the dark web. The Government will introduce legislation to bolster the powers of the Australian Federal Police and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission to identify individuals and their networks engaging in serious criminal activity on the dark web. Powers that allow offensive disruption capabilities will allow law enforcement to take the fight to the digital front door of those using anonymising technology for evil purposes. The Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton said the protection of children and the Australian community from reprehensible criminal activity remains the Government’s highest priority. “Paedophiles are targeting kids online in chat groups. Cyber criminals are scamming money off our elderly by stealing their internet banking details and businesses are being locked out of their systems by ransomware attacks,” Mr Dutton said. “Families and businesses are all spending more time working and studying online and we need to make it safer. They are stealing the identities and data from unsuspecting Australians. “We will continue to ensure agencies have the powers and capabilities they need to identify and disrupt threats to the safety of Australians – particularly children, the most vulnerable members of our community.” Not all cyber security risks can be addressed by government. The strategy outlines steps businesses of all sizes can take to protect themselves and their customers. To support improved cyber security in the community, the Government will:

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• Expand our efforts to raise awareness of cyber security threats and drive uptake of safe and secure online behaviours across the community. • Expand our 24/7 cyber security advice hotline for families and older Australians. • Increase funding for victim support; and • Introduce a voluntary Internet of Things Code of Practice to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions. Improving the security and resilience of critical infrastructure entities is crucial to protecting our economy, security, and sovereignty. We are introducing a security framework to bolster the nation’s resilience and ensure we can act quickly in an emergency. The framework includes security obligations for critical infrastructure providers and Government assistance to industry in response to immediate and serious cyberattacks on Australia’s most critical systems. Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton said reforms to strengthen the security and resilience of Australia’s critical infrastructure would significantly boost Australia’s ability to deter, prevent and respond to the most significant cyber-attacks. “The Government will work with owners and operators of critical infrastructure to update legislation to ensure that critical infrastructure sectors deliver their essential services with security front of mind,” Mr Dutton said. “Agencies will be equipped to help address sophisticated threats, particularly to the essential services all Australian’s rely on - everything from electricity and water, to healthcare and groceries. The Strategy has been informed by extensive community consultation and expert advice from Government’s Industry Advisory Panel, chaired by Telstra CEO Andy Penn. Australia’s 2020 Cyber Security Strategy is available at www.homeaffairs.gov.au/ cybersecurity.

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Employers unleash potential of Australia’s 6.9 million migrants with tech solution, Connections

SYDNEY ,Aug 3: Connections Australia, Australia’s leading multilingual app connecting migrants to communities, jobs, and training, revealed their ongoing investments in technology development are transforming the talent sourcing experience for employers, unleashing the potential of skilled migrants. Connections Australia Founder & CEO Rinku Razdan is urging employers to join the growing number of employers accessing the pool of migrant talent available through Connections free job marketplace as a means for driving the

Australian economy forward. The 2016 Census put the number of people in Australia who were born overseas at 28.5 per cent (6.9 million people), many of them bringing sought-after skills to benefit the economy, and Connections is making it easy for employers to find them. Rinku Razdan said: “As Australian companies look for solutions to survive and thrive in these challenging times, I am thrilled to see them accessing the rich pot of migrant talent on Connections Australia. Employers can be matched to prospective employees based on business requirements, skills, qualifications, experience, location, and availability.” “Out of about 178,000 permanent visas granted in 2017–18, 111,000 were for migrants with skills. These migrants bring unique talents, often speak other languages, and have a global and entrepreneurial mindset making them game-changing

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employees,” added Razdan “Incredible human resources are available, and it is up to employers to look at them. I believe in migrants’ power to effect positive social change and foster social cohesion – the values of Connections Australia,” concluded Razdan. Employers can find their next candidate on Connections Australia’s hiring portal ‘Careers’ at connectionsaustralia.com. Simply complete your company profile to be matched with ready and available workers of all kinds including skilled and entry level. Once signed up, it is possible to post jobs and be matched instantly to suitable candidates. Connections also encourages migrants with work rights in Australia seeking employment to register via the app. (MEDIA RELEASE)

NEWS INDIA

Talks with China remain unsatisfactory, India plans for long haul

NEW DELHI, Aug 4: As China’s commitment for disengagement at the border in Eastern Ladakh remains unsatisfactory, India has directed its armed forces to prepare for a long haul, sources said. The revelation came during a review meeting on Tuesday afternoon in the South Block as deliberation took place over the fifth round of Corps Commander level talks. The members of the China Study Group along with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met to discuss the results of dialogue during the fifth round of Corps Commander level talks. Sources said that Chinese disengagement plan at Pangong Lake and Depsang remains “unsatisfactory”. It was also decided that there was no question of diluting India’s stand. “Future strategies for disengagement at the border to be chalked out and till then forces have been told to plan for a long haul,” said a source privy to the meeting. It was also discussed that Beijing has started troop and material build-up in depth areas across the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC). The fifth round of talks took place between the 14 Corps commander Lt General Harinder Singh and South Xinjiang Military District chief Major General Liu Lin at Moldo on August 2 and it lasted for 10 hours. India found that the Chinese side has started the build-up in three sectors of the LAC -- western (Ladakh), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh) and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal). Intelligence agencies also alerted that China has also mobilised soldiers near Uttarakhand’s Lipulekh Pass, a tri-junction between India, Nepal and China situated atop the Kalapani Valley. India had urged China to remove forces from Pangong Lake and Gogra where disengagement has not taken place. At Pangong Lake, China has strengthened their positions between Finger-5 and 8, and India is to take up this move very strongly.

The mountain spurs jutting into the lake are referred to as Fingers in military parlance. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has refused to pull back eastwards from the 8-km stretch it has occupied from Finger-4 to Finger-8 by building scores of new fortifications there since early May. The Chinese troops are also in Depsang which continues to block Indian soldiers from going to their traditional patrolling in the region. The Depsang Plains, a table-top plateau to the north of Galwan, remains a major hotspot due to its strategic location providing access to the logistical hub and airstrip at Daulat Beg Oldie and the critical Karakoram Pass in the north. Since the PLA troops are not moving back as per consensus, the Indian Army has kicked off the massive logistical exercise for advance winter stocking with rations, specialised clothing, prefabricated shelters, Arctic tents and other equipment to maintain. India has deployed over 35,000 troops in Ladakh. China is not complying with the roadmap for a complete pullback that was drawn out during the Corps Commander level meet on July 14. Till now two rounds of deliberations have taken at Moldo (China) and two in Chushul (India). The countries are locked in a three-monthlong stand-off at multiple points, hitherto unprecedented along the border. China had changed the status quo on the LAC at various places, moving inside the Indian territories. India has objected to it and is taking up the matter with China at all levels. The troop disengagement happened only at patrolling point-14 in Galwan Valley, the site of the June 15 clashes, and patrolling point-15 in Hot Springs. On June 15, as many as 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers were killed in a violent clash in the Galwan Valley. By Sumit Kumar Singh

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G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Over 56,000 Indian expats leave Oman due to COVID-19

MUSCAT, Aug 3: More than 56,000 Indian expats have had to leave Oman, after residing in the Gulf country for years, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which led to many being unemployed, a media report said. Anuj Swarup, Second Secretary at Indian Embassy in Oman, told Gulf News on Sunday that the Vande Bharat Mission from the Gulf country that started on May 9 has operated a total 105 flights till date, enabling more than 18,000 Indian nationals to return to India. “In addition to this, more than 38,000 Indian nationals have travelled to India on 216 charter flights operated by social organisations and various other organisations. “As we enter the Phase 5 of Vande Bharat Mission (VBM), a total 19 flights have been scheduled in the first half of August to various Indian states. Flights have been scheduled as per the registrations received by the Embassy and we will continue to facilitate travel of Indian nationals.” Kerala native, Faizal Osman, who had worked at a financial institution in Muscat and received a notice terminating his services in April, said: “The announcement of the flights came at an opportune time when we had just received our due payments. As they say Eid heralds good tidings, and I hope we are able to start afresh in India.” Many like Faizal, who had lost their jobs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, have been without a salary since April. Vijay Menon, another Indian from Kerala, had sent his family through one of the earlier VBM flight, while he stayed back to sell his car and the other household stuff that he had accumulated over the past two decades. “There were a lot of things like furniture, electronic gadgets and clothes that we had bought over our stay in Muscat, over the past 20 years. Even after packing most of it, there still were stuff for one more container,” Vijay told Gulf News. According to official data, Indians constitute almost 20 per cent of Oman’s total population, as they are the largest expatriate community in the country. There are 448,000 Indian migrant workers in Oman. (IANS)

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Indian researchers show how Covid-19 PPE can be converted to biofuel

DEHRADUN, Aug 4: Plastic from used personal protective equipment (PPE) can and should be transformed into renewable liquid fuels, according to Indian researchers. The study, published in the journal Biofuels, suggested a strategy that could help to mitigate the problem of dumped PPE currently being disposed of at unprecedented levels due to the current Covid-19 pandemic - becoming a significant threat to the environment. The research from the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) in Uttarakhand shows how billions of items of disposable PPE can be converted from its polypropylene (plastic) state into biofuels which is known to be at par with standard fossil fuels. “The transformation into biocrude, a type of synthetic fuel, will not just prevent the severe aftereffects to humankind and the environment but also produce a source of energy,” said study lead author Dr Sapna Jain from UPES. There is high production and utilisation of PPE to protect the community of health workers and other frontline workers of Covid-19. The disposal of PPE is a concern owing to its material i.e. non-woven polypropylene. “The proposed strategy is a suggestive measure addressing the

anticipated problem of disposal of PPE,” Jain said. During the current Covid-19 pandemic specifically, PPE is being designed for single-use followed by disposal. Once these plastic materials are discharged into the environment they end up in landfills or oceans, as their natural degradation is difficult at ambient temperature. They need decades to decompose. Recycling these polymers requires both physical methods and chemical methods. Reduction, reuse and recycling are the three pillars of sustainable development that can help to prevent the disposal of plastic in the environment. The research team reviewed many related research articles as they looked to explore the current policies around PPE disposal, the polypropylene content in PPE, and the feasibility of converting PPE into biofuel. In particular, they focused on the structure of polypropylene, its suitability for PPE, why it poses an environmental threat and methods of recycling this polymer. Their conclusive findings call for the PPE waste to be converted into fuel using pyrolysis. This a chemical process for breaking down the plastic at high temperature - between 300400 degrees centigrade for an hour - without

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oxygen. According to the researchers, this process is among the most promising and sustainable methods of recycling compared with incineration and landfill. “Pyrolysis is the most commonly used chemical method whose benefits include the ability to produce high quantities of bio-oil which is easily biodegradable,” said study coauthor Bhawna Yadav Lamba. “There is always a need for alternative fuels or energy resources to meet our energy demands. The pyrolysis of plastics is one of the methods to mitigate our energy crisis,” she noted.

(IANS)

NEWS WORLD

Trump fires official over outsourcing, changing H1-B rules

NEW YORK, Aug 4: US President Donald Trump has fired the head of a major government-owned corporation for replacing American technology employees with outsourced workers and said he was changing H1-B visa rules to stop the practice. “We’re finalising H1-B regulations so that no American worker is replaced ever again. H1-Bs should be used for top, highly paid talent to create American jobs, not as inexpensive labour program to destroy American jobs,” Trump said on Monday. He has already frozen most H1-B and some other work visas till the end of the year. Announcing the dismissal of Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Chairman James Thompson and Director Richard Howorth, he warned government officials, “If you betray American workers, then you will hear two simple words: ‘You’re fired’.” Saying that he was “taking firm, disciplinary action against” its leaders who have “sadly and cruelly betrayed American workers,” he demanded that the TVA replace CEO Jeffrey Lyash. “If the TVA does not move swiftly to reverse their decision (and take steps) to rehire their workers, then more board members will be removed,” he warned while speaking at the White House with some of the laid off workers. Trump said that the TVA had announced that “it would lay off over 200 American workers and replace them with cheaper foreign workers brought in from overseas” but he did not identify the countries they would be from. According to Democratic member of the House of Representatives Steven Cohen, who opposes the replacement of American workers, one of the companies involved in the outsourcing deal was Capgemini, which, he said, “has half of its workforce, or 100,000 workers, in India alone.” Some Democrats as well as Republicans have opposed the replacement of the TVA techies with H1-B workers during the

COVID-19 pandemic. Cohen has asked the Democratic leadership to include a provision in the next COVID-19 relief bill to prevent government agencies and the TVA from privatising government jobs. David Littlejohn, one of the workers who spoke at the White House, said, “I was told July 23rd that I would be sent home and to be ... training a contractor from a H1-Bdependent contract company.” Trump said that it was “rubbing salt in their very open wound.” Indians are the single largest group of H1-B visa-holders accounting for nearly 74 per cent of the work visas. An anomaly in the free enterprise US, the TVA is a public sector corporation. Set up in 1933, it has an annual revenue of over $11 billion and its operations in seven states range from hydro and nuclear power generation to fertiliser manufacture. Trump lashed out at Lyash for what he said was his “disastrous and heartless decision” and criticised his annual earnings of $8 million, which he asserted made him “the highest-paid government official of any country.” The firing of American workers and replacing them with H1-B visa-holders by a US government entity when the unemployment rate is over 11 per cent has given ammunition to Trump for suspending the grant of H1-B visas till the end of the year while making changes to the system. A Trump administration official said last month that Trump’s H1-B reform plan would ban companies from bringing in employees on H-1B visas to outplace them for work in other US companies. The official said that the way the 85,000 annual H-1B visas are given would be changed from the current lottery system to one where those offered the most wages get priority for the visas. By Arul Louis

Vibha Bakshi’s ‘Son Rise’ wins at New York film fest

MUMBAI, Aug 3: National Award-winning filmmaker Vibha Bakshi is elated that her documentary, Son Rise, won the Best Feature Documentary award at the New York Indian Film Festival. Bakshi says it is a recognition for the gender-rights heroes of India. “We are thrilled at the news! This award is the recognition for our incredible genderrights heroes from Haryana who are rising for women’s rights in India. We salute the people of Haryana for their courage and conviction to power change. This film is not just a Haryana

story or a story from India. The issue of gender bias is a global reality,” Bakshi said. “Son Rise” is based on three accounts that address the issue of gender inequality, which lead to sex crimes and bride trafficking. It puts the spotlight on the gender-right heroes of Haryana, who are changing the narrative on gender inequality and gender justice in India. It is set in the Delhi-NCR area, Delhi, Haryana, Ambala and a few areas of Punjab. Bakshi’s earlier film “Daughters Of Mother India”, had also won wide acclaim.

(IANS)

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G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s son leaves News Corp board

NEW YORK, Aug 1: James Murdoch, the younger son of American media mogul Rupert Murdoch, has resigned from the board of News Corporation citing “disagreements over editorial content”, it was reported. James Murdoch informed the board in a brief letter on Friday that he resigned as he disagreed with “certain editorial content” published by the company and “certain other strategic decisions”. He said that his resignation would take effect immediately. The exact nature of the disagreements was not detailed. But James Murdoch has previously criticised News Corp outlets, which include the Wall Street Journal, for climate change coverage, the BBC reported. Rupert Murdoch and his other son Lachlan, also a co-chairman, wished James well in a joint statement. “We’re grateful to James for his many years of service to the company,” the BBC quoted the statement as saying. “We wish him the very best in his future endeavours.” Born in London in 1972, James is the youngest of Rupert Murdoch’s three children from his marriage to Anna Torv, the others being sister Elisabeth and brother Lachlan. He was formerly chief executive of 21st Century Fox before Walt Disney bought most of its assets last year. News Corp also owns The Times, The Sun and The Sunday Times in the UK, as well as a stable of Australian newspapers, including The Australian, The Daily Telegraph and The Herald Sun.

(IANS)

Gâ€™DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Satellite images show scale of destruction after Beirut explosions

BEIRUT, Aug 6 : New satellite images show the aftermath of explosions at a port that has left at least 135 people dead and thousands injured. An image taken by the satellite company BlackSky shows extensive damage at the port following the blasts that took place on Tuesday. The incident was triggered when a fire in one section of the port reached an enormous cache of ammonium nitrate fertilizer that had been offloaded years earlier. The explosions were so massive that the US Geological Survey registered it as a magnitude 3.3 earthquake.

Several warehouses appear to be flattened and a cruise ship called the Orient Queen can be seen listing to one side, according to Allison Puccioni, an analyst and founder of Armillary Services, an independent firm partnered with BlackSky. In the image, debris can also be seen covering a main road over 1,000 feet south of the blast site, a sign of the explosionâ€™s force.

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And Puccioni says heavy damage extends for over half a mile into the city. The blast killed at least 100 people and injured thousands more. The BlackSky image and an image by commercial company Planet show a plume of smoke or debris still rising from the site around 8 am local time Wednesday, over 12 hours after the explosions occurred. (IANS)

OPINION

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Council Elections: Community service or Popularity contest? BY KARTHIK ARASU President of “Australia India Sports Council

he Victorian Government announced that the Council elections would go ahead on Saturday, 24 October 2020 and postal votes will be used. This will be the first-time postal voting has been used across all Victorian councils. The Municipal Association of Victoria says a survey found that most councillors and chief executives who responded supported deferring the October elections until 2021. It appears that the large number of candidates already taking a plunge makes us think that perhaps deferring will be the right choice in the current situation. The previous Council elections saw a large number of candidates contesting. While this may be good for democracy, it also begs the question about the intent of candidates taking the plunge in high numbers. The term dummy candidates are being floated heavily with the accusations of channelling votes of those candidates through preferences to others. This year council elections are most likely set to see a high number of candidates, looking at the number of candidates making announcement already, it probably might even reach record numbers. Most common allegations against some candidates is that they are contesting only for popularity in their community or to build their profile which may help boost their businesses. If this is true, then there should be a serious overhaul of

the council election nominations process. I strongly believe each council candidate should get the nomination signed from at least 50 voters of their ward from which they are contesting. This will demonstrate the commitment of the candidate and also will qualify the candidate, whether they have enough community support or not. Racial discrimination is also rife in social media, we are already seeing Indian origin candidates being targeted unfairly and are often generalised and portrayed wrongly.

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They are regularly taken potshots at in various Facebook groups. Recently a Sikh gentleman’s picture was posted along with derogatory comments mocking him and was shared around as a meme. After a community outcry and complaints to the Group admin, the post and picture was removed from the group. Cyberbullying and trolling have become prevalent in social media groups in the name of fun and advocacy for council elections. Also, some candidates or would-be candidates are being targeted by fake profiles with discriminating or false accusations just to show them in a bad light. The general mood in the community is that candidates from the multicultural background are heavily criticised, mocked and intimidated and they are not getting a fair go. These are very concerning thoughts as they are dividing the community. People have to realise that as a community we need each other, and elections are a democratic process. We vote (should) for the candidate who we think is best for the community. Candidates too have to take responsibility. They need to understand being a Councillor is more of a community service than a prestige or profile boost. They should have an understanding of why and what they are standing for. Some candidates are not even sure about what a councillor’s role is and what they can advocate for. They have policies so steep that even the Australian Prime Minister won’t be able to fulfill let alone a councillor. Being a Councillor takes dedication towards community work and passion to serve rather than their ego being served. Council elections are not a popularity contest and the community needs champions not disappointments.

Gâ€™DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

GETTING MARRIED IN AUSTRALIA

COVID-19 Update - Stage 3 and 4. A state of disaster has been declared in Victoria with changes impacting both metropolitan and regional Victoria. Following are the changes in relation to wedding ceremonies and funerals as declared by the Victorian government. In Metropolitan Victoria, Stage 4 restrictions to be applied. A nightly curfew from 8pm to 5am applies effective, 2 August 2020 for next 6 weeks. Wedding ceremonies will not be permitted from 11:59pm, Wednesday, 5 August (except for compassionate reasons). Funerals with 10 mourners plus those conducting the funeral will only be permitted from 6:00pm, Sunday, 2 August 2020. Attending a funeral is a permitted reason to leave home and also to leave the metropolitan Melbourne area. In Regional Victoria, Stage 3 restrictions to be applied which means, wedding ceremonies with only five people (couple, 2 witnesses and celebrant) will be permitted from 11:59pm, Wednesday, 5 August 2020.

Funerals with only ten people plus those conducting the funeral will be permitted from 11:59pm, Wednesday, 5 August 2020. Attending a wedding or funeral in regional Victoria is a valid reason for leaving home. Attending a funeral is a valid reason for entering metropolitan Melbourne. It is important that you read and understand the restrictions released by the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and that these will be updated and available via their website over the coming days. If in doubt, please call DHHS on 13 22 15.

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G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

G’Day Mate

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LEGAL

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Non-human children of the family - Separation predicament BY GURPAL SINGH

his heading of the topic may seem funny however, the role of pets is immensely important and ever growing in the modern-day society. People are seen fighting tooth and nail to retain the custody of the lovely pet and won’t like the separating partner to have a piece of it – be it a cat, dog, horse or snake. Oh yes, I said snake. The Australian law is generally seen from two aspects - property and children. It doesn’t really make specific provision(s) about non-human children/members of the family. Rather pets fall under the category of ‘chattels’ or put simply ‘the property’. The High Court of Australia made it clear that the best way to go about determining which separating spouse get what, is to calculate the net monetary value of all assets and liabilities of the parties and then divide them all between the parties after considering the contributions and adjustments. In the case of non-human members of the family however, it’s difficult to determine the monetary value of the beloved pet. Such a situation was

acknowledged by Judge Harman in an interesting case by making an expression that “one would hope, in this neoliberal world that we have not come to the point where even love and affection are commoditised.” So, who will keep the pet? The court generally looks into a number of factors to make a determination including but not limited to financial and non-financial care being the purchase records, council and microchip registration, accommodation, maintenance and care, everyday attachment including walking, exercising, feeding, cleaning, timely vaccination and so on and so forth. The test is very subjective and varies from case to case. Sometimes, a judge may make an injunctive order to ensure that the pet(s) go with the children or a particular child while moving between the parent’s homes. It is the contribution to the well-being of the pet being the love, care and attachment provided by a party will determine the

custody of the family pet. In the case of Poulos the court allowed the wife to keep the dog even though the child was ordered to live with the husband. Interestingly the pet friendly accommodation was a determining factor in awarding the custody to the wife. I am aware of a case where the issue was pet snakes which belonged to the husband before the marriage broke down. The husband held the licence to keep the snakes as he was the only one to love them but left the snakes while driving away from the joint home. The wife took care of the snakes in the absence of the husband, worked her way through the fear of snakes and organised a licence for herself. Eventually the wife and children all came to care and love for the snakes and benefitted therapeutically too. After a year and a half, the husband dramatically came back to claim the snakes. The wife refused and fought passionately. The court however weighed in favour of the wife and the children. The animal advocates cry for the wrong to be cured as it is not appropriate to treat them as a property given their capacity to experience complex emotions and the importance they have to the families. This has led some of the countries including US to develop and incorporate the ‘best interests’ approach used in parenting matters and even awarded custody to one and visitation to the other party. I may point out that the law provides for people contemplating entering into a marriage may make a written agreement in respect of property or financial resources of either or both of the spouse parties which includes the beloved non-human members of the family.

Gurpal Singh is the principal lawyer of Melbourne law firm, Saundh Singh & Smith Lawyers | W: www.sssl.com.au

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BUSINESS

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Dentistry Done Differently A dental practice in Blackburn is making dental treatment a relaxing experience under the leadership of Dr Ved Berani and his team

ental fear affects up to one in seven Australian adults according to a research study published in the Australian Dental Journal, making going to the dentist an activity that many of us have come to dread. Dr Ved Berani, the founder and principal dentist of the Healthy Smiles Dental Group, speaks to us about his journey in dentistry, and mission to put patients at ease, offering them the best experience possible. Q: What inspired you to take up dentistry? VB: Well, dentistry runs in my blood. My father is a practising dentist still at the age of 75, and my older brother also pursued dentistry, so I grew up in a house where we had this medical and dental background, with my mother being a GP. So, growing up watching my father pursue his passion in the dental field, I found my passion there too. Q: How did you get started? Initially when I graduated, in 2004 I worked at another practice, but quickly realised that I couldn’t work for anybody else because my philosophy, my motivations and my ability to take on other people’s emotional problems weren’t the same as the others. When I saw an advertisement in a journal for a dental practice in Blackburn for sale, I bought my first practice! Q: What is your dental philosophy? VB: Most dentists treat gums, cavities, they treat the problems inside the mouth. We don’t treat the mouth, we treat the people that come to us. There’s a huge difference in that because connected to all those problems are people’s emotions, their fears, their anxiety and the stigma around dentistry, and if we don’t work on that you will never change the person’s perspective, and the problems will keep coming back. I thought, well I could be like any other dentist and ‘Drill, Fill, Pill’, or I could be the person who thinks – how do I avoid drilling in the future, and save this person, not only just financial but all emotional and social issues down the track? The driving force, the core philosophy is patients first, people first and teeth later.

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G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Q: How is your practice different from others? VB: When you enter our practice right in bold letters on the reception front there is ‘Dentistry Differently’. We aim to do everything a little bit differently for our patients. We practice what we call emotional dentistry, which is about people, their emotions, how they feel, and how they can change their feelings towards dental problems and dental treatments and it’s a way of taking on issues in terms of their long term health and goals. We have a special pain-free system in which patients can be numbed up having to have a jab, which is not available in all practices. We use 3D scanning and 3D printing in our practice, which only about 5% of practices in all of Australia have. We use sleep dentistry for the phobic patients for the patients who gag, who can’t sit in the chair or who’ve had bad experiences associated with previous impacts of poor dentistry.

Considering that the COVID is a virus that starts from your mouth, dental is the number one scare-factor out there right now, and patients are worried about transmission. We’ve taken our high sterilisation and infection control process up by even more, we’ve introduced screening procedures for patients, and constantly use alcohol-based disinfectants and N95 masks which we specially source for our team. About 80% of dental practices have closed temporarily to avoid transmission. We have to be there for our patients when they need us, so at no point in time in the last six months has our practice been shut down. Even when we had level-three restrictions in Melbourne, we were operating emergencies-only all day every day. The practice was seeing at least 12 to 13, emergency patients a day, out of which only 50% were our own, 50% were patients from the general public who needed a dentist for pain control and relief which they couldn’t get anywhere else

nuts and bolts of the business and the oil that runs the machine smoothly, Dr Ved says.’

Q: Why do patients get anxious of having dental procedures done, and what do you do to alleviate patients’ anxiety? VB: Dentistry historically has been a barbaric profession, it was used as a form of torture in World War 2, and prior to 25 years ago, it was conducted by dentists who had little compassion, and anaesthetics were not as broadly used. In the outback of Australia, people used to get drunk and then go to the dentist so that they could have their teeth ripped out. The dentists used to chain them down before performing the procedures! The reason lots of older Australians haven’t been in for 30 years is that they had gruesome experiences.

Q: How do you see your practice evolving and changing over the future? VB: I can only see the practice growing from here and the three main reasons why I think it will grow, are the enhanced customer experience we offer, innovation and technology, and the ability of patients to take on long-due dental work because of sleep dentistry.

Believing in ‘service above self’, Dr Ved and his practice donate regularly at the Gurdwara, extended free dental emergency care for all Indian students during the Indian student crisis, are the chief sponsors of the Blackburn Bowles club, co-sponsors of the Whitehorse community festivals, and conduct dental check-up camps for local primary schools.

Starting from a single-practitioner practice in 2004, which quickly became a twopractitioner practice, and 16 years later employs 10 practitioners and over 25 staff, Dr Ved equally attributes the success of the practice to his wife, Priyanka Berani, who looks after the day-to-day running of the practice.

It’s not easy to destigmatise dental processes from their relation to pain and anxiety, but with a dental team like Healthy Smiles Dental Group that’s dedicated to actively listening to and providing solutions for their patient’s fears, you can be assured that you are in safe hands!

If an anxious patient comes in, we never take them into the dental room in the first place, we take them to a lounge, which is a non-threatening environment, to have a chat, win their trust, and listen to what they have to say rather than tell them what we are going to do so that we know exactly what it is that triggers them, and solve that. For some patients, just telling them at every step what we’re doing makes them feel better. It might be as simple as noise-cancelling headphones, or blankets for patients in the chair to make them feel comfortable. We use lots of pawpaw gel and pampering for our patients to make them feel like they’re not in a dental practice they’re in a spa, and these little bits and pieces reassure the patients and give them the confidence to return. The real reason that patients postpone their dental work is not really money, money may be a factor, but most often it is the fear.

‘From my perspective, she’s an equal partner in this whole organisation, she’s the

Q: What has changed about your practice during the COVID, and how are patient concerns affected? VB: We have been very proactive about this since early February. Patients need reassurance and they need somebody with authority and credibility to tell them what they can or cannot do in terms of oral health, so instead of quarterly newsletters, we decided to start doing fortnightly updates.

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As a self-confessed phobic patient herself, Mrs Berani said ‘I’m the one who looks at it from the patient point of view. What would I expect if I was a patient in the chair? How would I expect the receptionist to be? Because when most people come in, they don’t want to be at the dentist, however, they need to be at the dentist What I’ve learned is that if you do the right thing by a patient, regardless, you’re going to be successful.’ Staying true to their philosophy, their success has won them many awards, which include the Whitehorse Small Business Award in 2018, nomination for IABCA ( India Australia Business and Community Award), and earning the finalist positions in both the Whitehorse Medium Business Award in 2019, as well as the Australian Small Business Champion Award 2020.

By Shivani Prabhu

PEOPLE

RUNWAY DEDICATION

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

A full-time Aerospace Engineer by profession and part-time actor, model as a hobby, Amit is determined to be the best in both

elbourne’s Amit Singh Saini who recently won Gamourgenic Pageants, Cyberface Top Model, Next Top Model & Mr photogenic 2020 says dreams do come true. Amit has worked in many music videos, short films, feature films and TV shows at national and international level as actor and model. He is also a brand Ambassador of some national and international, profit and non-profit organisations. Amit’s story is about dreams, fuelled by passion and hard work. Amit, a pampered Punjabi child was raised by over-protective parents from a Bhaniyawala a small village in Dehradun, India. Amit knew from early days that if he did not travel, live overseas and gain insights into other countries’ cultures, he would always remain sheltered from all what the world has to offer. Amit said, “I really wanted to be independent and understand the world myself or I wouldn’t survive if anything happened to my parents on my own as I was always so protected by them.” Amit was fascinated with aircrafts since he

was little, they had a small airport close to their home in Dehradun. There was also an aeronautical school next to the airport. Amit knew destiny had plans for him when he got admission to study in the aeronautical school. On completion of school, Amit decided to go to Scotland to complete his degree of Bachelor’s in Aerospace Engineering in 2010 and then further to Australia to complete his Masters. When Amit arrived in Melbourne in 2014, he had big dreams and determination to make it in the new country. He had always been good in studies and was often among the top three students in the class. He was also a great dancer and often participated in annual events and interstate competitions. He knew the importance and how to balance studies and creative activities. In 2015, Amit travelled to Sydney with a friend who was participating in a pageant and that really fascinated him, he was so influenced by the world of glamour, his inner voice said, ‘if they can do it, I can definitely do it too.’ Amit returned to Melbourne a changed man, he joined a gym and managed to

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reduce his weight down to seventy-five kilos from one hundred and ten kilos in six months. Amit felt confident and knew that he was now ready for his first pageant and since then there was no looking back for him. Between 2016 to 2020 Amit won over 14 titles, from Mr Intelligence, Mr Handsome, Mr Punjab Australia, Mr Bollywood King, Mr Diamond Australia (runner up ), Mr Melbourne Australia, Mr British Empire (World finale ) 2018, Mr Photogenic to name a few. There was an inner urge he felt to succeed and keep going further. When asked how it feels to have won so many titles in such a short time, he said “It feels great. I mean living a dream is always something very special and not many people are fortunate enough in their life to live it.” Mr Bollywood King 2016 in Sydney would always be his favourite title and will always be dear to his heart as that was the first title he had ever won, amongst others his highly valued title would always be Mr British Empire World 2018, in which he competed against many talented and great looking models from around the world who had better height and excellent physiques and being named a winner was truly a great

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

achievement for him he feels. Besides winning many glamourous titles, Amit is also a devoted Aerospace Engineer. He aims high in his professional field too. His bachelor’s degree in Scotland taught him all about aircraft from design to function while his Masters in Melbourne, Australia was more focused on the management side of an airport and an airline. Amit said, “I am glad I have knowledge of both which helps me and gives me an edge at work. I am now involved in the designing side of the airports which I feel is a dream come true and is always satisfying.” At the age of twenty-eight, he is armed with the unique combination of dealing with aircraft and airports dreaming of in the sky while modelling on the side on the ground but still aiming very high. Asked if he could pick his greatest achievement so far between being an Aerospace Engineer and a glamour King, Amit says “I believe both are my greatest achievements. Engineering is something I really love, and I worked hard for as I know that you need something stable in life. Acting and modelling is more like my hobby and that is how I pursued it and work in the industry. I think I have been able to strike a good balance between both as both are close to my heart.” One of Amit’s most exciting moments was working with Miss Pooja, a top artist from Punjab in India on a music video ‘Tu Meri Care Ni Karda’ in 2018. Amit recalls when he received a call from the director for the role he did not know the name of the artist he was going shoot the video with, just two days prior to commencing the shoot, they informed him that it was Miss Pooja listening to which he said he was just speechless. “I am a big fan of Miss Pooja and have heard all her songs, working with her was an exciting shock for me,” says Amit, who is modest as he tells the story of shooting the music video with the idol of his. The song was super hit with over 15 million views on YouTube.

So, where does this Aerospace Engineer cum pageant glamour model aim for next? He would like to see himself working in a big airport like Melbourne Tullamarine as a Design Engineer and taking care of the airport. He would also continue working with talent organisations that would lead him to Bollywood. Amit said “I would like to be a role model and set an example for others. I want to use my position to spread awareness to mankind

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that we human are all same and equal, we should not discriminate others based on gender, caste, religion, colour or sexuality. We should support each other and stand for each other to make this earth a better place, especially with the situation today. And don’t forget to dream because dreams do come true” Amit feels that Australia is a country destined for him and it has given him everything for which he will always be indebted. By Andrea Manno

SELF MADE

BHANG THE INTOXICATED

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

“Indian food is like tasting colour on your tongue!” Meet self-taught, Chef and owner of Bhang Brunswick, Dougal Colam.

aving dined in Bhang before, I’m not only looking forward to this story but also meeting the man behind the quirky exterior of the building in the heart of Melbourne’s north. Written in bold red and orange letters: “Come and enjoy Bhang” in bold Hindi alphabets covering the right side of the building, which is otherwise unseen in Melbourne. It translates to Lord Shiva’s drink of euphoria. One sip and your psychosis is already blurring fiction and reality. The last time I saw or heard anything in

Hindi in Australia like this was ten years ago in a night club in Brisbane, the DJ playing Mithun da’s Bollywood number “I am a disco dancer”. How ironic! I thought to myself when I first saw this in 2017 from tram 19. For Indians, Brunswick is to Melbourne what Southall is to London.

forefront of his restaurant, soaking up the cacophony of life.

I’m greeted at the door by Colam, dressed in a black shirt and trousers, as striking as James Bond – but I find no guns blazing at me or a sharp tongue. On the contrary – Colam, a soft-spoken introvert with a witty sense of humour just likes to be at the

Colam, originally from the UK, had an unconventional childhood. His father moved from Edinburgh to Manchester, where the family lived for six years, then to Devon for two years before finally migrating to Australia in 1973 when he was 14.

Before Colam’s Bhang, the building was a funeral parlour. A smirk passes his lips when he jokes, “The saree lady moves from the corner of my eyes.”

Colam, now 61, tells me that his grandfather was in the British Army in India during the British Raj. The stories of India always fascinated him, as well as the many failed, awful curries that the family used to try cooking. Smirking, Colam tells me without any shame that the British have their own idea of what Indian food is. His first experience of Indian food is probably like everybody in the UK – not great. But in the years since, the curries have gotten better and going out to dinner with the family is always Indian now. And why won’t it be, as the national cuisine of the UK is now ‘Indian’? At least this time the British Raj got it right, I thought. Paying his own way through college, he worked in restaurants washing dishes as a kitchenhand and doing odd jobs as he prepared for his future in the restaurant business. Colam first travelled to India ten years ago on holiday and was completely blown away by the food – every twenty metres, the food changed with the language. All these things he’d never seen back in Australia told him there’s so much to learn about Indian food – and he pondered his second venture. To him, the noise of the kitchen is the heartbeat and its food is like the people, representing culture and migration. His favourite cuisines are South East Asian and South Indian. Because of his love for travel and food, Tom Phat in Brunswick was born with his ex-wife and business partner Sway

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G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020 Quach in 2006. The ingredients are the same, but the way they are used is a different blend. Colam expresses admiration for the similar approach of late chef Floyd Cardoz of Bombay Canteen (who died recently from the COVID-19 coronavirus). Colam’s dream of opening an Indian restaurant took a back seat for his priority as a father to his daughter. But, the longing for India – and his thirst for experiencing the food and being with the people – took him back to India for a second time. This time he wanted to do things differently, taking a bike and riding south to Kerala. He survived the trucks, his face sodden with diesel. Most people would be quite animated telling me this, but I see such sincerity in his voice and his eyes that I actually find myself on the road with him – just like the travelogues featuring Scottish actor Billy Connolly, whom Colam fondly remembers whilst narrating this. I close my eyes and I can almost smell the dust of the highway while standing in Galji Baga, a small village in Goa. Colam’s voice fades into the background – I see him happy in his two-month stay in India. He is getting invited to local weddings. His world from his window in Galji Baga is very different every morning, from a pig being slaughtered by the butcher to food packets being prepared. He pays $7 a night and shares his room with an Austrian, but he is not bothered whom he shares his room with; to him, the local people matter more than anything else. As Colam’s voice grows louder in the background, saying he just brought a lot of daggy cookbooks with traditional recipes, I wipe off the dust off my eyes and back to reality in 2020, sitting in Bhang: once a dream and now a reality, born in 2017. A strange feeling engulfs me, as if I know him from somewhere. I say to Colam that it’s as if I know him from somewhere. I’d recently read a book by Anuradha Roy, “All the Lives We Never Lived”, in which the author wrote about a German painter, Walter Spice, who travelled through Indonesia and

India for inspiration for his paintings. It seemed to me as if I was chasing food through nostalgia, but it was nostalgia chasing me. I have to ask him how he came up with the name “Bhang”. It wasn’t until the third trip to India. Bhang was born just because Colam likes the letters B and H – and you can just scream “BHANG!” as loud as you can and it will still be “Bhang” to your ears. This way or that away, either way it will still be “Bhang”. But it’s more than the sound. When he first opened its doors, truck drivers would stop by droves. They came into the restaurant and looked around; he would politely tell them, “Before you ask, we don’t have any.” Their response was unique: “I am going to turn the government on you – you are authorised but not selling it.” I can’t stop laughing. Colam has brought his India, and his memories of the UK, alive in Brunswick. He surrounds himself with chefs who believe in ayurvedic cooking. The 80-seat restaurant was fully booked pre-COVID on any normal Fridays and Saturdays – as of this article, a massive chunk of their business is takeaways due to restrictions. As I look around the restaurant walls, adorned with old Bollywood posters and family photos purchased from Hauz Khas village in Delhi, I look back at the man who took me on my own journey to the dust of Rajasthan, to Calicut’s fish in green mango, to Mumbai’s parsi food, to Goa’s Galji Baga cuisine, to Kerala and through to Cochin’s deep blue sea. As I end my interview by asking him about

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the secret ingredient in his Bhang, he simply tells me, “Cooking for somebody is a pretty intimate thing, as they are going to put this through their body, ingesting it. If you cook with love, people will taste it.” As he stands posing for this article with two plates of delicious lamb shank rogan josh and tharavu duck (which sadly I never got to taste), the aroma lifting my endorphins, I can’t help thinking of his journey, surrendering himself to the realms of India and his love for food. Rumi comes to my mind at this point: “You are not a lover. A lover’s food is the love of bread, not the bread. No one who really loves, loves existence.”

By Nandita Chakraborty

TIMELY TAKEOFF

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Gaura Travel – Your Best Way Home Always

arrive empty from Singapore to Melbourne or Sydney, and there is an inherent risk factor about whether or not all seats will be filled. However, it has been assured that the price remains fixed regardless of this. Protective equipment is provided to every traveller, and there are restrictions on interactions between crew and passengers. Future Flights Four flights have already brought 1440 stranded travellers’ home from Melbourne and Sydney to India throughout July and early August. There are also two further flights scheduled – one on 7 August from Melbourne to Amritsar, and one on 8 August from Melbourne to Mumbai. It is no problem if those making bookings are not computer savvy, as the Gaura Travel team provides help for each and every step over the phone. They have even provided a refund tracker for customers trying to chase down refunds from cancelled flights.

aura Travel is the first Indian travel agency in Australia to organise chartered repatriation flights for stranded Indians in Australia, longing to return home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brothers Ashwini and Abhishek Sonthalia of Melbourne are travel professionals who run a successful travel agency called ‘Gaura Travel’. Recent events have made their company kick customer service up a notch to fill the need of the hour. Their innovation and swift organisational skills were instrumental in coordinating the repatriation charter flights for many stranded Indians in Australia. This gratifying gesture has earned them countless blessing and respect throughout the community. How This Venture Came To Be Gaura Travel was receiving countless requests from customers yearning to return to India, concerned by the fact that no flights were operating at the time. Ashwini and Abhishek began research for possibilities, including meeting with local consulates to explore extraordinary measures. They were finally able to get consent to organise flights, and contacted Singapore Airlines – the best airline to travel from Australia to India. The company came aboard, and the plan came to fruition. The Impact Of COVID-19 The Sonthalia brothers always kept focused on the long-term picture, even

in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. They described how the travel industry had been “brought to a kneel, like a death sentence”, and that they were receiving no new bookings, only customers asking for refunds. “For us it was a time where we could actually stand for our customers”, says Ashwini explaining the company’s focus on customer welfare rather than monetary gain. Due to the pandemic, the team in India were in lockdown, and there were only five staff members in the Australian office taking phone calls, applying for refunds, and making sure customer queries were met. There was no time for panic! A remarkable achievement is that despite the pandemic, no employees were laid off, and with the whole team intact the company continues to deliver top-notch results. The Process Organising the repatriation flights was no easy feat but resulted in many Indians returning home. Gaura Travel is probably the first travel agency to take such an initiative during the pandemic. Since the last weekend of June, there has been no time for days off and the company has received over a thousand calls per day. There has also been a lot of red tape to work through. First, the Indian state where the flight arrives has to give a clearance check and ensure there are facilities for quarantine accommodation. Then the local consulate in Australia must agree, followed by a final seal of approval from India for its landing. This is all before the bookings and ticket sales commence. The planes

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A Rewarding Process Ashwini and Abhishek have been at the airport for each of these flights to help out. On a recent flight, 93 out of 285 people required wheelchairs – and they achieved the outstanding feat of ensuring these were provided, with a mere 30-minute flight delay. People have been sending them pictures of their parents begging for help returning them home. They have gone above and beyond to provide translation services for the elderly, corresponding with the department of health and airlines to answer queries. They provide bottled water, assist, and assure them and help people who are anxiety-ridden, have health problems or struggle with heavy luggage. Despite all the stress, they feel blessed to be a medium for this important venture and have received expressions of gratitude from many. Meaningful Memories There have been countless meaningful encounters for the Gaura team. People have been travelling back due to dire medical conditions and being separated from family members. Due to the current environment of high unemployment rates, many have opted or needed to return home. There have been cases where immediate family members have passed away, and returning home is needed for closure, and attendance of funeral rites. Regardless of the reason, the team at Gaura Travel have felt emotional, sentimental, and humbled to help passengers return home. They strive to always put service and passengers first, and, undoubtedly, the many Indians they have helped will remember this forever. Gaura Travel is definitely here to stay, having been around twelve years, serving over 100,000 customers and organising countless flights. By Monisha Iswaran

PASSION IN MOTION

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

From Photography to Film Making mood.

Q: How did the idea of film making germinate in you? DK: “I got a great response from my photography page, but I realised that something was missing. I wanted to express more through visuals, and it was only possible through films. However, I realised that the core of every film lies in its photography. Therefore, I decided to convey my stories with my photographs and motion pictures, but soundlessly. This concept was not unique in the world of cinema as that’s how cinema came into existence. I only revived the concept in my work.

A full time IT professional Dave Krunal from Melbourne is determined to pursue his passion for photography into professional film making. Dave is an Indian-Australian aspiring filmmaker, who launched his production company Red Box Films (now Polaroid Films) in 2012. He made his directorial debut mystery thriller short film ‘Curious’ in 2013. The film was praised for its unique visual storytelling technique without dialogues and had an international premiere at Speechless Film Festival in Minnesota, USA. ‘Curious’ also won several awards and special mentions at Dadasaheb Phalke, Barcelona and Mexico International Film Festivals. Dave has recently directed and produced Gujarati time travel thriller short film ‘Chakr’ (The Cycle). It’s a story about an Uber driver whose night changes forever after dropping a lady passenger. ‘Chakr’ which was premiered in Melbourne won Best Short Film Award at International Gujarati Film Festival in Los Angeles including Best Direction award. It also won Best Fiction Film at Karnavati Film Festival in Ahmedabad. Speaking to G’day India, Dave was excited about the release of his film ‘Chakr’ on YouTube and confirmed that he is currently developing a story for his first feature film in a tell-all interview with G’ day India.

Q: What is your audience base? DK: I never really had an audience base or market in mind when I started making movies. I did it for myself. Having said that, I must agree that film making is an expensive process. I have made five short films, but I started thinking about economic viability only when I started making my film, “Chakr”. My focus at the moment is to do good work and I know money will follow in due course. Predominantly, I plan to make psychological thrillers and horror movies. However, bloodshed and gory stories are not my style. It would be safe to say that I am into psychological themes and that is my main targeted audience. Q: How do you choose your subject and select your actors? DK: As a filmmaker with almost no external funding, I prefer taking actors who have not acted before or people who are eager to work in my films because they love acting. My subjects are inspired by real-life incidents or experiences. I choose subjects which are of social concerns like domestic abuse or LGBT movement, basically stories and topics which are contemporary and much talked about. Q: Tell us more about your short feature film which you are planning to launch on YouTube. DK: My film is a low budget film, and

Q: How did your filmmaking journey start? DK: “As a kid, I was an introvert and the only thing I did apart from studying was reading books. Eventually, I took up writing and photography, but film equipment and photo rolls were expensive in India. So, photography was not my first option as a hobby. It was only when I moved to Australia; I started pursuing photography on a serious note. I started Dave Krunal photography in 2009, where I would click pictures of objects with no human figures. I would then interpret those pictures as per the state of my mind or

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that is why I chose to shoot the entire movie inside a car. This minimised the cost of moving my crew from one place to another. The movie is based on my real-life experience. A sad experience of domestic abuse, which I had witnessed at my neighbourhood in the recent past. My movie depicts the witnessing of domestic abuse from my house window. This movie is being created in Gujrati as we don’t have many psychological or social themes depicted in Gujrati movies.

Q: How do you manage time? DK: This is a common question which I get asked all the time. I have a 9-5 job; I have a family. I believe the key to success is in “balance” just as Robin Sharma says. I plan my days well. For example, I mostly wake up at 4 a.m. to finish my film making work as much as I can before I get to work. In the evenings, I dedicate at least three hours towards my films. I must add that my wife is extremely supportive of what I do and that makes it easier for me. Actually, I am planning to write a blog on how to manage time from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. as opposed to the usual time frame of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Q: How are your staying positive in this pandemic? DK: To be honest, COVID has not disturbed my routine much. I am the kind who can spend an entire holiday watching cinema or writing my script for the next film. During the lockdown, I have written almost sixty pages of my feature film, which I am expanding now with dialogues and scenes. At the end of our conversation, Dave had an advice for all the aspiring filmmakers and actors which is “Start somewhere. Stop procrastinating and begin your journey of reading, writing something. Words and emotions will flow automatically once you have begun. Similarly, actors don’t need to wait for that one big break to come their way. Be your own producer, be your own director. Let your creativity flourish.” By Payel Ghosh

PEOPLE

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

POSITIVITY IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY

From Life on dialysis to turmoil in her personal life, Neha’s story is one of hope and a determined outlook, no matter what life has thrown at her and all while being far away from her family

eha Mittal has been through an incredible amount at a very young age. At just 35, Neha has seen more than her fair share of adversities. Despite every obstacle thrown in her path, her positive approach and ‘can-do’ attitude has remained unwavering, making her the strong woman she is today.

should have been filled with excitement, was turned into a bitter experience. Her baby was moved into the neonatal intensive care unit shortly after birth and sadly only lived for two months. Following this, a biopsy revealed to Neha that her right and left kidney function were decreasing, and not operating at full capacity.

In 2008, at just 23 years old, Neha moved to Sydney from Lucknow, India after getting married, and was soon pregnant with her first child. It was in this pregnancy that she would later find out she had developed gestational high blood pressure, one of the primary causes of kidney disease. Even before she found this out, her first pregnancy, which

This was of course quite a blow to hear for a woman of such a young age, and she went on to face many other life challenges over the years. Health problems aside, Neha was subjected to domestic violence from her husband at the time, who was having an extra marital affair. The dissolution of their marriage was an additional difficulty she had

to face, in a foreign country away from her family. Thankfully, later that same year she was blessed to find love once again with her current husband Pawan, and they formed a family with his young daughter Siya, who was six years old at the time. Despite this new happiness in her love life, the very next year (2014), brought some terrible news. After experiencing a bad stomach ache, an ultrasound at the hospital revealed that Neha had a lesion, which turned out to be cancer on her right kidney. Her doctor made the decision that the kidney had to be removed in order to save her life, but as her remaining kidney only had 5 per cent function after her previous health complications, she became dependent on dialysis. In this case, it was peritoneal dialysis, which involves 2 litres of a special dialysis fluid being inserted through a catheter, in order to cleanse the blood and remove waste products. Neha describes the “painful journey” of experiencing this for 11 hours daily, for 5 years, struggling to sleep each night as the process caused pains that felt as though she was in labour once more. The impacts of daily dialysis on one’s life are not to be overlooked. Neha’s social life was reduced to virtually zero. Every evening after work, she would have to begin preparing her dialysis machine. The once bubbly, cheerful young woman now had to sit on her bed for hours on end, and it took a toll on her both physically and mentally. Going to swimming pools or the beach was out of the question, as she effectively had an open wound. This even meant it was too risky to travel, and she missed the weddings of her two beloved sisters back in India. In fact, to this day she has been unable to visit her hometown since her last trip in 2013. Despite these difficulties, Neha proved herself to be the sort of person to never give up. She had no interest in sitting at home without tasks to do and continued to work part time at Commonwealth Bank. Work aside, her husband had noticed how down she had been feeling and helped her start a YouTube Channel during her time at home! The cooking channel, entitled “Tips & Tricks of my Kitchen” featured videos he had taken of her sharing her absolute favourite recipes.

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G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

“With God’s grace and the love of my followers I got more than a hundred thousand subscribers within a year,” she says, explaining how she diverted her negative energies into positivity, and learned all about the world of YouTube with her partner. Soon, people began to notice this incredible effort. Comm Bank even invited her to speak at one of their ‘Storylab’ events, which is alike to a TedTalk, and she was able to share her inspiring story with others. Now, of course Neha was on a transplant list – but it was a long wait! In Australia, there is a very low rate of organ donation, and she had to wait 5 long years for her miracle to arrive. In 2018, she was told she was in the top 5 on the list, but by February the next year, her hope had dissipated, and she was discouraged by the lack of progress. Finally, the magic day came – and believe it or not, it was her 35th birthday! As Neha describes it, “God brought me into this world on the 7 April 1984 and he gave me the chance to live again on 7 April 2019.” That day, Neha had gone out with her family for brunch at an Indian restaurant to celebrate her birthday. This was a special treat, as her diet was extremely limited due to a massive electrolyte imbalance, so eating out could prove to be a challenge. When she had returned home, she got a call, and the words on the other end of the line were “Hey Neha, this is Chris your transplant coordinator. I’ve got good news – I’ve got a kidney for you!” Tears rolled down her face immediately, as she was filled with anxiety, but overwhelmed with excitement simultaneously. She was instructed not to eat or drink anything else, shower from head to toe and then head straight to Westmead hospital, and by 5pm that evening she was in

the operating theatre. The operation was life-changing, and Neha was told soon after that her kidney was doing extremely well. Despite being in lots of pain after the operation, she was so relieved. The next morning, a nurse showed her a bag of urine from the attached catheter, a sight she hadn’t seen for five years. Experiencing firsthand how an organ

donation can change one’s life, Neha was keen to do her part. She had always wanted to be a donor, but was skeptical about whether she could, due to her kidney disease. Despite her nerves, she plucked up the courage to ask her specialist and he told her “you have a perfect heart, lung, eyes, skin and all of that can be used.” She was overjoyed and signed up immediately – it only took two minutes to enter her Medicare details and soon a card was dispatched! DonateLife Week 2020 is Sunday 26 July to 2 August, and Neha recognises more than most how important it is to encourage more Australians to register to be organ and tissue donors. She stresses the need for greater education and awareness for the cause. A friend that she spoke to once said that her parents had forbidden her from donating organs, due to cultural mythology that claims the donor will be reincarnated without them. In response to this, she has shared her favourite quote: “Don’t take your organs to heaven, heaven knows we need them here.” Neha and many other out there hope that more Australians take this easy step towards saving people’s lives and improving the quality of those around them as well. As she puts it, many people want to achieve something in their life, which is great, but registering yourself as an organ donor allows you to help others beyond death. She is now feeling much healthier, happier and looking forward to reuniting with her family in India, once the COVID-19 pandemic calms down. By Monisha Iswaran

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EDUCATION

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Dreaming of the Land Down Under

- College or University?

BY PAYEL GHOSH

ustralian education system has an undisputed reputation for academic excellence and quality. International students have an important presence in Australia and their numbers have been growing rapidly over the years. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, Australia is a land of adventures where over 250 languages are being spoken in the country. Its rich and vibrant culture has been attracting millions of expats every year and international students are not an exception. Learning what attracts international students to Australia is absolutely fascinating. Andrea, a music student from Peru said, “I chose Australia because I know the country has so much to offer. My friends who had come here before me are all employed, which is unlike the situation in my country.” Another student, Roshan, who is pursuing nursing in Australia reported- “Back home jobs are mostly gender-biased. In Australia, I can study to be a nurse without being judged by anyone.” Australian higher education system is as diverse as its culture. Students have ample options to choose the right institute and course for their future. As international students start to explore their options, a common question that surfaces is- what are the differences between colleges and universities. The terms are often used interchangeably, but they can be strikingly different. What’s the confusion? Globally the terminology of higher education can be complex. While I was a student in the United Kingdom, there were a few alternatives of Foundation Courses to be studied in colleges, which would then lead to a bachelor’s degree at a university, nonetheless, I could not have imagined securing a bachelors or a master’s degree at a college. However, the scenario is different in Australia. The difference is more defined, and not often interchangeable. In Australia, colleges are often perceived as a smaller version of universities. Common belief could be that a college is only private, or that a university will be state-funded. Others may believe that the quality of education differs greatly between the two. However, the truth is that the differences depend on the particular institution in question. Let’s find out the basic differences of the Australian higher education providers – Colleges and Universities

1. Are the qualifications different? The answer is NO! The qualifications offered by a college, such as Diploma and Bachelor degrees are the same as those offered by the oldest universities in Australia. Sometimes the curriculum is even considered more up to date and relevant at a college than at a university. 2. Fee Structure Australian universities are more expensive than colleges in most cases. However, a handful of colleges might have a higher fee structure than a university, where the colleges provide a niche subject like theology or specialized courses like law or media. 3. Class Size One of the major differences between a college and a university is its size. In terms of physical space and class size, both vary to a great extent. For example, colleges provide a smaller community of students as compared to a university. Thus, the learning environment is way more intimate and focused than at a university. On the other hand, any big university would easily accommodate 30,000 to 50,000 students approximately, which means students would have a broader community exposure. 4. Teaching Styles Pedagogical styles might not be significantly different at a college and at a university. Australia provides guided learning to international students. Teachers at Australian universities and colleges deliver lectures and small class tutorials. The courses consist of essays, group work and

individual assignments. In Australia, students are expected to think independently and creatively, and gaining practical experience is always encouraged irrespective of the size of the institution. Been there, done that- A piece of advice from the industry insiders At the end, the question really comes down to the student’s aspiration and expectations from his or her higher education provider. One of the well-known education agents in Australia says, “On one hand, in certain areas (creative arts, for example), private colleges are very prestigious and may even outperform universities, whereas, universities offer a wide range of courses in undergraduate and master’s level. Each university has a large, community atmosphere; offers a wide range of courses and qualification levels; and features a number of student services and facilities, but colleges also have their own strengths and characteristics.” It is therefore advisable to explore your options as much as possible. Students must consider the post-study job prospects, faculty information, industry connection, networking options, location details, and most importantly check the ROI from their courses before deciding between a college and a university. Often there is a tendency to follow the path most travelled, but one must remember that many might be on the same journey, but each takes a different path. So, choose wisely!

Payel has worked in the education industry in Asia, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and now Australia

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LOVE MATTERS

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Need for Relationship Skills

BY MUKTESH CHIBBER

nexpected and untimely loss of life is always sad and tragic. It is extremely distressing for the grieving family, who are left with numerous unanswered questions. Helplessness, despair, overwhelmed with pain and or an inability to access appropriate resources to express their despairing emotions leading to anxiety and mental health issues such as depression along with other factors likely to contribute to the tragedy. It is of course debatable whether all with mental health commit suicide. From my professional experience while working and supporting some vulnerable members of the Indian community in Victoria, there are multilayer factors along with unbearable abusive situation that contribute to the tragedy. Conflict and differences in relationships are inevitable, and we also know that certain arguments are unresolvable, however violence and abuse is unacceptable in any context or relationship dynamic. It is a wellknown fact that family violence has been on the increase during the lockdown phase. We are also aware of the gravity of enduring multiple layers of abuse, in this instance by the vulnerable, newly arrived married women with limited resources, language and loss of or lack of network. Even in Victoria, the Domestic Violence law, included ‘economic abuse’, cited as “sexually transmitted debt”, as recently as in 2008. From experience this aspect of abuse is also one of the root cause of domestic violence in the Indian community. Culturally specific to India it is not unusual for parents to select a partner for their son or daughter. In several such instances the couple have limited opportunity to know each other before the marriage. This is entirely unique to Indian arranged marriages and different from other cultures, that at different phases and stages of relationship levels of the relationships, there can be strong cultural nuances and expectations. Migration and settlement for the new bride or groom in an ethnically diverse Australian cultural society, with a new environment is likely to be significantly challenging. This in itself poses difficulties and challenges which is compounded by having to understand the new relationship with a spouse whom they have not had an opportunity to know, bond or attach. Attributing further to the challenges is the loss of the ‘comfortable cushion padding’ (family and social network), resulting in social isolation, depression and multiple strands of abuse debilitates one’s coping mechanism manifesting in helplessness and

despair. Marital distress is likely to cause emotional flooding and compromise one’s ability to communicate effectively. I am reflecting on the issue; as questions in my mind, that I factor in, when relating to domestic violence in the Victorian community in Australia. I know arranged marriages per say are not a tradition that is essentially wrong. In an arranged marriage conducted in its essence, the parents of the bride and groom, traditionally do research either on their own of the values and beliefs and authenticity of the family they are directing their attention towards. To what extend the couple to be are provided an opportunity to know and understand each other; communicate their expectations of the relationships? Each individual brings to the relationship their strengths and vulnerabilities. What is their style of communication, tone and language? How is communication or what is being said understood by each partner? Do they feel secure to seek clarifications of each other respectfully? Do they listen to each other to defend or do they listen to understand each other? What is it that they are willing accept about each other? What is it that they are not willing to accept? Do they have the capacity and the skills to negotiate with each other? How do they resolve conflict and misunderstanding? Do they react in a negative circular pattern? Do they attack and counter attack each? When problems/ issues surface how do they pull themselves out of negativity and do they have the inherent in their personality and family upbringing culture’, to make up

with each other? Or are they engaged in a power struggle and continue the blame and nagging dance? Are both partners suffering from lack of satisfaction in the relationship? The repetitive cycle of conflict can keep the couple locked and stuck. These are a few basic necessary unavoidable questions in regard to the couple’s attachment and bonding, communication, conflict resolution skills that each partner may have to visit to develop an insight to their relationships Relationships by their very nature are constantly evolving and going through phases in the course of the life of any given relationship. All relationships can and often do go through ‘a healthy’ phase and then not. When couples are respectful of each other, and issues of control do not drive relationships, they are likely to relate to a success in relationship. Securely attached relationships do not often have ongoing circular conflicts. They are able to repair when matters go wrong. They have the ability to turn to their partners in times of needs and distress and support each other. From my experience couples and families that work towards strengthen the quality of relationship by working with each other rather than against each are emotional connected. There is a need to have accredited Programs that skill up couples to manage their relationship distress. I strongly emphasis Relationship skill-based education of both genders to help pre-empt, commonly occurring relationship issues and challenges, provided by qualified professionals.

Ms Muktesh Chibber is a highly trained and experienced couple & family therapist, and a Mediator with 35 years of experience

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PEOPLE

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

THE THREE

CULTURE CHEF! This Italian Indian grew up with a bowl of pasta in one hand and a bowl of curry in the other – meet chef Adam D’Sylva, co-owner of Melbourne’s Tonka and Coda restaurants, both recipients of the Age Good Food Guide’s hat award every year since opening.

rowing up in a butchers’ family with an Italian mother and an Anglo-Indian father from Madras, it didn’t take long for this twelve-year-old boy to connect with food. When making gnocchi with his nonna and aunties, the stories they would share made him the chef he is today. Every morsel of his childhood is connected with food and so this chef began to gloss his dreams into reality with two beautiful plates of food: Coda opened in 2009 and Tonka opened in 2013. The name ‘Tonka’ is a tribute to Melbourne’s iconic night club Honky Tonks, with its menu taking inspiration from India, South East Asia and a hint of Italy. So, I am inviting you inside Adam D’Sylva’s world of luxurious curries and blended culture, getting up close and personal with the man who mixed Indian food into fine dining. I first dined in the majestic 80 to 100 -seat Tonka in 2017 with my maa and two friends on my birthday, just before taking off to France for my own gastronomic odyssey in inspiration for my book. I still remember the breathtaking butter chicken; it melts in your mouth, leaving the sauce to tingle every corner of your tongue. The fluffy naan to go with that sauce is like a cloud of cotton candy. There were other dishes too, especially the palak paneer which I thought could never be experienced with pine nuts, let alone looking like gnocchi. That night was epic, and that was that. Then I met D’Sylva in 2018 during the ICC Cricket World Cup; we talked and I took a few photos with this rock star of food, and that was that again. Now, amidst a pandemic, an economic carnage and Melbourne in Lockdown 2.0, we speak over the phone for this interview. He is a busy man and his team is organising deliveries in Melbourne within 20 km of his restaurants – from Mornington, Ballarat, Bendigo, and Bellarine to Lorne. He’s definitely bringing together and keeping the community sane with his food. A humble D’Sylva apologises to me for not getting back

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G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020 sooner and stops his car to get ready for the interview. As I begin to get ready from my apartment, in the back of my mind I’m thinking how the ‘butter chicken’ in general has been so popular during the pandemic, and how people went to break the rules for this saucy chook – I was now sure Indian cuisine is at its best in the Western world. So, let’s start with early days of D’Sylva’s journey – born and bred in a butcher shop in Melbourne, with salami, mince and leg of ham. During his school days in Xavier College, Kew, he would anticipate the weekend so that he could spend hours with his nonna and aunties – mastering cooking techniques, understanding the flavours, and listening to the stories. Sitting down at the dinner table meant a big bowl of curry and stories again, every night. In 1996–99 he completed his apprenticeship at Hilton on the Park. Soon after, it didn’t take long for people to notice him, as he joined Cosi as the head chef for 1999–2001, then Pearl restaurant as head chef 2002–2009, while also heading Longrain as head chef in 2005. Now 43, he loves to travel, eat, cook and share his food along his journey. D’Sylva says quite passionately that understanding cultures is the secret ingredient in binding that flavour of love in everything he cooks. His love for South-East Asian flavour and in-depth knowledge of the cuisine let him experiment with Indian flavours – and that’s what makes Tonka special. I ask him if he feels that Indian cuisine has progressed or matured over the years, to which he says that the spices and flavours are still the same in Indian cuisine – what makes it special is the fresh Australian produce. D’Sylva explains that he doesn’t use ghee in Tonka; all the curries are cooked in olive oil, and that’s the reason (I agree with him) his curries are light and yet bold and silky, with no compromise on the flavour. Most of his chefs are Indian and have the same tenacity as D’Sylva. Take the example of this infamous butter chicken that I rave about like a broken record; this is one of

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his chef’s mother’s secret recipes, and D’Sylva is valiant in taking it to another level with its story and its history, making it special for all his diners. I ask him his favourite dish in Tonka and he says quite candidly it’s tandoori salmon – he enjoys it not only because it’s rustic, juicy and succulent, but also because he enjoys the stages of cooking. It’s all about breaking the rules. But when I ask him what he loves cooking at home, he simply tells me spaghetti bolognese and a few South-East Asian curries for his three kids. Then he drops a bomb on me, saying that the ingredients that he cannot live without are chillies and garlic. I say amen to that – a true Italian Indian! D’Sylva has travelled to India on a number of occasions, mainly with Tourism Victoria. He has cooked for a few people there, including the Australian High Commission. At this point, I couldn’t help but ask him what he thought of the Indian food there. To that, he giggles away like a twelve-year boy -he deserved a break from his cooking, Indian food. So, with the executive chef of Grand Hyatt he lived on ham pizza with buffalo mozzarella and Italian wine. I give away a hysteric laugh – that’s the ‘Italian tourist’ missing a spag bol. I mention he should look into doing a cookbook with all his travels of Europe, Asia and India, to which he says the idea has been steaming for a while – so watch this space, as we might soon have a Tonka cookbook and a Coda cookbook. But these days it’s hard focusing on a cookbook, as Covid-19 continues to fracture the hospitality and art industries, and his priorities now include not only feeding hungry Melbournians – delivering their packaged food – but also looking after his employees with JobKeeper. He has a message for all of us: there is a light at the end of the tunnel and we will bounce back from the lockdown, and to nurture this semi-normal life in the meantime.

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As I draw the curtain to the interview, memories of Tonka from 2017 flash in front of me, making me melancholy – we stepped into a bar which is at the entrance, where we had a drink while waiting for our table. We walked to the formal restaurant with another bar on the side; its fresh clean look is completed with an off-white, spiral, mesh-like decorative fabric covering the ceiling. As for the man himself, D’Sylva, he is a passionate cook with a big personality, who is as entertaining as his stories. People like him keep the heartbeat of Melbourne going, letting us salivate over his butter chicken. Oscar Wilde comes to my mind: “Yes, I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.’’

By Nandita Chakraborty

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Let’s Get Phygital?

here is a new buzzword in fashion retail, and it is going to change the way we shop. Although the word ‘phygital’ has been around for a few seasons, it captures the zeitgeist of the pandemic more aptly now than ever before.

lockdown they have taken this experiencedriven philosophy by hosting phygital events on their digital platforms, most recently a dance performance by Shivani Varma. In the premium space, Good Earth, was also one of the first to go digital, launching its web boutique in 2013 and currently working on upgrading its digital e-tail services.

phase-out in the future since I feel providing a personalized experience will be even more valued by customers now.”

Raw Mango’s Sanjay Garg agrees, the textile based label known for wearing its love of homegrown crafts on its sleeve is also admired Phygital is all about marrying the convenience for its beautiful and spacious retail spaces and distancing of digital platforms with the tactile which could be described as design galleries. environment of physical spaces. On the other end of the market, Myntra, Raw Mango launched its online studio just this India’s largest fashion e-commerce retailer, week and Garg states, “Physical retail remains The start of any union requires some spokesperson says, “At Myntra, Phygital is a important to us, our stores have always included adjustments, experimentation and a little friction key pillar of how the world of online and offline a larger mandate, not solely focused on retail. At before it becomes a solid alliance where both fashion merges into a seamless concept. We are Raw Mango we have used our digital platforms parties know how to balance their roles. As looking at delivering a seamless experience that to employ new methods of visual storytelling to fashion brands play around with new concepts allows customers to browse and shop online, share a broader perspective.” to understand how to make the marriage a and have it delivered quickly from the nearest success, it’s the consumer who can be left store through omnichannel integration.” At this moment phygital actually makes feeling confused. shopping in a store a safer and more contactless So what does this mean for the consumer? experience. There is even talk of AR/VR According to a report by India’s RedSeer Well, it certainly does not mean the end of (augmented reality/virtual reality) powered trial Consulting in 2019, the fashion market was physical stores-brands may have fewer stores, rooms. This pause in many ways has given growing at a compound annual growth rate but those that do have them will be focusing on fashion a chance to press the reset button; with (CAGR) of 11 per cent, with online fashion the experience-which should make shopping the lockdown fashion had no choice but to go growing at a CAGR of 32 per cent. But phygital more pleasurable, and one can expect digital. is not simply about brick and mortar-based technology to play a bigger role in the physical brands going the e-commerce route, it’s about store spaces. The pandemic sped up the process of something far more immersive. disruption, and even as we come out of homeAs Good Earth’s founder Anita Lal believes, sheltering, there will be a new normal in how we Digital and physical can no longer be two “I don’t think brick and mortar will ever shop for fashion. separate verticals-they need to work in tandem. By Sujata Assomull Good Earth opened its first space in Mumbai’s upmarket and mostly residential Kemps Corner back in the mid-1990s. It was the perfect example of a lifestyle retail space where the buyer wanted to linger- so much so that many industry related soirees were held here at the store. During the

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EMPOWERING DESTINY

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

FUN: The missing piece to living your dream life BY BARINDERJEET KAUR

ou may be familiar with the concept, ‘state your dream clearly if you want to live an inspiring life’. The inspirational and meaningful acts you are doing at this moment are what will bring you closer to your future. But people often get stuck and are unsure which action to take or what to focus in order to make their dream life a reality. They see others doing certain acts and achieving success, so they do the same expecting similar results. Sadly, their actions do not lead to similar success, shattering their aspirations, leading them to quit, self-criticise, or blame others. It is vital to be clear about the path you are heading towards if you want to create the life you love. And it is even more important to know where you are on your journey. How do you operate? What are your behavioural codes and patterns? Knowing the ins and outs of your leadership style and your preferences help you identify your strengths and weaknesses. Once you are armed with that knowledge, it is a complete game-changer. If you have read my previous article then consider taking a closer look at your wheel, which will give you a real understanding of how you live and provides insights on how to prioritise your goals so that you can focus your time and effort on those areas that are most important to you right now. We need to be mindful of the intertwined threads of our life, so think deeply which category needs to be emphasised first to gain some alignment in your life. A major part of goal setting is not just identifying what you want, but also identifying how it’s going to impact other parts of your life. Most people are ignorant of this and end up living an unfulfilled life. Those individuals might reach great heights with their career goals but do not have functional relationships; they have name and fame but not great health. I am sure you have seen and heard of people who are living a life that is completely out of alignment. Desire to live a fulfilled life and understanding the process is sometimes not

enough. To achieve a goal faster, a common tendency is to look for shortcuts to skip steps in order to save time and effort. Success and growth require sequential stages; like learning to stand before walking and learning to walk before running. Including a little bit of fun in the process goes a long way. So what does fun have to do with anything? Let me introduce you to the FUN Sequential Growth (FSG) Model shown in the graphic below: ● ‘F’ represents Foundation ● ‘U’ represents Upgrade ● ’N’ represents a New notion

When applying the FSG Model to your life, it is important to understand that each growth stage plays an important role and skipping stages is not a fast-track solution. However, going through the stages and passing the levels as they come helps us to evolve and become a person who is ready for success. For you to grow, a self-assessment is a must to understand who you are, your decision-making process, your thinking pattern, your needs, why you do what you do, and so much more. Most of the time what stops an achiever from obtaining their desired results is not knowing and understanding their own level – where they currently stand. If you are new to the business world, it is important for you to think about how to build and maintain the

foundational elements of your business, which could be looking after day-to-day operations, working on ways how to generate sales and business, setting up a system for invoices, or ways to deliver quality services. However, after running a successful business for quite some time, focusing on maintaining your foundation too much would hamper your growth. You need to move to the next stage of growth and upgrade your business or else you will not be able to progress to the next level of success. For an experienced professional, growth in this stage may look like automating business systems, having software for accounting purposes, focusing on leveraging marketing systems, hiring professionals and so on. As you keep progressing, maintaining foundational elements and upgrading becomes irrelevant. To stay ahead of the game, the business world demands new notions, new ideas. For example, in new product development, you must study your market and understand their needs and demands, and provide solutions accordingly. You disrupt the old pattern of running the business which keeps you ahead in the game. So, I hope that provides you with insight into why sequential growth and having a little fun is important to your success. Understanding your current state is just the beginning of gaining clarity about what actions need to be taken next. Using the FSG Model in your life is important and it requires the awareness of self-assessment. Knowing yourself helps you in the same way as it helps your business; helps you understand where you are and what needs to be done next, not what others are doing to achieve success. Self-awareness is the key to success because a self-aware business owner or an individual has the flexibility to acquire a new notion from maintaining their foundation. Self-awareness also helps you understand when you need to pause on a new notion and it brings your focus back to your foundation. Here’s your chance to embrace uncertainty and be flexible. You’d be surprised that you can handle any surprise that life throws at you. Take action today and contact us through Facebook MessengerEmpower Your Destiny. If you want to stay ahead of the game, get your hands on our eBook, Understand Your Energy, which will be available for free for the first 10 requests.

Barinderjeet Kaur is a Life coach and human behavior specialist based in Melbourne. | Facebook page: Empower Your Destiny

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FASHION

SpringFashion

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Staying at home doesn’t always have to be in PJ’s, especially when we know winters are withering away soon to some brighter and sunnier days ahead.

BY DEBASREE DAS

taying at home doesn’t always have to be in PJ’s, especially when we know winters are withering away soon to some brighter and sunnier days ahead. Are you feeling uninspired in the morning? Then get up get dressed, spring is around the corner and we have all reasons to flaunt those beautiful colours from the wardrobe. Melbourne spring is cold and sometimes rainy and wet too, but we are blessed with few sunny mornings, which I would love to utilise these warm days to mix and match some amazing pieces from the closet. So, here are my top 8 picks for this year Melbourne Spring 2020. #Floral: Anything floral is the 1st thing that comes to our mind when we think of spring. Floral dresses, tops, sarees, skirts and even PJ’s. To be honest, I wear floral throughout the year, but spring is a magical time of the year when we are all saying goodbye to the Melbourne harsh winter. #Playsuits and Jumpsuits: Style your playsuits for the sunny mornings in Melbourne and jumpsuits for your evening #Denim Style: Pieces of Denim are a saviour for Melbourne spring, style it with your favourite dress or flaunt denim on denim outfit. My favourite pick would be a denim dress styled with sneakers or a pair of flat nude boots. #Pleated Skirts: Skirts are for all seasons, pleated skirts are an all-rounder piece in your wardrobe, style them with a good blazer and a belt or wear them with your humble denim jacket. I normally mix a pleated skirt with knitwear during colder days to add a dash of colours to my mood. #Shirt dress: This piece of clothing is

my all-time favourite, style them as many ways you want, especially for spring pair them with your runners or add a high heel they can turn out to be beyond the usual outfit. #Long Flowy tops: They go best with all types of denim, when you feel too lazy to dress down, these long flowy tops add the bit of much-needed drama. The good thing is you can add a touch of ethnic vibes too, by wearing it with your favourite danglers. #Polka dots: Polka dots dresses are my personal favourite, I have seen some women style them beautifully with a Knitwear or simply flaunting them with sneakers. They are never out of fashion and personally I’m happy to wear them throughout the year if Melbourne weather permits. # Mixing prints: Mixing clashing prints with colour pops, is always my theme for a gloomy day in Melbourne, mixing those abstract pieces of clothing that you never thought to wear or pair with any outfit. Colours to look forward this spring are blue, rose pink, green, peacock, terracotta, lavender, lemon sherbet, muted lime and marigold. Stand out and make a statement with these stunning colours this spring and as always don’t forget to keep it stylish.

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @travelinstylewithdebs for your daily fashion inspiration. travelinstylewithdebs

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FESTIVALS

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Raksha Bandhan

BY ARCHITA BAWEJA

A brother’s vow of protection, a sister’s commitment of love and a connotation of universal harmony.

emember those childhood days - The fight with your brother over the last cookie, or who’s turn it was to have the T.V. remote. I still can’t forget the times when my brother made me do his art assignments, called me names or hit me with a pillow. Our rivalry would be at its peak when he messed up my hair or read my messages. I always thought my happiness would have no bound if he went to another city for his higher education. And yet, when he left, I missed his foolishness, our spats and everything we did together as siblings. At that point, I realised even though he was mean to me sometimes and naughty as hell, we were still ‘partners in crime’. With the passing time we have both settled in our lives now and reside in different countries, but as they say, ‘distance only brings you closer’. The relationship and friendship that we share is remarkable and is celebrated throughout the year but there is one day that marks a special time to express that love and affection, which is during the festival ‘Rakhi’. Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu festival that stands out from other celebrations, as this day is dedicated to the unique relationship between a brother and sister. It is not only a symbol of this

incomparable bond, but also a reflection of their love, belief and confidence in each other. Rakhi is celebrated throughout India in its various forms. On this day, a sister ties a sacred thread called ‘Rakhi’ on her brother’s wrist, puts a tilak on his forehead and performs Aarti. These rituals are an expression of her fondness and warmth towards her brother. To return this love, the brother promises to take care of his sister and hands her with a gorgeous gift. This gift is the most exciting part of the festival, at least for me. Jokes apart! But indeed, it feels special to be pampered by your brother with an exceptional gift, which he picks himself. Today Rakhi is celebrated throughout the world, and in various cities across Australia. Sisters send ornate cards and the sacred

thread of Rakhi across borders to show how precious their siblings are. Moving a step forward, not only brothers and sisters or siblings but people not related by blood take part in this merrymaking. This celebration has evolved from just being a family ritual to an occasion which bridges the gap between people of different religions and ethnicities. The famous Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore was the first one to bring out this different connotation of the festival when he tried to use this occasion to bridge the gap between Hindus and Muslims, to avoid the division of Bengal. Raksha Bandhan focuses on strengthening the relationships that make a difference in our life and thus make it more valuable. Unfortunately, this year because of Covid-19 most people here in Melbourne, and Victoria have celebrated Rakhi digitally as there are Stage 4 restrictions in place and it was impossible to meet and greet. Despite all these limitations, I hope this legacy of bonding through festivals keeps alive while passing on from one generation to the next and giving us a special day and reason to be grateful for. Raksha Bandhan focuses on a relationship so unique and profound, A sibling who is always around Their love is covert and seldom expressed, Yet they are a team so strong, sticking together in every quest. They quarrel, tease and interfere, But always are in each other’s prayer…. Happy Raksha Bandhan to everyone!

Archita Baweja of Melbourne is an engineer by profession but a writer at heart

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RELATIONSHIPS

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

to defuse family s p ti conflict during Covid-19 7

espite the country being in Unlock 3.0, social distancing norms, lockdown imposed protocols and home sheltering have awkwardly exacerbated the freedom, routine and responsibilities within households of many estranged family members.

Owing to an alarming surge in Covid-19 cases, there are still millions of families and households around India who are struggling with these worries, stressors and uncertainties. Frequent, hostile conflict, along with increased uncertainty and financial burden has lowered the window of tolerance within families. Many spouses are bickering as old wounds fewer and children are struggling with behaviour typified by belittlement, domination, lies and control. They are propelled to experience dysfunctional and strained family interactions, day in and day out, without the solace of distraction and lack of distance for relaxation. Where once many of us could walk away from household tension, we are now obliged to stay within the same walls. Emotions are running high, arguments are exploding and the confusion continues with each other’s flaws, which leads to self-destructive and defeating behaviours. With the ongoing pandemic, heightened anxiety and stress in general means that emotions and anger aren’t being processed in the same way because there is a greater degree of variability in how multifaceted energies are interacting and behaving within the homes. These energy interactions form the core of our family dynamics. Each family member has a unique set of energy coding’s that affects the way each member thinks and relates to one selves, others and the environment around him or her. Several factors, including the nature of a parent’s relationship, clash of personalities, events (divorce, death, unemployment), culture and ethnicity (including beliefs about gender roles), influence the energy dynamics, due to which we become vulnerable to negative consequences due to emotional energy imbalance within the members at home. Here are some tips to defuse conflicts and manifest preserve relationships at home. Conditioning mechanism “Verbal Compassion” - Verbal compassion is a positive verbal energy imbibes the use of words that are warm and those that help nurture and encourage loved ones to do better and be more optimistic when they are with you. Such words help your loved ones to grow and flourish. Verbal Compassion opens up the Heart Chakra or Anahata Chakra and empowers the crown chakra or sahasrara chakra, the seat of Divine Love. Compassion words and gestures offer potent healing and such acts go a long way. It is the absence of cruelty, intentional hurtfulness and ill will that is referred to as loving-compassion.

Zibu symbol for inner peace - Use Zibu symbol for inner peace in different ways to be at peace with the ongoing situation. You can draw it on your body, you can meditate upon it, you can draw it many times on a notepad and focus on it. You can keep it pasted on your wall, you can energiSe your drinking water with the symbol’s energy - just get creative on how to use it.

‘Listening’ to heal - At its root, listening is the act of consciously hearing and attempting to comprehend the problem of another person. Listening is an underrated art, the most beautiful part of it is that it can heal the person whom you are listening to. At times, it’s the best gift! The unconditional way of listening to children or spouses raises the energy of empathy which has the power to make them feel about themselves. I consider it a meditative form by which they vent out what’s been making them feel awful. It could be anything. Fettling communication by healing your heart and throat chakra - Chant the mantras ‘YAM’ and ‘HUM’ to heal your heart and throat chakra respectively. This will help in dealing with the current situation. You can also use crystals like green aventurine, rose quartz, blue lace agate, lapis to aid healing of these chakras. Holistic Environment for Communication Smudge the home with sage or any sacred herb. You can also burn cow dung cakes to purify the energy of your home. Burning Camphor is another great for the same. Keep rock salt in corners of your home and leave it for 2-3 days & then flush it away. Rock salt absorbs negative energy. Crystals are great to raise the energies of your home. You can use black tourmaline or black obsidian to protect your house from all four corners. Hang or put selenite in your home space to invite divine positive energy. Rose quartz and amethyst are great to invite peace and love in the home energy. Embedding ‘ho’oponopono’- A traditional Hawaiian healing method for relationships, forgiveness and love. Family members can also practice this simple, yet powerful ritual called Ho’oponopono. One can do this every night before sleeping. Just say this to the divine power - “I am sorry”, “Please forgive me”, “Thank you”, “I love you”. And see the magic! ‘Apaan Mudra’ to remove the toxic energy from the body - both physical and emotional. Ten minutes in the morning

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and ten minutes in the evening is a good.

Lastly, it is imperative to not feel guilty about the lack of congruence between the expectations of family roles, finding time for oneself and doing things that make us happy; because if we are not at peace inside, everything in our environment will seem to be in a state of catastrophe. And when we have no control over the context, what we can change is only ‘ourselves’, our ‘thoughts’ and our ‘energy patterns’! The sooner you de-escalate a fight and work on balancing real energies, the sooner you can begin working on real solutions which involve both engaging family members in the same positive energy system and changing the energy system as per the preference to better accommodate their needs. The balancing of energy will make you strive and help you to create an environment in which everyone feels safe, heard, loved and respected. Such households are often characterized by low conflict, high levels of support and open communication. By Kuhoo Gupta

LIFESTYLE

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

How meditation can be effective during PMS, period pain Meditation plays an important role in dealing with PMS and pain during menstrual cycle. Spiritual life coach Dr. Priya Kaul mentions a few tips on how meditation can be effective during PMS and menstrual pain. Period pain affects the abdomen and the lower abdomen region. If one does meditation keeping in mind the sacral chakra, solar plexus with orange and yellow color or normally even focus on the mantra Om, it would help in pain relief. Pain killer can only suppress the pain, but meditation releases the pain. Doing meditation regularly can help you get rid of the pain permanently. It is not easy to focus during anxiety, pain or when one is having cramps. But sitting in comfortable position with mudras, sitting posture, lighting, color, sounds playing very important role when one wants to meditate. Doing meditation the right way is very important else it would be of no help for the mind and the body. The best way to meditate during such time is to lie- down comfortably with legs straight, keep in mind that legs should not be crossed. The room should peaceful and silent with good fragrant

candles and music of around 300 to 535 Hz could be of great help. Mediation can be coupled with smooth tea and some good affirmations. After 10 minutes of mediation fennel, cinnamon,

turmeric in lukewarm water could be of great help. Affirmations like ‘I love my body’, ‘I appreciate my body’, ‘I am getting healed’ from within in a subtle voice and calm tone can give wonderful results. By Puja Gupta

Men and younger adults less active in lockdown Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the researchers have found that men and younger adults have been less physically active during the Covid-19 lockdown. For the findings, published in the journal BMJ Open Sport, the research team included data from 911 UK adults who took part in an online survey which began on 17 March. “The overall levels of physical activity are higher than we were expecting,” said study lead author Dr Lee Smith from the Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in the UK. The research found that 75 per cent of UK adults met the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s physical activity recommendations of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week, since the introduction of social distancing regulations. This is higher than previous studies carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic, which found that between 58 per cent and 66 per cent of the UK adult population typically meet physical activity guidelines. The new study found that women, older adults, and those with a higher annual household income were significantly more likely to meet the WHO’s physical activity guidelines.

According to the researchers, this is the opposite of studies carried out prior to the pandemic, where men and younger adults were found to have higher levels of physical activity. “During the early stages of the outbreak, one of the few reasons to leave home was to take part in an hour of exercise. As well as offering a reason to go outside, this may have served

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as a target for some people,” Smith said. “Typically, the proportion of UK adults meeting physical activity guidelines declines with age. Therefore, there should be additional support offered to older adults to encourage them to sustain this level of physical activity post-pandemic,” Smith noted. (AGENCIES)

HEALTH

Antibiotics may up heart disease risk in people with diabetes

“We were able to study the association between antibiotic purchases, endotoxemia and incident coronary heart disease in one of the largest cohorts of individuals with type 1 diabetes,” said study authors from Folkhalsan Research Centre (FRC), in Finland.

Early menstruation linked to increased menopause symptoms

esearchers have found that bacterial infections may elevate the risk of coronary heart disease in individuals with type 1 diabetes. For the findings, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, the research team wanted to investigate the association between bacterial infections and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in type 1 diabetes.

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

esearchers, including one of Indian-origin, have found that early menstruation increases the likelihood of hot flushes and night sweats decades later at menopause.

from the outer layer of gram-negative bacteria) was also a risk factor for coronary heart disease.

“In broader terms, the present study demonstrates how infections associate with the development of late diabetic complications and perhaps even more importantly, how infections associate with the development of coronary “As diabetic nephropathy has a substantial heart disease, as the latter relationship has been impact on both the risk of CVD as well as the risk disputed during recent years,” said author Johan of infections, we further studied this association at Rasmus Simonsen from FRC. different stages of diabetic nephropathy,” authors added. The findings showed that among 3,781 “Interestingly, in our study this association individuals with type 1 diabetes, 370 developed to incident coronary heart disease was seen coronary heart disease over an average followspecifically with antibiotic purchases, making the up of 13.7 years. Antibiotic purchases, reflecting potential pathophysiologic mechanisms behind bacterial infections in outpatient care, were this finding intriguing and warranting further significant risk factors for coronary heart disease, studies,” with a 21 per cent increased risk for each annual antibiotic purchase, according to the researchers. The researchers noted that more studies are needed to further elucidate the pathophysiologic A high blood level of bacterial mechanisms behind this association. lipopolysaccharides (large molecules derived By Siddhi Jain

Tall children have higher risk of developing obesity

For the study published in the journal BJOG, the research team analysed data from more than 18,000 middle-aged women across the UK, the US and Australia, as part of the ‘Life-course Approach to reproductive health and Chronic disease Events’ (InterLACE) international collaboration. “Our finding encourages women with early menstruation to engage in health promotion programmes, especially weight management in adulthood,” said study lead author Gita Mishra, Professor at the University of Queensland in Australia. During the study, the researchers showed that women who started menstruating aged 11 or younger had a 50 per cent higher risk of experiencing frequent hot flushes and night sweats -- known as vasomotor symptoms -- at menopause. The group was also compared to women who had their first period at 14 or thereafter. The risk of the women who menstruated early of experiencing both the symptoms was greater than having either hot flushes or night sweats alone, the research team said. According to the study, early menstruation previously had been linked to adverse health conditions later in life, including Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

13 years later), taller children were more likely to have a higher body mass index than shorter children. For example, among the thinnest children at the start, the prevalence of obesity at the second exam was 5-fold higher in the tallest Several studies have shown that height in children than in the shortest children (3.1 per childhood is correlated with body mass index cent versus 0.6 per cent). Among the heaviest (BMI) and with body fatness.” As about half of children at the start, the respective prevalence this association is independent of the initial body rates of obesity were 89.5 per cent versus mass index of the child, the use of height may 53.4 per cent. The findings showed that the be a simple way to more accurately classify association between taller height and obesity at which children will become obese,” said study the second exam was strongest in children who lead author David S Freedman from Centers for were initially examined when they were younger Disease Control and Prevention in the US. than seven years old.

“Women who experienced early menstruation and were overweight or obese in midlife had two times greater risk of frequent hot flushes and night sweats, compared to women who experienced their first period aged 14 years or older, and had normal weight,” Mishra said.

For the findings, the research team examined the health records of 2.8 million children who were initially examined between two and 13 years of age. When they were re-examined with an average of four years later (but up to

“We found that overweight and obesity exacerbate the risk of vasomotor symptoms associated with early menstruation,” they noted.

f your child is taller, kindly take note. Researchers have found that children who are relatively tall for their age have a higher risk of developing obesity.

“Health professionals should recognise that greater childhood height for age before 12 years of age may be a marker for increased risk of subsequent obesity,” the study authors wrote.

By Siddhi Jain

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“Our objective was to examine the association between age at menarche and risk of vasomotor menopausal symptoms (VMS) and whether midlife body mass index (BMI) modified the association,” the study authors wrote.

By Siddhi Jain

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

ASK Dr. Raj… This months Q’s: Q: Our daughter is 17 and has some premature gray hairs. Although it is hereditary, both my wife and son had grey hair from the age of 20 onwards, I was wondering if you would be able to offer any solutions for either slowing the growth or stopping it altogether. We have consulted other herbal medicines but it was unsuccessful. Mr A. A: Dear Mr A, Greying of hair is a natural process. Hair turns gradually grey due to a reduction in the production of melanin pigment in the hair bulb as the age increases. But greying of hair at an early age can be due to heredity (which you have mentioned already) or under lying disease. Stress, life style, food habits etc only add to the speed with which this process occurs. The first onset of grey hair or Canities as it is medically referred to, and the speed at which people go grey varies considerably from person to person. It is often possible to reverse greying, particularly when it is caused due to an underlying ailment. However, in heredity cases, the greying cannot be

reversed but can be effectively controlled in some cases.

Health tip:

By Raj Kothuru

Please send any of your health related questions to drraj@aurahealth.com.au with Ask Dr Raj as the subject line or ph: 94788649 / 0425761826. The questions will be published with your identity protected.

Men dealing with stretch marks can rub lotion high in Vitamin E into the troubled areas. Coconut oil also helps speed up the healing process

How to Detect Early Problems with Your Children’s Teeth?

Homeopathy can slow down and in many cases, stop premature greying of hair. There are several remedies which have to be prescribed after a detailed study of the body constitution which can help arrest further greying of hair. “Amla”(Indian Gooseberry) is the best cure for grey hair and falling hair. Regular massage of “amla” paste rubbed into the scalp will prevent greying and falling of hair. Massage your hairs with coconut oil and Lemon everyday for at least 15 minutes also helps. Rubbing the nails against one another is a yoga practice which improves the blood circulation in the scalp, which in turn reduces grey hair. Henna powder is used as a natural, side effect free hair colour to cover existing grey hairs. Specific Homeopathic remedies along with scalp massage treatments, and certain life style changes can help effectively control further premature graying of hair. The treatment will involve several months though.

ustralian Institute of Health and Welfare March 2019 report, on oral health and dental care, shows that children aged 5-10 years have on an average 1.5 decayed, missing or filled teeth. It is fair to say that teeth issues start from a very tender age. Dental caries, or tooth decay, can occur as early as during infancy. Our expert dentists at Healthy Smiles Dental Group in Blackburn help us understand the reasons behind and detect early problems in your children’s teeth. Tooth decay is caused due to acidforming bacteria that are present inside our mouths. When children consume sweets such as lollies, drinks high on sugar, or even milk, these bacteria start harming the teeth. Children who are made to sleep with a milk bottle in their mouths or even pacifiers filled with sugary substances or honey are at high risks of dental caries. To watch children suffer from dental caries is an unpleasant ordeal for both parents as well as dentists. Children may tend to eat less due to toothache and it affects their growth. “Lift the lip” is the age-old and effective way to examine your child’s teeth at home. In order to carry out this examination, lay your child in a comfortable position. Make sure your child is safe and steady and won’t fall or get hurt. Then simply lift a lip and study the insides of your child’s mouth. Tooth decay might show as: 1. Chalky teeth. Entire teeth that appear as white as chalk are indicative of wear enamel. The enamel of teeth might not have hardened as required, causing teeth to be weaker and more prone to decay. 2. White spots or thin band on teeth near the gumline. These are the earliest signs of tooth decay. These white spots or bands often go undetected by parents.

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3. Yellow, black or brown spots or bands on teeth. Dark coloured spots or bands indicate that the decay has gone to the next level. Your child might be experiencing toothache by now. 4. Black or brown stumps rising from the gums. Teeth may appear as dark coloured stumps. This is evidence that your child has advanced tooth decay. It is important to treat the decay as early as possible because it is easier to stop and treat tooth decay in the early stages. To prevent caries from happening to your children, follow: 1. Good feeding habits – children must be fed with healthy food in a timely manner. They must not be made to drink high sugar drinks or have sweets often. 2. Healthy oral hygiene – healthy oral hygiene habits must be instilled in children right from the beginning. When they don’t have enough teeth, the gums must be cleaned with a clean cotton cloth after food intake. After their teeth appear, they must be brushed twice a day with soft and harmless children’s toothbrushes. 3. Regular dental check-ups – our dentists advise routine dental check-ups right from the appearance of a single tooth. Regular dentist visits must start from as early as 2 years of age. Dr Ved Berani BDS(Mum), ADEC(Aust), MBA(Melb), FIADFE, MFGDP(UK) Principal Dentist & Clinical Advisor Healthy Smiles Dental Group 150-152 Canterbury Rd, Blackburn South VIC 3130 Call us: (03) 9877 2035 www.healthysmiles.com.au

HEALTH

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Gum disease may up mouth, stomach cancer risk

eople with a history of periodontal (gum) disease appear to have a higher risk of developing mouth and stomach cancer, warn researchers.

A history of periodontal disease was associated with a 43 per cent and 52 per cent increased risk of oesophageal cancer and gastric cancer, respectively. Compared to people with no tooth loss, the risks of oesophageal and gastric cancer for those who lost two or more teeth were also modestly higher - 42 per cent and 33 per cent, respectively.

Periodontitis or gum disease is a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue and, without treatment, can destroy the bone that supports your teeth. Periodontitis can cause teeth to loosen or lead to tooth loss. The study, published in the journal Gut, found that a history gum appeared to be associated with a raised risk of oesophageal (gullet) cancer and gastric (stomach) cancer and this risk were also higher among people who had lost teeth previously. “Previous findings on the relationship of periodontal disease and tooth loss with oesophageal and gastric cancer have been inconsistent,” said the study researchers from the Harvard University in the US. For the current results, the research team examined the association of history of periodontal disease and tooth loss with

In addition, among individuals with a history of periodontal disease, no tooth loss and losing one or more teeth were equally associated with a 59 per cent increased risk of oesophageal cancer. the risk of oesophageal and gastric cancer in 98,459 women (1992-2014) and 49,685 men (1988-2016). Dental measures, demographics, lifestyle, and diet were assessed using follow-up questionnaires and self-reported cancer diagnosis was confirmed after reviewing medical records. The results showed that during 22-28 years of followup, there were 199 cases of oesophageal cancer and 238 cases of gastric cancer.

Similarly, the same group of individuals had 50 per cent and 68 per cent greater risk of gastric cancer, respectively. “Together, these data support the importance of the oral microbiome in oesophageal and gastric cancer,” the study authors wrote. “Further prospective studies that directly assess oral microbiome are warranted to identify specific oral bacteria responsible for this relationship,” they concluded.

(AGENCIES)

Oats, rye bran may reduce weight

gain, hepatic inflammation

ant to lose some weight? Read on. Researchers have found that the consumption of dietary fibre from oat and rye brans increased the growth of beneficial microbes in the intestines and reduced hepatic inflammation.

produced by gut microbiota and their interactions with host metabolism in response to supplementation with oat and rye bran fibres.

The study was an animal experiment during which mice were fed a high-fat Western diet for 17 weeks. Two groups were fed the same diet In addition, diets enriched with oat or rye bran enriched with 10 per cent of either oat or rye were shown to attenuate weight gain. The effects bran. of oat and rye were partly different, but both were beneficial for health. Among the various gut microbial metabolites, this study focused For the study, published in the Molecular on those especially relevant Nutrition & Food Research, the research to the development of fatty team from the University of Eastern Finland, liver disease, which is often VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland associated with obesity. Thus, collaborated with the University of Hong Kong. microbial metabolites were assessed by measuring The health benefits of oat, rye and other cecal short-chain fatty whole-grain products have been widely studied, acids (SCFAs), ileal and and their use has been associated with faecal bile acids, and decreased inflammation and improved glucose, the expression of genes lipid and adipose tissue metabolism in human related to tryptophan and animal experimental research. metabolism. In addition, they have been linked to a decreased risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases and type-2 diabetes. Different dietary fibres are also known to have different health effects. In the current study, the research team wanted to investigate differences in metabolites

The findings suggest that both brans have the capacity to create a favourable environment in the gut by supporting the growth of beneficial microbes. Both bran fibres enhanced the

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production of SCFAs, leading to improved gut integrity, reduced liver inflammation. “In addition, both oat and rye supplementation were shown to attenuate weight gain associated with a high-fat diet,” the authors noted . (AGENCIES)

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Eat chocolate your

t seems like chocolate is good for the heart as researchers have said that consuming chocolate at least once a week is linked with a reduced risk of heart disease. The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, suggests that chocolate helps keep the heart’s blood vessels healthy. In the past, clinical studies have shown that chocolate is beneficial for both blood pressure and the lining of blood vessels. “I wanted to see if it affects the blood vessels supplying the heart (the coronary arteries) or not. And if it does, is it beneficial or harmful?” said study lead author Chayakrit Krittanawong from Baylor College of Medicine in the US.

once a week to keep heart healthy The researchers conducted a combined analysis of studies from the past five decades examining the association between chocolate consumption and coronary artery disease (the blockage of the coronary arteries). The analysis included six studies with a total of 336,289 participants who reported their chocolate consumption. During a median follow-up of nearly nine years, 14,043 participants developed coronary artery disease and 4,667 had a heart attack. Compared with consuming chocolate less than once a week, the findings showed that eating chocolate more than once a week was associated with an eight per cent decreased risk of coronary artery disease. “Chocolate contains hearthealthy nutrients such as flavonoids, methylxanthines, polyphenols and stearic acid which may reduce inflammation and increase good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol),” Krittanawong

said. The research team noted that the study did not examine whether any particular type of chocolate is more beneficial and whether there is ideal portion size. “Chocolate appears promising for prevention of coronary artery disease, but more research is needed to pinpoint how much and what kind of chocolate could be recommended,” the study authors wrote. While it’s not clear how much chocolate is optimal, the study researchers warned against overeating. “Moderate amounts of chocolate seem to protect the coronary arteries but it’s likely that large quantities do not,” they said. “The calories, sugar, milk, and fat in commercially available products need to be considered, particularly in diabetics and obese people,” the research team concluded. (AGENCIES)

Fertility may decline globally post-Covid pandemic

ost-Covid-19, fertility will plausibly decline due to economic uncertainty and increased childcare burdens worldwide, especially in the high-income countries, say researchers.

The study, published in the journal Science, leverages historical social, economic and demographic evidence to draw the conclusion that fertility is likely to decline in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Although it is difficult to make precise predictions, a likely scenario is that fertility will fall, at least in high-income countries and in the short run,” said study researcher Arnstein Aassve, Professor at the Bocconi University in Italy. Throughout history, spikes in mortality due to wars and famines were followed by increased births, while the Spanish Flu resulted in a temporary drop in fertility before recovering during a “baby boom.” Contrary to this historic trend, the Covid-19 health emergency will plausibly cause a decline in fertility, without the factors that have brought on a baby boom in the past. In high-income countries, disruption in the organisation of family life due to prolonged lockdowns, the re-internalisation of childcare within the couple following

school closures, and deteriorating economic outlook are likely to lead to postponements in child-bearing.

development and female occupation is unlikely to be fundamentally reversed by economic setbacks.

According to the study, a further fertility fall in high-income countries will accelerate population ageing and population decline, with implications for public policy. In lowand middle-income countries, the fertility decline observed in recent decades from trends such as urbanisation, economic

“Difficulties, though, in accessing family planning services might result in a shortrun spike in unintended pregnancies and worsening neonatal and reproductive health,” the study authors wrote.

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(AGENCIES)

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

It was incredibly exciting working with Tabu: Ishaan Khatter

shaan Khatter recalls how he felt reassured the very first time he met Tabu that it would be a special experience working with the phenomenal actress. Budding Bollywood star Ishaan costars opposite Tabu in Mira Nair’s BBC miniseries “A Suitable Boy”, based on Vikram Seth’s acclaimed novel of the same name. “I knew early on that she could be a part of ‘A Suitable Boy’. Mira (Nair) ma’m had told me that it would be Tabu playing the role of Saeeda bai, and she would love to have me play Mann,” recalled Ishaan.

“I was looking forward to meeting her,” he said, adding: “The first time I met her I felt reassured it would be a special experience working with Tabu, because she is not only a fantastic actor and an incredibly gifted performer, but also so easy to have a conversation with.” Ishaan shared that their energies matched just right and “by the time we had done a few readings, when we went on set together, there was a certain

synergy between us that made it very easy to work with”.

“This was my first time working with her and I would imagine she is like this in general. She is probably one of the easiest co-actors to work with. Working with her was definitely one of my favourite experiences,” Ishaan said.

(Nair)ji, whose work I have admired, and to be able to work opposite Tabu, one of my favourite actresses of all time.

(GDI)

The actor plays Maan Kapoor in the series and said that it was a compelling character “in an awesome sense”. “It’s probably the first time that I have been more attracted to a character than a story. Not to take away from the story, it’s a great story, but it’s an ensemble period piece with multiple characters and various tracks over six hours. I just found Mann to be a different beast altogether,” said Ishaan. He added, about his character: “I found him unpredictable, exciting and, at the same time, fun. Beyond this, my reasons for wanting to do this (role) were to be able to work with Mira

Don’t let social media play with your mind: Shilpa Shetty

hilpa Shetty has shared a tip on how to deal with social media and posts that might affect us. The actress feels maintaining positivity while on social media is necessary for our mental health. Shilpa took to her verified Instagram account on Monday morning to share: “There’s so much on social media that is shared purely as a façade to cover the lives we lead. The hardships, the struggles, the low days, the heartbreaks, insecurities, and so much more are easily concealed behind a mask of filters... one that we’ve been wearing since time immemorial.”

believing all that you see, and don’t allow it to play with your mind and emotions.” “Life isn’t a bed of roses for any of us, but we’re all in this together. Let’s try and make this medium a positive one with constructive criticism and care, to make us a healthier community, less negative and more positive ‘grams’ on this ‘gram’...Stay strong, my instafam, let’s make a happy and healthy community, and reassure ourselves that... This too shall pass.”

Shilpa’s post on maintaining positivity on social media comes at a time when a lot of celebrities, “Always remember, like we don’t especially females are being subject put our difficulties on display on to trolling, harassment, abusive social media, neither do other people. language, and rape and murder Nobody’s life is perfect. Most are threats on social media platforms. dealing with their own issues… So, (GDI) don’t let social media trick you into

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G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

It’s a shame that many Indians had to go abroad for acknowledgment: Adil Hussain

ctor Adil Hussain says he has seen amazing talent in India. He feels it is a shame that many Indians had to fly out of the country to get acknowledgment.

“I can’t believe my song ‘Beat pe booty’ has completed four years and ‘Chandralekha’ has completed three years,” said Jacqueline.

“It is very important for us to know that there is a pool of talent across the country, I’ve seen amazing talent coming out from various regions of the country. I feel it is the duty of the current government to give these children, specifically from the economically marginalised section, equal opportunities across sectors education being primary,” said Adil.

The film is based on true events, and is

“I miss those times when ‘Beat pe booty’ challenge made everyone groove and I had such an amazing time while learning pole dance for ‘Chandralekha’. I thoroughly enjoyed performing and shooting these songs,” she added. While “Chandralekha” featured in the film “A Gentleman”, “Beat pe booty” was part of “A Flying Jatt”.

directed by Prakash Jha. The film had its India Premiere at the 50th International Film Festival of India in the Indian Panorama section and recently, premiered at the London Indian Film Festival.

(GDI)

It is the film that matters to me: Aditi Rao Hydari me everywhere. Why should I say no to a film if the story is exciting? I think we are a generation of actor for whom the length of the role does not matter but substance does,” Aditi said. Her last assignments in Bollywood were a supporting role in “Padmaavat” and a starring role “Daas Dev”. Both films released in 2018. In roughly the same amount of time, she had done five films down South, across Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam languages. Her upcoming Hindi film is “The Girl On A Train”, starring Parineeti Chopra, while she has two Tamil and one Telugu film lined up for release.

diti Rao Hydari has appeared in several South Indian films over the past couple of years but her release count in Bollywood has been rather low. The actress insists says it is not the language or film industry, but the film that matters most to her. “More than often I am told that now I am focusing on my career in South and have left Mumbai. But I have not gone anywhere. Scripts and opportunities took

Jacqueline Fernandez reminisces about a couple of hit songs ctress Jacqueline Fernandez is nostalgic about a couple of her hit songs.

Adil stars in the film “Pareeksha: The Final Test”, which deals with the Indian education system.

“I feel it is a shame that many Indians had to leave the country and go abroad to get their acknowledgment, as the CEO of Google or for that matter the scientists working in NASA. I hope this changes and our film ‘Pareeksha’ brings awareness amongst the ruling class and authorities that we still need to do a lot to let alone even acknowledge the talent in our nation,” he added.

“I look for something in which I am artistically challenged while trying out something new. For instance, look at my role in the film ‘Padmaavat’. When Sanjay (Leela Bhansali) sir called me, he told me that among all the four characters in the film, my role would be smallest. ‘But he promise you, the story will be incomplete without your character’, he added. Eventually, when I started receiving good words for the character of Mehrunisa, I was happy. For me, the impact of my character matters,” she claimed. (TIW)

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Jacqueline matched steps with Sidharth Malhotra and Tiger Shroff in “A Gentleman” and “A Flying Jatt” respectively, and also made actor Hrithik Roshan dance to “Beat pe booty” as part of a social media challenge. (GDI)

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

I want to play Kalpana Chawla on screen: Vaani Kapoor

ctress Vaani Kapoor would love to do a biopic and says it would be an absolute honour for her to play astronaut Kalpana Chawala on screen.

“However, there are many more films one desires to be part of -- genres like action, comedy, rom-coms, drama, suspense, and thriller, and many more versatile roles to discover,” she said.

“Kalpana Chawla is a huge role model for women around the world and for anyone who has ever dreamt of being an astronaut. She’s an inspiration and her story is definitely one to be celebrated and told. I would really, really want to play her on-screen. It’ll be an absolute honour,” she said.

Talking about what attracts her to sign a film, Vaani said: “It’s about connecting to a story and then to the character. I try and pick parts that can be diverse, yet meaningful, and exciting.” Despite not being a trained dancer, Vaani has impressed with her dancing on screen. She shared how hard she had to work on herself to get to this level of dancing.

Vaani feels she would love to take risks as an artiste and try her hand at doing the biopic and also experiment with several other genres. “I’ve tried to pick the best from what came my way and it feels amazing to have worked with some of the best in the industry. I have been able to get opportunities for roles so distinctive. From the small town girl Tara in ‘Shudh Desi Romance’ to a girl who is French

in eBefikre’, to an independent single mother in eWar’, to a completely different era in ‘Shamshera’, it’s been pretty good,” she said.

“I enjoy dancing but, yes, really didn’t have any sort of expertise in any of the dance forms. So, it did require many hours of rehearsals -- especially the dance sequences in ‘Befikre’. I have given around eight hours (sometimes more) to rehearsals to get the dance sequence in ‘Love is a dare’ right,” she says.

Sonu Sood: From reel-life villain to real-life hero

onu Sood, for the Tamil movie viewers, has until now been the actor who played the villain in “Kallazhagar” and several others. Come Covid-19 era and the 47-yearold Sood turned hero for many, including Tamil medical students studying in Russia.

in Kyrgyzstan had approached him on social media for help to come back to India. “Chartered flights have been arranged for students to come back from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Cyprus, Philippines and Moscow,” he said. According to Sood, initially he had used Air Asia flights and then SpiceJet. “The students pay a nominal amount and I pay the balance. Even if the number of students are far less than the seating capacity of the plane, I see that they come back to India,” he added.

The students were stranded in Moscow owing to Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant cancellation of flights. Sood organised a chartered flight from Moscow to fly the students back to Chennai and reunite them with their loved ones. When asked about his new role of villain turned real life hero he said: “This is the best role I have ever played. The best script done in my life. The ‘thank you’ notes from parents and the students is what motivates me.” “Medical students in Moscow reached out to me for help to reach their homes in Chennai,” he said over phone. The SpiceJet flight that took off on August 4 from Moscow was initially planned to be a direct one to Chennai. But a stopover in Delhi was arranged owing to requests. “We were not able to board the Vande Bharat flight from Moscow on July 3 as our course got over only on July 6. There were about 200 students who got stranded. We were told there will not be any Vande Bharat flights. Then we started sending mails to all the officials,” T.R.Sakthipriyadarshini, a student who had come back here said. She had graduated from Kursk Medical University, which is about 500 km from Moscow. “One of the students had seen Sonu Sood organising a flight to bring back Indian students. So, we thought if he can do that from Kyrgyzstan, he can also help us,” Periyannan

Somasundaram, another student who returned here said. Somasundaram said they sent a message to Sood on July 23 and the next day got a reply and from then onwards there was constant communication. “Some students took the flights operated by tour operators. In the end a total of 100 students boarded the SpiceJet flight to Chennai in Moscow,” Sakthipriyadarshini said. According to her, there was no problem for the students after they had graduated since they were staying in apartments and life was normal. “We had to come back early to write the screening exam that all those who had passed medical courses overseas have to give. We had to prepare for that. The exam is on August 31. So, it was important for us to come back home as early as possible,” Sakthipriyadarshini said. Sonu Sood said: “Initially I started helping out migrant workers who were returning to their homeland by arranging buses and vans.” Inspired by it his friends have also started chipping in with their contributions. From hiring buses and vans the big jump of arranging flights started when Indian students

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According to him, the task of arranging the logistics is challenging as official permissions have to be obtained, arranging local logistics for the students in a foreign country and other aspects. “The Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Ambassadors in various countries and others were very helpful making the job much easier,” he said. “The only challenge is arranging local transport in foreign countries for students to reach a particular airport. In some cases, students have to travel 12-13 hours. I was never trained to do this. I also speak to overseas logistics providers,” Sood added. Sood said he makes it a point to speak to all the students on Zoom. As an anecdote he recalled receiving about 300 calls from overseas stranded Indian students between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. When asked about Sood as an actor, Sakthipriyadarshini said: “I have seen his Tamil and Hindi movies. I like his acting. I am not saying this just because he organised the chartered flight. But today he is the real hero for us, though he may be a villain actor.” By Venkatachari Jagannathan

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

‘Overthinking’ is my ‘stupid hobby’: Richa Chadha

ctress Richa Chadha confesses that overthinking is her stupid hobby.

Richa opened up on the subject while conducting an interactive session with fans on Instagram. When a user asked her what any new hobby she had picked up during the lockdown, the actress spoke about how she has been overthinking these days. Yes. overthinking. It’s a stupid hobby,” Richa wrote. Apart from this, Richa also shared about how she keeps busy. “I have a lot to do. Many deadlines,” she wrote. On the film front, Richa recently shot for a sci-fi short film amid these troubled times. Titled “55kms/sec”, the film is directed by Arati Kadav of “Cargo” fame. “This was a challenging shoot as we had to do everything ourselves, from hair and makeup to recording sound but it was well worth the effort. I am happy that we were able to create something thought provoking and beautiful even in these grim times,” said Richa. (TIW)

Taapsee Pannu recalls ‘scary near drowning experience’

ollywood actress Taapsee Pannu has recalled a “scary” time when she “nearly” drowned in a pool as a kid. She added that it was only nine years ago that she got over the fear and learned how to swim. On her Instagram page, Taapsee posted a picture of herself in a pool.

No Friday release anxiety with digital streaming:

Vidyut Jammwal

ctor Vidyut Jammwal has benefits of films releasing on OTT platforms.

“Those were the days....This was while I was shooting for an ad for my brandï¿½ Getting into a swimming pool is joy for me but it wasn’t always like that. Had a scary near drowning experience in a pool when I was a kid so got really scared of learning how to swim. It was only 9 years back that I finally got over that fear and learnt swimming,” Taapsee wrote alongside the image.

“I am very glad that the digital scene in India has stepped up and shared the onus of entertaining people. It feels great to be part of this huge surge in the new wave of entertainment. “I think going digital has benefits that some of us may have overlooked earlier. There is no Friday release anxiety with streaming. The content is not watered down or censored, and the viewers can watch films and shows whenever they want. It is a win-win scenario for the viewers, the makers and the talents,” Vidyut said.

The actress said that learning has no age. “I Remember swimming laps in an indoor pool alongside many kids in the same class and it made me feel that how learning has no age n probably the child in me is still alive #Throwback #Archive #QuarantinePost,” she added. Taapsee has “Haseen Dillruba”, “Rashmi Rocket”, and “Shabaash Mithu” coming up, and the Hindi remake of the German experimental thriller film “Run Lola Run”.

Vidyut’s new release “Yaara” is all set to stream on a digital platform soon. It is directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia and is a remake of the French film “Gang Story”. Amit Sadh, Shruti Haasan, Kenny Basumatary and Sanjay Mishra are also a part of the project.

(AGENCIES)

(GDI)

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FOOD

bon appétit

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Did you know:

Black beans are high in phytochemical anthocyanins. Studies indicate the darker the bean, the higher it is in antioxidants

Home-cooking is the healthiest cooking: Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

ndian home-cooking saw the turn of a new leaf when celebrity chefs like Sanjeev Kapoor created lip-smacking recipes on a unique format of cooking shows on television. With the stay-at-home orders infusing new energy into the country’s home kitchens, the celebrated chef and Padma Shri recipient feels happy seeing people cook at home.

“Home-cooking is the healthiest cooking. Even when people cook so-called junk food, I advise cooking it at home, which will be much healthier. Anyone who is usually cooking at home - mothers or wives - want to make sure that element of health is there. If we have to make ourselves healthy, home-cooking is the way to go, and I’m happy people are cooking at home,” Kapoor, 56, said. Kapoor is the face of ITC Nimwash vegetable and fruit wash, and suggests cooking enthusiasts to clean germs and pesticides off their fruits and veggies as any recipe’s first step. “We are what we eat. That’s something we have started to understand as a direct, cause-and-effect relationship. Now we have time to reflect and act on it. The superficiality of anything and everything we were consuming - that is diminishing, and a beginning has been made,” he said. Speaking about the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, he notes “two distinct things” that have happened during this time. “Everyone was home so home-cooking has grown exponentially, and eating out - the

Padma Lakshmi hopes for inclusive food industry

ndia-born supermodel Padma Lakshmi says the “male-dominated” food industry needs to be more inclusive. “The professional food industry is one of the most male-dominated sectors of our society. Probably the only place that’s more male-dominated is the military and so I would like to see that change,” the “Top Chef” host told Us Weekly. “Most of the food in this world is actually made by women and yet the professional food world is taken over by men, so I would like to see that disparity decrease considerably,” she added. The 49-year-old hopes people in the industry, men specifically, take matters into their own hands. “It will only happen with paid maternity leave, better hours, better accountability for sexual harassment, equal pay between men

and women and between ethnicities,” she said. The Emmy winner continued: “I would like to see big, white male chefs in our industry make a concerted effort to mentor and speak out for women and minorities -- to mentor them and give them the same richness of experience and privilege that white males have had. I think that would go a long way. We don’t even teach African American food in culinary school in this country and we should. That is a rich part of our history here, and I think we need to expand and broaden what we consider important in modern gastronomy.” Lakshmi will soon be seen in series “Taste the Nation”, in which she redefines the real meaning of American food, highlighting the work of immigrants around the world.

(AGENCIES)

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service industry - is hit and has gone down - not just in India but globally. Similarly, what we were eating earlier, we are more careful with that. We want to be sure about the quality of ingredients. Hygiene is paramount. What we were taking for granted, the world has sit up and is taking note of that. We are looking at bettering us for our own selves, not for the world. We’re breathing right, cooking right and eating right.” The culinarian, who is among the most prominent faces of Indian cuisine, shared what life in lockdown looked like for him. “Despite a few relaxations now in Mumbai, we have taken a call that unless absolutely essential, we will not go out. In all these months, I have only been out twice. Managing was not that difficult; I didn’t have much time to watch movies and web series. My whole family is home, and they naturally expect me to cook, which I enjoy, that has increased definitely. Food content is being consumed more across platforms. Across our social media platforms, it is an all-time high with engagement being up by 250 percent,” the ‘Khana Khazana’ star shared. Kapoor also shared that early in the lockdown, he decided on an initiative to feed doctors and staff in hospitals in Mumbai and beyond. “We worked closely towards that. I am also involved with Akshay Patra Foundation and served over 70 million meals in the lockdown,” he concluded. By Siddhi Jain

Is veganism

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

the future of food

in a post-Covid-19 era? P

eople worldwide are recognising the devastating toll of the animal agribusiness on the environment, human health, and our collective sense of ethics. There’s still a long way to go, however, the tide is turning. With vegan (non-dairy) variants of almost every food product and ingredient available, people are increasingly turning towards sustainable eating as their food preference.

The notion of living a vegan lifestyle as being an expensive one is nothing but a myth. India is culturally inclined to vegetarianism. Many are turning to vegan by excluding the dairy element in their daily diet. The growing inclination towards conscious eating habits, backed by health benefits is set to drive veganism as a way of life in the days to come, says Chef David Edward Raj. How does this eating habit help in keeping one’s immunity in check? Plants contain no cholesterol, unlike animals, they provide all that we need in terms of fibre to macro and micronutrients. Studies consistently show that people who eat fruit and vegetables tend to enjoy better health. Research also suggests that vegans have lower rates of heart disease and diabetes. This reduced risk is partly because vegans are statistically leaner and much less prone to obesity than the general population, Raj, who is the Director - Culinary development and Innovation, Elior India, said. “The vegetables and spices we use in our daily meals are great immunity boosters which help us overcome the Covid-19 threat. It has been medically proven that including ingredients like mushrooms, tomato, bell pepper and green vegetables like broccoli and spinach are also good options to build resilience in the body against infections. A high amount of vitamins and mineral content found in them which helps the body ward off diseases and keeps one healthier.” Food items like ginger, gooseberries (amla) and turmeric are natural immunity supplements. Some of these superfoods are common ingredients in Indian meals and snacks. Several herbs like garlic and basil leaves help in boosting immunity. Seeds and nuts like sunflower seeds, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds and melon seeds are excellent sources of protein and Vitamin E.

Veganism also contributes to nature in terms of reducing emissions into the environment. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, after beef production, cattle milk is responsible for the most emissions (20 percent) on a commodity basis, he points out. “The two major greenhouse gases that are emitting due to animal agriculture are methane and nitrous oxide, because of manure storage and the use of fertilizers, respectively. Hence, veganism as a lifestyle is not just caring about oneself but caring about nature as well.” How is veganism being accepted in the corporate sector? Raj explains: “With the growing awareness of conscious eating along with the need to maintain a healthy immunity, people are looking for a vegan option in corporate cafeterias. Also, one out of six of Elior’s recipes is vegetarian that further turns towards veganism.” Elior India caters to Fortune 500

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companies across India such as Godrej, Goldman Sachs, Cognizant, Linked In, Ashok Leyland, Visa Master, Daimler, Pfizer, Cisco, MRF, Vellore Institute of Technology, Larsen & Toubro, Panasonic, etc.” By Puja Gupta

DIET

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

How to keep your bones strong? BY DEEVYA GUPTA

he number one mineral we need for our bones is Calcium. With this we also need to make sure we have enough Vitamin D to help our body to absorb the calcium. This is especially the case for Indian’s as 70%100% of the population was found to have vitamin D deficiency! Calcium is found in various foods and drinks. Most of our daily recommended intake comes from dairy sources, but what about those people who have a low tolerance for dairy or prefer alternatives? Is it still possible to meet our dietary intake? The answer is yes but you may have to eat more to meet the recommendations. Where can I get Vitamin D from? Vitamin D in the body is mostly made after our body reacts with sunlight (outside). The time required to be out in the sun depends on the season and the UV exposure for the day. Small amounts of Vitamin D can be found in: Fortified foods, eggs, salmon, tuna, mackerel and Vitamin D mushrooms. The amount found in foods is not enough to provide you for the day. For this reason, many people are required to take supplements if their levels are low. How much calcium do we need in one day? This depends on your age group and if you are referring to men or women. As a quick general guide here is the recommendations:

• 10 almonds = 1/10 of 1 serve • 200g soybeans =1/3 of 1 serve • 1 cup cooked bok choy =1/5 of 1 serve • 1 cup chopped celery = 1/5 of 1 serve Ideally it would be great to have as much of variety as possible. As you can see it is much harder to meet your recommendations with the foods that contain much smaller quantities of calcium alone. Please note this advice is of a general nature. If you have any concerns or queries you should get tailored advice from an accredited practising dietitian and always consult with your General Practitioner before making any changes. Further information: National recommended guidelines: https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/calcium Further comparison of calcium sources: https://www.osteoporosis.org.au/sites/default/files/files/calcium-foodtable-web.pdf

Some medical conditions may cause the need for slightly different amounts. What food gives me 1 serve of calcium? Found easily in: • 250ml regular, low fat or skim milk • 250ml milk alternative (soy, almond, rice etc. with added calcium) • 2 slices or 40g cheese • ¾ cup or 200g yoghurt (regular or low fat) • ½ cup evaporated milk • ½ cup or 130g tofu or tempeh • 1 can sardines Calcium present in lesser quantities: • 1 cup cooked broccoli = ½ of 1 serve • 6 dried figs = 2/3 of 1 serve • 1 can salmon = 2/3 of 1 serve Deevya Gupta is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian in Melbourne | W: www.abcofnutrition.com.au

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RECIPE

Gâ€™DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

Lovely Legs Coconut Chicken Curry Chicken lovely legs cooked in spiced coconut curry in this special recipe. Easy to make and very tasty. Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

8 chicken lovely legs, skinless 2 tbs oil 1 tsp mustard seeds, whole 8-10 curry leaves 1 med onion, chopped 2 inch cinnamon stick 3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp ginger, chopped 3 tbsp curry powder 1 tsp chilli powder 1/2 tsp black peppercorns 1 can unsweetened coconut milk 1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Heat oil in saucepan, add mustard seed and allow to sizzle. 2. Add cinnamon stick and the onion and cook until golden brown. 3. Add garlic and ginger, continue cooking 2-3 mins more. 4. Add chicken pieces, peppercorns and the curry powder and cook until well coated and brown, add small of water if necessary to keep the spices from burning. 5. Add the coconut milk with 1/2 cup of water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and cook for 45-50 mins until the meat is tender. 6. Serve with boiled Basmati rice or Roti Chanai.

Tip: Try Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs pieces on the bone. Variation: Add diced Potatoes if desired.

Garnish:

Curry Leaves

Serve:

With Basmati rice, Roti, Naan, Parartha.

recipe

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BY MANJIT SETHI

from the private collection

ASTROLOGY

G’DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

By D. Narayan (Tantracharya) Mesha (Aries)

Vrishabh (Taurus)

Mithuna (Gemini)

M: 0425 660 220

Karkat (Cancer)

An excellent month to advance your financial prospects, since good fortune would not be very far from you, throughout this month. Some of you can literally look forward to reaping an unexpected windfall during this period. Others can look forward to sizeable gains from speculative activity. For most of you, gains would come through in reasonably quick time.

You are bound to do quite well financially during this month, with the added bonus of deriving a good deal of spiritual satisfaction as well. Your association with some gifted people of learning and spiritual stature would prove to be a boon in every way, including financially. There are also good chances of substantial gains from some speculative activity.

This month does not hold out any cheer for your financial prospects, because Dame fortune is not in a good mood. There would be a dearth of opportunities for all of you, not enough to go around, as they say. Effort would have little scope for realizing much success. But speculative activity could turn a difficult situation into an impossible one.

This month is not very favourable for your financial prospects. There are grounds to predict that at least some of you would suffer serious losses from speculative activity, whatever it may be. You must therefore, desist from gambling and suchlike activities quite firmly. Most of you would also miss even the normal self-confidence and the ability to take initiatives.

Best days: 3, 12, 30 Lucky Colour: Red, Orange, Cream

Best days: 9, 18, 27 Lucky Colour: Green, Blue

Best days: 2, 7, 9 Lucky Colour: Red, White, Yellow

Best days: 9, 18 Lucky Colour: Red, Blue

Simha (Leo)

Kanya (Virgo)

Tula (Libra)

Vrishchik (Scorpio)

Your financial prospects are anything but cheerful this month. Further, there is a distinct possibility that speculative activity would take some of you to your doom. Expected gains would not materialize and further compound the mess. There is also the likelihood of having to do other people’s dirty work in the hope of making a fast luck.

An excellent month, during which you would have ample opportunity to advance your financial prospects. Some of you could well go on to make handsome profits. In fact, most of you would be able to achieve success in realizing your objectives, in fairly quick time. There is the further likelihood of some of you generating a sizeable chunk of income.

Your financial prospects look good this month, since you will get several notable opportunities, for profit. Those of you who go in for speculative activity or even gambling may look forward to, making handsome profits. A very welcome development, from their point of view. In fact, most of you would be able to achieve success.

You can look forward to several profitable opportunities for financial advancement during this coming month. Further there are good chances for those of you who go in for speculation activity or even gambling, to fare quite well, in your pursuits. Some of you would also have many an occasion to generate and encounter – unfair money.

Best days: 5,3 Lucky Colour: White & Orange

Best days: 3, 12 Lucky Colour: Orange, Green

Best days: 9, 18 Lucky Colour: Red, Blue

Best days: 1, 3, 4 Lucky Colour: Red, Orange

Dhanu (Sagittarius)

This month your career prospects are quite good and you should be able to do well. However, this would be true only if you are careful. There is a distinct possibility that some of you may tend to operate outside the law for quick profits. Should you do this, a favourable month would become a nightmare for you. This apart all the other signs are quite favourable. Best days: 9, 18 Lucky Colour: Red, Blue

Makara (Capricorn)

This month, your financial prospects don’t look too bright, since the stars are not in an obliging mood. Performing Arts practitioners of the arts would do well to make a provision for a rainy day, since most of them would face an extremely lean period during this coming month. Those of you waiting for some gain from government to come through, may be disappointed. Best days: 1, 3, 4 Lucky Colour: White, Green, Blue

Kumbha (Aquarius)

Your financial prospects look bright this month, and you would gain considerably through your association with some wise and learned people. Expected gains from government can be expected to come through. And with all this, the climate would remain congenial for investment and new ventures. Best days: 5, 3, 6 Lucky Colour: White, Green

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Meen (Pisces)

Your financial prospects look good this month, with excellent opportunities and your own drive combining to create an extremely pleasant and profitable situation for you. You will have the necessary drive and selfconfidence to be able to utilise all opportunities that come your way. This means big success in your financial situation. . A good time to invest, and launch new ventures. Best days: 2, 7, 9 Lucky Colour: Red, Yellow, White

Have a laug h

Gâ€™DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

HAVE A LAUGH

The pandemic has closed down so many businesses, its not funny. But sometimes the only way to deal with it is to look at it in a lighter vein. We mourn the loss of the following businesses: A local bra shop has gone bust. A mining company has gone under. A solvent (extraction) company has become insolvent. A manufacturer of food blenders has gone into liquidation. A dog kennel chain has had to call in the retrievers. An origami book company has folded. An aerial installation company has called in the receivers.

A key company has gone into lockdown. A watchsmith has wound down and called time. An ice cream shop has had its assets frozen. A shoe factory has been soled and employees given the boot. The Heinz factory has been canned as they couldnâ€™t ketchup with orders. The tarmac company has reached the end of the road. The bread company has run out of dough. The laundrette has been taken to the cleaners. And finally, ....the dry cleaners and ironing service have run out of steam.

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Gâ€™DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

www.gdayindia.com.au | M: 0412-114-383

Gâ€™DAY INDIA | AUG 2020

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