G'day India March 2020

MAR 2020

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VOL 14 ISSUE 155

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A U S T R A L I A N I N DI AN P E R S P E CTIVE

DOCTORS TO THE RESCUE

The Overseas Medical Graduates Association raised over $50,000 towards the Premier’s Bushfire Relief

SRK SUPPORTS RESEARCHER

As part of IFFM’s dedicated work towards supporting diverse voices and cinema

CULTURE COMEDY

Ashwin Segkar’s manipulative plans at the Melbourne Comedy Festival

THE RIGHT NOTES

How community members came together to share the powerful appeal of healing music

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NEWS AUSTRALIA

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

CORONAVIRUS: PANDEMIC POTENTIAL AUSTRALIA RECORDS FIRST DEATH | GOVT INCREASES TRAVEL RESTRCITIONS

CANBERRA, MAR 1: Australia recorded its first coronavirus death after a 78-year-old patient, who was evacuated from the quarantines Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan, died in a hospital in Perth, authorities said on Sunday.

Following their evacuation from the cruise ship, the victim and his wife had been transferred to the Perth hospital after they tested positive to the virus, reports Xinhua news agency.

Government will implement changes to travel arrangements for people travelling to, or returning from Iran, following expert medical advice on Feb 29 from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) and the Australian Government’s Chief Medical Officer on the outbreak of COVID-19.

These measures are part of our ongoing strategy of containment and minimising risk to the Australian community as detailed in our Meanwhile, the New South Wales health pandemic preparedness plan. department on Sunday confirmed the fifth coronavirus case in the state, taking the As of 1 March 2020: total number of infections in Australia to • The Department of Foreign Affairs 26. and Trade will raise the level of the travel advisory for Iran from level 3 to level 4 – A man in his 40s who recently returned do not travel; from a trip to Iran was being treated at the Westmead Hospital in western Sydney • Foreign nationals (excluding PRs of after experiencing mild symptoms, local Australia) who are in Iran on or after 1 media said.

March 2020, will not be allowed to enter Australia for 14 days, from the time they The man is the second case related to have left or transited through Iran; Iran after a 63-year-old woman diagnosed positive in Queensland.

• Australian citizens and PRs will still be able to enter, as will their immediate family Another man in his 50s in New South members (spouses, legal guardians or Wales was also under investigation for dependants only). They will be required to possible infection. self-isolate at home for 14 days from the day they left Iran.

According to the latest information from the National Health Department, 15 of all These actions are based on advice confirmed cases were reported to have from the AHPPC that noted the following recovered. evidence suggesting the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran may be one of the largest NEW TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS outside of Hubei province in China; From 1 March 2020, the Australian The woman remains in stable condition in hospital.

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The travel restrictions for Iran will now be consistent with those in place for China.

The Australian Government favours measures that could materially slow the importation of COVID-19 cases into Australia to enable preparatory measures to continue and to enable a public health response to the initial cases.

The current travel restrictions regarding mainland China continue to be successful in reducing the volume of travel from mainland China and will continue.

This is a specific temporising measure for an unusually high-risk country and further travel restrictions are unlikely to be effective at reducing importation.

Since 22 February 2020, 25 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Australia.

Across the world there are currently 85,153 cases and 2,922 deaths reported across 58 countries from the outbreak of COVID-19.

(Agencies & media release)

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New laws to protect home Standing up to racism buyers from unfair practices against doctors and nurses MELBOURNE, FEB 27: The Andrews Labor Government is calling for respect towards our hardworking healthcare workers and patients in Victoria hospitals, after concerning reports of racial profiling in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

MELBOURNE, MAR 1: Victorians purchasing property now have more protection from unfair sales practices, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government’s historic new laws.

From today, vendors and agents cannot knowingly conceal any material facts about a property when selling land.

Material facts include whether a murder had occurred on the property, if the property had been used as a meth lab, or the existence of flammable cladding or asbestos.

The Material Fact Guidelines state that a vendor or their agent must disclose all known material facts, as soon as a prospective buyer indicates they are considering purchasing the property.

The vendor or agent must also answer all questions from prospective buyers about material facts as fully and frankly as possible.

Other amendments coming into effect today include: A ban on public auctions of land before 1pm on Anzac Day, with fines of more than $16,000 if not adhered to, bringing the industry into line with the standard restricted business hours of the day Greater protection for people who purchase options to buy land as part

of a land banking scheme, including a requirement that money paid be held in trust pending the registration of a subdivision plan A ban on some rent-to-buy arrangements, as well as new offences relating to terms contracts, with potential jail time for those who disobey the laws Further changes introduced by the Sale of Land Amendment Act 2019 mean that developers can only use a sunset clause with agreement from the buyer, or permission of the Supreme Court of Victoria.

The changes in legislation come after buyers raised concerns about developers deliberately delaying construction to cancel signed contracts, then re-selling the property at a higher price.

Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos on Friday joined Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Dr Brett Sutton at the Royal Children’s Hospital, where reports have surfaced that some parents at the hospital are refusing to let doctors and nurses of ‘Asian appearance’ treat their children, or sitting away from other patients because of fear of COVID-19.

This not only flies in the face of expert medical advice, it shows complete disrespect for Victoria’s hardworking healthcare workers.

While the outbreak in mainland China is of concern, the risk of exposure to coronavirus in Victoria currently remains very low, and certainly has nothing to do with a nurse, doctor or patient’s ethnicity.

The Labor Government recently launched the campaign (“Stronger Together”) to combat some of the challenges arising from the COVID-19 outbreak and to urge Victorians to come together in support.

More information about the new Regulations and Material Fact Guidelines The Victorian Multicultural Commission can be found at consumer.vic.gov.au/ saleofland (Media release) and Federation of Ethnic Communities

Councils of Australia are also urging people to not tolerate racism and antiAsian language or behaviours in the wake of COVID-19.

Victorian’s response to COVID-19 is guided by expert medical advice and is aimed at containing the spread of this virus.

If you have friends, family or colleagues who are unsure about COVID-19, or are worried about the risks, they can go to this website for a wide range of important updates and advice: dhhs.vic.gov.au/ novelcoronavirus Mikakos said, “Suggesting the spread of this virus has anything to do with ethnicity is wrong and shows complete disrespect for our hardworking healthcare workers – who devote each and every day to treating sick children and saving lives.

“It is crucial we act with compassion, respect and consideration of each other – not division and mistrust. We’re always stronger when we work together.”

(Media release)

Renters will be able to keep Groundbreaking work to a pet under new historic law store carbon and create jobs with effect from March 2 MELBOURNE, MAR 2: A groundbreaking way to help store carbon dioxide (CO2) is a step closer to reality with rock samples from beneath the seabed off Gippsland’s Ninety Mile Beach indicating the geology is suitable for the technology.

MELBOURNE, MAR 2: Victorians will no longer be forced to choose between the pet they love and a place to live, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government’s historic new laws coming into effect today.

From today renters will be able to keep a pet in their rental property with written consent from their rental provider.

The new laws will make it easier for both renters and rental providers to understand their rights and obligations when it comes to allowing and keeping pets in a rental property.

A renter requesting approval for a pet will need to complete the consent form available on the Consumer Affairs Victoria website.

of pet the renter wishes to keep Local council rules prohibit the keeping of certain animals The suitability of the pet, such as whether the pet may pose a threat to neighbours or other residents.

The right to keep a pet in a rental property is just one of the government’s more than 130 rental reforms that will be introduced by 1 July 2020.

If a rental provider believes that it is reasonable to refuse consent to a pet living in the property, the onus will be on them to seek an order from the Victorian Civil and Administrative tribunal to refuse the pet.

Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation Marlene Kairouz said, “Pets are part of what makes a house feel like a home for many Victorians. With more people are renting now than ever before, it’s time to make this basic right accessible to all animal The tribunal can take a number of things lovers across the state.” into account when determining whether it is appropriate for a pet to be kept in a For more information on the rental rental property. These include situations reforms package visit www.engage.vic. where: gov.au/fairersaferhousing The property is not suitable for the type

(Media release)

Minister for Resources Jaclyn Symes said the successful drilling of an offshore appraisal well at the Pelican site in Bass Strait and positive initial results were a major milestone for CarbonNet and the state’s low emissions future.

scale, including in Australia. In Victoria, CO2 has been stored at the CO2CRC test facility in the Otway Ranges for a decade.

The operation was completed over eight weeks, with more than 100 crew members working to drill and investigate the well to confirm the seabed’s geology and extract more than 90 metres of core samples.

Climate change experts such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change agree removing CO2 from our atmosphere and storing it below ground is needed to support decarbonisation across industrial sectors, lowering global greenhouse gas emissions.

Over the coming year, rock samples will be further tested to assess their composition, the amount of space available to be filled, the ease with which fluids can flow through them and their strength and resistance to CO2.

These results are an important step towards the storage of CO2, and the potential creation of engineering, technical and maintenance jobs through new industries like hydrogen production in Gippsland.

Combined with the valuable data acquired from the 2018 marine seismic survey, the well data will be used to model the Pelican site for long-term storage of CO2 as the CarbonNet project works towards establishing a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) network in Gippsland.

Symes said, “These initial results are really exciting – it means that we are a step closer to a CCS network in Gippsland that creates jobs and helps the environment.

More than 20 sites around the world are storing carbon dioxide at a commercial

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“Backing ground-breaking technology like this is a key part of reducing our carbon footprint.”

(Media release)

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COMMUNITY NEWS

La Trobe & IIT Kanpur to create research centre

MELBOURNE, MAR 1: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and La Trobe University Research Academy have teamed up to boost both organisations’ research capabilities and bring together La Trobe and IIT Kanpur experts to create a globally recognised centre for research.

The Research Academy will be based in Kanpur, with a strong presence at La Trobe’s Australian campuses for visiting Research Academy staff and up to 40 PhD Karandikar said the Research Academy will reflect the organisations’ shared students, who will be eligible to apply for commitment to research addressing global generous scholarships. challenges and improving communities.

Speaking at the launch in Mumbai, La La Trobe is part of the 31 member Trobe Chancellor, The Honourable John delegation of Australian Education Brumby AO, said the Research Academy will strengthen both institutions’ capacity to representatives to India led by Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment address global problems.

Simon Birmingham for the Australia-India Business Exchange 2020.

“We are delighted to be launching the IIT Kanpur – La Trobe University La Trobe has significant historical and Research Academy, to address a diverse cultural ties to India that include being range of challenges in health, food one of only two universities in Australia and water security, urban planning and to teach Hindi; in 1968 hosting of Prime transport,” Brumby said.

Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi; in 2019 bestowing an honorary doctorate on actor “Through the Research Academy’s and philanthropist Shah Rukh Khan in generous scholarship program, which includes support for tuition fees and travel, 2019; and awarding the Shah Rukh Khan La Trobe University PhD Scholarship to La Trobe looks forward to welcoming up an aspiring female researcher from India to 40 PhD students to Australia to benefit who will make a meaningful impact in the from the strength of our relationship with world, as well as signing a Memorandum IIT Kanpur,” Brumby said. of Understanding with Amrita University.

(Meedia release) IIT Kanpur Director, Professor Abhay

CGI heralds International Women’s Day with panel discussion on equality

MELBOURNE, Feb 28: The Consulate General of India here celebrated International Women’s Day 2020 with a panel discussion on this year’s theme ‘Each for Equal’.

Opening the session, Consul General Raj Kumar said, “The International Women’s Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on what needs to be done to make this world an equal and safer world for women not just on this particular day but every day of the year.”

In her keynote address, Maria Dimopoulos, a nationally and internationally recognised executive leader and expert on multicultural affairs with over 25 years of experience in cultural diversity, said, “Our voices need to be heard and we need to create opportunities for leadership for young women from diverse backgrounds.”

Vijaya Vaidyanath, CEO of City of Yarra Municipal Council since 2012, spoke about the rarity of women in executive roles and said, “Women have a place in the world and one in which they can make a humungous difference.”

In the same vein, Kris Pavlidis, an

elected Councillor now in her fourth term and ex-mayor of City of Whittlesea municipal council, pointed out that less than a third of all elected councillors are a women, which is a marginal representation. “This statistic has not changed in 15 years, that is saying a lot. While legislative changes have in recent times particularly in developing economies have afforded women the right to vote, to work or to divorce, there is lots of work to be done.”

Dolly Kikon, a senior lecturer at the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Melbourne, stressed on the importance of inculcating basic values in the 21st century. “Universities across the world focus on skills but what about values the kind of responsibility we have”, she asked, adding, “Simples things such as commitment, trust, human rights or justice is what will eventually drive humanity. So, it is time for us to find our place in our souls and think about values.”

Other speakers included Prof Ajay Kapoor- Pro Vice-Chancellor Swinburne University and Molina Swarup Asthana, the Principal of Swarup Asthana Lawyers, practicing in commercial law.

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

Doctors raise over $50,000 towards Premier’s Bushfire Appeal

MELBOURNE, FEB 9: The Overseas Medical Graduates Association (OMGA) raised over $60,000 towards the Premier’s Bushfire Relief at a special event here.

“The physical and mental wellbeing of our brave and selfless firefighters and their families was a major concern of OMGA and all the proceeds will be forwarded to the Premier Bushfire Appeal,” said Dr Amit Zutshi, Vice President of OMGA. The event which was marked by an evening of singing, dancing and great revelry was attended by Marlene Kairouz, Victorian Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Robin Scott Assistant Treasurer of Victoria, Kaushalya Vaghela, Victorian upper house MP and Anuradha Suneramurthy, Deputy consul general from Indian High Commission.

The Overseas Medical Graduates Association (OMGA) represents over 300 medical and dental practitioners in Victoria with an overwhelming majority from India.

“OMGA seeks to represent and advocate its members but also their patients, many of whom are from ethnic backgrounds. We also advocate on health-related matters for the wider Australian community that we serve. We are all proud and loyal Australians, first and foremost,” said Dr Zutshi.

ridicule the practices of yoga, meditation and ashrams, all of which originate and are embedded in the cultural landscape of the Indian sub-continent. This was greeted by loud, almost child-like, laughter by Members of Parliament.

“This is most unparliamentary and inconsiderate. This was not an isolated off the cuff remark, rather a well-prepared speech, made under parliamentary privilege, with a strategy based on scoring political points and getting a cheap laugh at the expense of a particular community.

Whilst many commentators have called Interestingly, the organisation also the speech racist, we, as a non-political recently expressed its displeasure over medical organisation, prefer to see it as the statement of Josh Frydenberg, culturally insensitive. That it happened Treasurer of Australia, making light of in the country’s Parliament gives licence issues surrounding individual well-being. and encouragement to unsavoury “It was construed that a person’s mental sections of our society to peddle their well-being was some sort of laughing matter that tough grown men (and women) hate and ridicule on Australians of Indian origin. It also sets a bad example for our ridicule and scoff at,” OMGA said in a impressionable children and youth,” the press statement. statement further added.

(G’day Staff) “Worse still, Mr Frydenberg went on to

Melbourne welcomes Indian team on disability projects

MELBOURNE, Feb 26: Indian Joint Secretary Tarika Roy and Under Secretary Sanjay Singh from the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPWD) are visiting the University of Melbourne to advance a number of collaborations, including a co-designed community-based disability course.

Developed in partnership with DEPWD and the University’s Melbourne Disability Institute, the unique course is designed to train and equip locals to help them respond to the rehabilitation and inclusion needs of community members living with disability. It is currently being rolled out in India.

The University has fostered a strong partnership with DEPWD since 2017.

(G’day Staff)

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Other key initiatives being announced include the development and delivery of a joint leadership training course for the heads of national disability in Australia and India, where leaders will share their expertise and discuss challenges and opportunities.

Researchers will also undertake modelling with DEPWD to develop an economic case for increased disability investment in India.

(Press release)

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Sharing the powerful appeal Riot of colours, music & good vibes at St Kilda Holi festival of healing music MELBOURNE, FEB 29: Hundreds of people immersed themselves in a riot of colours in celebration of one of the most colourful festivals of India – Holi.

Music, fashion stalls, and cultural performances marked the Holi Tribe Festival, which was organised IndoMystic Events, a communityfocused events organizer.

One of the major festivals of India, Holi is celebrated with enthusiasm and gaiety on the full moon day in the month of Phalgun, which is the month of March as per the Gregorian calendar.

Holi festival may be celebrated with various names and people of different states might be following different traditions. But, what makes Holi so unique and special is the spirit of it which remains the same throughout the country and even across the globe, wherever it is celebrated, according to the organisers.

Holi festival has an ancient origin and celebrates the triumph of ‘good’ over ‘bad’. The colourful festival bridges the social gap and renew sweet relationships. On this day, people hug and wish each other ‘Happy Holi’.

MELBOURNE, FEB 28: Members from diverse community backgrounds turned up to attend “Embrace, Educate, Empower E3 - Healing Music Therapy Program for special needs kids & Adults” here on Saturday.

The approach is the same in groups set up but there is a slight change in the individual level to cater to the specific needs. Also the set-up of therapy room and session will vary between adults and children.

The special therapy session was organised during the event for everyone to experience the power of culturally appropriate Healing Music with a combination of many instruments such as keyboard, violin, flute and percussion instruments played and recorded together as healing tracks. Also in attendance was Kaushaliya Vaghela - Member of Parliament , Western Metropolitan Region.

When do you recommend music therapy to people?

Recommendation depends on the individual need and the knowledge about this therapeutic modality within the community, because music therapy can be used as an early intervention - to have optimum health and well-being in day to day life. It can be used as a therapy to recover after surgery or during treatment & recovery from various ailments.

It can be used to alleviate the negative effects of various mental health issues.

It benefits children in their growth and brain development.

The list can go on but I have only given the brief response.

Lakshmi Ajjampura, project co-ordinator, said she had proposed this therapy session as a community project idea under Pick My Project, a $30 million community Grant initiative by Victorian Government empowering Victorians to come up with project ideas that will help make their local community an even better place to live.

The project name was “Embrace Educate Empower” - E3 Program for Special need children/adults - Healing Music Therapy sessions for differently-abled CALD communities children/adults. In conversation with Lakshmi Ajjampura.

Can you elaborate more on the kind of healing music therapy you take up?

The music we are using for this program is developed by a world-renowned spiritual master Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji from Avadhoota Datta Peetham in Mysore. The music tunes are developed based on Indian classical music tunes (ragas), so it would be ideal to use this for culturally appropriate music therapy or multicultural music therapy.

What kind of techniques are used in music therapy?

The approach is passive music therapy by itself or in combination with simple yoga stretches when appropriate and if need be.

Does the approach change from one group to the next, say, children, adults etc.?

Aditi Gupta, who attended the festival, said it was one of the most enjoyable moments of her life in Melbourne as music, colours, food and the crowd generated good vibes.

What is the best part of being a healing music therapist?

I am the Project Coordinator for this program. The best part of this project for me as a project coordinator is: when you deliver a qualitative service or support system to help people in the community, you experience immense joy and fulfilment.

When you see someone getting benefitted, you feel the inner happiness and soul satisfaction.

Any misconceptions about healing music that you would like to debunk?

There are no misconceptions about music therapy as plenty of scientific research has been done and there are no negative side effects from using healing music. In fact, music therapy is getting popular both all over the world as one of the best alternative therapies. All that is needed is creating more awareness in the community to make use of this therapeutic modality to improve the general health and well-being of the society as an early intervention, and to use it as a tool to enhance recovery from ailments during the treatment period or during post-surgery recovery.

(G’day Staff)

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(G’day Staff)

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MELBOURNE DIARY

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

MoneyGram Celebrates International Women’s Day With Former India Women’s Captain Mithali Raj

cricket enthusiasts present at the event through an interactive state-of-the-art virtual reality cricket experience.

MELBOURNE, Australia, 8 March, 2020 -- MoneyGram International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MGI), a global leader in cross-border P2P payments and money transfers, is proud to serve as an ICC T20 World Cup sponsor. The company has cemented its commitment and connection with Australia’s South Asian community as it celebrates the success of women and supports women’s cricket during the Women’s T20 World Cup final in Melbourne.

International Women’s Day provided the ideal backdrop to reflect on the contributions women have made to our society, in particular the much-loved game of cricket. Team India’s legendary former captain Mithali Raj was present at the event hosted by MoneyGram, where she shared her inspirational journey of playing a key role in popularizing women’s cricket, which has been perceived as a male-dominated sport.

Raj used the opportunity to also impart some of her coaching skills on young

Connecting the community to cricket was a strong theme throughout the event, which provided an exciting precursor to the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup in October. MoneyGram used the event to also take the opportunity to officially launch its cricket campaign for the local Australian market amongst South Asian media and prominent community leaders.

A host of activities were announced that will roll out between now and October to leverage cricket and further connect with the South Asian diaspora in Australia.

of cricket.

“Cricket touches many lives and it’s truly exciting to be a part of this sport and witness its potential to inspire and transform lives firsthand,” said Anil Kapur, MoneyGram Head of Asia Pacific and South Asia. “When we talk about inspiration, Mithali Raj epitomizes it and has played a pivotal role in making women’s cricket exciting through her attacking skills. We are delighted to be here with Mithali to celebrate this occasion during International Women’s Day in Australia.”

MoneyGram is currently running its “Send and Win” cricket campaign, where MoneyGram customers, who send money overseas before 30 April 2020, will be entered into the draw to win one of six Apple Watches. With cellular capabilities, the Apple Watch will enable winners to not only stay connected to their loved ones, but also to the latest cricket scores and updates.

“MoneyGram has been a part of cricket for many years and we’re pleased to see the increasing participation of women in the sport,” added Anil Kapur.

“With a love of cricket that transcends gender, we continue to commit to cricket sponsorships that provide ways for our customers to connect with the sport and bring fans closer to the game. As a brand built on the connection of people through money transfer, cricket is a natural fit that enables us to provide unique opportunities for customers to engage with MoneyGram and cricket at the same time.”

In addition to the “Send and Win” campaign, MoneyGram will engage with the community through grassroot events and provide consumers with unique experiential events that cater to their love

“MoneyGram is one of the leading money transfer brands globally,“ said Mithali Raj. “And I am excited to be associated with them to kick start their cricket initiatives for 2020.”

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For more information, visit www. moneygram.com.au. To stay on top of all things cricket, follow @MGCricket #PickUpThePace About MoneyGram International, Inc. MoneyGram is a global leader in cross-border P2P payments and money transfers. Its consumer-centric capabilities enable the quick and affordable transfer of money to family and friends in over 200 countries and territories, with over 65 countries now digitally enabled.

The innovative MoneyGram platform leverages its leading distribution network, global financial settlement engine, cloudbased infrastructure with integrated APIs, and its unparalleled compliance program to enable seamless transfers around the world.

For more information, please visit moneygram.com.

ADVERTORIAL

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

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What is Single Touch Payroll (STP)?

B

usinesses used to report their payroll information to the Australian Tax Office (ATO) once every year, but now businesses need to report this information to the ATO after each pay day.

Single Touch Payroll (STP) is a new way of reporting payroll information to the ATO. Payroll information such as tax and superannuation information must be submitted using a solution that is ATO compliant payroll or accounting software that files payroll information to ATO after each pay cycle.

By submitting payroll information through STP compliant ATO solution, following yearly financial reports will not be required: • Payment Summary Annual Report: Total wages, PAYG and super contributions made by the business • Employee Payment Summary: Total paid per employee including wages, taxes and super So now businesses should only let the ATO know when they’ve made their last pay run of the financial year for their employees and employees within the business can see payment summary information by logging on to their my.Gov.au portal.

How to become Single Touch Payroll (STP) compliant?

Businesses should ensure they comply to below each payday: • Online payroll or accounting software or desktop payroll software they use should be STP compliant and should produce ATO-compliant reports and

report to ATO on their behalf • For businesses currently using MS excel, spreadsheets or books, they must find STP compliant digital report or software and submit to ATO

employees per pay run • Custom payroll summary reports • Easy payroll processing for 1-1000+ employees at multiple locations, per pay run by a tested and proven software solution customised for your industry PAYROO • All employment types such as Directors, Sole traders, Contractors via Payroo is a solution to make your STP ABN, labour hire, casual, part-time, and smooth. full-time scenarios • Agent portal for your tax agents, Payroo is a quick, easy, low-cost, accountants, and bookkeepers to audit STP compliant, ATO approved payroll and validate all their client businesses solution! payroll reporting from one spot • Employee portal for employees’ It helps in saving the extra admin hours access into their timesheets, payslips, by successfully simplifying, optimizing and other individual reports (June 2020) companies into a perfect fit low-cost • BAS reporting to ATO (June 2020) payroll solution.

Payroo team will be there every step of the way to train your staff, on-board and Payroo will enable: support you.

• Easy entry of employee timesheets Email: support@payroo.com.au or from different clients per pay run Contact: (03) 9016 9430 • Easy handling of other earnings (over-time pays, shift pays, weekend and holiday pays, etc), allowances (meal, Sign-up for FREE, become STP travel, etc), and deductions (salary compliant, manage your payroll and advance, loans, etc) at employee and send payslips for the first month at no client level cost. For more information visit: • Automatic delivery of pay slips for all www.payroo.com.au

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IN THE NEWS

Trio arrested in Dandenong as part of Operation Tidal

MELBOURNE, MAR 2: Police have arrested three people in an allegedly stolen vehicle in Dandenong over the weekend as part of Operation Tidal.

Police continued to follow the vehicle before stopping it on the Monash Freeway near the Wellington Road overpass.

The three occupants of the vehicle were arrested and taken to a nearby police station to be interviewed.

A 21-year-old man from Cranbourne North has been charged with conduct endangering life, theft of motor vehicle and a number of driving offences.

He has been remanded to appear Dandenong Magistrates’ Court today.

An 18-year-old man from Dandenong

North and 18-year-old man from Narre Warren have been charged with theft of motor vehicle and possess cannabis.

They have both been bailed to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 20 April.

These arrests are part of Operation Tidal which utilises a highly visible police presence across the Casey, Greater Dandenong and Cardinia Police Service Areas (PSAs).

Tidal is an ongoing operation and police will continue to focus resources where they’re most needed, the release stated. (https://www.police.vic.gov.au)

Australian summers now twice as long as winters, thanks to global warming

CANBERRA, MAR 2: Global warming in Australia has led to summers becoming twice as long as its winters, a new study revealed on Monday.

The Australia Institute Climate and Energy Program used data from the Bureau of Meteorology to show that over the last 20 years, southern summers with its solstice on December 21 - lasted a month longer than in the mid-20th century, while winters were experienced for much shorter duration, reports Efe news.

Between 1999 and 2018, summer was experienced for 31 days longer than the average, while winters lasted 23 days less than the benchmark, the study said.

Between 2014 and 2018, the trend continued, leading Australians to experience summers twice as long as winters.

“Temperatures which were considered a regular three month Summer in the 1950s, now span from early to midNovember all the way to mid-March,” the Program Director Richie Merzian said in a statement.

“Our findings are not a projection

Melbourne woman charged with foreign incursion offences

MELBOURNE, FEB 25: A 22-year-old Hallam woman has been charged with recruitment and association with a terrorist organisation offences, after the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) attended a residential property in Hallam as part of an ongoing investigation.

Officers initially observed the allegedly stolen vehicle in a car park on Gladstone Road, Dandenong about 4.40pm on Saturday, an official Vic Police press release stated.

As police approached, the three occupants fled in the vehicle.

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

The Victorian JCTT, which comprises of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Victoria Police (VicPol) and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), allege the accused encouraged and attempted to facilitate the travel of a person seeking to fight with Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq in 2016.

It is also alleged the accused formed an online association with an Australian male fighter and member of Islamic State in Syria and supported the male in his role with Islamic State in 2015.

The accused has been charged with the following offences: Perform services for a person who is intending to enter a foreign country and engage in hostile activity, contrary to section 119.4.(5) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) Recruiting a person to participate in the activities of a terrorist organisation, contrary to section 102.4 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth)

Associating with a terrorist organisation, contrary to section 102.8 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).

The maximum penalty associated with these offences includes up to life imprisonment.

The accused was arrested on February 25 and faced the Magistrates Court in Melbourne the same day.

This investigation has not identified any current or impending threat to the community.

Police continue to encourage the public to report any suspicious activity they see or hear to the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

(A joint media release by the Australian Federal Police & Victoria Police)

COVID-19: Microsoft cancels IoT in Action event in Melbourne

of what we may see in the future. It’s happening right now. Summers have grown longer even in recent years, with the last five years facing summers twice as long as their winters,” said Merzian, who urged the Australian government to implement policy to reduce emissions.

According to the study, global warming is the reason for the long summers, and extreme temperatures make it more dangerous, and vulnerable to natural disasters such as the bushfires that devastated much of the country since they erupted last September.

SYDNEY, MAR 2: Microsoft has cancelled its ‘IoT in Action’ conference in Melbourne owing to the new Coronavirus outbreak.

Several customers and partners withdrew from the event that began its journey in 2017 from San Jose.

Extended summers, “will have significant impacts on Australia’s tourism construction and mining sectors...

“After close consultation with our When it comes to agriculture, extended partners and community, we’ve made summers can damage crops and exhaust the difficult decision to cancel the IoT livestock”, Merzian said. in Action Melbourne event this March 5, 2020,” Microsoft told attendees in an Australia is currently experiencing an email. average of 1 degree Celsius of global warming, he said.

The event was aimed at building new IoT experiences and rapid innovation via In December 2019, the highest ever the intelligent edge, reports ARN. average maximum temperature was recorded a 41.9 degrees, while Eucla in Australia on Monday reported western Australia recorded a temperature the country’s first death because of as high as 40.8 degrees.

COVID-19. Australia has reported 26 (Agencies) confirmed cases of the coronavirus to

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date.

There has been a cascading series of technology conference cancellations, starting with Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2020 in Barcelona, following by GDC and Facebook’s F8 conference.

“Thank you for your continued support of IoT in Action and we will be in touch shortly with details of upcoming events,” Microsoft said.

In mid-February, Cisco cancelled its flagship Cisco Live conference in Melbourne and later in the month, Salesforce cancelled its physical regional World Tour event for Sydney.

There have been more than 87,000 people infected and nearly 3,000 deaths globally since the virus emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December.

(Agencies)

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

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18

NEWS VICTORIA

Have your say on Victoria’s new volunteer strategy

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

New campaign inspiring thousands of women to get active

MELBOURNE, MAR 1: Women of all ages and abilities will be inspired to get more active through a powerful new campaign launched today by the Andrews Labor Government.

MELBOURNE, FEB 26: Victorians are invited to have their say on how the Andrews Labor Government can support people who give up their time to volunteer.

Whether you help at a school, plant trees, support people with a disability, coach a sports team, spend time at a soup kitchen or you fight fires – your feedback can help shape the new Victorian Volunteer Strategy.

The new strategy will help thousands more Victorians get the support they need to help others and it will help strengthen our strong and vibrant culture of volunteering into the future.

Nearly a million Victorians engage in volunteering activities each year, with many more participating in other forms of community support.

Volunteers, community members and leaders from community organisations are encouraged to share their experiences, and views about the challenges and opportunities met by the volunteering sector.

Parliamentary Secretary for Carers and Volunteers Anthony Carbines kicked off the first in a series of strategy consultations for 2020 in Ballarat at a community workshop on Monday, 24 February.

Close to 1,000 people have already shared their views and experiences on volunteering via the Engage Victoria website. Go to engage.vic.gov.au/ victorian-volunteer-strategy to find out more. More workshops will be held across Victoria until June 2020. For more information, or to have your say online, visit volunteer.vic.gov.au/strategy.

(Media release)

Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos on Sunday launched the new This Girl Can – Victoria campaign, which focuses on positivity and the importance of seeing everyday women on social media.

New research from VicHealth found two-thirds of women are not motivated by #FITSPO images of women on Instagram and around a third feel bad or inadequate about their own bodies and fitness when they see #FITSPO images.

The research also found over threequarters of women want to see a range of female body shapes in physical advertising.

More than half of Victorian women are not sufficiently active – taking part in less than 30 minutes of physical activity on five or more days a week.

Now in its third year, the campaign has encouraged more than 400,000 Victorian women to get out and get active.

The new ad campaign features

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everyday women from right across Victoria, including body-positive personal trainer Natasha Korbut and amputee swimmer Karen Veldhuizen, who are encouraging women to focus on how getting active makes them feel, rather than what they look like.

During This Girl Can Week from 23-29 March many physical activity providers, gyms and organisations offer fun, beginner-friendly events to increase the number of women walking through their doors.

The Labor Government provided $40 million in 2018/19 to support VicHealth activities promoting healthy eating, keeping people active and improving wellbeing.

The This Girl Can – Victoria campaign is part of the Labor Government’s work to promote gender equality and increase female participation in sport and all forms of physical activity.

(Media release)

DIVERSITY

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

19

Think Peace India Run Festival coming back on March 29 with high entertainment value

MELBOURNE, MAR 2: The Think Peace India Run Festival, the brainchild of Kiran Chukkapalli, founder of Think Peace Organisation, enters its second year and kickstarts with another eventpacked schedule beginning March 29.

The Indian Run Festival (IRF) has been planned to be highly engaging and high in entertainment value. Festive colours, yoga workshop, Indian dance party and celebrity participation are a few components of the festival.

The Run is a weekend of activities for the whole family. Other incentives include T-Shirts for all participants, race completion medal, timing certificate for 5k and 10k run and other fundraising opportunities.

“IRF is a reflection of our collective culture and service to the society. Packed with entertainment, it’s an opportunity for friends and families to spend quality

time together and inspire change,” said Chukkapalli.

India Run Festival (IRF) is an endeavour by Think Peace Organisation to bring together the entire Indian diaspora living in Australia to come together as one united community and to run for fitness, fun, and to give back to the society.

The festival resonates with the spirit of India and her philosophy of “vasudhaiva kutumbakam” (the world is one family), where Indians around the world will unite with a goal to give back to their motherland and the land that nurtures them.

for the first time in Melbourne, which saw great success and participation! The spirit of IRF goes with the spirit of Melbourne, a thriving city that has been internationally recognized for the opportunities it offers to all its visitors. After a great launch last year, we look forward to the second year of IRF. “The spirit of India Run Festival goes with the spirit of Melbourne, a thriving city that has been internationally recognised for the opportunities it offers to all its visitors. On our last visit, we also saw a lot of commitment from the Indian community in Melbourne to give back to the society and their homeland,” said Chukkapalli.

The IRF is about giving back, but it does not end there. The vibrant festival is also a step towards a fitter Indian community. True fitness is strength, stamina and agility. Indians in India and abroad ranks in the top five in obesity.

A recent study pointed out that 53 per cent of Indians lack the discipline to stay fit. Running is a great way of remaining fit not just physically, but for pushing your mind an extra mile. It’s a healthy addiction and a step forward for a fit Indian community.

There are few ways Melburnians can associate with, says Chukkapalli. “They can participate in the run as a group/ family or by themselves. They can motivate people to participate in the The event reflects the colours, strength, IRF is a community and charity event, run, they can motivate children to enrol diversity and dynamism of the Indian and funds raised through the event will be for the Juniorthon, raise funds through diaspora and their commitment to make shared between the charities in India and sponsorship/crowdfunding and create the world a better place.

Australia. Our causes for this year include awareness.” the bush fire relief work in Australia and Last year, this festival was launched education of tribal children in India.

(G’day Staff)

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20

MELBURNIANS

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

Jessie Kaur dispels the assumption that beauty pageants bring shame on families moved to Melbourne about five years ago juggling her roles as a beauty therapist, homemaker and mother to her eight-yearold daughter.

Last year, Kaur decided to get back to pageantry after a ten-year hiatus from the world of glamour and fashion. This March, Kaur will be off to the Gold Coast to take part in the Australian Galaxy Pageant. The Australian Galaxy Pageant 2020 has three categories - Miss Galaxy, Ms Galaxy, Mrs Galaxy. The winners will go on to represent Australia at the annual Galaxy International Pageant which will be held in Chicago, USA. In conversation with Jessie Kaur.

Tell us a bit more about the pageant.

There are heaps of pageants in Australia but Australian Galaxy Pageant stood out to me because I got a lot of good feedback and many of my friends have taken part in it. Many contestants who have not won in the past have been re-entering, and the fact that they are willing to go back and keep on trying speaks a lot about the show.

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orn in Queensland, Jessie Kaur grew up in the small town of Innisfail. She went on to study beauty therapy and worked in two different clinics while also setting up her own company. Alongside, Kaur did modelling and fashion shows and even won the Harvest Queen of her town in 2005. All that stopped once she got married. She

Run us through the pageant. What happens from the beginning to the end?

We arrive on March 4 and have a preworkshop, followed by an orientation and interview session before a judging panel.

Next will be the swimwear round which will be off stage and judged the day before our finals. On the final day we have two rounds – fashion wear and gown wear.

How did you prepare yourself?

My preparation has been a little slow because I am working two jobs, but I do have a great support of friends and families. I have a good friend in my stylist who has been my backbone. There have been times when I said ‘I can’t do this’ but she has picked me up and showed me why I am doing this and why I am here.

Why did you decide to enter a pageant after ten years?

It has always been a passion, which was pushed aside because of my professional and personal obligations. However, the feeling comes back when you know the time is right and you say ‘OK I got to do something for me now’. I have taken care of my family and done everything and now I need to do something that gives me joy. I don’t want a career out of it, if that happens it would be perfect, but it’s my passion something I love and enjoy. So, this is my unwinding time when I do these fashion shows.

What message do you want to promote with other women from South Asian backgrounds?

I would say just go for it. When you are a wife or a mother, everyone thinks this is what you were meant to do. Especially for Punjabis, it is generally assumed that you are bringing shame to the family when you do something like this. But you are not harming anyone and when you have the support of your husband or family, you

should not care about anyone else. Once you take that step, people start looking up to you which is good. After getting married, people do neglect their passion and oftentimes are told ‘you are too old for this’.

There is no age limit. Do whatever makes you happy.

What are you most looking forward to in the future?

I just want a nice, stable, happy future for my little one. I would love her to do pageants, She is a people’s person but I want to build her confidence from a young age and be able to stand up in front of people and talk. That’s where I lack. I want to set a good example.

(As told to G’day India)

Meet this young squash champ from Bacchus Marsh Grammar

A

ccompanying her father to the squash courts every Saturday, Joanne Joseph began playing squash for fun initially. She started with the basics of hitting a balloon with a racquet and ended up playing her first tournament in 2017. Since then Joanne, 12, has been going for regular training and has been participating in local, state and national events across Australia. She has represented Victoria in the Australian Junior Championships in 2018 and 2019. She is also the U13 gold medal winner in the team. Recently, Joanne got accepted into the National Squad to play for Australia, adding a prestigious feather to her cap. She will play in the Under 13 girls division and represent Australia in the Trans Tasman series against New Zealand. The Trans-Tasman Test Series is an annual competition between the best Junior Squash players Australian and New Zealand have to offer. Joanne’s father Anil says, “It is a matter of great honour for us parents and also for the Indian community as a whole to have one of their own represent the country at the highest level.” A Bacchus Marsh Grammar Student currently in Grade 7 with full academic scholarship from Grade 7 to Grade 12, Joanne has also adjudged the Dux of the year - Grade 6.

She speaks about her game and more.

You are selected to be a part of the national team. How’s the preparation?

I must train at least five days a week and take part in tournaments. I am also part of the Victoria State Junior Performance program which involves intense workshops once a fortnight.

What does a squash player need to focus on?

A squash player needs to focus on fitness, athleticism, speed, hand-eye coordination, quick reflexes and strength the most. It’s essential that you have the required skills for the game but to be able to perform at the highest level

your endurance becomes very important.

To play the game effectively, a squash player needs to be able to move around the court with ease without getting overly tired too quickly. The mental skills play a very important part too as it’s not only about hitting the ball, but anticipating where you need to be on the court to make the next hit. As there is a lot of sudden and jerky sideways movement involved in the game, it’s important to be fit and strong to avoid injuries.

How do you see yourself achieving bigger targets?

One of my biggest targets was to be part of the National team. Now that I have achieved it, I need to make sure that my training and gameplay is always among the best in the country in my age group. My next target is to win the Under 19 Australian Junior Championships and also be part of the U17 and U19 Junior National team representing Australia in the Junior World Championships.

These can only be achieved by putting

in the hard work, being realistic of my shortcomings and working hard to overcome that.

How much time do you dedicate to squash every day?

I train four days a week for two hours each and have tournaments on the weekend. On an average I am on the squash court roughly 16 hours a week which includes physical training.

scholarship to the top squash players in the country provided they have good grades to back it up.

The one sportsperson you idolise?

I am a big fan of Heather McKay, a retired Australian squash player, who is considered by many to be the greatest female player in the history of the game, and possibly also, Australia’s greatestever sportswoman. She was also a top-level player of other sports, including For most Indian children, there is a field hockey and racquetball. McKay lot of emphasis on studies? How do won her first British Open (considered you balance both? to be the effective world championship Studies are more important to me than of the sport at the time) in 1962. She squash at any point of time. My parents then won it again every year for the next were very clear that they will allow me to 15 consecutive years, losing only two pursue squash at this level so long as my games at the championship during that grades at school do not fall below the 80 time. When she retired in 1981 at the per cent mark. It took some time for me age of 40, McKay had gone nearly 20 to balance squash and studies but I did years undefeated. very well in my studies at school in Year I have met her personally and she is 5 and 6. My ambition is to pursue future the most wonderful person and a great studies in one of the Ivy colleges at the supporter of Junior squash. university level. The Ivy colleges provide (As told to G’day India)

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G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

GETTING MARRIED IN AUSTRALIA

Obligations of Marriage Celebrants when Solemnising Marriage – Part II

Celebrant need to prepare three marriage certificates before the ceremony. The first is Official certificate of marriage, this need to be sent to the registry of births, deaths and marriages (BDM) after the ceremony, with the declaration of no legal impediment printed on the reverse side. The second is official certificate, which is celebrant’s copy and need to kept for future record.

The last one is the ceremonial marriage certificate; this is issued to the parties immediately after the ceremony.

Celebrant has to set out the rites used to solemnise the marriage on the marriage certificates. Before commencing the ceremony, ensure that there are at least two witnesses present who are over the age of 18 years. If relevant, an interpreter is present, and has completed the statutory declaration on the certificate of faithful performance by interpreter. Celebrant has to include the ‘monitum’ explaining the nature of the marriage relationship.

Celebrant need to include vows.

Parties must say the words in the Marriage Act for a civil ceremony. As a celebrant you must be satisfied that each party to the marriage is consenting to the marriage at all times before the conclusion of the ceremony. At the end of ceremony celebrants have to sign the marriage certificates. All three marriage certificates must be signed by the celebrant, the parties and the two

witnesses. Celebrant is required to hand over the Marriage Certificate to one of the parties.

After the ceremony If relevant, ensure the interpreter completes the certificate of faithful performance by interpreter.

Within 14 days of the ceremony, celebrant need to send the official certificate of marriage, declarations of no legal impediment, and NOIM together with any supporting documents to the registry of births, deaths and marriages (BDM) in the state or territory where the marriage took place.

Supporting documents could include statutory declarations, a certificate of faithful performance by interpreter, the court orders and consents authorising a minor’s marriage and/or a prescribed authority’s consent to a shortening of time.

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21

22

OFF BEAT

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

G’Day Mate

!

Teen’s book on growing up as an Indian-American stems from ‘lost’ identity

WASHINGTON, MAR 1: Aahana Chowdhuri, a student in San Jose, California, recently self-published “The Colors of My Dreams: An anthology about youth and emotion”, a collection of poems and other writings about her experiences as an Indian-American teen.

“I wrote these pieces when I started to feel lost about who I was,” the India-West newspaper said in a report citing an excerpt from her book.

“They reminded me about who I am and who I can grow to become from time to time we get sidetracked into the expectations that others have of us. To me, its important that we reaffirm ourselves of what we truly believe in.”

Chowdhuri is a junior at the Evergreen Valley High School in San Jose.

She is also part of the East Side Union High School District’s Articulation is Power programme, which offers students the opportunity to grow and discover their potential as writers, to develop their thoughts and venture into the world of self-publishing,” India-West quoted own creative spirit, and to publish an original piece after the completion of the Chowdhuri as saying.

“I am an avid believer in the ability to second year of the program. be true to yourself and to share your own “The Articulation is Power programme story, so I am grateful that I received the opportunity to express myself.” gave me an avenue to develop my style as a writer, and it gave me the (Agencies) confidence I needed to express my

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G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

23

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24

MELBOURNE COMEDY FESTIVAL

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

Infusing Indian Art of Rasa With Comedy work well for the type of culture-themed comedy I do. My comedy is sometimes a little dark and blunt but it always on the side of the minority community I’m talking about. However, because the audiences in Melbourne are more politically correct than Brisbane, it can make them warier of those darker jokes before they realise you’re making a fair point that’s worth saying. So that’s a style issue I’ve been getting used to, but it’s my second year coming to Melbourne for the festival, so should be ready for it this year.

Tell us about your background and how you perceived comedy growing up in an Indian family and culture?

I was born in Kerala. My dad came from a coconut plantation and had trained up as a doctor and mum was a bit of a city girl living in Calicut. They met outside a college, got married and shortly after I was born we migrated.

We moved around a fair bit for dad’s work and I ended up growing up in England, Australia, Malaysia and rural New Zealand before coming to Australia after university. I’d studied journalism and commerce at university because I thought I could get into writing for a career but made a few uninspired career choices. I ended up working in a liquid fertiliser factory in an industrial estate far south of Brisbane, writing brochures, getting bossed around a lot and watching the days slip away.

M

oving away from the usual storylines and anecdotes, Australian-Indian comedian Ashwin Segkar is bringing a unique technique at the upcoming Melbourne Comedy Festival. Cultivating Rasa, the ancient Indian drama technique used in Sankrit drama about 1500 years ago, Segkar will rework it on modern stand-up comedy and theatre.

Segkar hopes to take the old Indian artistic idea of manipulating the mood of the audience. It has been said of Segkar, that he has it all: ‘funny lines, creativity, intelligence, humility, and huge audience appeal’. In an exclusive chat with G’day India, Segkar talks about his craft, and more.

What made you take up comedy?

It’s fun. You get to share your ideas about life and make people laugh. And you have something that you can keep doing into your old age long after your knees and bladder have given way. The same isn’t true of indoor cricket. Comedy was also an escape from my office job. It doesn’t pay as well. In fact, you often pay to do it, say, travel to a pub in the middle of nowhere, buy a parmigiana for dinner and then on to stage for five minutes. But it’s more creative and has led into work in broadcasting and MCeeing events.

So, it can lead to an income if you’re lucky and put some work in.

Elaborate on the use of Rasa in modern stand-up comedy.

Rasa is about striking a particular mood in the audience. In India that was done using classical dance, theatre, costuming, colours, gestures and music.

Stand-up and story-telling are about using your words to draw people into a particular mood instead. So I do that in the show and support it by using primal sounds and short bits of theatre to draw people into one of the eight moods that India’s seers and artists believed were at the heart of human life.

How does it connect with the wider audience given that people’s understanding of certain culture can be quite limited?

Because I left India when I was one I grew up with western culture, so I try to use the tools of this culture (for instance, black symbolising sadness) to move the audience into the eight major moods that the Sanskrit dramatists worked with. These include fear, jealousy, mirth, fury, compassion, disgust, heroism and wonder. But I weave through them with a mix of emotion and humour.

So how would you describe your comedy style?

It’s comedy about life’s strange bits and the meeting of eastern and western cultures.

Do you find it easy to draw materials from your Indian background?

Yes, it’s a culture with so much to say about ethics, marriage, cooking, religion, ageing, love, family, work and the big questions of life - with quite different answers to the west. So, there’s a lot of material to draw on.

Do millennials understand your jokes?

I hope so. It’s hard to generalise, but younger audiences seem to respond more to surrealism than older audiences.

And they’re naturally more sensitive about jokes on race, gender and identity as social attitudes have changed quite a bit since the ‘70s and the ‘80s. The brutality of stand-up though is you get exposed to audiences of very different age groups and backgrounds so you quickly realise when you’re being irrelevant to them. I try to draw on everyday life and tell the truth so that it connects with people whatever their age or sensitivities.

Any challenges you foresee performing in Melbourne?

Although I live in Brisbane, Melbourne is more culturally diverse so it seems to

I have one brother who lives over in London, he’s doing very well and has a fun family life over there. I was into comedy and drama at school, but I wouldn’t say there was a lot at home. I think Indian culture can be a little more serious with the infusion of spirituality, family obligations, conservative social attitudes and the pressure to get ahead and make good money. But we need a safety valve to balance that out and I think stand-up is right for the job.

My parents most frequent question after a gig is still, ‘did you get paid’? The answer is usually no. Although comedy helped me find a role as a fill-in radio presenter on the ABC and I think they at least appreciate comedy’s ability to land you work that isn’t comedy.

What would you say the purpose or role of humour is in society?

Just to make life more fun.

And also point out uncomfortable truths. You’ve got a captive audience for whatever you want to say about life as long as you can make it funny. It also allows you to express darker thoughts as the context of a comedy night also lets you say things that would otherwise get you

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fired at work.

Indian society is quite prudish with a list of topics considered taboo.

Do you feel Australia gives you the freedom to touch those topics?

It does. Australia’s excellent like that.

Although when a society is prudish, there are more topics where you can skirt the line and get good laughs, so I think Indian comics are in an enviable position that way. When a society is so liberal that there are no lines to cross, there are also fewer ways to shock and prod them into amusement. Australia does have its lines too regarding race, gender and the like. There’s this idea that in comedy the laugh comes when you make a benign violation. You violate a social norm enough to titillate, but not so much that they turn against you and don’t laugh.

I think the hardest part of stand-up is learning where that line is and trying to hit it repeatedly. Especially when your audience is both Indians and non-Indian Australians who have very different lines to begin with.

Who are your comedy idols?

Idols might be a strong word even for an Indian like me. But I do enjoy watching Chris Rock for his energy, Stewart Lee for his deadpan surrealism, some local comics including Dusty Rich and Lindsay Webb for their incredible crowd work. At the moment, I try to watch more drama and YouTube videos and read articles and essays online or talk to my parents about their childhoods in India or my friends about their lives. I’m finding comedy comes from trying to spin real life in your own funny way, rather than trying to emulate other comics, no matter how much you enjoy their work.

(As told to Indira Laisram) (Ashwin Segkar will be performing from April 6 to April 19 at Tasma Terrace, 6 Parliament Place in Melbourne. www.comedyfestival.com.au/2020/shows/rasa)

PEOPLE

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Minnie Dhillon Joins Dynamic Team At DSA Law

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s Ms South Asia Australia/Australasia Globe and presidentelect of Rotary Club) and let’s not forget, a competent lawyer Jasmin Dhillon (aka Minnie) has many talents. With her new role as a lawyer at DSA Law she continues to raise the bar and list of achievements.

DSA is a vibrant, innovative firm where individual differences are celebrated. Recently DSA helped a client with establishing a cannabis dispensary, the first of its kind in Melbourne that will help people suffering from a range of medical conditions obtain cost effective relief following a consult with a trained professional instead of opting for the black market.

DSA Law is a fast growing and dynamic service-oriented firm with a human touch with offices in Melbourne CBD, Mornington Peninsula and Ballarat.

Originating from the practices of three senior Melbourne legal figures - Joseph Alesci, Joseph Di Mauro and Kimble Stynes - their combined 70+ years’ experience speak volumes. The trio joined forces just over four years ago and the firm now boasts nearly 40 staff, a new CEO and continuing aggressive growth.

Areas of practice include corporate and commercial law, litigation and dispute resolution, family law and mediation, personal injury law, property planning and construction law, employment and industrial relations, insolvency and taxation and debt recovery collections. No legal matter is too big or too small due to the broad range of legal experts and extensive networks of the partners and team.

Minnie is passionate about her South Asian cultural heritage and understands how migrants may experience confusion and feel intimidated when dealing with the legal system. This understanding also stems from her role as multicultural ambassador for the Mental Health Foundation Australia which aims to promote better mental health for all by way of advocacy, awareness, education, resilience and support.

DSA has rapidly made a name for itself as a no-nonsense, results driven commercial advisory and litigation firm with competency in all jurisdictions, including interstate, family and criminal law matters. Culturally, generationally and gender diverse, DSA bring a wealth of experience and perspectives to the table to solve your legal and commercial issues.

“We pride ourselves on standing shoulder to shoulder with our clients during difficult times and providing the sound commercial advice for them to grow their business” says founding partner, Joseph Alesci.

DSA Law is providing a special offer to readers of G’day India for any legal needs. You can call Minnie for a free initial consult on 03 8639 9950. www.dsalaw.com.au

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SPORTS

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

Karl Geiger wins 1,000th ski jumping World Cup event

Virat Kohli loses cool in presser following Christchurch defeat

HELSINKI, MAR 2: Germany’s Karl Geiger won the 1,000th ski jumping World Cup of all time in Lahti, Finland.

CHRISTCHURCH, MAR 2: India skipper Virat Kohli had a fiery exchange with a journalist who asked him to tone down his aggression following team’s crushing defeat in the second and final Test against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval.

Geiger had posted two jumps of 122.5 and 130.0 metres in the final which took place on Sunday, scoring 266.4 points to claim his fourth World Cup title in the season, reports Xinhua news agency.

Austrian jumper Stefan Kraft was second with a total of 260.5 points, while his compatriot Michael Hayboeck came third with 259.1 points for his first podium finish since 2018.

India lost the Christchurch Test by seven wickets on Monday, thus suffering from their firstever whitewash under Kohli and in the post-match presser, the Indian skipper was asked about his on-field antics during the match which didn’t go down too well with the 31-year-old cricketer.

After the first Test as well where India lost by 10 wickets in Wellington, Kohli -- while replying about India’s batting failures -- had said that there are a lot of people who want to get into their head knowing they are a side “who can beat On Day Two of the Test match, Kohli anyone anywhere” by making “too much was seen giving angry send-offs to Kiwi batters and animatedly celebrating the fall out of” loss at the Basin Reserve. of wickets during the first two sessions.

In 2018, he had lashed out at a On one particular instance, Kohli was journalist after the 1-4 Test series defeat even seen using an expletive towards the in England. crowd.

Speaking to reporters after culmination of the Test, one of the journalists asked Kohli: “Virat, what’s your reaction to your behaviour on the field, swearing at (Kane) Williamson when he got out, swearing at the crowd. As an Indian captain, don’t you think you should set a better example on the field?”

The Indian skipper got riled up with the question and told the reporter: “I am asking you the answer.”

Kohli had a tough New Zealand tour as he could manage to score just 50 runs in the four Test innings he played against the Black Caps.

NZ thrash India in Christchurch Test, clinch series 2-0

New Zealand came out with a brilliant performance, both with bat and ball, as they defeated India by seven wickets in the second and final Test at the Hagley Oval on Monday, thereby clinching the two-match series 2-0.

“You need to find out exactly what After bundling out India for mere 124 happened and then come up with a better runs in the morning session on Day question, I have spoken with the match Three, New Zealand chased down the referee, you cannot come here with half target riding on half centuries from its knowledge. Thank you.” openers Tom Latham and Tom Blundell This was not the first time that Kohli lost his cool in press conferences after (Agencies) India defeats.

Qatar MotoGP cancelled due to coronavirus DOHA, MAR 2: The opening race of the MotoGP season in Qatar, which was scheduled to take place on March 8, has been cancelled due to coronavirus (COVID-19).

In a statement, the international motorcycling federation (FIM) announced: “Due to Qatar travel restrictions brought into force affecting passengers from Italy (amongst other countries), the premier class will not race at the Losail circuit.”

“The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has resulted in Qatar travel restrictions being brought into force that affect passengers from Italy, amongst other countries. As of today, all passengers arriving at Doha on direct flights from Italy, or having been in Italy in the past 2 weeks, will be taken straight to quarantine for a minimum of 14 days.”

“Italy clearly plays a vital role in the championship and in the MotoGP class - both on track and off - and therefore the decision has been taken

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to cancel premier class competition,” the statement said.

However, the Moto2 and Moto3 world championship races will go ahead as planned at the desert track as riders and teams were already in the gulf state preparing for the event with winter testing.

“The lightweight and intermediate classes will therefore compete in their season opener from the 6th to 8th March. The same will apply to the Asia Talent Cup, which will have two races during the Qatar Grand Prix as originally planned,” the FIM further said.

Globally, around 86,000 people have been infected with COVID-19 and almost 3,000 people lost their lives.

The second round of the MotoGP season is scheduled to be held in Thailand on March 22.

(Agencies)

“My jumps were really, really good and it’s incredible that I could win the 1,000th World Cup competition. But winning is always special and you’re always happy about it, no matter if it’s the 1,000th or the 1,001st competition,” said Geiger.

With final four World Cup events left, Kraft now leads the overall table with

1,613 points, while Kraft is the only possible challenger in the battle of overall World Cup title, with 1,495 points to rank second.

In addition, the German ski jumpers had also dominated Saturday’s team competition with 984.1 points to top the podium, 2.3 points ahead of Slovenia and 4.8 points ahead of Austria.

(Agencies)

Short track speed skating worlds may be postponed LAUSANNE, MAR 1: The International Skating Union (ISU) World Short Track Speed Skating Championships could possibly be postponed to the end of this year, the ISU has announced here.

The ISU said that the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, which was originally scheduled for March 13 to 15 in Seoul, South Korea, couldn’t be staged as planned due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, reports Xinhua news agency.

Then the ISU considered the possibility of postponement or relocation in a new statement released on Saturday on its website, saying “a rescheduling and/or relocation of the Championships within the current season, even if the season would be extended by several weeks after its

normal end in early April, cannot be reasonably considered.”

“During the coming weeks, the ISU will evaluate in cooperation with all stakeholders whether the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2020 could possibly be held later in the year, but in any case not before mid-October 2020.”

The ISU also confirmed that all other ISU events for the season 2019-20 remained scheduled as planned.

(Agencies

La Liga: Real Madrid beat Barcelona to retake top spot MADRID, MAR 2: Real Madrid recovered the No. 1 spot in the La Liga Santander table on goals

by Vincius and Mariano, downing Barcelona in the 26th week of Spanish soccer action at Santiago Bernabeu stadium before 78,357 fans.

The soccer classic has become a contrast in styles marked by a psychological factor as Real Madrid -- fresh off discombobulating losses to Levante and Manchester City in Champions League play in the middle of last week - on Sunday evening went up against their eternal rivals with Barcelona seemingly favoured thanks to its recent triumphs under the leadership of Leo Messi, reports

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Efe news.

Barcelona had been unbeaten in its last seven outings against Zinedine Zidane’s boys in all competitions and had not lost to Real Madrid in La Liga play since 2016, but the capital team really dug deep and, in the end, managed to put together the combination that overcame their recent poor showings.

A good portion of play before the break revolved around long possessions by the Catalonian squad, but there seemed to be no real oomph to their efforts and thus they didn’t really threaten Real Madrid’s goal to any significant degree.

(Agencies

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TRAVEL

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f you are daring enough to travel for fun especially now when the ticket prices are lowest because of the coronavirus scare, the Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, USA is the perfect spot for a weekend of shopping, pampering, dining and laughter with your girls.

Work up a sweat Start your morning spinning to the beat of the music at SoulCycle. These full-body workouts and inspirational instructors will leave you feeling invigorated as you push yourself to the limit. Remember to book your spot in advance, as these popular classes fill up fast!

Natural Pilates and Physique 57 also offer full body workouts to help kick start your day. Natural Pilates classes are just shy of an hour long and range in difficulty from beginning to advanced Pilates. The Physique 57 method focuses on full body barre workouts which mix dance-inspired cardio, stretches and strength training available in different difficulty levels.

If you’re more focused on stretching and calming your mind, athletic clothing stores like Lululemon offers complimentary yoga classes on select days throughout each month. Contact the stores directly to see if they offer a class during your trip to Beverly Hills.

Or, if a brisk two-mile walk sounds more up your alley, head to Beverly Gardens Park for your morning activity. The park has many public art pieces on display such as The Drummer and Hymn of Life: Tulips. Remember to snap a group selfie in front of the iconic Beverly Hills Sign and Lily Pond!

Head here for brunch After working up an appetite, make your way to Mid-Century gem, Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills for brunch at Viviane. The in-

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

Beverly Hills: A bachelorette funhouse

door-outdoor eatery features bright colors, poolside dining and a cocktail menu meant to impress. Choose from tasty options as you sit poolside and unwind with your friends.

For brunch with bottomless mimosas, head over to THE Blvd at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel. Here, you can help yourself to the Bottomless Champagne Bar where you can build your own mimosa, just how you like it. Dining options include delectable choices such as Truffle Brothers, a two-egg frittata with black truffle, peas and pecorino romano.

Spa-ice up your day Spend the afternoon at Spa Montage.

Full day spa packages include a 3.5-hour experience with a 60-minute massage, 60-minute mineral re-balancing facial, a mani/pedi and a $30 lunch credit to use at any of the hotel’s restaurants. After your treatment, you and your friends can enjoy soaking in the Co-ed Mineral Wellness Pool and relaxing in the Eucalyptus steam room.

Thibiant Beverly Hills also offers a variety of spa treatments from facials and massages to body glows and mud wraps.

If you’d prefer a less time consuming experience, head to BAO Foot Spa on South Beverly Drive for a relaxing foot massage or a combo foot and body massage.

Dress it up Now that you’re feeling relaxed, head to Olive & June to dress up your hands and feet! The salon features a wall of over 350 nail polishes and offers eight different nail services. The Dree leaves you with shiny, natural-looking nails and finishes with your choice of a nourishing treatment or a specialty top coat of colour, while The Olive includes nail shaping, cuticle care, exfoliation and an extended massage.

Fancy a bit of nail art to go with your manicure? Using 5-free nail polish and gels, House of Polish is the place to go if you and your girls like to add a bit of personality to your nails.

Before you let your hair down Once your nails are done, visit Drybar on North Beverly Drive for a unique hairstyling experience. The salon concept was formed around a simple idea: “No Cuts.

No Color. Just blowouts!” Choose from 10 different styles which are cleverly named after cocktails, such as the Manhattan (completely straight), Uptini (styled updo) and Dirty Martini (loose waves), and enjoy a glass of champagne as your hair is blowdried to style.

Make yourself up After a day of pampering, it’s time for the finishing touches. Visit Valerie Beverly Hills, owned by celebrity makeup artist Valerie Sarnelle, for professional makeup application. With a celebrity clientele which includes Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Celine Dion and Cher, you’ll leave the salon looking and feeling like a celeb.

Another excellent option is MAC Cosmetics on North Beverly Drive where a makeup artist can find and apply the perfect shade of makeup for your skin and personality.

Put yourself together And now it’s time for the clothes! And what better place to strut your stuff than down the famous Rodeo Drive? With boutiques from some of fashion’s biggest names such as Chanel, Hermes, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo, Jimmy Choo and more, you and your friends will find many of your favorite designers along this threeblock stretch.

Located a block east of Rodeo Drive,

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Beverly Drive features chic and sophisticated boutiques, like COS, Sam Edelman, and Alice and Olivia.

Or, get lost in the vast department stores along Wilshire Blvd - aptly nicknamed Department Store Row. Barneys New York, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus provide hours of shopping entertainment.

From fashion to food After a day of pampering, fashion and experiences to remember, you’ve probably worked up an appetite. Your closest option after making your way down Rodeo Drive is 208 Rodeo Restaurant whose menu features a wide variety of options from farmer’s market burrata to oxtail gnocchi.

If seafood and steak are at the top of mind, then Ocean Prime must be calling your name! Oversized rounded booths and stunning herringbone floors set the stage to dine in style at this glamorous restaurant, located across from Wilshire Blvd’s “Department Store Row.” Looking to dine where Hollywood eats?

Head to The Grill on the Alley’s flagship location on Dayton Way, just off of Rodeo Drive.

If your group isn’t quite ready to wind down for the night, make your way over to SIXTY Beverly Hills and head upstairs to the hotel’s rooftop bar and lounge, A60.

Sip specialty cocktails under the stars and soak in the views of Beverly Hills, Century City and downtown Los Angeles.

For a more low-key nightcap, The Honor Bar is the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and relax with your friends. The bar is an intimate space, so remember to reserve a table for your group in advance.

(GDI)

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

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RELATIONSHIPS

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

53% Indian women get intimate outside marriage

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hattering the long-celebrated “pativrata” image of Indian married women, a new survey revealed that 53 per cent of Indian women admitted having already had an intimate relationship outside their marriage, as compared to 43 per cent of men.

Peer victimisation may lead to risky sex among teenagers

Over 40 per cent of married Indian women admitted of having had regular sexual intercourses with someone other than her spouse, against a 26 per cent of men admitting the same, according to the report from global extra-marital dating app Gleeden.

The research suggests that Indian women are pretty “open minded about infidelity”. The report, however, did not say that the search for a “lover” outside marriage could be due to stress or lack of happiness in the marriage.

“Indian women seem particularly open minded about infidelity, especially when it involves romance. Gleeden offers a virtual environment where start a new love story with likeminded individuals without the downside of a real-life affair,” Solene Paillet, Marketing Director of Gleeden, said during an event here where the report was launched.

Gleeden started its operations in India in 2017 and now claims to have over 8 lakh active Indian users.

“Women can have the full romantic experience, resting ensured that their privacy will be fully protected, and their secret will remain safe. That’s why Gleeden is attracting a bigger number of female users every day: it provides them with privacy, discretion, and

a choice of partners way beyond their usual circles,” she added.

Conducted online, the survey involved a sample size of over 1,500 people from across major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune and Ahmedabad.

Also, the target respondents were married individuals between the age group of 25-50 years.

The results showed that 55 per cent of Indian have already cheated on their spouses, especially women.

Nearly 50 per cent of married people in India confessed of having had an intimate relationship with someone other than the spouse,

while almost 5 out of 10 have already indulged in casual sex (47 per cent) or onenight stands (46 per cent).

In fact, 48 per cent of Indians believe that is indeed possible to be in love with two people at the same time, while the 46 per cent think that it is possible to be cheating on a person while still be in love with him/her.

This is probably why Indians are ready to forgive their partner in case they found out about the affair.

While 37 per cent would forgive the partner without a second thought, 40 per cent would do so if the circumstances were extenuating.

Similarly, they expect to be forgiven by their partner, said the report.

(IANS)

Why most young women are stressed about their sex lives

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ore than half of young women in Australia experience some form of sexually-related personal distress -- feeling guilty, embarrassed, stressed or unhappy about their sex lives.

Results showed 50.2 per cent of young Australian women experienced some form of sexually-related personal distress, with one in five women having at least one female sexual dysfunction (FSD).

The most common problem was low sexual self-image, which caused distress for 11 per cent of study participants.

Arousal, desire, orgasm and responsiveness dysfunction affected 9 per cent, 8 per cent, 7.9 per cent and 3.4 per cent of the study cohort, respectively, revealed the findings published in the international journal, Fertility and Sterility.

“It is of great concern that one in five young women have an apparent sexual dysfunction and half of all women within this age group experience sexually-related personal distress,” said Susan Davis, senior author and Professor of Women’s

According to the study published in the International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, in 2015, approximately one-third of high school students in the US reported having sex recently.

Of these, 43 per cent had not used a condom, 21 per cent had drunk alcohol or used drugs before sexual intercourse, and 14 per cent had not used any contraception methods.

“It is critical to create safe and private spaces for boys to share their experiences, and we hope that this research will encourage schools to consider efforts to destigmatize victimisation through peer mentorship and open communication,” said study researchers Youn Kyoung Kim from University of Tennessee.

For the study, the researchers analysed the 2015 Youth Risk Behaviour System Survey, a nationally representative survey of US high school students containing data from 5,288 individuals who reported having engaged in sexual intercourse.

They also examined gender differences in the relationships between four types of peer victimisation (school bullying, cyber bullying, physical dating violence, and sexual dating violence), depression, and risky sexual behaviours among US high school students.

A study conducted Monash University reported, for the first time, an overall picture of the sexual wellbeing of Australian women between the ages of 18 and 39.

A concerning 29.6 per cent of women experienced sexually-related personal distress without dysfunction, and 20.6 per cent had at least one FSD.

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esearchers have found that peer victimisation is associated with adverse psychological and behavioural problems, including depression and risky health behaviours, such as substance use and unprotected sex with multiple partners.

The results show that all types of peer victimisation are related to symptoms of depression for both females and males, and physical and sexual dating violence are associated with increased risky sexual behaviours.

Health at Monash University.

“This is a wake-up call to the community and signals the importance of health professionals being open and adequately prepared to discuss young women’s sexual health concerns.”

ic information.

The study, funded by Grollo Ruzzene Foundation, recruited 6,986 women aged 18-39 years, living in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

Professor Davis said if untreated, sexually-related personal distress and FSD could impact relationships and overall quality of life as women aged.

All women completed a questionnaire that assessed their sexual wellbeing in terms of desire, arousal, responsiveness, orgasm, and self-image.

Women who habitually monitored their appearance, and for whom appearance determined their level of physical selfworth, reported being less sexually assertive and more self-conscious during intimacy, and experienced lower sexual satisfaction.

Participants also evaluated whether they had sexually-associated personal distress and provided extensive demograph-

Sexual self-image dysfunction was associated with being overweight, obese, living together with partner, not married, married and breastfeeding.

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(AGENCIES)

However, school bullying does not predict risky sexual behaviours.

Among males, cyber bullying predicts increased risky sexual behaviours and the relationship is greater when a boy is depressed, the research said.

The findings suggest that adolescent boys who are cyber bullied pursue risky sexual behaviours more frequently than girls who are cyber bullied.

Results may reflect a culture of toxic masculinity and highlight the need to pay special attention to male victims, who may be reluctant to self-identify, and therefore, at greater risk of negative health outcomes.

(AGENCIES)

LIFESTYLE

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

Get rid of body odour

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5 ways to make your bedtime stories magical

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edtime stories for toddlers are no less of a golden opportunity to build and nurture your relationship with your child. This becomes further crucial for working parents who do not get the entire day to spend with their kids.

According to psychologists, while bedtime stories help forming a very good bond between kids and their parents, it also benefits the child in numerous ways like enhanced imagination and creative thinking, wider scope of knowledge, fun learning, better communication and problem-solving skills.

However, many parents, especially the new ones, struggle to understand as to how to fabricate bedtime stories more engaging, fruitful and magical for their young ones.

Author Apurva Bhuta suggests five ways you can use to reap better results:

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ach human has a natural, distinct smell, but it can turn into bad body odour due to certain factors.

“Body odour is an unpleasant smell caused by the breakdown of bacteria on the body into protein and certain acids that causes the smell. Often, body odour is prevalent in obese individuals, people who eat spicy food on a regular basis, or people with medical conditions such as diabetes or hyperhidrosis. Everyone’s odour is influenced by the person’s diet, gender, health and medication,” Dr. Shireen Furtado, Consultant Medical and Cosmetic Dermatology, Aster CMI Hospital says.

She suggests her top tips to get rid of body odour: 1. Maintain hygiene and keeping yourself clean is the primary way to reduce body odour.

2. Keep your armpits clean by using antibacterial soaps and shaving or waxing them on a regular basis to help reduce the body perspiration and smell.

3. Deodorants or antiperspirants help make the skin more acidic, making it more difficult for bacteria to thrive resulting in less sweat.

4. Foot odour can be prevented by washing your feet at least once a day, preferably with warm water. Try and walk barefoot around whenever you can to help aerate your feet.

5. Try and avoid spicy foods that can only make your sweat more pungent. Too much intake of red meat can develop more rapid body odour.

6. Detoxing your body cells as you cleanse your body by cutting on toxic substances can help you get the best results.

(AGENCIES)

Interact with your kids: When you are away from your kid the entire day, the first thing you should do during their bedtime is interact with him/her. As a parent, you should make it a habit to discuss with them about how their school and overall day was, what new things they learned today etc. Basically, build a process where they are heard.

This will help you understand your child better. It also will assist them to open up to you. Ask them what kind of stories they would want to hear and then narrate the ones they like..

Get into the characters: If you really want your child to enjoy bedtime stories, you

must get into the characters of the story.

Merely reading makes the activity of storytelling monotonous and boring. If you take the efforts of getting into the characters, your child will take more interest in listening and paying attention, as a result they will start to enjoy your narrations, enabling them to have a vivid imagination.

Become their friend: If you want to build a healthy relationship with your kid, it is important to gel with them. Transform yourself and become a kid like them. Act like a friend they could relate with so that they can actually enjoy the story before falling asleep.

Talk post narration: Your bedtime story should not end as the story ends in the

story book. The real benefit of bed stories could be reaped only if you hold a discussion with them about the story. Talk to them about the story, what they learnt out of it.

The purpose of the bedtime story is to inculcate good values in your kids such as honestly, humbleness, kindness. The best way to do so is to teach them the difference between right and wrong in a story format.

Put emphasis on education: Lastly, teach them the importance of education. Through the examples in the stories, show them how important it is to acquire knowledge and to educate oneself through the habit of reading. You must highlight the traits of an intellectual who is wise enough to face any situation which life has to throw forth. .

By Puja Gupta

Contraception myths busted

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nplanned pregnancies can be damaging to the mother, physically and emotionally, and the social and economic ramifications are harsh, both for the mother and her partner.

“It is observed that many young people avoid using contraceptives or discontinue use, either due to misinformation or because they are worried about side effects. It is important to dispel misinformation to ensure that young people choose a suitable method of contraception and continue to use it appropriately,” says Dr Anita K Mohan, Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician, SL Raheja Hospital, Mahim - A Fortis Associate.

She shares some common myths about contraception and explains why they are just myths.

Myth: contraceptives cause cancer!

Fact: Oral Contraceptive Pills actually reduce the risk of Ovarian and Endometrial (inner lining of the Uterus) Cancer, hence it is considered protective.

Some association may exist between the pills and breast cancer; consult your doctor before starting on a pill Myth: Condoms give 100 per cent protection from unwanted pregnancy Fact: Condoms give only 80 per cent protection, which means that 2 out of 10 couples using condoms can end up with a pregnancy. Same holds true for ‘Safe Period’ and �Withdrawal Method’. However, condoms do protect

against Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Myth: If I take pills now, I may never have babies in the future Fact: Oral Contraceptive Pills, or the combined oral contraceptives, are effective only while the woman is taking them regularly. As soon as she stops the pills, she can get pregnant - so there is no need to fear them Myth: Weight gain happens due to the pills Fact: Women gain weight due to various reasons, but there is no significant weight gain due to the pills. In fact, the pills can reduce menstrual bleeding and menstrual cramps. They also

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improve complexion and reduce facial hair and acne. The pills help to control Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and Endometriosis Myth: Contraception is a woman’s problem Fact: Pregnancy planning is a couple’s decision, so is contraception. The couple needs to find out which method is the most suitable for them; a gynaecologist can help them in this process.

The National Family Planning Program through ‘Hum Do’ aims to provide eligible couples with information and guidance on family planning methods and services available, to ensure individuals and couples lead a healthy, happy and prosperous life.

(AGENCIES)

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

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HEALTH

Aerobics may protect against Alzheimer’s disease

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esearchers have found that regular aerobic exercise not only improves physical health but also improves cognitive functioning, which might protect against Alzheimer’s disease.

less time sedentary after the training program ended, and performed better on cognitive tests of executive functioning (but not episodic memory).

Executive function, an aspect of cognition that is known to decline with the progression of Alzheimer’s, comprises the mental processes enabling individuals to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully.

“This study is a significant step toward developing an exercise prescription that protects the brain against Alzheimer’s disease, even among people who were previously sedentary,” said lead investigator Ozioma C Okonkwo from University of Wisconsin in the US. For the study, published in the journal Brain Plasticity, researchers investigated 23 cognitively normal, relatively young older adults with a family history or genetic risk for Alzheimer’s. All patients had a sedentary lifestyle.

They underwent a battery of assessments, including cardiorespiratory fitness testing, measurement of daily physical activity, brain glucose metabolism imaging (a measure of neuronal health), and cognitive function tests.

Half of the participants were randomly as-

signed to receive information about maintaining an active lifestyle but no further intervention.

The participants’ improved cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with increased brain glucose metabolism in the posterior cingulate cortex, an area of the brain linked to Alzheimer’s.

The other half participated in a moderate intensity treadmill training program with a personal trainer, three times per week for 26 weeks.

This research shows that a lifestyle behaviour -- regular aerobic exercise -- can potentially enhance brain and cognitive functions that are particularly sensitive to the disease.

Compared to the participants maintaining their usual level of physical activity, individuals assigned to the active training program improved their cardiorespiratory fitness, spent

“The findings are especially relevant to individuals who are at a higher risk due to family history or genetic predisposition,” Okonkwo said.

(AGENCIES)

Dairy milk intake may up breast cancer risk

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esearchers have found that even relatively moderate amounts of dairy milk consumption can increase women’s risk of breast cancer -- up to 80 per cent depending on the amount consumed.

Dietary intakes were estimated from food frequency questionnaires (FFQ), also repeated 24 hour recalls, and a baseline questionnaire had questions about demographics, family history of breast cancer, physical activity, alcohol consumption, hormonal and other medication use, breast cancer screening, and reproductive and gynaecological history.

By the end of the study period, there were 1,057 new breast cancer cases during fol-

Early studies on the diet suggested red wine was a major contributor to the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet because it contains a compound called resveratrol, which activated a certain pathway in cells known to increase lifespan and prevent aging-related diseases.

However, the study, published in the journal Molecular Cell, suggests that it is the fat in olive oil, another component of the Mediterranean diet, that is actually activating this pathway.

According to the researchers, merely consuming olive oil is not enough to elicit all of the health benefits.

“Consuming as little as 1/4 to 1/3 cup of dairy milk per day was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer of 30 per cent,” Fraser said.

For the findings, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, dietary intakes of nearly 53,000 North American women were evaluated for the study, all of whom were initially free of cancer and were followed for nearly eight years.

T

he Mediterranean diet, which is commonly referred to as a heart-healthy way of eating, has been linked to a number of potential health benefits, now researchers have found that olive oil in this diet may hold the key to improving lifespan and mitigating aging-related diseases.

“We found that the way this fat works is it first has to get stored in microscopic things called lipid droplets, which is how our cells store fat.

And then, when the fat is broken down during exercising or fasting, for example, is when the signalling and beneficial effects are realised,” said study researcher Doug Mashek from University of Minnesota.

“Fairly strong evidence that either dairy milk or some other factor closely related to drinking dairy milk is a cause of breast cancer in women,” said study first author Gary E. Fraser from Loma Linda University in the US.

By drinking up to one cup per day, the associated risk went up to 50 per cent, and for those drinking two to three cups per day, the risk increased further to 70 per cent to 80 per cent, the researchers said.

Olive oil in Mediterranean diet may help you live longer

The study suggested that when coupled with fasting, limiting caloric intake and exercising, the effects of consuming olive oil will be most pronounced.

low-up. No clear associations were found between soy products and breast cancer, independent of dairy.

But, when compared to low or no milk consumption, higher intakes of dairy calories and dairy milk were associated with greater risk of breast cancer, independent of soy intake, the study said.

The researchers noted that the results had minimal variation when comparing intake of full fat versus reduced or non-fat milks; there were no important associations noted with cheese and yogurt.

“However,” he said, “dairy foods, especially milk, were associated with increased risk, and the data predicted a marked reduction in risk associated with substituting soymilk for dairy milk.”

According to the researchers, possible reasons for these associations between breast cancer and dairy milk may be the sex hormone content of dairy milk, as the cows are of course lactating, and often about 75 per cent of the dairy herd is pregnant. Breast cancer in women is a hormone-responsive cancer.

Further, intake of dairy and other animal proteins in some reports is also associated with higher blood levels of a hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which is thought to promote certain cancers.

“Dairy milk does have some positive nutritional qualities, but these need to be balanced against other possible, less helpful effects,” Fraser concluded.

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(AGENCIES)

The next steps for their research are to translate it to humans with the goal of discovering new drugs or to further tailor dietary regimens that improve health, both short-term and longterm.

“We want to understand the biology, and then translate it to humans, hopefully changing the paradigm of healthcare from someone going to eight different doctors to treat his or her eight different disorders,” Mashek said.

“These are all aging-related diseases, so let’s treat aging,” Mashek added.

Another study, published in the journal ‘Gut’, showed that following a Mediterranean diet boosts the types of gut bacteria linked to ‘healthy’ ageing, while reducing those associated with harmful inflammation in older people.

The study found that following a Mediterranean diet for a year could help keep the mind sharp and reduce frailty in old age.

(AGENCIES)

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

ASK Dr. Raj… WARTS: Q: Hello Dr Raj, My wife has developed sev-

eral knob like growths on her face, arms etc in the last one year. Initially we noticed 2 such growths, one on the chin and other at the tip of the nose. These were freezed first and then laser burned when they reappeared later within 3 months. Now these growths are multiplied and we are greatly concerned that these may continue to spread and about health implications. This started shortly after my wife went for an aid camp as a volunteer. Mr. A.

A:

Dear Mr.A, Warts are common, and are caused by a viral infection (viruses in the human papillomavirus (HPV) family) and are contagious when in contact with the skin of the infected person. Warts usually disappear after few months however can also last several years and reoccur. Warts can grow on various parts of the body, face, inside the mouth, genitals, hands, fingers etc. Also warts are of different types such as flat and filiform warts (more common on the face), plantar warts, mosaic and genital warts etc.

Your wife could have picked up the virus in her travels or the virus could have been dormant and manifested at an available opportunity.

Characterstic of the wart and location of the wart is important when treating it Homeopathically. Homeopathy has a proven track record in treating warts and also preventing their recurrence. The ideology behind this is not everyone exposed to the virus get warts. This is because of the strength of their immune system and its response. Homeopathic remedies will stimulate a similar response in the affected person’s immune system, thus the warts gradually dry drop off and in most cases do not reoccur. Although few cases may not respond, in most of the cases positive results can be achieved.

Freezing of warts is called Cryotherapy. The wart is sprayed with liquid nitrogen at very low temperatures allowing the wart to drop off. Side effects include pain, swelling, scaring and the results are not permanent. Laser treatments burn off the wart but once again, may not be a permanent solution because the virus which causes the wart is still well and truly alive.

Health tip: DRYNESS OF EYES - HOMEOPATHIC RELIEF: Q: Hello Dr Raj, I have very dry eyes and

because of this my eyes become very sore.

My eyes burn, are irritated most of times and reading etc is very difficult. I have tried several over the counter remedies but of little help. Can Homeopathy help? Ms.B.

35

Cantaloupe is high in the antioxidant beta-carotene, which helps reduce the risk of developing cataracts. It is also the perfect diet food since it has half the calories of most other fruits.

5 Best treatments you can have to create a beautiful smile and prevent decay and gum disease

A:

Dear Ms.B . Dry eye is becoming a very common problem. This could be due to the nature of your work (excess computer exposure) or due to age (as lesser tears are produced), climate (such as too much air conditioning), less blinking or due to a clinical condition called Xeropthalmia etc.

Homeopathy has excellent internal remedies and effective eye drops to help you in this regard. Along with Homeopathic remedies I insist on eye exercises to maintain eye health and few lifestyle changes.

3 table spoons of flax seed oil each day will help re moisturise the eye. Increase your intake of green leafy vegetables and try the combination of 3 carrots, a piece of beetroot, a small piece of ginger, a good squeeze of lemon juice and a piece of bottle gourd if you can find it. Also eat a piece of Amla(Goose berry) each day. Then see the wonder. Ensure that your eyes receive a break often. Rub both palms together quickly for 8-10 seconds. This friction creates a mild heat. Close eyes and cup your palms on them without pressure to create complete darkness.

Each morning upon waking (either before or after using the toilet), fill your mouth with water and hold for a few seconds with your eyes closed. Spit it out and repeat 2-3 times.

And also remember that dry eyes can be very effectively treated by Homeopathic remedies, combined with proper eye care.

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.

Given the eating habits and the type of food they consume, children are at great risk of tooth decay and gum diseases.

More than often children come face to face with a dental issue. Fortunately, there are treatments that work as preventions to tooth decay and gum diseases. Those treatments are as follows: Scaling and Root Planing Scaling is a method used to deeply clean teeth surfaces to remove plaque and tartar. Teeth are thoroughly cleaned on all surfaces including near the gum line.

Root planing is used to smoothen the teeth surface. This is done in order to remove any rough spots or bacteria present on teeth.

Children who eat more sweets and do not follow a healthy dental hygiene routine need to go through this.

Sealants Sealants are thin plastic coatings applied to teeth surfaces to prevent plaque formation, which ultimately leads to decay. They are particularly helpful for the chewing surfaces of the molar teeth in children as that’s where the majority of tooth decay starts. Sealants make the roughness of the top surface of molars unfitting for bacteria by acting as a barrier between teeth and bacteria.

Fluoride Treatment Fluoride is an important dietary element and its deficiency can lead to tooth decay.

It is often found in tap water. The children who do not consume enough Fluoride often find their enamel weaker than those who do. Our dentists decide the right amount of Fluoride for treatment in the form of varnish or rinse for each child individually. The fluoride varnish may be applied by a cotton swab. It is very important to share every detail about the dental and overall health of your child before going for this procedure.

After undergoing Fluoride treatment, no food should be consumed for 30 minutes to

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ensure maximum absorption of Fluoride.

Flap Surgery This can also be called as flapping. It involves a surgical procedure to clean tartar build-up by lifting gums back. After the cleaning, the gums are stitched back in a original position to hold the teeth tightly.

Flapping is necessary to keep deep pockets clean and free from bacteria. Cleaning can even reduce the size of the pockets over time.

Bone and Tissue Grafting Grafting involves the use of a patient’s own bones or soft tissue fragments to enhance growth at damaged parts. When a part of bone or gums is reduced or lost due to decay and bacteria, new fragments are taken from healthy body parts of a patient or donor. These new fragments are filled at damaged positions to grow. For soft tissue, grafts are mostly taken from the roof of the mouth.

It is essential to follow a healthy oral hygiene routine and instill these habits in children from as early as possible. Make dentist visits a must for your children. Healthy teeth and gums ensure good overall growth of children. Healthy Smiles Dental Group provides paediatric dentistry in various other forms to keep your children smiling.

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

36

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

Tai Chi can treat chronic low back pain in older adults

New teeth gel may prevent dental cavities, tooth decay

R

esearchers have developed a bioactive peptide that coats tooth surfaces, helping prevent new cavities and heal existing ones in lab experiments.

Cavities, or dental caries, are the most widespread non-communicable disease globally, according to the World Health Organisation.

Having a cavity drilled and filled at the dentist’s office can be painful, but untreated caries could lead to worse pain, tooth loss, infection, and even illness or death.

Conventional treatment for dental cavities involves removing decayed tissue and filling the hole with materials, such as amalgam or composite resin.

However, this procedure can damage healthy tissue and cause severe discomfort for patients.

P

racticing Tai Chi at a young age can protect you from developing chronic low back pain in adulthood, a new study suggests.

Tai Chi is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for both its defence training, its health benefits and meditation.

The study, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM) evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of using Tai Chi to improve chronic low back pain in adults over 65 years of age compared to health education and usual care.

“Many of us have become familiar with pictures of large groups of older people in China or Hong Kong practicing Tai Chi together. The study suggests that older adults here in the United States may similarly find such practices acceptable and useful, “ said John Weeks from JACM journal in the US. Tai Chi has been shown effective for improving chronic back pain yet with little attention to older adults.

For this study, researchers focused only on adults older than 65. Participants were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of Tai Chi, a 12-week health education intervention, or usual care.

Measures of recruitment and retention contributed to the determination of feasibility, the researchers said.

The findings indicate that the study was feasible and had acceptable recruitment, few dropouts, and an excellent safety profile.

Among the Tai Chi participants, 62 per cent attended at least 70 per cent of the classes during the 12-week intervention period.

Remarkably, at 52 weeks, 70 per cent of Tai Chi participants reported having practiced the week before, with a median of 3 days per week and 15 minutes/session.

Both participation and perception of helpfulness were lower in the health education group, according to the researchers.

“Though more research is needed on treatments for chronic low back pain in older adults, our study showed that it’s feasible to do a clinical trial of Tai Chi for this condition,” said study researcher Karen Sherman from Washington University in the US. (AGENCIES)

For the findings, published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, research team from the Hong Kong University in China, wanted to develop a two-pronged strategy to prevent and treat tooth decay.

Prevent colonisation of the tooth surface by the plaque-forming bacteria that cause cavities, and reduce demineralisation, or the dissolving of tooth enamel, while increasing remineralisation, or repair, said study researchers Hai Ming Wong and

Quan Li Li .

The researchers based their anti-cavity coating on a natural antimicrobial peptide called H5.

Produced by human salivary glands, H5 can adsorb onto tooth enamel and destroy a broad range of bacteria and fungi.

To promote remineralisation, the team added a phosphoserine group to one end of H5, which they thought could help attract more calcium ions to repair the enamel than natural H5.

According to the study, they tested the modified peptide on slices of human molars.

Compared with natural H5, the new peptide adsorbed more strongly to the tooth surface, killed more bacteria and inhibited their adhesion, and protected teeth from demineralisations, the study said.

Surprisingly, however, both peptides promoted remineralisation to a similar degree.

After brushing, people could someday apply the modified peptide to their teeth as a varnish or gel to protect against tooth decay, the researchers said.

(AGENCIES)

Night-shift workers at risk of heart disease, diabetes

R

esearchers, including one of an Indian-origin, have found that shift workers are at a significantly increased risk for sleep disorders and metabolic syndrome, which increases a person’s risk for heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

Night-shift workers are especially prone to developing sleep disorders and metabolic syndrome. The risks increase even more for those who work irregular or rotating shifts, said the study, published in ‘The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association’.

“The strength of our economy and safety of our society depend heavily on night shift workers, it is critical we address the health issues facing people in this line of work,” said Indian-origin researcher and study lead author Kshma Kulkarni from Touro University in the US. One study found nine per cent of nightshift nurses developed metabolic syndrome, compared to only 1.8 per cent of day shift nurses. Other studies have noted that risks gradually increase with accumulated years of shift work.

According to the researchers, working nights disrupts individuals’ circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock responsible for neural and hormonal signalling.

Once a person’s circadian rhythm is desynchronized from their sleep/wake cycle, they will likely experience disturbances in hormonal levels, including increased cortisol, ghrelin and insulin and decreased serotonin, among others, the study added.

The cascade of hormonal changes is what prompts the development of metabolic disorders and causes people to develop multiple chronic conditions.

Sleep in a 7- to 8-hour block every 24 hours, ideally at the same time each day and schedule the main block of sleep as close to evening or night as possible to minimize circadian disruption, the researchers recommended.

Prior studies have shown shift workers are more likely to eat snacks higher in sugar and saturated fat while consuming less protein and vegetables, and more likely to skip meals.

Take an additional nap for 20 to 120 minutes earlier in the day to prevent fatigue, they added.

“It’s true that getting enough sleep, eating right and exercising are critical to everyone’s health,” Kulkarni said.

Exposure to light promotes wakefulness in general, so researchers recommend night shift workers increase their light exposure prior to and throughout their shifts.

“However, the nature of shift work is so disorienting and discordant with those principles, we really need to help people in those jobs strategy ways to get what they need,” Kulkarni added.

(AGENCIES)

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G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

37

Walnuts can help you stay Green tea plus exercise may reduce fatty liver disease sharper at old age

P E

ating walnuts may help slow cognitive decline in at-risk groups of the elderly population, a new study suggests.

The research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that walnut consumption by healthy, elderly adults had little effect on cognitive function over two years, but it had greater effect on elderly adults who had smoked more and had a lower baseline neuropsychological test scores.

“While this was a minor result, it could lead to better outcomes when conducted over longer periods of time,” said study researcher Joan Sabate from Loma Linda University in the US. “Further investigation is definitely warranted based on our findings, especially for disadvantaged populations, who may have the most to gain from incorporating walnuts and other nuts into their diet,” Sabate added.

The study examined nearly 640 free-

living elders in Loma Linda, California, US, and in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

For two years, the test group included walnuts in their daily diet, and the control group abstained from walnuts.

Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols, which have previously been found to counteract oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which are drivers of cognitive decline, the researchers said.

According to the researchers, this was the largest and most well-controlled trial ever conducted on the effects of nuts on cognition.

Sabate and his research team were the first to discover the cholesterol-lowering effect of nut consumption -- specifically walnuts -- with lowering blood cholesterol. Findings were first published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1993.

(AGENCIES)

eople suffering from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease may benefit from regular exercise and replacing highcalorie beverages with decaffeinated, diet green tea, suggests new research.

in the livers of a control group of mice.

The researchers found that a combination of green tea extract and exercise reduced the severity of obesity-related fatty liver disease by 75 per cent in mice fed a high-fat diet

In addition to analysing the liver tissues of mice in the study, which was published recently in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, the researchers also measured the protein and fat content in their faeces.

Although untested in human trials, the results suggest a potential health strategy.

“Combining the two might have health benefits for people, but we don’t have the clinical data yet,” said Joshua Lambert, Associate Professor of Food Science at The Pennsylvania State University in the US.

Mice that were treated with green tea extract alone or exercise alone had roughly half as much fat in their livers as the control group.

They found that the mice that consumed green tea extract and exercised had higher fecal lipid and protein levels.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a significant global health problem that is expected to worsen, Lambert said.

“By examining the livers of these mice after the study concluded and by screening their faeces during the research, we saw that the mice that consumed green tea extract and exercised actually were processing nutrients differently -- their bodies were handling food differently,” Lambert said.

Because of the high prevalence of risk factors such as obesity and Type-2 diabetes, fatty liver disease is forecast to afflict more than 100 million people by 2030. And there are currently no validated therapies for the disease.

“We think the polyphenols in green tea interact with digestive enzymes secreted in the small intestine and partially inhibit the breakdown of carbohydrates, fat and protein in food,” he added.

In the study, mice fed a high-fat diet for 16 weeks that consumed green tea extract and exercised regularly by running on a wheel were found to have just a quarter of the lipid deposits in their livers compared to those seen

“So, if a mouse doesn’t digest the fat in its diet, that fat and the calories associated with it pass through the mouse’s digestive system, and a certain amount of it ends up coming out in its faeces,” he said.

(AGENCIES)

Running marathons may up heart attack risk

W

hile aerobic exercise generally benefits health, extreme endurance exercise -- like marathon and triathlon -- can raise a person’s risk for sudden cardiac arrest and atrial fibrillation, according to a new study.

For women, who comprised only 15 per cent of the study’s population, the occurrence of sudden cardiac death was 3.5 fold less than in men.

Among participants in triathlons, almost 40 per cent of cardiac events occurred in firsttime participants, indicating that inadequate training or underlying heart problems may be involved.

After reviewing more than 300 scientific studies, the research team found that physically active people, such as regular walkers, have up to a 50 per cent lower risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death.

However, the team also identified potential risks with intense exercise training, according to the study published in the journal Circulation.

“Exercise is medicine, and there is no question that moderate to vigorous physical activity is beneficial to overall cardiovascular health. However, like medicine, it is possible to underdose and overdose on exercise -more is not always better and can lead to cardiac events, particularly when performed by inactive, unfit individuals with known or undiagnosed heart disease,” said Barry A Franklin, Professor at Oakland University in the US.

The research team also found that half of cardiac events occur in the last mile of a marathon or half-marathon, so maintaining a steady pace rather than sprinting is advised.

“More people are running marathons, participating in triathlons and doing high-intensity interval training. The purpose of this statement is to put the benefits and risks of these vigorous exercise programmes in perspective,” Franklin added.

The research group also reviewed a small study that concluded that the risk of sudden cardiac death or heart attack is low among people participating in high-intensity exercise

such as marathons and triathlons.

However, over time, the risk of heart attack or sudden cardiac death among male marathon participants has risen, suggesting that these events are attracting higher risk participants (those who may have an underlying or undiagnosed cardiovascular condition such as heart rhythm abnormalities or a prior heart attack).

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The risk of cardiac events is greater at high altitudes, but can be decreased by spending at least one day acclimating to the elevation prior to strenuous activity, the study said.

For people who want to become more active, the researchers suggested that most people can start a light programme of exercise and build up slowly to a moderate to vigorous exercise regimen.

(AGENCIES)

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

38

Blessed to be acting at a time when I can root for social causes:

AYUSHMANN KHURRANA

A

yushmann Khurrana has proved himself time and again by portraying characters not many have tried before, and he feels blessed to be an actor at a time where he can stand up and root for social causes on screen.

Shabana Azmi ji’s incredible performance and Nandita Das’s heart-wrenching acting in ‘Fire’, Sanjay Suri and Purab Kohli’s vulnerability in ‘My Brother Nikhil’, Manoj Bajpayee’s brilliance in ‘Aligarh’, and Kalki Koechlin’s strength in ‘Margarita With A Straw’.”

On his new film “Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan”, Ayushmann feels the film has been successfully made, released and accepted is because even before same-sex relationship became legal in India, many actors stuck their neck out and given the audience some brilliant work on the subject. He says he has all those actors and films to credit first.

Ayushmann also mentioned films that brilliantly took on the stereotype faced by the LGBTQ+ community.

“The fact that ‘Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan’ is a success today is because the path was made for it by others. Many before me have toiled hard to make the path smoother. We have to realise and acknowledge the monumental work that was done by some of the finest actors of Indian cinema much before me,” he said.

He added: “Before ‘Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan’, our industry has also made some of the most soul-touching films on the subject. I don’t think we can ever forget

Diana Penty

“Films like ‘Kapoor And Sons’, Karan Johar’s ‘Bombay Talkies’ and Sonam Kapoor’s ‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga’ have all depicted and handled samesex relationships with profound thought, dignity, and sensitivity,” he noted.

“Today, ‘Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan’ is being celebrated the world over and I have to share this moment with all the actors and directors who had taken it on themselves to promote inclusivity in our country. This is a very special moment in my life and I’m cherishing all the love that my film and my performance is receiving and I feel blessed to be acting at a time where I can stand up, back and root for a social cause like this,” he declared.

(GDI)

BHUMI, KIARA

go topless for calendar shoot

A

Acting more challenging than modelling:

B

ollywood actress Diana Penty who began her career as a model says that even though she misses doing runway shows, she won’t be able to go back to it full time.

“I used to love doing the runway shows when I was a model and I miss that sometimes now.

But it’s great to go back to it every now and then as ‘showstopper’.”

The “Cocktail” actress, however, adds that acting is more challenging a job and it keeps her going.

“For me, acting is way more challenging because it pushes you to get out of your comfort zone and try new things with each film. I love challenging myself; it’s what keeps me going. So as much as I love my time as a model, I don’t think I’d be able to go back to it full time,” said Penty.

Talking about the best memories of being a model, she said: “Working and modelling in New York was definitely a life changing experience for me. Walking the shows at New York Fashion Week was such a great high. I will never forget those days.”

The leggy beauty is currently shooting for “Shiddat” which will release later this year.

“It’s an intense love story, which is something I’ve never attempted before. So, I’m really looking forward to it. It’s also really special as I’ll be working with the Maddock team again for the first time after ‘Cocktail’.

ctresses Bhumi Pednekar and Kiara Advani showed their bold avatar in a new calendar shoot.

By Puja Gupta

Celebrity photographer Dabboo Ratnani has unveiled the latest edition of his celebrity calendar.

Bhumi also took to social media to post the photo in which she is posing on the bathtub sans clothes.

She captioned it: “July 2020 #dabbooratnanicalendar.”

Calendar! @dabbooratnani @manishadratnani.”

Kiara, on the other hand, held a banana leaf for the shoot. She captioned the photo, which she shared on social media: “A leaf out of #DabbooRatnani-

Actress Sunny Leone, who gave updates on social media from the calendar’s launch event, is seen sitting with her legs crossed and holding a big

book with no clothes on.

Actor Vicky Kaushal too went shirtless. He is seen taking a dip in a pool in the photo.

(GDI)

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G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

T

JUN 39

Shah Rukh Khan to support a young researcher’s dream

he Shah Rukh Khan La Trobe University PhD Scholarship, which was named after the superstar last year, has been awarded to a young female researcher from Kerala. The actor says he is a staunch believer in education.

It has gone to researcher Gopika Kottantharayil Bhasi from Thrissur (Kerala), working on farming practices through animal science, ecology and molecular studies.

Chosen from over 800 Indian women, she was awarded the four-year scholarship at a ceremony in Mumbai.

“I’m a staunch believer in education and I would like to congratulate Gopika. Way forward for everyone is educate and there’s never an end to education,” Shah Rukh said.

“Empowering and educating women is key and the world goes forward with educating women. I think education in India or anywhere else in the world is a step forward.”

He feels that Gopika is lucky as she’s soon going to be studying at La Trobe which is a “fantastic university and I’m glad she’s getting this opportunity to do this PhD on her research”.

“I admire Gopika’s dedication and determination. This scholarship will enable her to travel to La Trobe in Melbourne, Australia where she will pursue her dreams of helping to improve India’s agriculture sector,” he added.

This comes before the Indian Film Festival of

Melbourne will enter its eleventh year. The team had organised a prelude event in Mumbai before their main event in Melbourne.

“It has been an overwhelming journey that has gathered strength from all quarters in the past 10 years. The content landscape has changed and it’s heartening to see lines between commercial and independent cinema blurring. It’s the celebration of great stories

now,” said festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange.

“IFFM continues its dedicated work towards supporting diverse voices and cinema. I am ecstatic about the initiatives we have taken, especially our association with La Trobe University, which takes us beyond what is covered under the purview of a standard film festival. We are looking at the growth of a

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community and taking the spirit of cinema to the masses. Having Mr Khan support a young researcher’s dream is a step towards us collectively furthering our social responsibilities.”

“We are also really excited to launch our Inclusive Film making workshops that further advocates true inclusive film making both behind and in front of camera,” she added. (GDI)

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

40

KAREENA KAPOOR

Nora Fatehi: I’m finally reaching my goals

reveals fitness secrets for fans

B

ollywood actress and style diva Kareena Kapoor Khan has shared her fitness secrets for fans.

Although the actress is on social media, she doesn’t use it much, to reveal gym regime details. Rather, Kareena’s workout and gym secrets have constantly made it to social media courtesy her best friend Amrita Arora and celebrity trainer Namrata Purohit.

Other than working out, Kareena strongly believes that a healthy attitude towards life and good food are the right tricks to stay healthy.

Kareena, who is nicknamed Bebo, shared that she starts her day by drinking a glass of hot water mixed with lime. Breakfast must include poha or upma.

The actress avoids junk food and makes sure to eat homecooked food for lunch and dinner.

She has her last meal of the day at around 8pm.

Workout is a must. Kareena is a Pilates girl, though her workout session also includes battle rope exercises, kettle-bell squats and boxing.

She works out four days a week .

(GDI)

A goals.

ctress Nora Fatehi, who is all set to perform at the L’Olympia Bruno Coquatrix in Paris, is more than happy as she is finally reaching her

L’Olympia Bruno Coquatrix, Paris has been one of the most iconic concert venue, where popular global names such as Madonna, The Beatles, Janet Jackson, Pink Floyd, Beyonce and Taylor Swift among many more have performed.

“I pinch myself knowing that I get to share the same stage as the likes of Madonna, Janet Jackson... It’s a huge honour and achievement at such an early stage in my career. From performing as a child in my school stage to performing on such a huge prestigious international stage is a dream come true,” Nora said.

The show was slated to be held on February 20.

Nora’s performance will be a fusion of urban Bollywood and Arabic styles.

“I have always wanted to have my own powerful singing Dance act and its finally happening! My performance is a fusion of urban Bollywood and Arabic styles on all my hit songs from Bollywood and my very own international track ‘Pepeta’ and Arabic ‘Dilbar’!

I create my own workout plan:

KATRINA KAIF

A

ctor Katrina Kaif, a fitness icon and inspiration to many at 36, says she gives a lot of importance to fitness and even creates her own workout plan.

“I give a lot of importance to fitness and workout seven days a week for at least 1-3 hours. I like to challenge myself, which is why I create my own workout plan, it’s a mix of squats, push ups, lunges.

“I also do Pilates and Yoga. Lots of cardio, weight training as well as functional training. I also indulge in a lot of trendy workout which includes TRX, Bosu Ball, Kettlebells or Power plates,” Kaif said.

These days, the top actor is being seen in a new brand commercial for Slice in a decade-old partnership that she says is “legacy” for

“I am finally reaching my goals to spread my talent and presence on internationally platforms and this is just the beginning,” she said.

(GDI)

Female actors are more vocal: Vidya Balan

her. With much emphasis on fitness, how does she regulate her food intake?

“As a rule, I always avoid three foods which are gluten, refined sugars and dairy products. I have four glasses of warm water in the morning, eat boiled vegetables and fruits every two? hours.

“Cereals, Oatmeal for breakfast, grilled fish, legumes, green salads for lunch. Bread with peanut butter for evening snack and soup, fish, salads for dinner. I like to keep myself hydrated all the time,” she said.

On the work front, Katrina will be seen in Rohit Shetty? -directed “Sooryavanshi” releasing this March.

By Siddhi Jain

A

ctress Vidya Balan feels that nowadays people in India are feeling worried that their wives, daughters, mothers are standing up and challenging their status quo. She also took jibe at male actors saying that they shut their mouths on relevant issues in the country whereas female actors are more vocal.

“I think female actors have been more vocal in a lot of ways and male actors don’t open their mouths at all, which is why we are told why don’t you stick to what you are doing. There have been threats issued. That’s only because we (females) are threatening their status quo,” said Vidya, while interacting with students at her alma mater St. Xavier’s College, at a conversation named ‘Arts’.

(TIW)

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G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

JUN 41

RITEISH DESHMUKH TALKS ABOUT PLAYING EVIL ON-SCREEN

A

ctor Riteish Deshmukh surprised the audience with his evil act in the 2004 film “Ek Villain”. He followed it up last year with “Marjaavaan” that presented him in a meaner role.

Talking about taking up negative roles in films, Riteish said: “Life is about positivity and being nice. I feel that at some point, we feel negative towards certain things. We might hate something, we might dislike someone, we might feel like punching someone and say, ‘I don’t want to see his face ever again’. Killing is extreme though.”

“I am just saying that these are the feelings that we are all filled with. We feel love, humour, empathy, compassion, hatred...but in overall behaviour of ours because of education and our upbringing, we know how to differentiate between good and bad,” added the father of two kids.

Riteish shared that he is currently at a stage where he is “teaching this to my children”.

“Saying ‘thank you’ is good, sharing toys is good, it’s okay to be second and not to win every time. These are the things you teach your children and prepare them for life. But there

Got lucky to start off with different platforms: Nora Fatehi

N

ora Fatehi feels her decision to start off with different platforms paid off and says all those experiences made her a better artist.

“My journey is still early on in my career because I am still very new. If I look at it from the beginning of my journey up until now, it has been amazing. I have learned so much and I am lucky to have received such a start,” Nora said.

“It is not like any other mainstream journey; a lot of people start off directly with movies. I got lucky to start off with different platforms like Tollywood movies, Bollywood films and reality shows.

So, being able to have that experience and opportunity, it has made me a better artist that I am today,” she added.

How has her struggles shaped her? “It made me a better artist. With the kind of struggle, I have been through I am more connected to my emotions as an actor and as a performer,” said the actress.

Nora moved from Canada to India a few years ago to become an actress in Bollywood. She managed to bag a few acting projects initially, including “Roar: Tigers of the Sundarbans” and “Crazy Cukkad Family” -- they all were low-profile and went unnoticed.

Then, her appearance on “Bigg Boss” and the dance numbers “Manohari” in “Baahubali: The Beginning” changed the tide.

People started noticing Nora, and soon she

was belting out the hit dance numbers, “Dilbar” (“Satyamev Jayate”) and “O saki saki” (“Batla House”). She will now be seen in dance movie “Street Dancer 3D”, which also features Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor.

Nora feels “Street Dancer 3D” will be a push for her career.

“We always hope for the best whenever we do any project, Any project that I have done on the TV show or a south film or a song in a movie. It has shown a huge positive impact on my career and I just hope ‘Street Dancer...’ does the same for me,” she said.

Explaining her thoughts, the actress continued: “It is a huge film and I have a very prominent and important role in it and the audience has the opportunity to see me dance and act at the same time. The positioning I have in this movie is something the people are looking forward to seeing and the experience shooting on the sets has been life changing as a performer. I am dancing in this movie in a very different style which I have never tried before and there is so many elements in the movie which are new for me and the audience to see. And I believe this will be a push in my career.

(GDI)

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are certain people... probably because of their own insecurities. We see that in the society, they take up different things... evil things. We have read about those people but on screen, to get an opportunity to play them and getting into their mind and getting that swag, I got to do that in ‘Ek Villain’ where I was trying to get into the insecurities of a man, who was a serial killer,” he said.

The beauty of the character, he felt, was that he was just a common man who could be anyone a light man or electrician or anybody. “And he could kill anyone and disappear in the crowd. If he didn’t kill, his insecurities would have been of a man in every building...those insecurities and depression. Not everyone resorts to taking lives though,” said the actor.

On the other hand, Vishnu in “Marjaavaan” is larger than life for Riteish. “He is three feet tall but is larger than life. He is evil and mean.

He has a great sense of humour. He has an evil sense of humour and he puts other people down,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Riteish is looking forward to the sucess of his film “Baaghi 3”, which also stars Tiger Shroff. .

(GDI)

42

FOOD

bon appétit

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

Did you know:

Puréed figs make an excellent substitute for fat (like butter or oil) in baked goods

‘Pull in Indian culinary scene to connect to roots’

I

ndia is the land of spices. With spices being used in Indian food to improve taste, aroma, flavour and colour of a preparation, it is no wonder that fine dining Indian restaurants are making age-old authentic delicacies and spices their selling points.

On the heels of a successful decade-long run in Rohini, Crowne Plaza’s restaurant Spice Art has recently opened in Greater Noida.

Chef Hardev Singh, MasterChef at Spice Art says the menu is a handpicked selection of North Indian

favourites with dishes from Punjab, Awadh and Mughlai cuisines. He has co-prepared the menu with Chef Qaleem Qureshi.

certain spices like turmeric are also considered therapeutic and are an important element in day to day Indian cooking,” he said.

Greater Noida is a great potential market for a fine dining authentic Indian restaurant as the city has a great corporate and HNI (high net worth individuals) residential base and lacks such fine dining options currently, Chef Hardev said.

“Indian culinary scene is extremely vibrant at present with a lot of innovations and fusions coming into play. However, there is an equal pull towards authentic recipes to connect back to roots and simpler ways of eating or cooking. With Indians settled abroad in various parts of the world, Indian cuisine has really gone global and is well accepted too,” he said.

Asked what has been the traditional role of spices in Indian cuisine, the seasoned culinarian says: “In India,

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His thoughts on the food trends that could pick up in India soon?

The industry is changing rapidly as more and more people are becoming aware of food and we are heading back to our roots searching for soul food, and comfort food with very basic ingredients, like grains or millets. Also, I have seen so many changes where people are turning vegetarian and choosing healthy and fresh food over non-vegetarian food.

By Siddhi Jain

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

43

Indian food has grown in Australia Stephanie Alexander

Veteran Australian restaurateur, food educator Stephanie Alexander AO, who is also known for her groundbreaking work in creating the “Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation” talks on the sidelines of a press conference to cater prospective Indian students, during her recent visit to India.

Q: Tell me something about the food scenario changing globally?

Alexander: It’s important that as time goes by, we continue to educate our children and young people about food.

I work hard to introduce the pleasures of good, fresh food to young children because I believe that what they grow up with will be reflected in the way they teach their own children and it’s very important that we give positive messages.

Q: How is Indian food perceived abroad?

Alexander: Indian food has really grown in Australia! It is a very popular cuisine with many young people, including those who have travelled extensively in India and have very happy memories of what they’ve experienced.

That’s why I have created a not-forprofit foundation which helps to educate children on the importance of fresh food.

It is currently operating in more than 10% of Australian schools and influences more than 200,000 Australian children each year.

Q: Take me through the food association between Australia and India Alexander: The food association between Australia and India has grown very quickly. In my thirties, Indian food existed in Australia but existed in a simple form. It did not adequately demonstrate the complexities or subtleties of regional Indian food.

As the years have rolled past and we have more Indian families living in Australia and more Indian students studying in Australia, it has been reflected in the complexity and intricacy of the food that’s available.

Q: Will any of the dishes you discovered be making their way onto your own menu?

Alexander: There is an industry trend in both Australia and India to offer pre-prepared foods for people that are time poor. In my opinion they are never as interesting as cooking with fresh ingredients, but there is no question that is on the rise in Australia and, I imagine, for some families here in India, too.

Another trend is that a small percentage of the population are Q: Describe a few interesting food becoming more and more interested industry trends. in things like organic food, and these people are being well catered for by

new businesses that are servicing that demand. On the whole though, it is relatively expensive and not something that the ordinary, working family is as interested in.

Alexander: It’s been a long time since I have been involved in cooking in a restaurant! I have been looking to buy an idli pan so that I can make them at home. I’ve really enjoyed idli and they seem to be a perfect vehicle for lots of Q: Describe your style of cooking? savory flavours and I think they’ll be very popular with children.

Alexander: Fresh food, chosen for what is in season. I cook it with love and My hunt for an idli pan is ongoing! usually, without too much fuss!

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By N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

44

B

FOOD TREND

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

Dharmendra launched new restaurant called ‘He-Man’

ollywood icon Dharmendra’s new farm-to-fork restaurant named He-Man, was inaugurated on Valentine’s Day. This is Dharmendra’s second restaurant after the popular Garam Dharam Dhaba.

‘He-Man’ is on the Karnal Highway.

Dharmendra, who is popularly known as the ‘He-Man of Bollywood’ wrote on Instagram before the opening: “Dear friends, after the success of my restaurant ‘Garam Dharam Dhaba’ now I’m announcing a first ever Farm to Fork

restaurant called ‘He Man’, friends, I truly appreciate your love, respect and belonging towards me. love you all... your Dharam.”

Dharmendra has been working hard to set up his farm-to-fork restaurant for a while now. He keeps sharing videos on social media of his farm, with farmers displaying fresh vegetables like cabbages, gourd, beetroot, brinjals, ladies fingers and fruits.

(AGENCIES)

‘Holi Ghee’ launched in USA

N

azia Aibani, a New York-based Indian American Muslim entrepreneur, has launched a special type of clarified butter called ‘Holi Ghee’ to add more taste to the Holi delicacies like ‘matthis’ and ‘gujiyas’.

Aibani, who originally belongs to Mumbai, owns Gourmet Ghee Company who she founded in 2017.

Asked about why she chose to come up with ‘Holi Ghee’, she said: “Holi Ghee is a specialty flavoured clarified butter we made to pay homage to my Indian roots.

Also with the turmoil going on, I felt it was important to show the one thing Indians have in common which is a love for food.”

On the unique flavour and what does

it taste like, the entrepreneur told Indica news: “This flavour was inspired by Holi, the festival of colours. We used rainbow-coloured crunchy sprinkles. This ghee is on the sweeter side with a rich spreadable taste and texture.

“I wanted this ghee to appeal to kids especially, to get into the spirit of the holiday, and to use all year around not just for one particular day. The taste is very smooth with a soft crunch, it can be used as a spread or also in baking.”

Gourmet Ghee offers clarified butter in other different flavours including roasted garlic, Celtic sea salt and toasted almond.

It sells for US $14 to $18 for a 9-ounce jar.

(AGENCIES)

Food delivery apps driving rise of ‘dark’ kitchens in India

F

irst things first. Food in the so called “dark” kitchens are not cooked with the lights switched off. They are called so primarily because of their delivery-only model.

The growing popularity of food delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato has led to a surge of such kitchens in India, which are also called “virtual” or “cloud” kitchens by some.

Some prefer to call them “ghost” kitchens as in many cases, you may not even know that they exist.

Did you know that popular eateries like Haldiram’s, Chaayos, Keventers, Saravana Bhavan and Vasudev Adigas, to name only

a few, have set up cloud kitchens in partnership with Zomato?

They have. And that is the reason why you get to order food from these eateries even in areas near where their restaurants may not exist.

ships tend to forge.

“We started this model in March 2018, when we realised that while a lot of budding entrepreneurs are setting up new restaurants and cloud kitchens, the pace of setting up new kitchen infrastructure has been lagging behind the demand for them,” Mohit Sardana, Chief Operating Officer, Food Delivery, at Zomato told IANS.

Through “Access”, restaurant partners can test new markets and expand intra and intercity, with no rent or deposit charged for the premises/infrastructure, Swiggy said.

“We wanted to accelerate the process of investment in kitchen infrastructure in areas facing a supply deficit and therefore, created the Zomato Kitchens model. Today, we are present in 50+ cities with 700+ kitchens that are already operational,” Sardana added.

One factor that has worked in favour of the food delivery platforms is the data they have about consumers’ preferences. Analysing these data allow them to gauge the nature of the demand of food a particular area generates.

Armed with these data, the food aggregators can confidently approach a restaurant business for cloud kitchen partnerships in new areas that are likely to generate handsome profits for both parties, according to people familiar with the way these partner-

Swiggy launched its cloud kitchen initiative “Swiggy Access” in 2018 and since then it has created over 1,000 kitchens for its restaurant partners.

Swiggy shares valuable insights not only regarding existing customer preferences, but also on unmet food choices with partner restaurants, thereby helping them fulfil the demand-supply gaps.

Restaurant partners are also able to leverage Swiggy’s insights to improve their food quality through consistent customer feedback and optimise their kitchens for factors like stock planning, demand forecasting, preparation time and order edits.

Swiggy said that it is committed to working with the restaurant partner community to bring in the necessary confidence and control to ensure there is no compromise in the safety of food.

The food delivery platform added that it mandates all restaurants and cloud kitchens operating on the platform to possess a valid Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence and additionally conducts hygiene audits across the restaurant

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partner network with credible third-party audit firms.

Zomato said that one of the biggest advantages of virtual kitchens is the relatively low investment and business risk.

“If you look at our model, we ensure the restaurateur is supported well enough to focus on what he does best -- food -- instead of being weighed down by compliances and high rentals, among other necessities. That too, with minimum investment. We also draft a customised growth plan with aggressive marketing support, which is unique to their business proposition,” Sardana said.

“These are delivery only dark kitchens and are not usually set up on high streets.

However, there will be a few locations which are on high footfall areas and can be easily spotted. On the app, all kitchen restaurants appear in the same manner to a user as any other delivery only outlet on our platform,” he added.

Zomato said that it has set for itself “high safety and hygiene standards”.

“We have invested time and energy in durable engineering to make sure that we deliver quality kitchens for our partners to use and expand into new markets, wherein with our support on compliances, they do not see the basics as a hindrance when opening up a new facility,” Sardana said.

(AGENCIES)

RECIPE

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

Kashmiri Gosht

Mild lamb curry

An extremely tasty and popular mild lamb dish. Kashmiri Gosht has been cooked using spices, yoghurt and nuts without the basic ingredients such as fresh onion, garlic, ginger or tomatoes.

Serves 4

BY MANJIT SETHI

recipe FOR MASALA: 1 tbsp poppy seeds 1 kg lamb on the bone, cut 2 tbsp cashew nuts (crushed) into pieces 2 tbsp almonds (crushed) 6-7 cloves 6-8 green cardamoms (crushed) 5 green cardamoms (bruised) 2 tbsp fennel seeds (powdered) 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 pinch saffron 4 bay leaves 1 tsp dry ginger powder 2-3 cinnamon sticks 1 tsp cinnamon powder 11/2 cup yoghurt (whisked) 11/2 - 2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder Oil to cook Salt to taste

Ingredients:

Method: Heat oil in a large non stick pot. Splutter the cloves, cumin, cardamoms, cinnamon and bay leaves.

Mix in the lamb and allow to cook on low heat for 20 -25 minutes.

Keep adding and stirring about 2-3 tbsp of yoghurt

from the private collection

at regular intervals to avoid curdling.

Grind the first five ingredients of the masala.

Add this and the remaining spices to the meat and stir well. Cook about 5 min on low heat.

Stir in enough water to enable to cook the meat.

Cook on low heat until tender and sauce is not too runny. Serve hot with Aromatic basmati rice, roti, paratha or naan along with fresh salad and pappadams.

Garnish:

Crushed nuts and fresh sprig of coriander

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46

ASTROLOGY

MESHA (Aries)

An excellent month, during which you would have ample opportunity to advance your financial prospects. Some of you could get the benefit of an unexpected windfall, a very welcome event from your point of view. most of you may 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 unaccounted income. Try to anticipate trouble spots and take remedial action well in time.A fairly beneficial month for your health.

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

SIMHA (Leo)

An excellent month for your career advancement, There is a distinct possibility of an old person or a female colleague doing you a favourable turn which would prove extremely beneficial. The picture so far as your financial prospects are concerned is pretty bleak, speculative activity could turn a difficult situation into an impossible one.

There are chances that some of you would suffer serious losses from gambling and such-like activities. You may, therefore, desist. Travel, too, would prove quite beneficial.

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

DHANU (Sagittarius)

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

VRISHABH (Taurus)

By D. Narayan (Tantracharya) MITHUNA (Gemini)

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. Further, for some of you there is a distinct possibility of an unexpected windfall. Finally, it is also very likely that some of you would generate a sizeable chunk of unaccounted money. There is a distinct possibility of you tending to bungle your relations with your juniors or subordinates.

Aso far as your financial prospects are concerned.

Speculative investment or activity could easily take you to financial loss, this month. Expected gains would fail to materialize, creating a nasty situation.

Most of you would have to work quite hard and yet the chances of realizing your objectives, would be quite remote. Further, there is the likelihood of having to do other people’s dirty work in the hope of making some quick money. Such greed should be curbed, because such risks may not be good for you.

KANYA (Virgo)

TULA (Libra)

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

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

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

A month, during which you should have fairly smooth sailing to your targets in so far as your career is concerned. Some old person or a female colleague would render extremely beneficial service to you. Very little percentage in travel for you this month. Travel also would generate gainful results, and any sojourn to the south would be particularly helpful. And finally, the handing of your juniors in a manner enabling you to derive optimum benefit from their services, would be your most important achievement.

MAKARA (Capricorn)

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

A month during which your financial prospects don’t look too bright, Any dispute or litigation is almost certainly going to be decided against you, resulting in substantial losses.Further, some of you would be inclined to do other people’s dirty work in order to make a fast buck. As things stand, luck would be nowhere in sight and you would find yourself in the middle of a very thick soup indeed.

Refrain from such actions. Also, an unfavourable period for making investments and to launch new ventures.

KUMBHA (Aquarius)

M: 0425 660 220

KARKAT (Cancer)

The professional prospects, is far from bright this month, Most of you would have to struggle quite a bit to realize some portion of your anticipated objectives, and even then success may elude you.

The circumstances may be so unfavourable that even minor gains may be difficult to come by.

There are chances that you could find yourself in a situation where your efforts just do not bear fruit.

Even then you should patiently persevere rather than turning to criminal options.

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

VRISHCHIK (Scorpio)

An excellent month during which you would tend to go for your targets like a bullet. Astral influences would endow you with a fine manner of handling your juniors and subordinates, so that you would be able to derive optimum benefit from their services. A certain instinct of the hunter would enable you to seize any opportunity that might come your way. There is the likelihood of some old person doing you a favour that could substantially boost your career prospects. Very little percentage in travel for you this month.

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

MEEN (Pisces)

Unnecessary travel would be your main problem this month. Sort this out and you would be a much happier person. You would tend to travel alone and do so mainly by land or by air. There are chances of a trip abroad; you should make sure that it serves some purpose. West is the most favourable direction.Your efforts in education may simply flounder quite badly this month, Most of you, would work quite hard for the realization of your objectives. Even then only limited success may come your way.

This would be an excellent month for you all in so far as your education is concerned, since the stars are out to bless you. Those going in for higher studies would not only find the right opportunities, but also go on to do well in their chosen fields.

Those pursuing performing arts & the other arts would have an inspired spell of creative activity.

Some of you would go on to some outstanding achievements. Those sitting for competitive examinations would also achieve success with just about the normal kind of effort.

A month during which your children’s prospects may not be as smooth as usual. Some of them may be prone to injuries, and the more adventurous among them should take care not to take unnecessary risks.

Those pursuing higher studies would also face a rough time, since they might have to face obstacles of various kinds. There is also the possibility of some tension between your children and their teacher. you would not have even the normal self-confidence and the ability to take initiatives. This would bring all your schemes to a stand-still.

An extremely gainful month, both in a material sense, as well as spiritually satisfying. Association with several gifted people of learning and spiritual status would benefit you financially. In fact, some of you might go on to make a mark with your contributors in some socio-religious activity. There is also a gain from government. Your efforts would also enable you to realize the full expected profits, though at times, the going might tend to be a little slow. Nevertheless, the gains would accrue to you with a fair degree of regularity.

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

Best days: 1, 3, 4 Lucky Colour: White, Green, Blue

Best days: 5, 3, 6 Lucky Colour: White, Green

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

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CLASSIFIEDS

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

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48

L AUGHTER HAVE A LAUGH

T HERAP Y

A HUMOROUS POEM: ONLY THE ENGLISH COULD HAVE INVENTED THIS LANGUAGE! We’ll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes, But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.

One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese, Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.

You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice, Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men, Then shouldn’t the plural of pan be called pen?

If I speak of my foot and show you my feet, And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?

If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth, Why shouldn’t the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and three would be those, Yet hat in the plural would never be hose, But though we say mother, we never say methren.

Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him, But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

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G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

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G’DAY INDIA | MAR 2020

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