Gday India May 2021 Issue by gdayindia

MAY 2021

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VOL 15 ISSUE 169

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AUSTRALIAN INDIAN PERSPECTIVE

‘Entrepreneurs with A Heart of Gold’ Kam & Reet Phulwani of Medsurge Healthcare - p.28

‘Pray For India’ Melbourne Indian Community Unite

‘Tempering Emotions’ MasterChef Contender Kishwar Chowdhury - p.30

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Melbourne Indian community unites for Prayers for India!

CALL: TONEE SETHI Tel: (03) 9841 6263 Mob: 0412 114 383

Email: info@gdayindia.com.au Postal Address: PO BOX 1500, Doncaster East, VIC, 3109

Editor in Chief: Tonee Sethi E: editor@gdayindia.com.au Advertising: Amandeep Sethi E: info@gdayindia.com.au Contributors:

Anmol Anand, Debasree Das, Dileep Narayan, Dr Raj Kotharu, Gary Nair, Harpal Sandhu, Manjit Sethi, Narisa Dawar, Sanchita Abrol, Karthik Arasu, Abhi Narayan, Gurpal Singh, Monisha Iswaran, P. Harsora, Nandita Chakraborty, Archita Baweja, Barinderjeet Kaur, Gurpal Singh, Muktesh Chibber, Shivani Prabhu, Payel Ghosh Disclaimer: Opinions published in G’Day India are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher. No advertising design or material is to be reproduced without the written consent of the editor. All copyrights reserved to G’Day India. Articles, pictures, photographs and advertisements accepted by G’Day India Pty Ltd are on the understanding that the supplier of such materials has obtained all the relevant copyrights, permissions and grants permission to G’Day India Pty Ltd to publish them. Any liability arising from failure to obtain such permission lies entirely and exclusively with the supplier. Qualities of products and services advertised in G’Day India are not guaranteed by G’Day India Pty Ltd.

MELBOURNE, April 28: News coming from India has been saddening in recent days, it certainly has made every Indian Australian anxious and stressed about their loved ones back home. Most Indian Australians have been impacted due to the rampaging second wave of the pandemic, our heartbreaks seeing the devastation it has brought to our loved ones. To spread positivity and show solidarity with the people of India, a Candlelight Vigil – “Pray

the people of India. Prayers were conducted by Archdiocese of Melbourne Father Jossy Kizhakkethalackal, Emmanuel Christian Assembly Pastor Jacob Simon, Hindu Priest Rajesh Tiwari, Jasbir Singh Suropada from Sikh Interfaith Council of Victoria, and Muslim Priest Mustafa from the Dawoodi Bora community. Over 100 people gathered and shared their stories about families and friends back home. Prayers were concluded with 2 minutes of silence followed by chants in support of India.

As a community we need to come together and stand united leaving the differences aside without political blame games, we need to stop any negativity and fighting in social media. It is time to show our solidarity and spread positivity with the people of India and pray for them to come out of this Covid menace soon. So many have lost a parent or family member and is unable to travel to say their final goodbyes and perform the funeral rituals, it is the most emotional and vulnerable time for them, any

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for India” was conducted on Wednesday 28th April in Federation Square Melbourne. The LED candlelight vigil was attended by Mr. Brad Rowswell MP Shadow Minister, Indian Consul General Melbourne Mr. Raj Kumar, Deputy Chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission Mr. Bwe Thay along with community leaders. In the true spirit of India, multi-faith prayers were conducted for the recovery and wellbeing of

negative message in social media may hurt them irrevocably, we should understand the impact it will have on their mental health. Spreading hatred for one another in social media is not going to make any life better, we will only become poorer as a human by those wrong actions, let us come together and actively spread positivity and help each other, let us send our love and prayers for the people of India. (GDI Reporter)

NEWS VICTORIA

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Statement from the Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Neil Angus

Friday 30th April 2021: India is a grip of a devastating second wave of COVID-19, with daily record numbers of cases and thousands of people losing their lives to this terrible virus. The recent surge in COVID-19 cases has placed enormous strain on India’s medical system, which is almost overwhelmed due to this crisis. The onset of the COVID-19 virus has changed our lives in so many ways. Despite this overwhelming situation, the Indian doctors, nurses and healthcare workers who are at the frontline of this health crisis are to be highly commended for putting their lives on the line to assist their fellow citizens. During this very challenging time, the Liberal Nationals stand with India and its people. We also stand with Victoria’s wonderful and dynamic Indian community at this very stressful and difficult time.

Reflecting on How Victorians Got Through, Together

Victoria Pushing for Accessible Housing Standards

MELBOURNE, April 30: The Andrews Labor Government is urging all states and territories to put fairness first and consider the dignity of older Australians and people living with disabilities by supporting mandatory accessibility standards in the National Construction Code (NCC). Minister for Planning Richard Wynne said mandatory standards would have a profound impact on the more than three million Australians currently living with a disability or with restricted mobility and would allow more Australians to age without seeking specialised care. The call comes ahead of today’s National Building Ministers Meeting where Ministers will decide on an option to introduce mandatory accessibility standards in 2022 or continue with voluntary standards, which have failed to fix the lack of accessible

housing across the country. The Victorian Government supports the adoption of the Liveable Housing Design Guidelines (LHDG) Silver standard to ensure basic accessibility features are included in all newly constructed homes and apartments. This would require new homes to include features such as step free entry, step free showers, ground level accessible toilets, structural reinforcements to support grab rail installation in bathrooms and for doorways, and transitional spaces to allow ease of movement. A mandatory standard is expected to increase the availability of homes with accessibility features to 50 percent of Australia’s total housing stock by 2050. Demand for accessible housing is growing as Australia’s population ages. In Victoria alone, around 1.1 million residents identify as having some form of

disability, including 360,000 who identify as having a profound or severe mobility limitation. Introducing the Silver standard would impose the least-cost regulatory standard for accessibility. The Victorian Government would seek a lead role working with other jurisdictions and industry to support the implementation of the standard. Through the Better Apartment Design Standards Victoria has led the way on universal access, requiring all new apartment developments to include accessibility standards in 50 percent of new apartments, while the landmark $5.3 billion Big Housing Build includes a requirement for all new public housing to incorporate key elements of the LHDG Gold and Silver standards.

(MEDIA RELEASE)

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MELBOURNE, April 27: Stories of how Melbourne’s suburban communities coped during the unprecedented events of the past year will be shared in a new online digital exhibition. One year on: Stories of COVID-19 in Melbourne's Suburbs was officially launched at the Melbourne Museum. The digital display features a collection of stories and illustrations about how people across Melbourne adapted and supported each other in 2020. The display includes the story of Elder Aunty Jennine Armistead, who spread joy to her neighbourhood by offering traditional handwoven baskets and native cuttings from her garden in Frankston. Some of Aunty Jennine’s baskets have been donated to the Melbourne Museum as part of the display and will be able to be viewed online. To assemble exhibits, last year Melburnians were encouraged to document and share how their lives changed at home and in their local communities – to capture and reflect on stories of resilience, community and ingenuity. These stories, and artifacts donated to Melbourne Museum, will form part of the historical narrative around the Melbourne experience of the pandemic. The digital display can be viewed at museumsvictoria.com.au/one-year-on

NEWS VICTORIA

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Planning to Begin on Dedicated Quarantine Hub

MELBOURNE, April 29: The Victorian Government has selected a preferred site and will now commence discussions with the Commonwealth about planning for a new purpose-built quarantine accommodation hub, guarding against the potential longterm threat of coronavirus and its changing variants. With a delayed vaccine rollout here in Australia and an increasingly dire situation around the world, it’s clear quarantine will continue to be a part of our protections for some time. It’s why, subject to Commonwealth agreement, planning will start on a 500-bed alternative quarantine hub at Donnybrook Rd, Mickleham, with an expected cost of around $15 million to get the project ready for construction. The Victorian Government has provided a detailed summary of the business case to the Commonwealth and will commence discussions about gaining access to the preferred site – which is on Commonwealth land and next to an existing animal quarantine facility. Over a year ago, the states and territories stepped up to establish hotel quarantine

when it was clear Australia needed to urgently establish a large-scale quarantine program. However, in recognition that international border controls and quarantine are federal responsibilities, Victoria has submitted a proposal to the Commonwealth requesting construction costs and that they take ultimate ownership of the hub – similar to the nation’s only other standalone site, Howard Springs in the Northern Territory. While discussions about construction costs and ownership are underway, the Victorian Government intends to get on with the planning work to ensure the project doesn’t lose time. The final decision on whether to proceed with construction will be made in September, pending support from the Commonwealth and future insight on a range of matters, including the progress of our nation’s vaccine rollout, the efficacy of vaccines in preventing transmission, and Commonwealth decisions on rules governing travel into and out of Australia. The design of the new hub is fully informed by experts in public health and infection control and is based on the existing

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standalone facility currently operating at Howard Springs. With its cabin-style outdoor accommodation, Howard Springs has been widely acknowledged as the safest and most functional design for quarantine in Australia. The master plan for the new hub includes dedicated onsite services, including catering, that will support strong infection control and prevention measures. It is also designed with the ability to increase to up to 3000 beds as part of a scalable build if a larger facility is determined to be required at any point. The new hub will also be designed with relocatable cabins so that it can be utilised for alternative and future needs, including ongoing quarantine arrangements, crisis accommodation and other emergencies. As part of the business case process, multiple sites were considered and evaluated against a set of selection criteria that included proximity to a public hospital, international airport, transport and other services, as well as land area and site-specific considerations. A detailed project summary is available at vic.gov.au/alternative-quarantineaccommodation-business-case. (MEDIA RELEASE)

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Supporting Families Through Workplace Fatalities MELBOURNE, April 28: Families who have been forever impacted by serious workplace injuries and deaths will have more ongoing help in dealing with their trauma. Speaking today at Victorian Trades Hall to commemorate International Workers Memorial Day, Minister for Workplace Safety Ingrid Stitt acknowledged the suffering experienced by families and reiterated the Andrews Labor Government’s promise to always stand by those affected. Minister Stitt also announced an increase in support delivered by WorkSafe Victoria’s Family Liaison Officers and Family Support Specialists in the first weeks following a workplace death. The increasing support is part of reforms WorkSafe is implementing to recognise the impact workplace trauma can have on the families of victims. This includes appointing external Bereavement Support Workers, who will work with WorkSafe and families to ensure ongoing

support is available, particularly ahead of important milestones relating to workplace deaths. Bereavement support services will also be offered to all affected family members, using the broader definition of a family member in the Victim Charter (2006), which includes any person who can reasonably be considered a family member and not just dependants. These reforms follow the Labor Government’s $10 million Families and Injured Workers System Reform and Implementation Package to increase support for families of people who are killed or injured in workplace incidents.

This has already seen the successful recruitment of more Family Liaison Officers and Family Support Specialists and dedicated resources, including a new website for families and updated protocols for coordinating with Victoria Police to ensure families are notified of deaths quickly and receive support as soon as possible.

Supporting Multicultural Young People Through Sport

MELBOURNE, April 23: The Andrews Labor Government is helping more young people to connect through local sport as Victoria recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. Minister for Youth Ros Spence today launched a new African and Pasifika Youth Sports Program, with $300,000 in grants available to informal sports teams with young African and Pasifika members. Local councils and community organisations are encouraged to partner with young people aged 12 to 25 to apply for a grant. Sport fosters vital social connections and offers the opportunity to grow through mentoring, leadership and career development. To ensure cost is not a barrier to participation in sport, grants of up to $2,000

are available to support African and Pasifika sports teams to cover the costs of uniforms and equipment. A second funding stream offers grants of up to $30,000 to cover costs associated with participating in sporting competitions and events, including staff costs and venue hire. Funded activities will provide pathways into formal sporting organisations as well as mentoring, training and employment opportunities for young people. To ensure the program responds to the immediate needs of young people, funded activities will be delivered between 1 July and 31 December 2021. The grants are part of the Labor Government’s work to provide tailored and

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culturally appropriate community engagement opportunities for young people. Earlier this month, the Government announced $450,000 to support larger sporting organisations to deliver mentoring and skill-building activities to African and Muslim young people. This builds on $250,000 announced in February to support Aboriginal young people to reconnect with community and culture through the Government’s new Aboriginal Youth Engagement Grants. Applications to the African and Pasifika Youth Sports Program close on Wednesday 19 May 2021. To find out more and apply, visit youthcentral.vic.gov.au/african-and-pasifikayouth-sports-program-grants

NEWS VICTORIA

Recognising Those Who Keep Our Children Safe MELBOURNE, April 27: Nominations are now open for the Victorian Protecting Children Awards, which acknowledge the important work being done to protect our most vulnerable children. These prestigious awards are a chance to recognise practitioners, workers, carers and community members from across the Victorian child and family services system who go above and beyond when working with vulnerable children, young people and families. Nominations can be made across 14 award categories, including achievements in both the child and family services sector and child protection. Child protection practitioners, carers, academics, policy advisors, community sector staff, education programs, and people working in child and family services are all eligible for an award. Categories include the Minister’s Award for Innovation in Protecting Children, the Robin Clark Making a Difference and Leadership awards, and a new category for Supporting Young People in Care. Due to the coronavirus pandemic the 2020 awards did not go ahead, so this year

Victorians are encouraged to celebrate achievements made over the past 18 months. Previous winners include: The Royal Children’s Hospital Gatehouse Centre Manager Karen Hogan, for her leadership in growing the centre to be a service of significant stature and authority in the treatment of sexual assault and trauma suffered by children and young people. The Family Drug Treatment Court for their ground-breaking, collaborative and

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G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

solutions-focused approach to parent-child reunification. Nominations close on 31 May and winners will be announced at the Victorian Protecting Children Awards event during Child Protection Week (5 September – 11 September). For more information and to submit a nomination visit dhhs.vic.gov.au/ protectingchildrenawards

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More Jobs to Help Keep Melbourne Moving MELBOURNE, April 26: The Andrews Labor Government will deliver Melbourne its firstever dedicated Congestion Management Team as traffic builds toward pre-pandemic levels. Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ben Carroll said the team of six expert traffic managers will be in place from May to respond in real-time to bottlenecks, incidents, and breakdowns in three of Melbourne’s traffic hot spots. Optimising the network performance, the new team will also identify small scale changes that can improve traffic flow, such as extending turn lanes, currently causing queues, and blocking through-lanes. As part of the Labor Government’s $340 million package to keep people moving on our

roads, the team joins 100 new jobs created to deal with increasing congestion as Melbourne emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. The additional jobs include 12 new Incident Response Service Officers in six new response vans, bolstering the on-road fleet to clear incidents quickly and get traffic moving. Fourteen traffic signal engineer cadets will also begin a two-year training program. The unprecedented investment in new transport jobs is on top of a significant increase in congestion-busting technology, including 500 extra traffic monitoring cameras and almost 200 wireless traffic sensors, with a further 200 cameras expected to be installed by the end of June. The latest traffic volume data shows that

as Melbourne emerges from the pandemic, travel patterns have shifted, with trips on the city’s arterial road network rapidly increasing compared with volumes on freeways. With many continuing to work from home, freeway volumes remain below pre-COVID levels at around 94 per cent, compared to arterial roads like Hallam North Road in Melbourne’s south-east – eclipsing 100 per cent of its pre-pandemic levels on two occasions since March. The Princes Highway in Werribee and Warrigal Road in Chadstone ran more than 95 per cent of pre-COVID levels in the last week.

(MEDIA RELEASE)

Investing in Victorian Manufacturing Growth and Jobs MELBOURNE, April 27: The Andrews Labor Government is backing Victoria’s manufacturers to continue to grow and lead the nation in manufacturing innovation and capability development. Victorian manufacturers can from today apply for grants of up to $500,000 to support and expand their operations, under a $20 million drive to boost competitiveness and drive new jobs. The Business Competitiveness Program is a key plank of the Andrews Labor Government’s $60 million Manufacturing and Industry Development Fund, launched today by Minister for Industry Support and Recovery Martin Pakula, who urged businesses that are eligible to apply. The Business Competitiveness Program will help eligible Victorian manufacturers implement new manufacturing technologies

and processes. Grants will cover up to onethird of eligible project costs. The program will help to secure Victoria’s sovereign manufacturing capability by improving productivity, creating sustainable local jobs, increasing industry competitiveness and strengthening local supply chains in key sectors including medtech and food manufacturing. Grants can go towards the purchase and commissioning of capital equipment, manufacturing product and process improvements and supply chain capability development. Another initiative under the Manufacturing and Industry Development Fund will open in coming months, providing grant support to growing businesses for projects that help them capitalise on new opportunities. The Fund is expected to create hundreds

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of new jobs, with funding spread over three years to boost the capabilities of Victorian businesses so they can expand and generate ongoing job growth. The initiative will build on the success of a host of business support programs backed by the Labor Government, including the Future Industries Manufacturing Program. The Government has invested more than $180 million in manufacturing since 2014, unlocking more than $1.9 billion in private investment and creating more than 7,500 jobs. For more information about the Business Competitiveness Program and to apply for a grant, go to business.vic.gov.au/midf

NEWS AUSTRALIA

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

2 more die after receiving Covid vaccine in Australia

SYDNEY, April 29: Two men in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) died days after receiving Covid-19 vaccines, as the health authorities are urgently investigating the cause of their deaths.

One man in his 50s died in a hospital in northeast NSW on April 21, due to a massive blood clot in his lungs, eight days after receiving a vaccine. It is believed he had not had prior lung problems. At this stage it has not been confirmed which brand of vaccine the 55-year-old had received, according to local media. The Therapeutic Drugs Administration (TGA) in response to the case, released a statement saying "all reports to the TGA of death following vaccination are reviewed to assess the likelihood that the vaccine contributed to the event or medical condition that led to a fatal outcome." The second man, who was aged 71 and reportedly had ongoing health problems, died in Sydney after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. The man had multiple underlying health conditions at the time of his death. A panel of experts was convened by NSW health

authorities to examine the circumstances and determine whether the death was linked to the vaccination, and the investigation results will be passed to the TGA. The TGA, however, already concluded a likely link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and the death of a 48-year-old NSW woman, who died in hospital from blood clots one day after receiving the vaccine. A further three cases of rare blood clots, including a 35-year-old woman, a 49-year-old man and a 80-year-old man were also likely linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

"All three patients are clinically stable, have responded well to treatment and are recovering," the TGA said. The TGA notes that the most frequently reported adverse reactions to the AstraZeneca vaccine are headaches, fever, muscle pain, chills and fatigue. Australian health authorities already recommended the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to be used by those over the age of 50, while the Pfizer jab to be taken up by younger Australians. (IANS)

Top Aus cricket bodies to help players return from IPL

SYDNEY, April 27: Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) on Tuesday said they would coordinate with the Australian government which has decided to suspend direct flights from India till May 15 owing to a massive surge in Covid-19 cases in India. As many as 30 Australians are part of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) in India, and some of them want to return home. Royal Challengers Bangalore duo Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson will fly out from Mumbai soon after April 28 midnight. They have decided to return home via Doha, like their Aussie teammate Andrew Tye did a couple of days ago. There are still 14 Aussie players left in the IPL, besides members of the franchises' coaching staff, like Ricky Ponting, David Hussey and Simon Katich, as well as commentators like Brett Lee and Michael Slater. CA and ACA said they are in regular touch with the Aussie players, coaches, match officials, and commentators who currently associated with the IPL. The CA and ACA joint reaction came after the Australian government's decision

to suspend all direct flights from India, and Australian PM Scott Morrison saying that Australians who are appearing in IPL would have to make their own arrangement to fly back home. There has been a massive surge of positive Corona cases in India, and IPL venues like Delhi, which is scheduled to host its first IPL match on Wednesday, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad are some of the worst affected cities. In a meeting of Australia's National Security Committee of the Cabinet on Tuesday, it was decided that direct flights from India would be suspended. CA and ACA said they would continue to liaise with the Australian government. Both bodies said they were willing to assist the players and would coordinate with the government. "CA and the ACA are in regular dialogue with players, coaches, match officials and commentators on the ground in India regarding the current situation and we will assist where possible," said the joint statement. "We will continue to liaise closely with

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the Australian Government following today's announcement that direct flights from India to Australia will be paused until May 15, and monitor the situation between now and the tournament's scheduled conclusion on May 30," it said. "We thank the BCCI and IPL for their efforts to keep everyone safe in the tournament's bio-secure bubble. Once again, our thoughts are with the people of India during this challenging time," the CA statement said. Prime Minister Morrison had earlier said that since the players are privately visiting India for the IPL they would have to ensure their return. "They have travelled there privately," Morrison was quoted as saying by The Guardian. "This wasn't part of an Australian tour. They're under their own resources and they'll be using those resources too, I'm sure, to see them return to Australia in accordance with their own arrangements," the report said. (IANS)

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Flights from India now paused as Australia sends emergency medical supplies

CANBERRA, April 27: The Morrison Government has agreed a number of new measures to protect Australians from the increased risk of the COVID-19 outbreak in India, while also providing significant new support to assist the Indian Government in their humanitarian response. We recognise the challenging COVID-19 crisis that India is currently battling and we stand ready to provide more support to our friends in India and Indian Australians during this difficult time. On advice from the Chief Medical Officer, India has been determined to be a high-risk country for the purposes of travel arrangements. Australia will implement a temporary pause on direct passenger flights between India and

Australia for two weeks, with consideration of further flights to be made by 15 May 2021. Passengers on all future flights will be required to have both a negative COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test result and a negative Rapid Antigen test result prior to taking off. Once flights restart, the Government will prioritise the return of vulnerable Australians. Already almost 20,000 registered Australians have returned from India since the pandemic began. Restrictions have been placed on outbound travel exemptions to high-risk countries to strictly essential travel only (national interest, medical exemption and COVID-19 purposes). For indirect flights through Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Singapore and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), the Government is aware that flights to and from these transit points and India have been paused by respective governments. As a close friend and comprehensive strategic partner, Australia stands with India as it battles a surge in COVID-19 cases.

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Following consultation with the Indian Government, Australia will provide emergency medical supplies. The initial package of support includes rapid deployment of 500 non-invasive ventilators, with capacity to deploy up to a total of 3,000 ventilators. Our Government is also supplying a significant package of personal protective equipment (PPE), including one million surgical masks, 500,000 P2/N95 masks, 100,000 surgical gowns, 100,000 goggles, 100,000 pairs of gloves and 20,000 face shields. The Government has agreed to commence procurement of 100 oxygen concentrators, along with tanks and consumables. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will manage the movement of PPE and equipment over the next week. Our Government is standing with Australians in India and we recognise the difficulties they face. The Hardship Program and Consular Support continues to be available to Australians in India. The current restrictions will be under regular review, as we look to find a solution for those seeking to return to Australia.

(MEDIA RELEASE)

NEWS AUSTRALIA

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Australia turns down China's Beijing slams Australia overtures to deepen bilateral ties over Taiwan remarks, tells it to abide by one-China principle SYDNEY, April 25: The ties between two countries have further strained as Australia cancelled agreements to participate in China's Belt and Road Initiative, terming it as "inconsistent with country's foreign policy." Foreign Minister Marise Payne announced Canberra was cancelling two agreements by Victoria, the country's second most populous state, to participate in China's Belt and Road Initiative. She said they were "inconsistent with Australia's foreign policy or -adverse to our foreign relations" but did not elaborate, reported Asia Times. The BRI became Xi Jinping's signature economic policy soon after he assumed power at the end of 2012. It aims at making China the center of global production and trade, radiating outwards through rail lines across the Eurasian landmass and sea routes to East Africa, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. So far Australia is the only country to tear up a signed BRI agreement. Wang Xining, China's Deputy Ambassador to Australia, talking to National Press Club meanwhile took a shot at Australia for being "the first" to ban Chinese telecom equipment giant Huawei from its 5G mobile networks and then persuading Britain and other security partners to follow suit, reported Asia Times. Wang was signalling a response to a lull in Australia's sometimes shrill warnings about Chinese influence and espionage, wrote Hamish McDonald in an article in Asia Times. Another sign of lessening prickliness was that Wang was helping launch the latest China Yearbook by the Australian National University's China in the World Institute, whose scholars have often critiqued the leadership style and policies of President Xi Jinping. But if this was a slight opening in China's shut door to Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government, it didn't get a matching response. Last December, Morrison's government enacted a new law under the federal powers of the Australian constitution giving Canberra sway over foreign relations and defence. The law required the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to vet all foreign agreements by state governments, local councils and public universities. This first exercise of that power follows

a string of measures that have irked China: a new law in 2017 requiring registration of foreign lobbyists and banning foreign donations to political parties, the 5G ban on Huawei in 2018, a federal police raid on four Chinese state media journalists, and last year's call for an independent inquiry with "weapons inspector" powers into the origins of the Wuhan outbreak of COVID-19. The latter was followed by a series of Chinese restrictions on Australian shipments of barley, beef, timber, lobsters, wine and coal amounting to some AUD 20 billion (USD 15.5 billion) in lost exports. "By using this domestic law, Australia basically fired the first major shot against China in trade and investment," said Chen Hong, a specialist in Australian studies at Shanghai's East China Normal University to the Global Times, Chinese stateowned media. "China will surely respond accordingly." But where? China's trade sanctions have been largely countered at a macro-level by a rise in the price of iron ore caused by Beijing's domestic stimulus measures and continuing supply constraints in Brazil, Australia's main exporting competitor, wrote McDonald. It would take China billions of dollars and some five years to open up the largest alternative source of the steel raw material, the Simandou deposit in the West African nation of Guinea, 650 kilometers from the sea and 40 days sailing from China as opposed to 15 days from Australia's Pilbara ports. There remain a few export sectors where China could still hurt Australia short of this major step. A bigger hit could come if Chinese authorities actively discourage or block Chinese students enrolling at Australia's universities and colleges, or tourists making visits. Temporarily these weapons aren't available because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. Moreover, Australia is also worried that China was using the BRI to load up poorer countries with debt and reduce Australia's influence in the region. Sino-Australian relations have been in a downward spiral since April last year when Canberra infuriated Beijing by proposing an independent international inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. (ANI)

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BEIJING, April 27: China lashed out at the Australian government over its remarks that conflict with Beijing over Taiwan should not be discounted. Beijing said that it hopes that the Australian side will fully recognise the high sensitivity of the Taiwan issue, abide by the one-China principle, South China Morning Post reported. "It is hoped that the Australian side will fully recognise the high sensitivity of the Taiwan issue, abide by the one-China principle, be prudent in words and deeds, refrain from sending any false signals to the separatist forces of Taiwan independence, and do more things to benefit the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and SinoAustralian relations," Wang Wenbin, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said. On Sunday, Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that conflict with Beijing over Taiwan "should not be discounted". Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the south-eastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades. Dutton said that while the Australian armed forces maintained high levels of preparedness to meet any threats to its allies, Canberra would work to try to maintain peace. This comes as tensions between China and Australia have escalated over a slew of issues. Australia recently cancelled agreements to participate in China's Belt and Road Initiative, terming it as "inconsistent with country's foreign policy." China has dubbed Australia's decision to scrap the controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreement with Beijing as "unreasonable and provocative", warning that this would further "damage" bilateral relations. Sino-Australian relations have been in a downward spiral since April last year when Canberra infuriated Beijing by proposing an independent international inquiry into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. Canberra has been locked in an ongoing trade war with Beijing for several months, which has seen China slapping sanctions on various Australian products. (ANI)

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Australia to spend millions to upgrade military bases amid China tensions

CANBERRA, April 29: Australia has announced plans to spend as much as USD 581 million upgrading its military bases and expanding joint exercises with the United States, amid China's growing military aggression. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Canberra would work with allies including Washington to focus on "pursuing peace, stability and a free and open IndoPacific," South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. "Working with the United States, our allies and Indo-Pacific neighbours, we will continue to advance Australia's interests by investing in the Australian Defence Force, particularly across northern Australia," Morrison said, SCMP cited agencies. This comes days after Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton raised the alarm about the possibility of Australia becoming embroiled in a regional military conflict. Dutton last week said Australia should

be "realistic" about China's ambitions and a conflict over Taiwan "should not be discounted". Sino-Australian relations have been in a downward spiral since April last year when Canberra infuriated Beijing by proposing an independent international inquiry into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. Canberra has been locked in an ongoing trade war with Beijing for several months, which has seen China slapping sanctions on various Australian products. Australia recently cancelled agreements to participate in China's Belt and Road Initiative, terming it as "inconsistent with country's foreign policy". China has dubbed Australia's decision to scrap the controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreement with Beijing as "unreasonable and provocative", warning that this would further "damage" bilateral relations.

Australia, New Zealand show divided stances toward China

(ANI)

Aus athletes travelling for Olympics prioritised for vax

CANBERRA, April 28: Australian athletes competing in this year's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will be given priority access to coronavirus vaccines before departing. The federal government has announced that approximately 2,050 athletes and support staff travelling to Japan for the delayed Olympics and Paralympics will be considered a priority group in the troubled vaccine rollout. Greg Hunt, the Minister for Health, said that vaccines would safeguard Australians traveling to Tokyo in July and August. "We want to see our athletes head to Tokyo to compete and then return to Australia safely," he said. As of Tuesday, there had been about 1.9 million coronavirus vaccine doses administered in Australia, with the rollout having been plagued by supply issues and safety concerns over Astrazeneca's vaccine. However, Sport Minister Richard Colbeck reassured Australians that the decision to prioritize Olympians would not delay

vaccinations for vulnerable people. "While vulnerable Australians remain an absolute priority as the vaccine rollout continues, National Cabinet understands the pressure our high-performance athletes have been facing as the Tokyo Games draw closer," he said. "This will be a very different Olympics and Paralympics, but our athletes deserve the opportunity to compete." The Tokyo Olympics is set to start on July 23, having been postponed in 2020 amid the pandemic. According to the statement, the vaccinations will comprise both Pfizer and AstraZeneca (for team members aged over 50 years). The Pfizer shot is the preferred vaccine for team members under the age of 50.

(IANS)

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BEIJING, April 29: New Zealand, one of the Five Eyes Alliance countries, has distanced itself from Australia, another partner of the group, to blacken China on its human-rights record, according to a recent report. "It's not necessary, all the time on every issue, to invoke Five Eyes as your first port of call in terms of creating a coalition of support around particular issues in the human-rights space," New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said at a news conference with her Australian counterpart Marise Payne in Wellington, according to the report released on April 22. While Payne said that "We also have to acknowledge that China's outlook -- the nature of China's external engagement both in our region and globally -- has changed in recent years." "New Zealand is adopting an extremely Beijing-friendly stance on these questions and breaking away from a much stronger position adopted by" the other Five Eyes partners, Clive Hamilton, a professor at the Charles Sturt University, said. Australia had barred Chinese enterprises from participating in its 5G network construction on trumped-up charges, frequently denied investment of Chinese companies in the country under the pretext of "national security," and arbitrarily raided Chinese journalists based in the country. Australia had also blatantly torn up cooperation agreements with China and wantonly damaged normal exchanges and cooperation.

(IANS)

NEWS AUSTRALIA

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Aussie govt extends support for virtual medical service

CANBERRA, April 26: Australians will be able to continue meeting with doctors virtually until the end of 2021 after the government extended support for telehealth services. Health Minister Greg Hunt announced that the telehealth services will continue until December 31 as the federal government's financial support for it is due to end on June 30, Xinhua reported. Telehealth services were established to allow Australians in regional areas to meet with general practitioners (GPs) and specialists virtually without travelling hours, which was extended during the COVID-19 pandemic to all

Australians. More than 13.5 million patients used the system for about 54 million appointments in the 12 months to March 2021. Hunt said the decision to extend support was a recognition of the important role telehealth played at the height of the pandemic in Australia. He said telehealth services "have been life changing for many in need of support" over the last months. "The extension will ensure that Australians can continue to see their GP, renew scripts and seek mental health support from the safety

of their own home. This allows vulnerable Australians to feel protected and supported during these unprecedented times." It comes after medical practitioners warned against cutting support in June. Sam Harvey, acting director of mental health support organization the Black Dog Institute, said benefits of supporting the scheme outweighed the costs. "We want patients to have it as an option," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). "The end cost is the same, whether it is face to face or telehealth.

'Australia's cancelling of BRI agreements benefits none'

Brisbane gets PM boost for hosting 2032 Olympics

SYDNEY, April 25: Australian federal government's decision of tearing up Victoria State's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreements with China will bring negative impacts on the relations and cooperation between the two countries, according to influential social and official opinions in Australia. "It's very hard to see any positive outlook for Australia-China relations, you know, given these latest developments," Professor James Laurenceson from the AustraliaChina Relations Institute of the University of Technology Sydney, told Xinhua. The cooperation between the two countries in other fields may also be affected, which is unfavourable to both sides, the professor added. According to Australian media, a Victorian government spokeswoman said "the Foreign Relations Act is entirely a matter for the

Commonwealth government," adding that "Victoria will continue to work hard to deliver jobs, trade and economic opportunities for our state." Canberra "should remain wary of locking itself into an adversarial relationship with its largest trading partner while its alliance partner's ultimate strategy toward China remains a work in progress," Michael Clarke, associate professor of Crawford School of Public Policy in the Australian National University, wrote in an article published on the website of Conversation. "I feel this is a stupid action as it is detrimental both to self and others," AustraliaChina Friendship Society Victorian VicePresident Rendi Liu said. He added that the government was putting its own domestic political interests before those of the nation.

(IANS)

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(IANS)

BRISBANE, April 26: In a major boost to Brisbane's chances of securing the rights to host the 2032 Olympics and Paralympic Games, the Australian Prime Minister on Monday pledged that "the Federal Government will cover half the cost" of the quadrennial games. Prime Minister Scott Morrison's commitment has come after the state and local governments confirmed they were willing to bear the other half of the cost. The Brisbane Times reported that Morrison made the commitment in a letter to Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Morrison's support to the 2032 Games had become a certainty after the Aussie Prime Minister had pledged his government's full support for hosting the Games during a video message at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session last month. "This is great news for Queensland. I always say we work best when we work together. This is what I asked the Prime Minister for," Palaszczuk said on Monday. Last week, Palaszczuk had said that The Gabba -- the Australian cricketers' fortress -- would stage the opening and closing ceremonies if the Olympic Games were awarded to it. The stadium is expected to be demolished and rebuilt as the centrepiece of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. (IANS)

NEWS INDIA

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Amazon donating 10,000 oxygen concentrators to India

NEW DELHI, April 25: Amazon announced to donate 10,000 oxygen concentrators and BiPAP machines to hospitals and public institutions to augment their capacity to help Covid-19 infected patients across multiple cities in India. The first of these consignments was set to land in Mumbai on Sunday and a majority of the shipping is expected to be completed by April 30. Amazon has joined hands with ACT Grants, Temasek Foundation, Pune Platform for COVID-19 Response (PPCR) and other partners to urgently airlift over 8,000 oxygen

concentrators and 500 BiPAP machines from Singapore. Additionally, Amazon India is also procuring over 1,500 oxygen concentrators and other critical medical equipment in partnership with non-profits including Swasth, Concern India and impact organisations like ACT Grants and Sattva Consulting. The company said that the organisations are working closely with the Indian government to expedite the entry of these oxygen concentrators and BiPAP machines into the country. "We stand firmly with the country, deploying

our global logistics network to urgently airlift the needed oxygen concentrators to support the nation's immediate need," said Amit Agarwal, Global SVP and Country Head, Amazon India. Amazon will bear the cost of airlifting these oxygen concentrators and BiPAP machines, procured through multiple funders including ACT Grants and PPCR from Singapore to India through Air India and other international carriers. Additionally, the company will also manage the movement of these oxygen concentrators and other donations from the local airport to identified hospitals and institutions. (IANS)

AI SydneyFirst-of-its-kind breathing bank to come up in Jodhpur Delhi flight returns without passengers

JAIPUR, April 22: India's first-of-itskind breathing bank will be coming up in Rajasthan's Jodhpur to mitigate the prevailing oxygen crisis of the Covid patients in the state. Working on a model similar to that of blood bank, the breathing bank will supply portable oxygen machines to Covid patients on a rental basis. The idea behind setting up such a breathing bank was of Nirmal Gehlot, a philanthropist, who had asked other social workers to join hands in the drive. Since then, people have been pouring all their help and also donated funds to buy 95 machines till date. "We aim to buy 500 machines and by Saturday, around 10 machines will reach

Jodhpur," said Gehlot, adding that they are trying to get other machines at the earliest. Gehlot had seen his mother battling for the oxygen last year and recently one of his known friends died because of the oxygen crisis. Hence, he thought to work out something different to tackle this crisis. This machine will be rented out to the needy at Rs 100 daily. Rental will be collected to ensure the needy returns the machine. Portable oxygen machine costs around Rs 40,000 and collects air around and separates it from nitrogen to give five litre oxygen each minute. This can be given to patients via pipeline. With this machine, patients will be given oxygen at their houses and hence hospitals' burden will be lessened.

(IANS)

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NEW DELHI, April 27: In an awkward incident, Air India's Sydney-Delhi flight landed back here without any passengers, as a crew member was found to be Covid positive in Australia, sources said. The crew members on the flight which landed back on Tuesday were subjected to RT-PCR tests in Australia. After a crew member was detected positive, the Australian authorities refused to allow passengers to board the aircraft. According to sources, the Covid-19 positive crew member was asked to quarantine in Sydney while the rest were allowed to leave. The flight only ferried back the rest of the crew and cargo. Besides, Australia has banned flights coming from India due to a massive surge in Covid-19 cases. (IANS)

NEWS INDIA

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Delhi hospitals struggling amid rising Covid cases

NEW DELHI, April 27: The healthcare system in the national capital seems to be on the edge due to a massive increase in the number of patients following the second wave of Covid-19. A patient was seen lying on the ground for hours in the RML Hospital. However, the security personnel on the gate did not let the patient go inside citing "instructions from the higher-ups" even as the family members kept pleading. Kewal Kumar, a resident of Paschim Puri in Delhi, was having breathing problems following which he was taken to a private hospital from where he was referred to the LNJP, after the doctors detected corona-like symptoms. However, when his family reached LNJP, the patient was not allowed inside. He had to spend hours outside the hospital even as his health condition was worsening. Kewal Kumar's brother Veer Chand said: "My brother is having trouble in breathing and got pain in the legs." Eventually, a crowd started gathering outside the hospital to see the patient.

However, after the arrival of the media persons, a stretcher was sent immediately. Speaking on this issue, Dr. Suresh Kumar, Medical Director of LNJP Hospital said: "He was not lying on the ground, he had fallen. The patient does not have a corona infection. He has multiple organ problems. We are examining him, and he is also being tested for Covid-19." According to Dr. Kumar, there are 400 Covid beds in the hospital which are filled up with patients. At the same time, the while oxygen beds are also full.

"A large number of patients are coming to the hospital due to which we are facing a lot of crisis," he said. (IANS)

'Heartbroken' Nadella vouches Man, dumps mother to help Covid-ravaged India on road as she shows Covid signs

NEW DELHI, April 26: Heartbroken at the grim Covid situation in India, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said on Monday that the company is mobilising its resources to help the Covidravaged nation that saw 352,991 fresh infections, taking the cumulative caseload to 17,313,163. In a tweet, Nadella said that he is grateful the US government is mobilising to help. "I am heartbroken by the current situation in India. I am grateful the U.S. government is mobilising to help. Microsoft will continue to use its voice, resources, and technology to aid relief efforts, and support the purchase of critical oxygen concentration devices," Nadella tweeted. In a break from the 'America First' policy, President Joe Biden's administration is "working round the clock" to immediately send India raw material needed for

making Covishield and other products needed in the fight against the COVID-19 surge overtaking the nation, according to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. The US will also send India anti-COVID supplies like test kits, ventilators, medications and personal protective equipment used by

frontline workers. The US is also deploying an expert team of public health advisors from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and USAID to work with the embassy in Delhi, India's Health Ministry, and India's Epidemic Intelligence Service. (IANS)

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KANPUR (Uttar Pradesh), April 26: A young man dumped his 58-year-old mother on the road and fled after she complained of breathlessness. The incident took place on Sunday in Tad Bagiya area of Chakeri and came to light after some people made a video of the woman who was lying on the roadside. The woman, wife of late Lt Col, used to live with her son in Makkupurwa area of Chakeri. Police out-post in charge Manoj Kumar Pandey, told reporters, "On Sunday, she complained to her son about her breathing problem. He, instead of admitting her to some hospital, planned to take her to his married sister's house in Tad Bagiya area of Chakeri but dumped her on the road nearby and fled. He apparently suspected that she was suffering from Covid." The police, on learning of the incident, immediately rushed the woman to Ursula, where she died later. "We have booked her son under relevant sections of IPC. He is presently absconding but we will arrest him soon," the police official said. (IANS)

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Apocalyptic surge: India logs highest single day toll as cases cross 3.79L

NEW DELHI, April 29: The country saw highest spike as 3,645 people succumbed to the coronavirus in 24 hours amid reports of 3,79,257 fresh cases on Thursday. It was the eighth day in a row when India recorded more than 3 lakh cases and over 3,000 casualties for past two days. On Wednesday there were 3,293 deaths. The data says that 2,69,507 patients recovered and till date 1,83,76,524 people have tested positive after the onset of the pandemic On Wednesday, the government announced that India's coronavirus recovery rate currently stands at 82.33 per cent "... India's cumulative recoveries stand at 1,48,17,371 today. The National Recovery Rate is 82.33 per cent... The National Mortality Rate has been falling and currently stands at 1.12 per cent," the statement said. It also said that five states/Union Territories -- Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands -- have not reported any Covid deaths in the last 24 hours.

(IANS)

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NEWS WORLD

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

India's double mutant Covid variant found in 17 countries: WHO

WASHINGTON, April 28: The double mutant Covid variant -- identified as B1617 -- that was first detected in India, has spread to 'at least 17 countries', the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. Up till April 27, B1617 variant had been detected in over 1,200 sequences uploaded on the open-access database GISAID (the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data) "from at least 17 countries", the global health agency said in its weekly epidemiological update on the pandemic. Most sequences were uploaded from India, the UK, US and Singapore, it said.

GISAID -- a German non-profit organisation -- was launched in 2016 as a database for sharing flu genomes. Globally, new Covid-19 cases increased for the ninth consecutive week, with nearly 5.7 million new cases reported in the last week -- surpassing previous peaks, the WHO update said. India accounts for "38 per cent of global cases reported in the past week," the report noted. The B1617 variant has been deemed a 'variant of interest' instead of a 'variant of concern' by the WHO. However, the WHO

has classified the British, South African and Brazilian variants of Covid-19 as "variants of concern." The B1617 variant was first detected in India on December 1, 2020. It contains mutations from two separate virus variants -- E484Q and L452R. The variant is partly held responsible for the second and massive resurgence of coronavirus in the country. More than 3 lakh corona cases have been reported in India for the seventh consecutive day on Wednesday. India reported a record number of 3,60,960 cases and 3,293 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the health ministry's data released on Wednesday morning. "Preliminary modelling by WHO based on sequences submitted to GISAID suggest that B1617 has a higher growth rate than other circulating variants in India, suggesting potential increased transmissibility, with other co-circulating variants also demonstrating increased transmissibility," the WHO update said. "Other drivers may include challenges around the implementation and adherence to public health and social measures and social gatherings (including mass gatherings during cultural and religious celebrations, and elections)," it added. (IANS)

US will have 300mn extra Covid jabs in July

WASHINGTON, April 26: The US is expected to have 300 million or more coronavirus vaccine excess doses by the end of July, raising concerns on uneven global distribution of Covid vaccines, according to a new research. The research from the Duke Global Health Innovation Centre showed that the US government has entered into advance purchase agreements and provided financial

support and/or assistance to rapidly scale the vaccine manufacturing capacity for vaccines produced by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, and NovaVax. Moreover, a small number of high- and middle-income nations and regions including the US, UK, European Union (EU), China, and India account for the majority of Covid vaccines administered thus far. "While confirmed purchases of vaccines globally cover 8.6 billion doses, four of the world's high-income countries, with a population of 1.2 billion (16 per cent of global population), account for 4.6 billion doses (53 per cent of all purchased doses)," the researchers said. On the other hand, the low-income countries hold just 770 million doses.

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Given the current pace of vaccinations, 92 of the world's poorest countries may not reach even 60 per cent coverage until 2023 or later, the study showed. "High-income countries, especially in Europe, are facing demand that exceeds supply for vaccines right now, as well as serious ongoing outbreaks," the US news quoted the researchers as saying. "But that will change in the coming weeks to months, as their advance purchase contracts are fulfilled," they added The researchers called on the US to make a plan for the surplus doses as soon as possible and help distribute the coronavirus vaccines in an equitable way. "The pandemic will not end anywhere until it ends everywhere. It is in the US interest to proactively and urgently address Covid-19 vaccine inequity," the researchers said. "Furthermore, vocal US leadership on the global stage is imperative for a more effective and coordinated global response using rigorously monitored and highly effective vaccines, at a time when nations such as China and Russia are attempting to gain influence through vaccine diplomacy," they noted. (IANS)

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

US supplies of AstraZeneca vaccine to India could take 'weeks'

NEW YORK, April 27: The US is "looking at options" to ship millions of AstraZeneca vaccines to India but that can happen only after it clears federal safety review, the White House said. This process could take a few "weeks". Approximately 10 million doses "could be released if and when FDA gets gives us concurrence, which could happen in the coming weeks", a senior Biden administration official told reporters at a briefing. As many as 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are expected to be available for export in the coming months. An estimated additional 50 million doses of this vaccine are in various stages of production in the US, the White House confirmed. The AstraZeneca vaccine has not yet been authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration. (IANS)

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G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

G’Day Mate

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G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

GETTING MARRIED IN AUSTRALIA

RULES TO GET MARRIED IN AUSTRALIA If there is less than one month until your wedding, talk to your authorised marriage celebrant. You may be able to get married if a prescribed authority approves it. Reasons for getting married in less than one month include employment-related or travel commitments, wedding or celebration arrangements, medical reasons, legal proceedings and error in giving notice. Your authorised marriage celebrant will also need evidence of your date and place of birth, identity and proof that a previous marriage has ended. For further guidance on completing the Notice of Intended Marriage form, please contact your authorised marriage celebrant. On your wedding day, three marriage certificates must be signed by you and your spouse, your authorised marriage celebrant and two witnesses who must be over 18 years old. Your authorised marriage celebrant will give you a certificate of marriage on the day. This is a ceremonial certificate of your marriage. You should apply for a copy of your official marriage certificate from the registry. Your celebrant can do this on your behalf, generally at a cost. You will need this if you want to change

your name or prove that you are married. Overseas marriages cannot be performed by an Australianauthorised marriage celebrant and can’t be registered in Australia. An overseas marriage is generally recognised in Australia if it was a valid marriage in the overseas country, and would have been a valid marriage here. You may be able to use your overseas marriage certificate to prove that you got married. However, some states and territories don’t accept overseas marriage certificates if you want to change your name. If you have further questions, you may contact me.

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FEATURE

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

THE BUDDING ACTRESS Monica Kumar, the new ABC drama Wakefield actors’ mantra - ‘Teach - Act - Repeat’.

been working for ABC iView series Carpark Clubbing. If she was not acting in the series she was writing; audition to Wakefield came with a writing attachment. Monica says that it really gave her insight on production, learn, how a full production is made like for example observe the directors and show runners. Inspired by Harry Potter and Russel Peters she wanted to be diverse in acting and comedy. Her goal is not to be famous in the next ten years but strengthening her acting. She’s looking for stories that is powerful and important for storytelling. Monica points out that obstacles in this field arise with the lack of acting and writing opportunities; as its proven the more one act or write the more one excels. The time it takes for a minority to get the same kind of credits is usually twice as long but this systematic issue is just not in acting but its in every field.

he new ABC drama Wakefield set in Australia’s haunting and majestic Blue Mountains has more reasons to be extra special. Monica Kumar 29 actor writer from Sydney West, originally from Auckland New Zealand. Born to Fiji Indian parents now appearing as Renuka in the ABC/BBC drama, Wakefield and is also the production associate on the show. Directed by Jocelyn Moorehouse and Kim Mordaunt, Wakefield explores the fine line between sanity and madness. It tackles the complexity of mental illness through an engaging ensemble of characters.

at ‘Die Seriale’ Festival; she also performed in Belvoir St Theatre’s Counting and Cracking. She has been working in theatre for a while now but transition to the screen has been new. She got her break when she has

Monica plays the sister of the main character played by British actor Rudi Dharmalingam. It’s great to see the series have a unique blend of soundscape, dance including a Hindu wedding and music. Monica has BA in communication, theatre and media and for now she’s teacher by profession teaching high school English, primary school drama. But acting is all she aspires to do in the future. This lady has many accolades to her name from being the co-creator of the ABC iView series Carpark Clubbing to being nominated for Best Australian Comedy at Melbourne Web Festival. Being the winner of the best Ensemble cast

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So, for now Monica is excited with her debut role as we are excited to see her play different characters with a potential to rise to stardom. Monica’s message to our audience about Wakefield is simple. It’s a must watch series as the show explores the tangible issues on mental health creating awareness. Also, a must shows for the South east Asian audiences to open up their stigmatic ideologies and embracing it. We wish her all the best and hoping to see her more on the screen. I cannot help quoting Virginia Woolf for this young talent - “Arrange whatever pieces comes your way.” By Nandita Chakraborty

OPINION

Swastika

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

– A Faith Symbol Demonised as a Hate Symbol! BY KARTHIK ARASU President of “Australia India Sports Council

he Victorian Parliament recently tabled a report urging the government to legislate tougher laws against hate speech and racist insignia, including banning the Hindu Holy symbol of Swastika. To label the Swastika as a symbol of hate would be a grave insult to over two billion Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists worldwide. First, we must understand the difference between the Nazi symbol and Swastika. The symbol Nazis used is not the ‘Swastika’ but the hooked-cross, and the name they used for it was “Hakenkreuz”. The most visible feature in the usual depiction of the Hindu Swastika is the symbol being straight and the four dots between the arms of the cross, which are absent in the Nazi symbol and also the Nazi symbol is rotated at an angle of 45 degrees oriented in the "S" letter direction representing Nazi "socialism". Another important fact is Hitler never used the word “Swastika”, neither the Nazis referred their symbol anywhere as Swastika. The Nazis created a symbol similar to Swastika inspired by an important symbol of early Christendom and called it Hakenkreuz (“Hooked Cross”). The first mention of Swastika as Hitler’s symbol of hate comes when Hakenkreuz, instead of proper translation of ‘Hooked Cross’ has been maliciously translated as Swastika by the translator of Hitler’s autobiography in English, and since then, Hindus have been left to bear the cross of this distortion. The Swastika is an integral part of many faiths such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism. It is used in almost all Hindu homes, businesses, temples, vehicles, financial records, and other objects, and also, the start of any auspicious ritual of Hindus across the world does not begin

without drawing this symbol. This practice is continuously followed for thousands of years and is commonly used to date. It is also used as a symbol to cast a vote in Indian elections by nearly 1 billion people. It's not just Hindus or Indians who used it. The earliest known Swastika is from 10,000 BCE, carved from mammoth ivory, found in Ukraine. It was also used in Ancient Greece, Druids, Celts, Egypt, Europe, and Rome. Check the remains of any ancient cities, and you will find it there. Even early Christians used the Swastika as one of their symbols, and so have the many ancient cultures, tribes, and religions. Unfortunately, such an ancient sacred symbol was distorted and ruined by the Nazis. There is no doubt that the Victorian Government should ban the Nazi Party Symbol of the "Hakenkreuz" (HookedCross, hooks branching clockwise rotated 45 degrees on a white circle on a red background). But banning and criminalising Swastika will draw swords into the hearts of many thousands of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists living in Victoria. The legal and social issues committee, which tabled the report in the Victorian Parliament, recommended a prohibition on symbols of hate included Swastika without any knowledge of the symbol being used by Hindus and other religions, their ignorance is threatening the freedom to practice faith in peace by the Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists in Victoria. If they have visited any Hindu Temple, consulted with any Hindu organisation, or took inputs from the Hindu Member of Parliament, they would not have made this hasty recommendation. As a Hindu in the Western world, I have faced abuses at times from people who don’t know the Hindu symbol Swastika. I have always been apologetic of this symbol and constantly trying my best to educate the difference between the Nazi symbol and my religious symbol to others. The Nazis ruined my culture and religion's history by plaguing

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the world with their false symbolism. The amount of hate Hindus receive because of this ignorance can’t be quantified by mere words. Thankfully, you don’t come across the same hate for other religious symbols which are used by some monstrous groups with vicious hate agendas like for example, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) an American white supremacist terrorist hate group that has the symbol of Cross in their flag and emblem, we don’t associate it with the Christian Cross, and similarly, the deadly terrorist group ISIS uses the Holy Islamic words in their flag. We know to differentiate the use of these holy symbols or phrases when it is used by hate groups. Similarly, Swastika should be looked at with the same clarity. Swastika means "well-being" or "auspicious”, a symbol that was considered sacred for thousands of years, has become a symbol of hatred due to the heinous crimes of Nazis against Jews. If you check history, Jews lived without any instances of antisemitism only in India, a country where Swastika is used in almost every space and structure. The Swastika, a 10,000 years old immensely auspicious symbol of peace, prosperity, and wellbeing was desecrated by the monstrous Nazis and those who translated it wrongly. It continues to remain a vilified and maligned symbol to date. This must be corrected! Instead of censoring the symbol, we must educate and celebrate the positive history of it. The Swastika has never been associated with violence and antisemitism. On the contrary, Swastika stands for peace and prosperity. Educating the community about hatred, racism, and bigotry is essential. The Nazi emblem, the Hakenkreuz, symbolises hatred and trauma for the millions of Jews and others killed by Nazi persecution, and its use should not be permitted in any form or place. But identifying it as a separate and different symbol to that of the Swastika is important to take the right steps forward for every community.

FEATURE

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

WE VALUE LIFE: ENTREPRENEURS WITH A HEART OF GOLD Medsurge Healthcare saves lives and will do whatever it takes to ensure lifesaving medicines reach those who need it when they need it — every time.

he couple and business partners, Kam and Reet Phulwani from Medsurge Healthcare, are bridging the gap between sourcing quality lifesaving pharmaceuticals and ensuring the product reaches the patient or customer in the fastest turnaround possible. It all started with a clear vision of We Value Life, a passion for saving lives and a spare room in their house. Established a little over ten years ago, Medsurge Healthcare is a consistently thriving and successful business based in Melbourne. It is a multi-award winning small to medium enterprise within the pharmaceutical industry. The company’s primary focus is meeting the medical requirements and needs of Australia. Medsurge Healthcare sources and markets a broad range of specialised, lifesaving and niche medicines to hospitals and retail pharmacies. The entire team work with partners who believe that operational sustainability and improving the quality of life is the crux of their direction. Mr Tonee Sethi, Chief Editor of G’day India, recently interviewed the power couple, Kam and Reet, and was pleasantly surprised to receive such humble yet highly focused and passionate entrepreneurs. Time to meet the two people who dedicate their lives to helping others, and who embrace the industry no-one dared to tread because it was not commercially and financially viable. Kam and Reet bypassed this hurdle and got on with providing services that are in high demand by customers, consumers and the community. Kam and Reet are from the city of Bhopal in India and have called Australia home for many years. Kam admits that he had his reservations

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G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

about moving to Australia at the time but is grateful he listened to his wife about taking the chance to migrate. He adds, “Full credit to her… she initiated the drive” and braced with “guts and determination” the risk paid off. Together, they took the opportunity to move and fulfil their dream of running their business and making a real difference. What they did not factor in was that, in only a few years, the business would soar and succeed from strength to strength in more ways than ever predicated and with unbelievable far-reaching abilities. Kam, the Founder, and CEO of Medsurge Healthcare, has always had a strong passion for Chemistry and Pharmacy. Braced with his Pharmacy Degree, he enjoys developing new products to help people, enabling better health solutions. Also, Kam’s father and grandfather are doctors, and he grew up involved in discussions about helping people in diagnosis and treatment. Reet shares Kam’s vision for helping people, but she is all business. Her upbringing immersed her deep within the family business, and with this came an awareness to bolster her desire to own a business that especially helps society. Reet has a Bachelor of Information Systems and a Masters in Information Technology. Kam and Reet are a unique couple that can work together and live together, with a shared vision and combined skill set to make things happen in Australia. However, it was not until Kam was in charge of purchasing and supplying lifesaving medicine that he realised something significant. The product to save the lives of a young couple was not available in Australia. He worked until the early hours of the morning, and days later, the medicine arrived. The couple survived because Kam sourced the medicine for treatment. The realisation of how challenging bringing lifesaving, critical medicines into Australia paved the way for creating and building Medsurge Healthcare. Kam and Reet understood that although the large pharmaceutical companies have an extensive portfolio, they primarily work on a profit basis and not stock niche market medicines. They found their opportunity to make a real and meaningful difference. Kam and Reet’s vision matched their

mindset and bridged the gap between Australia’s world-renowned healthcare system and lack of meeting the nation’s needs for crucial medicines. He states, “I think COVID-19 has proven to us that we have got the best healthcare system. The Australian people and government know that life is important, and they have a very clear idea even before COVID-19 that we have to make sure health should be the focus at all times.” However, Kam reinforces why such medicines are not readily available. He voices, “Australia is a very small market when you look at the global picture, less than 2%. What that means is that wherever the production is happening, not only just for medicines but any product like the car, the TV and the phones, we are treated as the bottom of the whole list. The same goes for medicines. It’s not fair. It’s not right.” This is where Medsurge Healthcare has made a difference to the way professionals go about treating their patients because “Any products available in the world and required here for a patient, we source it. We deliver it on time when the patient requires it. The team works 24/7.” When Mr Sethi asked Kam and Reet if Medsurge Healthcare is successful because they found an opportunity to fill a gap in the pharmaceutical industry, they both answered that there are multiple reasons to attribute their achievements and successes. Kam emphasises their motto We Value Life and expresses, “One reason is vision. Medsurge has a good vision, and I believe in that vision, and our team believes in that vision.” Along with this mindset are other factors, which influence having the right tools, appropriate systems in place and the right ideas to fill that gap. Kam suggests their continued success is because of their loyal and dedicated team. Also, knowing what the hospitals and retail pharmacies want and need, along with top

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service, quality products, product knowledge and sourcing capabilities, are all major players. Hence, all these reasons contribute to their success, and their reputation speaks for itself for repeat business. With so many contributing factors, Mr Sethi asked Kam and Reet to sum up all the overriding influences and supports in-regardsto their triumphs. Kam shares, “Vision, health and family, and all three brings about happiness.” Reet adds, “A happy person works at their best.” There is no challenging the power couple here, where happiness within the home, heart and handiwork creates a balance in juggling life and continued accomplishments. Kam ardently declares, “I love my kids. I love my family. I spend time with my wife every day and make sure that we have good family time as equally as business time. A good balance is essential. Health is a top priority, and money isn’t everything.” It is no surprise that Medsurge Healthcare is the recipients of a long list of prestigious awards and significant nominations. Such as, in 2019, they won IABCA SME of the year. IABCA stands for India Australia Business and Community Awards and celebrates the relationship between the two nations. In particular, the celebration highlights their shared journey, contributions and development. In 2017, they won Businesses of Tomorrow Westpac 200, which showcases exceptional businesses that make valuable contributions to their industry and society through their achievements and how they shape the future. So, watch this space as Medsurge Healthcare has big plans to expand. It can only be described as phenomenal; full quality service will be conducted here in Australia and in a timely, cost-effective manner. Kam and Reet are sincere, hardworking people with a clear vision who adopt smart pathways and utilise business acumen to make a real difference to help save lives. The links to their country of origin, family values, business experience, skill set, vision and personal philosophy is what creates this dedicated spirit. Kam and Reet are entrepreneurs with a heart of gold. By Agata Zema

FEATURE

TEMPERING EMOTIONS

asterChef 2021 started with a bang this week Monday. What a treat! Amongst all the contenders, one stood out from the crowd - Kishwar Chowdhury, who we have fallen in love with, simply for her simplicity. Meet Kishwar Chowdhury (38) from Victoria as one of this year’s Top 24 contestants in Masterchef. Kishwar, meaning ‘country’, has crossed three national borders: Bangladesh to Kolkatta (India) to Melbourne (Australia). Expressing my own excitement when she said in Bengali “Aye Paar and O paar,” simply meaning ‘this shore of the land to that’. It’s not every day you meet someone who shares the same passion as you for Bengali food. I am so glad that someone is going beyond the boundaries of butter chicken and biryani. Technology is a wonderful way to express emotions. One example recently was the promo for Masterchef 2021 on Channel 10. A well captured warmth that translated onto the screen has not only touched my heart, but also that of our chief editor Mr Sethi’s. Early on in the interview, he points that it had definitely made him teary – simply because of her story, simple but powerful. During the interview, both Mr Sethi and I elate with rhapsodic shrills every time we hear a certain dish. So, let me take you on Kishwar’s journey – that of a mother, a daughter, a Bangla foodie and a cook. Her parents came to Melbourne as students more than forty- five years ago to study. They decided to get married – and as a result Kishwar is who she is today, introducing us to Bangladeshi food. Bangladeshi food is not different to Bengali food, it’s just that the countries have changed. Bangal is a colloquial term given to Bangladeshis. Ghoti is used for Bengalis in Kolkatta, India; it’s a term used largely since the eighteenth century for groups indicating Bengali origins. I am Bangal, with the best of Kolkatta in me. So just like Kishwar, I am blessed because since childhood we have been fed to fall in love with food, as every morsel connects us with a story. Plus, Bangal’s are great cooks - that’s still controversial.

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G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Through simplicity, Masterchef contender Kishwar bowls home cooked meals far beyond the boundaries of butter chicken and biryani Her mother is from Kolkatta, India and her father from Bangladesh. Kishwar’s parents met here and got married. Soon after Kishwar’s birth, her grandparents from both sides moved to Melbourne. Hence, they have a big family: half-Indian and half-Bangladeshi. Pre covid Kishwar’s world; jet- setting between Kolkata and Dhaka has been a basket of stories and food for this debutant chef. The thought of Rippon Street makes my thoughts wander to all the street food. Both Kishwar and I can’t stop salivating our words. Kishwar explains that Bengalis are born cooks and as far as she can remember, she has always cooked. Her journey to Masterchef began not only because of a Bengali passion deep in her veins that has been handed down from her mother and aunties, but also because of her father. Her training, like most Indians, is instinctive – starting at home with curiosity. She used to surround herself with flour and dough next to the chulah (brick stove), where her father would be cooking porotha or paratha (bread layered with cooked dough). It was very important to her parents in her household that they eat one Bengali meal every day. She beautifully explains that if we talk about identities, the identity she carries with herself is of an Indian, Bangladeshi and Australian. I know this and it is true that people migrating to another country, especially from southeast Asia or India, tend to carry or replicate the original country. Living together as a huge extended family of stories and food under one roof – what more does one want? Her father’s printing and packaging business in Melbourne and Bangladesh even led Kishwar to meet her husband. No wonder I was not surprised when Kishwar said that they all live and grow their own vegetables together in their suburban backyard of Oakleigh. Sometimes they grow ingredients you wouldn’t dare to find in our supermarket. An excited Kishwar says that her mother’s winter melon is taller than her own height. We both laugh with excitement. As a mother to a four-year-old daughter and to a twelve-year-old son, she says this is the age to pass on the legacy of food.

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Kishwar tells me she auditioned for Masterchef for her son, who wrote down the email address and gave it to her. It was during the lockdown as well, which made her think that perhaps it was the right time. I guess the world shut down only to awaken us to our sense of belonging. As we saw on Monday night during her audition, where she cooked maacher jhol (fish broth or curry), choosing sardines with green mango and ginger. She was very happy to cook this peasant dish for the judges, and it was no surprise to see how they know the regions and their pallet. Kishwar says that human beings adapt – so did she. Adapting with a lot of Australian produce was also something that she and her family have learned to appreciate. Blending these produce with her heritage and technique is who she is.

It was great to be confirmed by another Bengali that nothing is required to upscale Bengali food, as it’s already upscale. Kishwar explains that a dinner invitation in English translates in Kolkatta as a Nemontono or in Bangaldesh’s Dawat, Bengali food is unapologetically what it is. The simplest yet most technical thing to make is the baigun bhorta, translating to eggplant roast, or aloo (potato) bhorta. This is a Bengali tonic that no one can get enough of it. Her favourite food is phucka or golgappas, which Australians have fallen in love with. And her mother’s Bhapa pitha – steamed rice cakes made fresh with ground rice flour, coconut and gur/jaggery – is a winter dish both in Bangladesh and Kolkatta. Realistically, one person is going to win Masterchef – and her dream is to win. Kishwar says that in Masterchef we see different food, and she is happy to progress beyond Bengali food. The best thing about Masterchef is everyone comes in with a particular thing, but ends up learning so much more. To Kishwar, Bengali food and her heritage took her to where she is today, and she is ready to break up her skills if needed, to learn and adapt different cultural techniques. Bengali food is a mix of southeast Asia, with tropical tangy tastes, and Mughlai, Persian (central Asia). She wants to show Australia Bengali day-today food like mango dhal and a good fish curry – and most importantly, how homely nutrients can be an amazing experience. Her edge in the competition that sets her apart from the rest has to be seafood. Unpacking this, she explains that everyone is sheltered in their own ways, but training with Bengali family is her strength. Mr Sethi struck a chord with her just like the judges in Masterchef when she excitedly

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tells us her favourite spice: nigella. Winning MasterChef would be a lifechanging experience but for now her journey is all about talking and writing a book on Bengali food. She’s soaking in the experiences and living in the moment. She often doesn’t keep her nerves under control on a timer. Then again, she sets herself a very early start from the cook. I would have never imagined seeing Bangladeshi/Bengali food in the thirteen years of Masterchef, and I think I owe Kishwar this huge amount of gratitude and respect for bringing Bengali food to the show and all that peasant food that comes with it – unpacking so many historical stories with dishes that makes the experience exciting and magical. I cannot resist quoting Tagore: “You smiled and talked to me of nothing and I felt that for this I had been waiting long.”

FEATURE

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

A R RAHMAN’S MUSICAL FANTASY There are many great voices in cinema, they are amazing! We want to see the world through our eyes. This is our voice. We want to see the world with our voice narrative and if you know about my personality the way I see the world, I think you will see that in this movie

t is one of the most surreal moments when someone tells you to write about an artist you grew up admiring. It took me exactly the same twenty-nine years just like his career span to come face to face with Oscar winner AR Rahman. Thanks to Mr Sethi of G’day India for presenting me with this opportunity interviewing the maestro AR Rahman courtesy Mind Blowing Films. I guess Mr Rahman and I are both doing our share of debut. Me for interviewing an academy award winner and him for co-writing and producing his first feature film 99 songs made in three different languages- Hindi, Tamil and Telegu. Along with Mr Sethi and the mind-blowing film team, we sit ourselves to zoom. Suddenly Mr Rahman lights up the screen with a ‘Hello’, as if we just walked into a movie set. With our interview face on we dive straight into it. A poised, relaxed Mr Rahman tells us that he has been making music for over 29 years and after the Oscars lot of things opened up, the whole world was in adulation. As a musician, he had the time to learn new things and had access to a whole lot of things. In 2010 the idea for this film came to him like a fairy tale. If one guy was asked to write a hundred songs for a girl. So, he told his friends and they were interested to learn that he had a story. He actually told three different plots on this one story. He was so determined to make this film he took workshops on story writing. As he was already in LA, he had a lot of time. He was already doing a lot of Hollywood movies so he had access to a lot of information and people. Like going to parties and meeting Spielberg and JJ Abraham and Disney. Who does that? Only a Maestro. Mr Rahman explains, to go deeper into music one gets a certain commissioning like one knows what songs one wants and to get deeper one need to create their own platform. So, writing a story, producing a movie was his challenge to himself to go that deep. He also wanted to work with someone who saw the world through his lenses and he found a director who believed in his vision. There was a lot back and forth, constantly checking whether people really liked the concept or was it just for his name? As it’s a huge risk working with new names but also rewarding as its one of the most cathartic experience. Replying to Mr Sethi’s question, why the name 99 songs? Mr Rahman simply explains that it’s a fairy tale of 100 songs. The idea was originally 100 songs, but he was already composing music for the film The Hundred -foot- journey - (Dream works and Oprah Winfrey productions directed by Richard Osmann) he knew people will be confused with the name, thus giving birth to 99 songs. He assures us that’s the idea for YM movies to make more musical because there are many interesting filmmakers in South India and North

India who want to get away with songs pre-set of remixes. Composer going in and doing a whole soundtrack, the respect and investment of time and trust is gone. That’s why he wanted to empower himself by creating a door. In his own words he says, “If there’s not a door then create a door or make a door.” In this day and age, people emphasise money or content as if it’s a factory - a never-ending factory of content. The passion for film making is missing so he wants to do a film that he is passionate about, it is his extension of what he can do. A humble start in a glorious way and bringing out the tradition. Film making is a team effort, there’s a lot of encouragement and exhaustion that goes with it. Mr Rahman points out that they have taken a certain courageous move; the film is about his personality, his vison and he has found the right team who is willing to see this vision with him. He also explains that if one sees the trailer one can see how ambitious the project is, with the same he requests not to come with too much expectation. I thought to myself it’s the nerves of the writer taking over the musician. Talking about cinema he says that there are many great voices in cinema - they are amazing! But he wants the audience to see his world, with his voice and narrative. If the audience knows his personality, the way he sees the world then they will know its him his visions in the film. Then I ask him what is the message he wants to convey with 99 songs that has been made in three different languages. Again, with his humble vision, he sees this like a fairy tale, an engaging

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cinema and music. The audience has changed. Like things are so much available, even with storytelling at a press of a button people are in Australia or in Korea. He sees this as a new format in storytelling bridging with the younger generations. In the current climate of COVID and lockdown he still took the risk of releasing the film. To that he says like for many things in life we don’t have answers. Like in his life every time he has a concept he starts doubting himself. Mr Rahman metaphorically gives the example of cloud and rain, for example, if it’s cloudy, it will rain but then again, the concept will still happen. Even with adversaries, one has to full fill their karma. There is a lockdown people are eating because they have to eat, people are breathing because they have to live and people have to entertain because it is about mental health, and discovery. There were so many movies coming out last year so Mr Rahman explains they were waiting and this quietness will set a new dawn. On casting on his new female lead Edilsy Vargas Mr Rahman explains that there were 600 - 700 auditions and he originally wanted Alia Bhatt for the role. In 2014, he met with Alia Bhatt during a music video Pataka Guddi. He spoke to her about the film, she was interested to hear his narration. But when they started the film it was already 2016 -2017 and by that time she was already a very big name and he knew she wouldn’t have a lot of time. For Mr Rahman and his team, they had already invested a lot of time in shaping and laying the foundation for the film. Ehan Bhat, the lead actor, had to learn music at the music conservatory, piano lessons, and Hollywood for his acting lesson. According to him the foundation has to be very strong not just for this movie but also for the future of his production house. Mr Sethi asks him what’s so special about 99 songs? Very candidly Mr Rahman replies that there is a lull for a musical in the industry at the moment. It has been almost eight to ten years since Ashique 2 and Rock star. As the trailer suggests with a new writer, director, producer and actors’ writer, he invites us to see the film. Lastly, Mr Rahman says that he is very grateful for the love that the Australian and New Zealand audiences including radio stations has bestowed on him. He can never forget that. He encourages all of us to support the cinemas its good for us and also the industry and in these challenging and odd times it gives all of us hope. We not only wish his entire team a huge congratulation for pulling this together but I, on behalf of G’day Indian, The Indian Weekly and Mr Sethi cannot help but quote Tagore - “If I can’t make it through one door, I’ll go through another door - or I’ll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present.” By Nandita Chakraborty For more information visit: www.mindblowingfilms.com

FEATURE

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

MENSTRUAL MIGRAINE: HEADACHES BEFORE, DURING AND POST YOUR PERIOD

Before the period, menstrual migraine is one of the prominent symptoms of PMS. So, these headaches occur when your body undergoes changes in the levels of progesterone and estrogen. When there is a fluctuation in the levels of these two hormones, the neurotransmitters in the brain get impacted and lead to headache.

Around your period, you basically get two kinds of headache -- menstrual migraine and hormonal headache. Though both the headaches occur because of the hormonal upheavals in the body, their symptoms may vary.

your first line of defence is overthe-counter pain relievers. They are often quite effective to ease out the pain and inflammation. Some of the prominent medications include ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, aspirin and acetaminophen.

Menstrual Migraine Vs Hormonal Headache The intensity of a hormonal headache is from mild to moderate, but it is a nagging ache. This is why it causes an uncomforting feeling. But it doesn’t cause any hindrance in your daily activities. Whereas, menstrual migraine could be unbearable and incidentally around 60 per cent of women across the globe undergo menstrual migraine. People, who get frequent migraine attacks, are more susceptible to this form of migraine during their periods.

Caffeine Drinking caffeinated drinks are best to treat hormonal headaches. Caffeine also constitutes one of the pivotal ingredients in some of the medications to control premenstrual syndrome in women. Even eating chocolate takes away the discomfort of the hormonal headache. However, one should

During a menstrual migraine, the person experiences flashing lights, zigzag lines, or other sensory experiences before the throbbing pain begins. It hampers your daily activities as you won’t be able to open your eyes, think or even work. A menstrual migraine is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to bright light and sound besides the throbbing pain. Medication Depending upon the severity of the menstrual migraine and hormonal headache,

be careful about caffeine intake as it’s addictive and too much caffeine gives you other issues like insomnia. Stopping caffeine abruptly after your periods can give you a withdrawal headache. Hormone therapy If your menstrual migraine persists even after taking the above-mentioned medications, you might need to undergo hormone therapy. Administering this therapy before your menstrual cycle helps to maintain a balance in hormones. Sometimes doctors may also ask you to take estrogen supplements to rectify the hormonal imbalance. Besides migraine pain if you’re also experiencing severe vomiting or nausea with a menstrual migraine, ask your doctor about prescription anti-nausea medication. Relaxation exercises One can also practice yoga, meditation and deep breathing during this phase of the month. All these practices relax your muscles, take away stress and reduce the headache symptoms. Getting enough rest It is also one of the best ways to deal with headaches. Sometimes sleeping disorders lead to headaches. Try to get an uninterrupted sleep of seven to nine hours of sleep each night. By Manisha Ranjan

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LEGAL

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Distinction - separation, Divorce, and Nullity BY GURPAL SINGH

few enquiries are made in the routine course of practice on everyday basis where people need a clarification on the issue of separation between the parties to a marriage, requirements for the divorce and nullity of the marriage. I will keep the writing plain and simple so that these concepts are understood by a common man with little or no knowledge of the process. As per the requirements of Australian Family Law, the parties of a marriage can seek divorce from each other provided they were separated for a period of 12 months immediately prior to filing the application for divorce. The curious question indeed would be to understand as to what is separation and if parties to the marriage can be legally separate while living under the same roof? A separation between the parties to a marriage would warrant lack of activities which a married couple would in normal circumstances undertake including but not limited to living as a couple, having cohabitation, sharing meals and domestic duties generally, sharing finances and purchasing the household items in collaborative manner, emotional bonding, demonstrating to the society at large that you are a couple and caring for the children. To legally terminate the marriage, one of the parties need to allege and clearly demonstrate a nonexistence of the above factors for a continue period of 12 months. Interestingly such conditions can be met while parties continue to live in the same house, or the term used by the Family Law Act 1975 ‘under the one roof’. I must say that

the Australian Family Law is very pragmatic in nature, do not finger on the liability or fault of either of the parties to the marriage. Rationally, the divorce can be filed when the parties are married for a period of two years and separated for a period of 12 months. There arises a situation where parties are otherwise separate for 12 months, but marriage was short marriage or parties were married for less than two years. Such couple can also file an application for divorce however, the law requires them to seek counselling session with a family counsellor and explore rehabilitation. In the event a party to the marriage refuse to participate in the counselling, the family counsellor will issue a certificate to this effect and the party seeking divorce can make an application for the divorce to the court of competent jurisdiction. Obviously, the party will have to file the certificate issued by the family counsellor in support of his/her application. I must clarify that the order for divorce does

not determine the legal matters between the parties in respect of parenting in case there were children to the marriage and the property settlement between the parties. While an order of divorce recognises the valid marriage between the parties to the divorce application, the annulment of marriage on the other hand implies that the marriage between the parties was not a valid marriage. The court while making a decree of annulment or nullity of the marriage declares that the marriage between the parties was void, notwithstanding the fact that the marriage ceremonies were conducted either with religious rituals or as per the other requirements of the Family Law Act 1975. The scope of nullity however is extremely strict and can only be applied if the court decides that at the time of the marriage, either of the parties were already legally married to another person; either of the parties were underage (less than 18 years of age) and did not have entitlement to provide their approval for the marriage; and either of the parties were forced in the marriage under duress and the parties to the marriage were closely related to each other e.g., parent, grand parent, child or sibling. Interestingly the court will not make a declaration of nullity for the sake of non-consummation of the marriage for whatever reason, never lived together as a husband and wife, family violence and violent behaviour of either of the party or incompatibility of the couple otherwise. I may mention that the forced marriage is a criminal offence and attracts a penalty of seven years of jail notwithstanding the fact that the marriage was solemnised in a country other than Australia.

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

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G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

CAREER CHOICES IN A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD

The global pandemic has created an upheaval in many businesses, bringing some industries like travel, tourism and events to their knees, while creating extraordinary growth in healthcare, health research, e-commerce, and virtual communications industries. The secondary and post-secondary education landscape has been impacted immensely too, with high schools and universities having to continuously adapt to unpredictable changes brought on by the pandemic, educator, counsellor and entrepreneur Ganesh Kohli tells IANSlife. Founder of the IC3 Movement and the Chair of Board of Trustees at the IC3 Institute, Kohli writes: “Students at the brink of graduating from high school and poised to make longterm career decisions are a group particularly sensitive to the constantly evolving situation. Not only are they impacted by the changes in the learning environment, they are also affected by the constant changes to board examination schedules, changes in geopolitical movement and policies, and upheavals in the job industry, with some of them probably having to reconsider the career choices they were about to make. “Change is the only constant, bringing with it great potential for growth, and not all changes have been unfavourable. Virtual learning environments, which were the exception rather than the norm pre-pandemic, have thrived and created learning opportunities that transcend physical boundaries, creating access to learning resources for students all over the world. One cannot deny that the pandemic has offered a great window for self-directed study and has demonstrated the power of technology and marketing.’’ In this time of uncertainty for students, Kohli shares suggestions on what is needed for

effective decision-making in career building: Focus on soft skills Learning in the pandemic world lies outside the classroom. A supremely critical skill brought to the fore by the pandemic is the ability to learn and unlearn new things and apply them in rapidly changing contexts. ‘The Future of Jobs Survey (2020)’ report published by the World Economic Forum lists analytical thinking and innovation, active learning strategies, complex problem solving, critical thinking and analysis, leadership and social influence, creativity and originality, emotional intelligence, resilience, reasoning and ideation, and service orientation among the top skills employers will be looking for by 2025. The trying global situation is an exemplary period for developing some of these skills such as leadership, resilience, courage, emotional intelligence, service-orientation, among others. Evolving technical skills Going forward, some industries may shape differently from others and the technical skills needed for careers will evolve rapidly. In the face of this reality, students need to start thinking about how their interests align with career paths that will be most valuable and fields that will see the most growth. For students interested in science and technology, medicine and engineering are no longer the only viable choices. Health services beyond traditional medicine, health research, AI, data analytics, cloud computing, cybersecurity, etc are going to need massive human resources. Once the dust settles, the fields of human and social development are also going to witness growth, with a growing need for social workers, and volunteerism and social work becoming important on student resumes. More than ever

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before, the jobs of tomorrow showcase the continuing importance of human interaction in the new economy through roles in marketing, sales, content production, and other positions that require communication skills. It is now all the more imperative for students to focus on digital learning, soft skills, and vocational education, to emerge as job-ready in the post-pandemic world. The paradox of choice Today, there are several routes to a satisfying career. A well-paying job is an ineffective metric for success. Meaning and purpose in your job are important factors for job satisfaction. With a renewed perspective on what a ‘dream job’ constitutes, the possibilities of what makes a successful career are boundless. However, hundreds of options inevitably result in the ‘paradox of choice’. Setting students up for success and supporting them with professional guidance as they make critical choices about what to study, where to study, and how to make it happen in a post-pandemic world is a responsibility that lies with their schools. Career counselling in schools can help students explore a range of careers by assessing their personality, interests, strengths and weaknesses. It helps them achieve the desired confidence to make decisions with the support of an experienced mentor. It is now more critical than ever for schools to invest their human resources to provide career guidance and counselling to their students. Organisations like the IC3 institute are relentlessly working towards providing this support to high schools, enabling them to set up fully functional counseling departments. IC3 is focused on training teachers and principals to become career counsellors and support their students as they deal with a rapidly evolving career landscape. A career is a lifelong journey of self-exploration and self-expression. The right counseling at the right time is a critical tool to help students get set for this journey. It gives them guidance and direction. By Siddhi Jain

FESTIVALS

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Ramadan Mubarak! BY ARCHITA BAWEJA

amadan is a sacred month for all Muslims. It is the Arabic name for the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The dates vary each year and Ramadan is eleven days earlier every next year. During Ramadan, Muslims all over the world abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk. This month is also about prayer, self-reflection and community apart from fasting. Ramadan is one of the 5 pillars of Islam, the others being declaration of faith, five daily prayers, charity and Pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime. Being from another religion, until a few years back, I was unaware of Ramadan. It was only when I saw a very close friend fasting during Ramadan that I asked her about it. She explained to me what it meant and its significance. Later on, I saw for myself how she fasted each day in spite of it being a workday and so hot outside, she did not have a drop of water until dusk. I soon realised that Ramadan was much more than fasting. It was faith, selfdiscipline, self-reflection, compassion all intertwingled together to be closer to the divine. A typical day of a Muslim observing a roza starts with sehri or suhoor, which

consists of a lavish meal before dawn. The rising of the sun marks the beginning of the fast, which is then broken with an iftar, usually consisting of dates and water followed by a feast after the sunset and the evening prayer. The fast is called a ‘roza’ which is governed by the idea of practising self-restraint. With it being almost a year to the worldwide pandemic and the multiple subsequent lockdowns, approaching Ramadan this year feels very different. Ramadan and Eid last year were spent totally in isolation and people met virtually. This year there is hope to have community gatherings in a few countries where the covid numbers are low. Muslims in

Australia are excited about spending time with friends and family during this Ramadan and meeting them in person (fingers crossed). To encourage such engagements every year Australian Intercultural society organises Iftar dinners with various universities and organisations like Ambulance Victoria during this holy month. This is the time where Muslims as well as non-Muslims come together and connect over meals. Such events are an opportunity for all to celebrate our diversity while strengthening our relationships and understanding. At the end of the sacred month of Ramadan or month-long fasting is Eid al-Fitr. The festival is a day when Muslims thank Allah for strength and blessings, hoping the commemoration of Ramadan has brought them closer to God. Traditionally, Eid is celebrated for three days and is a national holiday in Muslim countries. On this day, Muslims will generally gather at mosques or in open-air locations such as parks to recite the prayer. Men dress up in traditional white attire, whereas women wear traditional dresses with a Hijab. Many women apply intricate henna designs on their hands on the occasion of Eid. Later in the day, everyone will sit down with their family and friends for food, their first daylight meal following a month of fasting. Some of the spectacular and mouth-watering dishes made during Eid are Biryani, Sheer Khurma (sweet pudding), Mutton Korma, Seekh kebab and Nihari. As we can see, the tough rituals of Ramadan accompany the sweetness of Eid and bring people closer to the divine. In essence, Ramadan is a welcome break from the humdrum of life, a chance to reflect, break poor habits, renew spiritual connection and bask in the blessings from Allah Taala.

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

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FASHION

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Styling the seasons: Autumn Wardrobe W

BY DEBASREE DAS

hile most of the Aussie spend the last autumn in lockdown last year, this year, it’s time to invest and splurge on outfits that you re-purpose for winter. Melbourne Autumn is already a short lived one. With the super cold front hitting us every week, styling the perfect autumn wardrobe is a tough choice. But here are some tips that you can use to create your sustainable autumn wardrobe. 1) Neutrals: Camel colour/ neutrals are always a big win when it comes to my Autumn/Winter wardrobe. Be it the 9-5 or beyond, neutrals always work in your favour. Be it a neutral dress or a camel colour coat, you can style them the way you want. Camel, Nudes, neutrals is the hottest colour of the autumn season. Knit dresses, leather jumpsuits, camel coats, or neutral skirts, whatever you choose, will surely make you look that you are in tune with the season’s trends. 2) Jackets: Colour blocking jackets are the perfect addition to your autumn wardrobe, they add texture and vibrancy to your otherwise neutral autumn look. Style your summer dresses with a pair of Jackets like blue, red, brown or even black. There you go, another thing I always love is a sustainable wardrobe, and that is re-using my summer dresses till I can with a jacket.

3) Blazers: With the perfect balance of work from home, keep these blazers handy for your Friday after hours look. Shades of yellow, brown, blue and black look amazing when your style these blazers over denim and that workwear shirt or T-shirt, with those heels. A good statement boot changes the game of the whole outfit, sometimes all you need is a classic boot. Check out some boho styles, which I recently wore to make my autumn outfit look different. 4) Dresses: Why should you keep dresses for summer or spring? Dresses are

for all season, check out how I style dresses with your favourite boots. Transitional dresses are the perfect addition to your wardrobe. Prints, florals and asymmetric prints dresses can be styled with your favourite colour boots and stockings to create that desired look. 5) Skirts: I always say this, skirts are for all seasons, style them with a pullover or a woollen vest to create your unique style statement. I love styling pleated skirts with my turtleneck pullovers, keeping myself warm and yet not looking too boring while keeping up with the layering game.

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

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FEATURE

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

GOSSIP CREATES SOCIAL

CONNECTIONS, ALLOWING LEARNING ABOUT WORLD INDIRECTLY A woman goes through a lot of hormonal changes when her menstrual cycle is about to commence. It doesn’t just happen before the period, but it sometimes continues during and post menstrual cycle. So, if you’re experiencing a headache during all these phases, you’re not alone. Gossip is often considered socially taboo and dismissed for its negative tone, but a quirky study from Dartmouth College illustrates some of its merits. Gossip facilitates social connection and enables learning about the world indirectly through other people’s experiences. Gossip is not necessarily spreading rumours or saying bad things about other people but can include small talk in-person or online, such as having a private chat during a Zoom meeting. Prior research has found that approximately 14 per cent of people’s daily conversations are gossip, and primarily neutral in tone. “A gossip is a complex form of communication that is often misunderstood,” says Eshin Jolly, a post-doctoral researcher in the Computational Social Affective Neuroscience Laboratory (COSAN) who co-authored the study with Luke Chang, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences and director of the COSAN Lab at Dartmouth. “It can be a means of social and substantive connection beyond its typical negative connotation,” adds Jolly. Jolly and Chang were curious why people in their personal and professional lives spend so much time exchanging information about themselves and other people and sought to determine why people gossip and what function it serves. They created a game online to examine the role of gossip and how it manifests as information becomes more uncertain within the game. Participants played 10 rounds of the game together in six-person groups. In each round, players were given USD 10 and could choose to keep the money or invest

any portion of it into a group fund that was multiplied by 1.5x and divided equally among the players. The game creates an inherent tension between selfish freeriding and cooperative behaviour and is considered what researchers refer to as a public goods game.

Participants relied on second-hand information from their partners to stay informed about other peoples’ behaviour that they could not see, illustrating how gossip enables individuals to learn from the experiences of others when direct observation is not feasible.

The findings also showed that participants who chatted with each other felt the most In some conditions, information was connected with each other at the end of the restricted so that participants could only game and even shared similar impressions of observe the behaviour of a few other players in the other players in their group. their group. Chang explains that “By exchanging “Our inspiration was creating a life-like information with others, gossip is a way of scenario, in which you’re a member of a forming relationships. It involves trust and community and affected by the actions of all facilitates a social bond that is reinforced as other community members, but most of whom further communication takes place.” you rarely observe and engage with directly,” Jolly explained. In a typical public goods game, players contribute less over time and an unravelling In some games, players could privately effect occurs that propagates through a chat with another player in the group. This network of people. However, in this study, allowed players to relay information about cooperation declined less over time when other players’ behaviour to their partner, such players could privately communicate. as whether another player was freeriding. Communication increased collective Afterwards, players reported their willingness cooperation. to play with each player again. The researchers explain that gossip should Published in the journal Current Biology, not be relegated to just “baseless trash talk”. their findings demonstrate how gossip is a According to the paper, the team’s findings “rich, multifaceted communication” with several on the role of gossip are consistent with social functions. creating a “shared reality” in which friends and colleagues often find common bonds, establish Different types of gossip emerged depending alliances, exchange personal information, and on the amount of information available. discuss the behaviour of others to establish a Spontaneous conversations about others consensus of socially acceptable behaviour. occurred more frequently during games when players could only observe the behaviour of “Gossip can be useful because it helps a few of their group members. When players people learn through the experiences of others could directly observe all of their group while enabling them to become closer to each members, they tended to chit-chat and discuss other in the process,” says Jolly. (ANI) a wider array of topics.

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FEATURE

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

CAN NIGHT MODE FEATURE HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER? How often have you laid in bed scrolling through news stories, social media or responding to a text? After staring at the screen, have you ever found that it is harder to fall asleep?

It’s widely believed that the emitted blue light from phones disrupts melatonin secretion and sleep cycles. To reduce this blue light emission and the strain on the eyes, Apple introduced an iOS feature called Night Shift in 2016; a feature that adjusts the screen’s colours to warmer hues after sunset. Android phones soon followed with a similar option, and now most smartphones have some sort of night mode function that claims to help users sleep better.

“In the whole sample, there were no differences across the three groups,” Jensen said. “Night Shift is not superior to using your phone without Night Shift or even using no phone at all.” The study included 167 emerging adults ages 18 to 24 who use cell phones daily. They were asked to spend at least eight hours in bed and wore an accelerometer on their wrist to record their sleep activity. Individuals who were assigned to use their smartphone also had an app installed to monitor their phone use.

Until recently, claims of better sleep due to Night Shift have been theoretical. However, a new study from Brigham Young University The measured sleep outcomes (BYU) published in the journal Sleep included total sleep duration, sleep Health, challenges the premise made quality, wake after sleep onset and by phone manufacturers and found the time it took to fall asleep. that the Night Shift functionality does not actually improve sleep. After not finding significant differences in sleep outcomes To test the theory, BYU psychology across the three categories, the professor Chad Jensen and researchers split the sample into researchers from the Cincinnati two separate groups: one which Children’s Hospital Medical Center averaged about seven hours of sleep compared the sleep outcomes of and another that slept less than six individuals in three categories: those hours each night. who used their phone at night with the Night Shift function turned on, The group that got seven hours those who used their phone at night of sleep, which is closer to the without Night Shift and those who recommended eight to nine hours a did not use a smartphone before bed night, saw a slight difference in sleep at all. quality based on phone usage. The individuals who did not use a phone before bed experienced superior sleep quality relative to

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both those with normal phone use and those using Night Shift. Within the six-hour group, which had the least amount of sleep, there were no differences in sleep outcomes based on whether the participants used Night Shift or not. “This suggests that when you are super tired you fall asleep no matter what you did just before bed,” explained Jensen. “The sleep pressure is so high there is really no effect of what happens before bedtime.” The results suggest that it is not blue light alone that creates difficulty falling or staying asleep. The psychological engagement experienced when texting, scrolling and posting are also important factors that affect sleep outcomes. “While there is a lot of evidence suggesting that blue light increases alertness and makes it more difficult to fall asleep, it is important to think about what portion of that stimulation is light emission versus other cognitive and psychological stimulations,” said Jensen. Night Shift may make your screen darker, but Night Shift alone will not help you fall or stay asleep. (ANI)

TECH

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

MIT SCIENTISTS CREATE MUSIC FROM SPIDER WEBS

A team of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US have translated the structure of a spider web into music, which could have applications ranging from better 3D printers to cross-species communication and otherworldly musical compositions. “The spider lives in an environment of vibrating strings. They don’t see very well, so they sense their world through vibrations, which have different frequencies,” said Markus Buehler, from MIT.

Such vibrations occur, for example, when the spider stretches a silk strand during construction, or when the wind or a trapped fly moves the web. In the study, the team scanned a natural spider web with a laser to capture 2D cross-sections and then used computer algorithms to reconstruct the web’s 3D network. They assigned different frequencies of sound to strands of the web, creating “notes” that they combined in patterns based on the web’s 3D structure to generate melodies. The researchers then created a harplike instrument and played the spider web music in several live performances around the world and also made a virtual reality setup that allowed people to visually and

audibly “enter” the web. “The virtual reality environment is really intriguing. By hearing it and seeing it at the same time, you can really start to understand the environment the spider lives in,” Buehler said. The step-by-step knowledge of how a spider builds a web could help in devising “spider-mimicking” 3D printers that build complex microelectronics. The team explored how the sound of a web changes as it’s exposed to different mechanical forces, such as stretching. Further, in a bid to communicate with spiders in their own language they

recorded web vibrations produced when spiders performed different activities, such as building a web, communicating with other spiders or sending courtship signals. Although the frequencies sounded similar to the human ear, a machine learning algorithm correctly classified the sounds into the different activities. “Now we’re trying to generate synthetic signals to basically speak the language of the spider,” Buehler said. The findings will be presented at the forthcoming spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). (AGENCIES)

FITBIT RESEARCHING WRIST-BASED BP TRACKING IN ‘SENSE’ Wearable brand Fitbit is investigating whether it can measure blood pressure with a new study for Sense smartwatch users.

Fitbit Sense comes with electrodermal activity (EDA) to measure daily stress and comes with a heart rate tracker, electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor and skin temperature sensors. According to 9To5Google, Fitbit Labs is launching a blood pressure study this month to “potentially measure” Pulse Arrival Time (PAT), or the “time it takes for a pulse of blood to reach your wrist after your heart beats”. The company wants to “explore the potential link to tracking blood pressure” and needs a wider data set, the report said.

Previous research has found a correlation between PAT and blood pressure, but the correlation was not strong enough to predict blood pressure. These investigations were limited

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to either small data sets or specific environments like an intensive care unit.

According to the report, Fitbit Labs also found a correlation between PAT and blood pressure in a small, three-week internal study. The new study will extend this work to a broader population in order to learn more about how PAT measurements change under a variety of conditions. Sense owners over 20 in the US will receive a notification in the Fitbit app about this study. If successful, the company sees having easy access to blood pressure readings as being potentially helpful for those with hypertension. (AGENCIES)

VIRTUAL

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

41 41

Apple’s Find My app now let’s third-party locate lost products

Apple has introduced the updated Find My app, allowing third-party products to use the private and secure finding capabilities of Apple’s Find My network.

The Find My network accessory programme enables users to keep track of their belongings in the new Items tab within the Find My app. The new products that work with the Find My app from VanMoof, Chipolo and Belkin will be available beginning next week. It will allow users to locate where they left their ride, their earbuds at the gym, their backpack, and so much more. “For more than a decade, our customers have relied on Find My to locate their missing or stolen Apple devices, all while protecting their privacy,” Bob Borchers, vice president of Apple’s Worldwide Product Marketing, said in a blogpost on Wednesday. “Now we’re bringing the powerful finding capabilities of Find My, one of our most popular services, to more people with the Find My network accessory programme,” Borchers added.

Part of the Made for iPhone (MFi) Programme, the Find My network accessory programme is designed for any accessory developer looking to connect an existing or new product to the Find My network. Third-party products must adhere to all the privacy protections of the Find My network that

Apple customers rely on, the company said. The Find My app on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Mac makes it easy to locate missing Apple devices, as well as keep up with friends and family, all while protecting user privacy. (AGENCIES)

Instagram working on new tools for influencers Facebook-owned Instagram is working on a suite of new tools to help influencers make money off its platform, including creator shops, affiliate commerce and a “branded content marketplace.” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the upcoming features during a live stream with Instagram chief Adam Mosseri. Creator Shops would be an extension of the company’s existing shopping features, which allows businesses to sell products, reports Engadget. “We see a lot of creators setting up shops too, and one part of being a content creator business model is you create great content, and then you can sell stuff, and so having creator shops is awesome,” Zuckerberg said. Zuckerberg also said the company is working on tools that would enable Instagram stars to get paid for promoting products. “Creators should be able to get a cut of the sales of things that they’re recommending and we should build up an affiliate recommendation

marketplace to enable that to all happen,” he said. Instagram is also working on a “branded content marketplace” that would help match influencers with sponsors. Zuckerberg noted that such a tool could help

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enable up-and-coming talent to monetize and help create a kind of “creator middle class.” According to the report, the new tools are still in the works, but could dramatically shift the way influencers monetize their following on the platform. (IANS)

RELATIONSHIPS

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Matchmaking on video calls rises to 50% Virtual ways to find a life partner is now a reality, or better yet, the new normal, suggests a new survey. With the second wave of Covid-19, Jeevansathi.com, a matrimony platform, rolled out a survey to understand how this impacts the search for a life partner. Results show that half of the respondents feel that virtual meetings will become the norm very soon; completely replacing physical meetings during one’s search for a life partner. In contrast, in August 2020, only 40 per cent respondents confirmed the same. When digital transformation is the in-thing across industries, finding soulmates has also found its safe haven online. Rohan Mathur, Business Head, Jeevansathi.com said, “Pandemic has changed the way people search for a life partner. We have witnessed the increasing affinity among our users towards virtual ways of connecting with prospective matches. While we saw a spike in usage of voice and videocalling on our platform as soon as Covid

hit, the trend has continued even after relaxations in government restrictions and a drop in cases. At the onset of the Covid pandemic, we had seen the volume of calls on the platform go up 1.6X. This year, the number of voice/ video calls is a whopping 11X of what it was pre-Covid. Total time spent on calls has also gone up 10 times.” As many as 38 per cent of the respondents are comfortable taking a decision based on virtual meetings alone! While digital has its own ease, it has not completely banished the importance of in-person meetings. 44 per cent respondents are happy to connect over video calls to know each other but meeting in-person is still required for the final decision. Only 18 per cent said that they still prefer meeting matches face-toface over virtually. It is interesting to see the newfound appreciation for small weddings with limited guest lists. While it was understandably the most popular choice when cases in the country had peaked, even after the vaccine rollout, 55 per cent of respondents have expressed

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their preference for smaller weddings. The second wave of Covid-19 could be one of the reasons for the same. However, in this wave, people are relatively more relaxed and want to go back to a world where big fat Indian weddings were common. Twentyseven per cent respondents said they would readily have a regular wedding now, albeit with safety precautions vs only 11 per cent respondents willing in August ‘20. While searching for a partner has moved online in the wake of the lockdown, virtual weddings are completely eliminated. No respondent opted for a virtual wedding in the survey, as compared to 11 per cent who did in August ‘20. That said, safety and sanitisation have become the top priority in Indian weddings since the pandemic hit. Over 50 per cent respondents chose a Covid-safe wedding over the perfect outfits, pictures, food, etc. Sixty-nine per cent respondents said they are now comfortable attending a pandemic wedding with the requisite precautions. By Puja Gupta

LIFESTYLE

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

How to make your work from home more efficient?

Even after a year of Covid-19 pandemic and remote working, are you still struggling to strike an efficient balance between your home office and life?

Run a white-noise machine to mask household clatter, make your noisy neighbours aware of your work schedule, and resist the temptation to check work-related technology after logging off at the end of the workday can help you maintain a productive home office,

suggested the researchers from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York.

“A key challenge most people face when they work from home is how to effectively navigate the boundaries between their work life and home life, all while continuing to be efficient and productive in their job,” said Timothy D. Golden, Professor at the varsity. “The need to be able to adeptly manage the boundaries between work and family is absolutely critical today,” he added. In the article, published in the journal Organizational Dynamics, Golden identified four areas -- physical, behavioural, temporal, and communication -- that must be considered in order for employees and managers to successfully set and manage boundaries between work and home life. Other tactics include setting allowable limits on household noise,

starting and ending your day at consistent and regular times, and -- importantly -- having expectation-setting conversations with family members or those living in the home, Golden recommended. “You’re in a different physical and mental space when you’re working remotely or in the home domain,” Golden said.

“Communication becomes particularly crucial when you’re immersed in the home environment to balance everything successfully,” he noted. There are two types of remote workers: “segmentors” work best by keeping a rigid distinction between their personal life and job, while “integrators” are at ease mixing together their work and home responsibilities. To work successfully at home, individuals of both types must erect and maintain boundaries to match their desired comfort level, Golden said. .

(AGENCIES)

PEOPLE TRUST COMPUTERS MORE THAN HUMANS Despite increasing concern over the intrusion of algorithms in daily life, a new research shows that people are more likely to rely on algorithms than humans, especially if a task becomes too challenging.

From choosing the next song on your playlist to choosing the right size pants, people are relying more on the advice of algorithms to help make everyday decisions and streamline their lives. “Algorithms are able to do a huge number of tasks and the number of tasks that they are able to do is expanding practically every day,” said researcher Eric Bogert from the University of Georgia.

generated by an algorithm.

As the number of people in the photograph expanded, counting became more difficult and people were more likely to follow the suggestion generated by an algorithm rather than count themselves or follow the “wisdom of the crowd”, the researcher said. According to the researcher, the choice of counting as the trial task was an important one because the number of people in the photo makes the task objectively harder as it increases. It also is the type of task that

“It seems like there’s a bias towards leaning more heavily on algorithms as a task gets harder and that effect is stronger than the bias towards relying on advice from other people,” Bogert added. For the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, the team involved 1,500 individuals evaluating photographs. The team asked volunteers to count the number of people in a photograph of a crowd and supplied suggestions that were generated by a group of other people and suggestions

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laypeople expect computers to be good at. Facial recognition and hiring algorithms have come under scrutiny in recent years as well because their use has revealed cultural biases in the way they were built, which can cause inaccuracies when matching faces to identities or screening for qualified job candidates, the team said. Those biases may not be present in a simple task like counting, but their presence in other trusted algorithms is a reason why it’s important to understand how people rely on algorithms when making decisions, they added.

(ANI)

HEALTH

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Australian researchers find casual link between cardiovascular health and coffee consumption

In a world-first study of 390,435 people, University of South Australia researchers found causal genetic evidence that cardio health - as reflected in blood pressure and heart rate influences coffee consumption.

Conducted in partnership with the SAHMRI, the team found that people with high blood pressure, angina, and arrythmia were more likely to drink less coffee, decaffeinated coffee or avoid coffee altogether compared to those without such symptoms and that this was based on genetics. Lead researcher and Director of UniSA’s Australian Centre for Precision Health, Professor Elina Hypponen says it’s a positive finding that shows our genetics actively regulate the amount of coffee we drink and protect us from consuming too much. “People drink coffee for all sorts of reasons - as a pick me up when they’re feeling tired, because it tastes good, or simply because it’s part of their daily routine,” Prof Hypponen says. “But what we don’t recognise is that people subconsciously self-regulate safe levels of

pressure.”

In Australia, one in four men, and one in five women suffer from high blood pressure, with the condition being a risk factor for many chronic health conditions including stroke, heart failure and chronic kidney disease.

caffeine based on how high their blood pressure is, and this is likely a result of a protective genetic mechanism. “What this means is that someone who drinks a lot of coffee is likely more genetically tolerant of caffeine, as compared to someone who drinks very little. “Conversely, a non-coffee drinker, or someone who drinks decaffeinated coffee, is more likely prone to the adverse effects of caffeine, and more susceptible to high blood

Using data from the UK Biobank, researchers examined the habitual coffee consumption of 390,435 people, comparing this with baseline levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and baseline heart rate. Causal relationships were determined via Mendelian randomization. Prof Hypponen says how much coffee we drink is likely to be an indicator of our cardio health. “Whether we drink a lot of coffee, a little, or avoid caffeine altogether, this study shows that genetics are guiding our decisions to protect our cardio health,” Prof Hypponen says. “If your body is telling you not to drink that extra cup of coffee, there’s likely a reason why. Listen to your body, it’s more in tune with your health than you may think. (ANI)

BP pills may cause skin cancers in elderly Common medications used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) may adversely raise the risk of skin cancers in people aged 66 and above, claims a new study. Long-term intake of antihypertensive medications called thiazide diuretics, including hydrochlorothiazide, are linked with higher rates of non-melanoma and melanoma -- the two major types of skin cancers, globalnews.ca reported. The findings have been published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). However, other common blood pressure drugs such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers and beta-blockers, did not raise this risk, the study showed. Hydrochlorothiazide is known to make the skin more sensitive to ultraviolet radiation and sunlight, meaning patients can get sunburned more easily, according to Health Canada. “The theory is that by making our skin cells more sensitive to the damage caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun or a tanning bed, that medication might increase skin cancer risk,” Aaron Drucker, study co-author and

dermatologist at the Women’s College Hospital, in Canada was quoted as saying to globalnews. ca. The study included 3,02,634 patients in Ontario who were prescribed an antihypertensive medication between 1998 and 2017. Patients with higher risk of skin cancer

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must consider other treatment alternatives, the researchers suggested, adding patients taking thiazide diuretics must periodically monitor for skin cancer. While most skin cancers do not lead to death and can be treated with a simple surgery, an advanced squamous cell skin cancer or melanoma may put a patient’s life at risk, Drucker said. (AGENCIES)

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

ASK DR. RAJ… This months Q: WARTS:

Q: Hello Dr Raj, My wife has developed several 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.

Health tip:

an available opportunity. A detailed case study is required for effective treatment. 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.

Freezing of warts is called Cryotherapy. The wart is sprayed with liquid nitrogen at very low temperatures allowing the wart to drop off. Side A: Dear Mr.A, Warts are common, effects include pain, swelling, scaring and are caused by a viral infection and the results are not permanent. (viruses in the human papillomavirus Laser treatments burn off the wart but (HPV) family) and are contagious once again, may not be a permanent when in contact with the skin of the solution because the virus which causinfected person. Warts usually disap- es the wart is still well and truly alive pear after few months however can within your body. I have heard the also last several years and reoccur. continuous use of Apple Cider Vinegar Warts can grow on various parts of the on the wart surely helps the wart to body, face, inside the mouth, genitals, disappear but would not recommend hands, fingers etc. Also warts are of the use of such treatments by yourself different types such as flat and filiform without medical supervision when you warts (more common on the face), have available natural therapy alterplantar warts, mosaic and genital natives. warts etc. By Raj Kothuru Please send any of your health related questions to Your wife could have picked up the drraj@aurahealth.com.au with Ask Dr Raj as the subject virus in her travels or the virus could line or ph: 94788649 / 0425761826. The questions will have been dormant and manifested at be published with your identity protected.

Asthma mainly occurs due to inflammation of lung tissue and the narrow airways. Saffron helps clear the airways

The Pros and Cons of Using General Anaesthesia for Sleep Dentistry

Sleep dentistry answers the need for anxious patients to help them stay calm during dental procedures. A widely used form of sedation for the same is general anaesthesia. Many patients have benefited by using it for getting dental problems solved. Are you planning to go for it too? Well, this article has found you at the right time then. It might be beneficial to weigh all your options before you go under the knife. Let us quickly have a look at the pros and cons of using general anaesthesia for sleep dentistry. Pros 1. Easy to operate General anaesthesia makes the patient completely unconscious. They cannot move by will. This gives dentists the room they much required to operate on patients’ teeth, which must have been difficult had the patient being conscious. Some patients such as children, people with nervous system issues, and anxious people cannot lay still on the dentist’s chair. General anaesthesia makes it an easy experience for both patient and dentist. 2. Amnesia A person under the effect of general anaesthesia may experience amnesia, that is a complete loss of memory for the duration of their dental procedure. Many patients who suffer from past bad experience memories and dental anxiety or phobia might prefer this feature. As the general anaesthesia is the deepest form of sedation, the patients do not have any painful memories of the dental treatment they undergo. 3. Rapid onset General anaesthesia is also preferred for its rapid onset. The time taken for the effects to show is less compared to other sedatives. This is helpful in cases where a quick dental work is required. It is also helpful when a person has met with an accident and has other injuries to be treated too. A lot of time can be saved. 4. Suitable for the majority of patients Sedation dentistry using general anaesthesia is largely suitable for patients with special needs. For example, people who cannot stop involuntary movements due to central nervous system condition, children who find it difficult to keep their mouths open or to stay steady for long durations, wisdom teeth removals, major dental treatments, etc. General anaesthesia sets all these issues aside and helps the patient have the dental care they need. Cons 1. Advanced training is required Not every medical professional can

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administer anaesthesia. A physician or dentist who wishes to administer general anaesthesia must have to complete a professional full-time training in anesthesiology. It requires absolute precision and knowledge to be able to administer general anaesthesia to patients. 2. A trained team is required Along with the training for the anaesthetist, a competent team of anaesthesia assistant and a circulating nurse is required for the administration of anaesthesia at a hospital or dental clinic. If you are planning to undergo sleep dentistry, check if the dentist has the required personnel in his team. 3. Need for proper equipment and facilities When sedated with general anaesthesia, monitoring the unconscious patient becomes necessary. A hospital or dental clinic must have all the equipment needed to perform dental surgery along with monitoring the state of the patient. It takes time to wear off. Patients also require a recovery room wherein to recover after the dental surgery for a short while. 4. Limiting conditions Although being best for many patients, general anaesthesia is not meant for many others. The state and reaction to sedation may vary from person to person. You need to make sure you are the right candidate before proceeding with sleep dentistry by sharing your medical history with the dentist. At Healthy Smiles, we treat each patient carefully and ascertain their candidature for sedation dentistry by carrying out extensive research on their medical history. Also, we have the most advanced and efficient equipment, qualified and practising anaesthetist, and a whole team of experienced professionals to help carry out a general anaesthetic sleep dentistry procedure. Feel free to ask us about your dental care queries, we would be delighted to help. Drop by at our clinic in Blackburn or call us on 03 9877 2035 for more information. Dr Ved Berani BDS(Mum), ADEC(Aust), MBA(Melb), FIADFE, MFGDP(UK)

Principal Dentist & Clinical Advisor Healthy Smiles Dental Group 150-152 Canterbury Rd, Blackburn South VIC 3130 Call us: (03) 9877 2035 www.healthysmiles.com.au

HEALTH

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Loneliness in men can lead to cancer The findings of a recent study by the University of Eastern Finland researchers suggest that loneliness among middle-aged men is associated with an increased risk of cancer. According to the researchers, taking account of loneliness and social relationships should thus be an important part of comprehensive health care and disease prevention. The findings were published in Psychiatry Research. “It has been estimated, on the basis of studies carried out in recent years, that loneliness could be as significant a health risk as smoking or overweight. Our findings support the idea that attention should be paid to this issue,” Project Researcher SiiriLiisi Kraav from the University of Eastern Finland says. The study was launched in the 1980s with 2,570 middle-aged men from eastern Finland participating. Their health and mortality have been monitored on the basis

of registered data up until the present day. During the follow-up, 649 men, i.e., 25 per cent of the participants, developed cancer, and 283 men (11 per cent) died of cancer. Loneliness increased the risk of cancer by about ten per cent. This association with the risk of cancer was observed regardless of age, socio-economic status, lifestyle, sleep quality, depression symptoms, body mass index, heart disease, and their risk factors. In addition, cancer mortality was higher in cancer patients who were unmarried, widowed, or divorced at baseline. “Awareness of the health effects of loneliness is constantly increasing. Therefore, it is important to examine, in more detail, the mechanisms by which loneliness causes adverse health effects. This information would enable us to better alleviate loneliness and the harm caused by it, as well as to find optimal ways to target preventive measures. (ANI)

Pink salt to heal your body and mind

There are many reasons why Himalayan salt has grown in popularity! But before you delve into its benefits let’s try and understand what exactly Himalayan salt is. What is Himalayan salt? Himalayan salt is a rock salt found in Pakistan’s Punjab district. Mined in the Himalayan foothills, it has hundreds of essential nutrients that give it its rosy hue. Previous research indicates that it is one of the purest salts available. It comes in a variety of ways, from exfoliating bath salts to cooking brines and salt lamps. Lavleen Gambhir, Founder Yummiano, shares four ways to reap benefits: Assists the body in detoxification: Himalayan salt is a rich source of minerals and elements such as potassium, iron, and calcium. Both minerals help our bodies’ normal detoxification mechanism and facilitate bacteria elimination. Reduces blood pressure: Sea salt is finely refined, has fewer minerals, and contains more sodium than Himalayan salt. When you replace sea salt with Himalayan salt, your body processes it more easily, so it does not need as much water to flush out the extra sodium

as it does if you had used table salt. Furthermore, Himalayan salt is especially rich in iodine, which food manufacturers artificially bind to table salt during processing. Himalayan salt contains natural iodine, which is very good in assisting the body to create an electrolyte equilibrium, assisting the intestines in absorbing nutrients, and reducing blood pressure. Improves digestion: The high mineral content of Himalayan salt aids in the pH balance of your body. Our bodies have greater immunity and are better able to store and absorb food while our pH levels are healthy.

Improves respiratory health: Many people claim that salt therapy, which entails inhaling salt-infused air, can help with lung problems like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. While further study is required on this subject, scientists discovered statistically significant changes in questionnaires provided to COPD patients who used a dry salt inhaler. With all of the false health statements, it’s understandable that some people

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are perplexed about which kind of salt to use. However, if you choose to skip the ingredients used in standard table salt, pink Himalayan salt is an excellent natural substitute.

By N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Stress linked to coronary heart disease in women Psychosocial stress -- typically resulting from difficulty coping with challenging environments -- may work synergistically to put women at higher risk of developing coronary heart disease, a new study suggests. The findings indicate that the effects of job strain and social strain -- the negative aspect of social relationships -- on women is a powerful one-two punch. Together they are associated with a 21 per cent higher risk of developing coronary heart disease. “The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted ongoing stresses for women in balancing paid work and social stressors,” said researchers Yvonne Michael, Associate Professor at Drexel University in the US. “My hope is that these findings are a call for better methods of monitoring stress in the workplace and remind us of the dual-burden working women face as a result of their unpaid work as caregivers at home,” Michael added. The study also found that high-stress life

events, such as a spouse’s death, divorce/ separation or physical or verbal abuse, as well as social strain, were each independently linked with a 12 per cent and 9 per cent higher risk of coronary heart disease, respectively.

arteries become narrow and cannot bring sufficient oxygenated blood to the heart. (IANS)

For the study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the team used data from a nationally representative sample of 80,825 postmenopausal women. In the current follow-up study, the researchers evaluated the effect of psychosocial stress from job strain, stressful life events and social strain (through a survey), and associations among these forms of stress, on coronary heart disease. Nearly 5 per cent of the women developed coronary heart disease during the 14-year, seven-month study. Coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the US, occurs with the heart’s

PREGNANCY raised depression among women during pandemic

Pregnant and postpartum women reported high levels of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and post-traumatic stress during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a worldwide survey. Such high levels of distress may have potential implications for women and for foetal and child health and development, said researchers from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the US. “We expected to see an increase in the proportion of pregnant and postpartum women reporting mental health distress, as they are likely to be worried or have questions about their babies’ health and development, in addition to their own or their family’s health,” said Karestan Koenen, Professor of psychiatric epidemiology at the varsity. “However, the number of women who had significantly elevated symptoms was much larger than what had previously been published during the pandemic,” Koenen added. The study is published online in the journal PLOS ONE.

To gauge the mental health of pregnant and postpartum women during the pandemic, the team conducted an anonymous, online, crosssectional survey of women in 64 countries between May 26, 2020 and June 13, 2020. Of the 6,894 participants, substantial proportions of women scored at or above the cutoffs in widely-used psychological screening tools for elevated levels of anxiety/depression (31 per cent), loneliness (53 per cent), and post-traumatic stress in relation to Covid-19 (43 per cent), despite the fact that only 117 women (2 per cent) had been diagnosed with Covid-19 and 510 (7 per cent) had been in contact with someone with Covid-19. The levels of psychiatric distress were significantly higher than previously published data on such distress in the general population during the pandemic and among pregnant and postpartum women before the pandemic. Seeking information about the pandemic five or more times a day from any source (e.g., social media, news, or word-of-mouth) was associated with more than twice the odds of elevated post-traumatic stress in relation to Covid-19 and anxiety/depression.

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Worries about children and childcare and economic worries were also important factors in women’s mental health. (ANI)

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

I STILL GET NERVOUS BEFORE FIRST DAY OF SHOOT:

Bhumi Pednekar on lifestyle changes she has made for a green cause

EMRAAN HASHMI

Actor Emraan Hashmi says despite his years in the industry, he is very apprehensive before starting a new film. The actor says that he is nervous about matching up to the demands of his character. “With each film I hope I can match up and portray my character well. Every new character, you feel you have to learn (all over again), that I don’t know anything. I still get nervous before the first day of shoot. Things get easier as you continue to shoot,” he said. The actor adds that his process of coming on board with a film has remained the same over the years. “If you have an interesting story, I am up for it. That has remained the same since my first film,” he says.

Talking about the other things that help him get on board a film, he says: “It’s the same process from the word go -- hearing stories, enjoying them, wanting to work with certain people.” Ask him if money is an important criterion , and he says: “Money is not the sole criterion to do a film, it’s a by-product. It’s not my first love,

that is the process of filmmaking. But there are business aspects. I don’t do films for free.” Meanwhile, Emraan has a busy year ahead. He was recently seen in the film “Mumbai Saga”. His next film “Chehre” is all set for release. However, the makers had to push the date due to the second wave of Covid. He will also be seen in “Tiger 3”. (IANS)

ANYTHING SUB-PAR WON’T BE ACCEPTED BY AUDIENCE TODAY:

PARINEETI CHOPRA

Actress Parineeti Chopra feels the pandemic has changed the way people want to be entertained, and the films being made need to be in accordance to what people want to watch. “The pandemic has changed the taste of the audience, and we have to respect what they are seeking,” she says. The actress, who has “Animal” coming up with Anil Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor, says that all actors need to take stock of the quality of cinema they are offering before signing films.

“Today is the age of content and anything that’s sub-par won’t be accepted by audiences, who have access to clutter-breaking content

emerging from across the world. We actors and filmmakers have to keep this in mind,” she says. “I have gravitated towards projects that have strong content because I realised that everyone around me, including me, was only watching films or shows that are landmark. So, why should anyone else see anything average,” she says. She adds: “All my future projects including ‘Animal’ are strong subjects that are unique and fresh for audiences to see and love. I will be only looking out for scripts that only offer something new for people to enjoy. (IANS)

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Bhumi Pednekar has shared that she has been in a reflective mode all through the pandemic, and that the period has been a journey of self-discovery. “I think I worked a lot through 2020, apart from the first month or so where I was on the couch. After that I went on a journey of self-discovery and made some massive changes to how I was leading my life,” Bhumi said. She added: “I had some major lifestyle changes -- I went vegetarian and gave up on a lot of things. I realised I had to come closer to nature and raised more awareness on issues.” Bhumi shared that she used the time at hand to focus on her climate conservation advocacy initiative Climate Warrior. She says: “I worked a lot on climate warrior -- my initiative that advocates positive love for the planet, that tells people that climate change is real. We do a lot of on-ground activities and use my social media handle about positive advocacy about climate change.” Bhumi said that she has spent “sleepless nights scared”, as an innocent kid, who knew nothing better than to worry about what to do “when the water dries up”. “The current generation is so intelligent. They are frontrunners and advocates telling us that time is ticking,” she added. (AGENCIES)

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

THANKS TO OTT, PEOPLE DON’T GET WORK BECAUSE OF THEIR LAST NAME: AMYRA DASTUR Actress Amyra Dastur says with the advent of OTT, the casting game has changed in showbiz. She feels people are now bagging projects because of their talent and not necessarily because of family connections. “I feel like OTT has changed the game in casting. The audience also knows that people are being cast because of skill and not last name,” Amyra said. She adds that more than the actors performing well, the digital space has given a scope to directors and writers a chance to showcase their talent. “More than actors, I feel OTT has been a breakout for directors and writers. Any good show has done well because of the writers. It is easy for us, actors, as we get lines, but the writers have to write everything and people are seeing that. OTT has given us some of India’s greatest writers today,” she says. Amyra worked in the international martial arts drama “Kung Fu Yoga” starring Jackie Chan, besides Bollywood projects such as “Prassthanam”, “Made In China”, “Mr X”, “Judgementall Hai Kya” and, more recently, “Koi Jaane Na”. In the OTT space, she has been a part of the web

series “Tandav”. The actress recently also worked in the music video “Wah ji wah”. Talking about the same, she says that she loved the vibe of the song and said yes to it instantly. “I loved the song the minute I heard it. It is fantastic and a different concept. It’s got a beat and is not a typical heartbreak song. You can dance to it and that pushed me to say yes. The different concept, and the way it has been made, made me say yes,” she says. The song has been sung by Punjabi singer Gurnazar Chattha, who has also written the number. The actress says that this is the right time for music videos, as people are stuck at home due to lockdown. “At the end of the day, people want to see good content. We are in lockdown at home, we are stuck and the best thing to do is watching something on your phone or TV. Music makes you feel better, happier and changes your mood. Music is the best way to connect with someone. Music videos give us an opportunity to work as well,” she says.

(IANS)

Nawazuddin Siddiqui: Superstars do fake acting Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui says that aspiring actors need to make sure they have their unique style while entering showbiz, adding that if they intend to copy the superstars, they will not be liked by the audience. “I would just like to say from my experience that you should not lose your originality. These superstars do fake acting, so don’t get carried away with it. I want to see your original acting. If you are acting like a superstar, why would I watch you. If you show something good, something that is interesting and original, I would want to see that,” he said. The actor adds that stars are now moving to OTT because films are not being released in theatres. “In the beginning, it was because of cause and passion. Now, because of the lockdown and films not releasing in theatres, these big

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stars are coming to OTT. That is not a good thing. Now there are big OTT platforms that are taking these big stars. Why didn’t these stars come before?” he says. Nawazuddin makes his music video debut in B. Praak’s new song “Baarish ki jaaye”, which released recently. Talking about the video, he says: “My experience was very different. I have never done it (music video) before and I never even paid attention. But they got two to three options, and we talked. I like the work of B. Praak and this one I liked in the first go. (Video director) Arvindr Khaira shot in Hyderabad. We shot it in two days. I have never danced and have this mental blockage about it. I was scared, too. But I rehearsed and it went off well,” he recalls. By Anjuri Nayar Singh

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

In Bollywood every actress has to look pretty for every role: Elnaaz Norouzi Actress Elnaaz Norouzi, who was recently seen in the film “Hello Charlie” feels while Bollywood is undergoing many changes, the industry has to stop looking at actresses as just glamour quotients in the films. Asked if Bollywood needs to change the mentality of looking at actresses as just pretty faces, Elnaaz says: “It does need to change in our industry. The same notion is not followed in many other film industries but in Bollywood every actress needs to look pretty and for every role, they have to wear a lot of makeup. It is changing for the better now and I really glad about it.” “I don’t just want to be part of films where my only job is to look pretty and dance. I also want to take up parts where I can show my acting calibre, just how I did with ‘Sacred Games’,” the Iranian-German actress said. Elnaaz’s role in “Hello Charlie” was that of Mona, a traditional ‘vamp’ prototype of Hindi films who is trying help her lover and the film’s villain (played by Jackie Shroff) pull off his vile

plan. She triggers off an important plot point. “The primary reason for doing the film was the fact that my character was the catalyst to the entire story being in motion. I remember when my team and I were discussing, whether or not, I should do ‘Hello Charlie’, the most important point that came up was I would be doing something in the film. In a film where there are so many actors, it is easy to forget a character in the whole narrative. It happens a lot, especially to a woman’s character,” says the actress. By Yashika Mathur

Need to hold governments, industry accountable: Dia Mirza on environment

Actress Dia Mirza has always been vocal about environmental issues. On the occasion of Earth Day, she said we must hold authorities accountable for changes in the environment, too, besides making efforts on the personal front. “We need to mobilise greater momentum now than ever before. Of course, personal behaviour change will make a difference, but along with learning to lead more sustainable lifestyles, we also need to hold governments, industry and civil society accountable. We need to imbibe and disseminate scientific facts which are now more accessible than ever before,” she said.

She says that the pandemic has taught us a lot about how we are interlinked to the environment. “The ongoing pandemic has made it abundantly clear that we have to change

Nushrratt Bharuccha rose to fame with her roles in the “Pyaar Ka Punchnama” franchise and “Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety”. Moving away from glamorous avatars, she has also portrayed de-glam roles in “Chhalaang” and “Ajeeb Daastaans”. Nushrratt says there is no conscious effort to switch over from roles she may have played before, by taking up characters that are different. “(There is) No conscious choice or effort in anything. Honestly, I know I have been doing a certain kind of films, but I don’t look at them that way. I take them as different characters, and I have to do the same kind of hard work to make them different from the films before, which is even more challenging because the genre and the premise is the same, but your thinking is to make it different,” she said. The segment in “Ajeeb Daastaans” featuring Nushrratt is titled “Khilauna”, and it co-stars Abhishek Banerjee and child star Inayat Verma. “Khilauna” is directed by Raj Mehta. She plays a house help in the short.

The actress urged people to raise their voices now. “We must join movements to protect nature/ wildlife and demand laws that will ensure the change we need. We need every single earth citizen to work towards restoring the planet to its former glory. When political, business and environmental leaders work in synergy with people from all walks of life to protect the earth, a better world will come into being,” she said.

No conscious effort to move away from glam roles: Nushrratt Bharuccha

the way we live, produce, manufacture and consume. Today, the health of every single human being and our collective harmony hangs in the balance and is closely linked with the well-being of mother nature,” she said. An awareness needs to be spread, asserted Dia, adding: “What we need to begin with is the dissemination of environmental literacy at all possible levels because we cannot save what we are ignorant about. The theme of Earth Day this year is a clarion call to restore the balance of the natural world on which all of life depends. (AGENCIES)

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“Doing something different in a similar kind of thing is difficult. You don’t have to do it but as an actor you think let’s do something new. Like the diction in ‘Chhalaang’ was interesting. So, I learnt the diction just to add more realism to the character. I did the same in ‘Khilauna’,” Nushrratt added. “Ajeeb Daastaans” has four segments, with the other stories directed by Shashank Khaitan, Neeraj Ghaywan, and Kayoze Irani. The anthology also stars Fatima Sana Shaikh, Jaideep Ahlawat, Konkona Sen Sharma, Aditi Rao Hydari, Shefali Shah, Manav Kaul and Tota Roy Chowdhary. (AGENCIES)

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

If you’re invested in your work, audience will be invested in your story: Rasika Duggal Actress Rasika Duggal said she tries to avoid focusing on what people expect of her while bringing alive a role. She feels what matters is being invested in one’s work. “I try to not focus on delivering as per what people expect from me. I always believe that if you are invested enough in your work, the audience will be invested enough in your story. The idea is to keep myself invested and interested in the story,” Rasika said. She will soon reprise her role of Dr Meera in the second season of web series “Out Of Love”. Earlier, she returned in the second season of “Mirzapur”, and soon she will be seen in season two of “Delhi Crime”. About her return on “Out Of Love”, she said: “I find season two is very fascinating. It’s a very different experience.”

The actress does accept there is a certain sense of comfort when it comes to working in a known set-up. “It’s comfortable in terms of shooting because you already have the sense of your team -- if the team is the same, the framework. For example, the ‘Mirzapur’ team was largely the same, so I already knew my way around it. I knew the things which were working and ones which were not. Once all of that is dealt with, you can focus on your work rather than worrying about all those things.”. But would comfort factor be the same if a show went on, for several seasons? “I don’t know how I would feel if the show went on for many, many seasons. I presume there would be a point where you would get a little tired, but I haven’t had that experience yet, so I can’t say, “ shared Rasika. By Yashika Mathur

Tough to make space in Bollywood if you’re from a small town:

RUHI SINGH

Actress and influencer Ruhi Singh says it is tough to make a mark in Bollywood if you don’t have the right backing. The actress, who has worked in films as “Calendar Girls” and “Ishq Forever”, as well as web series such as “Spotlight”, “Bang Baang” and “Chakravyuh”, says an outsider has to be mentally strong to make it in the industry.

and hope that someone sees the spark in me and believes in me. It’s easy to say that it’s tough out there and it is, it can dampen your spirit but that’s where mental strength comes into play. I know I am not a quitter and I just continue to work hard on every aspect. I think if you have the talent and skill sets, the opportunities will come your way,” she says.

“It’s very tough to make space for yourself in Bollywood, especially if you are someone who’s come from a small town like me, and are standing up on your own terms and are a selfmade person or a one-woman army. That’s what I call myself,” Ruhi, who hails from Jaipur, said.

Talking about her upcoming project web series “Runaway Lugai”, she says: “I am not allowed to talk about ‘Runaway Lugai’ as of now, but I can say that it’s a very entertaining project and I have enjoyed myself thoroughly. It’s a character I have never portrayed before and I can’t wait to see it out in the public domain,” she says.

“I believe in keeping it simple, I give it my best shot during auditions

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(IANS)

FOOD

bon appétit

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Did you know:

Research has proven that using turmeric as a food seasoning can reduce serum cholesterol levels

Four ways to run a restaurant amidst the pandemic

t comes as no surprise the sudden surge in COVID cases has stopped many lot sectors in their tracks. The restaurant business is one such industry that has taken a huge hit again. But 2020 having prepared them with such adversity, they feel there still is a glimmer of hope to pull through the tough times. A restaurant which owns its own delivery model can help avoid aggressive commission rates, get direct orders and continue employment of the staff who can pitch in as delivery agents. Ankit Mehrotra, CEO & Co-founder, Dineout shares few tips on how restaurants can avoid aggregator commissions and still ace the online ordering game? Have your own website & eOrder now' widget on social media Having your own website and social media presence can help restaurants save big and get online orders organically. Powerhouses like Defence Bakery 1962, Sidewok India, La Vie Pizzeria, Byg Breskey & 3000 more are making their business profitable with their own online ordering platform powered by inresto. "Forming our own relationship with customers has been our priority. That's one of the major reasons why they remember us fondly and keep coming back. And in such times when social distancing is paramount, our ordering platform helps close the gap virtually and lets us deliver our delicacies to our customers doorsteps", says Tushar Dhingra, Director, Defence Bakery 1962. "Customer experience and safety is our foremost priority at the moment. And keeping that in mind we continue to serve our customers without compromising on the delivery experience which is more in our control through our own online ordering platform. Additionally, we also give a personalised service in the form a menu specially curated by our chefs while keeping our customer dietary requirements in mind," said Arun Prasanna, General Manager Byg Brewski Brewing Company Delivery Only Menu The initial concept of a restaurant setup revolved around a dine-in set up with a

certain ambience. The food and decor too matched to give the desired results. The same cannot be delivered to someone's doorstep. But a delivery-only menu can be crafted that takes less time to prep and travels well. An easy to browse menu along with enticing visuals can help customers make quick decisions, leaving them with a satisfactory user experience. inresto DineIn - a digital menu solution for restaurants has made this an easy job for many restaurants. The solution offers the liberty for restaurants to modify the menu anytime they want. Apart from this, it helps them keep track of the customer data, which later is used for running customer retention campaigns and loyalty programs. Run campaigns (SMS & Email) Email and SMSs are one of the ways to bring the audience onto a restaurants' website and social media handles, time and again. This way, restaurants have the ability to communicate directly with their target audience and stay on top of their minds.

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These could include information regarding their operational time frame, special offers, and combos that nudge the customer to make a purchase. inresto campaign is one such product which makes this happen in one click. Market your brand Most customers are isolating at home, protecting themselves and their families. Staying indoors and listening to grim news can be demoralising, which is why so many are tuning into the latest IPL cricket season for entertainment. And entertainment is incomplete without good food. This is a great opportunity for restaurant businesses to grab those cricket fans' eyeballs through ads and promote their offers. One such platform is cricbuzz, and its partnership with inresto by Dineout lets their restaurant partners stay ahead in the game and get an edge over the competition by promoting their brand on the right platform. By N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Meet the food enthusiast trying to boost culinary travel in Assam mother. Being determined and focused, I started off with cooking and baking sessions in 2015 from my home; at the time I had just one student. Gradually the number of students increased, and the digital platforms helped me reach a much wider audience. Today, over 3000 students from different parts of India and abroad have learnt baking and cooking from me, leading to most of them becoming financially independent. Q: How do you empower people both in rural and urban areas? A: In cities, I conduct baking workshops for baking enthusiasts and for rural communities I have designed culinary tours with training and dining concepts. In these tours, the rural women share different traditional recipes of local cuisine with food tourists and they earn from these experiences. This is how I am trying to empower both in rural and urban areas through cooking and baking skills.

itali G Dutta is a Guwahatibased entrepreneur whose passion to learn and imbibe knowledge, led to her culinary venture 'Food Sutra by Mitali'. Dutta trains women in the rural areas of Assam through 'FSM Food Trails' -organising tours in culinary training and dining concepts. These tours help women share different traditional recipes of local cuisine with food tourists and go on to host them for the meal. This idea behind the concept was to empower locals in rural areas through a sustainable model. The same has been considerably appraised by celebrity chefs, renowned food bloggers across India, travel writers from the country and abroad, she says.

Q: How do you believe traditional recipes from various tribes and culinary skills in local communities help tourism in Assam? A: The culinary tours are the best souvenirs you can take from a place. Through these tours tourist can immerse themselves into a destination's traditions and culture. These experiences give the local communities form of income generation through age-old traditional food culture. They welcomed this idea with open arms and it has been hugely accepted by the local communities. These paid culinary experiences give them a sense of empowerment. Food Tourism will definitely boost tourism and has high potential.

We spoke to Dutta to find out more details on her venture and how she empowers women to get financially independent. Q: How did the journey of a food entrepreneur start? A: The inception of my entrepreneurship goes back a few years when I chose to be a "stay-at-home parent". I yearned to do something to be financially independent as I had been earlier when I was a working professional in the corporate sector. Skilful cooking has been my domain for quite a while, it's a skill passed on from my www.gdayindia.com.au | M: 0412-114-383

Q: You train people in remote areas of Assam. How do they get business after the training or make it a viable business?

A: For this kind of tourism model to sustain itself we provide them with training in culinary hospitality, code of conduct in hosting tourists, digital promotions for visibility on online platforms, market linkages and also help them with basic business plans that give them a road map to move ahead. Q: You have trained family members of ex-poachers. Tell us your experience. A: After the training, the response has been amazing. They became confident about shaping this into a community-based tourism enterprise -- an alternative source of livelihood. This new interest in travellers from different parts of the globe, coming to experience rural remote villages and learn local cuisine has also generated a sense of confidence and inclusiveness in them. Q: Cooking and baking is a profitable business in the pandemic? A: Cooking and baking home-based businesses flourished during Covid times. When it comes to baking, online lessons got a tremendous response and home baking businesses got their highest boost during this time, as dining options became limited. Home chefs gained confidence in their culinary skills and with the help of technology and digital marketing many of them started their food entrepreneurial journeys through cloud kitchens. As dining out becomes limited in Covid-19 people have opted for home cooked delicious food deliveries. By Puja Gupta

DIET

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Fighting off the cold season with food BY DEEVYA GUPTA

here is a lot of advice readily available on what to eat during the winter months and how to fight off colds. If we have learnt anything from the last one year, it is that there is always much more to getting sick than just foods itself but also regularly taking extra steps to keep yourself safe. Nutrition can help build an extra line of defence in minimising how often one may fall sick or strengthening immunity. We will discuss the most well-researched advice to help make it easier for you this winter. Keep up vitamin D levels It is no secret that in Australia, and especially within our Indian population that Vitamin D levels tend to be on the lower side. If you are not getting your 30 minutes of sunshine daily in the winter months, then you may consider having vitamin D supplements. It is always advised to check with your doctor your vitamin D levels through a blood test and this will be the best indicator as to how much you should take. Vitamin D is rarely found in foods, however there are a few food sources that contain small amounts such as: Eggs, salmon, some fortified milk and margarine. The main source will be sunlight and supplementation. Vitamin D has a very important role in keeping up immunity as well

as overall health. A deficiency in Vitamin D has been linked to several underlying health conditions. Continue to have a well-balanced diet and keep the gut strong With a variety of fruits and vegetables, you will also be having an intake of a variety of nutrients and vitamins entering your body. It is important to keep up the variety and balance as this is what makes up an overall healthier body response to fighting off colds. Aside from the extra vitamins and nutrients, fruits and vegetables also provide fibre or prebiotics for your gut to use to improve the overall health of your gut. A healthy gut (balance of good and bad bacteria that naturally lives in the gut) will also assist in building up immunity and keep you happy from inside and out. It is easier to have the recommended 5 serves of vegetables and 2 serves of fruits per day if you try to incorporate it in more than 1 meal per day. Keep well hydrated It may be the last thing on your mind during cooler months, but it is very easy to become dehydrated, especially when the heaters are running. Keep up your recommended minimum of 8 glasses per day as this will

help keep your body flushing out all the daily toxins and keeping your cells well hydrated. Warm water is absolutely fine to have if it is easier for you to drink in the cold weather. If you don’t enjoy the taste of plain water, you can flavour it with a slice of lemon or your favourite fruit for flavour. Drink alcohol only in moderation Alcohol intake has been linked to reduced immunity, therefore only keeping to small and irregular amounts in moderation may help restore your body’s immunity. The current recommendation suggests that if you drink, you have no more than 10 standard drinks in one week and you have at least a few alcohol-free days during the week. Follow a balanced lifestyle approach Remember to keep up with your body’s sleep requirements, reduce as much stress as possible, keep up the exercise and avoid smoking wherever possible to optimise your body’s immune system Please note this advice is of a general nature. If you have any concerns or queries you should get tailored advice from an Accredited Practicing Dietitian and always consult with your General Practitioner before making any changes.

Deevya Gupta is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian in Melbourne | W: www.abcofnutrition.com.au

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RECIPE

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

Southern Fish Curry

This Southern Fish Curry is one of my specialties with authentic south Indian spices; it is a treat to the taste buds. Enjoy with Basmati rice or Brown Rice, Roti Chanai or bread of your choice.

Ingredients: 450 gm white fish fillets 2 tbsp olive oil or ghee 1 tsp aniseed 1/2 tsp fenugreek 3 tbsp coconut, grated 2 med onions chopped 4-5 curry leaves 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste 2 tsp chilli powder 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 2 tbsp coriander powder 2 small tomatoes chopped 1/2 cup coconut milk 2 tbsp tamarind paste (opt) salt to taste

recipe

Serves 2-4 BY MANJIT SETHI

Method: Clean and cut the fish fillets into big slices. Heat 1 tbsp oil and roast aniseed, fenugreek, grated coconut, onions and curry leaves until light brown. Blend to make a paste Heat oil in a pan, add ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder, turmeric, chilli powder and salt. Mix well and stir in the tomatoes along with a little water. Boil for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the paste along with the coconut milk and allow to boil stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low. Gently add fish pieces with the tamarind paste if desired and simmer until the fish is tender. Serve hot.

from the private collection

Tip:

Use a firm fish of your choice. The curry always tastes better the next day.

Garnish:

fresh chopped coriander leaves

Serve:

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ASTROLOGY

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

By D. Narayan (Tantracharya) Mesha (Aries)

Vrishabh (Taurus)

Mithuna (Gemini)

M: 0425 660 220

Karkat (Cancer)

This month your financial prospects are quite beneficial, and you should do very well. Traders & Persons into performing arts should do very well in commercial terms should make a lot of money, and what is more realize their complete profits & also have much satisfaction at their creative output. In fact, most of you should be able to realize your expected gains in full.

Most of you, may have to struggle quite a bit to realize your anticipated objectives and even then, achieve little success. Professionals and other artists would do well to make allowances for a lean period, that is a distinct possibility. Overall, a month during which you should maintain a low profile and wait for the adverse period to be over.

This month the affairs of your family are unlikely to have smooth sailing. There are strong possibilities that some of you would develop serious tension in your relations with your relatives . This could even lead to an extremely unpleasant situation. Remain patient and refuse to get provoked into any kind of confrontation.

There is the possibility of good fortune coming to your doorstep through the services of some elderly people, which would prove to be extremely beneficial. Even otherwise, The chances are fair for investment and the launching of new ventures, and those of you who have such plans in the offing should boldly put these into motion.

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

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

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

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

Simha (Leo)

Kanya (Virgo)

Tula (Libra)

This month there are excellent chances that you would have a number of opportunities to advance your financial prospects. would have an extremely satisfying time not only in terms of professional’s financial gains but also in terms of creative output. Time is very favourable for investment and the launching of new ventures.

A good deal of hard work, in fact a much-enhanced workload would not ensure the realisation of expected gains. In fact, this month you have a good deal of dull plodding ahead of you, with nil ups and downs. There is the further danger of some of you trying to operate outside the law for quick gains. Refrain from such activity unless you want to invite disaster.

A beneficial month for your family. Most of you would see your devotion for your elderly grow considerably. The family atmosphere would remain pleasant throughout the month with harmony among the members. In such an atmosphere, your children would behave in a good-natured manner. This would be a very satisfying development.

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

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

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

Dhanu (Sagittarius)

Makara (Capricorn)

Kumbha (Aquarius)

Vrishchik (Scorpio)

This month you have a favourable combination of stars, which is out to help in your career advancement. With little or no travel, and with the work-load lighter than usual, you would successfully carry out your pursuits and realize the expected gains. Those renowned in performing arts and the other fine arts would do exceedingly well. The working climate would be excellent. Best days: 1, 3, 4 Lucky Colour: Red, Orange

Meen (Pisces)

A month literary less favourable about your financial prospects. Those indulging in speculative activity are likely to suffer serious losses. The conclusion would be obvious. Stay away from gambling of any sort. There is the further likelihood of some of you doing other people’s dirty work to make a fast buck.

Your financial prospects don’t look too good this month, some of you may undertake to do other people’s dirty work, in order to make a fast buck. But, as things stand, these people could well find themselves in a soup. Refrain from such enterprises. There is also the likelihood of serious losses to some of you through speculative activity of one sort or the other.

A profitable month, during which your financial prospects look good. Some of you could literally expect to reap an unexpected windfall while others can look forward to gains from speculative activity. In addition, there is a distinct possibility of a favour being done to you by a member of the female sex.

A profitable month, during which your financial prospects look good. In addition, there is a distinct possibility of a favour being done to you by a member of the female sex, which could well turn out to be a financial boon. Professionals can especially look forward to a highly satisfying spell both in terms of financial gains and creative output.

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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Have a laug h

G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

HAVE A LAUGH

Here are six reasons why you should think before you speak .... The last one is great! Have you ever spoken and wished that you could immediately take the words back? Or that you could crawl into a hole? *Here are Testimonials of a few people who did...* *FIRST TESTIMONY: * I walked into a hair salon with my husband and three kids in tow and asked loudly... *How much do you charge for a shampoo and a blow job? * I turned around and walked back out and never went back...My husband didn't say a word... He knew better. *SECOND TESTIMONY: * I was at the golf store comparing different kinds of golf balls. I was unhappy with the women's type I had been using...After browsing for several minutes, I was approached by one of the good-looking gentlemen who works at the store...he asked if he could help me... Without thinking, I looked at him and said, *'I think I like playing with men's balls'* *THIRD TESTIMONY: * My sister and I were at the mall and passed by a store that sold a variety of candy and nuts. As we were looking at the display case, the boy behind the counter asked if we needed any help.... I replied, *'No, I'm just looking at your nuts.'*.... My sister started to laugh hysterically... The boy grinned, and I turned beet-red and walked away. To this day, my sister has never let me forget it.

to release some pent-up energy and ran amok. I was finally able to grab hold of her after receiving looks of disgust and annoyance from other patrons. I told her that if she did not start behaving 'right now' she would be punished.... To my horror, she looked me in the eye and said in a voice just as threatening, *'If you don't let me go right now, I will tell Grandma that I saw you kissing Daddy's pee-pee last night!'* The silence was deafening after this enlightening exchange. Even the tellers stopped what they were doing. I mustered up the last of my dignity and walked out of the bank with my daughter in tow. The last thing I heard when the door closed behind me, were screams of laughter. *LAST BUT NOT LEAST TESTIMONY: * This had most of the state of Michigan laughing for 2 days and a very embarrassed female news anchor who will, in the future, likely think before she speaks. What happens when you predict snow but don't get any! So, the day after it was supposed to have snowed upto a couple of inches and didn't.... the female news anchor turned to the weatherman and asked: *'So, Bob, where's that 8 inches you promised me last night?'*... Not only did HE have to leave the set, but half the crew did too, as they were laughing so hard! *And remember*...we all say things we don't really mean.... So, think before you speak!!!!

*FOURTH TESTIMONY: * While in line at the bank one afternoon, my toddler decided

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G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

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G’DAY INDIA | MAY 2021

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