2009-08 Sydney (1)

Sicilian Parramatta, great place to dine

This award winning restaurant seats up to 300 people and is ideal destination if you are looking for a venue to host a function.

Sicilian Parramatta has a wide range of menu specializing in traditional pasta, main course, salad dishes and wood fire pizzas we also have a selection of vegetarian dishes available.

The Sicilian is easily accessible for all with a convenient parking and entrance located at the rear of the restaurant.

We also offer a 10% discount for TAKE AWAY orders

INDIANLINK

PUBLISHER

Pawan Luthra

EDITOR

Rajni Anand Luthra

ASSISTANT EDITORS

Usha

Arvind

Sheryl Dixit

MELBOURNE

Preeti Jabbal

CONTRIBUTORS

Sydney Srinivas, Raka Mitra, Farzana Shakir, Nima Menon, Guneeta Dhingra, Chitra Sudarshan, Noel G deSouza, Geeta Khurana, Thomas King, Ruchi Lamba, Viral Bhayani.

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Vivek Trivedi 02 9262 1766

ADVERTISING ASSISTANT

Priti Bhardwaj 02 9279 2004

GRAPHIC DESIGN AND LAYOUT Rajeev Sangdhore

Indian Link is a fortnightly newspaper published in English. No material, including advertisements designed by Indian Link maybe reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the editor. Opinions carried in Indian Link are those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed by Indian Link. All correspondence should be addressed to Indian Link

Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000 or GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001

Ph: 02 9279-2004 Fax: 02 9279-2005

Email: info@indianlink.com.au

Much to be proud of

Inthe backdrop of the recent ABC program Four Corners which exposed the underbelly of the Indian community in Australia with its expose on scams and rackets in the overseas student market, it needs to be pointed out that the community has in the past 25 years built up a wonderful reputation for itself.

The recent student issues have allowed a debate to rage on various websites where the theme is generally India bashing – be it the outsourcing of Australian jobs to India, Indian call centres or the loss of education places for local Australians to Indian overseas students.

Little attention has been paid to the meaningful contribution which Indians bring to the mainstream.

Indian-origin Australians are widely acknowledged as hard working, ethical, honest with strong family values. Former Premier of NSW Hon Bob Carr often recounted that at school education award presentations, the Indian community seems to be over-represented. The high academic achievement of the Indian diaspora in UAI and VCE results does not go unnoticed.

Indian Australians are well respected at their place of work as well: be it for their hard work or intelligence.

They have also been known to be good, law abiding citizens by and large. There are limited cases of involvement in drugs, alcohol-related crimes, domestic problems or general law and order breakdowns in

By Pawan Luthra

the Indian Australian community.

True, there are always exceptions to the rule, but overall, Indians in Australia prefer to enjoy the many benefits this country offers them rather than to exploit their new home.

Over the years, the community has come into its own. We may not have major politicians of Indian background at the State or Federal level. However, it is but a matter of time before one emerges –one who understands the concerns of the community and articulates them to the law makers.

And true, we do not have a sportsperson of Indian origin in any Australian sport making a name for themselves. Again, noting the passion with which Australia’s second most popular sport, cricket, is played by many young Indian Australians, it will also be a matter of time before an Aussie wicket keeper shouts out, “Well bowled, Singh/Gupta!”

Business leaders who represent the Indian Australian community have emerged prominently in the local community. Ravi Bhatia, founder of I-primus is one of them; Ashok Jacob is in the inner coterie of advisors to Australia’s billionaire James Packer, and ex-chairman

of Fujitsu Neville Roach is well-known for his efforts to bring Australia closer to India. In these personalities, we certainly have a group of Indian Australians who have reached the very pinnacle in their chosen industry. Indian IT companies in Australia such as Tatas, HCL, Mphasis etc are also making a strong mark in their own industry. They meet and market to top Australian companies and take responsibility for many millions of dollars of work and investment in Australia and India.

And finally, for those detractors lamenting the loss of local jobs as work is outsourced to India, consider this: Indian holiday-makers are contributing to Australia’s tourism industry larger numbers than ever before. A vast number of these are probably call-centre workers who can now afford overseas holidays, and are choosing to bring their tourism dollar to this country. Who knows, it might be those very call-centre families that are sending their kids here as students, contributing directly to that oft-quoted number of $15 billion, and making up Australia’s thirdlargest industry.

THE RIGHT APPROACH.THE RIGHT RESPONSE.

COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD

Independence Day celebration

15 Aug India’s Independence Day will be celebrated at the residence of the Consul General (No 2 Pleasant Avenue, East Lindfield, Sydney, NSW 2070) from 9.00am. All Indian nationals are welcome to attend. Program includes a flag hoisting ceremony, singing of the National Anthem and reading of the speech of the President of India to the nation.

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New branch of Maharishi Ramana Ashram

15 Aug Maharishi Ramana Ashram opens a new branch at 11 / 48 – 54 Shaw Street Bexley North. Inauguration from 3pm to 4.30pm. Meetings will be held on 3rd Saturday of every month.

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OZINDCARE fundraiser

12 Sept OZINDCARE in association with Hamsa Venkat’s Samskriti School of Dance presents Anuragh, the experience of being in love - an expression through the stories of Shakuntala and Meera at the Science Theatre, 14 Baker St., Kensington, 6.30 pm. For tickets contact: Geetha Mahadevan 9624 1314, Hamsa Venkat 9620 6026 or Anita Kurien 9825 6772

• Classical music

duet

Christian and Muslim speakers will discuss their religion’s traditions and relationships with food. Guests will join together in that universally symbolic act for all humans, the sharing of a meal. The menu for the night will include cuisines chosen from the cultures and traditions of the speakers. Tickets can be booked by emailing Gastronomy at marketing@gastronomy.com.au or calling 02 9663 4840.

• St.George Bank Brisbane International

Film Festival

30 July-9 Aug A number of Indian feature films and documentaries will be screened at the 18th Brisbane Film Festival, including The Last Lear, Amar Akbar Anthony, Yes, Madam Sir, Hair India, Roots and Gulabi Talkies. For information and bookings, visit www.stgeorgebiff.com.au

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Free interactive session on mental health

19 Aug A free inter active information session has been organised in partnership with the Transcultural Mental Health Centre for newly arrived migrant families from the Indian sub continent to create an awareness of the importance of maintaining the emotional health and well being of children and adolescents and strategies to cope with any identified issues. Venue: Migrant Resource Centre: 1 Horwood Place (level 4), Parramatta. RSVP Shanta Vishwanathan on 9687 9901

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25 Sept – 30 Oct

The South Indian Fine Arts Association of Canberra sponsors the visit to Australia of Indian classical musicians Debapriya and Samanwaya, vocal and sitar performers. While in Australia, Dev and Sam are scheduled to perform at various venues in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Byron Bay. Details email devasaman@ gmail.com or visit website www.myspace.com/debapriyasamanwaya

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Sri Om Care Fund-raiser

8 Aug Sri Om Care, a not-for-profit Seniors charity announces a fund raising dinner dance at Bowman Hall, Campbell Street, Blacktown, starting from 6 pm. Program includes a sit in, 3-course, delicious Indian dinner, a half-hour musical drama Laila Majnu, and non-stop dances. Details call Jay Raman on 0410 759 906 or visit the website www.sriomcare.org.au

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Eating Together: The Truth About Food

12 Aug Hosted by the multi-award winning caterer Gastronomy, the University of New South Wales presents “Eating Together”, a dinner where Australia’s religious leaders and culinary experts discuss humanity, truth and food. Buddhist, Hindu, Orthodox

I found the article Ban racism not the Burqa published in Indian Link recently very disturbing.

I have always respected your editorial stance of finding the links between Indian immigrants and the Australian culture we have moved to. However, this article was inflammatory, and unnecessarily targeted at one individual, the French President, and the whole of the western society.

I am completely appalled by the French

Theatre fostering greater respect for ethnic diversity

5-29 Aug The Alex Buzo Company presents a season of two short plays at the Seymour Centre, Norm And Ahmed by Alex Buzo and Shafana And Aunt Sarrinah by Alana Valentine. Tickets at http://seymourcentre.com.au

•

Ganesh Visarjan at SVT Helensburgh

30 Aug The popular Ganesh Visarjan festival will be celebrated with poojas, stalls, cultural programs, foods, children’s activities, procession with drumming and singing of Ganpathy Bappa Morya to Stanwell Park Beach and the final immersion of the idols at sea. Special Ganesh making workshops for kids. Simultaneous outdoor cultural programs and yummy food on sale. Details at http://www.svtsydney.org.

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JET Australia Prajna Classes

3rd & 4th Sunday of the month JET Australia invites you to weekend Prajna classes, Sundays at 1.00 pm. Venue: Aurelia St Catholic Church Toongabbie. Separate English and Telugu classes. Healthy refreshments served after the class. Contact: Prajna coordinators Keshav: 02 9837-4792 or Navneeth 0434 537 242

Letters to the Editor

decision to ban the burqa - I think that is as much an infringement of individual freedom as the enforcement of the burqa on women in other countries. So who are the French to be heavy handed about freedoms. However, the article made insensitive statements about Sarkozy’s

intellect and the bikini as a symbol of the West.

Just as it is the West’s error to homogenise and characterise Islam with the burqa, so it is for us to characterise the West with the bikini.

While every Muslim I have ever met has

been extremely moderate (and we can’t really judge someone’s personal views and apply them to the whole religious community anyway), it is a few comments like these that reinforce myths about Islam as an aggressive, totalitarian religion.

Shivangi Ambani-Gandhi Sydney

Itis with deep regret that we announce the sad demise of Dr Shankar Sangameshwara on July 15. He was 71.

Educated in India and Canada, Shankar was a geologist who settled in Sydney nearly 35 years ago. He was an academic at the UTS till his retirement in 1993.

A very friendly person, he had the capacity to mix with others of all ages and cultures. He was on the committee of Sri Venkateshwara temple, Helensburgh during the initial stages. He leaves behind wife Kamini and son Arjun and a large number of friends. Kamini and Arjun would like to thank all those who stood by them in this hour of need.

Sydney Srinivas

Dr Shankar Sangameshwara (1938 - 2009)

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India, Australia partner to upgrade museums

Are you sometimes disappointed when you walk into a museum in India? Now you may no longer be, thanks to a series of projects between India and Australia which will help Indian museums conserve their art and heritage and become more culturally involved.

The AusHeritage Ltd., a network of more

than 40 Australian heritage conservation institutions supported by the government of Australia, is lending its expertise to the Indian culture ministry. It will help in capacity building and conservation projects in museums this year, beginning with Kolkata.

“We will begin work at the Victoria Memorial Museum in Kolkata in october on a preventive conservation project of paintings and artefacts both on permanent display at the memorial galleries and in storage,” Vinod Daniel, chairman of AusHeritage who is in New Delhi to draw up a blueprint for the project, said.

Chennai-born Daniel, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, has been working with the Australian government in conservation management since 1995. The focus of his conservation network, the largest in Australia, is the Asia-Pacific region.

Daniel said the Indian Secretary of Culture Jawahar Sircar had agreed to extend “all possible help for the conservation projects in museums”.

Built between 1906 and 1921 as a tribute to Queen Victoria of england, the Victoria Memorial Hall has a large collection of east India Company or British raj paintings in oil, water colours and aquatints by european painters like Charles D’oyly, Johann Zoffany, William Hadges, Thomas Hickey, Bultzar Silyyns, Thomas Hickey and emily eden, who documented life in India under British rule.

Daniel is scheduled to go to Kolkata soon to take stock of the Victoria Memorial collection.

“We are also collaborating with the Indian Museum in Kolkata on a textile conservation project and conducting capacity building workshops in all the museums in the northeastern states of India. Besides, we are also in talks with the Indian government to explore the needs for training and workshops on adaptive reuse of heritage buildings for sustainable tourism in Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai,” Daniel said.

In 2007, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) organised a three-day seminar on managing and conserving cultural heritage in India with AusHeritage following which both signed an Mou (memorandum of understanding) for the promotion of heritage in South Asia.

“Since then, we have been working with

Intach and also with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts,” the chairman of AusHeritage said.

Daniel said India had the “strength to add more capacity to its museums and that Indian universities could include heritage studies in their regular curriculum”.

The Australian network is working with Chennai-based Hindustan university for education programs in heritage and conservation designed towards better delivery initiatives and is building skilled museum faculties, Daniel said.

“The whole art of museuology is changing dramatically. The focus has shifted from the ‘I am the curator and I know best’ attitude to the third party who is either using the museum as a resource base or a visitor. The ownership is back to the people. every museum has been going through changes and reaching out to people. More and more museums are putting their collections on the Internet and in the process becoming more responsive to what the audience wants. But each country has its own culture. They may not necessarily choose the western model to make the changes happen,” Daniel said.

“The three new idioms for museums of the future were more access, learning to operate on limited institutional or government funding and looking for new revenue-generating avenues, and finally, authorship -- who tells the story in the museum,” Daniel said.

Madhushree Chatterjee

A heritage restoration project by Aus Heritage (Vinod Daniel is seated second from left)

GIRRAWEEN $569,950

WENTWORTHVILLE AUCTION

LAND LAND LAND

26 Lindsay Street

SOUTH WENTWORTHVILLE $439,950

A REAL FAMILY FAVOURITE!

Close to school, shops, & transport is this wonderfully presented 5 bedroom, home with built-ins, x2 bathrooms, modern kitchen, huge lounge & dining area, internal laundry & LUG + carport. The property is currently being rented out at $480.00 per week

Laing & Simmons Wentworthville 9688 4000

Contact: Jim Malamas

CONSTITUTION HILL $449,950

SOUGHT AFTER AREA

Set in cul-de-sac location this brick veneer home offers three large bedrooms, spacious lounge, kitchen with plenty of cupboard space, separate dining, drive through tandem lock up garage, storage room, security system all within walking distance to T1 buses.” Don’t miss this one.

Laing & Simmons Toongabbie 9631 5555

Contact: Alan Fowler

GUILDFORD $309,000

TOP FLOOR BEAUTY

This top floor unit features 2 bedrooms with built-in’s, modern kitchen & bathroom, split system air-conditioning, open plan living and dining room, balcony off the living room, LUG + storage space and internal laundry. Close to schools, shops & station. Be the first to inspect.

Laing & Simmons Wentworthville 9688 4000

Contact: Jim Malamas

OLD TOONGABBIE $459,950

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKING

5 bedroom home with built-in’s consists of Modern tiled kitchen with dishwasher, original bathroom, separate lounge with airconditioning and dine area, 2 bathrooms, floor boards throughout, balcony, lock up garage which can fit up to 2 cars + carport. It’s a must see!!!

Laing & Simmons Toongabbie 9631 5555

Contact: Jim Malamas

WENTWORTHVILLE $469,950

SUPERB DUPLEX

This 3 bedroom duplex with ensuite to main has features galore, with spacious living areas, modern bathroom, modern kitchen, separate lounge/ dine + LUG with storage area and private good sized courtyard. Situated in a great location close to shops and station on an elevated street. NOT TO BE MISSED.

Laing & Simmons Wentworthville 9688 4000

Contact: Alan Fowler

GIRRAWEEN $419,950

ONLY 3 YEARS YOUNG

This ultra modern Torrens Title 3 bedroom villa is only 3 years young, features include modern kitchen with dishwasher, large tiled lounge & dining area, ducted air conditioning throughout, double lock up garage with remote, modern bathroom + 2nd toilet and private yard, all set in a quiet popular location close to shops, schools and transport.

Laing & Simmons Toongabbie 9631 5555

Contact: Leanne Ollerenshaw

3 Bedroom home in need of a little T.L.C. Large rooms throughout, updated kitchen, separate lounge, set on a 994sqm block. Ideal for the First Home Buyer, renovator or new home builder.

Open For Inspection: Saturday 12:30pm1:00pm

Auction: Saturday 29 August 2009 on site at 1:00 pm

Laing & Simmons Toongabbie 9631 5555

Contact: Alan Fowler 0413 057 699

WENTWORTHVILLE AUCTION

BLUE RIBBON LOCATION

36 Oatlands Street

Immaculate home in popular street. North facing 630sqm block, 2 large bedrooms, sunroom and utility rooms, modern bathroom + kitchen, double length garage private backyard and more. Walk to shops and station, ideal for the first home buyer or redevelopment (Subject to council approval). MUST SEE!!

Open For Inspection: Saturday 12:00-12:30pm

Auction: Saturday 22 August 2009 on site at 12:30pm.

Laing & Simmons Wentworthville 9688 4000

Contact: Alan Fowler 0413 057 699

SOUTH WENTWORTHVILLE

FROM $395,950

RUSH IN FOR THE 1st HOME BUYERS GRANT

$24,000 WHEN PURCHASING A BRAND NEW PROPERTY

Choose between 2 & 3 bedroom villas and also a 3 bedroom townhouse available. Located in a small complex features include remote lock up garages, stainless steel European appliances, Ceasar stone bench tops & so much more.

HURRY BEFORE THEY ARE ALL GONE.

Laing & Simmons Toongabbie 9631 5555

Contact: Leanne Ollerenshaw

WENTWORTHVILLE

AUCTION

EXTRA LARGE BLOCK

24 Lindsay Street

Well maintained home on almost 1,000sqm block, 3 large bedrooms, updated kitchen + bathroom, spacious lounge and garage. Within walking distance to shops and station. Rare find.

Don’t Miss Out!

Open For Inspection: Saturday 12:30pm1:00pm

Auction: Saturday 29 August 2009 on site at 1:00pm

Laing & Simmons Wentworthville 9688 4000

Contact: Alan Fowler 0413 057 699

GREYSTANES AUCTION

VIEWS TO THE CITY!

64 Ettalong Road

This home comprises of 3 bedrooms, original kitchen and bathroom, separate lounge/dine, huge entertainers balcony, carport + potential in-law accommodation. Sitting on 689sqm block with views to the city and in need of TLC this is a must see property!

Open For Inspection: Saturday 1:30-2:00pm

Auction: Saturday 22 August 2009 on site at 2:00pm.

Laing & Simmons Toongabbie 9631 5555

Contact: Alan Fowler 0413 057 699

WENTWORTHVILLE

AUCTION

WALK TO WESTMEAD HOSPITAL

5 Mayfield Street

Set on a 695sqm block and ideally located close to shops + transport and proposed Coles Shopping Centre. The home comprises of 2 large bedrooms, separate lounge eat-in kitchen and sunroom, freshly painted throughout, lock up garage and more. Ideal for the first home buyer or duplex site (subject to Council approval). Not to be missed!

Open For Inspect: Saturday 2:30pm3:00pm

Auction: Saturday 29 August 2009 on site at 3:00pm

Laing & Simmons Wentworthville 9688 4000

Contact: Alan Fowler 0413 057 699

LAND LOVERS/INVESTORS

This home comprises of 3 bedrooms, separate lounge and dine, original kitchen + bathroom, external laundry, alarm and lock up garage. Sitting on a large block of 695sqm, close to schools & transport. Call now for an inspection!

Laing & Simmons Wentworthville 9688 4000

Contact: Jim Malamas

GIRRAWEEN $469,950

MUCH SOUGHT AFTER

This inviting 3 bedroom brick veneer home features good size modern kitchen, large separate lounge & separate family area, covered verandah great for entertaining, neat bathroom, good size yard + lock up garage all located in a popular spot. Book your appointment today.

Laing & Simmons Toongabbie 9631 5555

MERRYLANDS $279,950

GOOD AS NEW

This 2 bedroom unit is in immaculate condition, including large living area, modern granite kitchen, modern bathroom and lock up garage. All located close to trains, shops, schools and amenities.

Laing & Simmons Wentworthville 9688 4000

Contact: Alan Fowler

PEMULWUY $479,950

SURE TO PLEASE

You will be pleased and surprised with this stunning master piece family home. Situated in a sought after new estate located within walking distance to Woolworths & shops. This magnificent home features boasting 3 generous sized bedrooms all with built-ins’ main with an en-suite & balcony, separate lounge & dining, internal laundry, modern kitchen & bathroom, LUG & carport with rear lane access. Close to cafe, transport & restaurants over looking scenic views. Laing & Simmons Wentworthville 9688 4000

Contact: Jim Malamas

WENTWORTHVILLE $265,000 BEGINNERS SPECIAL

This unit is great way to get your foot in the door or even invest with. Features include 2 bedrooms, modern kitchen & bathroom, combined lounge/dine, internal laundry, balcony attached to lounge area & lock up garage. Close to shops and station. Be the first to inspect.

& Simmons Wentworthville 9688 4000

Contact: Jim Malamas

Contact: Leanne Ollerenshaw GREYSTANES $829,950

Values addition, the fun VHP way

A Hindu cAmp; hmm, could we go to Luna park or imAX instead - was my adolescent son’s prompt response, when told there was a school holiday camp. my younger one, who thoroughly enjoys Hindu scripture class at his primary school, thoughtlessly seconded the opinion.

After much cajoling and carrot dangling though, we turned up at Scouts Hall in north carlingford for Vishva Hindu parishad’s one day programme. The enthusiastic welcome at the door step was proof enough of what was to unfold. Eight hours later, when my boys emerged, the look on their faces said it all. They had much to show off and many new stories to tell. And doubtless, somewhere along

together around 75 children from across Sydney.

After the customary Hindu welcome (including traditional kumkum chandan and saffron scarf), VHp Vice president nalini Shankar warmed up the kids with a preliminary quiz on basics. Gayatri mantram, Hanuman chalisa and Krishna Ashtakam chanting followed. Kudos to a very patient but determined Sudha iyer for taking on the older (read reluctant) kids.

Yet another global Hindu export – yoga followed. it is a well known Hindu belief that a fit mind coexists with a fit body. introducing the kids to elementary yoga, Ramyavaran spoke about the importance of self discipline, healthy lifestyle and positive values in the larger existential scheme.

Hindu Swayam Sevak international Joint coordinator Ravi Kumar then initiated the kids into the fundamentals of meditation and chanting. He also painstakingly explained the importance of Om and its three potent, all pervasive syllables A-u-m does god really exist, who is he and how hoes he work – these were among the philosophical questions the

children jointly probed with him.

After mind games, it was now time to get the creative juices flowing. Rangoli and idol making were next on the hectic agenda. And the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves, creating intricate patterns with shredded colored coconut, much to the delight of their teacher Rani. murali dharan from Venkateshwara Temple Helensburgh gave the kids simple short cuts on how to create Ganesha the god of good beginnings from a block of clay. minutes later, (outshining their guru with sheer variety) an array of Aussie and desi Ganeshas stood tall, each striking a novel pose. What a glorious sight awaited the visiting dignitaries - federal mp Laurie Ferguson, parliamentary Secretary for multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services and Hills Shire councillors david Bentham and Barbara Burton, who could not but wonder at the immense talent on display. clr Benthan asked the children to emulate the noble ideals of the mahatma.

commending VHp and its president dr Brij pal Singh for organising such nourishing experiences, Hon Ferguson stated that by sustaining and upholding their ancient traditions,

Hindus directly enriched mainstream Australia and its multicultural fabric.

The children then enjoyed a delicious vegetarian spread; door delivered lovingly by Brij pal Singh. post lunch session included wholesome outdoor games and team building excercises conducted by youth volunteers Aditya and Krishnan.

“The Australian Hindu community is rapidly expanding and such camps help children to underpin the essential values of Hindu dharma through slokas, yoga and games for everyday practice”, said camp coordinator and VHp joint secretary Akila Ramarathinam. And to see the smiles on their happy faces is worth all the weeks of planning and coordination that precedes the event, she concluded proudly.

After all, doesn’t God work in a myriad of mysterious ways?

Service to society equals service to God is one of the most fundamental tenets of Hinduism. carrying forward this ancient tradition, the team of dedicated volunteers at VHp’s Australia chapter has been strengthening the moral and social fibre of Hindu Australians; slickly packaged of course with a lot of fun.

While VHp runs a variety of programmes through the year, its children’s day and overnight camps (a welcome value addition) have become increasingly popular over the last decade, attracting Hindus of diverse ethnicity. This year’s winter school holiday activity brought

Usha Arvind

Cover Story

What does ‘India’ mean to you? does it evoke images of the snow-capped himalayas, the lush green jungles of Kerala or monuments ranging from the taj Mahal to the ancient temples of Khajuraho? does it bring back happy memories of childhood and family, of places and things that made you feel proud to be Indian? or do you simply know it as the land of the Vedas and the more famous Kamasutra? celebrates its 62nd year of Independence, we look at some of the things that are, globally, distinctly ‘Indian’.

Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, played a pivotal role in India’s fight for independence from British rule. he was undoubtedly the most important political and spiritual leader of India during the independence movement. he pioneered the concept of satyagraha, an unusual

All things Indian…

Mahatma Gandhi. In 1969, the UK issued a series of stamps commemorating the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi.

An ancient civilisation

India’s history and culture are ancient and dynamic. It began with the Indus Valley civilization around 3000 BC, a mysterious culture along the Indus River. settlement sites like Mohenjo-daro, harappa and Lothal constituted the inhabitants of the Indus River valley, which developed an urban culture based on commerce and sustained by agricultural trade. this civilization declined around 1500 B.C., probably due to ecological changes. during the second millennium B.C., pastoral, aryan-speaking tribes migrated from the northwest into the subcontinent. as they settled in the

stance of resistance to tyranny through non-violence, which has since inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the globe. Gandhiji led by example, speaking the truth at all times, living modestly in a self-sufficient community, wearing the traditional dhoti and shawl woven on a hand-spun charka he ate simple vegetarian food and fasted, both for self-purification and social protest.

Time magazine named Gandhiji the Man of the Year in 1930, and he was also runner-up to albert einstein as Person of the Century at the end of 1999. time also named the dalai Lama, Lech Walesa, dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, aung san suu Kyi, Benigno aquino, Jr., desmond tutu and Nelson Mandela as Children of Gandhi and his spiritual heirs to non-violence. Gandhi never received the Nobel Peace Prize, although he was nominated five times between 1937 and 1948. he was to receive the Prize in 1948, but his assassination prevented the award, and when the dalai Lama was awarded the Prize in 1989, the chairman of the committee said that this was “in part a tribute to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi.”

Gandhi’s birthday on october 2 is a national holiday in India. the UN General assembly marks the day as International day of Non-Violence. India observes January 30, the day of his assassination, as Martyr’s day, to commemorate those who gave up their lives in service of the nation.

In New delhi, Birla house, where Gandhiji was assassinated on 30 January 1948, is open to the public as the Gandhi smriti or “Gandhi Remembrance”. It preserves the room where Mahatma Gandhi lived the last four months of his life and the grounds where he was shot while holding his nightly public walk. a Martyr’s Column now marks the place where Gandhiji fell. on the same day, schools in many countries observe the school day of Non-violence and Peace (deNIP), founded in spain in 1964.

today, all the currency notes in circulation in India contain a portrait of

middle Ganges River valley, they adapted to antecedent cultures.

the political map of medieval India was made up of myriad kingdoms with fluctuating boundaries. In the 4th and 5th centuries a d., northern India was unified under the Gupta Dynasty. During this period, known as India’s Golden age, hindu culture and political administration reached new heights. Large parts of India were united under ashoka. he converted to Buddhism, and oversaw the spread of Buddhism to other parts of asia. In Under the Mauryas hinduism took the shape that fundamentally informs the religion down to the present day. Islam came to India in the 8th century, and by the 11th century had firmly established itself as a political force; the dynasties of the Lodhis, tughlaqs and others, whose remains are visible around north India, were finally succeeded by the Mughal empire, under which India once again achieved a measure of political unity.

european presence in India dates to the 17th century. Towards the end of this century, the Mughal empire began to disintegrate, paving the way for regional states. In the contest for supremacy, the english emerged ‘victors’, their rule marked by the conquests at the battlefields of Plassey and Buxar.

The Rebellion of 1857-58, which sought to restore Indian supremacy, was crushed; and with the crowning of Victoria as

empress of India, the incorporation of India into the empire was complete. successive campaigns had the effect of driving the British out of India in 1947.

the history of India is punctuated by constant integration with migrating peoples and with the diverse cultures that surround India. Because of its central location, it became a crossroad of cultures from China to europe.

India’s history is more than just a set of unique developments in a definable process; it is, in many ways, a microcosm of human history itself, a diversity of cultures all impinging on a great people and being reforged into new synergies.

In God we trust!

India is a country of 1.14 billion, with a vast diversity of culture and religion. Yet it is amazing is that its peoples live in harmony, not just with each other, but also with their differing beliefs and faiths. statistics recorded in 2005 indicate that the population can be broken up into hindu 72.04%, Muslim 12.26% (Sunni 8.06%, Shi’a 4.20%), Christian 6.81% (Protestant 1.74%, Roman Catholic 1.62%, Orthodox 0.22%, other Christian 3.22%), traditional beliefs 3.83%, Sikh 1.87%, Buddhist 0.67%, Jain 0.51%, Baha’i 0.17%, Parsi (Zoroastrian) 0.02%, nonreligious 1.22%, atheist 0.17%, other 0.43%.

Religion is very important in India: it is a way of life and an integral part of the entire

Indian society. In fact India has the second largest population of Muslims in the world after Indonesia.

the underlying tenets of hinduism cannot be easily defined, as no unique philosophy forms the basis of the hindu faith. hinduism is so diversified in its theoretical premises and practical expressions that it has been called a “museum of religions”. this religion cannot be traced to a specific founder nor does it have a “holy book” as a basic scriptural guide. The Rig Veda, Upanishads and the Bhagwad Gita can all be described as the sacred text of the hindus.

Unlike other religions, hinduism does not advocate the worship of one particular deity. one may worship shiva or Vishnu or Rama or Krishna or some other gods and goddesses or one may believe in the ‘supreme spirit’ or the ‘Indestructible soul’ within each individual, and still be called a good hindu. Festivals and ceremonies are associated not just with gods and goddesses but also with the natural elements. the popular festivals deepawali, holi, dussehra, Ganesh Chaturthi, Janamasthmi and shiva Ratri, lend hinduism its amazing popular appeal and make its traditions rich and colourful.

Religion permeates every aspect of life, from common-place daily chores to education and politics. Common practices have crept into most religious faiths in India, and many of the festivals that mark each year with music, dance and feasting

Indian tradition. It is at the root of moral and social norms and behaviours which have shaped the country’s destiny to date. the majority of the population practice hinduism. Within this majority, there are significant differences in the belief systems and caste divisions. But hindus will all go to revered pilgrimage sites, and if they go to a Brahman priest for a birth, marriage and/or death rituals, they will hear the same sanskrit verses dating from hundreds of years.

Muslims are the most prominent other religious group and are an integral part of

are shared by all communities. It is common to see festivals like holi, diwali, even eid and Christmas being celebrated with enthusiasm and vigour by all communities, regardless of their religious backgrounds. each religion has its own pilgrimage sites, heroes, legends and culinary specialities, but their ability to intermingle in a sense of unity has created a unique diversity that is the very pulse of society.

Religious tolerance is the hallmark of a secular country, and India rightly claims to be one. Citizens are permitted to freely practice their faiths in a spirit of harmony.

“My life is my message.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Centuries-old philosophy

Religion

SHERYL DIXIT savours the multitude of complex flavours that make contemporary India what it is

Curry!

That’s the synonym by which Indian cuisine is characterised globally, much to the annoyance of Indians. Indian cuisine is rich in its cultural diversity, encompassing not just regions, but flavours, condiments, herbs, spices, vegetables and cooking techniques that are individual to states, communities and even traditions. Indian cuisine reflects its ethnic diversity, while religious beliefs too have played an influential role in the evolution of its cuisine. Cross-cultural interactions with the Middle East and Central Asia, with a touch of the Mediterranean make it a unique culinary

baked flat breads like nan. Chicken and meat are a part of this range, with thick dairybased gravies or tandoori-cooked victuals. Paneer (cottage cheese) is popular in this cuisine. The internationally acclaimed Rogan Josh hails from this region. On the other hand, East Indian cooking is famous for its sweets like rasagolla, sandesh, etc. Traditional dishes are delicately spiced and fish is commonly consumed. South Indian cuisine is distinguished by a greater emphasis on rice as the staple grain, the ubiquity of sambar and rasam, a variety of pickles, and the liberal use of coconut and particularly coconut oil and curry leaves. Vegetable stews cooked with spices,

beneficial effects for preventing and treating certain cancers, treating infectious disease, promoting health and treating aging. Mechanisms underlying these effects include free-radical scavenging effects, immune system modulation, brain neurotransmitter modulation and hormonal effects.

All matter is thought to be composed of five basic elements which exhibit the properties of earth (prithvi), water (jala), fire (tejas), wind (vayu) and space (akasha). These elements do not exist in isolated forms, but always in a combination, in which one or more elements dominate. According to ayurveda, the human body is composed of derivatives of the five basic elements, in the form of doshas, tissues (dhatus) and waste products (malas). The most fundamental and characteristic principle of ayurveda is called “tridosha” or the Three Humours. Doshas are the physiological factors of the body, seen as all pervasive, subtle entities, and are categorized into vata, pitta and kapha. Vata regulates movement and is represented by the nervous system. Pitta is the principle of biotransformation - the cause of all metabolic processes in the body. Kapha is the principle of cohesion and functions through the body fluids. Together, these three doshas determine the physiologic constitution of an individual.

Ayurveda strongly recommends contentment in spirit, mind and body, but

Cover Story

financial services institutions (BFSI) accounted for 41% of the export pie in FY08, while telecom and manufacturing contributed 20% and 17%, respectively.

Other major verticals include retail, healthcare, airline and transportation, construction and utilities and media.

The US continues to remain the key market for Indian IT companies, accounting for 67.2% of the software and services (including BPO) exports from India. With a 26% stake in EU, Indian companies are looking at the European region as a potential market for exports and also to expand their global presence.

Building on its existing strengths, India will remain the biggest pool of lowcost global knowledge workers for the foreseeable future, with more than double the combined total in its nearest rivals, China, Vietnam, Philippines and Russia. However, it faces a shortfall of 500,000 people by 2010 unless it steps up training. Likewise, with an industry attrition level hovering around 20-25% (often higher for smaller players), companies are likely to offer an increase of 10-15% in salaries in the coming years.

It all began in 1950s, when Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation for IITs and IIScs building a large scientific workforce, second only to US and Russia. Proficiency in English and strong technical foundation worked in their favour. In the late ‘60s,

blend that is a gourmand’s delight.

As a land that has experienced extensive immigration and intermingling through many millennia, India’s cuisine has benefited from numerous food influences. Around 7000 BC, sesame, eggplant, and humped cattle had been domesticated in the Indus Valley and by 3000 BC, turmeric, cardamom, black pepper and mustard were harvested in India. Many recipes first emerged during the initial Vedic period, when India was still heavily forested and agriculture was complemented with game hunting and forest produce. In Vedic times, a normal diet consisted of fruit, vegetables, meat, grain, dairy products and honey. Over time, some segments of the population embraced vegetarianism, due to the Hindu philosophy of ahimsa. This practice gained more popularity following the advent of Buddhism and a cooperative climate where fruits, vegetable, and grains could easily be grown throughout the year.

Later, invasions from Central Asia, Arabia, the Mughal empire and Persia, had a fundamental effect on Indian cooking. Influence from traders such as the Arab and Portuguese diversified subcontinental tastes and meals. As with other cuisines, Indian cuisine has absorbed New World vegetables such as tomato, chilli and potato as staples. These are actually relatively recent additions.

Islamic rule introduced rich gravies, pilafs and non-vegetarian fare such as kebabs, resulting in Mughlai cuisine, as well as such fruits as apricots, melons, peaches and plums. The Mughals were great patrons of cooking. Lavish dishes were prepared during the reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan. The Nizams of Hyderabad meanwhile developed and perfected their own style of cooking with the most notable dish being the Biryani.

Indian cuisine is distinct to regions, with North Indian cuisine for example, featuring

tamarind and other ingredients, dosas, poori, idli, vada, bonda and bajji are typical South Indian favourites. West Indian cuisine encompasses Goan, Maharashtrian and Gujarati cuisine, and each is distinct in flavour and ingredients. While Maharastrian and Goan cuisine depend more on rice, coconut and fish, Gujarati cuisine is predominantly vegetarian with a distinct hint of sweetness due to the use of jaggery (brown sugar). Goan cuisine is influenced by Portuguese colonization. And food from the North East remains influenced by its neighbours Burma and China.

Indian cuisine is a feast for the tastebuds and comes a long way from the ubiquitous ‘curry’.

The healing touch

Ayurveda has existed in India for thousands of years, but has only recently been globally accepted as an alternative medicine. Historians cannot specify exactly when ayurveda came into being, but most agree that its texts were written between 3,500 and 5,000 years ago. This traditional, natural system of medicine enjoys huge popularity in India as well as global acclaim. It provides an integrated approach to preventing and treating illness through lifestyle interventions and natural therapies. Ayurvedic theory states that all disease begins with an imbalance or stress in the individual’s consciousness.

In India, ayurvedic practitioners receive state- recognized, institutionalized training in parallel to their physician counterparts in state-supported systems for conventional Western biomedicine. Studies have documented reductions in cardiovascular disease risk factors including blood pressure, cholesterol and reaction to stress, thanks to ayurvedic methods.

Clinical studies on ayurvedic herbal preparations and therapies have shown them to have a range of potentially

does not insist on acceptance or belief in this philosophy to ensure a cure. However, it does provide a deeper insight into how ayurveda can work better for your health. Ayurveda is not simply a healthcare system, but a form of lifestyle adopted to maintain balance and harmony within the human body. This unique blend of science and philosophy balances the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual components necessary for holistic health.

Indian Technology

Think Information Technology and the first thing that comes to the mind is India. In fact the two have become synonymous with each other ever since the world’s largest democracy opened up its economy. A significant contributor to India’s GDP (40%) and exports (35%), the IT sector took off in the ‘90s, shaping new equations with economic giants like US and EU. No other Indian industry has ever performed so well against global competition. It is estimated that Indian IT and BPO export will touch $60-62 billion by 2011, and this despite the economic downturn.

A vertical break-up of India’s IT-BPO exports sector shows that banking and

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) became the first Indian company in the software sector. The National Informatics Centre was established in 1975 and the industry burgeoned with the emergence of new players like CMC, WIPRO and of course the legendary Infosys. Today, Indian IT companies are expanding their service

offerings to provide a complete basket of services to their clients. These new services include IT consulting, testing, business process management and IT infrastructure services, which allows the IT companies to de-risk their business from pricing pressures and enter into newer areas which provide them higher growth and profitability.

Continued on page 20

Indian cuisine

Ayurveda

Information technology

Burgeoning industry

Besides IT, the south Asian giant is emerging as a force to reckon with in diverse sectors including dairy, automotive and ancillaries, pharmaceutical, cement and of course, new media and entertainment.

Dairy India is the world’s highest milk producer (108 million tones per year) and all set to become the world’s largest food factory. As it enters an era of economic reforms, agriculture, particularly the livestock sector, is positioned to be a major growth area. The fact that dairying could play a more constructive role in promoting rural welfare and reducing poverty is increasingly being recognized. What started as a trickle in Kaira district of Gujarat back in 1948 has become a flood today – Operation Flood. The celebrated Indian brand Amul was born as a white revolution swept the nation. National Dairy Development Board

to the growth of global generics market, stringent price controls in the domestic market and better margins, the export market is growing much faster than the domestic market. Traditional branded generics presently dominate the Indian market but the future will see strong growth in the specialty branded generics and patented drug segments. Drugs for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are expected to see the fastest growth among all therapy areas during 2007-2011. The retail pharmaceutical market is presently highly unorganized; however, a vast opportunity exists for the organized market.

Howzzat!

Cricket! The life and breath of Indian sport, cricket has now transcended from a mere game to reverence akin to a religion. Cricket is the unofficial national game of India and is enjoyed by its millions, within and without the country.

Cricket was introduced in India around the 17th century. The first ever cricket match was played in 1721, but it wasn’t until 1848 that the Oriental Cricket Club was established in Mumbai. The first official cricket match was played between Parsis and Europeans in 1877, but it became a

Other incredible players who gave credence to the Indian team are Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly and Javagal Srinath.

The current cricket team continues to show promise, with a whole new batch of youthful and enthusiastic young guns ready to show off their talent and attitude. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, S.Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, Gautam Gambhir, Irfan Pathan and Yousuf Pathan are some of these. Under the enthusiastic captainship of Dhoni, the young team successfully won the first Twenty-20 Cricket World Cup held in the year 2007.

Bring it on, Bollywood!

The pride of Mumbai, Bollywood is now a global, if not a household name. The soubriquet came into being in the 1970s when India overtook America as the world’s largest film producer.

(NDDB) emerged as the world’s largest dairy development initiative and in the process millions of rural dairy farmers found new hope. NDDB’s Perspective 2010 focuses on four key areas - strengthening cooperative business, production enhancement, assuring quality and creating a national information network.

Auto With Tata Nano becoming the buzzword in industry circles, India’s automobile industry, (tenth largest in the world), is also a growth area. Its annual production is in excess of 2 million units. And it has been predicted that India will become a major global auto hub in the immediate future.

The perception of car ownership as a luxury changed when Maruti Udyog entered the market. While a number of domestic companies continue to cater to the local market, the growing presence of multinational investment has led to a spurt in overall growth. Following economic liberalization in India, the auto industry demonstrated sustained growth as a result of increased competitiveness and relaxed restrictions. The monthly sales of passenger cars in India now exceed 100,000 units and the industry employs 15 million people. With domestic production skyrocketing, the government’s 10-year plan aims to create a $145 billion auto industry by 2016. With an export potential of $ 25 billion, India’s passenger vehicle exports are forecast to rise from 170,000 in 2006 to 500,000 in 2010. Currently it is the world’s largest manufacturer of small cars.

Pharma With a US$ 8.2 billion pharmaceutical industry, India is one of the fastest emerging pharmaceutical markets in the world. The market, presently driven by over a billion population, an expanding GDP and rapid epidemiological transitions, is expected to be the major player in the global pharmaceutical market both in terms of its large domestic market and also as a pharmaceutical export hub.

The size of the domestic market is larger than the export market. However, owing

popular sport only in the late 19th century. Cricket began to mesmerise the nation when Indians like Sir Ranjitisinhji and Sir Duleepsinhji began playing for the English cricket team in the 1900s. Their skill and scores helped raise the interest and prestige of the game among Indians. The Ranji Trophy which began in 1934-35 still continues today, and is one of the most prestigious championships in India.

After independence, India made its first ever Test Series victory against arch rival Pakistan in 1952, giving the game a huge boost. Some of India’s cricketing giants like Vijay Manjarekar, S M Gupte and Polly Umrigar displayed remarkable skills in this series.

The sport has had its share of talent, like E Prasanna, B S Chandrasekhar, Srinivas Venkataraghavan and Bishan Singh Bedi in the ‘70s, and of course, two of its most gifted batsmen Sunil Gavaskar and Gundappa Vishwanath, also emerged during this time. The ‘80s saw the Indian cricket team scaling new heights in One Day International (ODI) cricket, and under the captainship of Kapil Dev, the team even managed to grab the 1983 Cricket World Cup. The ‘90s brought Sachin Tendulkar, the boy wonder into the spotlight and India gained a reputation as never before. Sachin still plays for India and is considered as one of the all time greats of world cricket. He is respected internationally for his style and technique, even his integrity and humility.

Bollywood began its foray into the world of cinematography with Raja Harishchandra (1913) by Dadasaheb Phalke, a silent feature film made in India. By the 1930s, the industry was producing over 200 films per annum. The first Indian sound film, Ardeshir Irani’s Alam Ara (1931), was a major commercial success. Song and dance musicals followed, creating a distinct genre which is now the stereotype of Bollywood. Most Bollywood films of this era were escapist, with just a few brave filmmakers tackling tough social issues.

The year 1937 saw the first colour film made in Hindi by Ardeshir Irani of Alam Ara fame, called Kisan Kanya.

Post Independence, some of the most critically-acclaimed Hindi films of all time were produced, during what seemed the ‘Golden Age’ of Bollywood. Guru Dutt’s films Pyaasa (1957) and Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) and the Raj Kapoor films Awaara (1951) and Shree 420 (1955) were hugely popular as they expressed social themes dealing with working-class urban life. Some of the most famous films of Hindi cinema

starring actors like Rajesh Khanna and Dharmendra, and actresses like Sharmila Tagore and Mumtaz. But the mid-1970s brought the trend of gritty, violent films about gangsters and bandits, like Sholay and Deewar. Amitabh Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborty and Anil Kapoor shone during this era, which lasted into the early 1990s. The most internationally-acclaimed Hindi film of the 1980s was Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay! (1988), which won the Camera d’Or at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar. During this time and through the ‘90s, family-centric romantic musicals returned to popularity and a whole breed of new young actors emerged. Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan, as well as actresses like Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla shot into fame. Action and comedy genres were also popular, with actors like Govinda, Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon and Karisma Kapoor frequently appearing on the big screen. A new and distinct genre of films was born, known as the Mumbai noir, which were urban films reflecting social problems. Parallel cinema followed soon after featuring critically acclaimed and powerful acting by stalwarts like Nana Patekar and Naseeruddin Shah.

The millennium has seen Bollywood’s popularity grow internationally, particularly since the past few years. Filmmaking reached new heights in terms of quality, cinematography and innovative story lines, as well as technical advances in special effects, animation, etc. The explosion of multiplexes aided this growth and produced some blockbusters like Lagaan (2001), Devdas (2002), Koi... Mil Gaya (2003), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Veer-Zaara (2004), Rang De Basanti (2006), Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006), Om Shanti Om (2007), Taare Zameen Par (2007) and Ghajini (2008), delivering a new generation of popular actors like Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan, and actresses like Aishwarya Rai, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji..

Major influences that have shaped the conventions of popular cinema are ancient epics and Sanskrit drama, traditional folk theatre, Parsi theatre, Hollywood and western musicals.

Bollywood has also influenced Hollywood; Baz Luhrmann stated that his musical film Moulin Rouge! (2001) was directly inspired by Bollywood. Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire (2008), which won four Golden Globes and eight Academy Awards, was also directly inspired by Bollywood, and is considered to be a “homage to Hindi commercial cinema”.

were also produced at the time, including Mehboob Khan’s Mother India (1957), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. A talented crop of actors began to bask in the spotlight, some of these being Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt, while successful actresses included Nargis, Meena Kumari, Nutan, Madhubala, Waheeda Rehman and Mala Sinha.

The late 1960s and early 1970s saw an influx of romance movies and action films

Everyone loves Bollywood and its films, and a good entertainer is generally referred to as paisa vasool (literally, “money’s worth”). Songs and dances, love triangles, comedy and dare-devil thrills are all mixed up in three-hour-long extravaganzas with an intermission. These masala films remain popular, but parallel and art cinema, Mumbai noir and films with strong social, and lately psychological, movies are gaining in popularity.

Bollywood is now a statement, not just of Indian culture, tradition and its diversities, nor of simply song, dance and a good dose of melodrama, nor even of current fashion and lifestyle trends in India, but it’s an emerging giant in the world of global cinema.

With input by Usha Arvind

Cricket

Bollywood

Industry

Shivani and Ved Baheti run into

Kevin Rudd at Hobart, Tasmania

Heena and Dilip Bajaj celebrate

Urmil Patel, seen here with Mum Sheetal and Dad Rajiv, turns one

Ho jaayegi balle balle: (from left) Muneet Duggal, Kiran, Shikha and Nillo Duggal

Angelo and Thomas Haramis on the occasion of Angelo’s 6th birthday, celebrated in Lucknow, India

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The coils of corruption

A few weeks ago, when the issue of attacks on Indian students was at its peak, no one anticipated that in consequence, it would open up a can of very unpleasant worms. But now, this is exactly what’s happened, as we discover substandard levels of education for students in questionable educational institutions, dubious immigration agents here and in India, and scams galore.

what is unsurprising when one thinks about it, is that the entire scam seems to be orchestrated with the buy-in of all parties. even Government bodies are being pulled up for not being stringent enough in their maintaince of standards. This suggests a conspiracy which, now that a substantial part of it has already been exposed, threatens to stem the lucrative flow of revenue from students coming here from India, allegedly to study. The reality is that education has become an easy way to gain a permanent residency in Australia, and students, immigration agents, educational institutions and even the authorities have all been in cahoots to ensure that whatever happens, they meet their goals. Through this system which reeks of corruption, students gain a relatively easy PR status, immigration agents and educational institutions earn plump fees and the Australian Government is happy

The genuine ones who come here for a legitimate education lose out, because educational institutions don’t take them seriously and undermine their levels of dedication, involvement, intelligence, language skills and most importantly, their sincere desire to study.

to turn a blind eye as long as the money keeps flowing in.

The Expose

The ABC1 program Four Corners, aired on July 29, comprehensively covered all aspects of the student issue, from a completely different, yet unsurprising angle. In a documentary that was researched over several weeks, reporter wendy Carlisle revealed how dubious business practices are being used to rip off foreign students seeking legitimate qualifications in Australia. She delved into the medium of education, talking to students from various educational institutions (from aviation to vocational training), who were vociferous in their condemnation of the pathetic levels of

education they had received in relation to the exorbitant fees they had paid. Their helplessness was palpable, as most of them who had resorted to the law had been thwarted by clever legalities, and eventually, they have ended up as the losers. within certain educational institutions, students were given little or

Corners

These institutions seem to believe that ALL students come here as wannabemigrants, and should all be treated with the same levels of contempt and nonchalance. for students who’re looking for an easy escape from India, the simplest thing is to contact dubious colleges who will provide

estimates that put the contribution of each international student to the Australian economy per year at $28,921, and NSW could expect to lose about $289 million per year if the number of Indian students were to drop by 50 per cent.

Agents in India have reported a drop in enquires ranging from 20-50%, with a lot of students opting out of courses, despite being granted study visas. Australia’s “Group of eight” coalition of universities has also voiced concerns about a projected fall in enrolments next year, especially from India. A spokeswoman for NSW education Minister Verity firth said the Government would ‘‘continue to work to ensure international students can feel confident with the standard of education’’ delivered by the tertiary education sector. The State Government established a ministerial taskforce on international education last year to investigate the welfare and recruitment practices, quality of education and training being provided to international students. A report from this taskforce is still to see the light of day.

no training, in fact one of the students enrolled for a cooking course had not even seen the inside of a kitchen within the college, and he doubted if one even existed.

Now since Australia allows students to apply for permanent residency, this option has become an easy way to migrate into the country. Apart from bogus courses, a student can buy english language tests for a price that can cost up to $5000. Work experience certificates for students on vocational courses are also on sale, and if one doesn’t have the money, they have the option of working for nothing, creating a source of cheap labour. everyone has a portion of the pie, as immigration agents recommend students to ‘contacts’ in restaurants, who can supply them with these fake documents, of course, for a price.

Giving education a bad name

The students seem the worst sufferers in this situation. The genuine ones who come here for a legitimate education lose out, because educational institutions don’t take them seriously and undermine their levels of dedication, involvement, intelligence, language skills and most importantly, their sincere desire to study. These students are now tarred with the same brush as the ones who are here simply to get themselves a PR.

“Last year more than 70,000 Indian students came here to buy an education. egged on by immigration and education agents, many were told if they enrolled in cooking, hairdressing and accounting courses they would not only get a diploma but they could also qualify for permanent residency in Australia,” revealed Four

them with an entry into Australia, for a price. Their intention is simply to get here, and inveigle themselves into a permanent residency. And of course, if one has the money and the contacts, yes, everything’s possible. But what about the genuine students and the raw deal they’ve been experiencing? who takes responsibility for their plight? Students who have summoned up the courage to go to relevant government authorities with their grievances have either been ignored or worse found themselves subsequently under investigation by the government, reports Four Corners for ten years now Australia’s foreign student education sector has been on a massive growth spurt. first it was foreign students seeking university degrees. More recently it’s the vocational education sector that’s been expanding. “Between 2007 and 2009, Indian university students enrolled here grew from 20,342 to 22,033, a modest rise. Indian enrolments in the vocational sector erupted from 14,893 to 51,990,” claims Luke Slatterly in his article in The Australian. These statistics clearly prove that students have been taking advantage of vocational courses to gain entry into Australia

Cash cow concerns

The NSW economy is already facing a potential loss of about $300 million in revenue from Indian students, as Indian education agents have lately reported that new student inquiries have halved. Apart from negative media citing attacks on Indian students over the past few weeks, the education scam that’s coming to light will add as a further deterrent to prospective students. Access economics

Melbourne’s educational institutions are also suffering a drop in demand. Vicechancellor of Melbourne University Glyn Davis said there were early indications of a dramatic fall in applications from Indian students. “we’ll know in the next couple of weeks what it means, but I’m anticipating a quite sharp fall in the number of Indian students who elect to come to Australia,” Professor Davis said on ABC radio, responding to the question about exploitation of international students by training college operators allegedly involved in scams. Professor Davis said a reduction in Indian students

(The Indian media) are quite content in chasing the ‘racism’ ghost, without even referring to the scams perpetrated by some of their Indian counterparts.

was a “great loss” for Australia. “Many of them do choose to stay and contribute to our nation after they graduate, so to lose that cohort is really distressing. To lose it because of such unscrupulous behaviour as is being reported would be particularly tragic,” he said.

why has the system been allowed to get to this stage of corruption?

“well basically they’ve been bedazzled by the dollars ...they could proudly say this is a $15 billion industry, more than wheat, wool and meat put together, there’s perhaps an understandable reluctance to look at the foundation of the industry,” says Bob Birrell, from the Monash University’s Centre for Population

SHERYL DIXIT on the scams in the immigration and vocational education sectors exposed by ABC’s Four Corners program

David Barrow (left), National Union of Students (NUS) president, addresses 200 former students of the collapsed Sterling College in Sydney, July 30, 2009. The NUS is calling for greater protection for international students. (AP Photo)

and Urban Research.

Stop the rot

The Australian Government is now being forced to sit up and take notice. Simply because the whopping $15.5 billion contribution to the economy from overseas students is now poised for a dramatic drop. Without proper policies or policing, the Federal and State governments have let this scam grow into mammoth proportions which has tarnished the reputation of the entire education system. Access to fake documentation has cast a shadow on the integrity of the immigration system and its related bodies.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says the Federal Government is tightening the regulation of the migration agent industry. “Of course it’s very concerning on both fronts. On the migration front,

Corners, Ms Horder admitted that it was a small sign that change is coming. “Well, that’s good to see,” she said. “There are others, we’ve given the Government quite a large number, a list of agents that we thought should be pursued by the department. I don’t know what’s happened to that. So I think one raid does not make a solution. I think they’ve got to be more diligent now in getting the people who are operating outside the law and the people who are exploiting international students.”

Making a mountain…

No guesses for the Indian media’s reaction to the latest revelations of scams against its students, because, ‘Yes, its racism’. This is the precise headline blaring through Indian media right now, and more in relation to the Indian-origin reporter for Four Corners, who was attacked, rather than the actual scam.

Four Corners journalist Wendy Carlisle told ABC News it appeared the attacker may have been Indian. “Someone came up and just hit her and ran off ... our reporter says it appeared that that man was an Indian man,” Carlisle said. But

that fact has been scarcely reported in India and the allegations of racism in Australia have continued. The quality of reportage in Indian media seems to be going from bad to worse, with an unnatural hunger for anything that can incite the public’s opinion, in most cases in a negative way. With their blinkered approach, it’s a wonder that they get any factual or accurate reporting done! They are quite content in chasing the ‘racism’ ghost, without even referring to the scams perpetrated by some of their Indian counterparts. Perhaps it’s the fight to survive in a country where media machines jostle to be in the public eye, and blowing an issue out of proportion seems to be the only way to get attention.

Australia is currently the Indian media’s bugbear, and I guess we just have to live with this until they find a more promising option.

The final analysis

Obviously, the Australian government has to pull its weight and take immediate measures to seek out the spurious educational institutions and immigration agents, and they need to do this on a

priority. The future of the students must be secured, specially those studying in default institutions or ones that have filed for bankruptcy (like Sterling College). A support system must be put in place instantly, where students can go to air their grievances and ask for advice, or even locate placements in alternative institutions.

But let’s keep in mind that it’s not the entire industry that’s corrupt, but a few institutions, and although there’s a strong possibility that they will all be tarred with the same brush and considered suspect, many of these institutions are more than capable of providing a reliable education and learning environment for its students. The same applies to immigration agents, because several do genuinely make an attempt at helping students without resorting to money-making scams. And when the clean-up begins in earnest, these bonafide education providers and immigration agents will emerge with a clean chit. And the ultimate winners will be the students, who will benefit not just from a good education, but the possibility of becoming valued citizens of Australia.

Community opinion

when we were in opposition we did express significant concerns about the regulation of migration agents, and as a consequence of that we’ve recently seen a migration regulatory authority come into existence to regulate that industry better,” he said. “Any of these abuses we of course won’t tolerate and don’t tolerate,” Smith told public broadcaster ABC, referring to the migration scams. “And the cracking down, so far as the migration agents’ regulatory arrangements are concerned will assist in that process.”

The Australian Council for Private Education and Training has said it would launch a register of education agents to help students find honest providers. It admitted that hundreds of private colleges offering courses such as hairdressing, cooking and accounting had sprung up, luring students with false promises of permanent residency in Australia.

Julia Gillard, Deputy Prime Minister was literally forced into accepting that the student situation was dire, and that immediate changes needed to be made to stem the rot.

Maurene Horder, chief executive of the Migration Institute of Australia says the existing regulation framework is not good enough. “The big issue, I think, facing us at the moment isn’t so much the people that are currently regulated, but what we haven’t got is any real action when someone steps outside of the regulatory framework and is acting illegally,” she said. “I think successive governments have been tardy in policing the lack of compliance in the migration advice field. The Government has just established a new jurisdiction over (the migration regulatory authority). But it will have to be given enough teeth to pursue the illegal operators,” she added.

On hearing that the Australian Federal Police and the Department of Education and Employment raided the offices of one of the migration agents featured on Four

AnD WHAT does the Indian community think of the schemes and scams that now shadow some of its most prominent members? Indian Link spoke to a few Indian origin members, who agreed to have their views published, but were unanimous in their decision to speak only on grounds of anonymity. not surprising, considering that the Indian-origin reporter on Four Corners was brutally assaulted following the report, and spent some time in hospital.

“It’s only to be expected,” says Vineet*, a prominent businessman, a leading light in the IT industry. “Indians have a reputation for finding a way around the system, and this is exactly what’s been happening. Everyone, to some degree, is to blame. The students who are looking for easy access into Australia, and don’t mind paying the money as long as they get their PR; the agents who provide the means of getting here; the educational institutions who act as a front for students…And of course, the Australian Government, who is so overwhelmed by the money coming in, that they haven’t bothered to probe into the system. They should have at least shown a degree of vigilance, considering the influx of students.”

“I think it’s all interconnected,” says Deepa*, a casual teacher at an educational institution run by an Indian-origin family. “The immigration agents in India and here are often either related or family friends of the educational institutions and all have close connections with shops and restaurants frequented by Indian students. Once you have the right contacts and the money, applying for a PR is easy because all the right documents are made available to you.”

“Students with a genuine desire to study and get a degree are the worst affected,” reveals Jay*, a young Indian student. “These are the students who will do anything to get their PR, and will spend thousands of dollars for fake certificates and testimonials. On the other hand, genuine ones like us will now find it much harder to apply for a PR, and our cases will always be treated as suspect. The genuine ones have been complaining and making a noise; the fake ones will say nothing, even when they realise that immigration agents and the college are ripping them off. They still think its money worth spending, for the sake of the PR. I can’t understand why they are so desperate!”

“It’s a scam of the Indians, for the Indians and by the Indians,” laughs Meera*, a stay-at-home mum. “I have been following the student issue closely and it is clear that an Indian mafia is operating this very lucrative business. Sometimes I think that these people bring the corruption of India here, as part of their baggage. They will do anything to get rich quick, even at the sacrifice of others.”

“How can immigration agents be so unscrupulous,” questions Rahim, who works for the NSW government. “In India, they’re

only concerned with taking the students’ money and their commissions and organising the paperwork and visa. They don’t even ask or advise the students on their plans, whether they’ve done research about the courses or colleges, or even if they have the funds to sustain a lifestyle in Australia. And immigration agents here are no better, with their promises of a PR, and the means to get one. I can’t understand how they’ve managed to evade the law for such a long time.”

The community has also expressed shock and dismay that prominent members have been implicated in the scam. “These are people we know well, whom we meet socially and interact with regularly,” says Anil, who holds a managerial position in a well-established bank. “They have always come across as friendly and helpful. In fact, I know of some cases where they went out of their way to help students. Its only now that we are all realising that the ‘help’ came at a price.”

“Its shocking and appalling, but I am glad that these hypocrites in the Indian community have been finally exposed,” fumes Rahul, who owns his own business. “They give all Indians a bad name. We are all at risk, not just students who have genuinely worked hard at getting the requisite documents, work certificates and even passed the English language test on our own merit. now everyone’s going to scrutinize our PR status, and if the department of Immigration is left to decide if we are genuine PRs or not, I guess we should all start packing our bags!”

“This is just the beginning, just wait and see,” says Anita, a secondary school teacher ominously. “Very soon, scams relating to migrants from India are bound to emerge. If such a degree of corruption exists with students, imagine what immigration agents must be cooking up for general migration. I think the whole immigration process relating to India, and possibly other sub-continent countries, are soon going to be investigated. And I’m sure they’ll find some interesting data which we are likely to never see!”

“I can’t believe that the Australian government could be so naïve,” says Mike. “The least they could have done is put a regulatory body in place, or at least listen to the students who complained, instead of dismissing their pleas out of hand. It also seems to me that the Immigration department aren’t careful in their scrutiny of documents for people applying for PR, which should be rectified immediately. I find it hard to accept that even the English language tests are rigged…I always thought that the level of corruption in Australia was at a minimum. But I guess I was wrong. It’s disappointing to realise that the coils of corruption have even seeped into this country.”

* Names changed at the request of respondents

Without proper policies or policing, the Federal and State governments have let this scam grow into mammoth proportions which has tarnished the reputation of the entire education system.

Making a difference

EvEry so often in life we meet people who in one word can be described as “inspirational.” I had the privilege of meeting a whole family who are just that. The Barnett family - Craig, and their two children Celia and Konrad - have dedicated all their spare time into the I-India project’s Jhag Children’s village.

The Jhag Children’s village aims to build a safe haven for orphans and destitute children 45kms from Jaipur city. The government of India has sold 5 acres of arid land to the I-India project for a very nominal amount with the promise that the land will be used to build a haven for the street children of the area.

I-India was founded by two very special people in India Abha and Prabhakar Goswami - Jhag is just one of their many projects. Having experienced many of the difficulties the street children face themselves, Abha and Prabhakar have become guardian angels for the children. The couple, with the help of generous sponsors such as Katrina Barker, have set up two vocational training centres called ‘Ladli’ across Jaipur, where children learn to make bags and jewellery and then sell them to the local public. The mission statement of Ladli is simple “We will create a learning environment where education, not production, is the priority.”

They have also started a school on Wheels and a shower Bus which go

around local areas teaching hundreds of children basic literacy and numeracy as well as increasing awareness about AIDs and other diseases. The school on Wheels also provides a basic meal for every student. The students come in hundreds

for a few hours of learning and a meal – for them it’s a chance at the dream of breaking free of the vicious poverty cycle. The shower Bus also teaches children basic hygiene and provides them with fresh drinking water and soaps to wash

and clean.

“Our first trip to India in January 2007 for just 5 days changed our lives forever,” renate says.

she was introduced to the I-India project in early 2007 and has been the Australian arm of the project since then. Her sister Anita Williams lives in singapore and carries the torch for I-India there. Celia, who was just out of school when she first heard of I-India, knew from that first visit to India that she wanted to help in whatever way possible. That’s when they were told of the 5 acres of land by Abha and Prabhakar. And that’s how Jhag Children’s village came into existence.

Only 2 years later, the Barnetts, with the invaluable help and support of their friends and well-wishers have managed to build ‘Prem Pathshala’, a Kindergarten to Class 5 school for the children. In the first week the school had 195 students out of a full capacity of 200. The family made the trip to India in July for the opening of the school.

“There is no time to pause and celebrate success because there is still so much more to do,” Celia says with passion. she shows me the proposed blueprint of the Jhag Children’s village as a tear makes its way down my cheek - a tear for the joy of hope that this family has been able to provide the children. Currently there are 20 boarders at the Jhag Children village’s shelter home for boys. Another

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RAKA MITRA meets an inspiring Aussie family who have worked tirelessly to change the lives of street kids in Rajasthan

Celia joins the kids at a special celebration lunch

similar home for girls is also on the plan as is another vocational training centre and a shopfront to sell the goods in the

The Barnett family have helped start a School on Wheels and a Shower Bus, which go around local areas teaching hundreds of children basic literacy and numeracy as well as increasing awareness about AIDS and other diseases.

city to bring income and self-sufficiency into the lives of the children.

“It’s easy to forget the people behind the children. The staff at Jhag, the teachers, caretakers and supervisors, are all critical in our vision of the Jhag Children’s Village. At the moment there is no accommodation for them, so we hope to build some headquarters to live in.”

“It was extremely difficult to set up the charity. To build a constitution and get all the administration in place before we could even begin any work was a struggle.”

From those days till the magnificent night in Rajasthan at the Shangri-La where they raised $136,000, spells out an amazing journey and a story of inspiration.

Even schools are getting involved, taking the opportunity to teach children the value and importance of the plenties

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they are blessed with. One school in Hobart organised a Bollywood Night and raised over $3500 which was used to buy toys and books for the children. Other programs planned are a “Bindi Day” and “Food for Thought” lunches where children will be asked to bring their lunch from home but to donate a small amount of their lunch money. “Everyone chips in their skills and services for the administration of the project, which means that every cent is directed to Jhag Children’s Village.”

The construction has also incorporated energy efficient renewable resources so that the running costs are minimal. “We have solar power and solar hot water. The water in the area is not usable as it is extremely saline, but we are looking at solutions that can be implemented to treat the water to make it usable. At the moment the water is brought in from neighbouring areas in a water tanker.”

Just as the children are in search for a chance at life, the project itself is in

search of sponsors. “We have a palette of educational items which we need to send over there immediately but we have no carrier”.

As Renate showed me her beautiful photo album I felt my eyes well up with tears again. I saw how the children queued for hours, waiting for the School on Wheels. I saw the Jhag Village’s classroom of bright blue and yellow chairs where children sat working on basic numeracy skills. The difference that I-India has made in the lives of these children is just astounding. It’s a picture that leaves an imprint on one’s heart forever.

If you want to help the Jhag Children’s Village, please contact the I-India organisation via their website http:// www.i-indiaproject.org.au

The

The

New hope for cancer victims

What is another small step for Sydney duo, could be a giant leap for mankind. USHA ARVIND reports

Newsmakers

At A time when the term ‘Indian’ is being bandied for all the wrong reasons, the recent reports on Dr Himanshu Brahmbhatt’s watershed findings are sure to put things back in perspective. the Indian Australian scientist has yet again reinforced the fact that migrants from the subcontinent are as dedicated, hard working and goal oriented as ever; more significantly though, he holds out hope to all those cancer sufferers out there.

Dr Brahmbhatt and Dr Jennifer MacDiarmid, founders of cancer therapeutics company EnGeneIcs are all set to commence human clinical trials. The duo has made a world breakthrough

We are about to commence human clinical trials. It is a transition from a pre-clinical to a clinicalstage company.

Could you explain how the “Trojan horse” principle works? Is this a pioneering effort? What significance does it have for long term cancer treatment?

When cancer cells become drug resistant, a condition that is often seen following chemotherapy in patients, even the most promising anti-cancer drugs fail. Drug-resistance is one of the main reasons for death in cancer patients. there are many different molecular pathways that are switched on by drug-resistant cancer cells and some of these proteins can act

through and once inside the cancer cell, the nanocell spills the anti-cancer drug, thus killing the cancer cells. this dual sequential therapy can be repeated many times until the cancer is eliminated.

We have demonstrated the success of the above breakthrough concept in several hundred mice carrying drug resistant human cancers and even in dogs suffering from late stage relapsed drug-resistant cancers.

When are human trials set to begin? Who has volunteered so far and what is the duration of trials?

the human trials are set to commence within the next 4 weeks. Several hundred cancer patients have written to us seeking to participate in our clinical trials. However, this process of screening patients and enrollment in the trial will be carried out by the oncologists at the hospitals where the trial will be done.

the full trial with over 40 cancer patients can take over 8 months to complete.

What comes thereafter?

If the early results in the clinical trial are promising with respect to safety of the EDVbased therapeutic, it is likely that we may commence an additional efficacy trial in a major cancer indication where there may not be any treatment options at this stage.

Additionally, EnGeneIC is working towards establishing collaborations/licensing deals with major pharmaceutical companies in USA,

to tackle a number of other delivery problems as well.

As they inch closer to their dream, one small step for Brahmbhatt and MacDiarmid could well mean a giant leap for mankind.

Dr Brahmbhatt is no newcomer to Indian Link readers though. Since EnGeneIC’s landmark publication in the July 2009 issue of Nature Biotechnology journal, Indian Link caught up with him yet again.

Can you tell us in what stage of progress your research is currently in?

like pumps which can pump the drug out of the cancer cell. Our concept of sequential therapy rojan Horses) to enter into the same cancer cells to deliver different payloads to treat such cancers,

We demonstrate for the first time that the first wave of targeted nanocells carry molecules called “small interfering RNAs” which can be designed to switch off the production of the drugresistance causing proteins. Once the defense mechanism of the cancer cells is disabled, the cells become sensitive to anti-cancer drugs. therefore, we send in the next wave of targeted nanocells through the blood system but this time the nanocells carry the anti-cancer drugs to which the cancer cells were formerly completely resistant. We discovered, that the cancer cells will again open doors to allow the second trojan Horse (targeted nanocells packaged with drugs)

Europe and Japan with a view to co-developing several anti-cancer therapeutics based on the EDV technology. this would allow us to fast track the process to get such therapeutics out on the market so that cancer patients worldwide may benefit.

How long then will it take for the process to reach commercial viability and availability? It can take three to four years to get such therapeutics to market but in the meantime, cancer patients can benefit from the several clinical trials that would precede market entry. What does this recent breakthrough mean for cancer sufferers and for yourselves as dedicated researchers?

If the breakthrough technology were to work effectively in human cancer patients, then it should be possible to treat cancers that have relapsed due to drug resistance. this problem is severe and we often hear that a cancer patient is treated with conventional chemotherapy, the patient responds and the family feels relieved but then at a later stage, the cancer returns and the clinicians state that the cancer is now resistant to drugs and nothing else can be done. that is a terrible thing for anyone to have to hear. The horrific thoughts and emotions that the family has to go through while watching a loved one deteriorate over time, feel helpless and eventually observe the severe pain and death…….no human or animal should have to go through that. If we can help and save a person from such a fate, the life of a cancer researcher would well and truly be fulfilled.

“Several hundred cancer patients have written to us seeking to participate in our clinical trials”.

Dr Himanshu Brahmbhatt and Dr Jennifer MacDiarmid

People’s princess who loved lilies and horses

MADHUSHREE CHATTERJEE on the incomparable Gayatri Devi, Rajmata of Jaipur, who died recently

The feisTy princess Ayesha, daughter of the erstwhile maharaja of Cooch Behar, shot her first panther at the age of 13, stunning everyone. A few years later, the beautiful woman who came to be known as Maharani Gayatri Devi stunned her family again by falling in love with prince sawai Man singh of Jaipur.

she called him “Jai” and insisted on marrying him, never mind that he already had two wives and that her own family was against the match. Just before the wedding, her brother told her: “The maharaja likes girls and just because he is marrying you, one must not expect him to give up all his girls.” Gayatri Devi shot back that since he was marrying her, and not the other way round, “there would be no need for him to have other girls”. All this is now famously recorded in her memoirs for posterity.

Gayatri Devi - the queen mother or ‘rajmata’ of the Jaipur royal family in Rajasthan who was listed as one of the most beautiful women in the world by Vogue - remained spirited till the end of her colourful life.

her death on 29 July - barely two months after her 90th birthday May 23 - came after complications caused by an intestinal endoscopy that she underwent two months ago. she died in a Jaipur hospital.

she had one son of her own, who died a few years ago, and three stepchildren.

Gayatri Devi - who was once listed as one of the most beautiful women in the world by Vogueremained spirited till the end of her colourful life.

Gayatri Devi, who was maharani of Jaipur state from 1939 to 1970, was an excellent marksman, a tennis player and a keen rider, with a deep knowledge of horses. she was attached to all her children, fond of flowers like lilies and gladioli and birds.

she spent the last three decades of her life after her husband’s death in 1970 at the picturesque Lilypool - an elegant sprawling bungalow surrounded by greens and a lily pond that she had built with her husband on the premises of Jaipur’s Rambagh Palace.

A few years ago, a visit to Lilypool in search of the maharani - who it turned out was spending her summer abroad - was a revelation. it was like a simple and warm Bengali home from Cooch Behar peopled by a retinue of servants and staff from her home state, West Bengal. They spoke Bengali and entertained visitors with glasses of chilled water and lemonade even in the mistress’ absence.

“Those are the rajmata’s orders that nobody goes from here without a glass of water in the

maharani’s absence. she has done so much for her home state by giving so many of us from Cooch Behar jobs in the palace,” an elderly butler told this writer in chaste Bengali.

her airy home was like a family archive full of family photographs and memorabilia. Rambagh Palace was close to her heart, he said.

It was there that Gayatri Devi was first brought and presented to the local nobility in Jaipur after her wedding in europe. A discerning fashionista, who chose the best brands of the day, she was often compared to former US first lady and style icon Jacqueline Kennedy, whom she had met.

The maharani, who spent the early years of married life in luxury hunting, partying and holidaying in europe, forayed into politics in 1962 by contesting and winning Lok sabha elections from Jaipur. she took interest in social activities, built an exclusive school for girls in Jaipur and promoted the traditional blue pottery of Rajasthan.

she won the Jaipur seat again in 1967 and 1971 on a swatantra Party ticket against the Congress party. This angered indira Gandhi, who hit back by accusing the queen of breaking tax laws. Gayatri Devi was arrested and spent five months in Tihar jail.

she subsequently quit politics and wrote her memoirs jointly with santha Rama Rau in 1976. she was also the central character in a movie, Memoirs of a Hindu Princess directed by francois Levie.

Gayatri Devi was related to a number of erstwhile royal families in india. her maternal grandparents were Maharaja sayajirao and Maharani Chimnabai of Baroda and she was related to the royal families of Jodhpur, Dewas, Tripura and Pithapuram.

says lifestyle writer Roopa Bakshi: “The maharani was devout. she regularly visited a shiva temple atop Moti Dungri in Jaipur. Perhaps, she was the first people’s princess who could have easily become the leader of the swatantra Party that was founded by freedom fighter C. Rajagopalchary in the fifties.”

she chose to give it up. But this was one queen who with her beauty and charm always reigned over the hearts of indians.

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winning third prize. The winning team comprised the ‘youngster’ Manek Irani, Sandeep Chitale, Ajit Rao and Sandeep Padey. Following the game, the President of MAGIC Mr Pavan Cheema presented prizes to the winners. This was accompanied by the birthday cake and a stirring rendition of the happy birthday song.

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bill will make India a knowledge hub’ SIXTEEN YEARS AFTER the idea was mooted, a bill aiming to provide free and compulsory education to children in the age group of six to 14 was introduced in the Lok Sabha with the larger target of making India a “knowledge hub” in the future.

“This was a matter of national importance for UPA (United Progressive Alliance). This bill is just not about taking children to school. This is a bill that speaks about quality education, it speaks about the physical infrastructure, teacher-pupil ratio, qualification of teachers,” Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said after introducing the bill.

“The bill is integrated with the future of the country. It will create intellectual assets. Creativity of mind leads to creation of intellectual assets.

“We are trying to make India a knowledge hub in 15-20 years. This bill is the first step in that direction,” Sibal said.

The minister said that the the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Bill, after becoming law, will provide “free education to students” and all states will compulsorily have to provide it.

“It means free for children and compulsory for states.”

Talking about the quality of education, the minister said an academic committee will be set up to evaluate the quality of teachers and if a teacher does not have adequate qualification, then he or she will have to acquire it within five years and failing to do so will mean losing the job.

If a school does not have adequate infrastructure, then it will have to develop it within three years. “Else, its recognition will be cancelled”.

“The child is entitled to get education. Now it is a constitutional right for the child. It is the obligation and compulsion of state governments and the central government to provide that education. As long as central and state governments do not walk together, the dream can not be fulfilled,” Sibal said.

“What kind of Hindustan (do) we want to build when 88 percent students don’t go to colleges. (Through this bill) we can get a critical mass of education to go to colleges,” he said adding that this would help bring reforms in higher education.

The minister said the idea of such a bill was mooted in 1993 and in 2001, the Constitution was amended to make education a fundamental right. But the amendment also had a rider that to make education free and compulsory, a separate

bill has to be introduced. “So, technically, we have had to wait 16 years for this.”

The minister said once this bill becomes a law, it will ensure 25 percent reservation in private schools.

“All private schools will have to reserve 25 percent seats for disadvantaged students in Class 1. They have to give admission to economically weaker section students living in the neighbourhood of the school.

“This too will be decided by the state governments - they have to decide which of their community is educationally backward and need benefit.”

Talking about the investment, the minister said: “After the bill is passed, we will decide how much money the state governments will spend and how much will centre give. If we will feel that a state has some problem, then we have provision in the bill to take this in front of the finance commission.”

(The bill will) “provide them (children) foundation for quality education. We will move together with state governments. We want to see India rise. The world is looking at India with hope”, Sibal said.

• India gives fresh dossier to Pakistan, says enough proof against Saeed

INDIA HAS PROVIDED Pakistan an additional seven-page dossier of evidence relating to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and underlined that it has given Islamabad enough proof to prosecute Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the carnage.

The dossier was handed over the Pakistan high commission, the external affairs ministry said.

Intelligence sources told IANS the dossier also contains transcripts of wireless intercepts during the Mumbai attacks in which Saeed’s name keeps figuring.

The fresh evidence, prepared by the home ministry, has been given in response to a dossier given by Pakistan to the Indian high commision in Islamabad July 11.

The Pakistani dossier disclosed details of investigations conducted by Islamabad into the Mumbai attacks and the steps taken to punish the guilty.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cited this dossier in parliament Wednesday to explain his move at Sharm el-Sheikh last month to re-start the India-Pakistan engagement at the foreign secretary level.

The additional evidence given by India comes close on the heels of a debate in parliament during which the opposition accused the government of diluting its stand

on countering cross-border terrorism.

In the face of Pakistan’s denials, Home Minister P. Chidambaram Saturday said there was enough evidence against Saeed and it was now up to Islamabad to act. “There is enough evidence to proceed against Saeed,” Chidambaram said at a press conference here to detail the activities of his ministry during July.

“The evidence provided in three dossiers is, in our view, sufficient to investigate role of Hafiz Saeed (in the Mumbai carnage),” the minister said, adding: “The investigations in Pakistan will also throw up enough evidence.”

Saeed, who had been placed under house arrest in December after the UN proscribed the JuD in the wake of the Nov 26-29, 2008 Mumbai attacks, was released by the Lahore High Court in June citing lack of evidence.

On July 28, a defiant Pakistan said it would not arrest Saeed till adequate proof was provided of his involvement in the Mumbai carnage.

“We cannot arrest him till adequate proof is provided. There is no proof,” Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik told a private TV news channel in an interview.

The latest flip-flop came 12 days after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said July 16 his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani had informed him that “common consensus” was being evolved and that “action will have to be taken against him (Saeed)”.

Two days before that, on July 14, Pakistan’s Punjab provincial government had disassociated itself from the case against Saeed, saying the federal government had not furnished “solid evidence” to warrant his continued house arrest.

The Punjab government’s move came as a three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was considering two identical petitions filed by the federal and provincial governments against Saeed’s release.

Punjab Advocate General Raza Farooq told the court that the provincial government had put Saeed under house arrest on the directive of the federal government.

Saeed is the founder of the Laskhar-eTaiba (LeT) terror group that New Delhi accuses of also staging the Dec 13, 2001 attack on the Indian parliament. The LeT had morphed into the JuD after it was banned in the aftermath of the attack.

Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone gunman captured alive during the Mumbai mayhem, has admitted to being a Pakistani national and to being trained by the LeT for the Nov 26-29, 2008 Mumbai attacks that claimed

the lives of over 170 people, including 26 foreigners.

Pakistan has charged five men, including LeT commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi with involvement in the Mumbai mayhem.

Last month, Pakistan had handed over a dossier to India admitting its nationals were involved in the attacks. The dossier came days before the July 16 Gilani-Manmohan Singh meeting on the sidelines of the NonAligned Summit at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Shaikh.

Speaking to reporters after the two-hourlong meeting, Manmohan Singh said he had raised the matter of Pakistan taking action against Saeed.

“The Pakistan prime minister told me that there is common consensus being evolved that action will have to be taken against him. The Punjab government, which is of the opposition party, is being persuaded,” he said.

•

Nirupama Rao becomes India’s foreign secretary

NIRUPAMA RAO TOOK charge as India’s foreign secretary and stressed that she will focus on upgrading the foreign service to enable New Delhi to play “an even more prominent role in world affairs”.

“I have before me a complex and yet fascinating assignment,” Rao, the second woman to head India’s foreign service, told reporters after moving into her new office in South Block.

“Today, in a rapidly evolving world situation, the task is to further augment our diplomatic and professional capabilities as we are called upon to play an even more

prominent role in world affairs...This will be an important area of focus in my new responsibilities,” she said.

‘Right to Education

Rao succeeded Shivshankar Menon at a brief ceremony in South Block. Chokila Iyer was the first woman to serve as India’s foreign secretary in 2001.

“Our foreign service counts among the best in the world,” Rao said while lauding the “professionalism and dedication” of Indian diplomats who are required to handle issues in a “focussed, mature and balanced” manner.

Outlining India’s foreign policy interest, which includes regional challenges and relations with neighbours, Rao underlined that “economic diplomacy and public diplomacy are also issues that demand increased attention”.

A topper of the 1973 Indian Foreign Service batch, Rao became the first woman spokesperson of the external affairs ministry in 2001. She then went on become the Indian envoy to Sri Lanka and then China before returning to New Delhi.

In her 36-year-long career, she has served also as ambassador in Peru and deputy chief of mission in Moscow.

Rao’s tenure as foreign secretary will end in December 2010, when she will retire from the foreign service.

Moily praises gay sex ruling, says government may amend section 377

The DeLhI high Court verdict decriminalising gay sex between consenting adults has been highly acclaimed by union Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily as a “welldocumented and well-researched” ruling on a difficult subject that stands out “in the judicial annals of the country”.

Moily has indicated that if the apex court upholds the high court ruling, then the government may suitably amend the relevant penal provisions under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code to make it a law.

“One thing must go to the credit of the Delhi High Court judgement -- it is welldocumented, well-researched. I must tell the judges -- the subject may be difficult, but at the same time this is one judgement which has really stood out in the judicial annals of this country,” Moily told journalist Karan Thapar in CNN-IBN’s “Devil’s Advocate” program.

The Supreme Court is adjudicating a bunch of lawsuits challenging the high court’s July 2 ruling.

Asked if the government would take any step to change the law and reverse the judgement, Moily said: “There are occasions and occasions where the government will not seek to reverse a judgement.”

Endorsing the legality of the judgement, the minister said that the verdict settles an important question of law on liberty and privacy and it would have been “preposterous” for the government to seek its suspension when it came up for hearing in the apex court July 21.

“It is an important question of law -particularly relating to the constitutional provision of liberty, privacy -- they have given a judgement. As against that, obtaining a stay may be sometimes preposterous, unless we have a final verdict from the Supreme Court,” said Moily, when asked why the government did not seek a stay on the ruling.

Moily also conceded that many laws contradict the Constitution and observed that this dichotomy should not continue. he attributed the anomaly to the fact that the Indian Constitution came into being only in 1950, while several laws of the land

are from the time of the British rule -- often 100 years old or more. For example, the Indian Penal Code itself is of 1860 vintage.

Moily pointed out that either the Constitution will have to be amended to synchronize with these laws or they will have to be repealed so they no longer contradict the Constitution.

“We have a Constitution -- many a time the Constitution runs parallel to many many laws which were enacted earlier to the Constitution coming into force. This includes many of those provisions, including some of the sections under the IPC or the evidence Act. Many of these things if they are put to acid test of the Constitution, they may not stand up to the scrutiny of the Constitution,” said Moily.

“Maybe either the Constitution makers (should have seen this) or, thereafter, there should have been a proper review, so that either the laws are changed or the Constitution would have been changed, so that there would have been a proper synchronization of the laws of the land and also the Constitution,” he added.

•

India’s private carriers will fly after Aug 18 after all

FACeD WITh stern action by the government and all-round resentment and anguish expressed by air travellers, private airlines in India have called off their proposal to suspend domestic operations from Aug 18.

In a communique issued in Mumbai, the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), a representative body of private carriers, said its secretary general Anil Baijal was able to “impress upon” the members to hold back their decision.

In the peculiarly worded statement, the federation said the decision was also taken in view of the government’s decision to hold a dialogue regarding the problems faced by the private carriers. The regulator had already warned them.

“In view of the agitated public sentiment

and potential inconvenience to thousands of passengers on the one hand and government’s willingness to enter into dialogue on the other, Anil Baijal, the secretary general of the FIA, has been able to impress upon the private airlines, including IndiGo, to put on hold their decision to suspend flights on Aug 18,” said the statement.

“The secretary general of the FIA hopes that constructive dialogue with the government will lead to redressal of the problems faced by the aviation industry,” it added.

These airlines had earlier issued a threat that they will not fly from Aug 18 if a bailout package is not announced by the government to help them tide over the ongoing crisis, which they claim has escalated their collective losses to over $2 billion.

Among the various demands from the federation are: Direction to state governments to cut the sales tax on aviation fuel, direction to oil retailers for reducing jet fuel prices and reduction in the airport charges, which they say have ballooned ever since private players were allowed into the field.

Apart from claiming accumulated losses of over $2 billion, the private carriers owe nearly $500 million towards fuel to oil companies. The civil aviation ministry, however, has ruled out any bailout package for the aviation industry.

The decision came a day after Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said the government was not in a position to help private airlines financially, even as the industry watchdog sought an explanation within 48 hours on the reason behind their move.

even as the federation was deciding on its next move, an official spokesperson said the state-run carrier Air India said will push more flights into service Aug 18 to minimise any inconvenience to passengers if the private carriers suspend their operations.

In the meanwhile, however, low-cost

carrier IndiGo said it was withdrawing from the federation’s general decision to suspend operations and would prefer to hold a dialogue with the government to come out of the crisis.

“IndiGo appreciates the sentiments expressed by the ministry of civil aviation that it understands the problems faced by the Indian aviation industry and that we should all engage in a dialogue with the ministry,” said IndiGo president Aditya Ghosh.

•

Rashtrapati Bhavan sets trend for eco-friendly township

The FIRST ThING one notices on entering Rashtrapati Bhavan through Gate 35 are the “energy efficient” lamp posts. Welcome to the model eco-township inside the president’s estate.

A year since it was implemented to make the Rashtrapati Bhavan a model urban township that cares for the environment, Roshni, as the project is called, has 13 projects in its ambit of which nine are implemented and the rest are still in process.

One can see vermicompost pits where women of self-help groups from inside the estate work tirelessly to produce manure, a rain water harvesting system, solar panels atop a building, a bio gas plant, a nature trail and a solid waste management system.

Amongst the various benefits is the amount of money saved which otherwise went on buying manure. According to Rashtrapati Bhavan officials, Rs.4-5 lakhs was earlier spent annually on buying manure that was not necessarily ecofriendly.

The vermicompost pits now save that much money.

To put the entire endeavour together, the President’s Estate Residents Welfare Association was created to converge all the residents’ efforts for Roshni’s success.

Continued on page 43

A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officer stands guard at the Infosys building in Electronic City in Bangalore on July 31, 2009. 101 men from the CISF will guard IT company Infosys' Bangalore office around the clock against possible terror strikes, at an annual price of 2.56 crore INR (5.3 million USD), a move making Infosys the first private firm to use a law amendment enabling paramilitary forces to work in the private sector on a costreimbursement basis. (AP Photo)

Continued from page 41

The expertise of a number of institutes like Delhi University, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, environment department of the Delhi government, New Delhi Municipal Council and the likes were taken for the project’s implementation.

Among the projects in Roshni yet to be implemented is the sewage treatment plant which officials said will be functional in a year’s time. IIT Delhi is helping in the implementing this.

• Delhi switches off lights to save power HISTORICAL

MONUMENTS, several government buildings and many households turned dark on a Friday evening as Delhi voluntarily switched off the lights for an hour recently to save power and become environment friendly.

Exactly at 8.30 p.m., the Delhi secretariat, old secretariat, Humayun’s Tomb, the Archaeological Survey of India building and several other government offices went for a voluntary blackout, abiding a call from Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to save power.

The initiative comes on the lines of a global Earth Hour observed March 28 when Delhi managed to save a whopping 10,000 MW of power in an hour.

Taking a cue from the event, the Delhi government decided to observe Earth Hour quarterly - on the last working day of every third month.

The government had asked 2,000 residents welfare associations (RWAs), 2,000 students in school ecological clubs and market associations to join the campaign.

“Yes, we switched off the light to be a part of the green and meaningful campaign,” said Ravi Singh, a director of WWF-India.

“This is a great initiative by the state government and we will cooperate with them as much as possible,” he told IANS.

While calling for the voluntary blackout, Dikshit had said: “You did it for an hour in March, saved 1,000 MW, a world record. Let’s participate once again. Donate power during Earth Hour.”

The chief minister’s call to save electricity comes at a time when the national capital is reeling under a power crisis.

Though many residents joined the campaign as a matter of responsibility, there were some who did not.

“I am now sitting in the dark though many of my neighbours are enjoying their ACs. As a responsible citizen I did my bit,” said Kishore Mishra, a young scientist.

“My friends and I sent e-mail and text messages to relatives, friends and acquaintances asking them to switch off the lights during Earth Hour,” said Charu Gupta, a college student living in Malviya Nagar.

Uzzwal Madhab, who started the Earth Hour 2009 group on Facebook, said: “I welcome the Delhi government initiative and we have been asking people to join hands in saving power. We want people across India to take part in such campaigns for the welfare of mankind.”

According to the government, the quarterly affair could save up to 400 MW of power in a year.

•

G-8 resolution not legally binding document: India

INDIA HAS SAID the G-8 resolution restricting the transfer of enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technology to countries outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty fold was “not a legally binding document” and hoped individual nations would implement civil nuclear pacts with India on a bilateral basis.

It was a “political statement and not a legally binding document”, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna told the Rajya Sabha while responding to concerns over the recent G-8 resolution in the L’Aquila summit that seeks to curb transfer of ENR technology to non-NPT countries.

Krishna underlined that New Delhi will go by clean India-specific waiver granted by the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in September last year. He also told parliament that the NSG has not taken any decision on the ENR issue.

“It is India’s expectation that our international partners in civil nuclear

cooperation will implement the bilateral agreements that we have entered into,” he said during his reply to a debate in the Rajya Sabha on the working of the external affairs ministry.

Krishna also allayed concerns over the End User Monitoring (EUM) Agreement agreed between India and the US recently, saying it does not limit India’s “sovereign choice of whether, where and what weapons we choose to buy for our national defence”.

He said the India-US relations have been transformed in the recent years and signing of the civil nuclear deal last year was a major development in this regard. •

India developing Kargil as tourist destination

THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT is pumping in Rs.120 million into Kargil - the remote mountainous region in Jammu and Kashmir that got into Indian drawing rooms due to the 1999 conflict with Pakistan - to bring it on the tourism map.

The tourism ministry has sanctioned funds for the development of tourist facilities in Kargil, which is about 200 km from the state’s summer capital Srinagar.

“The tourism ministry extends central financial assistance under the scheme of Product Infrastructure Development for Destinations and Circuits for tourism projects based on the project proposals received from them, complete in all respects, subject to inter se priority and

availability of funds,” Tourism Minister Kumari Selja told parliament.

The government has sanctioned around Rs.48.447 million for the development of tourist facilities in and around Kargil, Rs.24.17 million for the development of Drass-Panikhar and Rs.47.232 million for the development of Drass-Sankhoo as a destination.

Seeing the chequered past of the place, the government is also keeping in mind the safety aspect in developing Kargil as a tourist destination.

“In order to ensure the safety and security of tourists, the tourism ministry has advised all the state government and union territory administrations to deploy tourist police at tourist destinations and also circulated guidelines for formation of tourist security organisation comprising ex-servicemen,” Selja told parliament in a written reply.

Kargil and Drass shot into headlines in the summer of 1999 when armed intruders backed by Pakistan captured the frigid peaks on the Indian side of the Line of Control dividing Kashmir. This lead to a military skirmish and brought India and Pakistan on the brink of their fourth full scale war.

•

Kargil hilltops lit up as India salutes war heroes

THE HILLS of Kargil came alive on the night of July 26 in a glow of yellow lights

Continued on page 45

Indian freedom fighter Shaheed Udam Singh is remembered on the occasion of his 69th martyrdom anniversary in Amritsar on July 31, 2009. On March 13, 1940, Udham Singh assassinated Sir Michael O’Dwyer, ex-lieutenant Governor of Punjab, at a public meeting at Caxton Hall, London. After a brief two-day trial, Udham Singh was sentenced to death. (AP Photo)

Continued from page 43

as India marked the 10th anniversary of its military victory against Pakistan by paying homage to the over 500 soldiers killed while recapturing the treacherous peaks.

In an unprecedented military ceremony of its kind, army officers and soldiers, family members of those killed in the MayJuly 1999 fighting as well as people of this Shia-dominated region along the border of Jammu and Kashmir paid moving tributes to the martyrs of Kargil.

The finale of the two-day ceremony was a musical show by military bands drawn from all over the country followed by a spectacular lighting of Tiger Hill and Tololing, two of the strategic peaks Pakistani Islamist insurgents and camouflaged troops quietly took over before being beaten back in two months of bloody and at times hand to hand fighting.

A candle light ceremony was also held at the War Memorial in Drass, now a throbbing town of 2,000 people that came under intense artillery fire from the Pakistanis in 1999 before the Indians hit back.

“It is an experience no soldier can ever forget,” said Lt. Gen. (Retd) Amar Nath Aul, who was a brigadier in 1999 and headed the Mountain Brigade that pushed back the intruders in the Drass sector.

“I salute the untiring commitment of my boys who fought against all odds and did not deter in laying down their lives when it came to protecting the country,” he added.

As officers and soldiers as well as families of many of the martyrs placed wreaths at the War Memorial early in the day, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saluted those killed in the conflict.

Like in the better known Tiger Hill and Tololing, heavy fighting took place in 1999 for the hills off Drass, the second coldest inhabited place in the world located about 60 km from Kargil town.

The entire region falls in Kargil district, giving the 1999 military showdown the name of “Kargil war”.

The detection of Pakistan-backed Islamist insurgents and regular soldiers on the hills by nomads led to full-fledged fighting between Indian forces and the heavily armed infiltrators, almost triggering the fourth full-scale India-Pakistan war.

The battle for Drass was immortalised by the death of the young Captain Vikram Batra of 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles who took part in the capture of two peaks and then died fighting for Point 4,875. He came under attack while trying to

rescue an injured officer. His final words, according to his colleagues, were “Jai Mata Di”!

July 26 is annually celebrated as ‘Kargil Diwas’ or Kargil Day. Some 200,000 Indian soldiers took part in the Kargil war, about 30,000 of them in the Kargil-Drass sector.

The intruders, who had come for a long haul, came as close as 300 metres to a key highway connecting Srinagar with Leh and the border town of Kargil.

Said another officer: “Many families are sure to leave the place with a heavy heart but they will have the satisfaction of knowing that the army has not forgotten their sons, brothers and husbands.”

•

Indian scientists design yawn alert for dozing drivers

WE’VE ALL BEEN through the familiar experience of feeling sleepy while driving. But what if your car could nudge you when you started yawning and warn you to pull over and take a break?

That’s the aim of a new in-car yawndetection system being developed by an Indian-American and two other budding Indian scientists.

Aurobinda Mishra of Vanderbilt University, in Nashville and colleagues Mihir Mohanty of the Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER), Orissa and Aurobinda Routray of IIT Kharagpur have developed a computer programme that can tell when you are yawning and could prevent road traffic accidents.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that at least 100,000 road crashes are caused by driver fatigue each year.

The programme is based around an in-car camera hooked up to an image-processing software that captures a sequence of images of the driver’s face.

It then analyses changes in the face and accurately identifies yawning as distinct from other facial movements such as smiling, talking, and singing.

The yawn frequency is then correlated with fatigue behaviour and could then be hooked up to a warning system to alert drivers of the need to take a break.

The algorithm is effective at yawn detection regardless of image intensity and contrast, small head movements, viewing angle, spectacle wearing, and skin colour.

IANS

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Suneera Kayani

Fav movie moments The ending!!!

Fav songs Anything catchy! All time favourite has to be Tujhse naraz…

I love My family and friends

I hate Why hate anything???

Fashion I like traditional a lot!

My favourite Indian Link moment My very first show! Particularly when I got my first call-in from a lovely listener

I would most like to interview Shah Rukh Khan, Johnny Depp. (Both on the same show, plugging the movie they’ve both just appeared in together – now that would be a dream come true!)

Tune in to Chillax Show with Suneera every Friday at 4pm – she’ll organize your weekend for you with her tips for movies, shopping or colourful events around Sydney and Melbourne. Her choice of foot-tapping music will drive you home safely if you’re struck in peakhour traffic.

The new Golf. 2009 World Car of the Year.

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How long before Interest Rate starts going up?

Reserve Bank governor comments on Rate Rise

After a meeting of the central bank’s board on 7th July, the RBA left its cash rate at 3 per cent, a 49-year low - the same rate that has applied since its last cut in April in response to a slowdown in the economy. Investors and analysts predict official interest rates will reverse course within a year, with markets pricing in a half-percentage point increase to 3.5 per cent by July 2010. Until now most of the economists were predicting that the rates are not going to go up in the near future. However only last week Mr. Glenn Stevens said, “I have never seen written down a rule of thumb that says we wait until unemployment has peaked before we raise the cash rate. It depends what else is happening, and also depends how low we went.”

Well of course it depends on those things. And if the RBA is to continue to give due regard to “what else is happening”, it does not at all follow that the bank’s board is poised to initiate rate rises totaling 2 percentage points over 12 months, thereby pushing standard mortgage rates back up above 7 per cent. Yet within a short time of Mr Stevens uttering his none-too-committal remarks, futures trading were predicated

By Navjeet Singh Matta

on the assumption that rate rises of that order were on the cards. Should you go for Fixed Rates now? Well, that is still a burning question being asked. The fixed rates currently are around 1.5 to 2% higher than the variable rates, depending on the number of years you want to fix it. Looks like the variable rates have bottomed out and they are not going to go further down. But who knows the future, and that is why, whenever you go for fixed rates, there is a calculated risk you have to take and that is why people split the loans into 50/50 which is part-fixed and part-variable. Last 12 months have been such a roller-coaster ride as far as the interest rates are concerned. They have fallen from a peak of 9% to a low of 5%. The fixed rates were really good when the rates were falling but nobody knew how low the variable rates will go so not many people were interested in them but now it looks like it makes sense to go for fixed rate but not for more

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Tiranga goes globetrotting

• On August 22 1907, Madam Bhikaji Rustom Cama was the first person to hoist Indian flag on foreign soil in Stuttgart, Germany.

• The Indian flag was hoisted on Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the world, on May 29 1953, along with the Union Jack and the Nepalese national flag.

• In 1971, the flag went into space on board Apollo-15. It flew as a medallion on the spacesuit of cosmonaut Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, during the Indo-Soviet joint space flight in April 1984.

• The first Indian Antarctica Expedition planted the first Indian flag over Dakshin Gangotri on January 9, 1982.

• The Indian flag was hoisted on the South Pole on January 17, 1989 for the first time by Colonel J.K. Bajaj.

• On April 21, 1996 Squadron Leader Sanjay Thapar, holder of many national and international records in parajumping and skydiving, jumped from an altitude of 10,000 ft from an MI - 8 helicopter and hoisted the Indian flag on the North Pole.

• On September 28, 1985, the Indian flag set out on a world sailing expedition on board Trishna under Colonel T.P.S. Chowdhry, and successfully returned home on January 10, 1987, cruising the high seas of the world and covering over 30,000 nautical miles in 470 days.

And may the list keep growing longer each. A very happy Independence Day to all!

Jhanda ooncha rahe hamara Jhanda ooncha rahe hamara

Jhanda ooncha rahe hamara

FARZANA SHAKIR offers interesting facts and highlights about the Indian flag, its origin and history

The dictionary describes the flag as “a piece of cloth hoisted on a pole with some symbols of nationality on it”, but to the people who live in that country, this very piece of cloth means so much more. It is a symbol of their identity within and outside their country, it is something to be revered, loved, cherished and held in utmost respect.

Come India’s Independence Day and many of us will dish out our Indian national flag, hoist it atop houses, wear it as a badge, carry or drape it around us during a parade. We may tattoo it to our faces, have flag-drawing competitions for the kids and generally treat it as the medal it really is. But how familiar are we with the history, origin and symbolism of the Indian tricolour? Here are some facts about the Indian flag.

History

The Indian flag has been in its present form since 1947. It has served as the national flag of the Dominion of India from 15 August 1947 to 26 January 1950, and of the Republic of India since. But the history and evolution of the Indian flag dates back to 1904 when Sister Nivedita, an Irish disciple of Swami Vivekananda, designed the first flag for India. This flag, containing red and yellow colour stripes and Bonde Mataram written on it was known as Sister Nivedita’s flag. The flag evolved in 1907 when it was designed by Madam Bhikaji Cama, Veer Savarkar and Shyamji Krishna Varma and had green, saffron and red stripes. Later in 1916, Pingali Venkayya produced a flag with two colours and a ‘charkha’. This design was not favoured because of the religious interpretation of its colours which represented only the Hindu and Muslim communities. In 1917 and 1921 two other modifications of the national flag came about, and the former was adopted by the Home Rule League as their official flag. Finally, Pingali Venkayya modified the Indian flag in 1931 to include three stripes each of saffron, white and green. The white in the middle had the symbol of a charkha This flag, representing all communities of India became the official flag of the Indian National Congress and was adopted as the National Flag of India with some modifications – the charkha was replaced by the ‘chakra’ in the middle of the white

stripe. On July 22, 1947 the flag was deemed the national flag of India. It now acquired a new meaning; from being the representative of different communities of India, it now represented a nation.

Symbolism

The Indian flag,’Tiranga’ as it has come to be known, meaning tricolour, constitutes three horizontal stripes and the symbol of a wheel. The top stripe is deep saffron, followed by a white band with a navy blue wheel in the centre and a green strip at the bottom. The flag’s symbolism was explained by India’s first Vice-President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who stated that the saffron colour signifies

of the width of the white stripe. On the flag, the wheel has 24 spokes symbolizing 24 hours in a day.

Code of Conduct

Certain rules govern the use of the Indian flag, as contained in the Flag Code of India

• When the national flag is carried in a procession or parade, it shall be on the marching right or in front of the centre of the line, if there is a line of other flags.

• The flag cannot be used as clothing from below the waist.

• When the Indian flag is raised, the saffron colour band should be at the top.

• No flag or emblem should be placed either above the national flag or to its right.

• The national flag or any imitation of it must not be used for purpose of trade, business, or profession.

• The national flag should always be taken down in the evening at sunset

Did you know?

• The Indian flag is made up of khadi.

• The ratio of the width of the flag to its length is 2:3

• Until recently, according to the Flag Code of India, citizens of India did not have the right to hoist the Indian flag except on important days like Republic Day, Independence Day and Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. Industrialist Naveen Jindal challenged this in court when he hoisted the flag on his office building.

denouncement and disinterest in material things. It also stands for valour, sacrifice and unity. The white in the flag signifies the path of truth, purity and light to guide the nation. Green stands for fertility, prosperity and a strong relation to the soil. The wheel is called the “Ashoka chakra” and has been adapted from the Ashoka pillar in Sarnath. The diametre of this chakra is three-fourths

• All other flags should be placed to the left of the national flag if they are hung in a line.

• The national flag should be flown over important government buildings like the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the Parliament House, the Supreme Court of India, the High Courts, the Secretariats, the Commissioners’ office etc.

He was advised that the gesture would be taken as a breach of code of the Indian flag. He lodged a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) in court, but the decision is still pending. Temporary permission has been granted to Indian citizens to hoist the flag on any day, but in a respectable manner.

Cricket: A favourite outing for the tricolour

At Wagah Checkpost at the India-Pakistan border, the tricolour is lowered

dusk

ceremony that has become a tourist attraction

Whether you are in India or overseas, August 15 is a special day for every Indian. On this day we remember, cherish and pay our respects to those thousands of known and unknown soldiers who died fighting for our motherland. The independence and prosperity that we enjoy today are fruits of their sacrifice and bravery. Even today, tales and courageous feats bring tears to our eyes and intense emotions choke us.

According to my school history books, August 15 is “a red-lettered day in Indian

the celebrations and sing patriotic songs. Also present are small contingents from the Army, Air Force, Navy and the Delhi Police. The moats around the Fort are cleaned and their edges and the walls of the Fort leading up to the ramparts are decorated with flowers. On this occasion, the highest peace time gallantry award, the ‘Ashok Chakra’ is conferred on deserving soldiers by the President. The presentation is made during the Republic Day celebrations the following year.

It was the year 1997 and India was

national leaders was played. The then President of India, KR Narayan, called for a national movement against “corruption, communalism, casteism and criminalisation of politics”. At the Red Fort, the front of the ramparts was decorated with a floral design displaying the Chakra, the tricolour and the number 50. After the arrival of Prime Minister IK Gujral, the Guard of Honour presented the National Salute and the Prime Minister unfurled the National Flag. The band played the National Anthem, to the simultaneous

opportunities to women.” He also declared his commitment to the eradication of corruption and said that this was “my first duty and promise to a nation.”

history”; and as I grew and matured, I better understood the depth in the meaning of these words. As a young girl I was in complete awe of the people who fought for our country; the national flag and the national anthem meant so much to me. Even today, singing Jana Gana Mana…. gives me goose bumps. So, it isn’t surprising that I decided to tie the knot with a soldier of the nation. Being a part of the Independence Day celebrations in Delhi is like none other. The three years I spent there can easily be categorised as the best in my life. I got firsthand experience of all the national functions, including Independence Day. The countdown to these celebrations starts a fortnight in advance. My husband, who was then commanding a unit in Delhi Area, was actively involved in all the national functions - Independence Day, Republic Day and Beating of the Retreat. During one of the rehearsals, I even got the opportunity to go up to the podium from where the Prime Minister gives his signature speech after hoisting the National Flag. Sitting on the ramparts of the Red Fort creates a feeling of euphoria, as though its silent walls are trying to tell you a tale. One can see the whole of old Delhi with the Jama Masjid and Digambar Jain Lal Mandir standing across the road in front of the Fort with the empty streets of Chandini Chowk, which on usual days are bustling with life. Energetic and enthusiastic students from various schools across Delhi and cadets of the NCC assemble at the maidan in the wee hours of the morning, to take part in

Jai Ho! Jai Ho! Jai Ho!

Independence Day evokes strong feelings of pride and patriotism, as NIMA MENON reminisces over celebrations in India

As a part of the celebration, a stage was erected at Vijay Chowk on the Rajpath, facing the India Gate and famous artistes like AR Rahman, Mrinalini, Mallika Sarabhai and Sivamani performed through the night. There was also a 30-minute light and sound show. Kite flying was also a part of the celebration, where soaring kites depicted the morale and spirits of a people celebrating their hard-fought independence. There was a sense of euphoria and a spring in each step. 50 years of independence seemed quite a landmark.

celebrating 50 years of independence. As a part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations, the historic midnight session was enacted as India’s Tryst with Destiny was relived in the Central Hall of the Parliament. While Pundit Bhimsen Joshi sang Vande Mantaram, Lata Mangeshkar mesmerised the audience with Sare Jahan Se Accha. A medley of the speeches by Gandhiji, Nehruji and other famous

Energetic and enthusiastic students from various schools across Delhi and cadets of the NCC assemble at the maidan in the wee hours of the morning, to take part in the celebrations and sing patriotic songs.

firing of the 21-gun salute. Helicopters overhead showered petals on dignitaries and the entire assembly. The flypast had us all enthralled with their daring display.

Tricoloured balloons carrying the number 50 were released. In his Independence Day speech, the Prime Minister said, “….greatness is waiting for us, waiting for our future generation.”

He further called for providing “equal rights and

The patriotic rendezvous with the Red Fort began long before the stroke of midnight in 1947, when Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of free India, unveiled the flag of independent India and uttered those famous words, “……. when the world sleeps India will wake to life and freedom.” The entrance to the fort is through the imposing Lahori Gate, so named as it faces Lahore. This gate has had a special significance for India, as since the first war of independence, many freedom fighters and national leaders have made important and inspiring speeches from here. When the British army occupied the Red Fort in 1857, they demolished more than 80 percent of it to construct massive barracks for the soldiers. Just after World War II, the Red Fort was the scene of the famous trial of the Indian National Army. The Red Fort is now under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India and is a World Heritage site. Any visit to India is incomplete without a tour of the Red Fort. This ancient building is a testimony of many national and political upheavals in British-occupied India. This building stands for the country’s courage, grittiness and the will to survive all odds. And on the occasion of India’s 62nd Independence Day, all that can be said is Jai Ho!

The Kargil crusade

the contribution of the Indian Armed Forces, nor has help or recognition been forthcoming. Memorial services have been organised, but these have been few and far between. But on July 26, 2009, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh led the nation in paying homage to the martyrs of the Kargil war on its 10th anniversary. “I join the entire nation in paying homage to the martyrs of the Kargil war. They sacrificed their lives in defence of Indian unity and integrity,” the Prime Minister wrote in the visitor’s book at Amar Jawan Jyoti, New Delhi. “The best tribute we can pay to the gallant officers and jawans is to dedicate ourselves to the gigantic task of nation building and work steadfastly to protect the unity and integrity of our nation,” he added.

His words came as a salve to serving defence personnel, who had been campaigning for a formal 10th anniversary celebration, while the government dillydallied. Thanks to the pressure exerted by them and the media, the sacrifice of the bravehearts was lauded yet again as the nation revisited the events leading up to and after that particular war, especially that momentous last battle at Tiger Hill.

There is a touch of cynicism in Maj Gen Pushpendra Singh (retd), for instance, as he comments, “A politician is basically a creature of public opinion as defined by specific interests of the electorate, hence only public pressure generated through media and human interest stories can work. Till the last minute the Congress spokesman was arguing that this was a defence services’ affair and political leadership had nothing to do with itbesides it would aggravate tensions in our neighbouring country. Indian exservicemen worked hard and played a key role in generating public awareness (of the anniversary celebrations). In Indian society, apathy to public good or national interest is the norm.”

R. Admiral S.C. Gupta (retd) VSM, visiting his son and daughter in law in Sydney feels differently. “Better late than never,” he says. “Recognition means that the government should ensure that the armed forces are well equipped, trained and looked after. Special departments need to be instigated to provide support and financial guidance to war widows, children and aged parents.”

Col Jatinder Singh Bawa (retd) also feels it is essential to regularly commemorate military victories. “The army fights based on experience of earlier wars, and the actions and motivations of those who fought in those wars and survived to retell events, or left their mark in history by becoming martyrs. This is why it is important that we remember the bravehearts who lost their lives, whilst looking after those they left behind”.

Kargil

The very name evokes memories of war, sacrifice and the relentless battle between Indian and Pakistani troops at this scenic locale in Jammu and Kashmir, India.

It was in July 1999 when the Indian Armed Forces finally managed to make the aggressors retreat from across the Line of Control (LOC) in the Kargil Sector. After two months of blood and sweat, the Indian Armed Forces finally tasted victory. But it was at the cost of the lives of hundreds of soldiers, and had a count of over 7,000 injured.

A two-day celebration was arranged

by the Army and civil authorities near the war memorial at Drass in Kargil. Family members of several soldiers, who attained martyrdom during the war, had also arrived here to visit the areas where their brave dear ones made the supreme sacrifice for the nation. As his vehicle made way towards the memorial, General V P Malik, the then Army Chief who won India the war, is said to have looked with moist eyes at the peaks, which are full of stories of blood and gut and valour, where over five hundred of his brave Indian troops laid down their lives so that their fellow Indians could feel safe and protected in

their motherland.

The aftermath of war is never pleasant, and among the sufferers were civilians, as villages looked like ghost towns with bulletridden walls. Thousands of children lost an academic year and many migrated to other parts of Ladakh to escape the horror. And as for the martyrs who lost their lives, their families received financial support akin to just a band-aid, as they were also preyed on by unscrupulous people offering fake help and advice. Some widows were even forced to marry their brothers-in-law!

Since the momentous victory at Kargil, little has been done to acknowledge

We cannot forget Kargil. We cannot forget the ones who sacrificed their lives, who fought valiantly, who won us this crucial battle. The government of India needs to keep the Kargil flame burning in remembrance through each passing year. And on every anniversary of the Kargil war, the nation needs to stand up as one, in respect and reverence for the heroes of this land, who protected and continue to defend our legacy.

An Indian Army drummer performs near the War Memorial on Operation Vijay Diwas (Victory Day) as the sun sets in the backdrop of the strategic 'Tiger Hill', that was captured by Pakistani intruders during the Kargil war in 1999, at Drass, near Srinagar. Operation Vijay Diwas is commemorated every year on 26 July to pay homage to Indian soldiers who were killed during the war in May-June 1999. (AP Photo)

GUNEETA DHINGRA on the need to keep the flame of remembrance burning through each passing year

The Shershah lives on

VISHAL BATRA offers a tribute to his twin brother Vikram Batra, a Kargil war hero

My dreaM of visiting Vikram as a commanding officer of a regiment couldn’t come true. But he still commands – in the hearts of the soldiers posted in Kargil and Drass.

When I talk about Luv, I don’t know where to begin. Capt. Vikram Batra PVC (posthumous) is Luv, and I, his younger twin, Kush. His identical twin. Ours was a childhood spent in the hills of Palampur making the most of our identical looksplaying pranks, filling in for each other and at times, even getting punished for

When he’d come home on annual leave, we would talk for hours about the challenges he faced in Sopore - the strife-torn town in Jammu & Kashmir’s Baramulla district - which was his first posting. He had been commissioned into 13 JAK Rifles.

We would dream of the day he would command his regiment and I would get a chance to attend some of the regimental functions with his family and children. That dream is now lost.

Never could I have imagined, even in my wildest dreams, that the stories we saw in the famous TV serial, Param Vir Chakra, which we watched at a neighbour’s house in 1985 (we didn’t have a TV at home back then) would one day become so real for me. And Vikram would be the hero.

Vikram was awarded the country’s highest gallantry award, posthumously. He was only 24. His famous words from the height of 18,000 feet: “Yeh Dil Maange More,” after victory over the enemy, still ring in my ears.

Jai”.

Vikram and his men captured Point 5140 on 20 June 1999, and two weeks later, when his company launched the attack on Point 4875 on 5 July, Vikram was fatally wounded - hit by sniper fire. The company captured the peak, but after 11 casualties. Vikram was one of them.

It was months later, at the Western Command headquarters, when I met the Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) who was with Vikram the day he was fatally wounded. He was the last man to speak with Vikram. Sub Major Raghunath Singh began to cry when he saw me. He solved the mystery of my twin’s death for me: a young officer, Vikram’s junior, was hit and crying for help. The JCO wanted to go out to help but Vikram stopped him. “The enemy was firing heavily. ‘You have a family and children back home, I will do this,’ saahab said. He stopped me with these words and went out,” Raghunath Singh told me as he wept like a baby, inconsolably.

a JCO, both of whom had fought the war together with Vikram. “You look so much like Vikram, sir!” the JCO said and hugged me. I’ve been told that a billion times in the last ten years. There are people who now know me as Captain Vikram Batra’s brother. Many of them even walk into my office at ICICI Bank in Delhi and stare at me as if they know me. Some of them even say, “We’ve seen you somewhere.” When I tell them I’m Captain Batra’s twin, they say, “Oh, ‘Yeh Dil Mange More,’” and shake my hand.

My dream of visiting Vikram as a commanding officer of a regiment couldn’t come true. But Vikram still

His famous words from the height of 18,000 feet:

one another’s mistakes. The similarity ran deeper than looks. We also had the same interests. Both of us started playing table tennis at the age of ten. It’s another story that Vikram went on to become the school champion for five consecutive years. But I’d like to believe that I had a big hand in that. After all, I chose to lose to him in the semi-finals in the fifth year so that he could make the school record. But deep in my heart, I know that my brother - the Shershah of Kargil - was a winner right from the start.

Shershah of Kargil. That’s what the enemy too called Vikram. That’s the mark he made on them on those unforgiving mountains of Kargil.

I don’t know at what stage Vikram marched on way ahead of all of us. We’d grown up as regular kids, making our choices as we went along. The first different choice that I remember is when our father started giving us Rs 50 a month for the school bus fare. I chose to travel to school by bus. Vikram opted to walk it and instead spend those rupees in the canteen. As we grew up, Vikram opted for the Army, and I, rejected thrice by the Services Selection Board, settled for business administration. How thrilled he was when he made it to the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun.

It was 6 December 1997. Vikram Batra’s dream came true. He took the oath as an Officer of the Indian Army. Mom and Dad pinned the stars on his shoulder. He stood there smiling from ear-to-ear in his crew cut, several kilos thinner after the rigorous training. It was a grand moment. But it wasn’t going to be an easy life and Vikram knew that.

It’s been ten years. A lot has changed. And a lot has remained the same. I have many more grey strands in my hair. Vikram is as youthful as ever. Time cannot touch him. In these last ten years, I have longed to visit those mountains that he conquered. And then suddenly, out of the blue, I got a call to travel to Kargil and Drass. It was as if Vikram was calling me to have a chat with him. I didn’t look back, packed my bags and set out to meet him.

I landed in Leh at 10:30 in the morning on 2 July, five days before Vikram’s tenth death anniversary. The valley was more beautiful than it is made out to be in books. From the snow-capped hills surrounding it, I could almost sense Vikram looking at me. I then began the road trip to Drass to meet him. The mountain wind blew faster than the speed of the car and in my mind there was just one picture - of the bearded young man who had become a legend for pushing the enemy back at insurmountable heights, where even life does not exist.

A little outside Leh, we reached Gurdwara Pathar Sahib. I said a prayer for Vikram and for all those great soldiers guarding those mountains and our motherland.

I recalled what Vikram had written in one of his last letters before the attack: “Life is at total risk. Anything can happen here. Take care of yourself and Mom and Dad… My picture has appeared in The Times of India. Keep a copy for me. I want to see it once I’m back”.

The picture had appeared on the front page of The Times of India on 2 July 1999. It showed him standing with an anti-aircraft gun and weapons he had captured from Pakistani soldiers. This was after the first ferocious attack on Peak 5140 launched after they performed pooja at the Ghumri Base Camp with the call of “Durga Mata Ki

But Vikram was hit by sniper fire. Having realised that, the charged company went berserk, mad with rage at their leader being hit, and killed the enemy soldiers. The tricolour was planted atop Point 4875 - they call it Batra Top now.

Vikram reached Palampur before the sun rose on 11 July 1999. He was wrapped in the tricolour, lying calm almost as if he was trying to catch up on sleep he had lost during these arduous assaults on those treacherous peaks.

Was I really so close to those peaks that I could almost see him fighting there?

I wanted to reach up there as fast as possible, but the track was treacherousthe rocky mountain on one side, and the sheer fall on the other. In some time, we had left the Indus River behind.

It was a breathtaking journey. A place so beautiful and yet caught in the crossfire of war a decade ago. Midway, at one of the military posts, we had lunch with the commanding officer of 4 JAK Rif. I also met an officer six months senior to Vikram - now a major - and

“Yeh Dil Maange More,” after victory over the enemy, still ring in my ears.

commands. He’s there in the hearts of the soldiers posted in Kargil and Drass. In that mountain named after him (the Batra Top). And in the transit camp in Drass, called Capt Batra Transit Camp, where weary soldiers break their journey in the call of duty.

‘Call of duty’, the mention of these words takes me back to the days he was to be commissioned as an officer. When he was in the IMA, the footnote of Vikram’s letter pad read, ‘If Death comes to me before I prove my blood, I promise I’ll kill Death.’

You kept your word, Vikram. My brother, my twin, I salute you!

Capt Vikram Batra, Param Vir Chakra (1975-1999)

A new literary novel is the talk of the town and it is NOT Aravind

Adiga’s Between the Assassinations. Adiga’s Assassinations, which was written before The White Tiger, is a bleak, disturbing narrative. Whereas the protagonist Balram Halwai in TWT is aggressive in his deviousness, BTA seems more resigned in its misery and destitution. It should be apparent to anyone now that Adiga sees, and wishes to see, nothing but the vile in India. Not that I have a

A Tamilian tale

CHITRA SUDARSHAN reviews a novel which scans generations, and yet keep the reader captivated through inspired writing

problem with it - God knows there are countless vile things around - however, as I had written before in this very column, novels sometimes say more about their authors than they do about their protagonists: more about the novelists’

psychological make-up than that of their subjects!

Getting back to the latest sensation in Indian Writing in English (IWE), The Toss of a Lemon by the Canadian-born, Arkansasbased author Padma Viswanathan, has taken the literary world by storm, and has been compared to the debut novels of Jhumpa Lahiri and Arundhati Roy in its scope, depth and elegance. This storya tome - spans more than 80 years and several generations, of a Tamil Brahmin family. At the novel’s heart is Sivakami, a captivating girl-child married at 10 to an astrologer and village healer who is drawn to her despite his knowing and believing in his own horoscope which predicts his early deathdepending on how the stars align when his children are born. All is safe when he and his wife have a daughter, but when their second child, a son named Vairum is born, the child bride Sivakami becomes a widow at 18 - with two young children to look after. On becoming a widow, her head is shaved and she wears a widow’s whites according to the rules of her caste. “From dawn to dusk, she is not allowed to contaminate herself with human touch, not even to comfort her small children.” And she dutifully follows custom, except for one defiant act: she moves into her dead husband’s house and village to raise her children. Her servant, Muchami, a closeted gay man who is bound by a very different set of caste rules, becomes her public face. Their strange and unusual relationship, scrupulously formal in its adherence to social norms, holds three generations of the family together.

Taking us deep into the lives of this Tamil Brahmin family from the late nineteenth

century to the 1960s, Viswanathan also traces the impact wrought by more than half a century of social and political change on their lives. Her novel was inspired from the moment she asked her grandmother: “Tell me about our family’s history.” The tales told by her grandmother became the foundations of Viswanathan’s debut novel, although she also visited India on a research trip and then reinvented the family stories as fiction.

Tales of Tamil Brahmins are not new: some of the earliest IWE, such as RK Narayan’s novels, centre around this sect. In more recent times there have been Anita Rao Badami’s novel Hero’s Walk; Gita Hariharan’s Thousand Faces of Night and others; and Brinda Charry’s The Hottest Day of the Year. However, what Padma Viswanathan does with her subject is considerably more: she is not only a great story teller; her lilting prose and her

skilful recreation of a bygone era in rich and intimate detail, (with no moralising or taking sides) brings to life a whole different epoch and culture, profoundly exotic to many. Yet in the final analysis, the family is utterly recognizable to us all: it is the universal theme of a group of related individuals in the midst of momentous social upheaval.

In the way Viswanathan writes about Tamil Brahmin life, there is a resonance of Arundhati Roy’s Syrian Christian household in Kerala and Jhumpa Lahiri’s Bengali family in the US and India. This is a riveting yarn whichever way you look at it – and unputdownable in every sense of the term.

Viswanathan studied in the Universities of Alberta, John Hopkins and Arizona, and her short stories have appeared in several publications. She lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with her husband, the poet/ translator Geoffrey Brock, and their two children.

UWS IELTS Test Centre: NOW OPEN

We are taking applications NOW for test slots from: September - December 2009.

• How to Register: All applications for the IELTS test must be made in person.

• Visit: www.uwscollege.edu.au and click on IELTS for the application form, and for what to bring on the day of registration.

• The IELTS Test Administration Centre is open Monday - Thursday 10am - 4pm.

www.ielts.org

Yet in the final analysis, the family is utterly recognizable to us all: it is the universal theme of a group of related individuals in the midst of momentous social upheaval.

Padma Viswanathan

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India’s French connection

The French revere their National Day on July 14, which marks the storming of the notorious Bastille prison in 1789, to free political prisoners. This led to the common man gaining human rights and ultimately to the French Revolution and the establishment of the French Republic. Symbolisms attached to that day are significant. This year India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the Guest of Honour. While it might be considered as a reciprocative action because French President Mr Nicholas Sarkozy was the Guest of Honour at India’s Republic Day celebrations this year, there has never

France has been at the forefront in nuclear energy co-operation with India, and has promised to help to establish new nuclear power plants.

been a foreign Guest of Honour at France’s Bastille Day.

India’s French connection extends back into colonial times when several European powers jostled for control of Indian territory. France had made alliances with Indian potentates in the 18th century like Tippu Sultan and the Mahratta Peshwas, but the British ultimately prevailed and France was left with small and scattered

NOEL G DE SOUZA comments on a historic gesture that highlights the long-standing interaction between two great countries

possessions, of which Pondicherry was the largest.

The colourful display by contingents of the Indian army, navy and air force as they marched past at the head of the military parade along the Champs Elysee Avenue in Paris was highlighted on French TV (as broadcast here by SBS).

India and France have been cooperating in many fields including the scientific and cultural since Indian independence. France is an important supplier of military hardware to India and is currently bidding to supply 126 jet fighters. France has been at the forefront in nuclear energy cooperation with India, and has promised to help to establish new nuclear power plants. Nuclear power, besides being efficient, helps to reduce carbon emissions.

In the “International City” in Paris are hostels for students from several countries including a well-furnished India House, built by the Indian Government. It mostly houses post-graduate students from India who study under French government fellowships. This writer was amazed to see Indian students in France speaking fluent French and actively participating in its cultural life, despite not having studied French in their school years.

Paris is the cultural capital of Europe. Several generations of Indian students have

studied there. When one lives in Paris, one cannot help but be touched by its operas, museums and its vibrant, living culture. Many French scholarships for Indian students were for the study of fine arts.

In 1910, several revolutionaries including Sri Aurobindo Ghosh were given

the essence of Indian mythology and philosophy. He dwelt on the twin themes of Nothingness (Sunyata) and Illusion (maya) which later dominated a whole generation of French poets. Leconte de Lisle’s poem on Brahma made the swan (kalahamsa) theme popular amongst French poets of the time. Interestingly, French India stamps depict Brahma with a swan.

The best known disciple of de Lisle was Charles Baudelaire. He visited Mauritius and claimed to have visited India too, but this is disputed. His poetry dwells subtly

refuge in Pondicherry. Aurobindo built his Ashram there. He knew French and even selected Mirra Richard, a French lady, to be the Mother of his Ashram. In 1968 she established the township of Auroville, noted for its golden sphere-shaped structure known as the Matrimandir, close to Pondicherry.

India and France culturally meet in Mauritius. When Mauritius was handed over to the English by the French, the island preserved the French language and culture. It is also very much Indian with a majority of Indians and over half its population being Hindus.

One of the most influential French poets of the 19th century, Leconte de Lisle, was born in Mauritius. He had a deep interest in Indian philosophy and mythology; besides growing up in the Indianised environment of Mauritius, he had also toured India. A prolific poet, his first volume of poetry was headed by several lengthy poems on Hindu themes such as The Vision of Brahma, Surya, Bhagavat and Kunashepa which distil

on Indian themes and, at the time of his untimely death, he was writing several Indian-based works. Some of his poems can be interpreted as odes to Kali!

Of the three colonial powers which occupied India, Britain had colonial links with India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Britain always seems to try to balance its foreign policy between Indian and Pakistan. France and Portugal, on the other hand, had colonial links with India alone, which perhaps helps to foster India’s ties with them. Within the last decade, links between India and France and with Portugal, have been growing rapidly. The French language is taught at both school and university level in India. The University of Goa is developing as a centre for both Portuguese and French studies.

(The author spent two years in France where he did his doctoral studies under a French Government Fellowship)

Gain weight the healthy way

In these times of obesity-consciousness, it is hard to imagine someone trying to put on weight. We’ve all seen people who eat a lot but still manage to stay thin as a reed. These people are a source of envy to many others who just cannot keep their weight within normal levels. But this might be a scenario for some people who may have eating disorders or chronic diseases or may just be thin genetically, or their metabolic rate would be so high that they do not put on much weight.

Health risks

It is not that since you are underweight or thin you might not have any chronic disease such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, since these are mostly associated with obesity. You might still end up with high blood pressure or diabetes if you have other predisposing factors such as family history, lack of exercise and poor eating habits, since obesity is not the only factor leading to these chronic diseases.

People who are too thin are also prone to osteoporosis and hip fractures due to mineral and vitamin deficiencies and less bone mass.

Increasing your intake of fat or other

junk food or simply eating anything is not a healthy way to increase your weight since it might lead to other complications such as high cholesterol or blood pressure. Trying to gain weight the healthy way should be the right approach. Healthy ways to gain weight

• It is always healthy to have small and frequent meals, say about 3 main meals and 3 small meals in a day, rather than having large portions at any one meal.

• Start the day with a healthy breakfast. Have an extra slice of whole meal or multigrain bread or add some nuts to your cereal or have extra teaspoon full of some skimmed milk powder to your milk. The skimmed milk powder would add protein and calories to your milk but would not add the saturated fat from dairy foods.

• Eat healthy and energy-dense snacks in between your meals instead of just having snacks full of empty calories. Energydense foods are those foods which even if eaten in little quantity provide you with enough calories. These foods contain more calories per serving. These are especially good for those people who are not able to eat a lot of food in one sitting. Some of the examples of energy dense snacks are nuts, granola bars, dried fruits,

fruits, smoothies, sprouted dal, popcorn, corn cobs, apricot cake, banana bread, fruit custard, fruit yoghurt and blueberry muffins.

• Do not add calories to your meals by choosing fried foods such as French fries, samosas, pakoras, chicken nuggets and meat pies. Try to include healthy fats such as those found in tuna, salmon, sardines, nuts and flaxseed. The fried foods might increase your weight but on the other hand might also end up increasing your cholesterol. It has also been seen that fatty foods make you feel full faster so you are not able to eat much.

• Drink healthy beverages such as milk shakes, smoothies, fruit juices instead of sodas, or aerated drinks which just add on to the calories.

• Add cheese or avocado or peanut butter to your sandwiches to make it healthier and to add calories.

• Add a teaspoon of olive oil, some pitted olives and light cream to your salads.

• Have 5 serves of vegetables every day. Vegetables will not help you put on weight but these will help you fight against infection.

• Complex carbohydrates (starches) such as whole grains, pasta, cereals, beans,

potatoes and rice also have higher calorie densities than fibrous carbohydrates.

• Proteins are very important for your body. Most of the protein foods are also high in fat. Try to include those protein foods which are low in fat but are high in calories. Soy products such as tofu, soy nuggets, tempeh and soy milk, pulses are excellent protein sources for vegetarian. Lean meat, skinless chicken, fish, low fat dairy and eggs are good additions in your diet to increase weight and protein in your diet.

• Do some resistance training exercises as weight bearing exercises help in building more muscles. Do not consider weight gain opportunities as a chance to stuff yourself with unhealthy choices – you could end up with a problem more serious than being underweight. Try and gain your weight in a healthy and nutritious way.

The pounding of drums, blaring of trumpets and crashing of cymbals echo through the forest. Curious villagers and a sprinkling of visitors descend upon a clearing where eight musicians dressed in white dhotis bordered with bands of orange and grey are performing before a 300-year-old temple.

Master drummers and other musicians train novices here every day of the week, whispered my genial guide, Gopi. “Today we will have a lecture demonstration about the musical culture of the River Nila.”

This is not a sight seen or heard by many tourists unless they want to gain a thorough understanding of the distinct cultural attractions of this little known area along Kerala’s longest river, said the founder of The Blue Yonder, an environmentally conscious tour operator that combines culture with comfort.

Barely a half hour before arriving at this secluded cultural cauldron I was enjoying cosy comforts at the 250-year-old riversited summer residence of the Maharajas of Cochin. Since 2000, however, this luxurious residence has been the River Retreat, a boutique property that lures culturally-minded and ayurvedicallyoriented visitors to Cheruthuruthy, a town about 30 km from Thrissur in northern Kerala, a diverse area known as the Malabar region.

The Malabar Coast is not to be confused with the Malabar region. The former, the narrow coastal strip sandwiched between the Western Ghats to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west, extends the length of the coastline from Goa to Cape Comorin. The latter encompasses the whole of several districts in northern Kerala including Kozhikode and Wayanad.

A number of port towns were established along the Malabar Coast. Kochi – the

Malabar Magic

former Cochin – in the southern part of the state is the best known. The city of Kozhikode – the former Calicut – often called the Jewel of the Malabar is the northern most port.

In Kozhikode’s maritime suburb of Beypore, traditional boats are still built by hand. The teakwood vessels known as urus can take a team of 30 men up to

two years to complete before they are then sailed off - mainly - to Arabia. It’s a practice, I learned, that has endured for some 1500 years.

While a few urus are still being made – workers are more likely engaged with making boat repairs these days – a relatively new related industry has emerged. A string of shops crafting and selling scale model boats compete for business along a major street that bisects Beypore. The smallest teak craft, Mohammed Koya told me, costs Rs 185. The largest takes two months to hand craft and costs Rs 32,000.

Kozhikode’s maritime heritage is well documented. The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama landed at Kappad Beach near Kozhikode in 1498 after discovering a sea passage to the East. Dutch, French and British merchants followed with colonial powers building a series of forts to protect commercial and military interests along the coast.

I stopped at three forts during a fascinating exploration of the Malabar Coast. The British were responsible for

By Thomas E King

constructing the Tellicherry Fort – their first citadel in the country - in 1708 while the triangular San Angelo Fort near Kannur dates to 1505 and the arrival of India’s first Portuguese Viceroy.

I found the Bekal Fort, south of Kasaragod, to be the most spectacular in size, shape and stature. Lauding 40 metres over the Arabian Sea, the fort is considered the best maintained in Kerala.

A lofty observation tower is located in the centre of the stronghold. After walking up a steep incline to reach it I saw workers on the encircling walkway below busy with restoration works on a bastion that has braved the scorching sun and salt breezes for more than three centuries.

I stood and looked out from the red laterite ramparts but could only see a few simple structures along a lengthy stretch of virtually pristine Bekal Beach. This

Malabar Travel Notebook

Flights: Singapore Airlines has 77 flights a week from Australia to Singapore. Airline partner Silkair has numerous onward flights connecting Singapore with Kochi and Trivandrum as well as Coimbatore and Hyderabad. Contact your travel agent or call Singapore Airlines/Silkair on 13 10 11. See www.singaporeair.com.au, www.silkair. com.

Travel: Specialising in sustainable tours that focus on “people, culture and wilderness”, Bangalore-based, The Blue Yonder will design custom holiday packages in the Malabar, other regions of Kerala and throughout India. See www.theblueyonder.com

Accommodation: Surrounded by dense forest and tea plantations, the Vythiri Resort is a calm getaway in the beautiful hills of Wayanad surrounding Kalpetta. Overlooking a palm tree-lined river, the Kadavu Resort & Ayurveda Centre outside Kozhikode offers a wide array of sporting activities and nightly cultural shows. See www.kadavuayurvedaresort.com

Events: Visit India Year 2009 is a promotional campaign offering incentives to visitors until the end of the year. Details about complimentary flights, hotels and tours in tandem with paid services are available on the website: http://visitindia2009. incredibleindia.org/

Information: A map of India and info on Kerala is available from India Tourism Sydney, tel. (02) 9221 9555. See the Government of Kerala website www.keralatourism.org as well as www.incredibleindia.org and www.wayanad.org

The lush forests of the Wayanad District house tribals and tea gardens.

The 17th century Bekal Fort is the best preserved fortress in Kerala.

solitude is set to change, however, as plans have been announced to develop this little visited part of the Malabar Coast with several A-list international hotels and even a regional airport in the next few years.

I only heard whispers about mass development during my time in the Wayanad District, another integral component of the Malabar region. Change will invariably come to one of Kerala’s most forested swathes of wilderness though it will likely take time.

Accessibility and isolation are significant factors that have hindered development. After navigating a road with numerous hairpin bends winding through the dense shola forests of the Western Ghats, I could fully understand this.

Though the Wayand District covers

just over 2100 sq. km it’s one of the most biodiverse regions in the state, indeed in South India. Hidden away in the hills are tribal people who still live a primitive lifestyle, rare animals like the world’s smallest deer and several nearly extinct species of squirrels, exotic plants and caves with pictorial writings from the Stone Age.

Surrounded by plantations that sweep over the hills and paddy fields that line the valleys, the district’s capital of Kalpetta is a somewhat ramshackle but pleasant market town. I bought packets of the indigenous Coffea Travencorica in the Kalpetta bazaar although tea is the real name of the game. It’s not the only name, though, as this well watered district is spice central Plantations have been in operation for

centuries although agricultural production dates back far earlier. It’s said that the pepper and ginger of Wayanad along with sandalwood, ivory and incense from other parts of the region even found their way

to the legendary court of Solomon and Sheba! Malabar’s magic and mystique has indeed been known to the world for a very long time.

(Photos Thomas E. King)

Mohammed Koya has even shipped handcrafted teak boats to Australia.

The remote village of Mulayankaru is a centre for traditional Malabar music

Indian imitations

My husband Arun and I visit India on an average of, oh, maybe eight or nine years. We live in California and our parents left India a long time ago. My family is in Sydney, and his family lives ten minutes from our home, so we have never faced the usual reason to visit India – visiting the family. We have always thought of India the way you think of an old teddy bear –it’s cute and full of childhood memories, but just doesn’t attract us the way it once did.

It wasn’t always like this. When I was in college, I was obsessed with India and all things Indian. For me and many of my friends, travelling through India was a rite of passage. My husband who grew up in

… and strongly suggested that we wait until he was a few years older. We didn’t

Our son was 18 months old when we booked our flights. Arun was keen on visiting a few cities in the north, where he could hear people speaking in Hindi on a daily basis, something he finds very exciting since he doesn’t speak a word of Hindi himself. I have never lived in north India, the little time I have ever spent in

didn’t make a fuss when restaurants didn’t have high chairs for babies. We didn’t take the camera out on every single occasion. We tried very hard not to give money to every single beggar we saw, and that was pretty hard. We ate local food. We spoke in the local language, wherever possible. We even rode a motorcycle in Goa like a typical Indian family with my husband in the front, and me in the back holding the baby. Oh, we had a wonderful time.

really came across as foreigners. We had decided to continue the tradition of Arun’s family by getting our son’s first haircutactually, it was a head shave - at the holiest Hindu temple in the world. We joined a big line of parents and their babies outside the barbers’ stall next to the temple. We watched the baby before us get her head shaved. We panicked. This barber was using a razor, an unsterilized, blunt-looking instrument and the baby was crying as her parents kept trying to get her to stay calm. The barber was done in a few minutes, but the tiny drop of blood on the baby’s head made me lose my nerve. I refused to have my son go through the ceremony. Arun supported me. The barbers laughed and

California, had his share of visits to India –but neither one of us had ever been there on our own. When we married six years ago, a trip to India was on the cards but years went by and it never happened. There were too many other countries that we wanted to visit, and the India trip remained on hold.

Until we became parents.

I don’t know exactly why, but when our son was born, we both suddenly realized that we wanted to take this baby to India. We wanted to expose him to the country we had always taken for granted, and we wanted to do it without our parents. It was another rite of passage – a trip of the second generation Indians, and one which the first generation saw as a bad idea. Our parents, uncles and aunts told us stories about babies getting sick in India, about the heat, the diarrhea, the kidnappings

India has been in Bombay only. Still, the north Indian cities were my territory as far as negotiations and bargaining with shopkeepers was concerned. I was keen on visiting Bangalore, Goa and the famous Tirupathi temple in south India. Since I don’t speak a word of Tamil, this was to be his territory. We booked our hotels, our rental cars, packed a few emergency medications and lots of diapers.

And, when we reached India, we tried. We really did try to pass as local tourists as much as possible. We didn’t make a fuss when our rental car didn’t come with a child’s car seat. We

But we didn’t succeed

From our very first day in India, we realized how lost we really were, and the strange sensation of being tourists in the land of our ancestors overwhelmed us.

in fooling anyone. From our very first day in India, we realized how lost we really were, and the strange sensation of being tourists in the land of our ancestors overwhelmed us. We fell for all the tourist traps. We overpaid for everything. We all got stomach aches. We dressed in the wrong attire for everything. My husband’s Tamil, as it turned out, was not as good as I was led to believe. My Hindi on the other hand is so good, nobody talks like that in India anymore.

But it was at the Tirupathi temple situated on top of a mountain in south India that we

before we could try explaining, a razor ran over my son’s head and tufts of hair fell on the ground. It took no time at all to finish the job and my son smiled and remained still throughout the procedure.

Arun and I were stunned, the barbers kept laughing.

On a whim, Arun got his head shaved as well. I could hardly recognize my son with all his curls gone, and my son wouldn’t recognize my husband at all. He would cry if Arun came near him, and didn’t accept Arun’s affections again until we were back on the plane to Los Angeles.

When we returned, a friend looked at our trip photos and told us that we looked like local Indians.

We beamed at each other. At least we’d fooled one person.

Hindi sounds on your radio 24-7

RUCHI LAMBA and her family try hard to blend into India’s vibrant local scenery, but never quite fit in

Some relationships are forever....

It has survived good times and bad. And like vintage wine, it only improves as the decades roll by. What is it that makes the brother-sister relationship so enduring?

As Raksha Bandhan approaches, Indian Link celebrates that very special bond called filial love. To all those brothers and sister, who are forever young, Happy Rakhi!

I think people that have a brother or sister don’t realize how lucky they are. Sure, they fight a lot, but to know that there’s always somebody there, somebody that’s family.

Trey Parker

A sibling may be the keeper of one’s identity, the only person with the keys to one’s unfettered, more fundamental self.

Marian Sandmaier

We know one another’s faults, virtues, catastrophes, mortifications, triumphs, rivalries, desires, and how long we can each hang by our hands to a bar. We have been banded together under pack codes and tribal laws.

Rose Macaulay

Family faces are magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future.

Gail

Lumet Buckley

There’s no other love like the love for a brother. There’s no other love like the love from a brother.

Astrid Alauda

A sister smiles when one tells one’s stories - for she knows where the decoration has been added.

Chris Montaigne

I smile because you are my sister, I laugh because there is nothing you can do about it!

Author Unknown

Sisterly love is, of all sentiments, the most abstract. Nature does not grant it any functions.

Ugo Betti

Sweet is the voice of a sister in the season of sorrow.

Benjamin Disraeli

Sisters annoy, interfere, criticize. Indulge in monumental sulks, in huffs, in snide remarks. Borrow. Break. Monopolize the bathroom. Are always underfoot. But if catastrophe should strike, sisters are there. Defending you against all comers.

Pam Brown

He is my most beloved friend and my bitterest rival, my confidant and my betrayer, my sustainer and my dependent, and scariest of all, my equal.

Gregg Levoy

Our brothers and sisters are there with us from the dawn of our personal stories to the inevitable dusk.

Susan Scarf Merrell

Sibling relationships - and 80 percent of Americans have at least oneoutlast marriages, survive the death of parents, resurface after quarrels that would sink any friendship. They flourish in a thousand incarnations of closeness and distance, warmth, loyalty and distrust.

Erica E. Goode

Our siblings push buttons that cast us in roles we felt sure we had let go of long ago - the baby, the peacekeeper, the caretaker, the avoider.... It doesn’t seem to matter how much time has elapsed or how far we’ve traveled.

Jane

Mersky Leder

There is a little boy inside the man who is my brother. Oh, how I hated that little boy. And how I love him too.

Anna Quindlan

It was nice growing up with someone like you - someone to lean on, someone to count on... someone to tell on!

Author Unknown

He aint heavy, he’s my brother.

Neil Diamond

To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other’s hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time.

Clara Ortega

I, who have no sisters or brothers, look with some degree of innocent envy on those who may be said to be born to friends.

James Boswell

More than Santa Claus, your sister knows when you’ve been bad and good.

Linda Sunshine

My brother is a nuisance. My brother is a pain. If it was up to me, I’d leave him outside in the rain. But don’t you tease my brother or be mean to him at all, ‘cause I’ll stick up for this little guy ‘cause he thinks I’m 10 feet tall.

Patsy Gaut

When mom and dad don’t understand, a sister always will.

Unknown Author

If you want to know how your girl will treat you after marriage, just listen to her talking to her little brother.

Sam Levenson

Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring - quite often the hard way.

Pamela Dugdale

Photo Shweta Sirohi Gupta

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Holidaying in India

Palaces and beaches

n India, I’ve been to Delhi, Bombay, Chandigarh, Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur

Mostly I go visiting the relatives, and do

Rajasthan was interesting – all those forts and palaces and the stories of the old kings were fascinating. I remember the Sound and Light Show at one of the palaces – amazing battle scenes. I also had my first elephant ride there, and I dressed up as a Rajput prince – I looked even handsomer than usual!

Goa was pretty cool. Loved the resort and the water sport and playing at the

Oh, I liked flying on Kingfisher Airlines – they have great food.

Manan Luthra

Hello, down there, you lowly folk

Street soccer

WhenI was in India, I’d been to Mumbai and Pune. We went there mainly to visit my Nanaji and Nani. The main highlights for me were playing soccer every afternoon after everyone had arrived back from school, and playing tennis with my dad (as you can see I love my sport). The food there was great as well. I loved the mehti roti. Overall the trip was heaps of fun and I enjoyed it greatly.

Bend it like … Baichung!

Extended family Rock solid!

WhenI had gone to India for a holiday, I went to Delhi, Agra and Chandigarh. In Delhi, I visited my aunty, uncle and other relatives. One day, we all went to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, which is made of white marble, and the Red Fort, which is made of red sandstone. They

Chandigarh. I had an amazing time there as well. We went to see the Rock Gardens and when we were there I rode a camel! Apparently camels love spitting! The Rock Garden by the way has a lot of different statues all of which are made with either rocks or waste material like broken cups

Out of the ordinary!

Ihavesome fun memories from my six trips to India so far. I remember:

• buying pink fairy floss from the street vendor with the long stick filled with goodies

• watching my favourite shows on Cartoon Network and not understanding a word because they were all in Hindi

• going on cycle rickshaw rides

• having my palms hennaed at the markets

• being terrified by the stray monkeys on the mango trees in the backyard

• shopping for clothes in Chandigarh’s Sector 17

• ringing the hanging bells at my

grandparents’ favourite temple

• teasing and laughing with distant cousins in Delhi

• seeing the room filled with mirrors at the Udaipur palace

• seeing the Mughal kings’ armour (swords and shields and guns) and the queen’s palanquins at the museum

• Christmas carols in Hindi

• being absolutely dazzled by the food display on New Year’s Eve at Jaipur’s Le Meridien Hotel

• watching movies at a special theatrette with huge luxury seats and a waiter serving us food and drinks

WhenI go to India I visit my parents’ home town Bangalore. My parents love their home town and share with us all their family history and Indian culture. My brother and I find it amazing to listen to the fascinating stories of how it was in India when my parents were growing up. We visit all our relatives who give us so many sweets and so much food to eat

and the streets are always busy with autorickshaws, cars and people selling bhelpuri (which is my favourite Indian food) and all kinds of things on the side of the street.

In this photo I am acting in a play I did for my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary. Our India holidays are so much fun!

Tribute to

Mouth watering food

Whatdo I love most about India –food, of course. Yum! I can’t wait for summer holidays to start as we are heading for Chennai. Oh, the masala dosai and chaat are already making my mouth water. And delicious idiyappam, vazhakkai chips, pav bhaji and aloo paratha, the south Indian, Punjabi, Gujarati and Rajasthani thali. I also get to enjoy all the Indian vegetables we don’t get here in Sydney like dhondakkai,

podalankai, vendakkai, sliced thin and deep fried, just the way I like it. I can have plenty of coconut water fresh from my backyard and mango Frooti, milkshake and ice cream too. I even think the Indian pizzas are better. Are five weeks enough? The only thing I miss out always is mangoes because we never go there during the Indian summer.

Devna finds an Aussie friend at Rajasthan

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Australian Funeral Services will give family and friends the final opportunity to farewell their loved one in a Dignified and respectful Ceremony. At present we have three funeral parlours in Sydney. We can assist in meeting funeral costs via our various payment plans.

Jasmine gaped breathlessly as she stared in front of her. She clutched the branch tightly, not daring to move. It was coming towards her. Not slowly, but with full, agitated speed. How long would she keep having to stare into those horrible, yellow eyes, or those sharp glistening teeth? Suddenly Jasmine was panic-stricken as she felt something crash into the tree she was hiding in. She looked down. ‘It’ was there. She gasped at the sight of the sickly horrible creature gnawing and clawing its sharp nails at her. Desperately, she tried to find a way of making it go away. Maybe there was something it was afraid of?

At that moment an unknown figure came thundering heavily into the tree. Thankfully, it was a human. A boy slightly taller than Jasmine, but his face was hidden by the darkness of the night. He reached into his pack and swiftly brought out a large torch.

Jasmine thought, “Why would anyone use a torch to defend themselves against an ‘it’?”

Then, without further delay, the boy shone the bright torch in the face of the horrible creature and it ran away whimpering and howling loudly. Slowly, Jasmine turned to the stranger. She narrowed her eyes trying to figure out who he was. Then, she grinned broadly.

“Emmett,” she muttered.

“That’s right, little sister. I thought I told you to stay away from the Prowlers!” Jasmine looked puzzled.

“What? What Prowlers?”

Emmett sighed. “Look, I’ll explain. You know how I left a few days back to find out about the ‘its’”.

“Yes. What about them?” Jasmine inquired.

“Well, it turns out they moved to this forest because they were afraid…of some kind of Light King.”

Jasmine snorted.

“Emmett, you must be out of your mind. There is no such thing as the ‘Light King”.

“You are impatient, Jasmine. The ‘its’ are actually called the Prowlers and you didn’t believe me when I told you I had been chased by one the first time too! But then you DID see for real, just now, didn’t you, with your own eyes, that there are Prowlers! So why can’t there be this… Light King?”

Jasmine went silent. “Fair enough,” she said eventually. “Tell me more.”

“That’s more like it,” whispered Emmett. “I met a man called Aro in the Plains and he told me that the Prowlers all moved away from there because of the Light King. As you might have figured out by now, Prowlers are afraid of light. That’s why you don’t see them in the day. In daylight you are safe. But in the dark night, you are not. It’s a good thing I arrived in time to save you. I told you to stay at the hut but you did not listen! You are as stubborn as an old mule!”

“I heard someone calling me,” snapped Jasmine. And I presumed it was YOU!”

“Very well.” said Emmett calmly. “You should know that these days it is not safe to roam around whenever you wish, according to your own will!”

“Yes, I do!” persisted Jasmine. “It’s just that… oh, you win!”

“Good,” said Emmett. “Now would you like me to tell you WHY the Prowlers are afraid of light or would you rather be a frowning frog?”

“Go ahead!” Jasmine cried rudely as she scowled at Emmett.

“Aro told me the only way to kill a Prowler, is to expose it to light. They aren’t just afraid

Black dust

of light simply because it frightens them, they are afraid because they are creatures made out of pure darkness and evil. Light would easily turn them into dust.” Emmett took a deep breath as he finished.

“So we have to get the Light King to use his power to rid our land of the Prowlers and some new… bad creatures coming from the west”.

Emmett nodded.

“That’s right, little sister. But you’re going to stay here while I go.”

“What! Why? Oh, you are a mean brother, Emmett, please take me with you!”

Jasmine wouldn’t stop whining. Finally, Emmett gave in.

“Fine,” he muttered. “But if something happens to you, it’s not going to be my fault…”

“Oh, don’t worry, Emmett!” Jasmine began enthusiastically. “It’s you who’s going to need saving this time.”

Emmett hid a smile. He knew his sister could be a little enthusiastic and over confident sometimes but he had grown used to it. His only concern was that her sister’s foolishness shouldn’t lead her to danger.

“Jasmine…” Emmett began. “There’s one more thing.”

He paused and turned.

“Aro said that the Light King was a man of bargain. So I think we’re going to need to give him something in return for him to use his power for us.”

Jasmine sighed.

“Did Aro tell you anything he wanted… in particular?”

Emmett nodded.

“Yes… he did. Aro said that there is a very old riddle that the King wants to find the answer to … and whoever solves it… would be granted any one wish.”

Emmett grabbed his pack and pulled out a bunch of withered old papers.

“Look, Aro gave me this.”

There was a map of the way from their forest to the whole side of the Plains. The Light King’s kingdom was situated in between the Plains and the Tactess Mountains. So they were going to have to take Johnson’s Route.

“But ohnson’s Route is full of dangers!” Jasmine argued. “No one goes through there… surely there must be some other way!”

Emmett shook his head. “No Jasmine. There’s no other way! The route around the forests would take months… it’s only a matter of weeks before this place is overrun by evil creatures! Johnson’s Route would only take a few days! Besides you were the one who insisted on facing the dangers of this journey!”

Jasmine turned red. “Okay. I admit it. We’ll take Jonhson’s Route”.

Emmett looked satisfied. “Good. Now take a look at this.”

In Emmett’s hand was the riddle of the Light King. He opened the scroll and they inspected it closely.

THE RIDDLE

“If you are ever so bright then show me what you can do right:

A short story by TAMANNA CHHIBBAR

You’re riding from this place to that, And picking up a cat or a rat, Seven people come on and off, Then eight come on with a slight cough

A touch of ten

Two friendly men

Then a sister and a brother

What was the rider’s eye’s colour?”

Jasmine studied the riddle closely. She usually was very good at these things but this one puzzled her greatly. “Surely this is impossible! How could we know the rider’s eye colour by knowing who he picked up and dropped off?” she looked at Emmett, her big green eyes full of curiosity.

“Do not worry, Jasmine.” Emmett said calmly. “There must be a solution no doubt, but now we must pack for our departure tomorrow morning and after that we will clear our minds and find the answer to the riddle.

It was a bright morning and the air was crisp and fresh. The clouds headed north leaving a trail of mist behind. Jasmine was packing and getting ready for their big journey. Emmett, it seemed, had gone to the bubbling stream to fill their flasks with much needed water. Soon, the two companions set off to the Light King’s kingdom.

Two days had passed and Emmett and Jasmine had almost reached their destination. But do not think that their journey was easy so far, for it was filled with hardships. The Prowler outcasts lived along the borders of the Plains. Emmett and Jasmine had faced a few but thankfully Emmett carried his trusty torch. Some Prowlers were strong and could bear the light and had attacked Jasmine wounding her on her arm. Emmett had tended to it. The thing was, they still did not find the answer to the riddle. And, their flasks had almost emptied.

As the two companions were crossing a small grove, they heard an eerie sound. It sounded like some kind of music.

Emmett held Jasmine back. “It could be some kind of danger!” he hissed.

Suddenly a tall, broad man with long, braided hair emerged from behind a tree. Emmett and Jasmine jumped back. “Who are you?” the man asked cautiously.

“Who are YOU?” Emmett asked back.

“I am Alec of the Plains,” answered the man.

“I come in peace,” Emmett said slowly as he stepped forward.

“I will not harm you either,” Alec said calmly. “But may I ask what you are doing travelling in dangerous times like these?”

Jasmine shot a quick glance at Emmett and they both agreed to tell Alec on one condition.

“We shall tell you,” said Jasmine quickly, “if you help us.”

Alec looked puzzled but held his hand out in certainity. “Sure!” he cried. “But

what do you need help with?”

Emmett quickly pulled the riddle out of the pack and handed it to Alec. Alec studied it carefully then began to grin broadly. “Ah, this was the childhood riddle!” he muttered. Emmett and Jasmine looked confused.

“What I mean is,” started Alec “That my Father Jasper of The Plains was the one who made this riddle up. He preached about intelligence and so the first thing my sisters and I were taught was this riddle.”

“What luck!” thought Jasmine and Emmett. They had run into the OWNER of the riddle. “So what’s the answer?” Jasmine asked impatiently.

“It is simple!” cried Alec. “Look at the second line: ‘YOU’RE riding from this place to that, picking up a cat or rat’. So that means YOU were the rider, so if I was reading this riddle, the answer would be brown because my eyes are brown!”

Emmett and Jasmine laughed at their foolishness.

“Oh!” cried Jasmine “It was so simple!”

“Yes!” cried Emmett. “I guess we were so intent on the riddle being tricky that we forgot that it might have a simple answer to it.”

Later Emmett and Jasmine stayed with Alec until the next day and they were glad they did. Because they felt completely refreshed with the food and water Alec gave them. They filled up supplies and were all set to go.

The next day they reached the Light King’s kingdom. It was called ‘Candless’. The city was dazzling. It was filled with light - as bright as bright could be. It took the two companions a few hours to find the King’s palace. And such a lovely palace it was! It had creamy high walls and polished marble floors, grand pillars and fine wood. It shone amongst the city of Candless brightly. Finally, they saw a man with an enormous shining crown on his head whom they presumed was the Light King. He had a splendid black beard and crystal blue eyes and of course that would be the answer to the riddle…blue eyes. As Alec had told them, Jasmine and Emmett explained the riddle to the Light King. He laughed heartily at the thought of being such a fool. And he granted Emmett and Jasmine one wish.

Of course, they chose to stop all the evil creatures from overtaking their beloved home.

The forest was now named… Sentora. Emmett and Jasmine never saw any Prowlers again ever. But one day Jasmine did see some black dust. She smiled to herself. Now she didn’t have to worry about the Prowlers. Because now, that time was over.

11-year-old Tamanna is a student of Melbourne’s Firbank Grammar School

Chatpati chutneys – how much more enjoyable they make our meals!

The ever-popular pudina (mint) chutney and imli (tamarind) chutney may continue to grace our tables for years to come, but every so often you come across a more exotic chutney like baingan (eggplant) chutney.

That chutneys can take innumerable forms, we’ve found out at Indian Link, thanks to the number of recipes that readers have sent us over the years.

INSTANT COCONUT CHUTNEY

Shakuntala Chamala

1 cup desiccated coconut

½ cup peanut paste

1 tsp chilli powder

2/3 cup yogurt

¾ cup water

1 tsp salt

For seasoning:

¾ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp cumin seeds

1-2 tsp oil

1 sprig curry leaves

1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

¼ tsp turmeric

- Green chillies to taste, chopped

Blend together all the ingredients to a smooth paste.

To season, heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, coriander leaves and turmeric powder. Let seeds splutter and then add to the chutney.

CARROT CHUTNEY

Radhika Kulhalli

4 large fresh carrots

- Green chillies to taste

- Juice of 1 lemon

½ bunch coriander

¼ tsp roasted methi (fenugreek) seeds

¼ tsp asafetida

½ tsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp oil

Grate carrots, chop chillies and fresh coriander. Grind it coarse in the grinder with the salt, lemon juice and methi seeds powder. Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add asafetida and pour on the ground chutney. Mix well. This chutney can be kept in the refrigerator for a week.

MINT AND MANGO CHUTNEY

Radhika Kulhalli

1 raw mango, medium sized

1 bunch fresh mint

1 small onion

- Red chilli powder to taste

½ tsp roasted methi powder

1 tbsp brown sugar

½ tsp mustard seeds

¼ tsp asafetida

2 tbsp oil

Chop raw mango, mint and onion finely. Grind coarsely in the grinder with chilli powder, salt, methi seeds powder and brown sugar. Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When they begin to splutter, add asafetida and pour on the ground chutney. Mix well.

TAMARIND CHUTNEY

Pramilla Chaturvedi

Chutney Tirangi

100 gms tamarind pulp

100-125 gms raw sugar

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp chilli powder

1 tsp fennel powder

- Salt to taste

15-20 sultanas

1 tbsp oil

1 glass hot water

Soak tamarind in hot water for 4-5 hours. Mash tamarind pulp well and strain out the juice using strainer. Discard seed and pulp.

Heat oil in a saucepan and add all the spices one by one (seeded spices first and then powdered spices). Stir fry for a minute or so, add sultanas and again fry for a minute or until all the spices get roasted to light brown. Add tamarind juice, salt and sugar. Let it boil for at least 25-30 minutes on medium till it becomes semi-liquid (sauce consistency). Taste the chutney and add more salt/sugar if required. Turn the heat off and leave chutney at room temperature. When cool,

Renu Nanda

250 gms fresh garlic

375 gms tomato paste

- Green chillies to taste

- Salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

Grind to a fine paste garlic, tomato paste, green chillies and salt.

Heat cooking oil. Put in mustard seeds and fresh curry leaves; then pour in chutney and cook over low heat for approximately 5 minutes.

SWEET POTATO CHUTNEY

Vandana Lall

250 gms sweet potatoes

2 green mangoes, small

- Dry red chillies to taste

1 tbsp urad dal

¼ tsp cumin seeds

¼ tsp mustard seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

- Salt to taste

By Rajni Anand Luthra

Grill eggplant till skin wrinkles and turns black. Toss into cold water, cool and peel. Heat oil and fry red chilli and dal till red. Remove and grind to a fine paste along with all the other ingredients.

TOMATO AND BEETROOT CHUTNEY

Gladys Roach

1½ kg ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 large beetroot, peeled and grated

2 tsp chilli powder

½ tsp cinnamon powder

½ tsp clove powder

store in a dry, air tight bottle and keep in fridge. It will last for at least a month.

GREEN APPLE CHUTNEY

Renu Nanda

2 green apples

1 onion

3-4 green chillies

¼ bunch coriander

1½ tsp fresh grated ginger

Salt to taste

Peel and core apples; chop roughly. Combine with other ingredients and grind to a smooth paste.

GARLIC CHUTNEY

Boil and peel sweet potatoes. Chop mangoes roughly. Roast dal till red and grind to a paste along with mangoes, red chillies and sweet potatoes. Then heat oil in a small pan and add curry leaves, mustard seeds and more red chillies if you like. When the seeds begin to splutter pour over the chutney.

EGGPLANT CHUTNEY

Vandana Lall

1 large eggplant

- Green chillies to taste

- Dry red chillies to taste

1 tsp urad dal

1 lime-sized ball tamarind

½ kg brown sugar

2 tbsp minced garlic

½ cup brown vinegar

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp sultanas

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Mix the tomatoes and beetroot and their juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer till mixture is pulped and beetroot is cooked. Rub the mixture through a sieve and discard any residue. Reheat the mixture on medium heat. Mix in all the other ingredients. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and is a jam like consistency. Cool and bottle.

SEEKING BRIDES

Australian citizen, 27, 168cm, Handsome Punjabi Hindu Khatri boy. Masters in Accounting & Finance. Own Business. Well established family in Sydney. Seeking good looking and qualified match. Caste no bar. Please contact: 0401057224 or send details with photo to: matriaussyd@gmail.com

Seeking well qualified match, from good family background, for handsome, well settled Gujarati boy 31, 5’7”. Raised in India, living in Sydney since past 9 years. MBA from Sydney, CPA ongoing. Working with leading FMCG as accountant. Please respond with details and photo email: kdsydney@gmail.com

Seeking well qualified and beautiful girl for a Gujarati Nagar Brahmin boy, 29, 5’10”, Masters in Engineering, permanent resident of Australia. Currently working as a Project Manager in Sydney. Please contact bgtmatri@gmail.com or on 0296327398.

Parents invite matrimonial alliance for their younger of 2 sons. DOB: 23 Oct 1984, B.Com LLB (Hons.), half-way

through CPA, permanent government job (APS 6), handsome, fair, 170 cms, nondrinker, non-smoker, vegetarian. Father doctor in Canberra, elder brother software engineer. Email mpgupta@hotmail.com or mobile: 0419 749 448.

Seeking well qualified match for Hindu boy, 27, 6’ 1”, medium built, talented, smart and handsome. Boy raised in India / Australia. Masters in IT from Sydney University. Currently working as Project Manager in US based MNC earning $90K+. Both parents well educated professionals. Family settled in Sydney. Please respond with details and photo to eskay82@gmail.com

Australian Caucasian male, age 44, business man, financially secure, seeks beautiful, slim, caring Indian / Fiji Indian or Sri Lankan girl. Age open for genuine relationship with a view to marriage. If interested please text 0423 074 109.

Matrimonial alliance invited for Indian origin gentleman, 37 years old,

simple and sensible, born and brought up in Mumbai. Mangalore University degree holder (economics, sociology and literature), and a professional diploma holder. Fluent south and west Indian languages. PR or visitors welcome. Please respond on phone 02 9676 2512 or mobile 0458 678 054

SEEKING GROOMS

Parent of beautiful Punjabi Khatri girl, 28/5’8”, professionally qualified, working in a multinational company in Sydney, seeks professionally qualified well educated, settled boy. Caste no bar. Please e-mail bio-data and recent photograph to seekmat@gmail.com

Suitable alliance invited for Hindu Punjabi girl, 29 years, 157 cm, fair, smart, talented and beautiful. Very social, sweet natured and religious. Qualified (BCA, MBA ), working as SAP HR consultant with IBM in India. Earning very good per annum package. Very well settled family, brother working as a manager in Hong

Kong. Please email details to bharat@ cssri.ernet.in

Seeking professional match for 28 years/152cm North Indian girl, very fair, very beautiful, excellent job in IT, innocent divorcee. Family well settled in Australia. Please respond with details to eeshkripa@gmail.com

Professional parents, Australian citizens with SriLankan Tamil Hindu Vellala heritage, look for a suitable partner for daughter, B Com & LLB graduate; 26; 5’3”; well mannered and well presented, traditional with modern outlooks; vegetarian; reply sv200704@gmail.com with details.

Parents of Sikh Khatri girl invite alliance for their beautiful, slim daughter, 29 /5’-1”, Australian citizen, never married. Currently working in Sydney as analyst with one of the biggest esteemed banks. Family settled in Sydney. Seeking professional, well-educated match with good family background. Caste no bar. Contact: 0411 513 703 or email: roopan09@yahoo.com

Tax Break

To help Australian businesses, a temporary tax break is available on plant and equipment you need to buy to keep your business running.

The tax break is not a refund, rebate or tax offset. It’s a tax deduction to reduce the assessable income of your business. Deadlines apply.

50% tax break for businesses with turnover less than $2 million.

If you own a small business that turns over less than $2 million a year, you can claim an extra 50% tax deduction on the cost of eligible assets which cost $1,000 or more.

To qualify, the asset must be bought between 13 December 2008 and 31 December 2009 and be installed by 31 December 2010.

30% or 10% tax break for businesses with turnover of $2 million or more.

Larger businesses may qualify for an extra tax deduction on eligible assets which cost $10,000 or more.

To qualify for the 30% tax deduction, the asset had to have been bought between 13 December 2008 and 30 June 2009. It will need to be installed by 30 June 2010. The 10% tax deduction is available depending on when the asset was bought. It needs to be installed by 31 December 2010.

What can I buy?

The tax break covers new, tangible, depreciating assets such as:

n cars, vans, trucks and other business vehicles

n computer hardware (but not software)

n tools

n furniture.

It also covers capital improvements to existing machinery and equipment.

Where do I find out more?

Contact

Aries

Tarot ‘n’ You

Tarot predictions for August 2009

March 21 – April 20

Tarot foresees success and fulfilment for you this month. You are likely to be happy on achieving lasting success. You have the support of people around you. A positive card is drawn for you in a travel reading. The project on your mind currently will ultimately bring you success. Overseas projects are indicated. You should continue to put in hard work in whatever you do.

Taurus

April 21 – May 21

Now is the time to make long-term plans. This is a time for planning future actions. Assessing goals and gearing up to attain the same in times to come is suggested here. Tarot suggests that you should make good use of the present opportunities and seek fulfilment of those you had left unfulfilled earlier. You need to avoid confrontations. The challenge is to remain connected to all the things in life even when the going gets tough.

Gemini

May 22 – June 23

There is a focus on development of potential for advancement. You are seen building foundations for future success. There are chances of a new job or development of a new skill. A creative talent could turn into a profitable project. Friendships are likely to be strong. You may be committed to a situation at the present moment which shall reap you rewards in the future. You are likely to take up a course to widen your employment scope.

Cancer

June 23 – July 22

You realise that you can no longer stay away from issues – best to face your problems and responsibilities. There is a conflict in the air that may have brought about the worst side of everyone involved. You need to be careful of someone who can create trouble. Avoid arguments or your reputation may be at stake. The end result is not likely to give anyone much happiness. You should be careful taking up only as much responsibility as you can cope with.

Leo July 23 – August 23

Tarot signifies a period of spontaneity. There is a focus on trust and hope. Be prepared for the unexpected. It is a positive time for travel. You are likely to be offered new opportunities leading to new heights. You are likely to feel fulfilled if you undertake this unforeseen journey, trust your judgement while planning for the future. Tarot depicts the journey of selfdiscovery with confidence, fun and optimism. In a relationship reading, you will benefit by living in the present.

Virgo August 24 – September 22

Your dreams are trying to convey a message to you. You will be able to find answers to the questions in your mind if you pay heed to your intuition. You need to be careful towards deceit in any form. You should not accept things at their face value as certain things involve deeper issues that might be hidden from your view. In such cases, you should pay attention to the voice of your subconscious mind. In a relationship reading, Tarot sees the need to resolve certain issues.

By Guneeta Dhingra

Libra September 23 – October 23

You need determination and fortitude to succeed. Once you are successful, you shall be respected for your achievements and be the source of inspiration to others. Have faith and confidence in your abilities as you have the inner resources to come out from any situation as a winner. In a relationship reading, it is a positive time as people involved are ready to listen to each other. Communication is the primary factor in the growth of a relationship.

Scorpio

October 24 – November 22

Tarot signifies a deeper commitment to a present relationship and that promises a lot of development in the future. It can even suggest a new relationship opportunity which shall be good and successful. You are required to make certain decisions based on your inner feelings rather than logic; at the same time, guard against temptations. You may have outgrown the current line of work and it would be wise on your part to move on into something new

Sagittarius

November 23 – December 21

There is a focus on the realisation of what you desire and your inner strength to achieve the same. Domestic changes are likely to take place. You may find yourself thinking about moving on in life towards a new setting. You desire to explore opportunities for fulfilment. It could be a search for a deeper commitment within your present relationship. It could also mean spending time in meditation or in study.

Capricorn December 22 – January 19

Tarot portrays isolation, a need to think over issues, meditate on the options and energize oneself before acting. You are able to prioritize things and focus on your goals. You contemplate on your future prospects, making use of the time in your hands. You are trying to be at peace with yourself after a long period of turmoil. Time is right for regaining mental and physical health. You may be undergoing a period of ill health and need to recoup your strength.

Aquarius January 20 – February 18

Your focus is likely to be on your achievements and an overall feeling of happiness resulting from it. Tarot signifies success and victory for you. You are nearing your personal goals and an enterprise is coming to a successful conclusion. You are feeling emotionally secure and content, which is due to a job well done. Your inner needs are fulfilled. In a relationship reading, a great deal of harmony is seen as you have learnt to love and care for yourself and so you work towards making a happier relationship.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

‘Make hay while the sun shines’ needs to be your mantra. You are likely to find yourself involved with a person who has no fear of the unknown and readily takes risk. Change is his/her way of life. You are likely to be offered a fleeting opportunity of assistance from a person who is unpredictable and has a quick mind which shall be shortly focused somewhere else. The card for you represents instant action with no time to think over other options.

WellTech Driving School

Itis always a life changing decision for an individual to choose to migrate to Australia. Given the importance of this decision, it becomes a vital issue to find a professional who can not only guide them about the process involved but also be able to assist in establishing a sense of belonging to the Australian way of life.

Working on the principles of Integrity, Knowledge, and Efficiency, VISAWORLD. COM.AU (VWCA) is a Registered Australian Migration Consultancy delivering comprehensive immigration solutions to its global clientele from their office in Strathfield, NSW. Mr. Sunil Dang, who has been in this industry since the year 2001, owns the majority stake and directs the company’s day-to-day operations in their offices in Sydney and New Delhi where it is known as CGS Migrations. Headquartered in

Australia, VWCA have a team of dedicated experts who possess in-depth knowledge of applicable legislation to guide their clients at every step of their relocation to Australia.

Leveraging on their legal expertise, VWCA have successfully obtained visas in a range of skilled, business and family visa categories for a vast number of clients over the last decade. Backed by a substantial knowledge base gathered over the years, VWCA constantly upgrade their skills to stay abreast with the ever changing migration regulations and legislation to offer up-todate advice to you. This allows VWCA to ensure that none of the clients’ applications are impacted adversely by most recent regulations and procedural changes.

With a combined experience of over 35 years, VWCA are conscious of the critical role they play in a client’s life and actively

participate in the industry seminars and workshops organised by the Migration Institute of Australia and other leading industry authorities.

Helping you assimilate in Australian society Commonwealth Bank sponsors India Australia Friendship Fair

As mandated by Australian law, all registered migration consultants have to undergo regular professional development to ensure a high standard of expertise in Australian immigration policy and legislation. Governed by the professional Code of Conduct specified by the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA), VWCA are committed to protecting their clients’ interests at all times.

Please contact VWCA on 02 9763 2221 to discuss your requirements or visit their website, www.visaworld.com.au for a free comprehensive online assessment of your particulars towards migration to Australia.

The Commonwealth Bank has announced it will become a major sponsor of India Australia Friendship Fair (IAFF) - the largest Indian event in Australia attracting people from the Indian Australian community nationally.

To be held on Sunday 9 August, the IAFF coincides with the Indian Independence Day celebration and aims to build social solidarity between India and Australia. All profits from the IAFF go to aiding pensioners, new migrants and Indian women in need.

According to Andy Wright, Head of International and Agency Channels at the Commonwealth Bank, the IAFF partnership is yet another way the Group is demonstrating its commitment to ethnic communities.

“The Bank is dedicated to helping and supporting the Indian community build their values and culture in Australia by being a major sponsor of the Indian Independence Day celebration and other cultural and religious programmes throughout the year,” Mr Wright said.

An icon amongst the Indian Australian community, the IAFF is a versatile and unique event where people from both the Indian community and the Australian community at large can share in celebration of the diverse, magical and colourful Indian cultural heritage.

Mr Wright added that being involved in the event is important as it gives the Indian Banking team an opportunity to build longterm relationships with the community: “This is just a beginning of the journey and is the second consecutive time the Bank is participating as a major sponsor of one of the most important events to the Indian community.”

“As one of Australia’s leading organisations, we are committed to supporting initiatives that assist Indian community and we look forward to encouraging our staff and customers to get involved with IAFF,” Mr Wright concluded.

Mrs Aruna Chandrala, President of United Indian Associations and Director of the IAFF welcomed the Bank as a major partner.

“It’s terrific to have the Commonwealth Bank support and participate in the IAFF. The Bank’s commitment to IAFF is a clear demonstration of their corporate leadership and commitment to the Indian community in which they already provide such vital services.

“We warmly welcome them and look forward to working with them on future initiatives,” Mrs Chandrala said.

Speaking on the day will be Regional General Manager Service and Sales Sydney, NSW, Lyn McGrath who will address the Indian Community on the celebration of their Independence Day.

The Commonwealth Bank will also have a number of other staff manning a marquee available to speak with visitors.

A rocking evening at Maya da Dhaba

TheState of Origin Rugby was on and one expected to find a lot of tables empty this Wednesday night. Not so at Cleveland St’s Maya da Dhaba though.

The Surry Hills restaurant was warmly welcoming. And not only because we had walked in from the cold outside. There seemed to be a happy buzz about the place.

My wife and I were there with two other couples, all Australians who love their Indian food, and we had all brought our children along. The kids were not big on eating spicy food, but it was school holidays and this was an adventure for them. We all settled into the evening and bottles of wine (and coke for the children) were opened. The menu was religiously perused and important decisions were made – after all, friendships are forged or broken over meals like these.

Ordering proved to be a challenge. The menu has an offering of over 16 types of entrees, and over 26 choices in the main course of which 13 are vegetarian and then 13 types of breads. Meals are all freshly prepared and there seemed to be very generous servings of the food, as we looked at other tables around us. We settled for a combination of vegetable cutlets, amritsari fish, tandoori chicken, prawns gulnar and seekh kebab for starters. It was one of the better decisions of the evening. The seekh kebab was spiced just to perfection – not too much but with just enough bite to leave that tingling feeling in your mouth. The touch of sourness in the fish complemented the robust flavours of the tandoori chicken and the vegetable cutlets seemed to melt in the mouth. The taste buds were challenged and they were in for one great evening of culinary delight. Yes, the kids were converted from KFC to MDD

(Maya da dhaba): the tandoori chicken, it was unanimous, was “cool”.

For the main course, we went for the rogan josh, goat curry, saag paneer, goan fish curry, dal makhani

and of course, butter chicken. Lachcha parantha, naan and rice came too. There was a revered hush around the table as these delicacies were consumed. The goat curry was succulent,

the saag paneer was well balanced in spices, and the goan fish curry took one back to the beaches of Goa. The butter chicken was a bit spicy for the kids but as soon as they discovered the naan bread balanced the flavours, they were hooked. What started as a perfect evening was getting better as it progressed. For deserts, the fresh hot gulab jamuns satisfied the cravings of those with a sweet tooth. The dumplings were not rubbery as they sometimes can be, but soft and fresh and obviously made with love. Yes, and we finished them off with extra special love too!

Sitting back in our chairs after two hours of eating, the dreary far away look was in everyone’s eyes – a perfect evening.

“And how will you describe the restaurant?” I asked the friends.

“Rustic is the word that comes to mind,” the well travelled Indophile Aussie mate said. “This is Indian food as perfect as I can expect in India. The spices are well balanced and the flavours explode in your mouth”.

I could see the smile on the face of Ajay Raj, the owner of Maya da Dhaba as he overheard this remark. Customers confirming the owner’s desire to give them the best Indian food experience, was surely a dream come true. Ajay Raj seems to have achieved the very best accolade from his customers with that remark.

Ashwini Goel

Maya da Dhaba is at 431 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills. (Ph 8399 3785). They are open for lunch and dinner. They specialise in catering with packages to suit all budgets. Call Ajay Raj on 0413 052 449 to discuss your next party requirements.

Just another ordinary love story

Film: Love Aaj Kal

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Rishi Kapoor, Rahul Khanna

Director: Imtiaz Ali

Midway into the second half of Love

Aaj Kal, Rahul Khanna screams at Deepika Padukone and asks her to make it clear what she actually wants in life. That’s one of the very few moments in the film

CINETALK

interval.

Post interval portions don’t quite help things much as the Dilli bhraman of Saif and Deepika looks fake.

Just when it seemed that the film had come to an abrupt end, there is this twist

In a marked departure from the sacrificial mother figures of our movies, the film’s central character Nisha (played with gutwrenching brutal honesty by Shahana Goswami) is shown to be a rich man’s mistress not because of her kid brother but because, as she roars in one of the narrative’s soul-piercing highest-pitched sequences, she has gotten so used to luxuries she can’t stand in queue for buses , like Mahesh Bhatt’s Jannat before it, wallows in the transparent hunger of today’s lifestyle and how far individuals are ready to go in pursuit of the next thrill.

At its heart, Jashnn is a simple story about four troubled people tied together in a baffling labyrinth of complicated

As Adhyayan Suman, rising to the challenge of playing the author-backed role of Aakash -- didi’s ladla and destiny’s unfavoured wannabe Michael Jackson -- says to his spunky girlfriend (a neversay-why girl who moves in with her guy in his garage music room): “Your brother was supporting my sister. Now you’re supporting me. What a family we are!”

audiences can really empathise with.

After all, this is what you as a viewer also feel throughout the love story of Saif Ali Khan and Deepika - what do they really want?

They break off, but haven’t quite drifted apart. “After all it’s an era of communication,” says Saif. So much so that even when the ‘once in love and perhaps still in love’ couple decide to take care of their lives separately rather than getting into an ugly long distance relationship, they continue to meet and greet and paint the city of Dilli red.

It’s just that continuous talks around ‘how we are happier today when compared to yesterday’ become monotonous after a while. It seems good though in the initial reels of the film. In fact, the first 20 minutes of the film are excellent when the director wraps up the beginning and the end of the Saif-Deepika love story.

While watching this portion of the film, you do feel that Love Aaj Kal is indeed treading a very original path. In fact, the entire ‘break up party’ introduction is an ace in the hands of Imtiaz Ali and he plays his cards brilliantly.

So far, so excellent but this is the point from which the film starts taking a dip. Rishi Kapoor’s emergence in the story gets a good kickstart. But the entire flashback angle with Rishi narrating his own story, something which sounds quite exciting on paper, doesn’t really carry the same punch as the Saif-Deepika story.

In fact, whenever the film goes into past mode, it dips and only Deepika’s reemergence on the scene lights up things. Watch out for the scene where she finally decides to move on and brings on a fake smile in front of the mirror.

The interim love story of Saif and his Swiss girlfriend brings the pace down again, hence making for an uneven ride till

in the story that makes one wonder if Love Aaj Kal is the same movie that started so impressively and ended in such an ordinary manner!

If not for the performances and the music, the film would have dipped even further.

Deepika is excellent as she brings in a certain casual feel to the entire ‘getting in love and then breaking up’ part. Watch out for Saif in those excellent monologues once every 30 minutes or in the brilliantly narrated sequence that goes along with main kya hoon

Rishi hardly gets scope but is nice in his earlier scenes; one wonders though what made Rahul sign a film that doesn’t fetch him a single decent scene!

Yes, one understands where Ali was coming from when he decided to convey that the emotion of love was just the same across different generations. In the end, however, Love Aaj Kal turns out to be just another love story.

A celebration of strong acting, good filmmaking

Film: Jashnn

Cast: Adhyayan Suman, Shahana Goswami, Anjana Sukhani, Humayun Saeed

Director: Raksha Mistry and Hasnain S. Hyderbadwala

Rejoice! The Bhatts are back with a film that rips a hole in the heart and lodges itself deep into your consciousness... for a bit at least.

It’s hard to move away from the territory of trauma that Bhatt perennially creates for his characters. His protagonists suffer because they allow themselves the luxury of feeling and hurting in an utterly selfcentred way.

Bhatt’s people are never afraid of facing the truth about themselves, no matter how ugly. And it can’t get any uglier than the sequence where Akaash -- angry, embittered, cornered and moneyless -steals from a woman’s purse in a bar to pay for his drinks.

There is a redemptive counterpoint to this hideous moment of compromise. There always is. And when it comes in Jashnn, you feel like applauding our young hero’s proclivity to look life in all its garish shades straight in the eye.

In what could be considered the best re-launch since Mallika Sherawat in the Bhatts’ Murder, Adhyayan gets a role with a graph and grip that most newcomers

He grits his teeth when his sister is insulted for her parasitical life as a rich man’s mistress. He rejoices when she is liberated. He’s a Mahesh Bhatt hero.

Shahana, the truest new-millennium inheritor of Shabana Azmi’s histrionic kingdom, goes through the role of squalid dependency and emotional liberation with a velocity of expressions that expand the screen space into a universe of articulated angst.

Of course, the dialogues help. Shahana’s sequence where she tells a cheesy guy she wants to be something better than meat in the market is proof enough of her capabilities.

It’s interesting to see Anjana Sukhani turn a routine role of the spoilt but eventually sobered-down heiress into an area of interesting possibilities. The girl is spirited and plays her part with a determined relish.

The film’s other protagonist Humayun Saeed hams his way through most of the material. He isn’t to be blamed all the time. Some of his sequences lack the insightful intensity of what the writers offer the other principal characters. And to see this villain weeping in repentance at the end kind of takes away from the sting and bite of the tangy dish on contemporary compulsions that the Bhatts have prepared for posterity.

Mention must be made of the actor who plays Aakash’s best friend Sukesh. The boy gets the point.

It isn’t as though Jashnn has something new to say. If you’ve been observing the cinema of Mahesh Bhatt you’d know they secrete dark recesses of resonant emotions serving more as mirrors for the mores of our times rather than just vehicles to get audiences into titillated submission.

The women in Mahesh Bhatt creations are extraordinarily striking creatures. And there are two such women in Jashnn. One is a tortured mistress of the night. The other is a wealthy woman who lives with her struggling boyfriend and refuses to abort her illegitimate baby.

A scar is borne. The womb is a wonderfully warm place to tell screen stories about people who manoeuvre out of materialistic

fantasise about.

Adhyayan surrenders himself completely to the bum musician’s inner world, emerging with emotions that lie buried too deep for tears, fears and jeers. He cries openly and feelingly for his lost and redeemed dignity, he makes love to his girlfriend with the same tender look in his eyes as when he cuts a cake with his sister.

morass in redemptive rhythms.

Co-directors Raksha Mistry and Hasnain Hyderabadwala have here created a parable of pain written across the theme of a musician’s journey from rejection to victory.

Akshay’s chivalrous act

AkshayKumar’s gallant nature was revealed in London when his Housefull co-star Deepika Paudkone was laid up with a bout of malaria. He not only made sure Deepika was looked after, but also persuaded her to stay away from shooting. And while Deepika rested, alternative scenes that didn’t require her were shot.

“I’m recovering. I was bedridden for three days. And yes, I did return to the set, because I had to shoot. But I’m not sure whether it was the wisest of decisions, considering it was malaria,” said Deepika in an interview from London.

Akshay and Deepika earlier teamed up for Chandni Chowk To China, which turned out to be a box office dud. But the film’s failure hasn’t affected their friendship.

“I’m lucky to be surrounded by gallant men. Whether it’s my dad, Ranbir (Kapoor), Akshay, Shah Rukh Khan or any of my costars, so far I haven’t encountered any illbehaved men,” said Deepika whose next release is Love Aaj Kal.

Directed by Imtiaz Ali, Love Aaj Kal is set for release and Saif Ali Khan, who plays Deepika’s cynical love interest in the romantic saga, also gets high marks from the actress, though she admits they aren’t close friends.

In the movie, Saif plays a guy who doesn’t believe in romantic love, while Deepika is a die-hard romantic both in the film and in real life.

“He (Saif) also believes in love and realises it when he can’t do without the girl. So I guess there’s a romantic in all of us. It just needs to be tapped. But you need to experience that journey from disbelief to love, like I have in real life,” confided Deepika.

“I often advise people on their love life. I can always tell the difference between those who understand and don’t understand the value of true love,” she added.

Well, let’s hope you experience the romance first-hand, Deepika.

Rekha

Ois Shilpa’s diva

Sultry Shilpa Shetty and her beau Raj Kundra are supposed to be business partners, so his absence at the opening of their first spa was quite conspicuous.

“He couldn’t be here because of other business commitments,” explained Shilpa after the event.

But she didn’t seem to miss him much, as the actress spent time bonding with yesteryears actress Rekha. The ageless diva is no longer that unapproachable, as Shilpa discovered when she invited the actress to inaugurate her spa. Rekha not only agreed immediately and without a fuss, she showed up for the event on the dot.

Shilpa says Rekha has always been a source of inspiration. “She, according to me, is the perfect Bollywood diva. There’s such a mystique surrounding her. We’ve been constantly in touch to discuss many things,” she said.

But now the friendship has gone beyond sharing beauty tips to another level of

sharing confidences and philosophies of life. Apparently, after the spa was officially declared open, Rekha sent Shilpa a letter saying Shilpa is doing everything that she (Rekha) always wanted to do. “It is one of the most heart-warming moments of my life. The two of us are now very close,” said Shilpa.

A diva in the making, is our Shilpa.

OLisa is princess for Salman

Lisa Lazarus is raving about none other than our Sallu. The Miss Universe UK in 2008 makes her Bollywood debut opposite the hefty hunk in Veer, playing an English princess who falls for his charms. And

take a toll on her personal life, as her boyfriend and she broke up, unable to sustain a long-distance relationship. But Lisa is still upbeat, and looking to a promising career in Bollywood. Of course, with Katrina Kaif in her current onoff relationship status with Salman, perhaps anything’s possible.

So will Lisa replace Katrina in Salman’s personal production? Let’s wait and see.

OSonu Sood’s MJ tribute

Tributes to the king of pop are still pouring in, a month after Michael Jackson passed away. And recently, apna Punjabi munda Sonu Sood shot for a song in Bangkok for Puri Jagannath’s movie, which will be a huge tribute to Michael Jackson. It was an extensive shoot over 5 days in different locations of Bangkok. Said Sonu, “It was a great feeling to shoot for this song, which is a tribute to Michael Jackson. It reminded me of my childhood days when we used to buy his albums to learn the dance steps and even practice his moonwalk moves. This song will be very special to me always....a little thank you to Michael Jackson from me.” Sonu plays a mafia don in the movie and isn’t the audience going to be thrilled watching a bad don dance? You bet!

Actress Leela Naidu is dead

Knownas much for her roles in classics like Anuradha and The Householder as for her ageless elegance, actress Leela Naidu died in Mumbai on July 28, after a prolonged illness. She was 69. Born to an Irish mother and an Indian father, Leela Naidu was crowned Miss

played by Balraj Sahni. The film didn’t do well at the box office, but got the National Award for Best Film.

In 1962, Leela Naidu was seen in Ummeed. But it was her role in Yeh Raaste Hain Pyar Ke (1963) that got her fame and popularity. Directed by R.K. Nayyar, the movie was based on the K.M. Nanavati vs State of Maharashtra court case. She teamed up with Sunil Dutt in the movie.

In the same year, she was offered a role in the first Merchant Ivory Production The Householder, directed by James Ivory. After a guest appearance in The Guru in 1969, she bid adieu to films to marry, and later divorce, businessman Tikki Oberoi. She later tied the knot with poet Dom Moraes, her childhood sweetheart.

In 1985, she made a comeback on the silver screen as a Goan matriarch in Shyam Benegal’s Trikaal and later featured in director Pradip Krishen’s 1992 movie Electric Moon

The film industry will revere Leela Naidu’s small but significant contribution to its annals. Rest in peace.

OHollywood’s coming to Bollywood

Bollywoodactor Akshay Kumar, who recently shared screen space with international stars Sylvester Stallone, Denise Richards and Brandon Routh in Kambakkht Ishq, says he has no plans of heading to Hollywood.

“Why go to Hollywood when Hollywood is coming to Bollywood? I’m happy doing my work here as of now,” said a contented Akshay recently.

ONow that Kambakkht Ishq has registered good profits at the box office, Akshay is looking forward to his other films that include Blue, De Dana Dan and Action Replay. The versatile actor has given the industry a bit of a boost, with reasonably good takings, proving yet again that he’s still kinnng.

ORiteish’s reservations about journalists

ActorRiteish Deshmukh says he was perplexed when filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma narrated his role of an honest and sincere journalist in his media-based film Rann.

“Ramu (Varma) narrated the role to me. He said you have to play an honest, sincere and fair journalist in my film. And my first reaction was, ‘I hope this is not a fictitious

the release of the film. The sexy actress is floored by Salman’s aura and personality, and considers him one of Bollywood’s most talented actors. Salman plays the role of a nineteenth century Indian warrior, fighting against British rule in Veer, directed by Anil Sharma. Lisa is smitten by Bollywood and when the offer to act came her way, she grabbed it as the chance to star with Salman was irresistible. The mega-budget flick did

India in 1954. Vogue had also named her as one of the 10 most beautiful women in the world, along with Maharani Gayatri Devi.

She forayed into films with Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 1960 Anuradha as the bored housewife married to an idealistic doctor

Salman Khan

Leela Naidu

Riteish Deshmukh

VIRAL BHAYANI and ABHILASHA SENGUPTA bring us up-to-date on what’s hot and happening in Bollywood

Rekha

character’,” said Riteish. “I agree there are loads of people in the media today who take up issues and use the medium to bring justice, as also bring in a certain

from Saif and Deepika, Love Aaj Kal stars Rishi Kapoor and Rahul Khanna, with Neetu Singh in a guest appearance. For Kareena’s sake, fingers crossed that Love Aaj Kal is here to stay.

OThe

family stayed away. But his wife Manyata was there, as well as some of his close friends from around the world.

society, but a lot of them don’t. Facts are blown out of proportion and a lot of them survive on rumours. So I had my doubts about how real my character would be. But the experience of shooting for the film was great,” he added.

Rann also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Paresh Rawal, Rajat Kapoor, Manisha Koirala, Purab Kohli as well as Gul Panag. Now all we have to do is see if Riteish can convince us!

OSaif’s a star, says Kareena

Her recent release Kambakkht Ishq has seen the best opening of 2009 so far, but for Kareena Kapoor, its boyfriend Saif Ali Khan’s Love Aaj Kal that should break the box office. She wants the film to surpass her film’s record, and enjoy phenomenal success at the box office. “I really want Love Aaj Ka’ to break all box-office records. Yes, Kambakkht Ishq is my film but then so is Love Aaj Kal. For both Saif and me, Love Aaj Kal is a not just a prestigious project, but also something which is very close to our hearts,” said Kareena in an interview.

Love Aaj Kal

Saif’s first production venture, and the expectations are huge. “Yes, I’m aware about the huge expectations and I also know that Love Aaj Kal has turned out to be a lovely film. The good part is that the film has generated all around positive vibes and everyone expects good things from the film,” said Kareena.

With Saif playing two characters - Jai Vardhan Singh and Veer Singh (the younger version of Rishi Kapoor) - Love Aaj Kal touches upon the universal essence of love. However, there was no love lost between leading lady Deepika Padukone and Kareena, as Saif desperately lobbied to get his girlfriend Deepika’s role. Fortunately, Deepika stood her ground and Saif finally had to back off, after director Imtiaz Ali intervened. Apart

Bhatt’s

back Raj Kumar Santoshi may have moved Lahore to Hyderabad in his adaptation of the play Jis Lahore Nahin Dekhya Woh Jamiya Nahin, but filmmaker Mahesh

Bhatt is all set to shoot an entire Bollywood film - a Hindu-Muslim love story - in Pakistan’s cultural capital. The romance saga will star Pakistani singing sensation Noumad opposite an Indian girl who’s still to be finalised. The untitled film will be directed by Mohit Suri who had earlier made Awaarapan - a small portion of which was shot in Lahore.

“It is a pre-partition Titanic. It’s a story of intense love between two culturallycrossed individuals during times of abject hatred. It’s the story of a Muslim boy who saves the Hindu girl from his own people and gives up his life in protecting her,” said Bhatt in an interview. “We’re introducing a new star from Pakistan and a completely new girl from Bharat. The Pakistani boy is Noumad, a singing sensation in his country,” said the filmmaker who has worked with quite a few Pakistani artists, including actress Meera in Zeher. This would be the first Bollywood film to be shot entirely in Pakistan.

“We’ll, of course, shoot the entire film in Lahore since that’s where the film is located. We’ll be using their infrastructure and work force. The cultural secretary and the governor of Punjab have extended whole-hearted support to our film,” said Bhatt. The director feels Pakistan can become a leading location for Bollywood.

“But first we must shed this Pakphobia. It took me five years to create friendship across the border before we at Vishesh Films began to collaborate with Pakistan to make films. Such things cannot happen overnight,” said the director.

“I feel other filmmakers who shoot Pakistanlocated films in India aren’t trying hard enough. They must be more open in their interaction across the border. To touch your dreams, you need to stretch more than just your hands,” he added.

The shooting of Bhatt’s ambitious IndiaPakistan venture is set to start early next year. Let’s hope Bollywood succeeds in burying the Pak hatchet once and for all.

Sanjay Dutt: The best birthday gift

Sanjay Dutt celebrated his 50th birthday recently with an impassioned plea for his freedom. The troubled star says his only wish is to leave his chequered past behind and move ahead as a free man. At work in South Africa on his film No Problem, the unit organised a “small gettogether” for him, from which his estranged

Politician friend Amar Singh, who Sanjay describes as “my brother”, could not be make it either –he is recovering from a serious illness at Singapore. It’s very difficult to imagine Sanju Baba

O“At heart I’m still Baba. But when I look into the mirror, it’s a reality. And I do feel 50, but not old. I’ve been in the film industry for so long. Yes, it’s been a long innings. In the last 18 years, I’ve been fighting for my freedom and I feel the burden of the struggle now. I want to be free. I want to be able to walk into any consulate and get my visa. I want my passport to be with me. I want to be able to visit any country I want. Most important of all, I want the court cases to end.”

Saif-Kareena

Deepika Padukone

Sonu Sood

Dear Auntyji

I have a very serious problem – my wife! We’ve been married for 4 years, but over the last year she’s started eating so much! She eats everything she can get her hands on, junk food too! She doesn’t seem to notice and I don’t know if I should talk to her about it. It’s starting to show on her and I don’t know if I should tell her or if hints will work. I don’t know what to do anymore, except hide the food!

Caring Calorie Counter, Campsie

Dear Caring Calorie Counter

Under no circumstances should you call her fat or throw any “hints” her way – if you do, you could be next on the menu! Just because she’s starting to look like a gulab-jamun, doesn’t mean you should stop treating her with respect. OK, jokes aside – this could lead to some serious problems. Some people eat for a reason. Try to think if there are some underlying emotional problems that started this eating trend – anything happen with work, with your relationship or family that she couldn’t handle very well? Some people overeat because they can’t handle other areas of their life – talk to her about her feelings and try to get to the bottom of it. If you approach her as if you’re trying to help her deal with her feelings, as opposed to stop her from eating, then she might appreciate it more and you won’t be on the menu.

Trying to get to the root of the problem is always better than to try and stop the symptoms.

In the meantime, try to go shopping with her and get into the “good living” fad that’s going around. Cook healthy meals and don’t have unhealthy snack foods in the house. If she asks you if she looks fat in that dress she loves, don’t say “Not just that dress” – you will bleed! Be tactful and you should survive this rough patch. Good luck!

Auntyji

Dear Auntyji

I have been going out with my boyfriend for 2 years now. We’ve had a really good relationship so far, but lately there have been some problems. He loves cricket more than me; every waking moment he watches cricket or plays cricket or talks about cricket! It’s driving me crazy! Help!

Cricket widow, Parramatta

Dear Cricket Widow

I can see that he’s not bowling you over at the moment. Sorry, couldn’t help myself. You have two choices: get rid of him, or get involved. By writing to me I don’t think that you want to get rid of him, so let’s try the second option. There are two benefits by getting involved in his cricket obsession: 1. You secretly get to spend more time with him without seeming clingy and 2. He’ll owe you one. Next time the new Bollywood movie comes out and you want to see it, he’ll have to listen to you talk about Shah Rukh Khan all week long, just because you went to watch him play cricket all Saturday.

First step is to talk to him about your feelings – tell him that you want to learn more about cricket because you can see that it’s important to him. He’ll appreciate this much more than an ultimatum to spend time with you.

Then, learning more about the sport -

here’s a tip for showing interest in a boy’s hobbies: fake it until you make it. Show enthusiasm, learn a few facts and drop these lines when he’s least expecting it. Something like, “Did you know that Mark Waugh drew one stick figure on his thigh pad for every first class century he got? But he didn’t hold the record for most – that was Jack Hobbs”. Now, watch his jaw drop. Just remember that your facts should be cricket related – don’t drop the line “Lara Bingle wore the nicest dress at the Alan Border Medal awards last year” – it doesn’t count and he won’t be impressed. As you learn more about the sport, you might actually start to like it yourself. Your man will be so impressed with your knowledge that he’ll want to take you on a romantic dinner to show you off. And anyway, Ashes season only comes every two years and the World Cup every four. If all else fails, pretend that your cable TV is broken and hire a few DVDs. And hunny, remember... there are many cute boys on the cricket scene these days (I usually can’t get my eyes off Dhoni whenever he’s on TV) – it might not be such a chore to watch!

Auntyji

Dear Auntyji

Someone at my work has some serious body odour issues. He’s become the running joke of the office. Recently we’ve been working on a few projects

together and it’s very annoying having to smell him each day! How can I handle this without hurting him?

Sensitive Nose, Liverpool

Dear Sensitive Nose

I’m very happy to see that there are some sensitive and kind people left in the world. A lot of people would just say “You stink” and not worry too much about his feelings. Although solving the smell problem, it will cause a lot of self esteem issues, not to mention a strained working relationship. How you should handle this, depends a lot on Mr. Stinky’s personality. Some people would actually prefer a direct approach –telling him directly that perhaps his brand of deoderent is not strong enough. Others would feel embarrassed by this approach. If you don’t know him well enough, perhaps you could ask a friend of his how to approach him. A good friend might even offer to talk to him, instead of letting you do it.

Another good way of letting him know is by having a discussion with a girlfriend in front of him. Tell a girlfriend a story about a guy on the bus to work who smelled just awful. Then have the friend comment about it – something like “BO is a serious problem – I have BO buster in my desk drawer and during the day I spray myself, in case I have BO that I don’t know about”. This might give Mr. Stinky the idea to spray himself too, without making him feel bad about himself. However, choose your girlfriend wisely. The wrong girlfriend might start giggling and making eyes at him – this could lead to more problems, although again, might solve the smell problem.

In the end, if hints and kind gestures don’t work – for his next birthday, buy him an extra strong special medicated anti-BO busting extra big bottle of Deoderent. Any idiot will get the hint and kindness only goes so far.

Auntyji

Lakhwant Singh Khangura Master of Accounting student

‘The

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At last there is a good side to all the running around on Saturdays. Come to Tribeni for a feast reserved for the hard working. A wholesome vegetarian thali that goes on and on and on. Eat all you can for just $16.90 and tank up for the week ahead. With a full belly, there'd be no room for the Monday blues.

To book, call Tribeni on 9622 0885. And rent a good movie for the afternoon.