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

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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

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