2009-12 Sydney (1)

INDIANLINK

PUBLISHER

Pawan Luthra

EDITOR

Rajni Anand Luthra

ASSISTANT EDITORS

Usha Arvind

Sheryl Dixit

MELBOURNE

Preeti Jabbal

CONTRIBUTORS

Shivangi Ambani-Gandhi, Farzana Shakir, Ritam Mitra, Guneeta Kaur, Noel G de Souza, Sanam Sharma, Thomas E King, Priyanka Rao, Nima Menon, Minal Khona, Sanjiv Dubey, Raj Sandhu, Aparna Jacob

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Vivek Trivedi

02 9262 1766

ADVERTISING ASSISTANT

Priti Sharma

02 9279 2004

GRAPHIC DESIGN AND LAYOUT

Darren Monaghan

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

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Email: info@indianlink.com.au

Looking back - and ahead A

s 2009 draws to a close, let’s cast a look back at the year that was and assess the events that affected us as citizens of the world, as Australians, as Indians, and as Indian Australians.

In a year which saw the world slowly take its first steps out of the worst recession since 1929, India tried to assert its growing importance to the world. Among its neighbours China too emerged as a major player on the world stage, and Pakistan almost lost out to terrorism. These however seemed lost to the world amidst the cacophony of the problems in Afghanistan. Australian politicians indulged in never-ending debate about global warming, and local Indian Australians were thrust in the spotlight with issues of racism.

2010 will only see more debate on each of these issues, with new challenges thrown in. President Obama will be further tested on Afghanistan, and the pressure will be on to accomplish their mission and bring their 100,000 plus troops back home. The anti-US forces, whether in Afghanistan or Pakistan, will work hard to endure any onslaught till the announced end of this deployment. If they gain hold of Afghanistan to unleash terrorism globally, it will be disastrous for the civilised world.

India and China will also lead the world out of the global recession. With a growing population, a majority of whom are under 30, India has an edge over

I am completing my Diploma of Business? What to do?

DiD you know? Enrolment into Certificate iV or higher course is essential for students from Assessment Level 4 countries like india? if you have completed your Diploma of Business, you’d need at least a confirmation of enrollment for a course at a Cert iV level which will be combined with the eCoE for the Certificate iii course at the time of lodging an extension of a student Visa.

What are alternative pathways available to me?

By PAWAN LUTHRA

other nations thanks to its bank of trained and educated youth. Rather than being a factory to the world, or its back office, India can consolidate and increase its position in the value chain.

The world will work its way out of global downturn as it always does. The pain caused by the credit crunch will subside though mortgage stress in countries like Australia and the UK and the US will still be felt.

Australia will go to the polls in 2010 and it is almost certain that the Labor Party under Kevin Rudd will return.

Current estimates are that the Greens and Independents will gain ground from the Coalition - this does not auger well for the option of Australia selling uranium to India.

Australia’s rejection of India is astounding considering that it is trying to lead the world in working towards reducing global warming, and yet not agreeing to sell uranium to India for its growing energy needs.

Another point which will emerge after the next elections will be, where will Labor leader Kevin Rudd go from here? Will he still be around for the third term, on his 56th birthday in 2014, or will he eye something bigger on the world stage,

such as a leadership position at the United Nations? One wonders whether it is worth getting early odds from TAB on this.

For Indian students, it will be a water shed year. While more colleges will go under as they seek to meet their bills with declining revenues and stricter government regulations, the state and central governments have yet to formulate a sensible long-term strategy around the issues of education exports. Money has to be invested in this $15 billion industry in terms of a compensation scheme, an ombudsman to help the colleges and students, etc. These have yet to be articulated six months after the issue hit the headlines. Limited community consultation on these issues means that most reports from the various task forces will be big on promises but may not allow for practical solutions for students on the streets.

From a global as well as a local perspective, it certainly promises to be an exciting year, and we will continue to analyse and report on these issues.

From the team at Indian Link, I wish you all a very safe 2010: may it be a healthy and happy year for you and yours.

* Diploma of Business or Accounting > 1 year Graduate Diploma (26 Tuition weeks) (Pre Approved by CPA for Associate Membership as Accountant) = 60 Points Skill Assessment, No work experience required ($4200 x 4 instalments)

* no iELTS REQuiREMEnT FRoM inDiA

FunDS CAn BE SHown By AnyonE (including Friends & Relatives)

Requirement: year 11 with English & Maths, 24 years or less of age > Direct entry into year 12 equiv. course in Sydney or Melbourne ($10,500 - $15,000) *conditions apply

Experience warm hospitality along with traditional Indian cuisine at Curries in Surry. Chef Chander from Mumbai has got vast experience in the food industry and has worked in Sydney for the last 8 years in several five star properties. He has also worked in UK, USA, Dubai and Mumbai Open for lunch Wed to Sun & dinner 7 days.

Special buffet on 11/12/2009 for value of $25 per person & kids eat for free Our menu includes choices of 3 entree, 5 mains and 2 desserts, Jalpeno murgh tikkas, vege special hara bhara kebab, sindhi dahi Kadi, chicken shakuti, parsee dhal, dhansak rice and many more. Booking essential.

Agribusiness project to create more jobs in NSW

excess of $100 million in the first 5 years. The Riverina region would also benefit from an initial $20 million of capital purchases and project spending on items such as building, electrical equipment, utilities and services.

In September 09, a $63 million oilseed crushing and edible oils refining plant was launched officially at Wagga Wagga in NSW, to process up to 170,000 tonnes a year. Riverina Oils & Bio Energy Pty Ltd’s (ROBE) investment is one of the largest in value-added food business Australia-wide in recent years, and is being called the single largest Greenfield Indian investment in the eastern seaboard of Australia.

Melbourne based entrepreneur Mr. DD Saxena is the Managing Director and the promoter/founder of ROBE, with a significant shareholding. Mr. Saxena has worked with companies like Unilever, Ballarpur Industries (Thapar Group) and Bakrie International from Indonesia, where he was involved in establishing major agribusiness projects in Australia. The plant, at a Greenfield site on the outskirts of Wagga Wagga, is expected to be in production by November 2010.

PREETI JABBAL: How did ROBE with its strong Indian connection set up a project in regional Australia?

DD SAXENA: India is the world’s largest importer of edible oil. That makes the Indian connectivity of this project hugely important, both in terms of the investment and the export market. There have been larger investments in Australia by Indian companies, but they primarily have been acquisitions of existing businesses, particularly in the Resources sector. As the project is on a Greenfield site, we will be setting up the infrastructure like gas, water, electricity from scratch. A huge amount of time, money and effort will go into establishing the plant. This is the biggest value-added Greenfield project to date on the eastern seaboard, and shows how serious the ROBE and Indian commitment is to Australia.

PJ: What are the key elements of this project?

DDS: The company will export some of its 65,000 tonnes a year of refined vegetable oil to food industry customers in India, Japan,

and other parts of Asia, Europe and the United States. It will also produce 105,000 tonnes a year of vegetable protein meal for use in the Australian poultry, dairy and animal feed industry.

Long-term, the plant will also produce up to 75 million litres of biodiesel, converted either from refined oil or imported palm oil. As well, Mr. Agarwal’s Bhoruka Group, which is one of the major shareholders of ROBE, is keen to explore the possible use of biomass, such as the residue from Riverina vineyards and citrus orchards or Queensland sugar cane, to generate power. Bhoruka group is one of the largest private power producers in India.

PJ: Who is expected to benefit from this project, besides the shareholders?

DDS: The project has significant benefits to various constituents and has a huge multiplier effect, with the key beneficiaries being Australian farmers, especially in the Riverina region. Once the plant is up and running, we expect to spend more than $60 million a year buying raw materials and other products from the Riverina region. The other benefits include the creation of 65 direct jobs and over 500 indirect jobs in construction, transport and other sectors, as well as the export of refined vegetable oil in

PJ: What are the funding requirements of this project?

DDS: This project includes $45 million of project construction costs as well as $18 million of working capital. The equity capital of $20 million is coming mainly from India and US and the Bank Debt from State Bank of India. The revenues generated at the full oilseed crushing/refining capacity will be in excess of $125 million per annum.

PJ: Who are the main shareholders in the ROBE project?

DDS: Bangalore-based businessman S. N. Agarwal’s Bhoruka Group is a key shareholder in this project. Mr. Agarwal also chairs India’s largest trucking company, Transport Corporation of India. Also in the ROBE founding team as a strategic investor and supporter is prominent Indian business executive Ravi Uppal, who was head of Asia Pacific operations for Swiss energy infrastructure major Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) until 2007. He now heads the power division of India’s global engineering and infrastructure company, Larsen & Toubro, which has a market capitalisation of A$23 billion. In addition to ROBE’s founding

PJ: A few months into this project, what is your main hurdle?

DDS: I won’t term it as a hurdle, however our project could benefit with some more support from the Australian Government. This is especially so as the project will deliver significant benefits to the city of Wagga Wagga and Australian farmers, creating 65 direct jobs in phase one, and up to 500 indirect jobs in the construction, transport and logistics sectors. Almost 15,000 truckloads or rail container movements a year would be needed to carry 350,000 tonnes of raw materials and finished products to and from the plant in Wagga Wagga. Clearly, the project has a strong multiplier component with exporters and associated service industries benefiting. However as of now, we haven’t received much in terms of financial or operational assistance from the Federal and NSW Government.

The ROBE Project is based in the country region, it’s about jobs, it’s got a high valueadd and it’s timely. Hundred such projects should happen in future. It is a matter of pride for the Indian community that such a project is in place. It also creates an interest in similar investments from India in the future, and can be a catalyst for more development. However, the Australian and State Governments need to provide much more support and encouragement than what we have received.

DD Saxena talks to PREETI JABBAL about the strengths and hurdles of progressing a major Indian investment project in Australia

(Above) Prayer ceremony (from left) - Dr Jayant Bapat (Pandit), Abhishek Agarwal (Lotus Ventures, New York), Mr SN Agarwal (Bhoruka Group, Bangalore), Mr DD Saxena (MD & founder of ROBE Melbourne) and Mrs Indu Saxena

Ground Breaking: ceremony Mr DD Saxena with Hon Kay Hulls (MP). Looking on are Mr SN Agarwal and Hon Mayor of Wagga Wagga, Kerry Pease

Mr DD Saxena

In memoriam A

Unsolicited assault provokes anger

Sikh immigrant’s headwear (turban) was allegedly knocked off in an incident that took place in Blackburn station in Melbourne recently. Daljit Singh was changing from a bus to a train in Blackburn station when he was subjected to verbal and physical abuse by a young man of Caucasian appearance.

The incident took place in the tunnel that connects the two platforms on Blackburn station. A young man was seen with two girls, who were laughing and giggling when they saw Daljit. The girls then went ahead; however the boy allegedly hit Daljit hard and knocked his turban down. He then continued to verbally abuse Daljit and headed towards a bus that was waiting for passengers.

Daljit chased the boy and eventually caught him, and complained to the bus driver and Connex staff that were on duty. By this time a few passersby coming from the nearby Gurudwara (Sikh Temple) in Blackburn stopped to observe what was happening, and a crowd collected at the scene.

Bhupinder Singh Virdhi

26 March 1971 - 22 October 2009

The Virdi family mourn the loss of their beloved Bhupinder who passed away on 22 Oct. He was 38 years old.

Bhupinder leaves behind grief stricken parents Sardar Baldev Singh Virdhi and Nirmaljit Kaur, wife Arpit Virdhi, and children 11-yearold Jasleen and 4-year-old Tina. Also in mourning are Bhupinder’s brothers Harjit Singh (along with his wife Amrit and children Haran and Sahib) and Harinderpal Singh Virdhi.

The kind and gentle Bhupinder will remain fondly remembered forever.

Connex staff said that they were concerned that the situation may turn nasty so they kept the young man under supervision till the police arrived. Manpreet Singh who witnessed the whole incident said the police took more than 30 minutes to arrive from the Nunawading station. He claimed that the female police officer tried to threaten him with arrest, but apologized when she found out that he was a witness.

Daljit claims that the incident cannot be taken lightly, because this is the third time something like this has happened to him in a span of the two months that he has been in Australia. The other two incidents were of verbal abuse so he ignored

them, however this physical assault should not go unchecked.

Daljit claims the young man who appeared to be 18-20 years old was definitely under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and his girlfriend also joined in to defend him when he was confronted by Daljit.

The perpetrator’s girlfriend kept insisting that it was an ‘accident’ rather than an offence. And it was just a matter of ‘putting his hat back on’; however Daljit says knocking off the turban is a deeply offensive act because of the religious importance of the hair and turban among Sikhs. He said that he was even more embarrassed that the incident took place in front of his wife and child.

Daljit who hails from a village near Chandigarh, says he does not feel safe in Australian public transport anymore because all these incidents took place in and around public transport. He said that at the first opportunity he will buy a vehicle so he can avoid the ‘unsafe’ environment.

Daljit did not sustain any injuries as a result of this incident other than a headache from being hit on the head with force. The victim Daljit Singh and his witness Manpreet Singh (they are not related and had never met before this incident) were asked to give a statement in Nunawading station on another date. The Nunawading Police informed Daljit last week that charges have been laid against the perpetrator.

The mild-mannered Daljit was in a state of shock when this reporter met him. He refused to be photographed for the newspaper.

Raja Yoga Meditation

5 Dec Indian Cultural Association of UNSW (ICA UNSW) announces an introductory Talk on Meditation (Raja Yoga) by Brother John Smith, Vice President, Sri Ram Chandra Mission, Brisbane. Come along to the Quadrangle 1027, Macauley Theatre, UNSW at 5 pm. Details email unsw.ica@gmail.com

Free drawing workshop for kids

5 Dec Renowned community artist Dakshinamurthy will conduct free drawing workshop at Graveli Hall, Wentworth community and library hall, 2 Lane Street, Wentworthville, 12:30pm to 2:30pm. Register at 0421 618 490.

OLPC Gala

5 Dec An Evening of Indian Classical & Bollywood/ Bhangra Dancers + Dinner in aid of One Laptop Per Child charity program. All proceeds go to Charitable cause of helping rural kids learn with OLPC. Venue Hall EAG

18, UWS Paramatta, 7pm onwards Cost $30 pp includes vegetarian buffet. Call Sudha & Murali on 0414 892 361.

Vaastu Shastra

11 to 15 Dec Vasstu Shastra expert Dr. Raviraj Ahirrao will be visiting Australia for a series of lectures. For the Sydney leg of his tour, contact Sharad Pathak on 0412 478 171 or on 02 9837-7168. Details email info@vasturaviraj.co.in / scienceofstars@gmail.com / sharad.pathak.sydney@gmail. com

Six Serious Senior Issues

7 Dec Marrickville Council announces a seminar dealing with six of the most serious issues for seniors: Power of Attorney, Appointment of Enduring Guardian, Advance Care Directives, Donation of Organs, Funeral Issues and Wills. Come along to Level 3 Function Room at Marrickville Council’s Citizens’ Service Centre, 2-14 Fisher Street Petersham (near Petersham Station), 10am. Bookings on 02 9335 2143.

What’s On

Curries by Candlelight

13 Dec Enjoy a Christmas meal with an Indian feel, at Pennant Hills Community Centre, cnr Ramsay and Yarrarra Rds. All proceeds will be donated to Hornsby Hospital’s Koala Care Cottage. Details Pam 4733 0445 or Shalini 0410 485 522.

Indian Film Festival 2010: Short Film Competition

The Indian Film Festival 2010 is running a short film and video competition that will see the winner awarded with the IFF 2010 Best Short Film Award, an airfare to India and an internship with UTV – one of India’s leading film and television production and distribution companies. The winning film will also be screened on India’s World Movies television channel. Films must either include content related to India or be entered by an Indian-Australasian writer, director or producer. Shortlisted films will be screened at IFF 2010 in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Auckland. Films/videos can be shot on any format but must be submitted on DVD or 35mm film and must be less than 10 minutes. Entries close 15th December 2009. Details of how to enter at the festival website www.iff2010.com

Art Gallery of NSW

Garden and cosmos: The royal paintings of Jodhpur (Until 26 Jan 2010)

Art After Hours

Wednesdays 5.30pm

6 Jan Curator’s talk Jackie Menzies Head curator Asian art

13 Jan Exhibition talk Dr. Meenakshi Srinivasan Sydney

Sanskrit School

20 Jan Exhibition talk Analiese Treacy, paper conservator

AGNSW

Wednesdays 6.30pm

6 Jan Bollywood performance by Mango Dance Studio

13 Jan Sari fashion parade with Sareehaven

20 Jan Yoga demonstration and workshop with Simon Borg-Olivier FOR KIDS

Free Holiday Performances

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in January 1.30pm

Journey into cosmic realms to meet the Hindu deities with Lingalayam Each week we discover a different deity through classical and folk dance, music and stories.

5 – 7 Jan Dancing Ganesha

12 – 14 Jan Shiva the Cosmic dancer and his two consorts 19 – 21 Jan Krishna in his infinite incarnations Decorative art workshops

Monday 11 – Friday 15 January 2010

Rangoli Demonstration

23 -24 Jan 12 noon-4 pm Café Circulation Area

Watch artists from Rajasthan create a rangoli of traditional patterns and symbols from colured rice powder.

Soul to soul: Healing music and nada yoga

8, 15 and 22 Jan 9-10am

9, 16 and 23 Jan 9-10am

Indian music and chant to lift the spirit led by Nirmal Jena and friends. Join exercises in breathing and sound vibrations with vocal and instrumental accompaniment.

Garden Walk: Royal Botanic Garden Divine Landscape self-guided tour

Experience the sensuality, tranquility and beauty of the gardens, stopping at locations reminiscent of the maharaja’s palace. Download the self-guided tour from www.artgallery. new.gov.au/gardenswalk

Day-long VHP Camp for kids

9 Jan VHP Australia will be conducting a children’s day camp at the Crestwood Community Centre, Crestwood Drive, Baulkham Hills, from 9.30am to 5.00pm. Traditional Indian games, yoga, shlokas, prayers, and aspects of Hindu Dharma. Detaisl ring Akila Ramarathinam on 02 8814 7016 or visit the website www.vhp.org.au

Preeti Jabbal

Striking a balance Athletics, academics and religion

The recently concluded NSW All Schools 2009 Athletics carnival provided a platform for many budding athletes to showcase their talents and shine. Among them was 17-year-old Jayraj Singh Bhatti. The young Baulkham Hills High School student competed in shot put and discus events in the under-19 category and returned home with a silver medal in shot put and a bronze one in discus throw to adorn his shelves.

The NSW All Schools Track and Field Championships for secondary school athletes took place in the Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre in Homebush, 5-8 November. 1200 secondary school athletes from all over the state participated. The championship included athletes from all sectors of the school system including government, independent and catholic schools. The competitions were open to any athletes currently attending a NSW secondary school, between the ages of 12-19. In the absence of initial qualifying rounds or selection criteria, any entry that made it through the closing date was eligible to compete. This relaxed environment has, in the past, helped produce some of NSW’s best athletes including Matt Shirvington, Jana Rawlinson, Melinda Gainsford-Taylor and Olympians Dani Samuels and Joel Milburn. The major sponsor for this year’s event was the gradient compression performance

sports equipment, Skins.

Jayraj registered he has been playing shot put and discus since he was eight.

“My interest in these games was sparked by Manu Singh Walia - a family friend who has been competing and winning awards in these sports since he was 15, and also another friend Gurlal Singh Booni who holds the state title in shot put with a record that remains unbeaten after 20 years,” he elaborated.

Though this is the first time Jayraj has won in the NSW All Schools, he has participated before in these and other competitions at the state level. In 2007 he competed in NSW U20 in shot put and discus. He walked off with a bronze medal in shot put in the same year in U18.

Apart from these Jayraj also shares a passion for hockey - in which he was on state levels a few years ago - and karate, which has been a favoured pastime.

Jayraj who is the younger of two siblings has managed to keep a delicate balance between studies, sports and religion. He sat for the HSC this year and is now busy interviewing to secure a place in uni as a student of medicine.

He maintained, “Studies and sports are both major focuses in my life. I will keep on doing sports along with studies and will hopefully keep getting better and better.”

Jayraj’s religious devotion has also earned him the rare honour of meeting

Smash Repairs

leading Sikh priest Akal Takhat Jathedar, Sr Gurbachan Singh on his recent tour of Sydney. Jathedar Sahib was so impressed to learn of Jayraj’s achievements that he presented him with his own Siropa (honorary scarf).

On his reaction to such a great privilege Jayraj elated, “This was Jathedar Sahib’s first time in Australia and I felt such jubilation on receiving his Siropa that it has further strengthened my love for my religion.”

He went on to add that, “To find time to practice your religion in today’s society is all about time management: you have to have a strong belief and understanding of

your faith. My faith has given my life a real focus.”

“Winning the silver and bronze medals in the NSW All Schools could not have come at a better time,” says Jayraj, “It was just three days after the HSC which obviously called for double celebration with family and friends.”

His message to other youngsters striving to strike a balance between different life interests is:

“Stay focused, and believe in yourself.”

Sagacious advice Jayraj! We wish you every success.

Farzana Shakir

A cultural heritage champion

Vinod Daniel, who heads the Cultural Heritage and Science Initiatives Branch of the Australian Museum, has won the Indo-Australian Award for 2009.

He received the award at the Silver Jubilee function of the Indo-Australian Association in Chennai on November 18, 2009. Daniel is also Chairman of AusHeritage, a network of Australian cultural heritage management organisations. He was recently reappointed to the board of the Australia-India Council, by the Governor General of Australia.

The annual award is given to an individual who has contributed substantially to the bilateral relationship between Australia and India. Previous award winners include cricket legend Dennis Lillee, social worker Sr. Mary Theodore, industrialist Ravi Mammen (posthumously), and barrister Michael Lewis Abbot QC.

K. V. Matthew, President of the IndoAustralian Association noted Daniel’s extensive contribution over the past fifteen years in furthering the links between Australia and India.

Daniel said on the occasion, “This opportunity will further facilitate my interest to broaden relationships between Australia and India in a range of areas including arts and culture, sports, Australian studies, public policy etc. The Australia India Council and the board are very committed and dynamic in pursuing this and I am privileged to be part of this team.”

Daniel has been working towards forging strong Indo-Australian cultural relationships over the past decade and played an active role in repatriating 31 social and religious objects from the Australian Museum to the Government Museum, Chennai about 10 years ago.

He has also played a leading role in bringing over twenty heritage delegations from Australia

to India and in the process developing strong people-to-people linkages between heritage practitioners in the two countries.

Daniel was recently in Kerala, along with another Australian heritage management specialist to deliver a workshop organised by the Centre for Heritage Studies, Cochin. The workshop provided advice on developing management plans to minimise damage from natural and man-made disasters as well as damage from insects which is a huge problem due to Kerala’s tropical climate.

He also ran a similar workshop in December 2008 for North-East-Indian museums in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India.

“Australian and Indian heritage practitioners have been working very closely over the last decade and learning from each other in preserving our valuable past for future generations,” said Daniel.

He was also instrumental in coordinating support from AusHeritage for developing a new exhibition gallery at the Chhatrapati Shivaji (Prince of Wales) Museum in Mumbai.

“Specific assistance was with regard to environmental and conservation inputs especially related to standards, environmental conditions and air conditioning inputs,” said Daniel.

Matthew also acknowledged that through his extensive interviews in the Indian media, Daniel has raised awareness about a number of heritage conservation issues. He was also instrumental in coordinating Australian assistance for INTACH to develop a conservation charter.

The Indo-Australian Association was established in Chennai (Madras) 25 years ago for fostering friendship between peoples of

A heritage restoration project in Kerala led by Vinod Daniel of AusHeritage

India and Australia. Significant past programs, besides the annual awards include introducing Australian studies and literature in Indian Universities, hosting events for significant Australian visitors to India, including for two Australian warships, and facilitating Indian student visits to Australia. The association members include high court judges, bureaucrats, academicians and four Padma Shri award winners.

Shivangi Ambani-Gandhi

Australian and Indian heritage practitioners have been working very closely over the last decade and learning from each other in preserving our valuable past for future generations

The XX factor

Harshinder Kaur was driving in rural Punjab when she heard the cries of what seemed like a newborn child. Stopping to investigate, she and her husband found a newborn baby lying on a heap of garbage. They were just in time to save the child from being ripped apart by mongrels.

A doctor by background, Harshinder took the baby to safety and made enquiries about the mother. She was shocked at what she learned. The father of the child had apparently threatened the mother: If the fourth child is not a boy, then… In order to protect her first three children - all girlsthe mother had abandoned the baby upon its birth.

Harshinder is herself the fourth girl child in her family.

That was eleven years ago, and it tuned out to be a turning point in Harshinder’s life.

Today Dr Kaur is a consultant paediatrician at Rajindra Medical College and Hospital in Patiala (Punjab), a prominent speaker, writer and social worker, whose life is dedicated to eradicating female infanticide and foeticide.

In late November, Dr Harshinder Kaur was honoured in Australia’s Federal Parliament for her social work and for creating global awareness about female foeticide. She also received the Pride of Punjabis’ award instituted by the Punjabi Council of Australia. It was presented to her by Mr John Aquilina, Leader of the House of NSW Parliament.

These are the latest in a string of awards

she has received for her lifelong work in the field.

Talking to Indian Link, Dr Kaur explained that although mothers, when they put an end to a baby girl’s life - or abort female foetuses - appear to be the perpetrators of the attack, they are actually the victims. As a newly wed bride meets the elders of the family, she is greeted with the saying, “Doodho nahao, puto phalo” (May god give you prosperity and sons). Traditionally, the major cause of discrimination against the female child has been the preference for sons so deeply rooted in our society. In urban areas, sons are supposed to take care of aged parents. In rural areas, they are called upon to provide the income; they are the ones who do most of the work in the fields. In this way sons are looked to as a type of insurance.

Elaborating on the main reasons behind female foeticide, the doctor listed dowry, lack of support to old parents, and exploitation of women.

In one of the studies Harshinder Kaur conducted, it was found conclusively that the increase in cases of cancer among rural women was a result of the ingestion of the male sex hormone testosterone. Interestingly, the same was found to be true for the increasing number of eunuch births.

Speaking at the United Nations convention in Geneva in June this year, Harshinder Kaur called upon the world body to provide support to the many NGOs

that are working in this area. She herself has set up one such, aptly named Harsh Trust. (While ‘Harsh’ is no doubt a short form of her name, it also means ‘joy’). The Trust takes care of the educational needs of some 300 girls.

To raise funds for the program, Harshinder travels around the country and the world, raising awareness of the problem. Proceeds from the sale of her novel Bhroon Hatya: Ek Shraap (Foeticide: A Curse) have also helped considerably.

(The book is set to be a film shortly, to be produced and directed by Uzma Xina Kang, the assistant director of Jug Mundhra’s Provoked).

Knowing that her path would hardly be covered with rose petals, Dr Harshinder Kaur uses her strength of will and focus as her armour, all set to face any challenge that might come in the way of the cause that she is working for – the XX chromosome.

Guneeta Kaur

Dr Harshinder Kaur with young Punjabi girls in Sydney

Another Aussie success on India’s cricket fields

t’s every cricket fan’s worst nightmare.

In international cricket, what follows rain is if anything, even more frustrating –rain delays. Crowds, television audiences and the cricketers themselves look helplessly on as the groundstaff scurry across the sodden outfield, implementing incredibly primitive methods such as siphoning the puddles of water away with buckets, or techniques not quite so orthodox, like calling upon a helicopter to dry the outfield, as was seen in Dunedin in a Test match between the West Indies and New Zealand last year.

Gordon Withnall experienced the same problem when he was playing a round of golf at the Liverpool golf course almost 35 years ago. His ball landed in a puddle of water. His friend Tom advised him: “Come on Gordon, you’re an inventor: invent a machine to remove all these puddles!”

Gordon obliged – the next day, he approached his son Len, who had been working for Gordon’s business Kuranda Manufacturing for three years, and said “Len, get some of that perforated metal lying down the back of the shed and roll it into a cylinder”. Within three days, the first prototype was built. The principle behind its operation was similar to that in the use of rollers for the past 150 years – but none of these devices squeezed the water through the perforated cylinder into a holding tank – the invention was indeed a world first!

After making the final of the ABC television show The Inventors (which is still aired these days), Len and Gordon made use of the ensuing publicity from this program, selling about fifty small “Super Sopper” units each year to schools, councils, tennis courts and cricket clubs.

In 1979, Ian Johnson, the arena manager at the Melbourne Cricket Ground called Gordon to Melbourne to discuss inventing a new larger roller which could dry the entire MCG – and it was here that things really began to take off for the Withnalls.

They designed a new prototype for Johnson, which used two rollers. Its appearance was, according to Len, “not dissimilar to Fred Flinstone’s automobile” (although, even Fred Flinstone’s car didn’t have the advanced hydraulic drive that was to be used in this machine!). It was essential to keep the machine as light as possible, so as not to damage the hallowed turf –lightweight tubing was used in a technique still employed today. Len recalls: “That year in Melbourne it was very wet, but the MCG was always dry thanks to the Super Sopper”.

Word spread quickly – soon, all the Victorian Football League clubs purchased a “Whale” Super Sopper, the company’s largest machine, which is powered by a 25 hp petrol engine, and can simultaneously pick up and pump away a staggering 7,000 gallons (nearly 26,500 litres!) of water per hour. Because of the lightweight tube, there is only about 2 kg of pressure on the ground per square inch, so the surface is not damaged. The popularity was so widespread that Len says he’s “actually driven from Sydney to Melbourne more than fifty times delivering “Whale” machines”.

Brind, the curator of “The Oval” in London, was so impressed with the demonstration of the ‘Whale’ Super Sopper that he ordered one to take back with him to England. Consequently, Lords and Canterbury Cricket Grounds also ordered a ‘Whale’ – and these days, Lords Cricket Ground has 6 ‘Whale’ Super Soppers at the ground, with some on trailers to transport to other grounds. Cricket playing countries around the world saw the machines, and now there are at least one or two ‘Whales’ at each ground.

In 1984, a Japanese company started purchasing ‘Whales’ and the smaller manuallyoperated ‘Sandpipers’ and ‘Minnows’ from the company, in very large quantities – at one stage, the father and son team were sending six hundred ‘Sandpipers’ a year to them. About ten years later, Gordon retired and sold the factory and land, which had become a residential area. Len moved the business to Taree, on the NSW mid-north coast, and business has once again started to boom; this time it is a result of India, Australia’s fastest growing major two-way trading partner.

With the 2011 Asian Cricket World Cup in mind, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has ordered seven new machines this month in what is the biggest single order for Super Soppers by the Indian Board, bringing the total number sold in India in the last three years to an enormous 42.

Trade Minister Simon Crean has congratulated the small family business, saying the company “is

Trading between India and the company was initiated by some Indian Cricket associations a few years ago – Len says it was a “bit hard” to do business with them, and indeed like all of us, they did “like to bargain” He has been to India once and says he enjoyed the visit.

L to R: Australia's High Commissioner to India Peter Varghese, Austrade Mumbai Executive Assistant, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith, Austrade's Senior Trade Commissioner to South Asia Peter Linford, and Australian High Commission's Economic & Political Counsellor, Sarah Hooper.

35 years on from that day at the golf course, the company has now sold over 180 ‘Whale’ units worldwide, to 11 different countries. What’s the future? Len says, “Good! If you think about it, there’s over 20 million babies born in India each year... and each one of these kids will grow up to play cricket!”

Maybe we won’t need the helicopters after all...

RITAM MITRA on the latest Australian export to India

Tamil kids shine on annual day

The thirty-second annual day of Sydney Balar Malar Tamil Educational Association (SBMTEA) was celebrated in a grand manner at the Granville Town Hall. Coinciding with Children’s Day, more than 150 families gathered to enjoy a wide variety of cultural performances including dances, dramas and songs presented by Tamil school students. That Tamil is a widely and proudly spoken language in New South Wales could be clearly seen from the great fervour and enthusiasm of those who attended the event. An active member of the NSW Federation of Community Language Schools, Balar Malar is the pioneer Tamil school in Australia, started in 1977 with a vision to promote the Tamil language and culture to young children. Balar Malar is a community organisation, teaching the Tamil language through qualified volunteer teachers at schools in Ashfield, Seven

Hills, Holsworthy, Denistone East and the newly opened Quakers Hill (barely 2 weeks ago). All Balar Malar schools follow the curriculum developed by the NSW Federation of Tamil Schools.

This year’s annual day was hosted by Denistone East School, which has grown not only in strength but also in calibre, largely due to the commitment of the parent volunteer team. The afternoon’s events commenced with the customary lighting of the holy lamp, followed by welcome speeches by the children of Denistone East Balar Malar. The Balar Malar School children performed dances on modern hit songs and old Tamil songs, delighting the audience, both young and old. Dramas acted out by children emphasized the great heritage of the Tamil language and the importance of preserving its culture. Songs written and choreographed by teachers took the audience by storm, with the children

danced to their tunes. At the end of the performances, an enticing dinner was catered by Ambi’s restaurant.

After the dinner break, the chief guests Dr K Arangasamy, Maathalai Somu and NSW Federation of Language schools Education Officer Alex di Prinzio honoured the occasion by addressing the gathering. Balar Malar parents and teachers appreciated the opportunity of listening to speeches by these community leaders.

To conclude the annual day, award presentations were made to Balar Malar students for their performance and academic achievements throughout the year. The event was a huge success with parents complimenting the organisers for their efforts in providing well-managed performances and a joyful night.

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Kids

The Epping Senior Citizen’s Club had some very special visitors at their monthly meet last month. It was Children’s Day, you see.

So the Club decided to dedicate the monthly get-together to the younger members of our community.

Mira Raheja, the club president sent the word out, and many young kids consented to attend, some even choosing to perform songs and dances for the seniors. An excellent confluence between the young ones and the elders of the society was seen on the day.

The audience, consisting of the club’s members, their children and grandchildren, invitees and other supporters of the organisation, sat entranced through a variety of performances by the children, including

for seniors

a delightful lineup of Hindi and English songs, and a variety of dances. Well-known community singer Vinod Rajput had graciously helped the kids in arranging their music. (The program itself had started off with some of his bhajans).

Bollywood dances by Amita, Sonia, Mehar, Aachal and Shobhana brought the house down. Niharika’s classical dance in the Kathak style was just as impressive. Shashank’s songs, in Hindi and English, showed off his versatility.

Besides performances by the children with Indian heritage, an Irish tap dance, performed by Anya Brinka, was a refreshing change.

Children who participated on the occasion took home some wonderful prizes, presented to them by chief guest and

community leader Raj Natarajan.

In an articulate speech, Mira Raheja explained the importance of this event in Indian society and its roots with the first Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who saw children as the future of the nation.

An excellent cake was arranged for the occasion. Towards the end there were refreshments for all persons present.

Also on the occasion, an essay writing competition was conducted on the topic “Our children are our assets”. A number of interesting views on the role of the children in the society and nation building were put forward by the participants.

Consul General of India Amit Dasgupta provided a number of books to be distributed amongst the children. He himself could not come because of his

prior commitment, but sent his best wishes. Councilor Dilip Chopra (Hornsby shire) supported the event in his capacity as a representative of the local council. The event was supported by a local business Travel Hut.

In an event that put everyone in a happy frame of mind, both kids as well as seniors became aware of each other as important members of society. The variety show, similarly, showcased our community’s tendency to uphold aspects of our own culture while being immersed in that of the mainstream.

Throughout it all, the esteem with which our elders are regarded, as well as the elders’ unconditional love for the children, shone through.

Kishore Singhal

Idolsensation

Singer Arunaditya Basu will never forget his first ever stage performance. He was all but five years of age, and it was India’s Independence Day. His song, the patriotic Insaaf ki dagar pe, had earned him his first music award.

But the award didn’t matter; it was the exhilaration of it all. He was hooked for life.

There is another stage performance that Arunaditya (Arun) will hopefully not forget for a very long time. This time round, the audience was just a little bit bigger – tens of thousands, who listened to him in different cities across different continents. His numbers Yeh bandhan to, jhanak tori and Woh pehli baar had again won him a coveted award, in a rather unique contest

The dashing 29-year-old singer was announced as the winner in the final episode of Indian Link Radio’s Link Idol (ILI) 2009 series that aired on 22 Nov.

The final contest of the series, with the three finalists Arunaditya, Kshitij Bhatnagar and Gurpreet Sharma, was held on 14 Nov. Listeners’ votes came in over the following week. The final count was made on the morning of 22 Nov by Indian Link Radio’s Priti Sharma, even as the contestants gathered in the studio to put the show live on air.

ILI host Amit Grover tried his chatty best to diffuse the prevailing tension, and Arun’s face broke out in relief as Station Director Rajesh Thakur announced his name as winner.

Arun had won by a landslide – he pulled weight from a whopping 60% of Indian Link Radio listeners.

Kshitij and Gurpreet were declared second and third place winners respectively.

Arun took home a cash prize of $500. Kshitij and Gurpreet received $250 and $100 respectively.

Other than this, all three have won the opportunity to lend their voices on a new album to be produced locally by Mumbai musician Amit Diwadkar.

Arunaditya at ILI

Arun first heard about ILI from a friend Rajeev who was himself trying out. He called in for an audition, and sang the blissful Rim jhim gire saawan. He was one of 60 participants who made it through that initial round.

Being based in Canberra, Arun had not heard last year’s inaugural ILI series on the radio. But this year, he was tuning in on the internet.

Jab se tere naina… saw him through to the second round, where 30 of the singers were eliminated. From then on, it was steady progress to the Top 20, Top 17, Top 13 and then Top 6.

“By this time, the competition was tough. And the fun was beginning. Each singer was good! Everyone had the potential. I particularly admired Gurpreet, Kshitij and Pankaj for their unique styles of singing”.

“For my own part, I did my best to show versatility. I like to sing a wide variety of songs, both old and new. So I chose different singers and genres.

But the ones which suit me the most, are the high-pitch melodious songs, like Suno na, Tumhi se... I love to sing songs of Kishore Kumar, Shaan, Sonu Nigam and Shankar Mahadevan”.

Yet, he admits, after the Top 6 announcement it occurred to him for the very first time, that he actually stood a chance.

“Before this, I was simply enjoying my singing. A different challenge was set for us at each level. I gave serious thought to song selection at every stage. And then I just put my heart

RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA catches up with Indian Link Radio’s Indian Link Idol 2009

Arunaditya Basu, Indian Link Idol 2009

and soul into practice – I just wanted to sing well, more than anything else”.

When he entered the contest, he reveals, he didn’t even know what the prize was, or if there was one other than the prize in name. “It didn’t, seriously, occur to me. Looking back, I just enjoyed the moment… every moment! When I recorded the songs, and when the judges gave me feedback, I just absorbed everything in. I can confidently say now that more than the award, it was a true learning experience for me”.

And he hopes to keep learning.

“ILI has motivated me to get some professional training. I’m currently looking at taking some lessons in Hindustani classical music”.

Of course he has always been a serious student of music, for as long as he can remember. He has already performed in innumerable shows around India and in Australia, and even has an album of original songs with his best mate, Nitin Dubey. Called Udta Dhooan, it was produced by the two young musicians in Australia and mastered in the UK. It was put to sale here, in India and in the UK. (Nitin has constantly guided Arun’s musical endeavours – he helped him pick his numbers for ILI).

Arun plays the guitar and mouth organ expertly.

Arun claims his idols are Kishore Kumar and Sonu Nigam. “My all-time favourite song has to be Dil hai ke manta nahin, the most romantic song I’ve ever heard. I would love to sing for AR Rahman – he’s mastered the art of music arrangement and post-production over and above the skills of coming up with a good tune”.

When he is not singing, Arun works as a patent examiner at IP Australia. He loves playing video games and fishing.

(The Bangalore-born Bengali Babu came to Australia in 2002 as a student. He gained degrees in electronics and biomedical engineering at Monash and RMIT).

Rajesh Thakur has just finished compiling the top ten songs from the 150 that were recorded for this year’s

“Of the ten we’ve picked,” he reveals, “three are by Arun Basu. That should give you an idea of how good he is”.

Actually Rajesh claims he was so impressed by this year’s contestants that he wasn’t sure who would emerge the final winner after the top 6 were announced.

“Well, as it turns out, I wasn’t sure, but our listeners certainly were. The final tally showed a resounding win for Arun – with 60% of the votes!”

Rajesh can be forgiven for loving all the contestants equally. Having mentored them over a four-month period, he forged good relationships with each of them as he helped them pick their songs for each challenge, practiced the song with them repeatedly and then recorded them for the contest.

“Looking back, I think Arun impressed on many accounts, but I feel he has a great talent in picking the right song. Song selection was definitely the winner for him.”

And kudos to Arun for that. It shows that he understands his own skills as well as shortcomings, in terms of what will suit his style best. It also shows an innate understanding of what the audience wants to hear – absolutely essential for an entertainer.

Sydney musician Subhendu Malakar, who acted as judge along with Thakur, feels that what took Arun farther than the others was not only his song selection but also his dedication to the cause.

“Arun came across as sincere and committed from the beginning. He listened to the judges’ advice and incorporated it into his act”.

Both agree that Arun is cut out for the Shaan/KK style of singing.

For his final (impromptu) performance on ILI 2009, indeed for the final song in the show, Arun took the mike along with last year’s winner Ankita Sachdev. They sang the dreamy Tum mile, dil khile - no music, no practice. It brought the house down.

ILI 2009

This year’s contest was much tougher, Rajesh Thakur, the brain behind the series, reveals.

“Well, last year was a success, and this year we had to strive to go higher, so we made the competition tougher!”

He must be so glad he did, because twice as many participants turned up this year, and three times as many votes were cast (including some from India as well).

Contestants came from Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane, although no Brisbane singer went past the initial rounds.

“As well, we made the themes more interesting,” Rajesh notes. “See, we had to keep in mind not only the contestants but also the listeners. So this year’s talent hunt was for the overall, or complete, singer – who can sing in different styles, jiska sur-taal theek ho, expressions theek

hon (example love song bhi aur dard-bahre gaane bhi gaa sake). Hamne socha ke singers ko different genres mein check kiya jaaye – soft numbers, peppy numbers. And yet, in each round, we gave them the opportunity to be flexible. For instance, each round required them to sing three numbers: one of these was an open challenge, such as pick a song by your favourite singer, or a song that you would have loved to have sung for a particular movie”.

It turned out to be a tough but entertaining contest, one in which it was so obvious the skill levels were steadily rising. The judges eliminated singers on a weekly basis until all but six were left, and then handed them over to the voting audience.

“We attracted some very talented singers this year: Rajesh says. “Kshitij and Gurpreet were great, no doubt, but so was Jasmine Gill who lost out by a mere six votes. Priyanka Rao and Pankaj Bankoti came pretty close too”.

“Yes, they did,” Subhendu agrees, adding, “It was quite challenging for me to pass ‘judgment’ week in and week out. I tried hard to be encouraging. My sole aim was to get them to understand their shortcomings, accept them and then act to change them. Improvement is what I wanted”.

Obviously Kyle Sandilands was not a role model as Idol judge.

As an organiser of local shows with his band Unplugged, Subhendu is always motivating young singers and guiding them to greater heights, and does in his routine life what he did on ILI for four months.

It’s been a pretty arduous four months for Rajesh Thakur. After the auditioning, he worked with the singers to pick their songs and then set about finding the accompanying karaoke for each.

“Sometimes that proved to be quite a challenge. For instance, for one particular number (More saiyyan), I had to contact the original singer Shafaqat Amanat Ali. Of course he readily obliged”.

Then he would record the song. Often he would do retake after retake, to get it just right.

“I wanted the best possible quality – from the listeners’ point of view”.

Hours of editing would follow.

The result is that the recordings are all good, some pretty close to the original. They are now part of the station’s playlist. In fact, it is becoming common for listeners to ring in and request a particular song “but in Jasmine’s voice not Lata’s” or in “Arun’s voice not Kishore’s”.

And then finally, he coordinated with the hosts of the show, popular Indian Link presenters Raghu Kamath and Amit Grover.

With the anchors too this time, Rajesh sought a change. While last year’s anchor, the beautiful and captivating Vertika Sukhwal chose to concentrate on the music, this year Raghu and Amit concentrated on the singers themselves, and made them the “stars”. With their easy-going and funloving style, both hosts brought in a good splashing of hansimazaak

“I’m full of admiration for Rajesh,” Subhendu says. “He’s done a brilliant job in providing a platform for budding singers. Now how about live shows for the semifinals and finals? Get people out there to see the work you’re doing…”.

Rajesh reveals smilingly that he’s already looking into it. A unique concept – this is perhaps the only live radio and online Idol format – ILI will continue to evolve in the years to come. While the true measure of its success continues to be the unearthing of talent, and providing hours of entertainment for the listeners, the hope is that perhaps some day Indian Link Idols will move onto bigger and better things.

Subhendu says, “Many of the popular singers of our era have originated abroad… I sincerely hope that some of our own finds from contest such as these can become part of the industry in India”.

Amen to that.

Arun performs live on air

ILI 2009 finalists Arun, Gurpreet and Kshitij with Indian Link Station Director Rajesh Thakur

The winner is announced

Acceptance speech: I thank god, my mum…

(Above & below) Wife Rashmi congratulates Arun

Tum mile, dil khile: Indian Link Idol 2008 Ankita Sachdev joins Arun for an impromptu performance

Smiles all around as ILI closes for another year: Arun, Amit, Gurpreet, Ankita, Kshitij and Rajesh

India’s many faces on display at the Adelaide Festival

very late at night he sleeps and at dawn he begins again

When Australian writer, director and actor Stephen House first visited India 30 years ago, he knew he would return to the country for which he has developed an abiding love.

“I turned 21 there actually,” he says. “I loved India then, and said I would come back - and did - it just took a long time!”

House finally made his second journey to his beloved country in 2007 as part of a literature residency that he received from Asia-link. India and especially the people he met along his journey, are the subject of his new exhibition of photographs and accompanying poetry titled Northern India - Faces And Words which showed at the Oz Asia Festival in Adelaide until recently.

The journey and exhibition concentrated on Haridwar, Rishikesh, Pushkar and Varanasi. Besides their religious significance, House chose these places for “how special they were to me at that young age.”

The photographs and poetry in the exhibition are mainly portraits of the common people he encountered and befriended during his stay -- holy men, beggar boys, snake charmers and labourers.

“I was very fortunate to eat with families in their homes, to pray in temples and be part of religious celebrations and rituals, to visit special places in the hidden nooks and crannies of slums or lanes of cities and spend time with sadhus and holy men,” recollects House. “Making a really close friend and spending some very special time together was really memorable. We are in close contact now.”

House also touches upon some of the disturbing aspects of Indian society today -- poverty, begging, and especially child labour. In one of the poems he writes, the little boy sings songs to God as he sweeps the steps each day at dawn

he is always happy it seems anyway his face is like sunshine smiling wide

after sweeping he scrubs floors serves meals washes clothes works in kitchen and more and more and plenty more

“It made me look at the exploitation and abuse of children. In general India is a very child-caring and child-friendly culture, but children in poverty can be in situations to be exploited. I often worried about certain kids that I encountered… but what does one do.”

Besides his observations of the Indian society, the images and words in the exhibition also eloquently chart House’s personal transformation.

In one of the accompanying poems, House writes:

i am an island of ignorance floating alone here seeking to understand to know as they do and bit by bit i do as gentle waves of ancient belief lap upon my shore gradually eroding stubborn rocky banks constructed and sealed from my western life and way

“I was raised pretty much as an atheist, though in a caring environment with great human values,” says Stephen. “India gave me what I felt was missing in my life -- a relationship with God -- even the first time I visited as a very young man.”

“Many of my beliefs have a strong Hindu foundation -- my yoga practice and

meditation stems from Hindu philosophy. Prayer, meditation and deity worship is included in my daily yoga practice,” he says. “India and Hinduism has gradually eroded my non-belief and given me the gift of inner consciousness/God.”

In fact, his yogic practice has taken him back to India. He is just back from a stay at an ashram, the Yoga Vidya Gurukul just out of Nasik.

“As a devoted yoga practitioner I chose to take time out to train as a yoga teacher on this journey. I trained in traditional Indian Hatha Yoga. My aim was fulfilled,” he said.

He also made new writing work and new visual arts work mainly around Nasik, including a new multi-media work “particularly about a group of men that I met who hung out under a bridge - I did too.”

He is also currently writing his first novel.

“A large section of the book is set in India, which I completed this time around.”

“I was very interested in the way homosexuality exists in India. (It is) quite strong in all areas – not just the modern corners of big cities. I attended the second Mumbai Queer Azadi Zindabad, which was attended by many thousands. I did a series of images on this event and have some plans to make work for queer / gay and lesbian / multicultural events here.”

He also began a work in the ashram, which when complete, he will donate back to the ashram for their use.

Artist and Indophile Stephen House chats with SHIVANGI AMBANI-GANDHI

India gave me what I felt was missing in my lifea relationship with God

Stephen House

Shadow Shadow

Sangeeta Sandrasegar explores the issues of racism and contemporary slavery through deep, meaningful shadows, writes SHIVANGI AMBANI-GANDHI

Shadows are ephemeral, but the shadows of Sangeeta Sandrasegar’s works will linger in the mind, long after her solo exhibition at Gallery 4A closes on December 12, 2009.

Her sustained research and development of a visual language consisting of shadows led to the exhibition titled White Picket Fences in the Clear Light of Day Cast Black Lines, which comprises of one new work of the same title and some older works created between 2007 and 2009.

The cacophony of the busy Hay Street of Sydney’s Chinatown dissipates in the dark and quiet enclave that the 32-year-old artist creates in the gallery. On the upper level, White Picket Fences... consists of two groups of two-dimensional, white acrylic sculptures of a soldier’s silhouette, standing about a foot-tall on the floor. Light bulbs lay alongside to give the work a second dimension - “a second life,” says Sandrasegar - through the shadows cast on the pristine, white walls.

Within each silhouette, lay a range of seemingly disconnected images - the Buddha, the Indian deity of Krishna, Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station, idyllic landscapes from miniature paintings, hennaed palms, police squads and protesters upholding placards condemning racism. And here the narrative emerges.

Those who followed the frenetic media coverage of racial attacks on Indian students in Australia recently, will immediately identify these images of police and protesters.

Sandrasegar was in Spain as part of an Australia Council residency when the attacks were reported. The constant bombardment of images by the media seems to have left a mark on her psyche. In this work, the hysteria is recreated for the audience through the multitude of sculptures and their many shadows. “The contemporary images of the protesters and police are copied from newspaper clips that I saved at the time,” says Sandrasegar.

The viewer, drawn in, must now walk around, into and through the work, to piece together the rest of the story. “Krishna is an iconic image of India,” says Sandrasegar. This image points towards the home of the immigrants.

“The idyllic landscapes depict the loss of where you come from and the new land that you come to, but is not idyllic,” she says. “The Buddha is a symbol of contemplation and looking again. I am not being didactic or preaching, but just want to encourage viewers to think about the issues. I am not taking sides.”

The title of the work brings further layers of interpretation to the work. White picket fences, are the symbols of ideal middleclass suburbia - one that many Indian immigrants to Australia

aspire. Picketing also has the alternate reading of protests - alluding to those staged by the Indian community in Melbourne after the attacks.

The motif of Black Lines came to her after readings of Tasmania’s history, Sandrasegar told me. ‘The black lines of the title refer in part to the infamous period of conflict between European settlers and local indigenous inhabitants known as the Black War,’ Sandrasegar says in her artist statement.

During the 1820s, a human chain of male colonists -convict and free - was formed in northern Tasmania, in a failed attempt to move southwards for six weeks, pushing the Indigenous population into the Tasman Peninsula.

“This sounded like modern detention centres - these stranded spaces in Australia that they start creating,” Sandrasegar says. “Although we have apologised, how we deal with people hasn’t changed - whether those people were here first, or they are coming in now.”

Even with the storm over the Indian student issue subsiding, debates have been raging over the ‘boat people’. For Sandrasegar, herself an immigrant, this labelling of the ‘UnAustralian’ and the ‘Other’, has been a continuing area of exploration.

In the second part of the exhibition, older works displayed on the lower level, Sandrasegar gives voice to other minorities - people caught on the margins of society. Among these, are three works from the series of seven, titled The Shadow Class, depicting the myriad forms in which slavery exists today. A carpet-weaver, a sex worker and a domestic - each a silhouette of Sandrasegar cut out from felt and then embellished with mixed media - are the Shadow Class.

Unlike her usual practice of objects that cast shadows, these works of black felt are shadows themselves - the slaves are gone; only their shadows remain.

White Picket Fences in the Clear Light of Day Cast Black Lines, Gallery: Gallery 4A 181-187 Hay St , Sydney, NSW 2000 until 12 December, 2009

Shootingstars

We’ve seen her play the sweet natured girl-next-door, good-hearted middle-class conventional achchi ladki. But today, Kajol is being as haughty as ever.

“I’m the mother of this child, not you!” she yells at …. her ex-husband’s new girlfriend, we presume, since we are on the sets of the Hindi remake of Hollywood’s Stepmom.

She has excellent diction, perfect intonation, and clear and crisp expressions.

Shot is okayed almost instantly. Obviously, this is Kajol we’re talking about here. She walks off to have a sit, but still seems in character.

Er … and remains in character the whole day.

Her demeanour is very much ‘I don’t think I even want to look at you mere mortals – can you please stay out of my way’.

Haughty. Didn’t expect the diva act from this woman.

In fact, one was quite prepared to see the diva act from the other female lead, Kareena. Famous family name, the ‘sizezero’ figure (whatever that means), great career positioning, hunk of a boyfriend, and that ‘living life on my terms’ attitude – perfect diva ingredients. But here she is, dressed simply but smartly, just a touch of make-up, happily posing for photographs, chatting away with colleagues, flitting around chirpily… And when the staff call her “madam” you think it is so inappropriate, she looks no more than 20.

But then again, she’s in character too. She plays a “normal metro-centric working girl” (her own words), and reportedly costumes man Manish Malhotra had to work hard to ‘tone down’ her glamorous looks for this film.

Arjun Rampal is still sporting facial hair (a remnant of his Om Shanti Om days, maybe – some of the kids on set refer to him as ‘Mukesh’). He looks tired. It’s the heat, you think – or maybe he’s in character too – sick of the two spirited women he has to deal with on a daily basis, we presume… oh, the trials and tribulations of blended families!

Noumi, the child actor, is only nine, but he feels special already. Everyone dotes on him.

ON SET, surprisingly, it’s all cool-ascucumbers. The director Siddharth Malhotra is in control. Things seem to be moving along quite peacefully. The Australian lineproducer Anupam Sharma of Temple Films is keeping a cool eye on everything and everyone – the top brass, the unit hands, the staff – like a general coordinating a huge event. His assistants run around issuing instructions into walkie-talkies. Together they’ve seemed to have arranged for everything that could be needed.

Mealtimes are hearty (Indian as well as non-Indian food to cater to staff both from

RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA gets a peek in during the Sydney shoot of Bollywood film Stepmom

Director Siddharth Malhotra, in the check shirt in the foreground, has everything under control (To identify the stars in the background, check out the umbrellas)

India and from here), there’s sunscreens or the kids, thanda pani coming on regularly as also chai, coffee, fresh cut fruits … and giant umbrellas for the stars.

(We couldn’t resist a chuckle at the umbrellas. As the stars walked around, a dedicated umbrella-wallah walked behind them, at a respectful distance, as if they were royalty. Come on guys, can’t you carry your own umbrellas? And come to think of it, yes it’s hot, but we haven’t felt the need for umbrellas, to walk a few dozen steps at a time…!)

Anyway, overall yes, it all looked pretty orderly – where’s the so-called chaos of Bollywood? Oh but this is Karan Johar, you know, Dharma Productions… people around say in hushed tones.

Karan Johar, royalty. Yes, there’s no shortage of royalty in Bollywood. But the sheer scale of it all is staggering. Work starts and finishes in time. There are no crises – everything’s going exactly to script. It’s all good. ***

NO DOUBT Anupam had his work cut out for him. Rumours are that producer Karan Johar had made his mind up about Australia, after looking closely at the US as a location. Then he backtracked – in solidarity with the Indian students here who were being treated shamefully. Wonder what changed his mind.

Johar bought the rights of the Hollywood film Stepmom (Julia Roberts-Susan Sarandon-Ed Pollack) a few years ago and was reportedly waiting for Kajol. It is as yet untitled, but everyone has been referring to it as ‘Stepmom’.

John Abraham was approached first, but he declined, reportedly because he felt he wouldn’t have much to do in it, plus there were two bigwigs in it already.

Kareena, who claims she likes to “experiment” with her roles, apparently took on acting lessons with director Siddharth Malhotra for this role. The catty press in India had suggested this was because she wanted to upstage the other (more talented?) female lead, but perhaps she wanted to do justice to the Julia Roberts role, and perhaps also because typically, she has no hang-ups about up-skilling from time to time, like she did for her role in Omkara ***

THE DAY HAD begun early. Reporting time was 6.30am for this shoot at Sydney Uni. Kitchen had served up a sumptuous breakfast.

“This is a good place,” Noumi had announced, showing off unusual powers of observation. “The stars sit together with everyone else to eat”.

The “stars” were taken aback somewhat. Someone explain the concept of egalitarianism to a middle-class child from Mumbai.

***

IN BETWEEN TAKES, Kareena’s best friend is the mobile phone. Her new film Kurbaan is not yet three days old, and she must be keen to learn of reactions. A junior unit hand shows her a giant picture of her in this very newspaper – she takes it eagerly and reads it through, and asks why Kurbaan is not reviewed in it. (You can read it this issue Kareena, but you know by now that it is not the hit you were so sure it would be). She goes back to texting. It’s dead of night in India, Kareena – who are you calling? By the way, nice to see you’ve learnt to text discreetly, after that major boo-boo only days ago when a cameraman caught you having an SMS

tiff with your man Saif…

***

THERE SEEMS to be great camaraderie on the sets. The three leads sit around and talk, and applaud each other’s takes. The buzz is they are all going out tonight to see Kurbaan at a local Sydney theatre.

***

IN BETWEEN TAKES, Kajol talks constantly, and with an air of authority about everything.

“The restaurants in Sydney blah blah blah…”

“Sean’s Panorama blah blah blah …”

“Tetsuya’s blah blah blah …”

“Juiciest steak I’ve ever eaten, blah blah blah …”

“Roast potatoes blah blah blah …”

“Borders book store blah blah blah…”

***

IN BETWEEN TAKES, Arjun Rampal makes genial chatter. Such as about his new baby, the exclusive ‘lounge bar/ night club

LAP, at Chanakyapuri in New Delhi. “I’m keen to keep it exclusive, you know … open it to everyone and it looses its flavour. Keep it lean and people are keen”. The current challenge for entrepreneur Arjun, apparently, is who to get as the big DJ for New Year’s Eve this year. “To get the big ones you have to make sure you time it right; see, these DJs are known to say yes and then if a bigger offer comes along later, they cancel out on you…”

***

MEANWHILE, Anupam’s staff remind everyone that they can’t take photographs of the stars. “Yes I know it’s Kajol, but you know … Dharma Productions, Karan Johar….”

***

THE paani wallahs and chai wallahs are doing a sterling job on a hot day like today. They are probably providing a higher level

of service than some of the hangers-on whose contribution seems limited at best. Perhaps Karan Johar needs to look hard at the roles of these randoms who claim executive titles but seem totally superfluous.

***

THE CHILD star announces he’s bored. “There’s no one to play with”. His mum suggests he should play with some of the other kids – the ‘extras’. He goes readily, only to be reprimanded loudly by someone to ‘stop distracting the kids’. He goes away downcast. Someone else shouts out, “Let the poor kid play”. But he’s lost interest.

***

MICKEY CONTRACTOR, Bollywood’s most wanted make-up man, is on hand as well. He’s make-up royalty. His magic make-up has done wonders for some of our leading actresses. Word around the set is, he flies

business class (only make-up artist in India to do so), charges an exorbitant fee, and of course, only does one face at a time. For this movie, it is Kajol’s lucky face.

***

THE CHILDREN in the ‘extra’ roles complain repeatedly. It’s a school scene, and they are required to be the background figures walking around carrying schoolbags.

“It’s so hot in the jacket…”

“My head hurts … the hair lady did my hair so tightly”.

“Yeah mine too, and she was so rough”.

Continued on page 32

Is that Saif?

Kajol doesn’t want to be photographed

Kareena’s completely absorbed in her work

Continued from page 31

“How come Kareena gets to touch up her make-up so often – she’s just standing under the shade doing nothing, and we’re walking up and down this path in the sun …”

“When are we going home?”

*** OUTSIDE, THE PARENTS of the ‘extra’ kids, all mainstream Aussies, wait around patiently. One dad has driven in from Penrith: to make the 6.30am reporting time, he must have woken his kid up at an unearthly hour. He wants to know which one of the actors is Arjun Rampal. His Indian doctor has asked him to try and get an autograph. When he finally makes contact, Arjun obliges readily. What a champion.

***

THERE ARE PLENTY of runners around doing odd jobs. One poor thing has just got back from the shops, all huffed and puffed. She’s got what she was sent out for. One of the leading ladies has asked for cherries, strawberries, cheese, crackers and brown bread. There was some confusion about what type of cheese: no one had a clue as to whether it was cheddar, brie, camembert or any other exotic variety … but hey, this star is in Australia, land of milk and honey, so cheese has to be on the menu. “Just go get any cheese, yaar!”

Last week it was Caesar’s Salad for both ladies – with dressing on the side, please.

***

KAREENA has finished for the morning. She kicks off her sandals and asks for her chappals. The word travels down the foodchain.

“Madam ki chappal dena…”

“Madam ki chappal!”

“Madam ki chappal …”.

***

THE dal at lunch is simply delicious. It is a simple yellow dal – nothing fancy. Apparently, all of last week the caterer sent in kaali dal, and everyone was sick of it. There’s plenty of food today – all excellent.

Kajol eats by herself: thanks Noumi, for that smart-aleck comment this morning…

Kareena has asked to go to an Italian place for lunch - something “rustic”, not the bazaar type, not just limited to pizzas but good pasta.

Easy one that came to mind was Belmondo at the Rocks, with views to the Bridge and the Opera House “Oh no, you can’t keep her waiting,” the staffer says into the phone. “She’s the Julia Roberts of India. We have to have a confirmed booking”.

Perhaps Kareena had the herb and garlic gnocchi with zucchini, mushroom and roast capsicum, baby spinach and parmesan shavings. Bit of a change from the dals.

Arjun shares a table with others at lunch. He’s chatty again, talking intelligently about the production. No, the heat doesn’t bother him because the days are longer and they’ve been able to pack more work in. This means they can wind up in four weeks rather than five, saving in costs; with the AUD getting more expensive from the time they decided to shoot here, all these savings help.

At the desserts counter, there is a special dabba of Indian mithai. Apparently the company has reached a milestone in its volume of filming, and traditions demand that sweets be distributed at this point. (And also, the spot boy’s wife has just delivered a baby boy back home in India). Wonder what the main actors feel about this intake of these extra calories…

Two of the child extras are thrilled. They have just been served some ice cream by a gorgeous blonde lady ahead of them in the dessert queue. That’s Virginia Judge, the Minister for the Arts, Indophile and Bollywood freak, who has just arrived for the post-lunch filming session. She has a role in the movie. ***

DEBUTANT DIRECTOR Siddharth

Malhotra is pleasant, filled with obvious passion for his art. One of Bollywood’s new brand of directors, he has great pedigree –the legendary Premnath is his grandfather.

He has been tweeting away about how great his stars are: Kajol’s brilliant, Kareena’s a dream to direct, both are electrifying together, Arjun is perfect in his role – anyone else would have been ‘over’cast.

He’s thrilled with what Sydney has to offer from the viewpoint of natural beauty. “It was blue skies when we wanted, and overcast conditions when we wanted. The sea was perfect, and the long winding roads of Sydney were great. I also loved the up and down of the roads - something which San Franciso also offers, but happy to get it all in Sydney. The choice of the set came down to either New York or Sydney but we finally decided to go for Sydney and I’m

glad that we did. We’ve showed Sydney off - and have even used actual names like Mona Vale, Palm Beach etc”.

(Many home scenes were filmed on the northern beaches).

Siddharth laughs, “It’ll be nice to get some money back from the local government on this, they are going to get a huge promotion….”.

***

VIRGINIA JUDGE has a spring in her step as Anupam escorts her in. She shakes hands all around and tells everyone she’s very excited about her role as school principal. Apparently, she has to reprimand local students who have just called the Indian child “little brown shit”. Oh dear.

Her lines go something like “…there is no room for racism in Australia”. Funny, we’ve heard that one before somewhere…

Shabaash, you guys, very clever indeed.

Someone quipped that keeping the boys in line must be easy for a NSW minister, what with the unruly boys in Cabinet. Judge smiles wistfully.

She finishes make-up and rehearses her lines with Arjun.

The hair lady (the one who pulled the children’s hair too tight) is thrilled to bits afterwards. “Kya bhaag hai hamare,

minister ke baal kiye (What good fortune, I’ve just done a minister’s hair)”.

***

AND TO ADD to all the stardust, Saif Ali Khan flies in from Mumbai. As one half of Indian glitterati’s most-watched couple, he can’t bear to be apart from lady love Kareena. Or perhaps he’s just escaping the lukewarm reception to his latest film Kurbaan

Either way, as he makes an appearance on set, he looks pretty much like he’s in character as well (from his latest role): bandana, beard … terrorist?

He’s very interested in Kareena’s work. He sits beside the cameraman and the director, involved in every aspect of the shot: it’s almost as if he can say ‘Cut’ before the director can. But the director seems cool with it, and everything’s hunky dory.

Afterwards, he shakes hands readily with star-struck Indians who recognise him (admittedly, it’s a bit difficult today…). Yes, he’s just as suave as he’s made out to be. And yes, just as crazy about Kareena, lucky girl.

Well, if art imitates life for Virginia Judge, hopefully it will do the same for Kareena as she prepares to play ‘Stepmom’ in real life to Saif’s kids.

With inputs from various sources

Minister Virginia Judge’s Bollywood debut: Make-up; going over her lines with Siddharth Malhotra, Arjun Rampal and Anupam Sharma, and making friends with child actor Noumi

New regulations for

PREETI JABBAL gauges industry reactions

nder a new National Standard proposal, new taxi drivers in Australia will have to pass nine competency tests including English and local Geography before getting their Taxi Driver’s license. They will also need to show they know local main roads and attractions, competent use of wheelchairaccessible taxis, customer service and financial record-keeping. The proposal was agreed to by the nation’s transport ministers at the Australian Transport Council meeting in Sydney recently.

According to Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese “This is an important move forward when combined with issues that have been of concern to passengers, also of concern to the tourism industry”. These national standards will apply to all new drivers as of July 1 2010; however, it would be up to the states whether the standards could be applied retrospectively to current drivers, said Minister Albanese. Some states fear an exodus of drivers if governments retrospectively enforce the new standard particularly in Melbourne and Sydney. Considering that the taxi industry in Victoria and NSW is dominated by immigrants who may or may not have the desired language skill how welcome is the new proposal by people in the industry?

HOSNI SAMAAN

Liaison officer for Cabbie Activity and Recreation Association, Victoria Hosni is a taxi operator and driver. He operates a green top taxi (peak service taxi)

Most of the National standards agreed to, by the nation’s Transport Ministers, are already implemented in the state of Victoria - e.g. English, road Geography and Maths. How much can a new driver learn within a few days? New drivers can only become experienced drivers by hitting the road not by memorizing more maps. Perhaps the only thing needed in the taxi training courses is a tough driving test to make sure that the person behind the wheel is responsible enough to serve the public.

NITIN GUPTA

Member, Liberal Party

Nitin is a local businessman and operates under Ausindo Exim Pty Ltd. He has driven taxis in the past and is still involved with the industry as a supporter.

These new measures are a step in the right direction. But what is disappointing is that once again the Taxi Drivers have been kept out of the whole discussion/ decision making process. The Melbourne City Council led by Lord Mayor Robert Doyle and Cr Ken Ong has taken the right decision to involve taxi drivers in all taxi related meetings and discussions, and they are getting fantastic outcomes by the inputs

from taxi drivers. The State Labor Government in Victoria needs to do the same. It should involve taxi drivers in active discussions, and take inputs from them. Some taxi drivers should have been appointed as Ambassadors, rather than just the bureaucrats. State Government Funding needs to be given to VTDA and CARA so that driver welfare activities can be started. And most importantly, the driver training in Victoria should be given back to the RTO/TAFE sector. At the moment most of drivers are being trained by Service Providers, so no wonder the quality of driver training is not of very high standard. Once the training goes back to RTO/TAFE sector, I think the training standards will improve remarkably.

ARUN BADGUJAR President of the Victorian Taxi Drivers Association VTDA

Arun hails from Kolkata, India and has been driving cabs in Melbourne for many years. He is actively involved in lobbying for Taxi drivers and their safety.

I feel for those who may be disadvantaged due to these new regulations however it will do more good than harm. Currently there

are operators who run training schools and churn out new drivers within a short period of time. These regulations and focus on the taxi Industry will ensure these operators do not cut corners in the interest of making money and adhere to all safety procedures. This will ensure that there are fewer problems within the industry. The industry is rife with issues of bigger concern that need to be addressed and lack of language skills can result in further complications. Yes, it may affect some drivers adversely, yes, it may reduce the response to joining the industry to some extent however in the long run it may actually help resolve some of the problems faced by taxi drivers.

HARDEV VIRK

Hardik owns a taxi and motel business in Melbourne

The taxi industry is dominated by immigrants a lot of them who come from India do not have a problem with English however there are other nationalities that struggle with the language and that has resulted in some incidents. On one hand I think it is an over- reaction to these few incidents that have been publicly reported in the media and the Government is being too harsh. On the other hand I feel this may help alleviate public concern to some extent. It is yet to be seen how much these

Some states fear an exodus of drivers if governments retrospectively enforce the new standard

Hosni Samaan: How much can a new driver learn within a few days?

taxi drivers

Taxiwallahs on film

Raahi raatan de… travellers of the night.

A short film looking at the Indian taxi driver subculture is about to be launched this month.

Written and directed by William Head, the film offers a glimpse into the late-night world of taxi drivers at the Red Pepper Indian restaurant in Bourke St, Melbourne.

The synopsis explains the film succinctly

In the dead of the lonely night, Melbourne’s Punjabi taxi drivers meet post-shift at the Red Pepper Indian restaurant. Outsiders in a foreign land, they find solidarity and companionship by sharing the food, language, music and culture of their homeland. Night Fare follows one driver in from the cold night and into the bustle of this early-morning scene. What emerges is an impression of a lively and unknown pocket of a new culture establishing itself in the heart of the sleeping metropolis.

But the film is more than just a film. Night Fare is also an online documentary website. It includes video interviews with taxi drivers talking about life in Australia and also with Red Pepper staff. It has behind the scenes slideshows, information on the history and background of the restaurant and links to other news sources on the net. The song Dollar (by Harmeet Sing & Peter Joseph Head), which was commissioned for the film, is also available as a free download.

Check out the site at www.nightfare.com.au

The film was made as part of the coursework requirements of the graduate diploma of Documentary Production at the Victorian College of the Arts and Music, University of Melbourne.

Night Fare will be screening at Australian Centre for Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne on Thursday the 10th, Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th of December.

new regulations will help in improving the industry. In Victoria some of these competency tests are already in place so the focus should be on training instead. The public expectation from the industry has increased hence training courses should gear towards fulfilling customer service standards.

ALAN COCKS Principal, Australian College of Vocational Sciences, Sydney

As far as local geography is concerned, I think it is absolutely imperative that taxi drivers have a good knowledge. We teach our trainees about major routes and how to get from suburb to suburb. There are some 300 places of interest – hospitals, restaurants, stadiums etc that they have to know the location of. Of course, no one can know every location in Sydney, but we work to ensure that they know as many of the major ones as possible. We also go through the street directory in depth. People say you can just work with sat-nav, but you know, if someone jumps into your taxi in the CBD and you have to follow the general traffic, then you’ve got to know where to go. Also the sat-nav is a mechanical device - it can fail, or the charging cord might not

work … so a good knowledge of the roads is essential. Our trainees undertake practice drives as part of the course, and we monitor the routes they take and the time and so forth.

As far as the new English language regulations are concerned, it’s been a bone of contention with me personally. While I fully agree that the drivers have to have good English skills, I think the AMES

the seven required competencies… Look, I’ve been a taxi driver myself for 25 years – all you need to do is ascertain where the passenger wants to go, any particular way they wish to take, and when you get closer to the destination, which street, house number or whatever, and ask how the passenger will pay. You don’t really need much more than that.

A large number of our trainees come from the Indian sub-continent and their English is usually good. Yes, sometimes we get people whose English may be suspect and we warn them straight off that they may or may not pass, so that they can go and work on those skills. When they fail we give them remedial lessons on the aspects that they need more training. Overall, I’d say about 70% pass in the first go, about 95% in the second go. We’ve only had about half a dozen or so who couldn’t make it in the third go as well, and they haven’t come back. From the trainees themselves, no, we haven’t received any adverse feedback about the new regulations. If we do get lots of failures, then we’ll cast a second look at it all and take it to pieces if need be.

Alan Cocks: They’ve gone overboard with the language requirements

New National Standards for taxi drivers

Potential drivers will need to pass eight competency units before they receive their taxi license. These units are as follows:

l Use of a taxi’s communications systems;

l Skills and knowledge required to drive a taxi safely;

l Ability to operate Wheelchair Accessible Taxis;

l An understanding of occupation health and safety standards to be followed when operating a taxi;

l An ability to identify and describe local major roads, services and attractions;

l Completion of a workplace induction for the transport industry;

l Skills and knowledge to operate a taxi meter, calculate fares, handle payment transactions, and maintain accounting records;

l Provision of customer service to taxi passengers.

l As well as these new National Taxi Driver Competency Units from 1 July 2010 all new taxi drivers will need to pass an English language test.

Arun Badgujar (left), President of the Victorian Taxi Drivers Association, and Nitin Gupta, campaigner for taxi drivers, with Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle

India, Canada agree on historic n-deal INDIA AND CANADA have agreed on a civil nuclear deal that will enable New Delhi to access Canadian nuclear technology and uranium after a gap of 34 years. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the development “augurs extremely well” for the ties between the nations.

The deal is likely to be signed when Manmohan Singh goes to Canada to attend the G20 summit in June next year. The breakthrough was announced at Port of Spain after Manmohan Singh held talks with his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at this Trinidad and Tobago capital.

“We have now got an agreement which means this is a tremendous opportunity for both countries,” Harper said here while underlining that it was “a tremendous step forward” in bilateral relations.

“Canada is a supplier, obviously an integrated supplier in the nuclear energy field, and India is an expanding economy that has great energy needs,” Harper said. The nuclear agreement promises to transform bilateral ties that turned frosty ever since Ottawa cut off atomic trade after New Delhi’s 1974 nuclear test and accused the latter of misappropriating Canadian reactor designs in the test.

Harper’s visit to India earlier this month was to iron out the official differences in the conclusion of the deal that allows India access to nuclear material and technology without being a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).

Harper, however, added that it will take “a little time to complete the normal legal text and the ratification process”.

If this deal is inked, Canada will become the seventh country with which India has struck civil nuclear pacts since the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) allowed India to resume global nuclear trade in September 2008.

India has already signed bilateral civil nuclear agreements with the US, France, Russia, Kazakhstan, Namibia and Mongolia.

Lauding Harper for giving a political push to the negotiations, Manmohan Singh said: “This is a tribute to the prime minister’s great leadership and the way the civil service functions in Canada.”

“It augurs extremely well for the development of our relations,” he added. The Conservative government of Harper has, however, not released the text of the India-Canada deal, saying it would only be released when implementing legislation is tabled in parliament. The minority government will require the support of parliament members from one opposition party in order to pass the agreement.

The two sides were close to a civil nuclear deal when Harper came to New Delhi last week, but could not conclude the pact as there were lingering differences over the nature of safeguards.

“Prime Minister Harper proved to be absolutely true to his words when he told me he will have this matter looked into and that this exercise could be completed in a short period of eight to ten days,” Manmohan Singh said.

The deal will remove the last irritant in the way of stronger political, economic and strategic ties between the two countries. The two countries have declared their resolve to triple bilateral trade from around $5 billion to $15 billion in the next five years.

India logs robust 7.9 percent growth in second quarter

SIGNS OF an upturn in the Indian economy were reinforced with official data on the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) showing a 7.9 percent growth in the second quarter of this fiscal, taking the markets and experts by surprise.

The economy had registered a 6.1 percent growth in the first quarter of this fiscal and took the cumulative expansion for the first half of the current fiscal (April-September) to 7 percent, as per data released by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) recently.

The growth registered last fiscal was 6.7 percent.

The bulk of the recovery was led by a 9.2-percent growth in manufacturing, while mining and construction activities expanded by 9.5 percent 6.5 percent, respectively. But the agriculture sector continued to be a major drag with a mere 0.9-percent growth. Experts now expect the Indian economy to expand by at least 7 percent during the current fiscal as against their earlier estimated of around 6.5 percent, with Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia calling the latest data “above expectations”.

“There is also scope to revise the growth projections,” Ahluwalia said, referring to the prospect of an upward fine-tuning of the plan panel’s earlier estimate of 6.7 percent growth for the year as a whole.

The impressive growth numbers took the markets by surprise, resulting in the sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) gain 302.43 points, or 1.82 percent, over the previous close.

The sector-wise growth rates for the second quarter (first quarter in brackets) are:

* Agriculture, forestry & fishing: 0.9 percent (2.4 percent)

* Mining and quarrying: 9.5 percent (7.9

percent)

* Manufacturing: 9.2 percent (3.4 percent)

* Electricity, gas and water supply: 7.4 percent (6.2 percent)

* Construction: 6.5 percent (7.1 percent)

* Trade, hotels, transport and communications: 8.5 percent (8.1 percent)

* Financing, insurance, real estate business services: 7.7 percent (8.1 percent)

* Community, social and personal services: 12.7 percent (6.8 percent) ***

PM’s daughter Upinder wins Infosys prize for social sciences

UPINDER SINGH, 50, history professor at Delhi University who is also the second daughter of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, is the joint winner of the inaugural Infosys Prize for social sciences.

“Yes! Upinder Singh is the prime minister’s daughter. But we have not highlighted her parentage while announcing the prizes, as she has been chosen by the jury for the award on her merit and credentials,” a senior Infosys official told IANS.

The jury for social sciences, headed by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, chose Upinder for the Rs.5-million (Rs.50 lakh) prize for her contributions as an outstanding historian of ancient and early medieval India. The prize has been instituted by the Infosys Science Foundation.

Abijit Vinayak Banerjee of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the other winner of the prize in the discipline for his contributions to the economic theory of development and his pioneering work in the empirical evaluation of public policy.

“The prize will be equally shared by Upinder and Banerjee and they will get Rs.2.5 million (Rs.25 lakh) each,” the

Infosys official added.

The prime minister will present the prize to Upinder and Banerjee at an award ceremony Jan 4 in New Delhi along with a citation and a medallion.

According to the citation by the jury, Upinder has been recognised for the depth and breadth of her scholarly research, which are matched by a rare ability to communicate her findings to a broad audience of students and intellectually curious non-specialists.

“Upinder has been a pioneer in supplementing literary sources with an impressive array of archaeological, epigraphic and numismatic evidence in brilliantly reconstructing early Indian history. The vast chronological span of her scholarship stretches across millennia from the Paleolithic and Mesolithic ages to 1200 CE,” the citation said.

Noting that Upinder was able to offer an overarching and subtle interpretation of Indian history and culture, the jury said as an innovative scholar who enables her readers to re-envision the idea of India, she was an ideal recipient of the prize in history.

A history graduate from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi, Upinder went on to do M.A. and M.Phil in history from Delhi University. She obtained Ph.D at McGill University at Montreal in Canada, with a thesis on “Kings, Brahmanas and Temples in Orissa: an epigraphic study.”

The Infosys Foundation has been set up early this year with a corpus of Rs.450 million (Rs.45 crore), including Rs.210 million (Rs.21 crore) jointly contributed by Infosys’ executive board members and an annual grant by the company to promote world class research in natural and social sciences in the Indian sub-continent. ***

Pakistani journalist Najam Sethi, Editor in-chief of Pakistan’s Friday Times and Daily Times receives the Golden Pen Award from Xavier Vidal-Folch, President of the World Editors Forum (WEF) at the World Association of Newspapers conference at Hyderabad on Dec 1, 2009, as the President of India Pratibha Patil looks on. Sethi told the conference the Taliban had prevented the sale of his newspapers in areas of Pakistan under their control and had placed him on a hit-list along with three other Pakistani journalists Photo: AP

Canada fast-tracks recognition of immigrant degrees

CANADA, where a majority of new immigrants cannot find work in their chosen fields because of non-acceptance of their degrees, recently announced fast-track recognition of foreign credentials.

With the shortage of skilled professions in many professions looms, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced Monday that foreign credentials in 14 fields will now be assessed within a year. In the first phase, which begins on Dec 31 this year, foreign qualified engineers, architects, pharmacists, physiotherapists, nurses and accountants will know by December 2010 whether their credentials meet Canadian standards, Kenney said.

In the second phase, doctors, teachers and other professionals will be included in the one-year wait period starting December 2012.

Canada gets more than 250,000 new immigrants each year from around the world. Though most of these immigrants are better qualified than Canadians, they end up in low-paid jobs because of nonrecognition of their foreign credentials. At about 35,000, Indians are the second largest immigrant group to come here each year.

It is estimated that six in 10 immigrants cannot find work in their chosen profession, leading to doctors, engineers and scientists driving taxies and working in restaurants. The immigration minister said, “We want newcomers to be able to use their skills and work to their full potential. It is good for them and good for the Canadian economy.’’

Canadian Human Resources Minister Diane Finley, who was with the immigration minister at the time of Monday’s announcement, said, it was crucial that Canada attracted and retained qualified professionals for its economic future.

More than 40 percent new immigrants to Canada are estimated to be doing jobs for which they are overqualified. In fact, Toronto - Canada’s biggest city - has more qualified professionals driving cabs than any other city in the world.

Immigration experts have estimated that Canada loses more than $2 billion each year in economic terms for not using the skills of foreign qualified professionals.

Under the current exploitative, pointbased immigration system, newcomers to Canada are supposed bring a minimum amount of money per person with them. Their money runs out as new immigrants search for jobs.

Wherever they go, employers first ask them whether they have any Canadian work experience.

How can they have any Canadian experience when nobody offers them a job?

In frustration, some return to their home countries. Most resign themselves to a new life of hardship.

***

India still chases man accused of Bhopal disaster

IT IS 25 YEARS since news of a deadly gas leak in Bhopal hit world headlines.

A quarter century after the world’s worst industrial disaster killed thousands in Bhopal, India is yet to extradite the main accused, American Warren Anderson.

In a case that seems to be going nowhere, India issued a fresh arrest warrant in July this year and the Ministry of External Affairs is pursuing the matter with the US administration.

“Anderson never appeared before the court to face trial. Therefore, his extradition request was sent to the external affairs

ministry Sep 23, 1993. It was remitted back by the US on May 9, 2002, requesting us to re-examine the matter,” Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Ashwini Kumar told IANS.

“A few months later we again sent a revised extradition request along with an arrest warrant,” Kumar explained.

“A fresh arrest warrant was again issued against him in July 2009. We are pursuing his extradition matter with the US authorities through the foreign ministry. His trail has been separated from the rest of accused.”

Anderson was chief executive officer of the Union Carbide Corp (UCC), now owned by Dow Chemical Co, when tonnes of poisonous methyl-isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal on the night of Dec 2, 1984, killing over 3,500 people instantly.

Thousands were severely injured and handicapped. NGOs estimate that the death toll rose sharply to 10,000 within 72 hours and that the number now stands at over 25,000.

The Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) factory was set up in 1969. In UCIL, 50.9 percent was owned by Union Carbide Corp (UCC) and 49.1 percent by Indian investors, including public sector financial institutions.

The CBI chief said it was found during investigation that UCC was to provide safety measures to store MIC as well as its operating standards to UCIL.

“But due to inherent defects in the design of the UCIL plant, which were in the knowledge of the accused persons, MIC gas leaked, resulting in the death of (thousands of) human beings and numerous animals besides causing grievous injuries to thousands,” Kumar said.

After the disaster, a case was registered

by the Madhya Pradesh police against officials of UCIL. It was transferred to the CBI on Dec 6, 1984.

Three years later, the CBI filed its charge sheet in the court of the additional session judge in Bhopal under Indian Penal Code sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 429 (mischief by killing, poisoning, maiming animals) against Anderson and seven other people.

However, the Supreme Court later amended the charges to sections 304A (causing death by negligence), 336 (acts endangering life or personal safety of others), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by acts endangering life or personal safety of others).

Following the apex court direction, the court of the chief judicial magistrate in Bhopal framed the charges afresh.

The CBI chief said that during the trial, 178 prosecution witnesses were examined and 3,008 documents exhibited. In November 2005, the prosecution evidence was closed and statements of the accused were recorded under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

“The case is now pending at the stage of defence evidence,” he added. Nityanand Jayaraman, a social activist working for the Bhopal gas victims, said not a single accused had been sentenced so far.

“The judiciary is moving at an astonishing slow pace. All the Indian accused are out on bail and Anderson does not appear before the court. He is enjoying the government’s protection as India does not want to upset

the US,” Jayaraman told IANS.

“We keep hearing that the government is trying to extradite Anderson through the external affairs ministry. But nothing happens because of the lack of political will. Our government has separate policies for different people. They did everything to extradite mobster Abu Salem but have not moved even an inch to get Anderson,” he added.

***

Bravehearts in the fight for holocaust victims

FOR 25 YEARS, they have fought tirelessly and are not giving up yet. Staging demonstrations, lobbying with the government and filing court cases, they are the band of men and women who have waged the war for justice to the victims of the Dec 2-3, 1984 gas leak that killed more than 3,500 people instantly and maimed several thousand others for life.

Of the more than 300 voluntary organisations that sprung up, only a handful remain. Abdul Jabbar, Rashida, Rachna and Satinath Sarangi are amongst the few activists who have persisted with the cause of getting justice for those who sufferedand continue to suffer - from the world’s worst industrial disaster.

They have faced an indifferent and sometimes hostile administration, often being beaten and arrested when they protested for more compensation or pointed out corruption and misallocation of resources.

“This tragedy is living on,” says Jabbar, who is convener of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan, which has over 30,000 members.

Jabbar, 52, has been fighting for the gas leak victims since that night when poisonous methyl isocyanate rolled through the lanes of Old Bhopal from the Union Carbine plant. His father and brother died due to lung ailments caused by the gas leak and he himself has fibrosis in one lung. But none of this has stopped his activism. He has made more than 3,000 visits to Jabalpur and Delhi in connection with legal cases for the gas leak victims in the Madhya Pradesh High Court and the Supreme Court.

He still conducts weekly meeting at the Yaadgare-Shahjehani park to meet people from the affected neighbourhoods. Most are women, among them destitute widows, victims who cannot get hospital admission and the elderly who cannot fight their own compensation case.

“While minor problems are mostly solved at the individual level, for the bigger ones, we opt for the legal resort and agitations. We have held at least 500 demonstrations in the past 25 years. I am now tired and vexed, but not disappointed,” Jabbar says.

Jabbar also runs a stitching centre for widows of gas leak victims at his organisation’s office premises. Besides, there are computer classes for their children.

From a poor orthodox Muslim household to the global spotlight, Rashida Bi, 53, is another local resident who became an activist and has remained so despite her constant dependence on medicines for the last 25 years.

Rashida, president of the Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karamchari Sangh, even took her fight with Union Carbide Co and its new owner Dow Chemicals to the streets of New York, an action that won her the 2004 Goldman Environmental Prize. She had to seek employment a few months after the gas leak disaster when the

The Bachchan family in a tribute to patriarch Harivanshrai Bachchan on his 102nd birth anniversary. The book Madhushala: The House of Wine by the late poet was launched on the occasion, and family members recited their favourite poems from it.

Photo: AP Continued on page 39

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medical bills piled up.

“I went and joined a rehabilitation centre that trained 100 women in producing office stationery. Many things were not okay here and this was my schooling in fighting for the rights of the dignity of labour, for equal wages and for proper work conditions,” says Rashida.

Their cause is the same, their backgrounds different.

Rachna Dhingra, 32, was born and brought up in Delhi and moved to the US with her mother when she was 18. Graduating with a business degree from the University of Michigan in 2000, she got a job with Accenture and was assigned to work with Dow Chemicals - a dream start. But Rachna was so moved by hearing the plight of the gas leak victims that after two years, she gave up the job and moved to one of worst-affected neighbourhoods in Bhopal.

“To me, it has never been a sacrifice,” she says. “On the contrary, this work rewards me in ways that a regular job with a corporate could never have.”

Working to get more compensation for survivors, initiating efforts for clean drinking water, generating employment and mobilising local and global communities, Rachna says: “What angers me most is that even 25 years after the disaster, the government can allow people to drink contaminated water.”

Rachna is now in the Bhopal Group of Information and Action, where her mentor is Satinath Sarangi, the metallurgical engineer-turned-activist who arrived in Bhopal a day after the disaster and has stayed on to help the survivors in every way.

Better known as Sathyu, he is a founding trustee of the charitable Sambhavna Clinic for the victims.

Sathyu has been involved with relief, research and publication of studies on the ongoing health impacts on the victims.

The clinic, started in 1995, has grown into a modern facility with two general physicians, a gynaecologist and three consultants in psychiatry, ophthalmic care and pathology.

“Located in the heart of the severely affected communities, the clinic provides free medical care to the more than 18,000

chronically ill survivors and people exposed to contamination,” Sathyu says. ***

Presidency College all set to become university

Kolkata’s 192-YEAR-OLD Presidency College, which played a sterling role in the 19th century renaissance besides churning out scholars and luminaries in various walks of life till date, is now all set to be upgraded to a university.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee recently gave his written consent on upgradation of the hallowed institution of learning, which has among its alumni Swami Vivekananda, Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen, scientist Satyendranath Bose, revolutionary Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, India’s first president Rajendra Prasad and filmmaker Satyajit Ray.

Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi had given his assent earlier.

Presidency University will for the time being function as a unitary one, without any power to have any affiliate colleges. However, such powers can also be given later, sources at the chief minister’s secretariat said.

Granting of university status to the Presidency College has been a long-standing demand of the state’s academicians and intellectuals.

Founded in 1817 as Hindu College, the institution was christened Presidency College in 1855. So long, it was an affiliate of the Calcutta University. ***

Cruise liner for Indian tourists flagged off in Kerala

UNION TOURISM Minister Kumari Selja launched a cruise liner, MV Aquamarine which is targeted at Indian tourists, in Kochi recently.

The vessel is owned by the Cyprusheadquartered Louis Cruises, the fifth largest cruise operator in the world that started its Indian operations earlier this year with Kochi as its home port.

Maintaining that cruise tourism had a vast scope in the country, Selja said:

“The country’s strong domestic tourism sector and growing middle class and of course, the 7,517-km long coastline are the advantages.”

MV Aquamarine has a capacity to carry 1,200 passengers and will offer itineraries on the Kochi-Maldives-Kochi and the Kochi-Colombo-Kochi routes, in addition to a one-night high sea sailing itinerary.

Louis Cruises India managing director Oneil Khosa said the two-night, three-day itineraries to Maldives and Sri Lanka are ideal for Indians as they are not inclined towards long sailing.

Packages start from Rs.5,000 per person per day for a three-night tour package. Kerala Tourism has tied up with the company to market and promote cruise tourism from Kochi.

Kerala Tourism director M. Sivasankar said the venture would be a unique product for the Indian market, which is craving for new experiences.

“This new development will make Kochi as a cruise hub and destination,” said Sivasankar.

Kochi will be MV Aquamarine’s home port from Dec 2 to April 25, 2010.

The vessel will make the debut voyage Wednesday from Kochi to the Maldives. Around 60,000 Indian tourists are expected to cruise on MV Aquamarine this season. Besides 525 state rooms and suites, passengers will also get to enjoy world class facilities including restaurants, a swimming pool, fitness centre, massage and sauna facilities, a casino and duty free shopping.

The vessel has also been modified to include a cricket pitch -- giving Indian travellers the experience of playing the game on the high seas.

***

Delhi to sign MoU with New York Academy of Sciences

IN AN EFFORt to upgrade education and research in the field of science and technology, the Delhi government announced a decision to ink a deal with the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS).

“In view of the need of collaboration in field of science and engineering research and education, it has been decided to

sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the New York Academy of Sciences and the Delhi Knowledge Development Foundation (DKDF),” Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said recently.

“The MoU between these two parties is aimed to promote various scientific aspects in Delhi across different areas. It is likely to go a long way in helping and defining the vision of Delhi as a knowledge city,” she said.

The state cabinet also approved a draft MoU which will be signed between both the parties at the earliest.

“The identified areas of collaboration include conceptualizing a science and technology university, a pharmaceutical university, promoting a science and technology park, holding seminars on scientific subjects and exchange of professionals,” she added.

The DKDF was founded by Delhi government’s department of training and technical education in 2008.

***

Ancient Indian medicines to be patented in 5 foreign languages

MEDICINAL FORMULATIONS in the classical Indian texts of Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha are being transcribed and then would be patented in five international languages, including German and Japanese, to prevent their misappropriation, the Lok Sabha was informed recently.

In a written reply, Minister of State for Health and Family Affairs S. Gandhiselvan said: “Medicinal formulations present in classical texts of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Yoga in Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, Arabic, Persian and Tamil Languages are being transcribed in patent application in five international languages - English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese for sharing with International patent offices, including United States Patent Office and European Patent Office.”

About 6,000 to 7,000 plants are estimated to be in use in the Indian systems of medicines, the Lok Sabha was informed. He said according to a study conducted by the National Medicinal Plants Board through the Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Tradition, 960 medicinal

Continued on page 40

Celebrities from the world of entertainment and sport participate in the “Nation in Solidarity” program at New Delhi’s India Gate monument on 26 Nov 2009. The program paid tribute to those who died in the terror attacks in Mumbai a year ago.

Photo: AP

Continued from page 39

plants are in use in trade.

The minister said the department of AYUSH - or the department of Ayurveda, Yoga and naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and homoeopathy under the ministry - has established the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library in collaboration with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in the ministry of science and technology to prevent the misappropriation of traditional knowledge by multinational companies.

India’s swine flu toll is 575, over 18,000 India’s swine flu toll touched 575 Monday when two more Influenza A (H1N1) virus deaths were reported from Rajasthan, said health authorities.

Also, 191 new cases were reported in the country, taking the total number of people affected with the virus to 18,198.

With the two deaths in Rajasthan, the toll has gone up to 44 in the state. Both these deaths occurred earlier but were confirmed recently.

Maharashtra continued to top the list of states reporting the highest number of deaths. So far, 223 deaths have been recorded in the state since Aug 3 when the first fatality was recorded in Pune city. Delhi, where 4,592 people have tested positive, recorded 78 new cases Monday while 19 new cases were reported from Maharashtra.

New cases were also reported from Uttar Pradesh (20), Haryana (19), Tamil Nadu (14), Rajasthan (14), Karnataka (11), Uttarakhand (4) and Jammu and Kashmir (2).

No passports to babies of surrogate Indian mothers, apex court

THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT told the Supreme Court that babies born to surrogate Indian mothers but alien biological fathers are not entitled to Indian passports which can only be issued to citizens of the country.

The government’s submission came in a lawsuit challenging a Gujarat High Court ruling asking the central government to issue passports to twins, born to an Indian surrogate mother but German biological parents.

The government has opposed the high court ruling, contending that giving a passport would declare the children as Indian citizens.

Admitting the government’s appeal against the high court ruling, a bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi said the petition had raised several important legal issues and should be immediately disposed.

Appearing for the central government, counsel Wasim A. Qadri said the passport office was willing to issue travel documents to the children.

“But they (the German couple) are not accepting it,” Qadri told the bench, which has fixed Dec 4 for a final hearing of the matter.

In its lawsuit, the government has contended that the high court judgment has overlooked a recent Law Commission recommendation that birth certificate of a surrogate child should only contain names of the “commissioning parents”.

The government further stated that countries recognizing surrogate parenthood does not grant any rights to a surrogate mother.

“A surrogate mother cannot be one of the parents by excluding commissioning parents under the Citizenship Act of 1955,” the government told the bench.

The government wanted the court to clarify if a surrogate mother would have any parental right to a child born, even if

there is a valid enforceable agreement of surrogacy between a surrogate mother and the commissioning parents.

Jan Balaaz and his wife had moved the Gujarat High Court in February 2008 to seek passports for their twins who were born in January 2008 to a surrogate mother in the state. He had initially requested it to ask the municipal authority to issue a birth certificate identifying the surrogate mother as his children’s biological mother.

Later, during the proceedings, he disclosed that he required the document for getting a passport for his children as the civil code in Germany did not recognize a commissioning mother.

He, therefore, required a passport to facilitate the entry of his children to Germany and had no intention to continue with the citizenship.

The couple, which had came to India in December 2006 in search of a surrogate mother, had entered into an agreement with Marthabehn, according to which she lost her right over the child after delivery.

It was further stipulated that the biological parents will have legal obligation to accept the child, who would be governed by laws applicable to biological parents.

***

Tribal archers target Commonwealth Games

THE DUSKY GIRL with a fetching dimple from Ratu village near Ranchi is barely 16 - and an ace archer. Deepika Kumari, who won the gold medal in the cadet (junior) category at the World Archery Youth Championships at Ogden in the US in 2009,

is a product of the Tata Archery Academy that has produced many champions over the years.

Deepika trains for more than nine hours a day. She is preparing for the Commonwealth Games 2010 and the Asian Games thereafter at the sprawling Tata Archery Academy. The academy’s alumnus boasts of names like Dola Banerjee, the 2007 World Cup gold winner, Rahul Banerjee, the 2008 World Cup gold winner and Jayanta Talukdar, the 2006 World Cup gold winner. Its archers have won 753 national medals and 169 international medals.

“I was a little scared while competing in the US, but my coach Purnima Mahto gave me the courage. I am confident of making it to the Indian team at the Commonwealth Games as well as the Asian Games, which is scheduled soon after the Commonwealth Games,” said Deepika Kumari in an interview between her morning practice session.

Deepika’s inspiration is Arjuna awardee Jayanta Talukdar, another Tata Academy fellow, who ranked world number one in July 2009.

The academy has put together a team of four men and four women archers for selection to the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games contingents.

The Tata Archery Academy, an integral part of the Tata Steel’s sports department - one of the company’s primary Corporate Social Responsibility component - was set up in 1996 to train and promote local archers from villages in Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, where the company has its mines and industries. It later spread its wings countrywide to handpick tribal talent

for its four-year residential course.

Tata Steel was conferred the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar by the president of India in 2009 for its contribution to sports. The archery academy currently has 21 cadets between 13 and 18 years - 12 girls and nine boys - who stay at the academy, train and study in the local school. Most of them are from poor families in the villages, so the cost of their training, stay, education, equipment and exposure at different tournaments around the world is borne by the company.

“It took us a decade to hone our archers to win laurels at the international level. This region is a treasure house of archery talent because the local ethnic people have been using bow and arrows for centuries,” coach Purnima Mahto told IANS.

Located on a landscaped stretch at the mammoth GRD Tata Sports Complex in the city- the academy comprises a huge training range that offers “targets” between 30 metres to 90 metres distance - which are the Federation of International Archers’ (FITA) distance stipulation.

“Archers have to prove their aim in four distance categories - 30 metres, 50 metres, 60-70 metres and 90 metres. While for girls, the distance cap is 70 metres, for boys, it’s 90 metres,” said coach Dharmendra Tiwari. The academy also has a hostel for the cadets, two state-of-the-art gyms, a swimming pool, meditation and yoga centre and a stadium (with 40,000 seats) with a synthetic track where the archers train for “strength, agility and mind powers”.

“Besides, we also conduct regular counselling and motivation sessions, draw up special diet charts, hire foreign coaches (mostly from South Korea) and send our cadets abroad for training. The performance of each cadet is reviewed. Sometimes, we even weed out cadets if they fail to perform,” revealed Captain Amitabh, head of the Tata Steel sports department.

Foreign training helps, says national champion Atanu Das, a cadet from Kolkata, “who went to (South) Korea for training from the TAA”.

The academy has four feeder centres in the Tata Steel mines located in the tribal interiors, from where it sources local talent. “Besides, we also pick up talent from the SAIL Archery Academy in Kiriburu, the Ekalavya Academy (run by the state government at Kharsawan in East Singhbhum) and from around the states. We also have a former archery champion V.V.S.N. Rao, who advises us on strategies,” Amitabh said.

The training is gruelling. “Archers begin their day with a four-hour morning training at 8.30 a.m. followed by an afternoon session at 3 p.m. Night training begins at 6 p.m.

They practise with imported bows and the standard set of 144 arrows. It is interspersed with strength and mind training and regular studies. Education is important to help the archers communicate and improve IQ,” Purnima Mahto said.

Coach Rupesh Singh monitors the practice sessions with a laptop. He records the speed and target range of the cadets every day and maintains “flow charts of their progress”.

The academy also sets target scores for probable champions that can fetch them medals.

Said Rimil Biruly, a local archer who won a bronze in the 2009 World Cup in Turkey, “I will make it to both the Commonwealth and the Asian Games squads. I did not know anything about archery till 2004 when I joined the Jharkhand Academy Association.

I was later picked by the Tata Archery Academy which has given me edge and confidence.”

A model displays traditional Sikh wedding attire for grooms during the Mr. Singh International 2009 Turban Pride Fashion Show in Amritsar.

Photo: AP

A pledge of A pledge of

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s US visit

In a historic state visit, the first of the Obama presidency, US President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh vowed to “expand the India-US global strategic partnership for a better world”.

The two prolific leaders set an agenda in the key areas of counter terrorism cooperation, stimulating global economic revival and promoting global food security, expanding higher education cooperation, advancing public health and biomedical research and programming collaborations.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asserted that some “minor” problems relating to the India-US nuclear deal could be resolved in a couple of weeks. The US has expressed confidence that the deal would be done well before the August 2010 deadline.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrapped up his “very productive” state visit to the US with assurances of support from President Barack Obama on countering terrorism emanating from Pakistan, early completion of their landmark civil nuclear deal and allaying of concerns over Chinese role in South Asia.

State dinner

As a fitting finale, under a glowing white marquee with a glass ceiling and chandeliers, US President Barack Obama toasted Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the

lawns of the White House at the first state dinner of his presidency to celebrate the “great and growing friendship” between India and the US.

Aapka swagat hai (you are welcome),” said the dalloving Obama, in slightly accented Hindi, setting the perfect mood for Washington’s most discussed social event, symbolising romance and friendship between the world’s great democracies.

“In India, some of life’s most precious moments are often celebrated under the cover of a beautiful tent. It’s a little like (that) tonight,” Obama, who turned out in a full blacktie tux, told the Indian prime minister.

“We have incredible food, music, and are surrounded by great friends,” he said.

“It’s been said that the most beautiful thing in the universe are the starry heavens above us and the feeling of duty within us. Mr. Prime Minister, today we worked to fulfil our duty to bring our countries closer together than ever before. Under the stars, tonight we celebrate the friendship between India and the US. We celebrate the great and growing partnership between India and the US,” Obama said to ringing applause from a star-studded audience of over 320 Singh warmly reciprocated Obama’s greetings, saying he was overwhelmed by the warmth of his hospitality and the courtesy extended to them and the grace and charm of First

1 Economist Amartya Sen with his wife Emma Rothschild

2 Film-maker M Night Shyamalan with his wife Bhavna Vaswani

3 Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal with his wife Supriya

4 Neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta with his wife Rebecca Olsen Gupta

progress progress

Lady Michelle Obama.

Manmohan Singh recalled the words of Abraham Lincoln in a heart-felt tribute to the man thirty years his junior who shattered the glass ceiling to become the first AfricanAmerican president of the US. “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years,” he said quoting Lincoln.

Manmohan Singh also praised Obama for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. He said, “The coveted award was a recognition of the healing touch you have provided and the power of your idealism and vision.”

Over 300 guests arrived for the dinner, and included some of the most powerful, wealthiest and talented Indians and Americans. Actors Alfre Woodard and Blair Underwood, legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg and Indian-American auteur M. Night Shyamalan, musician

A.R. Rehman, writer Jhumpa Lahiri, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, author Thomas Friedman and new age guru Deepak Chopra were all present. The entire American establishment, including Vice-President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Obama’s trusted aides like Rahm Emmanuel and Valerie Jarrett were among those present at the power-packed gathering.

Indian billionaires Ratan Tata and Mukesh Ambani, high profile, high achieving Indian-Americans like Indra Nooyi,

CEO of Pepsi, the young and powerful Anish Goel, South Asia expert in Obama’s National Security Council, Rajat Gupta of McKinsey fame were among those who cheered as Obama pledged to take India-US ties to a new high. First Lady Michelle Obama glowed in a silversequined, strapless gold and cream gown, crafted by Indian-born US-based designer Naeem Khan. Her fabulous gown was crafted at the designer’s family workshop in India, with 40 people working to create this fashion masterpiece that combined regal style with a traditional sari-dress.

And after all the fanfare, the US Secret Service has confirmed that a couple of brazen party crashers - and wannabe reality TV stars - were at the state dinner, without ever being suspected. Michaele and Tareq Salahi were described by the Washington Post as polo-playing socialites from northern Virginia. A Secret Service checkpoint “did not follow proper procedures” to determine if the two were on the guest list for the dinner, said a Secret Service spokesman.

Sheryl Dixit, with reports from IANS Photos: AP

(Above) Gatecrashers who won their fifteen minutes of worldwide fame

60 hours of terror Grief and grit as Indians remember

Some moments are seared into the collective consciousness of the nation -- like 26/11. The utter helplessness came back to haunt us on the first anniversary of India’s most wounding terror strike, but with it was a sense of resolve as thousands prepared to gather in various cities to remember the dead and also hope for a terror-free tomorrow.

It was a day of vivid recall, of remembrances public and private, of recrimination and also resolve as India, a year later, paused in its tracks to rewind to the traumatic night in late Nov last year.

The fear and helplessness of that day was never far from the minds of Indians across the country and the world mourned the dead in India’s most wounding terror strike that had left behind scars perhaps never to be healed.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was away in the US, spoke in Washington about “remembrance and homage to all the innocent civilians and our brave men in uniform” who died in the attack.

In the national capital, parliament began with two minutes silence and a resolution in the Lok Sabha to wage a united war against terror. In Kanpur, the cricket Test between India and Sri Lanka began with a similar homage. Tributes to the brave who died - and those who survived - were held in many cities with citizens collecting at designated places holding aloft lit candles and pledging for peace.

And all thoughts were with Mumbai, India’s thriving commercial capital that was ravaged by 10 terrorists who came by boats from Pakistan on the night of Nov 26 to begin a bloody siege that ended only on the afternoon of Nov 28. Only one terrorist was caught alive, Pakistani Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, whose trial is far from complete.

As crowds gathered at every place the terrorists had left a bloody imprint - the anger was palpable. “We want Kasab to be hanged,” said a young teen outside the Gateway of India.

Thousands of commuters rushing to their offices halted to pay respects to those slaughtered in the blaze of bullets at the CST, Mumbai’s oldest and largest rail hub.

The newly created elite Force One, created on the lines of the elite National Security Guard, made its first public appearance when it marched through parts of the affected areas in Mumbai. Also on display were security forces displaying an array of sophisticated weapons, bulletproof vehicles and amphibian boats.

“We shall leave no stone unturned to protect Mumbai and its citizens,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said, as everyone - from celebrities to the man on the street - relived the trauma.

The 1.5 km wall at Marine Drive was full of messages by 5am, and thousands more came to read them.

Some moments will stay on forever - even for somebody like little ‘Goli’, or bullet, who was not even born at that time. Viju Chavan, a worker in Mumbai who was shot in the stomach, said with a smile at the oddities of fate: “I was pregnant at the time of the attack.

After that incident, people told me to name my daughter Goli. Even today, my daughter is referred to as Goli, not by her real name.” Remember but move on undeterred, the extraordinary story of Goli may epitomise the spirit in which Mumbai - and Indiaobserved the 26/11 anniversary.

The day after: A city moves on

The flurry of memorial services, blood donation camps, the moments reliving that terrible carnage a year ago, were all done. On 27 Nov, Mumbai was its usual self, buzzing with activity and a confidence that no terror attack can quell. Most students returned to their colleges, and workers were back to their routine schedules.

At the sites that were attacked in the 26/11 carnage last year - Taj Hotel, Chabad House, Leopold Cafe, Chhatrapati Shivaji railway terminus, Oberoi Hotel and Cama Hospitalit was back to work the day after.

At the Leopold Cafe, one of the first sites to be attacked by the terrorists, a candle-light memorial service and a musical program were held on on the 26th. But, the next day, it was business as usual. The regulars were back for their coffees, snacks and banter at their all-time old favourite.

For Eliran Russo, a member of the Chabad House and a close friend of the Rabbi couple who were killed last year by the terrorists, the memorial service at the Jewish centre was especially painful.

“Yesterday was our way of showing the world that we are here in Mumbai - to stay. The memorial service was broadcast live on Jewish TV and at all the Chabad centres around the world. On Friday, we are planning a quiet, private memorial supper with the family of Rabbi Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg.”

Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and union minister Shashi Tharoor were in attendance at the Chabad House for the memorial service. It was attended by other members of the Chabad House, the Mumbai Jewish community and several people who flew in from abroad.

Bharat Kapoor donated blood at the Hinduja Hospital as a tribute to the victims. “Instead of lighting a candle, donating blood is my way of showing I care. I made it a point to mark my tribute.”

Meanwhile, the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower is ready to focus on the times ahead.

“Yesterday was a very solemn and dignified memorial service where Ratan Tata unveiled the new memorial. A staff interaction was held at the banquet room, to which only members of the staff, their families and the Consulate Generals were invited,” Nikhita Palat, public relations manager of the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel, told IANS. “At the Taj, we’re always looking forward, and our focus is to concentrate on the revival of the hotel,” she added.

Among the restaurants, the Golden Dragon was re-opened to patrons on the eve of the 26/11 anniversary (Nov 25), while the Harbour Bar and Wasabi are scheduled to open on Dec 2.

virtually laid siege to the city.

“It was overwhelming to remember the tragedy which struck this place a year ago. We were all glued to our television sets at this time last year and the gory battle between the terrorists and security forces went on for a full 60 hours,” Priya said with a shudder.

A regular visitor to the Taj, Manisha Bulchandani also made a special effort to pay her respects at the hotel. “It was heartening to see the security force in all its strength in Mumbai Thursday. As citizens, we should stop complaining and appreciate our police force, who are often on their toes round-theclock when required,” she said.

The 26/11 terror attack left 166 people dead and 244 people injured.

***

London charity raises Rs.1.15 crore for 26/11 victims

Over Rs.1.15 crore ($246,000) were raised in aid of the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai

The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower is ready to focus on the times ahead. Its Golden Dragon restaurant was reopened to patrons on the eve of the 2611 anniversary, while Harbour Bar and Wasabi are scheduled to reopen on Dec 2

Graffiti on Mumbai’s Marine Drive depicting the Taj Hotel, which was the worst hit during the 26-11 strike

Photo:IANS

Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg, father of Rivka Holtzberg who was killed in the Mumbai terror attacks, looks at the bullet infested walls of Nariman House, the Jewish centre, on Nov. 26, 2009. Rivka and her husband Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg ran the centre for the Orthodox Chabad Lubavitch movement. Their two-year-old son Moshe survived.

of 166 innocent civilians, including two Canadians.’’

He said, “Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and with the survivors of this terrible tragedy.

He said, “Canada has designated June 23 as the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism which aims to denounce terrorism and honour the memory of its victims such as those who lost their lives in the deadly attacks in Mumbai.’’ Various Indo-Canadian cultural and business organizations also remembered the Mumbai victims. The Indo-Canada Chamber Commerce (ICCC) held a commemoration meeting to pay tributes to the victims. Various temples in the city also held candlelight vigils and prayers in the evening for the victims.

Gujarati business Hemant Shah, who has played a key role in promoting business ties between India and Canada, said, “All my Canadian business friends and bureaucrats called me this morning to express their condolences for the Mumbai victims.’’ He said, “I am watching Indian TV networks right now, and I am overwhelmed by the unity displayed by Indians. I am proud that India today is united like never before.’’

With its blood, terror, valour, 26/11 spawned books, movies

Blood and gore, fear, good versus evil, acts of valour, moving tales of survivors, grief, a dash of high society... 26/11, perhaps more than any other single event in India’s recent history, had all that it takes to spawn books and movies.

“26/11-Mumbai Under Terror”; “Nariman House”; “26/11 @ Mumbai Operation”; “The Fidayeen”; “Dahshat Ka Halla”; “Shootout at Taj”; “Shootout at Oberoi”; “Shootout at CST”.

A group of 20 school kids has already shot a film titled MH (Muslim, Hindu) 26/11Mumbai Under Attack, which was premiered early this year. Made by children aged between 11 and 14, the film highlighted how the images of the attacks - that were shown live by the media - affected children. The project had been funded and supported by the Ryan Foundation.

Plenty of books have already hit the shelves.

So far the books in English already include: Who Killed Karkare? (by S.M. Mushrif, ex-Inspector-General of Police, Maharashtra); 26/11 - Mumbai Attacked (Edited by Harinder Baweja, Roli Books); 26/11 The Attack On Mumbai (Introduced by Vir Sanghvi, Penguin Books); War Zone Mumbai (Mrityunjay Bose, Pentagon Press).

There are more: Investigating The Mumbai Conspiracy (by Wilson John and Vishwas, Pentagon Press); Mumbai Under Siege (by Nikhil Dixit, Jaico Publishing House); Mumbai 26/11 - A Day of Infamy (by B. Raman, Lancer Publishers); Piercing The Heart - Unheard Voices of 26/11 (by Simran Sodhi, Rupa & Co).

There are books in Hindi and Marathi as well. While Dahshat Ke 60 Ghante - 26/11 and Aankhon Dekhi are in Hindi, Jitendra Dixit’s 26/11: Woh 59 Ghante is in both Hindi and Marathi.

Virginia varsity runs serial blog on 26/11

“Sixty Hours of Terror: Ten Gunmen, Ten Minutes”, a serial blog covering the Nov 26 terror strike in Mumbai, began running on a Virginia University website to mark the first anniversary of the worst terror attack in India.

terror attacks at a charity event in London attended by Bollywood stars and members of British royalty. The event was organised by DVK Foundation whose founder Deepak Kuntawala was one of the survivors of the attack on the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel.

A press release issued by the organisers said that the function held at the Royal Kensington Palace was attended by members of the British royalty and celebrities from India and Britain.

“More than Rs.1.15 crores were collected during the event, which was hosted by the acclaimed Indian film and television actor Kabir Bedi and his actress-daughter Pooja Bedi,” said a press release.

The money was raised through the fundraising dinner and auction, which was conducted by actor Boman Irani.

The items on auction included a weekend on the luxury yacht which went for 11,000 pounds to British musician Newton Faulkner.

Another item on the list was a ticket to the movie premier of Avatar with Hollywood actress Sigourney Weaver, which went for 10,000 pounds.

“The event is an affirmation of the human spirit that rises above dark tragedy and

reaches for the light of compassion,” Kabir Bedi was quoted as saying in the press release.

Besides, a poetry tribute to the victims of Mumbai terror attacks by film director Shekhar Kapur and a musical performance of Phantom of the Opera were some of the attractions of the night. ***

Candlelight vigils, prayers for Mumbai victims in Canada

Canadians joined the million-strong Indian community in their country to pay tributes to the victims of Mumbai. Candlelight vigils were held at temples and commemoration ceremonies organised in Toronto and elsewhere.

Deepak Obhrai, who as parliamentary secretary is the highest-ranking IndoCanadian in the current government, paid rich tributes to the victims of India’s worst terror attack. Speaking in the Canadian parliament in Ottawa, Obhrai said, “Today Canada remembers the victims of last year’s deadly attacks in Mumbai. A year ago, cowardly terrorist attacks took the lives

A year on, while over a dozen books on the Mumbai terror attacks have been penned, Bollywood has registered over two dozen film titles, besides several documentaries and short films.

In one of the most acclaimed projects, megastar Amitabh Bachchan featured in a documentary on the subject. For this India TV venture, he recorded a poem from his father Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s works that talks of building our nest again with fortitude and pride.

Several private documentary filmmakers are making short films on the terror attacks and international news networks and television channels are also doing special programs, commemorative series and shows.

Actor-politician Vinod Khanna plays an important role in a Star Plus telefilm on 26/11, titled Unn Hazaroon Ke Naam

“I play a father whose son and daughter-inlaw get shot at CST but his grandson escapes miraculously. The movie is about people who lost their near and dear ones in the siege,” Vinod told IANS.

Nearly 30 movie titles have been registered with Bollywood’s two producers’ associations IMPPA and AMPTPP. These include “Total 10”; “26/11 Taj”; “Operation 5-Star Mumbai”; “Bird’s Point of View: Taj Terror”; “Mission Taj”;

The four-part blog by Virginia University alumnus Jason Motlagh, a multimedia journalist who covers conflicts around South Asia, on Virginia Quarterly Review (VQR) website ran all day on 26 Nov this year Motlagh made multiple trips to Mumbai, interviewed survivors, pored over pages and pages of police records, reports in the Indian media and transcripts of intercepted phone communications between the gunmen and their handlers, and watched video from closed-circuit security cameras, VQR said.

The online report is more than 19,000 words long and features 24 unpublished photographs of the attacks and aftermath. Motlagh’s work fills in the absence of “a single, thorough accounting of what exactly had happened on those fateful days”, editor Ted Genoways writes in the introduction. Genoways said publishing Motlagh’s “amazing piece of original journalism” was a milestone for VQR

“We soon hit upon the idea of something that would be closer to literary non-fiction than traditional journalism - or even ‘new journalism’. This would not be the story of Jason’s journey in the wake of disaster, but a straightforward narrative of what happened in Mumbai,” Genoways said.

The first instalment recounts the attacks at five sites in the city and describes the Lashkar-e-Taeba (LeT) or the “Army of the Pure” behind these and other fatal incidents where dozens of people have been killed and hundreds injured.

IANS

Photo:AP

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Festivals in Oct/Nov 2009

October

Aswin Purnima - 4th Oct

Karva Chouth – 7th October

Dhanteras - 15th Oct

Deepavali, Kartik Sankrant – 17th Oct

Bhaidooj - 19th Oct

Annakut – Gujarati New Year – 18th Oct

Vishwakarma Puja - 20th Oct

Chhat Puja - 24th and 25th Oct

Tulsi Vivah – 30th Oct

November

Guru Nanak Jayanti 2nd Nov

Kartik Poornima 2nd Nov

Sankrant 16th Nov

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An American’s journey in the footsteps of a Hindi novelist

He sits on a chowki (wooden bed) with the villagers in Aurari, dressed in a lungi and banian (vest), totally at home in the surroundings.

But Ian Woolford has travelled far, from a university in the US to a dusty village in Bihar to research Indian rural life inspired by the writings of Hindi novelist Phanishwar Nath Renu.

Woolford, an American researcher, has been doing research on Renu’s villageAurari near Farbesganj in Arari district - to present a picture of village life, folk songs and traditions before the world, particularly to people in the US and Britain.

Woolford, 30, a PhD student from the University of Texas, has already spent nearly six months in Aurari village in the last four years to understand village life.

“Renu’s writing is unique as it mainly focuses on village life. The folk songs mentioned in his writings are still alive in his village,” said Woolford, sitting on a chowki along with villagers and family members of the famed writer.

Renu is the author of several novels including Maila Anchal on which the 1966 awardwinning film Teesri Kasam starring Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rahman was based. Maila Anchal was Renu’s first novel. It depicted life of the people of Bihar, especially the backward classes.

Woolford is happy that his hard work has paid off as he has been appointed a lecturer in the University of Texas.

“I was informed by my wife that the University of Texas has appointed me lecturer in July,” Woolford revealed.

He would dress like any other villager, in cotton lungi and vest. He recalled that it was around five years ago when the folk songs in Renu’s writings impressed him so much that he came to the village.

“I reached Renu’s village without knowing anyone but what surprised me was the warm welcome, friendly help I received here that changed me forever and I decided to research on Indian village life in the backdrop of the village,” Woolford said.

“Till now, very little has been written in English about Renu’s village and his writing. I am doing research and writing my thesis in English. It will help others to know about Renu’s writings,” he said. He has already completed more than 60 percent of his research work.

“Renu’s village attracts me like no other place. I am proud to say that it is my second home and the villagers are my second family,” he said.

Woolford has visited Renu’s village six times for research work but admitted that it is not easy for him to visit so often because of his family back in the US.

Woolford plans to teach students in the

The voice of rural India

Phanishwar Nath ‘Renu’ (March 4, 1921 – April 11, 1977) was one of the most successful and influential writers of modern Hindi literature in the postPremchand era. His 1954 book Maila Anchal is regarded as the most significant Hindi novel after Premchand’s Godaan

He was honoured with the Padma Shri award by the Government of India for this novel. This novel mainly depicts the contemporary social life of the people who are poor and backward. It is considered to be one of the finest novels ever written in Hindi literature. It depicts the landscape of Bihar, the division of society on the basis of caste, Indian struggle of independence, and the true face of rural India. It ushered in a new era in Hindi literature by radically changing the structure and narrative style of writing.

Phanishwar Nath ‘Renu’ is most known for promoting the voice of the contemporary rural India through the genre of Aanchalik Upanyas (Regional Story), and is placed amongst the pioneering Hindi writers who brought regional voices into the mainstream Hindi literature.

Renu’s writings had an intimate feeling with the reader, which he developed by using the local flavour of the language instead of Khari Boli

His short story Maare Gaye Gulfam was adapted into a film Teesri Kasam by Basu Bhattacharya (produced by the poet-lyricist Shailendra) in 1966 for which he also wrote the dialogues. Later his short story Panchlight (Petromax) was made into a TV short film. Other books written by him include Parti Parikatha, Juloos, Deerghtapa, Kitne Chaurahe and Paltu Babu Road.

US about Indian village life.

“I am working on the syllabus of a new course - Indian village life - in the department of Asian Studies in the University of Texas,” he said. Woolford, however, felt that poverty in rural India is a matter of concern.

“Poverty and the lack of education sadden me. Things have changed in Renu’s village in the last two decades. Now girls are joining schools, awareness has increased about health and sanitation,” he said.

Imran Khan

Renu’s village attracts me like no other place. I am proud to say that it is my second home and the villagers are my second family

C.A.R.S. DRIVING SCHOOL

Is India “alarmingly hungry”?

and Chad. For this study on India the calorie intake was placed at 1,632 kcals per person.

The IFRI (International Food Policy Research Institute) in its 2008 and 2009 reports classifies India as being “alarmingly hungry” on the basis of its “Global Hunger Index”.

Why use the word “hunger” rather than “malnutrition”? GHI is calculated on the basis of nutrition.

“Hunger” indicates famine such as what Ethiopia suffered many years ago and which occasionally surfaces in subSaharan Africa. There was a great famine in India in Bengal during British times in 1943 when an estimated 3 million people perished. Thankfully, that is certainly not the situation now. The earlier great famine in India in 1877 was well documented by harrowing pictures in the British press. India, says the GHI (Global Hunger Index) 2009 report, had 21% of its population undernourished (24% in 1990), 43.5% of its children underweight (59.5% in 1990), and an under-five mortality rate of 7.2% (11.7% in 1990). Its GHI is 23.9 (31.7 in 1990). The WFP (World Food Program) website jerks India’s under-nourishment to 35%, allotting US$33.8 million to help 2 million people which is a small figure considering India’s current resources.

India ranks 65 in its GHI, behind Pakistan at 58, Nepal at 55 and Sri Lanka at 35. Sudan, with a very distressing refugee situation and great food shortages ranks ahead of India and Pakistan!

ActionAid, a non-governmental organisation, increases the hype reporting that 47% of India’s children are malnourished, ranking behind Bangladesh and Nepal (Indian Link, October-2 2009). How does one reach such a conclusion about hundreds of millions of children? What sampling was done to reach this alarming conclusion? The Food & Agricultural Organisation (FAO) calculated that of the entire Indian population 21% were undernourished during the period 2003-2005 which was an improvement from 24% for 1990-1992. Does ActionAid know better?

Calorie intake is used as an indicator of nourishment levels. The above study acknowledges that different levels are used in India for different purposes; for poverty levels, the Indian Planning Commission uses 2,400 kcals for rural areas as people there are more physically active and 2,100 kcals for urban areas. These levels are much greater levels than what FAO (Food & Agricultural Organisation) uses which is 1,820 kcals per person. The IFRI study on India used 1,632 kcals.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 (still current) recommends 1000 to 1,400 kcals for moderately active 2 to 3 year old children whilst for 4 to 8 year olds it is 1,400 t0 1,600 kcals. If the higher FAO’s 1820 kcals or IFRI’s 1,632 kcals are used, then higher levels are being used to assess Indian children compared to American and they will look very undernourished. Also, might the average American child have a bigger build compared to an Indian child?

Despite the “alarming” hype about India’s nutrition, FAO recognises that life expectancy has increased from 59 years in 1990 to 64 years in 2006 and child mortality has fallen from 115 in 1990 to 76 in 2006

IFRI claims that the GHI is a “powerful tool to help focus attention on hunger, especially for countries like India”. GHI is calculated on the percentage of those undernourished, underweightage in children under five and infant mortality under five. The last is a census figure. The reliability of the first two figures is doubtful because just over 79,000 rural and 45,000 urban households were surveyed to assess hundreds of millions of people. Is such sampling adequate? Could the sampling be biased, skewed towards certain communities or subjective? We are looking at a nation’s reputation being at stake even if such surveys were conducted by local agencies. When this author lived in Madhya Pradesh many years ago, one never heard of extensive hunger, and the people appeared quite healthy. The situation since then has improved. Australians have often been given the idea through school education and the media (both print and TV) that India is poverty-ridden and starving. The GHI report reinforces such stereotypes.

IFRI prepared a detailed report on India’s individual states entitled The India State Hunger Index: Comparisons Of Hunger Across States (October 2008) which presents an internal comparison. There are wide disparities between Punjab, the best nourished, and Madhya Pradesh which ranks last as being in an “extremely alarming” hunger situation; that same classification applies to Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo

Despite the “alarming” hype about India’s nutrition, FAO recognises that life expectancy has increased from 59 years in 1990 to 64 years in 2006 and child mortality has fallen from 115 in 1990 to 76 in 2006. These are census figures, not obtained by sampling, and indicate that India is making progress.

International self-appointed country rating bodies are not sacrosanct. FAO has, over the years, faced strong criticism such as from the Ecologist magazine which in 1991 dedicated an issue to say that FAO was “promoting world hunger” and in 2008 the Senegalese President Abdoulaye, called FAO a waste of money. India needs to speak for itself.

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following

Westmead, Parramatta, Harris Park, Greystanes, Pendle Hill, Toongabbie, Winston Hills, Girraween, Seven Hills, Mays Hill, Merrylands, Blacktown, Prospect, Guildford, Pemulway

NOEL G. DE SOUZA on the reliability of international nutrition ratings

Don’t let the students’ issue become a stumbling block

The India-Australia relationship should be viewed within larger parameters than specific events of the past year, writes

PARAMJIT S SAHAI

The significance of the visit of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to India on November 11-12, 2009 was lost to the general public, as the media continued to see it from a onepoint agenda – racial attacks on Indian students in Australia. The TV sound bytes and the media headlines only focused on the concerns expressed by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the safety of Indian students and the assurances given by the Australian Prime Minister on zero tolerance on the attacks on Indian students, while not completely ruling out similar incidents. It was a case of missing the wood for the trees, as other aspects of bilateral relationship were given a miss. It is true that the Indian students’ issue should have been high on the agenda and it needed to be addressed on a priority basis. This, however, has to be seen in the larger context of India-Australia relations. Even from a limited perspective of students alone, this has to be addressed, in its totality. It is not only education alone, but a mix between education and migration, as this dream continues to be sold to students. It has reportedly emerged as a two billion dollar industry, with shady characters operating on both sides. It is therefore important that in fixing the students’ problem, we do not stifle the channels for migration. We need to give time to Australia to resolve the issue, as Rome was not built in one day.

India-Australia relations, therefore, have to be allowed to run on two tracks simultaneously. Our efforts should be to build on bilateral relations, while we continue finding a meaningful and acceptable resolution of the students’ issue. Prime Minister Rudd’s visit was undertaken keeping in view these considerations. His visit was a culmination of earlier Ministerial visits to India, including that of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. In fact, 2009 can be rightfully described as the Year of Australia in India, for a record number of high level visits in one year. This Festival of Australia, however, lacked a spirit of bonhomie that is associated with such events, as all the visits were undertaken under the shadow of the students’ issue. This bonhomie would return when India launches ‘Days of India’ in Australia in 2010 and Australia places its focus on India during 2012.

We, however, have to look beyond the students’ issues, while it is being resolved. In his address at the Indian Council for World Affairs, Prime Minister Rudd made a forceful and well argued presentation of

2010. He also reiterated Australia’s support for a permanent seat for India in the UNSC. This was music for India’s ears, as it feels that it rightfully deserves a place on this high table.

The shape of an IndiaAustralia Strategic Partnership was highlighted in the two documents issued on November 12, 2009 – the Joint Statement and the India-Australia Joint Security Declaration. The Joint Statement harped on “shared interests and shared values”, built on “pluralist democracies”, rapidly expanding economic relationship and “a shared desire to enhance and maintain peace stability and propriety in Asia”. A vigorous bilateral partnership would be built through expanding economic links, cooperation in energy, climate change and water. Australia committed to provide Aus $20 million over a five year period for joint research in dry-land agriculture in India, under the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research.

Both the countries reaffirmed the need to build a Knowledge Partnership and Australia agreed to commit Aus $10 million per annum for five years, with a similar contribution from India under the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund.

This would help in building on earlier successful cooperation. The areas of focus would be energy, food and water security, health and environment. The Statement is silent on the sale of uranium. To provide greater content to the strategic partnership, Australia would have to make policy changes for the sale of uranium to India. Prime Minister Rudd has a job cut out for him, as he needs only to convince his Party diehards, as the Opposition Conservative Party is already on board.

The second document, IndiaAustralia Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation, affirms the joint commitment and establishes a framework for such cooperation. The elements of cooperation would embrace areas, such as information exchanges and cooperation within multilateral frameworks in Asia. It aims taking the defence cooperation to a higher stage, under the earlier framework, as agreed to in MOU on Defence Conference signed in March 2006. This would also pave way for cooperation in combating terrorism and transnational organised crime, police and law enforcement, disaster management, maritime and aviation security.

There is a greater need to bridge the information gap that exists. Promised steps to provide greater connectivity at the people-to-people through cultural exchanges, exchange of youth leadership

and parliamentarians are the right steps in this direction. The media is the missing link, as there is no resident presence, either in India or Australia. Let the media also wake up to its social responsibility. While it discharges its responsibility as an independent channel of news, it should also give a more balanced coverage on the other facets of the bilateral relationship. The students’ issue should not be allowed to become a stumbling block. It has to be seen in the larger context, while all efforts are made to fix it, sooner rather than later.

It is in everybody’s interest to keep open the channels for education and migration. India-Australia relations are poised for greater heights, beyond the single agenda on students. Students, as future migrants, should be seen as bridge-builders, as has happened in various other countries, where the Indian Diaspora is located.

Earlier, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had openly lauded the role of the Indian Diaspora at the Pravasi Bharati Divas (PBD) Celebrations in 2008 and 2009. Australia, therefore, needs to infuse a new spirit into the Indian Diaspora, including students, by turning them into a new channel and a force in the emerging IndiaAustralia Strategic Partnership.

Paramjit Sahai (retired from the Indian Foreign Service) is a former Indian Ambassador

While (the media) discharges its responsibility as an independent channel of news, it should also give a more balanced coverage on the other facets of bilateral relationship

A tale of three cities

Now that we’re back in Sydney after a month’s holiday in India, the inevitable question I am asked is, “How was it?” Being a writer and verbose, besides enjoying the sound of my own voice, I am very tempted to explain in detail. However, in consideration of the fact that people don’t have the time to listen to my meanderings, as well as they probably aren’t interested in the nitty-gritty anyway, I have to hold back and say, “Great, good, fantastic!”

But I can confess in written word, pinched from a long-forgotten nursery rhyme, that when India was good, it was really, really good, and when it was bad, it was horrid!

We did have a good trip. I met family and friends, all the people I longed to see after an absence that was all too long. The kids did exceptionally well, with no more than one visit a week to the local doctor, which must have been some kind of a record. My husband spent time with friends, watched cricket to his heart’s content and fell in love!

Going back to India after four long years was an esoteric experience in itself. We didn’t know what to expect; some bits surprised us, others delighted us, and yet others brought back a strong sense of deja vu. We did the ‘real India’ experience, travelling interstate by train, journeying within the cities by car, taxis and autorickshaws. In Mumbai, I once even ventured in a crowded local train with the kids, an experience which was never

but the sheer logistics of trailing two hot and irritable kids through a crowded station, standing in a serpentine queue for tickets, getting jostled into a compartment full of sweaty yet obliging women, is just not worth it.

I think I had too many expectations, especially from Mumbai, which is probably why I felt a sense of disappointment when coming upfront with some of the more obvious vagaries of the city. It seemed more tacky, more dilapidated, more run-down. It was still arduously polluted, stray dogs and piles of rubbish still adorned the streets and it was constantly raucous and vibrant. The traffic was horrendous, not made easier with us living a distance away from my sister’s home, and every trip to and fro was a mini nightmare. But there was always saving grace at the end of each journey. My family was always around, we were always welcomed with enthusiasm, fed with vigour and my sister’s two boisterous younger boys were chivalrous companions to my monsters. The four of them had the time of their lives. Together they jumped on couches and sundry furniture, made conversation with the dog, laughed, rioted, watched TV, ate impromptu meals, acted silly and in general, had a very, very good time. They made an instant and strong connection, and one that I hope will remain resilient as the years go by.

For me, it was a journey of discovery. That family is a wonderful thing, and the ties of blood remain strong through the years, despite the fact that we live in completely different continents. Various uncles, aunts

the years. Some have changed with time, becoming more mellow and mature; others remain the same, to the extent that I felt I had never even been away. Most of them have retained their wry sense of humour through the years, and are still my favourite people. In a way it was heartening to know that some things haven’t changed at all. At one point of time my mother and sister began one of their pointless arguments about nothing, and I could have been 18 again, trying to get a word in edgewise as they whinged and complained about each other.

My mother accompanied us on the train journey to and from Goa, and it would have taken quite an effort of will not to give in to the impulse of reprimanding my older boy as he swung off berths, clambered from corner to corner of the already cramped compartment and generally made a nuisance of himself. She has nine male grandchildren, and spends a good bit of her time telling them off, so to actually sit through his antics and resist yelling at him was a Herculean effort.

Everywhere we went, the younger one was charming and friendly, greeting everyone with enthusiasm, shaking hands and being an exceptionally well-behaved child. Who refused to eat, but don’t let me start on that aspect of our trip.

And my friends, my wonderful girlfriends who spent so much time with us, fitting us into their busy schedules, keeping us company, enduring the onslaught of boys into their well-kept houses and pandering to their eccentric food habits. It was fantastic seeing all of them, some of whom I hadn’t met for over a decade. We caught up on current news, shared kiddy anecdotes, filled in the blanks of absence, took nostalgic trips back in time.... but it wasn’t enough. I wish I had spent more time with all of them, I wish I had the chance to catch up with so many other people I wanted to meet. But

sincere apologies over the phone. However, I reassure myself that there will be a next time.

In Hyderabad, meeting old family friends, those familiar faces who were always around in times of celebration or need, and catching up with my husband’s childhood pals and their lovely families made me realise, once again, the value of lasting friendships.

My husband enjoyed himself. Apart from trysts with old friends in the noisy pubs of Hyderabad and incessantly arguing about the merits of watching cricket over Cartoon Network, he regaled us with his whinging about the noise, pollution and general unsuitability of Mumbai for any sane human. Naturally, Hyderabad was the better city, an argument that remains unresolved to this day. However, he did find time to relax at Leopold’s in Colaba. But it was Goa that captured our hearts, in very different ways. The boys enjoyed the beach, I caught up with family and my husband found himself in love. On our first day there, he seemed strangely preoccupied, making mysterious forays into the village with unintelligibly muttered excuses. And the next day, he brought her home. We came out to be introduced, and whilst I eyed her with apprehension, my sons too, were enamoured. There she was, long, sleek in shining black metal, a 350cc Royal Enfield motorbike, with a throaty rumble that made my husband’s heart race. From the moment I saw her, I knew that I didn’t stand a chance of winning back his affection, at least, not as long as she was around. She merely tolerated my presence through a few rides, some at night with the stars shining above and the wind in our hair. It was the best feeling of all, one that comes to you so naturally when in Goa. The feeling that this is God’s earth, and you are in sync with the universe. The feeling of freedom and yet, belonging.

Yes, India was as succulent as sitaphal with cream, as long as we could chuck out the pips.

SHERYL DIXIT holiday in India with vivid memories of spice and everything nice

We didn’t know what to expect; some bits surprised us, others delighted us, and yet others brought back a strong sense of deja vu

Cousins in crime

Bike and boys

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Ease into Estonia

By THOMAS E KING

Akaleidoscope of vibrant colours swirled before my eyes. Shades of yellow, red, green and blue blurred and blended as a jubilant group of women and young girls danced and sang in the coolness of an early summer’s morning on a tiny island in the Baltic Sea.

“Red is the colour of happiness”, whispered a scarf-adorned woman sitting next to me before she too got up and joined the joyous group welcoming a small troupe of tourists that had just landed on Estonia’s Kihnu Island.

Kihnu is unlike any place I have ever visited in some 45 years of globetrotting. For instance, the 16.4 sq. km island has had a permanent settlement for some 600 years. When people from western Estonia arrived in the 14th century they brought traditions that were far older; some say these date back 2000 years.

Rich cultural links to yesteryear continue to survive through song,

dance, festivals including three day wedding ceremonies and the making of handicrafts. UNESCO recognised Kihnu’s unique culture by including it in 2003on the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Imagine, then, a mere microdot of land inhabited by just 600 people who communicate with each using their own Kjonakula language. Even more peculiar is that the dialect spoken in each of the four villages is different. As well, the designs of garments knitted by the scarfwearing and striped skirt-accented women differ from village to village as do the techniques and gear employed by village fishermen.

Kihnu depends upon the sea for food and transport. When the Baltic is free of ice from late March to late December, a ferry service operates several times a day between the island and Pärnu. The 2 ½ hour outbound journey to Kihnu was cold, rough and windy. The return trip to Pärnu the next day was sunny, warm and with bright blue skies above the fourth largest city of Estonia.

It’s most unlikely that you will have heard anything about Estonia’s summer capital. However, to many Europeans this port city of 44,000 residents in southern

western Estonia is spa central.

Pärnu has been a noted health resort for over 170 years. In 1838 an entrepreneur built a wooden establishment near the beach that offered hot seawater baths in summer and saunas in the winter. Facilities are far more refined these days with the five storey Tervis (health in Estonian) providing a ‘buffet’ of therapeutic medicinal treatments to people from the world.

My wife and I saw a few of the medical tourists ‘after hours’ strolling along the sand, listening to concerts in the park, photographing old Soviet bungalows that can still be seen in and around the town and most of all enjoying the intimate embrace of this stylish city founded in the mid 13th century. Several structures from the Middle Ages still stand but to see far more we ventured north to the enchanting capital of Estonia.

Tallinn’s terrific Old Town tantalises travellers with a mix of medieval charm and modern comforts. The highpoint of interest is to be found in the Raekoja Plats. The Town Hall Square, as it’s better known, has been the cornerstone of life in the population 400,000 capital of the now independent nation of Estonia since the 11th century when it was a thriving

You’ve probably not heard much about Estonia’s summer capital Parnu. But to many Europeans, this port city is spa central

Pärnu’s history-lined main street is ablaze with colour during the fleeting months of summer.

marketplace.

It has the same role today as the much photographed plaza is now ringed by tiny shops and gourmet restaurants that have marvellous views of the imposing Town Hall. During summer a busy arts and crafts market is an added bonus with visitors as they can browse for bargains in the shadow of the only surviving Gothic town hall in northern Europe. In winter a massive Christmas tree takes centre stage.

The bulky building might not win an award for good looks but since completion in 1404 it has taken top honours for surviving centuries of summer heat and winter cold. My wife and I far prefer the former season and Tallinn didn’t disappoint as the chic city was experiencing a perfect run of temperatures in the low 30s when we visited this past July.

Every morning after an outstanding buffet breakfast in the cosy dining room of the St Olaf’s Hotel we left the circa 15th century building and looked down the street towards the church of the same name. Dedicated to the 11th century King Olaf ll of Norway, the 124 metre spire of

This lofty landmark is easily visible by ferry passengers as they daytrip across the Gulf of Finland from Helsinki or disembark from a global cruise. A flotilla of docked cruise ships can be seen from the best vantage point in the city. Twin viewpoints from the Upper Town on Toompea Hill provide wonderful unobstructed panoramas over Tallinn’s Old Town and the busy harbour.

Leaving this pedestrian friendly precinct we walked part of the way down the tree shaded hill to a glittering treasure. Located opposite the rather plain parliament buildings, the striking Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is filled with beautiful mosaics and icons.

The century old building with four onion shaped domes topped by golden crosses is one of several cathedrals and churches to be built on Toompea Hill. Nobles and rich citizens used to reside on this hill looking down – both literally and figuratively - on the merchants and craftspeople living in the walled Old Town. With 46 towers, medieval Tallinn was known as “one of the most fortified burgs in all Northern Europe”. Today 20 towers and nearly 2 km of the original city wall

(Above) Medieval music and delicious delicacies based on 15th century recipes are treats at Olde Hansa.

(Below left) The women of Kihnu ensure that the traditions of a 2000 year old culture are passed on to the next generation.

(Below) Streets lined with shops and restaurants all lead to the medieval Town Hall, the soaring landmark of old Tallinn.

stride over the elevated stones of history. The wall encircles a fairytale setting of mainly 14th and 15th century buildings which I energetically explored and photographed during four all-too-short days in the city.

At the end of each day, of course, we did stop to dine at leisure on Estonian specialities. One meal remains a standout favourite. As we walked through the Old Town, musicians dressed in period costume enticed us to enter Olde Hansa. Exotic dishes based on recipes from the Middle Ages were served in atmospheric candle lit surrounds while minstrels musically transported us to another time and another place.

Travel Notebook Estonia

FLIGHTS

Thai Airways International has three air services a day linking Sydney and Bangkok and a daily flight between Bangkok and Stockholm. For information and bookings, contact THAI reservations on 1300 651 960. See www.thaiairways.com.au

TRAVEL

Flights connect Stockholm and Tallinn though my wife and I enjoyed the leisurely overnight Viking Line cruise between Stockholm and Helsinki. See www.vikingline. fi. After exploring the Finnish capital we flew to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania and began a three week road journey that included Riga, Latvia and Vilnius, Estonia before taking a Viking Line ferry back to Helsinki.

PACKAGES

Book your Viking Line cruise, the ferry, accommodation and all other travel and touring arrangements in Tallinn or Estonia through Baltic travel specialists MyPlanet, tel 1800 221 712. Visit www.myplanetaustralia.com.au

ACCOMMODATION

Built in 1928 and located only a few tree-lined blocks from central Pärnu, Villa Wesset is a cosy boutique hotel with 36 comfortable rooms and an excellent restaurant. See www.wesset.ee.

Tucked away just beyond Town Hall Square, the 90 rooms of St Ovav’s Hotel offer a quiet refuge after a fascinating day of discovery in the Old Town.

See www.tallinnhistoricalhotels.com

TIP

Available from numerous outlets including hotels and the Old Town-sited Tallinn

Tourist Office, the Tallinn Card provides free admission to all city museums, free city tours and unlimited use of public transport, some free souvenirs and a complimentary city guide. See www.tallinncard.ee

INFORMATION

For travel tips on Tallinn and Estonia see www.tourism.tallinn.ee and www.visitestonia.com.

Lonely Planet’s Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is an excellent guide. See www.lonelyplanet.com

Photos: Thomas E. King

The abode on the hills

This time of the year, many Hindu Malayalees are currently on or are preparing to go pay a visit to the Lord’s shrine at Sabarimala. NIMA MENON remembers her first visit vividly

Iwas barely eleven, but even today more than three decades later, I can still remember the experiences like they happened yesterday - the initiation, the penance and finally the journey; the trek through the forest, barefooted and chanting the name of the Lord. I was on my way to Sabarimala, for a vision of the deity of Ayyappa, sitting atop the hill.

Come November, pilgrims clad in black/ blue/saffron are a common sight in not only all the southern Indian states, but other parts of the country as well. Devotees outside India travel to Kerala during this time. The pilgrimage to the hilltop shrine is no easy task and cannot be done in a day. The devotee/pilgrim has to undertake a strict penance (vrutham) of 41 days. Before beginning the multi-day walk through the hilly jungles to get to Sabarimala, the pilgrims prepare themselves with 41 days of rigorous fasting, celibacy, meditation and prayer. The pilgrim leads the life of a sanyasi, for after the initiation in the temple and donning the black clothes he is called ‘swami’ and considered equivalent to the Lord he is seeking. He has to thus maintain a calm and peaceful disposition It is believed that Lord Ayyappa is a celibate and so female devotees can only undertake this pilgrimage before puberty and after menopause.

Sabarimala, the abode of Lord Ayyappa, is situated in Pathanamthitta, about 57 km from Kottayam in Kerala; high up in the dense forests of the Sahyadri Mountains (Western Ghats). It is about 3000 feet above sea-level. It is believed to be one of the oldest existing temples in India. Historians and archaeologists who have done an indepth study of the temple, its construction pattern etc suggest that the temple is at least 4000 years old. But popular belief is that the temple is nearly 5000 years old.

There are many myths and stories surrounding the deity and the temple. The most popular one tells about Lord Ayyappa being the son of Lord Vishnu (in the guise of Mohini) and Lord Shiva. King Rajashekara, a descendant of the Pandya dynasty, the ruler of Pandalam, was a just and courageous ruler, but was unhappy as he did not have an heir to the throne. According to the story he found a baby on the banks of river Pampa while returning from one of his hunting expeditions. The baby had a gold bell around his neck and was hence named ‘

blessed with a son of his own. The scheming diwan poisons the queen’s mind and the young Manikandan was sent to the jungle to bring a tigress’ milk to cure the queen of an alien ailment. He was barely thirteen. Meanwhile, Mahishi, the sister of the asura king Mahishasura, killed by Lord Vishnu (in the guise of Mohini) was creating havoc. Manikandan fought Mahishi and vanquished her. A sage who visited the kingdom, revealed to the king the true identity of the boy he found in the jungle. On his return to the kingdom astride a tigress, Manikandan informed the king that it was time for him to leave his earthly abode. The king expressed his desire to build a temple in his memory and asked the lord to suggest a suitable spot. The Lord shot an arrow that fell at Sabari, the place named after Lord Rama’s devotee. That is how the temple came to be built at Sabarimala.

The most unique feature of this hill is the existence of the mosque of Vavarswami. All pilgrims have to first pay their respects to Vavarswami, the Muslim warrior, an ardent devotee of the Lord. While there are several accounts of the identity of Vavar, it is generally believed that he was a warrior who was defeated and subdued by Lord Ayyappa and later became a close associate. It is believed that the Lord himself instructed the king to build a mosque for Vavar at Erumeli. Here, the religious rituals are conducted by a Muslim priest. There is no distinguishable idol, but a carved stone slab that represents the deity. A green silken cloth is hung across one wall, and there is also an old sword which is believed to symbolise Vavar’s eminence as a great warrior. The special

The Sabarimala shrine is only open a few times each year, the Mandalam festival covering 41 days from November 15 to December 26 and the Makaravilakku from January 1-14 being the most prominent. Hence the pilgrimage begins in the month of November and ends in January. Though one of the most remote shrines in southern India, it still draws three to four million pilgrims each year. Pilgrims on the way to Sabarimala take a holy dip in the Pampa River which has its own significance in the whole journey. Pampa is the most holy spot on the way to the sanctum sanctorum or Sannidhanam. It is here that Lord Ayyappa was found by King Rajashekara. The river Pampa is as holy as the Ganges. The water purifies one of all curses and all evil. Pilgrims set out in groups under a leader, ‘guru swami’ and each carry a cloth bundle called Irumudi Kettu containing traditional offerings. The Irumudi Kettu had a certain rationale and tradition in olden times. Since the trek to the Sannidhanam is a long one, the devotees have to spend the night in the jungle. The Irumudi has 2 compartments. While the front one marked ‘Om’ contains the offerings, the rear one contains sustenance materials such as rice, dhal, etc. The pilgrims also carry utensils attached to the rear portion of the Irumudi. For overnight halts light bedding is carried on the head and is used as a soft cushion on which the Irumudi rested comfortably. The main offerings carried are coconuts filled with ghee.

The devotees begin the pilgrimage chanting, Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa and this chant takes them through as they make their way to the top braving the rough and tough terrain, barefooted. Petta Thullal is an integral part of the pilgrimage. It traditionally starts at Erumeli and the devotees, with their faces painted, dance exuberantly to the chant of “Swami Thinthaka Thom, Ayyappa Thinthaka Thom”. After paying their respects to Vavarswami they make their way to the main shrine. Eighteen steps lead up to the temple. These are believed to represent the eighteen steps that can lift a human being to the level of a saint. Only those with the

On the long and arduous trek up the mountain, devotees carry cloth bundles containing traditional offerings

The mosque of Vavarswami

Irumudi Kettu are allowed to climb these steps. Devotees break the coconuts filled with ghee while climbing the steps. It is believed that this will remove all obstacles on their way. Reaching the Pathinettam padi (eighteenth step) and the Lord’s darshan is the highlight of the pilgrimage.

The most anticipated event at Sabarimala is the Makara Jyothi which is usually on the 14th of January. The Thiruvabharanam or the sacred jewels of the Lord, still a private property of the Pandalam royal family arrives from Pandalam amidst the chanting of “Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa”. Each and every year a Garuda flies over the boxes carrying the jewels as if to guard them. The appearance of the bird coinciding with the arrival of the jewels is such a strange phenomenon. As the priest adorns the idol of the Lord with these jewels and performs the arathi, a brilliant light appears in the mountain opposite to the temple. This light called the ‘Makara Jyothi’ appears thrice and there is divine euphoria amongst all the devotees as they fervently chant “Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa”. I have seen this Jyothi (light) myself and the experience is so exclusive that it will last a lifetime. Devotees go back to the shrine year after year to see this Jyothi. This sighting marks the culmination of the pilgrimage.

Lord Ayyappa is the symbol of religious unity and communal harmony. The shrine is open to any devotee who is ready to undergo the penance. The feeling of spiritual elevation is so remarkable, the magnetic charm so intense that it seems to draw the devotee, who has undertaken this pilgrimage once, to the shrine time and time again in quest of spiritual solace. No words can describe the inner calm and peace one experiences. There is a feeling of

The most unique feature here, is that all pilgrims have to first pay their respects at the mosque of Vavarswami, the Muslim warrior, an ardent devotee of the Lord

Eighteen steps lead up to the main shrine, representing eighteen steps that can lift a human being to the level of a saint.

Corporate Christmas

It’s December once again and this time it’s the end of the decade too. Reasons to party are plenty and if you are in Sydney, you know that the hot blaring sun can also bring some welcome surprises with it. Shiny crimson baubles, gifts, chocolates, a host of holidays, family reunions and celebrations abound. Christmas is also the time for corporate parties. Now, before you let your hair down, slide those shoes off your feet and go into a wild party trance, let’s take a look at what people like about corporate Christmas parties year after year...

Bikini Santa

Faeq Ali

Corporate parties are more office than parties, but sometimes they can be out and out crazy… One time when our party was held at Bronte Beach, I was made to sit on Santa’s lap but the funny part was that the Santa was wearing a Bikini. It’s always fun when you think crazy in a party scenario, because you’re so bored thinking within confines during your work hours. If you play your cards smartly, you could land yourself a promotion, and hey, if you do manage to make a fool of yourself, you still have fun! I love to take crazy snaps with colleagues at office parties. It’s fun to see those pictures at a later date.

You can dance

Vineet Patel Christmas, to me is a time to rejoice and celebrate. At the office Christmas party though, you get to see the quirkier side of everyone’s personalities. At my very first Christmas party in Australia, it was a fantastic experience to see everyone dancing and having fun. It was even better because I had my own group of friends. I think the party was memorable because I just went berserk and danced all the way to the end of the party. My Bollywood steps soon earned a following and we had a good laugh looking at the Aussie-Bollywood dance we just invented.

Bad girls don’t get gifts from Santa

Rajshri Roy

Our all-girls team decided to party hard at the end of the year one year. We chose to do it someone’s home, for a change, because we’re quite a close knit team, and that meant we could have a risqué theme (winks). I put my hand up to offer my place. The party was heaps of fun as everyone well and truly let their hair down and kicked those heels up … so much so that someone said, ‘don’t be mean, girls, or you won’t get a Christmas present!’ Well, what would you believe – I didn’t get a gift from my ‘Santa’ that year. It turned up many weeks later under the pile of papers and books on ‘Santa’s’ desk, where he had left it and forgotten about it… Christmas party with work friends will be a more sober affair this year!

Cheers to the winner

Ravi

Sagar

What I like best about corporate Christmas parties is the free food and free drinks… But jokes apart, I believe that they give us a great opportunity to meet with our colleagues outside of work hours. You meet people, share ideas; it gives you a chance to break the ice and release the tension within your teams. Last Christmas, we had a massive party and our boss lit up with an idea to break hell loose upon us but with an incentive of course. He placed a glass of wine in the centre of the table and in it; he mixed a chunk of chocolate, some chicken soup, a piece of crumbled strawberry cake, some ice cream, chillies, smoked salmon, some gravy, orange juice with salt and pepper to taste.

He placed a bet of $500 to whoever had this exotic and nauseating recipe. I gathered all the courage and decided to go for the ‘kicks’ of proving the boss wrong (he thought nobody would do it). After a shy start, I felt like withdrawing my gutsy decision, but kept on it, with all the flinching and trembling at the pungent and

Men in heels

Farzana Ali

Christmas parties in big organisations are always interesting because you get to meet people from different departments and you get a chance to actually know people. My memorable moments are when ‘team unwired’ were dancing in a line doing the “choo choo train” – that really silly act that you simply cannot see the point of, unless of course you’re in one of them yourself, and you start believing that this is the most fun you’ve ever had in your life! Anyway, on this occasion, the last person in the line fell and pulled onto the guy in front of him, and before you knew it the entire row of girls and boys were piled on each other on the floor, on-lookers laughing their heads off. By now, the guard was truly down, and the noise level was reaching near-deafening … My girlfriends and I kicked off our (7-inch) heels to feel more comfortable, only to find a few minutes later that some of our male colleagues had decided to put them on and walk around in them… it was hilarious! (Got some great photos from that party…)

work. Not that I do!

I remember this ridiculous party moment… well, it seems even embarrassing in hind sight. That was when a group of my friends were relaxing on a couch and I turned to them offering a huge chunk of Christmas cake holding it in one hand, almost squashing it. Everyone had only one look on their faces - No way! Then before I realized what they were thinking, my friend who was apparently plotting a brutal plan pushed my hand and smashed the cake into my face. I could not help smashing the cake onto his face in answer. And hurray! The whole clan was fighting with cakes and wine in no time and everyone had their hair and face choked with cake and dripping with wine. The tiny washroom was suffocated with people, all of whom embarked on washing the corrupt fun together. What an insane Christmas

Hot, hot, hot!

Priti Sharma Office Christmas parties are a fun way to relax and unwind and finish the year. You get introduced to a lot of people you would otherwise not have a chance to meet. At our office Christmas events, the boundaries are relaxed, there are jokes and funny stories. A ‘happening’ kind of restaurant is picked as the venue, and our chirpy office-manager always digs up some fun group games to play. It helps us to know each other better and gives us the scope to realize that people are so different when you meet them outside the work atmosphere. Well, the worst part for me of course is the time I take to decide what to wear but once I am there, I have a fabulous time. At one event, one of the team members warned us beforehand that he does not eat spicy food (we were at a Malaysian restaurant). I challenged him to a red hot full chilli, which I put in his mouth. To my surprise, and to everybody else’s, he ate it with no signs of discomfort. Well, I had to try it a second time. Again, he ate it quite comfortably, and I accepted defeat. (He revealed later that he had simply swallowed them whole). Much later that evening, I found to my distress, that I had chewed into the world’s hottest chilli that left me speechless for a good ten minutes. What goes around …

The cost of hair loss

MINAL KHONA offers tips on how to deal with hair loss after chemotherapy, possibly one of the most traumatic of side-effects

hen I heard of a friend recovering from cancer, it set me thinking about how women deal with hair loss while fighting this deadly disease.

I recently met up with a friend who is all of 42 and a cancer survivor, and she arrived with a scarf covering her head. This vivacious lady had a really thick mane of hair before she began the treatment. Half her hair had grown back and she was looking forward to the rest of it coming back too. That got me wondering how women dealt with hair loss during cancer treatments and what can be done to look after it during that phase. Here are some details and tips on what can be done to minimize the trauma of losing your hair during cancer recovery.

Research says that most women begin to lose their hair about two weeks after they begin chemotherapy. Also, experts at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota say that a person usually loses about 50% of their hair before the loss is really noticeable to people. Hair loss is not just hair falling out in clumps, but sometimes it can be painful and I am not talking about emotional pain. What happens is that the hair follicles get irritated and the scalp becomes extremely sensitive.

However, it is the emotional trauma of losing hair during the treatment process that is the worst part, and how a woman handles it is part of rebuilding her life, looks and self esteem after her hair has fallen out.

Coming clean

Some women decide to shave their heads rather than put themselves through the extreme stress of watching their hair fall out. I believe that most of us consider our hair to be an integral part of our looks. Besides having clear skin, the quality and sometimes length of our hair is the second biggest concern for most of us. So, making a preemptive decision like going bald can be an empowering one, provided you have the confidence to carry it off. Sometimes family members get involved in doing the same as a way of showing support. Also, those with long and lustrous hair can do a good deed and donate their hair, while building confidence and lessening the trauma.

Going undercover

There are other patients who are resigned to the brutal side-effects of chemotherapy and allow their hair to fall out naturally. Such people notice clumps of their hair falling out and go for a near-buzz cut after it has almost completely fallen out

Other patients don’t pick up the scissors until they’ve already dealt with the emotional pain of pulling out handfuls of their own hair.

So what is the best way to manage your hair during chemotherapy? Is there a right way at all, because each person’s level of trauma at losing one’s hair and fighting cancer is very different. My research gave me a few tips which I have listed below:

* Wash your hair only when it is absolutely necessary and use a gentle shampoo and conditioner. The milder the better.

* If you are used to colouring your hair, don’t do it any more. Till your hair grows back, any kind of chemical-based treatment like perming and colouring will only weaken the hair further.

* Pat dry your hair or let it dry naturally. Use a soft brush or a wide-toothed comb and stay away from hair dryers and curling irons.

* When you step out, wear a scarf or a hat as that protects your thinning hair and scalp from harsh sunlight and very cold air. It also gives you confidence, and you will feel less embarrassed or awkward because of your thinning hair.

* Some women who have always had scanty hair and lose their hair during chemotherapy are okay with losing it, so if you are in this category you can always shave it all off.

* You can also go to a non-surgical hair treatment clinic with a nice picture of yourself before starting the chemotherapy. Ask them to make you a wig that is the closest fit to your hair colour, style and texture and use it when socializing, after your hair has fallen out. Let them keep a sample of your hair so they can get the right match for the texture of your hair. Remember that with a wig too, it is best to go with a natural look, a light one which is not too thick. So even if you had long and thick tresses, go for a shorter style as that will be light and won’t make your scalp feel hot and scratchy.

* Make the wig a shade lighter than your usual hair colour because you will look pale and dull during chemo, and the wig may appear darker and unnatural.

To care for the wig, you can alternate wearing it with scarves, turbans or hats. During the break when you are not wearing the wig, have a hairdresser clean it for you.

* Invest in a good wig with real hair because once you start recovering, your hair will grow back.

The important thing to remember is that hair loss is a side-effect of the chemo, not the main disease. So, traumatic as it may be, don’t focus on falling hair and instead concentrate on fighting and beating the cancer.

Making a decision like going bald can be an empowering one, provided you have the confidence to carry it off

Lassi with

RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA on modern interpretations of an old classic

but have you tried basil? How about a touch of nutmeg or cinnamon or cardamom to take your lassi up a few notches to shahi (fancy) levels?

and all bothered. At lunch we shared a giant jug of lassi, and it seemed to cool us down – in the body as well as in the mind. Soothing.

That’s the best way to describe this summer refresher.

Traditionally, lassi is a simple blending of chilled natural yoghurt with chilled water. To flavour it, sugar or salt may be used. Many variations of lassi are available today, but nothing can beat this classic traditional style.

Indian restaurants have popularized the flavoured versions of lassi – mango lassi is a staple at most outlets here. And yet, even though I am a lassi freak, I have stopped ordering it – the restaurant variety is simply too rich for me, so rich that it ruins my main meal. I much prefer the homemade version.

The use of other ingredients such as fruit, and spices and herbs, adds an element of excitement, though. Mango and banana blend well in lassi, but have you tried pineapple? Mint is commonly used in lassi,

Capuccino Lassi

2 tsp good quality instant coffee

2 tbsp hot water

3 tbsp sugar (or more or less depending on taste)

400gm natural yoghurt

Scoops of vanilla ice cream

Chocolate shavings

Another interesting innovation is to substitute flavoured yoghurt for natural yoghurt to come up with an entirely new avatar of lassi

And talking of new avatars, what would you say to a touch of alcohol in your lassi?

Read on for more details. Of course the intoxicating variety of lassi is not really that new – the bhang lassi has been around for years, centuries, probably.

Among the other varieties of lassi, the Gujaratis make the chaas, or chaach, a very thin version of the (thicker and frothier) Punjabi lassi which accompanies the main meal and is spiced with roasted cumin seeds and coriander leaves. At Turkish/Lebanese restaurants you can order the ayran which comes pretty close to our own lassi

Whether you make a classic lassi or a modern interpretation of it, use chilled yoghurt and chilled water or milk, and add a bit of dazzle by decorating with mint, or fresh fruit chunks on toothpicks, or even a cocktail umbrella.

Blend together coffee, hot water and sugar. Add the yoghurt and blend again. Put ice cream into tall glass and pour lassi over. Decorate with chocolate shavings.

Banana

Thick Shake

1 large ripe banana

2 x 200gm cups

flavoured yoghurt such as strawberry or apricot

1 tbsp raw sugar

½ cup milk

Blend together all ingredients and serve in tall glasses.

Strawberry Frappe

1 punnet strawberries, hulled

2 x 200gm cups

strawberry yoghurt

Scoops of vanilla ice cream or soda water

Mint leaves for garnish

Blend strawberries together with yoghurt, until smooth. Put some ice cubes into a tall glass, and pour the lassi over, up to about three quarters of the way. Top with ice cream or soda and decorate with mint leaves.

Fruit Juice

Lassi

200gm natural yoghurt

1 cup unsweetened fruit juice (apple,

orange or pineapple)

Ice cubes

Mint leaves and fresh fruit for garnish

Blend together yoghurt, juice and ice cubes till smooth and frothy. Top with mint leaves and fresh fruit threaded onto toothpick.

Pineapple

Lassi

1 cup pineapple pieces

½ cup natural yoghurt

½ cup water

Sugar if needed

4-5 ice cubes

Blend all ingredients together till smooth. Pour into tall glass and top off with mint leaves.

Apricot Lassi

200gm apricot flavoured yoghurt

1 cup apricot nectar

4-5 ice cubes

Mint leaves and fresh fruit for garnish

Blend together yoghurt, juice and ice cubes till smooth and frothy. Top with mint leaves and fresh fruit threaded onto toothpick.

Champagne Lassi

750ml bottle chilled champagne

2 x 200gm cups flavoured yoghurt (try any fruit flavour or vanilla)

1 cup orange juice

4-5 ice cubes

Blend together yoghurt, orange juice and ice cubes. Pour into chilled wine glasses about half way up. Top with chilled champagne. Garnish with cocktail umbrellas, mint leaves or fruit pieces on toothpicks.

Traditional

KIDS IN THE KITCHEN

Making hamburgers

LAUGH OUT LOUD

Jokes sent in to us by Romy Seth, 9

John came home from school with a nought on his test.

“Why did you get nought?” his mum said.

“Is that a nought?” John answered. “I thought the teacher gave me a moon because she ran out of stars”.

Teacher: And so we find that x equals nought. Student: Huh. All that work for nothing!

John: Hooray! The teacher said we would have a test – rain or shine.

Jack: So why are you so happy?

John: It’s snowing.

John: I don’t think I deserve a nought on this test.

Teacher: Neither do I. But it’s the lowest mark I can give.

Voice on the phone: Is this the school office?

School secretary: Yes, it is.

Voice on the phone: Jenny Smith is too sick to come to school today.

School secretary: Who is this?

Voice on the phone: My mother.

By Devna and Manan Luthra FOTO CORNER

Glad to see the end: Nehchal Anand finds a misplaced road sign

This burger is easy as! Take some mince meat. Add to it chopped onions and grated carrots, salt and pepper, and dried herbs. Then put in two eggs and put in some Hamburger Helper. Then mix it all together and then you can shape it to make a pattie. Cook it on a pan and then put inside a nice big bun. Put some barbecue sauce on top, and some lettuce leaves if you like.

DID YOU KNOW...

* Did you know moths are not really attracted to light? Moths fly towards the blackest point which is behind the light.

* Some people have a fear of maths. It is called arithmophobia.

* Pigs are the fourth most intelligent animal in the world.

* You probably know

that there are more sheep than people in New Zealand. Did you know that in Paris, there are more dogs than people?

* India has the world’s largest number of post offices.

* The original name of the butterfly was ‘flutterby’. Makes sense, doesn’t it? DL

Trial run….

Cooking for the family

Yumm!

Of dreams and journeys

state of firmness to achieve our dreams, and that’s when we catch a flight and never look back. A great adventure begins from that moment onwards.

When we are young, we dream, weaving tender imaginations into a lush landscape of possibilities and aspirations. We dwell on these enticing visions and nurture them into ambitions, aligning ourselves to make an attempt at grasping them in the palm of our hands. And then we take the leap and go all out to create our own destiny around the visions we have ruminated over so vigorously during our younger years.

The road often is unchartered, with lots of twists and turns, narrow corners and bumpy patches, but the heart marches on, defeating fear and conquering nerves. The effort is relentless as we push on for glory in life. Setbacks often dampen our confidence but we soak it up with a big grin, as we put our heads down again and keep pushing towards that ultimate ambition.

Some of us give up on our dreams for reasons within or beyond our control, and sketch new territories to explore. Some of us reach our dreams in a hurry and then relish the stay there. Some of us run a marathon chasing those dreams, and eventually stumble across the line with the last breath of air in our lungs. Whatever the eventual fate, the journey makes it all worthwhile.

When we decide to move out to a foreign land in pursuit of our dreams, we embark on one such eventful journey. We

do not know where we are headed, but our heart tells us that the journey will lead us somewhere closer to what we have dreamt about all our life. The fear of the unknown spits out a tsunami of doubts in our mind, making us question our decision to leave the comfortable nest in our homeland and fly far into an unknown terrain.

A lot of “what ifs” and “but thens” keep pounding within the mind, as we weigh up our dreams against the facts of reality. And then somewhere in this process, the heart eventually draws a line and navigates us to a

We end up in a land where most of the things happening around our conscious state of mind are new or unfamiliar. We question our decision of moving, daily, if not every hour. We think we are fools to have dreamt those impossible visions as we find that life out here in the new homeland is darn tough, if not unsustainable. The emotional support mechanisms that we were used to in our homeland have all vanished. Our once tangible world of relationships and social networks are, all of a sudden, rendered into a virtual state of existence via email chatrooms, SMS and long distance telephone calls. Dreams shouldn’t be that hard to chase, we often say to ourselves as we slump into a heap. We sigh and we almost give up..

And then the sun shines again, a new dawn begins. We rediscover ourselves as we hit rock bottom. We accept unfamiliar happenings around us, we reason out our uncertainties, we start building new support networks and reinforcing the power of our dreams, one step at a time. The spring in our steps is reinforced, as we start crawling towards our dreams, yet again. Confidence levels start soaring, new opportunities show up, we accept the new life and blend with it. Friends enter our lives, new friends, social networks reconfigure, and support mechanisms are re-wired. Optimism blossoms as we seek new horizons.

The beginnings are humble, but they build character. Odd jobs, odd hours, odd measures. However, they all add up, they

start paying the bills and buy us food and shelter. We pick up the local jargon, we get used to our surroundings and start breathing new life into our new world. Tough days linger around waiting for an opportunity to bog down the mind, and they occasionally succeed. The mind comes out stronger though, when faced with adversity as we shake off the odd depressing day and starting building on our odd circumstances. Odd jobs and odd hours lead us to further opportunities, personal and professional. These opportunities turn into realistic prospects and then we grab that one opening with our name on it. And then there is no looking back, ever. Those distant dreams seem very possible, yet again.

And if you think I am making up all of this feel good fluff, well, I am happy to talk to you in person or introduce you to a multitude of people around me who are or have been a part of the same grind. The message here is that there are no shortcuts and when the chips are down, hang on tight to your dreams...... times will turn around.

SANAM SHARMA offers insights into seeking your goal and the struggle to get there, despite hurdles that could trip you up

The road often is unchartered, with lots of twists and turns, narrow corners and bumpy patches, but the heart marches on, defeating fear and conquering nerves

The mind comes out stronger though, when faced with adversity as we shake off the odd depressing day and starting building on our odd circumstances

Chandigarh lift 30/30 GCA

Macquarie Bicentennial Cup

The Mantra Ryde Chandigarh Eleven celebrated till dawn after winning the first 30/30 GCA Macquarie Bicentennial Cup played on the grounds of Old Kings Oval. Their stunning performance in the finals against much fancied opponent Ford Pro Vibrant Gujarat got in scripted in the history books as they won the match convincingly by 7 wickets.

Gujarat had beaten Mantra Ryde’s Chandigarh in the League rounds.

In the Finals, except for the toss, nothing else went in favour of Ford Pro Vibrant Gujarat. After winning the toss Vibrant Gujarat elected to bat first. They lost wickets at regular intervals and the entire team got bowled out for a meagre total of 123 runs.

Ubaid Khan was the only batsman who played sensibly and scored a fighting 42 before he was trapped leg before by Man of the Match performer Ash. The only other batsman who showed some kind of patience was the captain Jignesh Patel who was not out on 13 runs as he was left stranded at one end and ran out of partners.

Sandeep who has been one of the most successful bowlers in the tournament was very economical and that mounted the pressure on the Gujarat batsman. Ash cashed in by picking 4 for 35 and turning the game in Chandigarh’s favour.

Mantra Ryde’s Chandigarh didn’t waste any time as Navdeep smashed 2 massive sixes and 3 fours in his quick fire innings of 39 runs.

After Navdeep’s departure Gagan powered his way to an explosive innings of 45 not out and also scored the most important winning runs in just 17 overs.

Ford Pro Vibrant Gujarat was outplayed when it mattered the most.

The Gujarat bowlers looked helpless and surrendered in front of Mantra Ryde’s attackingstyle of batting.

For the time being, it’s one win for both the teams and they will get another crack at each other when they play in the 20/20 tournament.

Sanjiv Dubey

Score card

Mantra Ryde Chadigarh

Captain Gaurav Aggarwal

Man of the match Ash Jolly

And now for 20-20!

There’s no stopping the cricket frenzy.As one series (the 30-30 GCA Macquarie Bicentennial Cup) concluded, another one – the 20-20 MIT Sydney Cup, took off.

It’s been a fantastic summer of cricket already for community players. The 20-20 series, which commenced on 29 Nov, is the third in the series: the first, called the Indian Link Cup, concluded in October.

The teams gathered at Parramatta’s Old Kings ground not only to commemorate the Finals of 30/30 GCA Macquarie Bicentennial Cup but also to be the part of a spectacular and vibrant opening ceremony of the 20-20 series. The event marked the inauguration of the biggest-ever community based cricket event witnessed in Australia. 18 different teams are competing in the contest.

Supporters and invited guests - Jenny Mcarthy from GCA, Beverly Jones from MIT, Pawan Luthra from Indian Link, Sue Clunie from Parramatta Park, and other team sponsors Vipen from Ryde Automotives and Ajay from Mantra Ryde, were present at the occasion. The first edition of MIT Sydney Cup was declared open amidst thunderous applause in the stadium, heralding the much-hyped 18-team cricketing extravaganza.

After the official team photographs, the players dressed in their own colours, got a warm applause from tri-colour waving fans.

Later sporting ambassadors from other codes including Reece Weser (rugby player from South Sydney Rabitohs), and Parramatta Mayor Paul Gerrad also came to show their support and encouragement to the teams.

It will be a very interesting few months ahead as the teams clash in the third series of this exciting community cricket tournament.

To learn more about community cricket opportunities, call Sanjiv Dubey on 0433 669 334

West Ryders

Nando’s SriLankan lions

MIT Yellow

MIT Red

Mantra Ryde Chandigarh

Macquarie Eleven

Limra

Lankan Cobras

ICAI Challengers

Ford Pro Vibrant Gujarat

GCA Red

GCA Yellow

Godrej Properties launches in Australian NRI market

FROM HIGH TECH engineering solutions, world-class consumer products to real estate, the Godrej group is an integral part of the lives of millions of Indians. Setting quality benchmarks and redefining customer satisfaction, they have enriched lives across boundaries. With around US $2 billion in turnover, the Godrej group has been in existence for over 100 years and its products are used by over 400 million Indians everyday.

Godrej is also one of the most respected corporate houses known for their philanthropy and initiation of labour reforms besides being recognised for their values of fair, transparent and ethical dealings.

Godrej Properties Ltd, one of the fastest growing companies within the group, has been in operation in the Indian realty sector for around 19 years .They were the first Indian company to be awarded an ISO certification and have developed over 80mn sq ft of residential and commercial real estate across 10 locations in India, cities ranging from Mumbai, Chennai , Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune, Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Kochi.

Godrej properties have tied up exclusively with NRI Realty Solutions Pty Ltd for marketing their properties in Australia and New Zealand.

NRI Realty Solutions is an

Australian company with its headquarters in Sydney set up to provide NRIs in this part of the world a hassle free, end-to-end solution for real estate investment in India. NRIs will be privy to a host of services and information via a “seven step advantage” charter which includes property selection, tracking progress of property development at all stages, customised financing solutions, assistance in taxation, property management and selling.

Their upcoming project Garden City – Ahmadabad, is an integrated residential township comprising 30 million sq ft of development spread over 250 acres. The project, located on one of the fastest growing corridors of the city, off SG Highway (behind Nirma University) and lying within municipal limits, was one of the 16 projects selected worldwide for Climate Positive Development Program (CPDP), a Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI).

Godrej properties and NRI Realty Solutions are launching the “Garden City Ahmedabad: project in Sydney on 12 and 13 December at Sebel Hotel, 350 Church street Parramatta. Bookings with special offers will be open at the launch. For further updates register at the NRI Realty Solutions website www.nrirs.com or call them on 1300 562 557.

The law of dreams

short story by RAJ PAUL SANDHU

‘‘But Officer, this is a dream, for God’s sake; the rule of law doesn’t apply in dreams. Please take those handcuffs off me!” he almost screamed, as the officer finished polishing the mini Miranda Warning in his eardrums, while pushing his face onto the wall. ***

As the first rays of the sun smuggled into his bedroom through the blinds, he rolled his hand across the cold bedsheet with his eyes still closed. “Where are you, Kareena?” he mumbled, extending his arm towards her end of the bed. Where had she gone? His brain tried to work it out still while half sleep.

He opened an eye and saw the alarm clock; it was 8am.

“Maybe she’s taking a shower,” he thought and fell asleep again. After a short nap, he got up and walked to the kitchen with short lethargic steps. “But today is Saturday. She sleeps in on Saturdays,” he told himself, filling a glass with water from the tap.

He looked around in the lounge, checked the garage and walked back to the bathroom, knocking on the door. “Kareena... Kareena!” he called frantically. No answer. “Where the hell …?” Now his heart began to sprint. He quickly searched the whole house again. He was now wide awake, but Kareena was nowhere to be found. He ran back to his room, picked up his mobile and dialled her number. As the phone started ringing, he followed its familiar ring tone, and found her mobile on the kitchen bench.

the house on the corner, just when you turn left from ‘J’ street is scary as hell. The owner is an ancient woman who looks like Lalita Pawar crossed with John Howard. One night when we were driving back from movies, Kareena and I saw her running naked in the park. She was holding something that looked like a young baby. She stood in front of the wall and sang, ‘Kanna munna kurrr… truth is gone furrrrr’. A door appeared out of nowhere…. She walked through it, and then it went vanished…. I was frightened to death!”

“Now Officer, who doesn’t have arguments? Every relationship has its ups and downs. You don’t kill your wife over a trivial thing,” argued Dev.

“Mr Dadia, would you like a glass of water?”

“Thanks, Officer.”

while cleaning the roof gutters, I swear to God, Officer!”

“Perhaps Kareena was a closet lesbian. She just needed some time away from me to clear her mind. Maybe she calculated that I would be humiliated by her cheating, and get called names for turning my wife gay… Perhaps all this time she was lying to me about going to see her best friend. That makes sense because, each time we got into an argument (and she had begun picking fights more often lately), she would use this as an excuse to leave for this best friend’s house. Or could it be that she ran away with her doctor friend? Kareena, I don’t like it when you ignore me in front of your friends…”

“Dev, wake up!” The officer grabbed Dev’s hair, abruptly waking him up.

“Oh, sorry! But I’m telling you the truth. There were lots things not common between us. Arranged marriage is a thing of the past now, I told Kareena that many times. I think we were the last set of Gen Y who went in for an arranged marriage. If she comes back now I will tell her so. Who are we fooling? This is our life, if we are not happy then what’s the point of living together?”

“I love you, Kareena…”

“She shouldn’t have checked my emails. That’s just not acceptable, officer!”

“I need a smoke.”

“Perhaps like Kalash women, she’s offered herself in marriage to another man who has way more money than me.”

“But I don’t know where she is…Seriously, I don’t!”

“We have found the body, Mr Dev Dadia. You are under arrest for the murder of your wife. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a Court of Law.”

“But officer, this is dream. The rule of law doesn’t apply in dreams!”

“Kareena …Kareena!”

“This is no dream. Look in this mirror, who do you see?”

Raj Sandhu is an active member of the Australian Society of Authors

A

He showed all signs of a psychopath; a parasitic lifestyle, poor behavioural control and irresponsibility towards his neighbours

WE PROVIDE PROTECTION FROM ALL MAGIC

The folks come for a visit

y parents are coming to Sydney. All the way from Bombay. They’ll be taking a five-hour flight to Singapore, then stopping over at Changi airport, then boarding an eight-hour flight to Sydney.

My parents are not young. This is their first trip to Australia. It’s their first trip abroad in a long while. They are both diabetic.

I stop sleeping and start worrying.

Then I start making lists. Lists of instructions, things to do, places to see, things to cook, things to eat, things to buy, things to bring, things to take.

I even make a list of lists.

“Relax! They’re only coming for 10 days,” says my husband.

“Ten days is a long time,” I reply. “God created the world in less than that.”

I lie awake at night going over my lists, plotting, planning, and rearranging my parents’ itinerary in my head. I plan for four adults and two cats stepping around each other in our tiny two-bedroom flat in Botany; I orchestrate turns at showering and going to the loo. I worry about the proximity of the bathroom to the dining area. I worry about bodily functions intruding on filial affection.

I worry about food. I buy a 10 kg bag of rice. We couldn’t feed them our staple of Weetbix and tuna on toast, a muffin and a multivitamin.

Or could we?

SEEKING BRIDES

AGujarati Brahmin family invites proposals for their pure vegetarian, non-smoker, non-drinker, broadminded, family oriented son, Permanent Resident of Australia, 24 years, 5’ 7”, B.E. - Mechanical Engineer, settled in Perth. Alliances are sought from well educated, family oriented, spiritual and good looking girls from well cultured Gujarati families. Initial contact can be made at kulfunda@gmail.com or 0402 433 385.

Sister seeks suitable bride for her handsome professionally qualified Punjabi Hindu Brahmin boy 27 working as MBA in HR department in a reputed company in India. Boy teetollaer and belongs to well respected and well to do family in India. Please respond to sharmamona26@yahoo. com.au or call at 0433 602 032.

Australian citizen, Maratian Naidu Catholic, 6ft tall 31 years, born 22-0578, never married, kind and loving nature. Seeking girl with good moral values, family oriented, kind, caring, honest and educated. Please contact 0415 440 293.

Alliance invited for Australian citizen, 36 years, 5’10”, divorcee, Hindu male, from well established Sydney-based family. Working as analyst in Sydney. Seeking good looking and qualified match from Australia or India, preferably Hindu, with good family values. Caste no bar. E-mail: madhurmilan@ y7mail.com

Indian born Australian citizen, 31 years old, 5’5” working as a full time Government

I worry about not having a mirror in the bathroom and the size of the sink. I buy a green bathmat and an airfreshner. I stock up on toilet paper.

I frantically scour Freedom for extra plates and bowls. Then I think of the washing up it will generate and buy disposable plates and glasses instead.

I clean the apartment twice. I scrub, I vacuum, I dust. I injure my back in the process.

I micro-delegate and snap at the husband if he shows the slightest sign of slacking off.

“It doesn’t have to be spotless, you know. Your mum would understand,” he whinges. “We have no maids. This isn’t Bombay.” I try not to scream and bite his head off. Our floor gets mopped once a month if lucky, cat hair is everywhere. We wash up when we run out of bowls. We do the washing when we run out of socks and undies. We’ve taken to camping out in the study amidst our books and computers because the bed in the bedroom is buried under clothes and more books.

No, my mum would NEVER understand.

But there were bigger things to worry about. What will my saree-wearing mother say to my Australian mother-in-law when she meets her for the first time? When she sees her drinking an entire bottle of wine? What would my fire-fighter father-in-law clad in shorts, holding a stubbie of VB, have to say to my father, a businessman from

Bombay?

“They could talk about cricket!”

now that in the midst of this colossal culture clash, my husband will abandon me and seek refuge in his computer games.

Meanwhile, I’m on the phone to Bombay rattling off instructions. Check in all liquids, don’t carry any food off the plane, no mithai, don’t forget to stretch your legs during the long flight...

“What should I wear?” my mum says suddenly.

“What do you mean? On the plane?”

“No, in Sydney. Can I wear my salwaar kameez or would you like me to wear jeans?”

“Jeans?” I can’t remember the last time my mum wore jeans.

At this point, my husband intervenes. “Don’t worry,” he’s telling my mother, “You should wear whatever you feel comfortable in.”

I feel a surge of affection for my man. I think of Indians in shopping centres wearing sarees, matching sweaters and sports shoes, drawing smirks. This is the man I married,

Matrimonials

employer for the Railcorp in NSW, nonsmoker, non-drinker, never married, seeks bride 23 to 30 years old, with good cultural and family values. Only Muslims please, from any country. Please respond with details and photo to shafi_baig1977@yahoo.com.au

Well-settled Sikh family from Australia seeks beautiful, tall, slim, fair, educated match for their handsome, clean shaven, IT professional son; 29/6’2’’. Caste no bar. Send bio-data and photo to wahroongah@gmail. com

Caring, sincere, slim, youthful looking, male divorcee, Hindu, India-born, 50-year-old Australian citizen, in professional government job, seeks a suitable match. Caste and religion no bar. Looking for caring lady with family values. Call 0416 099 177. Only genuine enquiries please.

SEEKING GROOMS

Ausrtalian resident, born December 74, 5’ 3” slim, fair, Hindu Punjabi Khatri girl, never married, seeks Hindu Punjabi educated boy. Please send details and recent photo to ranjeev333@yahoo.com phone 0061432 020 702.

Sister and brother-in-law seek a suitable groom for a lovely, 24-year-old Fiji-born Hindu girl, independent, fair, lovely girl, Australian citizen, professionally qualified,

currently working in a Australian company. Family well settled in Australia. Seeking a match 25 to 29 years of age, professionally qualified, with strong family and cultural values, and good family background. Please email bio data and recent photographs to arieso@rediffmail.com

Sister and brother-in-law invite well settled/ educated match for a lovely Jatt Sikh girl, 24 / 5’6”, completing IT in May 2010 (USA ), plans to settle in Australia. Early marriage. Caste no bar. Seeking a suitable match with strong family values. Genuine enquiries please e-mail to shaadi1109@gmail.com with biodata and recent photo.

Sister and brother-in-law seek a suitable groom for a lovely Hindu Punjabi Brahmin girl, professionally qualified. Family well settled in India. Seeking a 25-29-yearold, professionally qualified match, with strong cultural and family background. Please email bio data and recent pictures to mittalarvind@hotmail.com or contact on 0421 669 534.

Seeking a groom for sister who is very warm hearted, caring, attractive, good cook and home-maker. Never married, 47-year-old Hindu Marathi. Hotel management qualified. Can work in Australia as a Certified Cook. Half of the family based in Australia. Australian PR or citizen only. Please email at rnita45@yahoo.com

I’m thinking warmly. Feeling sure there was nothing left to worry about, I fall into a fitful slumber the night before the big day.

On D-day, there’s a vacuum in my stomach and my throat is dry. I’m fidgeting and talking nervously. “What do you think is happening now? What do you think they’re doing now?”

My husband looks at me in despair and says, “Calm down, will ya?” I silence him with a glare.

We wait in the arrivals hall at Kingsford Smith Airport scanning the crowd. We’re looking for two brown people who belong to us, emerging any minute now from the mouth of the immigration and customs purgatory.

“I hope they didn’t get into trouble with the customs...” I say imagining my parents on Border Security Australia

I see them then walking through the gates. My father is bravely pushing the trolley; my mother’s trying to keep up. They look small, lost and slightly crumpled.

A sob catches in my throat and I can’t see because my eyes suddenly go blurry. But then my face breaks out in a manic grin and we start waving madly.

Seeking professionally qualified and well settled Sikh boy with strong cultural values and good family background, for slim and good-looking Arora Sikh girl, NZ citizen, 24 / 5’4” B. Business, (pursuing CPA), working in Auckland as financial analyst. Family well settled in Auckland, Sydney. Please send details including recent photos to pkathuria@optusnet.com.au

Seeking alliance for 44-year-old, simple, caring, never married, hardworking Christian orphan lady. She works for a convent school in India and enjoys the simplicities of life. She possesses good family values. Please contact (02) 98322056 or email dollysigler@gmail.com

Professional qualified match for 38/165, never married, fair, slim, Punjabi Arora engineer, Aus citizen, doing Govt job. Early marriage. Can relocate. Parents well-settled in India. Educated family. Caste no bar. Respond with photo. Contact mr15840@ yahoo.co.in

Seeking alliance for our 24-year old, 5”4’ beautiful Sikh daughter. She is a finance professional with strong family values. We are settled in Sydney for many years. Please send your details and photo at kuldeeponly@gmail.com

Punjabi Arora parents invite well-settled/ professional match for never married fair slim beautiful 36 / 165 IT professional. Working in MNC. Australian citizen. Status family. Caste no bar. Early marriage. Respond with photo. Em: sydgirl09@gmail.com

APARNA

JACOB

manages to get her home – and her life – all sorted before the parents visit

Tarot ‘n’ You Tarot ‘n’ You

Tarot predictions for December 2009

ARIES March 21–April 20

You are likely to come across a person who is virtuous and honest. Tarot emphasises a stable relationship. It is linked with domestic happiness and strong relations. You are required to study the depth of things to develop an inner understanding. Tarot advises you to adopt a mature approach in life and proceed after thinking and rationalising. You can achieve success in creative disciplines. In a relationship reading, Tarot indicates an offer for friendship or a deeper level of commitment in a relationship.

TAURUS April 21–May 21

The card for you indicates rewards of fruitful labour. In a business reading, you could do well by keeping your home as a base for work. In a relationship reading, both the partners tend to consider the relation a pleasure. This card represents creativity and fertility. Projects are likely to be rewarded with success. This card marks births, wedding and material prosperity. You are required to improve your circumstances by using strength and wisdom along with creativity.

GEMINI May 22–June 23

You are not feeling at peace with yourself. Responsibilities and pressures seem overwhelming. Perhaps you are being overambitious or you are trying to attain a goal which once achieved is not likely to give you much happiness. Ponder on what is important at this point of time in your life. Prioritise things and rather than doing everything yourself, delegate responsibilities to others in order to be effective. On a brighter note, you are likely to be good in handling money.

CANCER June 23–July 22

Your focus this month is on aspirations and ambitions. You may come across a sensitive person who will give sound business advice as she is intuitive about people. She will be trustworthy and would sincerely work towards general good. Her practicality and communicativeness would get her through situations and people. Trust this person’s abilities. Tarot also signifies security in money and status You can be successful through practical application of your ideas.

LEO July 23–August 23

There seems to be an illusion that there is no choice other than to accept things as they are. Tarot indicates the hold of materialism on you, because of the temptations it provides. Your free will seems to have been lost, as being controlled seems an easier way out than taking responsibility for yourself. It could even mean a reluctance to change at the cost of growth. It is only you who can liberate yourself from this situation.

VIRGO August 24–September 22

The focus is 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.

IREO City – GURGAON

Invest/ Buy opportunity of a life time

Invest/ buy in one of the most prestigious real estate developments in the city of Gurgaon, Haryana, India. A range of well designed and spacious 2, 3, 4 bedroom apartments along with few exclusive penthouses are for sale“THE GRAND ARCH”. The apartments are build with top of the line design & facilities in the most prestigious location in Gurgaon. They offer home to families who want to enjoy the life living in the most luxurious surroundings the city can offer. If you want to be part of this world class township, go to mjbuildvest.com to get more details.

You can also direct your enquiry to Munish Jain at email: aamjaay@hotmail.com Mobile: +91 98100 83867 Australia email – meetajainau@yahoo.com.au

2009

LIBRA September 23 – October 23

This month, you will be able to combine spiritual knowledge with spontaneity of temperament. You can achieve harmony by being patient and using self-control. You need to be balanced in your approach as well as diplomatic while dealing with others. A blend of actions and emotions would bring a sense of harmony within you, leading to inner peace. Time is right for both learning and teaching. If in a relationship, you are likely to see it grow. Travel will be fruitful.

SCORPIO October 24–November 22

Advancement is on the cards. Travel or news from overseas is likely to be received. You should however watch out against making hasty decisions concerning business or personal matters. This card affirms enthusiasm and strength required to succeed. It represents swiftness, hope and love. It indicates a time to enjoy one another’s company, without fear or obligation. It represents a healthy relationship, which allows both the partners to indulge in what they like.

SAGITTARIUS November 23–December 21

Tarot indicates the need to acknowledge what you really want and decide how to achieve the same. You may find yourself fantasising about the way you want things. You are likely to be presented with an offer par expectations. The card for you represents favours, imagination, reflections and a time to acknowledge the path of spiritual fulfilment. Basically, this card indicates that you will take out time for yourself and reflect on inner fulfilment.

CAPRICORN December 22–January 19

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.

AQUARIUS January 20–February 18

This month your focus is on achievements and an overall feeling of happiness resulting from it. The card drawn for you signifies victory. You are nearing your personal goals and an enterprise is coming to a successful conclusion. You are emotionally secure and content, thanks to a job well done. In a relationship reading, considerable harmony is seen - having learnt to love and care for yourself, you work towards making a happier relationship.

PISCES February 19–March 20

Your dreams are trying to convey a message to you. Find answers to the questions in your mind by paying heed to your intuition. You need to be careful towards deceit in any form. You should not accept things at 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.

SHAADI MUBARAK!

Resplendent in a red sari and flaunting diamonds and emeralds, Shilpa Shetty exchanged wedding vows with London-based businessman Raj Kundra in a close-knit family affair in Khandala. Wearing a red sari designed by Tarun Tahiliani, the 34-year-old exchanged vows with Kundra as per the Bunt tradition, according to the Mangalorean community, of which the Shettys are a part. The groom wore a maroon sherwani with golden embroidery and a turban with his face veiled by a sehra (string of pearls). He held a sword in his hand, as per Indian tradition. The wedding was the climax of the two-day festivities that included a sangeet ceremony. Shilpa’s sister, actress Shamita who was participating in the third edition of Bigg Boss, withdrew voluntarily from the show to attend the wedding.

The reception was a star-studded affair held at a suburban hot spot, and it was a rocking party. Shilpa looked stunning, as usual, in a Tarun Tahiliani creation that showed off her figure to its best advantage.

Husband Raj Kundra was resplendent in his sherwani. The cake was a whopping 80kgs and nine tiers, and a choice of global cuisine delighted

Avaara Aamir

He might be a superstar today, but Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has no qualms in admitting that he had to endure different kinds of punishment during his school days - from getting caned to kneeling down for the whole day.

“When in school, kneeling down in front of the principal’s office was a regular feature. I have also been caned a couple of times. It is strange that when you get caned, you don’t realise the pain instantly, but after two seconds it shoots so badly... It’s awful,” said Aamir recently.

“I used to be more interested in sports and hence used to always forget doing my homework. Also, poor marks used to create problems for me. I used to get scolded very often,” he added. The 44-year-old actor also revealed that he only studied till Class 12 and never had a very good college life. “My education has only been till 12th standard because after that I got into films. Even in college I hardly attended classes because I was always busy with dramatics,” revealed the star.

“Because of this, I didn’t have a very rocking college life. But during the shoot of 3 Idiots I lived the moments of a student’s life and enjoyed the way

the gourmands. Rishi Rich and RDB from the UK provided cool dance music and being close friends of Raj Kundra, the buzz is that they didn’t charge for their services. Now that’s a lovely wedding present. Naturally, prominent among the invitees were her colleagues from Bollywood, including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri, Hirthik Roshan and the lovely Susanne, Rekha, Jaya Pradha, Karan Johar, Rani Mukerjee, Kangana Ranaut, Vivek Oberoi, Govinda, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Amisha Patel, Sameera Reddy and others. Even Adnan Sami promised to be there, gallstones and all, having been personally invited by Shilpa. However, the one prominent absentee from the guest list was none other than ex-boyfriend Akshay Kumar. Now Shilpa and Akshay went their separate ways ages ago and the rift had healed, but apparently hubby-to-be Raj didn’t think so, and poor Akki wasn’t invited. But the media made much of Akshay’s “ghost” appearance, in the form of songs played by the band from his films with Shilpa, causing some embarrassment. All we can say is, put a lid on it, presswallahs, let the girl be…

Good luck to the newly married couple and hope the honeymoon’s fun and media-free.

students do,” added Aamir.

The film is based on author Chetan Bhagat’s bestselling novel Five Point Someone, and Aamir claims that it’s not only for engineering students, but for every student and parent in the world. “The film questions what success is - what a child really wants to do - issues important to this generation. However, it’s told in a humorous way because that’s how

Rajkumar Hirani makes his films,” said the actor.

Knowing the perfectionist Aamir can be, 3 Idiots should be an interesting watch.

Salman’s daddy’s boy

Salman Khan was upset because he couldn’t attend his father’s 74th birthday celebration, as he was busy shooting for his home production Dabangg on location in Maharashtra.

“The whole family makes it a point to be together by hook or crook for our parents’ birthdays. Anyway dad believes work comes first. But Salman and Arbaaz are very unhappy about the situation,” confided brother Sohail, who was the only one to attend the bash.

The Khan family planned a grand celebration for Salim Khan who turned 74, but Salman and Arbaaz couldn’t return to Mumbai even for a few hours.

“I guess I got lucky. I got dad all to myself on his birthday. Much as Salman and Arbaaz would’ve liked to be with dad, there was no way they could leave the shooting disrupting the schedule. We were just three days into the shoot and it couldn’t be stopped,” he said.

Dabangg is Arbaaz’s first film as producer

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and it is also the launch vehicle of actorpolitician Shatrughan Sinha’s daughter Sonakshi. Anurag Kashyap’s brother Abhinav is directing the flick.

Salman is giving his best to the film - he has not only blocked bulk dates for Dabangg but also learnt Bhojpuri to play a corrupt cop from Uttar Pradesh. The family is getting ready for the release of Veer in January next year and as a unique gift to his father, Salman has paid a tribute to him with a blog on the movie. “It is Salman’s dream project. When we discussed the idea of blogging on his experience shooting for the film, it was Salman himself who suggested that we launch the blog on his dad’s birthday,” said producer Vijay Galani in a statement. “In fact, Salim saab is one of the few people to have seen the rushes of Veer and loved

number has created a huge buzz in the market and everyone’s waiting to see the two sizzle on screen. Industrywallas predict that Katrina’s obvious sexiness and the chemistry between the pair will be worth the wait. Wonder if Kat caught a cold while shooting for the hot scene? I suppose we can only guess….

Talk about 26/11, says Vinod Khanna

It is not insensitive of filmmakers to bring the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks alive on the big screen, says Bollywood veteran and politician Vinod Khanna who features in such a telefilm himself, because it was a tribute to the victims.

“I know and understand that the terror attack is a sensitive issue, but it’s not as if people haven’t seen it or heard about it. So what’s the problem in making movies about it? Filmmakers don’t and won’t make a movie to play with people’s emotions,” Khanna said in an interview. “If films on 26/11 are being made, they should try and show what happened to those who lost their near and dear ones - how they coped up with life and what after-effects it had on the common man,” added the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former MP.

The telefilm starring Khanna is titled Unn Hazaroon Ke Naam and has multiple stories - each a personal tale of tragedy running parallel to each other.

On being asked why he agreed to act in the film, Khanna said, “This project was for a cause - a tribute to the victims of the 26/11 terror attacks. The production thought I was suitable for the role and I quite liked the project.” He added, “I play a father whose son and daughter-in-law get shot at CST and how his grandson escapes the gunshot.

The movie is about such people who lost their near and dear ones in the siege. It shows how many people were left traumatised after the incident and then how these people come in touch to face it and come to terms with it.” The 63 year old actor lost three close friends in the attacks and believes the terror attack and its extended duration was a “major intelligence failure”.

it. Since it has a father-son relationship, Salman felt it was apt to launch his blog on his dad’s birthday,” he added.

A thoughtful gift, quite unlike Sallu, don’t you think?

Akshay is in the house!

Actor Akshay Khan who plays the lead in De Dana Dan will make an entrance into the Bigg Boss house, as a promotion for the flick. But he will not be accompanied by Katrina Kaif, his leading lady, who’s been advised bed rest as she recovers from a contagious viral fever. However, Akshay won’t be alone as Suniel Shetty, Neha Dhupia, Sameera Reddy, Paresh Rawal and other will accompany him into the house where they will mingle with its inmates. Akki is particularly interested in Vindoo Dara Singh, who is also a participant in the reality show. Katrina was to be the main attraction, and why not, she is very likely the best looking person in the movie.

Akshay and Katrina’s hot rain dance

“The whole incident was a result of an assured lack of preparedness. It took so long to take decisions and implement them. But I believe now security is being given much-required focus. I have been reading a lot about the changes in the security system and I hope it works well,” he said. A year after the dreadful incident, the actor says he treads the Mumbai streets without any fear. Says Khanna, “Mumbai always bounces back. The city has been through so much - bombs, riots, terror attacks. But the whole ethos of Mumbai lies in the very fact that life never stops here. There is no fear but always a concern - that’s why Mumbai always becomes a target all the time.”

Spoken like a true Bollywood mumbaiker!

Deepika dumps tresses

If you thought the gorgeous Deepika Padukone has gone into hiding following her spilt with Ranbir Kapoor, you’re sadly mistaken. Deepika’s not keen to be seen as she’s chopped her waist length

Farhan Akhtar and she plays the role of an interior designer in the film. The script demands a particular look of her, which the talented actress decided to adapt, despite her initial hesitation. However, director Vijay Lalwani and Audhuna, the celebrity hairstylist and Farhan’s wife convinced her to go for it. “They thought with my height, I would be able to carry it off well,” said Deepika. “I last chopped my hair when I was eight,” she added. Before getting her hair cut, Deepika told the director that she would chop her hair only if he shaved his head bald. “He didn’t do that, but he saw to it that he was present in the salon so that I don’t back off at the last moment,” said the actress with a smile. Meanwhile people including her parents, who have seen her in new avatar, have liked it. “Everybody says it looks good on me and makes me

look younger,” she said. Talking about her role in the film, she said, “The scriptwriter had a certain image in mind when he wrote my character Shonali. So I had to do justice to the role.”

Well Deepika, change is good and full marks for dedication.

Gurinder Chadha cannot speak Hindi!

She has popularised India in the consciousness of western audiences through films like Bend It Like Beckham and Bride And Prejudice, but Gurinder Chadha ironically admits she cannot speak Hindi. Chadha, who is in Goa to attend a retrospective of her films at the 40th edition of the International Film festival of India (IFFI), said that she could speak Punjabi, but had not mastered Hindi yet.

“That’s a candid confession,” the BritishIndian director said.

Chadha further said she was working on yet another film set in the Asian-dominated Southall in London. “Shabana Azmi plays the lead role as a typical Punjabi mother in it,” she said adding that the film is named

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A brilliantly designed terror plot

Film: Kurbaan

Cast:

“When a bomb explodes, mainly the innocent die,” says Vivek Oberoi towards the finale when, to put it at the most basic level, all hell breaks loose

In Rang De Basanti, Rensil d’Silva had taken screenwriting in Hindi cinema to a new level of expressionism. With his directorial debut Kurbaan, Rensil carries the spoken, unspoken, visual and metaphorical language of mainstream cinema to an unvisited shore.

Blending the thorny theme of the politicalcultural identity of the Muslim community post 26/11 with the commercial identity of contemporary Hindi cinema is not an easy task. The film manages to be superior to other films on global terrorism, a theme that now threatens to turn into a full-blown commercial formula.

In Kurbaan, the characters are not representational of Islamic ideology. They function in the brilliantly-designed plot as people who subscribe to the view that the Muslim community across the world is the victim of American oil-politics that threatens to annihilate the Islamic world.

This is very thin ice for a debutant director to walk on. Rensil’s film says that a sense of aggressive isolation grips the Muslim community. There are either those (like the characters played by Saif, Om Puri and Kirron Kher) who think a direct action plan of retaliation is required to save Muslims from mass destruction. Or, more alarmingly, there are those like the characters of Vivek Oberoi and his father (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) who are tacitly in favour of violence against their community’s collective persecution.

Either way, Rensil’s film looks at the theme of Islamic terrorism with fearless and brutal honestly.

After a rather pale courtship in Delhi, Hindu lecturer Avantika (Kareena) flies into New York with her ever-so-suave suitor Ehsaan (Saif).

The narrative immediately plunges Avantika into the vortex of a 26/11-styled conspiracy being hatched in her backyard on a deceptively quiet suburban street filled with Asian homes.

If the closet terrorists in the narrative are master plotters, director Rensil is no less. While the master-plotters in Kurbaan finally fail, Rensil walks past the finishing line with victorious strides. With cinematographer Hemant Chaturvedi, Rensil moves stealthily in and out of politically-challenged lives with the least amount of drama and ostentation.

The background score is kept at a bare minimum. Kurbaan creates its drama from the characters’ misbegotten sense of identity. From that vantage point of disorientation, the film dexterously moves into the mode of actiondriven conflicts.

Kurbaan turns out to be one relentlessly

CINETALK

breathless treatise on how to create a prolonged climax without losing the theme’s bearings. The film has been shot as an extended crime thriller.

There is room in the commodious narration for disgruntled characters from a multitude of Islamic countries living in the US. But at the core, there are just three characters - the terrorist, his pregnant and rebellious wife and the expose-driven journalist, played by Saif, Kareena and Vivek respectively.

Vivek plays the progressive American Muslim with a resolute understanding of the underlying politics that plagues his character’s soul. But Saif is a disappointment. In a role that could have been a career-defining event, the actor pitches a performance as a not-so-reluctant terrorist that simply swims on the surface.

There’s no attempt by the actor to understand the workings of Ehsaan’s mind or to revisit Ehsaan’s roots. What we see is a confused rather than a politically and religiously conflicted soul tormented by an ideological crisis.

Where is the mean-spirited guy who exploited and cheated Urmila Matondkar in Ek Hasina Thi?

Finally Kurbaan belongs to Kareena Kapoor. In her most consistently-pitched performance to date, she pulls out all stops to play a betrayed wife with splendid sensitivity. Kareena accommodates her radiant beauty into an utterly credible character and performance. Much of the credit for Kareena’s compelling performance must go to the written word. Anurag Kashyap and Niranjan Iyenger enter the characters’ dark and anguished world with words that avoid rhetorical excesses. However, a key classroom discussion on Islam and the Western world is ruined because even the American students speak in Hindi!

“Kurbaan” shows a deep understanding of the bonds that bind and separate the Islamic world from the West. It is a critically important work because it spells out uncomfortable truths in a cinematic language that’s riveting and resonant without resorting to extravagant flourishes and fireworks.

Not to be missed.

Subhash K. Jha

Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Om Puri, Kirron Kher Director : Rensil d’Silva

A sweet, simple romantic tale

Film: Aao Wish Karein

Cast: Aftab Shivdasani, Aamna Shariff, Johny Lever, Rati Agnihotri

Director: Glenn Baretto

Aao Wish Karein is a sweet and simple film with its heart in place. For a fantasy film set in contemporary times, producer Aftab Shivdasani and director Glen Baretto concentrate on keeping the narrative simple rather than relying upon visual effects (VFX).

Loosely inspired by Tom Hanks starrer Big (1988), Aao Wish Karein is set in Simla and is about a 12 year-old-boy who wishes to grow up fast as he is tired of being considered a kid by his crush (Aamna Shariff).

Urged by his friend and philosopher (Johny Lever), he makes a wish and it comes true -- he turns into a 20-something young man (Aftab Shivdasani) the next morning.

There is no over-the-top act, no vulgarity or any mandatory jokes around manhood in the film. Instead, it focuses on the quest of this boy who wishes to woo his lady love.

This is where Aftab throws a pleasant surprise. While being good in comedy is a given for him, Aao Wish Karein gives him ample opportunity to showcase his emotional side as well.

He does well on all aspects in a role that required him to walk a thin rope. The character requires him to have the innocence and purity of a 12-year-old boy even when he has turned 22. Aftab keeps his facial expressions, mannerisms and body language in check.

Aamna, in her second film after

Aloo Chaat, looks pretty and is extremely likeable. While the first hour mainly requires her to give beautiful smiles, it’s the second half where she is required to emote as well. Watch out for the pre-climax scene where she is shocked at the marriage altar. Or the one where she realises that she is in love with Aftab.

There are heart-warming scenes like these which give a consistent feel to Aao Wish Karein. The one where the young kid is witness to his dream getting shattered and the song that goes along with it is very well done. Not that the film is devoid of comic moments. The ones where Aftab reveals his real identity to his friend, his encounter with a call girl, the first time when he proposes to Aamna and later when he takes her to his bedroom do bring in a smile, if not make you fall off the seat.

Any shortcomings? Well, once the AftabAamna love story is sealed, there isn’t much movement. The movie goes off-tangent with Aftab looking at solving his family problems. Thankfully, the movie does come back on track, hence arriving at a convincing end. The only ‘wish’ one makes as a viewer? If only the makers had promoted this film a little better at least, Aao Wish Karein would have been more visible than it is today.

Joginder Tuteja

Completely frivolous

Film: De Dana Dan

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Katrina Kaif, Paresh Rawal, Sameera Reddy Director: Priyadarshan

In our school days we were taught nonsense rhymes that were incoherent, jumbled words strung together trendily. De Dana Dan is a 150-minute-long nonsense rhyme. Its power to mock every rule of sensible and intelligent filmmaking simply infuriates and exasperates you to a point of complete breakdown of communication between cinema and art.

The characters are fairly funny to begin with. Akshay Kumar as Archana Puran Singh’s slave-cum-driver is the portrait of anguished hilarity. He brings to his part of the servile toy-boy a kind of facile fury that flaunts an easygoing sense of self-deprecating comedy.

Suniel Shetty as Akshay’s partner in the nonsense rhyme scheme seems to enjoy the comicality initially...At least he’s relaxed until the frames begin to fill up with more characters than Noah’s Ark and the spaceship invented to save mankind in Roland Emmerich’s 2012 combined.

There are more characters romping in confusion in De Dana Dan than in any of Priyadarshan’s over-crowded comedies. Two marriageable women (Katrina Kaif and Sameera Reddy) with secret lovers, their harassed fathers, Tinu Anand and Manoj Joshi, an avaricious father-in-law-to-be (Paresh Rawal) and his son (Chunky Pandey), a tart (Neha Dhupia) willing to sleep with anyone who pays. And that includes poor

Vikram Gokhale who looks out of place in the boisterous goings-on.

De Dana Dan is like a jabbering juggernaut hurling with its fast-talking, constantlymoving army of characters into a region of utter chaos. The screenplay throws forward a gaggle of incoherent gags, which suggest that the melee of characters are more distressed by their financial than emotional condition in life.

Soon we, the audience, cease to figure out what the characters are up to or how they are inter-related, if at all.

Just go with the flow. At times, literally because at the climax we have the characters swimming and spluttering in a flood of water let loose from a bombed terrace tank in a luxury hotel.

Who planted the bomb? Is it the funny hitman Johnny Lever? Or the funnier assassin Asrani roaming around the hotel trying to hardsell a corpse in a coffin?

All this, mind it, is supposed to be the summit of hilarity. The jokes depend almost entirely on the actors’ ability to say the atrocious lines as though they mean it. Some like Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal succeed. Others don’t.

At the end of the day, this comedy of incredible mistaken identities and monstrous errors of judgment coaches us on the meaning of ‘slapstick’...literally. Everyone slaps the person closest to him or her regardless of the reason or the repercussion.

Zany or just plain witless? You decide.

If this is the present and future of mainstream Hindi entertainment then we need to do some serious thinking on the way a coterie of super-successful directors and actors have redefined entertainment to a state of utter inanity.

De Dana Dan is not a film. It’s a series of skits strung together to convey a sense of baggy fun and frivolous entertainment.

Subhash K. Jha