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They may be little in stature, but both stand firm in their beliefs and their fight for what they hold dear.
Two women have captured the headlines in India in recent days. One of them is a glamorous sports star who jet sets around the world, the other is a rustic village woman from Karora in Haryana. For one of them, the future is uncertain as she grapples with the spotlight of the community on her; for the second, it has been a baptism of fire from which she has emerged after a lengthy legal process. The two women are Sania Mirza and Chandrapati.
While Sania Mirza and her proposed nuptials to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik have the media abuzz, Chandrapati is the mother of Manoj, who along with his bride Babli, was murdered in an honour killing on the orders of a khap (caste) panchayat in Haryana. Chandrapati fought the system and ensured that the murderers of the two youngsters were brought to justice.
Sania Mirza is India’s best known tennis star. Hailing from a religious Muslim family, Sama is no stranger to controversy. In 2005, there was an uproar when an unnamed Muslim scholar issued a ruling stating that her tennis attire is not suitable to Islam. In July 2009, she announced her engagement to Sohrab Mirza, a businessman from Hyderabad, however 7 months later, in January 2010, the engagement was called off. On 29th March 2010, Sania confirmed media reports that she will be marrying Shoaib Malik, the ex-captain of the Pakistan cricket team in April this year.
While the public was still undecided on this issue of cross border marriage of such
BY PAWAN LUTHRA
high profile sporting icons, more fuel was added to the fire when another woman, Ayesha Siddique, claimed to be Shoaib’s wife. At the time of going to press, the Indian police was still investigating the issue.
Sania Mirza would have been aware of the public outcry when she decided to marry Shoaib. This attractive, vivacious tennis star is a role model for young girls and youth in India and in a country where even inter caste marriages are frowned upon, marrying a cricketer from Pakistan has the potential of bringing out the worst in fundamentalists in both countries. To date, she has stayed in the background and allowed her future partner and the media to have their say, her comments of “I have full confidence in Shoaib and the truth will come out” only reinforces the belief she has in her own actions.
In 2005 Wimbledon, she wore a T-shirt which said, “Well behaved women rarely make history”. She seems to be living up to this saying at the moment.
The other case of a woman shaking the system is Chandrapati who is the first woman in Haryana to take the caste panchayat to court. By doing so, she has challenged the parallel judicial system which often enforces a brutal form of justice. Widowed 18 years ago, she is a mother of two girls, one son who worked as a mechanic (Manoj) and another
school-going boy. But when Manoj was murdered by the family of his bride, Babli, Chandrapati found strength within herself to fight for justice, which saw a court conviction for the first time ever in an honour-killing case.
The couple who had married for love belonged to the same gotra (lineage); they earned the ire of the local community and were abducted and murdered.
Chandrapati launched a legal case against the people who killed her son and daughter-in-law. Ostracised by her own caste for three years, she fought the system single-handedly and her justice came when the additional district and session judge in Karnal Vani Gopal Sharma awarded the death penalty to five members of Babli’s family and life sentences to the head of the khap panchayat for hatching a conspiracy to kill the couple.
Chandrapati belongs to a system which claims intercaste marriages are wrong yet she believed in letting her children choose who they wanted to marry. She is illiterate but she knows the difference between right and wrong, and she needs to be commended for her actions. She may have had little formal education but has a deep belief in the happiness and harmony of others in society. She fought for what she believed in and won.
Sania and Chandrapati – both woman are worlds apart, yet both have challenged a society which finds it difficult to accept change.
Victorians are generous people, especially when it comes to giving to their own and this has been proved many times over. Despite the threat of a global financial crisis and the thousands donated to the bushfire appeal, there is no sign of their generosity waning. One of the biggest charity events in Victoria is the Good Friday appeal that supports the Royal Children Hospital. Whether it is through pounding the pavement for the Herald Sun/City Link run, or joining the kids at a big day out at Etihad, or enjoying the Good Friday fiesta at Copacabana or tucking into Parmas, there are so many ways one could be part of the Good Friday Appeal.
Since it begam in 1931, the Good Friday appeal has contributed nearly $200 million to the Royal Children’s Hospital. The Hospital uses all the funds to buy medical equipment and to fund research projects. The tin rattling tradition is complemented with numerous fundraising events held prior to Good Friday. Many organizations, corporate, sports group, communities get together to collect funds for children. Among the Indian community, the most prominent group involved in coordinating the appeal is Friends of The Children Foundation (FOTCF).
The FOTCF is a nonprofit organisation that has been raising funds for the Royal Children Hospital for the past 12 years. Besides holding annual events and acquiring support from sponsors, FOTCF supporters have actively participated in the Good Friday walk from Clayton to Etihad (previously Telstra Dome), rattling tins to raise funds for this worthy cause. This year they hosted a multicultural dinner and dance at Box Hill Town Hall in aid of the annual RCH appeal. Ms Christine
Armstrong, CEO of RCH Good Friday Appeal was the chief guest. The event proved to be multicultural to the hilt, with some really cute Russian children dancing, the Australian
everyone’s delight. Desi favourites Bhangra, Gidda and Bollywood vied for attention with bellydancing. The two beautiful dancers involved a willing audience in some impromptu belly shaking moves, while the Dhol players had many enthusiasts primed to hit the dance floor. The happiness meter, supplied by the MC, was filling up to the brim and it was all going fine till the smoke alarm went berserk. An inconclusive fire scare saw an abrupt end to a very entertaining evening. The guests were asked to evacuate so that the
alarm had dampened spirits and most people decided to call it a day. The crowd fizzled off along with the alarm, fortunately not on an empty stomach. The alarm went off after people had already enjoyed an Indian and Chinese meal supplied by Tandoori Junction Indian restaurant. Those who intended to burn the dance floor will just have to wait till next year when FOTCF plan to come up with something ‘bigger and better’. They hope to collect nearly 15,000 dollars this year. In the meantime, watch this space and keep on giving.
Preeti JabbalSummer might have come to an end but you can never be too careful when strolling on the beach. Keeping this in mind, the Rootvij Kadakia Foundation partnered with Victoria University and conducted a Beach Safety program for international students in Willamstown Beach recently. This is the second program held by the foundation in 2010; the first was held in January at the Box Hill Institute Tafe in Melbourne. The program was held in the Willamstown Surf Life Saving Club and was the biggest till date. More than two hundred international students took part in this event, which was organised as a part of the orientation program. Costs were shared by Rootvij Kadakia Foundation and Victoria University.
The objective of the program was to educate international students about water safety. Students from all over the world took part, from countries like Iran, Mexico, Indonesia, Germany, China, Cambodia, Taiwan, Japan, among others. The weather stayed sunny so all went as planned. The program began with an introductory speech by David Holland, manager of Life Saving Victoria (LSV) Team, who assured
students that they were in safe hands. Tejas Patel from the RKF said, “The whole idea of the program is to educate you about water safety with loads of fun. It is important for us that everyone is safe in the water.”
The program continued from the club to the beach where all the action was to
be. Different activities, supervised and guided by the LSV staff, were organised for those who didn’t mind getting wet and others who preferred to stay dry. The wet activities included Rescue Boards, Boggie Boards, Nipper Boards and PFD (which was mainly a life jacket activity). Most of the students participated in the water-
based activity, as the weather was warm. Other activities conducted were life saving exercises for the benefit of the students. Sandeep Hegde, a Masters student from India said,” I enjoyed everything. My favourite was the Boogie Rides, now I need to get a surf board for myself. I had no idea it would be so much fun.”
Activities on land included Rope Rescue, Beach Flags and Life Jacket activity. Students ran around the beach to compete for the flags. Said Diana Torres from Mexico, “I had such a fun experience. It was so good hanging out with my new friends. I learnt so much about water safety. Apart from educating us, the experience has made the bonds between us friends stronger. I am glad I took part.” At the end of the program, students were gifted water safety packs by RKD. Even at the end of the day, the students seemed happy and enthusiastic. Yanti from Indonesia said,” I learnt so many things which I didn’t know about. The workshop was so exciting. It was a memorable day.”
We hope to see many more beach programs by the Foundation in coming months.
Your editorial ‘Everything has gone wrong’ (Indian Link March 1) was thought provoking and interesting. The reputation of India and Indians unfortunately has taken a beating in Australia. Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood, A.R.Rahman and now IPL have made every Indian proud amongst the Australians. But suddenly, ‘Everything has gone wrong’. The indecent attacks on Australian women in Sydney by a man of Indian/Pakistani origin reported recently, are really reprehensible and there is likely to be further erosion in the hard-earned reputation of Indians amongst the Australians. Let us collectively urge the few irresponsible Indians (if found guilty), to desist from such dastardly acts and strive hard to convince the Australians that “Everything will be right” in future.
Som Balachandran SydneyI had the privilege of attending the Australian Football Harmony Cup Grand Final at Whitten Oval with Leader of The Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition Ted Baillieu recently.
The day brought together footballers from many different cultural backgrounds and promoted respect, goodwill and understanding to put all Australians on a level playing field.
As a former Essendon player, I was impressed with the commitment and skill of the players.
The games were tough and
physical but, most importantly, those participating demonstrated a remarkable spirit of friendly competition and respect for their opponents.
Footballers with Albanian, Greek, Indian, Indonesian, Israeli, Italian and Lebanese backgrounds travelled from around the state to celebrate Victoria’s multicultural heritage and to show their passion for the game.
I congratulate Aussie Rules International general manager Brian Clarke and his team for arranging the event and thank the many sponsors who supported the various teams. As Nelson Mandela famously said, ‘sport has the power to change the world, the power to inspire, the power to unite people in a way little else can’
Hugh Delahunty MP Shadow Minister for SportI recently spent one month travelling in India, cruising along the Brahmaputra river in Assam, and from Kolkata to near Varanasi on the Ganges. While in Munger, I was approached by a group of young men. They asked where I was from and became quite hostile when I said I was from Australia. Why had I come to India, Australians are racist, they attack Indians. When I tried to say that Australians are generally welcoming and tolerant, and that we hoped Indians would not be deterred from visiting, they would hear none of it. Should they believe me or the Indian media, they said and walked off.
Petra O’Neill PaddingtonMKS Ugadi Celebrations
11 April, 11 am to 4pm at Jells Park, 72 Jells Road, Glen Waverley, VIC 3150, Melway Ref 72 A10. Organised b7 Melbourne Kannada Sangha. Free entry.
Mehfil Night
16 April, 8-10 pm at Coburg Library Hall, Cnr: Luisa and Victoria Street, Coburg. Plenty of parking. Open night, with keyboard support and a modern Karaoke system available. Bring your friends and song books. Call Dr.Saratchandran on 9366 5444 for more information
FIAV’S Unity in Diversity Day
18 April, 10 am -8pm at Sandown Racecourse, 591-659 Princes Hwy, Springvale, Victoria, Melways ref: 80 D7.T. Multicultural Day celebrating the many festivals of India and ethnic diversity. Fun events, traditional dancers and tasting traditional cuisine for the whole family. Entry fee is A$3 for the event.
Queen’s baton relay in Melbourne
20 April, 10 am onwards at Federation Square and other locations. Reception by the City of Melbourne, Lord Mayor Robert Doyle will hand the Baton to an Indian dignitary. Relay and VIS welcome through a free public event for schools and athletes.
Gangaur Mela 2010
25 April, 11:30 am to 3:30pm at Hawthorn Town Hall, 360 Burwood Road, Hawthorn (Mel Ref 45 A10). Rajasthani Kutumb of Victoria presents “Rangeelo Rajasthan” a musical featuring festivals of Rajasthan. Traditional Gangaur sawari and ghoomar dance, henna painting, turban tying and traditional cuisine. Tickets: $5 per person (children under 3 free). For enquiries call Rakesh Saraf 0414 853 557, Sury Prakash Soni 0433 661 327 or visit www.rajkov.org for ticket outlets.
her stunning good looks as well as her brains.
“I feel quite privileged about it all,” she said afterwards. “I hope this award gives me that extra leverage in my work to improve India-Australia relations.”
As a researcher at the University of Melbourne’s Australia India Institute, she hopes to influence policy change regarding the Indian students’ issue.
A talented dancer and actress, she has also managed in recent months to find a good break in Mumbai’s thriving entertainment industry: her first feature was Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan, released recently.
“It’s all coming together for me,” she revealed happily.
A picture of dignity and charm, grace and poise, she presented herself as confident in her identity as both Indian as well as Australian, at the Miss India Australia (MIA) event. She portrayed grounded sensibilities and a maturity way beyond her years as she spoke about the current state of IndiaAustralia relations. And when it was time to dance, both her classical bharatanatyam as well as her Bollywood-style performances were executed to perfection.
And that is what the organisers of the contest are seeking. Raj Suri, founder of the pageant in collaboration with Miss India Worldwide, explained, “We look for glamour as well as talent. And a good mix of east and west, to reflect our joint heritage as Indians as well as non-resident Indians.”
Pallavi, born in Perth and raised in Melbourne, fit the bill perfectly this year, with the added quality of self-assured confidence.
The contest
Auditions were held across Australia and finalists came from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Among them were, impressively, doctors, engineers, lawyers and teachers. There were no professional models, and most participants listed dance as a passion.
On the night itself, the girls had gone through weeks of rehearsals, and were ready to face the audience.
The Formal Wear round was quite conventional, but the Talent Round
brought forth some surprise items. While the mandatory Bollywood dance was predictable, Neha cleverly converted Khaike Paan Banaraswala into an act and got the crowd going; Menaka put in some gymnastic poses in her snake-dance bharatanatyam item; Helena’s Radha Krishna number combined classical Indian with hip hop, and Inderpreet carried off her unusual choice of Sikh shabad simply beautifully. But Pallavi’s bharatanatyaminspired number was pure class: by now she had established very strongly that she was a cut above the rest.
The Q&A round included some predicted questions on the issues currently perturbing our two countries, and gave the girls an opportunity to wax forth on what they can do in the area - a welcome change from the “world peace” and “underprivileged children” kind of replies.
Among other memorable moments from the contest, were outgoing winner Kanchan’s dignified manner, MC Shivani’s brave attempts to enthuse the audience, 17-year-old Sonkia’s promise-filled exit speech, and Sherissa’s unbridled joy at being picked Miss Congeniality.
In a brave new addition this year, international models participated as well in a separate section, strutting on the ramp, flaunting a bit of body encased in fashion swimwear, and even entertaining the audience with short acts.
“We can’t exist as Indians only – we have to be part of the mainstream,” Raj explained. “And with the show, we’ve reached a level where we’ve simply had to incorporate the wider community. Just as we as Indians have to go out there, we have to provide an avenue for the mainstream to come in. And that’s how the international segment was born.”
It turned out to be a segment separate from the Miss India Australia contest. The participants were found from Raj’s own contacts as a fashion photographer, and with the help of modeling agency AdPro Management Group (which has represented Miss Universe Australia Rachael Finch).
Of course, the segment cleverly allowed for the swimsuit round to slip into the whole show, so far considered way too bold for Indian sensibilities. It was bindis and bikinis as the girls strutted their stuff, and the audience didn’t quite know what to make of it all.
The Pashmina round however, was an innovative way to integrate the international segment with the overall Indian link. As the girls took to the catwalk, their plain jeans and nondescript tops made sure the
attention was all on the lovely shawls. The MC’s running commentary on the history of Pashmina art drew further awareness on this garment, which has become Indian fashion’s ubiquitous offering to the western world.
An Indian choreographer handled this segment, and Raj expressed satisfaction with how it panned out.
“Yes, the girls learnt how to carry it off quite well, I thought,” he said later.
In the talent round, two participants presented their acts. Aimy Zad, in her intense film scene, managed to throw in a loud political statement - and some censorable language. Sophie Serafino, vibrant in beautiful red, impressed with her animated violin playing which saw her traverse the length and breadth of the stage (and even up and down the stairs – no mean feat that, with her long flowing dress and those killer heels).
Special guest Sanjay Suri, who also served as one of the judges, brought in the magic
Beauty, brains, vision and ambition are an unusual combination in one so young, but Pallavi Sharda has proved to embody all these qualities
of Bollywood even though he has grown to become an ambassador for the industry’s “thinking” films. He spoke passionately about his latest project, the I am series of films, which seems definitely bound for critical acclaim and a possible run on the international film festival circuit. The film clip he brought along with him, set in Kashmir and featuring Juhi Chawla and Manisha Koirala, was intriguing to say the least.
About Pallavi Sharda
Pallavi has been performing on stage since she was three. It all began with small functions in Melbourne’s Indian community, and went on to serious dance at high school and Uni. Dance workshops incorporating various styles followed. Widening her scope, she took to journalism (she’s penned a few
her own show on Melbourne’s Syn FM station, as well as on radio in India and Singapore.
But the entertainment scene has been a childhood dream.
“I’ve let journalism become a long-term goal. For now, I want to realise that childhood dream,” she claimed.
She packed her bags for Mumbai in 2008, and with no contacts in the industry there, began making the rounds with her portfolio.
It was a hard slog before her first big gig came along - a Prahlad Kakkar commercial, no less, for a mouth freshener. Meanwhile, she was picked up for a role in the stage comedy 1888 Dial India. A more prestigious shampoo ad (Sunsilk) followed, and by now Karan Johar had noticed the fresh appeal in
this talented newcomer. He sought her out and offered her a cameo in his film My Name is Khan
It must have been a dream beginning in the film industry.
“Yes, my first big venture with a director of the stature of Karan Johar, and working alongside a star of the stature of Shah Rukh – I couldn’t have asked for more,” revealed Pallavi.
This talented young lady filmed in LA for four days, and if you’ve seen the movie you’ll know her as the young Muslim lady who feeds rotis to the lead character Shah Rukh.
The role also came at the right time, as Pallavi had just decided she did not want to do any more ads, preferring to concentrate on acting instead.
Pallavi will soon be seen opposite Manoj Bajpai in the film Dus Tola, and in an IndianAmerican feature It’s All Been Arranged, both ready for release. Two more features are lined up, one in a Kareena Kapoor film.
But if you’re thinking this girl is all about tinsel and stardust, think again. For someone whose parents and grandparents are hardcore academics, she is by her own admission, “quite nerdy”.
She may come from a typical Punjabi family, but she speaks fluent Tamil, Bangla and even French.
Her law degree in international human rights opened the path to a job at the Australia India Institute, where she is currently working on a project on the Indian students’ issue. “I’d like to see steps taken to have the violence reduced, and pastoral care increased,” she noted.
She hopes to put her MIA win to good advantage in her work at the Institute.
“It all complements each other… I seem to have the right skill-set to achieve what I want to,” said Pallavi.
With her work commitments both at the University and in the entertainment scene in India, Pallavi missed a day of rehearsals for the Sydney event. “But I’m in my element when I’m performing, so I was cool with it,” she stated confidently.
She also enjoyed making friends with the other girls. “It was fantastic meeting these confident, inspired girls. Like me, they want to create a presence for themselves… Indian communities in other countries have been able to rise up, and we would all like to do the same,” she said enthusiastically.
She was particularly pleased with the question she got in the last round: as Miss India Australia, what would you do to improve India –Australia relations?
“I know it is the luck of the draw really, but it is something I’m passionate about so I could be true to myself while answering,” said Pallavi. Her answer clinched it for her.
Currently, Pallavi is on her way to South Africa for the Miss India World event in late March. While the MIA team has high hopes from her, there is a small setback. Soon after her Sydney win, Pallavi suffered an accident during a morning jog, and had to have surgery to her chin and hand. This has meant changes to her planned competition routine.
“She’s a fighter,” said Raj, revealing that she even considered dropping out, but he was able to convince her to stick with it. “My whole team will be with her, offering every support possible.”
Pallavi herself is stoic about it.
“It’s been a phenomenal start to the year… perhaps it’s just God’s way of balancing things out,” she averred.
But with her characteristically studied attitude to everything, Pallavi has reorganised her presentation with careful thought, and is certain she will perform to the best of her abilities.
Here’s hoping she brings home the crown.
For someone whose parents and grandparents are hardcore academics, Pallavi is by her own admission, “quite nerdy”Pallavi Sharda (centre) with outgoing beauty queen Kanchan Verma, Bollywood actor Sanjay Suri, MIA organiser Raj Suri and co-contestants Pallavi Photos including cover: Raj Suri/Miss India Australia
BY SHIVANGI AMBANI-GANDHI
Mumbai-born Nafisa has won the Packing Room Prize in conjunction with the 2010 Archibald Prize for her portrait of Glenn Baker, rock historian and travel writer. The Packing Room Prize is selected by Gallery staff who receive the entries, and includes a $1000 cash prize.
Unusually this year, Nafisa’s work has also been nominated by the trustees as one of the 35 finalists in the main Archibald Prize.
Speaking about the winning work titled Glenn in black and white, Nafisa said that the portrait reveals the yin and yang of Baker’s personality. “Glenn is well known as a rock historian, but wants to be remembered as a travel writer.”
The portrait’s large size befits Baker’s larger-than-life personality. “His face lends itself to a large painting - it has a lot of character,” says Nafisa. “Also the viewer must stand at least 10 feet away to first engage with it - reflecting the distance created by Glenn’s celebrity status. However, once you know Glenn a little bit you get closer to him. Similarly, I wanted the viewer to be drawn to the portrait, so I put a lot of details into it.”
The oil-paint artist chose to work instead with water colour, ink, acrylic, pastel and a scalpel. “This allows the image to come in layers. Also, the large size allowed me to be liberal with my strokes,” said Nafisa.
Rather than her usual flurry of colours, Nafisa chose this time to work in black and white.
“Glenn is a historian and history is usually depicted in black and white,” explains Nafisa.
The monotone painting also creates more drama. “I wanted to capture Glenn’s warmth and generosity.”
She met Baker through her work for Jeans 4 Genes, the fundraising arm of the Children’s Medical Research Institute. “Each year he helps secure celebrity jeans, which are then painted by selected artists and auctioned at a charity function.”
Nafisa has painted on these celebrity jeans, including those of Janet Jackson, Gweneth Paltrow, Mick Jagger and Hugh Jackman.
“Glenn gives time to charity and is a generous spirit. We are also working on another project, Animal Works, with two other wildlife conservationists.”
Animal Works supports the Wildlife Trust of India’s elephant orphanage in Assam, and
Nafisa visited the orphanage to create elephant drawings that were later auctioned at a charity function.
“I stayed and played with the elephants in Kaziranga National Park. The orphanage helps baby elephants, who are victims of the human-elephant conflict, to make it back into the wild.”
Closer to home, her paintings of the wildflowers found outside her studio in Headland Park in North Sydney, are a celebration of native Australian flora. “The paintings ask us to look carefully at what we have got. We shouldn’t be besotted with European cottage plants,” says Nafisa. “We will pay a lot of dollars for European flowers but often walk past this explosion of colours of these wildflowers without a second glance.”
Nafisa works with a magnifying glass to bring out the beauty of these wildflowers. “I have painted them in the 3-4 stages of the flowering of the pods and then blown it up to about 50 times. The paintings urge people to take the time and trouble to look at these flowers.”
A mural-size work of these wildflowers titled Regeneration: Beauty After the Burn won the First Prize for painting in the Florence Biennale in December 2007.
“One of the MCs of the function said that the painting was profoundly local, and profoundly personal,” recalls Nafisa.
The European viewers of this work found the wildflowers really alien. “They asked if these grew under water! The flowers are so structural and hardy; they speak of survival and resilience.”
Nafisa finds perhaps her own strength and resilience from these flowers. An artist’s struggle for recognition is never easy and Nafisa was rejected by 23 commercial galleries in Sydney and Melbourne before she was chosen for the Florence Biennale.
On a personal level, she had to sacrifice her family to follow her passion. “My first solo exhibition in 2002 was titled A Lingering Doubt and came soon after I split up with my husband. Doubt was the lingering feeling I had at the time.”
Besides the Packing Room Prize and the Florence Biennale, Nafisa has also been a finalist in the Blake Prize for Religious Art 2007 and the Dobell Drawing Prize 2005.
“As many awards as you win, you also wonder whether the sacrifice was worth it.”
Celebrate the spirit of unity and friendship as the iconic Queen’s Baton 2010 touches down in Australia.
values. This diversity in the Commonwealth Games family is both a challenge and a strength,” he added.
BY USHA ARVIND
The countdown has begun, not just for the 2010 Commonwealth Games at New Delhi, but for the much awaited Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) which will travel through four metros in Australia. As the baton touches down in Sydney on April 19, it will be a historic occasion no doubt; given that Melbourne was the previous host and Delhi, the immediate incumbent.
A long-standing tradition of the Commonwealth Games, the Baton’s journey symbolises the unity and shared ideals of Commonwealth nations, bringing communities across the world together. QBR has been curtain raiser to every Games since Cardiff in 1958.
Bearing the Queen’s message to the Games, the 2010 New Delhi baton was officially handed over to Indian President Pratibha Patil at Buckingham Palace in late October, and will travel 190,000 km, visiting 71 Commonwealth nations and all Indian states and union territories before arriving at the Indian capital on the eve of the opening ceremony. In the process, the baton will also have passed through thousands of hands, and travelled by different modes of transport across land, air and sea. QBR 2010 is expected be one of the longest relays in the history of the Games and India hopes to plant trees all along the 20,000km route the baton will take in the country. CWG 2010 is a first for India, and this is only the second time an Asian country has hosted the Games.
“The 2010 Commonwealth Games will be an exciting and unique experience for participants and visitors,” said Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) Chief Executive Officer, Perry Crosswhite. “For the future relevance of the Commonwealth Games, it is very important that nations like India host the event, and do so in such a way to reflect its society and
The ACGA has collaborated closely with the Indian High Commission, Consulates and CWG 2010 New Delhi team to make this event an unforgettable one.
Following a suggestion from the Indian government, the event will kick off from the ethnically diverse Parramatta region.
“Parramatta has a large Indian community, so I personally felt that it was an important milestone in the epic journey, ” Consul General (Sydney) Amit Dasgupta told Indian Link. “They have successfully staged the AR Rahman concert and plans are afoot for the maiden South Asian festival Parramasala. So it seemed a positive idea, if it could be done,” he added.
Community groups, particularly the Australia India Business Council, he indicated, have worked tirelessly to bring the event to Sydney and in the process forge strong new ties between the two nations.
Harris Park, which faced international media glare for all the wrong reasons putting diplomatic relation between India and Australia at strain, will proudly welcome the torch, showing off its multicultural heritage and spirit of sportsmanship.
Parramatta Council has organized a breakfast event at Harris Park to mark the arrival of the Baton, which will then make its way to Parramatta Town Hall for an official civic welcome. Athletes, children and well-known members of the local community are to carry the Baton along the route. A cultural tableaux by Indian and other ethnic groups is also being planned.
“Parramatta is proud to host the Queen’s Baton Relay and its journey is a fitting tribute to the communities residing here,” Lord Mayor Paul Garrard stated. “This is a special occasion for our city and a unique opportunity for the wonderfully diverse communities of Parramatta to be all involved in a great tradition,” he said.
“Earlier this year our city played host to the spectacular AR Rahman concert, entertaining over 50,000 people in Parramatta Park. That Parramatta has been
Culminating at the pinnacle is a precious jewellery box containing the Queen’s ‘message to the athletes’, which has been inscribed on a “patra” using modern technique of micro-calligraphy.
Weighing under 2 kg, it is embedded with GPS technology and features LED lighting, with image capturing and texting facilities.
A consortium led by Bharat Electronics Ltd, Titan Industries and Foley Design was entrusted with the responsibility of creating this masterpiece.
CWG2010 is India’s major multi-sport event since Asiad in 1982. This is only the second time the event has been hosted by an Asian country.
The Queen’s Baton Relay 2010 was inaugurated at Buckingham Palace in October last year and will clock over 180,000 kms. This tradition of a curtain raiser event has been followed since 1958 and for the first time in Melbourne 2006, the baton visited all nations in the Commonwealth.
chosen yet again to host this significant world-wide event reflects our growing status as a global city. It is also part of the reward for Council’s continued efforts to promote our city as a centre for major events.
I would like to thank the Consul General and the Indian Government for granting us this tremendous opportunity to promote our city and to correct some of the misperceptions circulated by the international media last year,” Cr Garrard added, inviting all Sydney residents to attend the historic event.
Fellow Councillor Dilip Chopra, of Hornsbyshire Council echoed his sentiments.
Complimenting the Parramatta Council for its strong pro-Indian initiatives, Chopra noted that Indian Australians are an eminent group, backed by strong education, professional work ethics and cultural values and therefore a worthy component of the mainstream socio-economic fabric.
“The council has the full support of the affluent and progressive Indian community, its business leaders and local diplomatic staff, and I am sure the event will be a thumping success. The relay will be significant not only to all in Sydney and its surrounding areas, but to the entire nation as well. Here is an opportunity for multicultural Australia to unite and show the world that we are a homogeneous and vibrant nation, ” he further added.
From Parramatta, the Baton will depart for Sydney via Parramatta River Ferry Wharf, arriving by military vessel to Man O War steps. The Baton will then travel to the iconic Opera House, where it will be welcomed at the forecourt by the a senior minister from the NSW government and High Commissioner of India Sujatha Singh. Cultural performances will celebrate the event, culminating with a business reception specially organised by AIBC at Hotel Sofitel.
The Baton’s next stop would be Melbourne, where an official reception has been planned at Federation Square with Lord Mayor Robert Doyle.
Steve Moneghetti, the Chef‐de‐Mission of the 2010 Australian Commonwealth Games Teamwill run the final leg from the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) and will be joined by VIS athletes and members from the local Indian community. Premier John Brumby is to host a fundraising dinner at the Regent Theatre, following which the baton will continue to Brisbane and Gold Coast, where it will be welcomed by Premier Anna Bligh and school kids.
Incidentally the Queensland government and ACGA jointly hope to bid for the 2018 games.
“It is only fitting that the newest economic leader of the Commonwealth of Nations is hosting the Commonwealth Games 2010,” former UIA president Raj
Natarajan said. India’s emergence as an economic super power in the last decade has further increased its stake to host big sporting events. “ The Australian leg of Queens Baton relay obviously is a double celebration for us, Australians of Indian origin, because we feel obviously proud to see the Games being held in the country of our birth but at the same time as Australians we would like to see the mighty Australian Team once again succeed and come out on top at the Delhi Games. The Commonwealth Games also remind us of the special relationship with Britain and it’s colonial links, which has left indelible mark on Indian society. Let us not forget that it is those links like the English language, democratic values and of course, love for the game of cricket, which has helped migrant Indians to assimilate with Australian society more readily than other migrant groups. This is the very reason why Indian migration to Australia is a success story and the Commonwealth Games signifies this important contribution to the lives of Indian Australians,” Natarajan further stated.
So, can New Delhi and its much touted USP Athithi Devo Bhava, match Melbourne’s example and pull off a triumphant winner? That’s the big question on everybody’s lips. Since the rising economic power won the bid to host the games, CWG 2010 has been dogged
by controversies surrounding delayed infrastructure projects, cost blowout and security.
“Of course, India can,” said an emphatic Amit Dasgupta. Quoting the Indian Prime Minister’s words that India is a young nation with an ancient history, Dasgupta predicts that “we will do even better, showcasing India’s strong spirit of friendship and brotherhood as well as our rich cultural heritage.”
“The Indian organisers are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of participants and spectators,” indicated Crosswhite, “and we are working closely with relevant Indian and Australian authorities. I have received substantial briefing on security measures both planned and in place for the Games, I believe that those responsible for Games security in Delhi are doing everything they can to ensure a successful Games.”
Dr Harry Harinath of Cricket NSW confirms this belief. “Having recently returned from India, I could see construction going on in full swing. India’s working methods are very different to our own, but it has a strong history of executing mammoth cricket events like the ongoing IPL without a glitch, so I don’t perceive any negative issues there. After all, India has a lot at stake here being a rising superpower and I am sure they will do a fantastic job,” he concluded.
Join the Queen’s Baton as it journeys through four cities from April 19-21
Sydney
Mon April 19
7.30 am: Relay commences with community activities, cultural tableaux at Wigram St Harris Park. Eminent citizens & children from St Olivers and Performing Art High
9.15 am: Lord Mayor of Parramatta Paul Garrard, Minister for Western Sydney David Borger, HC of India Sujatha Singh and Governor of Delhi participate in a parade through Parramatta CBD before heading to Town Hall for official reception (10-11 am)
11.15 AM: Prominent local identity to convey baton to Parramatta ferry wharf, where it will be transferred by Sydney Ferries to Homebush. Marine Rescue Vehicles will transport it to Man o War steps South.
1.15pm: Community identity to hand it over to a senior Government official to Box Office podium level for official welcome. Baton carriers will then convey the Baton across Opera House forecourt and East Circular Quay. Cultural displays will accompany the baton.
It will feature at India Australia Trade and Investment Forum at Sofitel Hotel in the early part of the evening.
Melbourne
Tuesday 20 April
10am-midday: Free public event with demonstrations by Victorian Institute for Sport, showcasing athletics, cycling, gymnastics and rowing. Get up close with your favourite sports personality. Ricki-Lee Coulter to perform at 11 am.
12 noon: Steve Moneghetti Chef de Mission Australia 2010 will lead VIS athletes and members from Indian community in the relay and hand over baton to Mayor.
12.30 pm: Reception by Lord Mayor of Melbourne Robert Doyle at Federation Square. As previous host, he will officially hand over baton to Indian High Commissioner, the next host.
Premier Brumby to host fundraising dinner organized by Victorian Commonwealth Games Association at Plaza Ballroom, Regent Theatre.
Brisbane/Gold Coast
Wednesday, 21 April
8.15 am: Official welcome by Premier Anna Bligh. The baton will make a school visit before proceeding to a reception by Lord Mayor of Brisbane.
1.45pm: Baton travels to Gold Coast with a celebration planned at Southport Broadwater parklands
Please note programme is subject to change. For updates, visit www.commonwealthgames.com.au
We were all in school once and we all lived to tell the tale. The most appreciative audience to whom we can relate stories of youth excesses and excitement can be found at a High School reunion. Reunions can be emotionally charged as participants cherish old memories and create new ones. The St. Mary’s Old Boys School reunion held recently was no different, as SMOBS converged in Australia to re-establish connection with long-lost friends.
St. Mary’s High School in Mazagoan, Mumbai was established in 1864 to provide education to catholic boys of the AngloIndian community. Over the years, school admissions were open to all communities. The Alumni boasts of some very famous people from around the world including Bollywood favourites Boman Irani and Sooraj Barjatya, musicians Zubin Mehta and Freddie Mercury and Olympian Adil Sumariwala, to name a few.
The SMOBS reunions have been held for the past twenty years with the last two held at Toronto and Mumbai. This year, about 60-70 boys and their partners visited Melbourne to reminisce about ‘the good old days’. SMOBS travelled from Ireland, India, Brazil, Perth and Sydney to touch base with childhood friends and make new friends in over a week of fun filled events. A special welcome was reserved for Malcolm Raymond, the oldest SMOB (class
of 1955) who also attended the reunion in Melbourne.
In Sydney, the SMOBS celebrated by organizing a Salsa cruise on Darling Harbor, a walk around Sydney, finishing with dinner at the Rocks and a final dinner at the Irish Pub. Ivan Dias was responsible for the success of the Sydney leg of SMOB’s reunion, while credit went to Richard Perkins for coordinating activities in Perth before the SMOBS and their partners headed to Melbourne.
In Melbourne, hosts Phil and Peter Shaw-
Dennis had organized a week of activities starting with a meet and greet at Ramada Inn, golf evening at Australian Pitch & Putt, Puffing Billy train ride and a farewell dinner and dance at St. Anthony’s Parish, Noble Park. Fun and food were constantly on the agenda whether it was a spit roast dinner, subsidized golf, a delicious meal on Puffing Billy, Rockin DJ or a sumptuous Indian buffet.
Phil Shaw-Dennis and his wife Debbie made light of all the effort that goes into coordinating such an event right from
locating school alumni, preparing and mailing registrations, booking venues, selecting the menu or caterers, collecting fees and organizing every little detail. “It was a lot of running around but we managed it with the help of all the local SMOBS, Peter and his wife Patricia,” said Phil. “It’s worth the effort to see everyone having a good time and remembering, what most claim were, the best days of their lives,” said Phil.
For the SMOBs it was a positive and reaffirming experience to catch up, talk about what everyone’s been up to, how they’ve changed, and what they’ve accomplished over the years. Notes on careers and families were exchanged, old romances revived and romantic dreams relived. Francesco and Nancy Nunes who travelled all the way from Brazil will now host the next reunion in Rio De Janeiro.
Sampling the hors d’ouvres and dancing the night away, SMOB Henry Robbins summed the event beautifully. “Reunions are a great social ritual. I love attending them to reconnect with old friends and purge emotional demons (not that I have any). While this event brought a flood of old memories it also created new and exciting possibilities. Here’s to the next reunion in Rio, Copacabana and carnivals here I come…,” he said enthusiastically.
Food, inarguably, is one of the most accessible ways to experience another culture. It’s also a great way of bringing people together, which can further boost mutual understanding, tolerance and respect in society. And this was perfectly demonstrated by AMI Education (Swanston Street Campus) which celebrated Harmony Day and the graduation of Certificate 3 (Commercial Cookery) students of classes 11A and 11B on March 18 at the Red Whisk Café in the heart of the city.
The focus, of course, was the delectable spread prepared by the hospitality students under the deft guidance of their trainers. What was striking, however, was the unique concept of symbolising and upholding the spirit of cultural harmony through the prudently composed international menu. This was well demonstrated by the innovatively designed menu card, which illustrated the overarching message of harmony through the deft use of flags and scripts to highlight national cuisines. Fares such as Tom Yum Goong (a prawn soup with distinct hot and sour flavours enhanced with fragrant herbs and crushed chilly peppers) from Thailand, Mattar Paneer (cottage cheese and peas in a sweet and spicy sauce) from India, Tossed Garden Salad and Roasted Turkey representing Western cuisine, Special Fried Rice from China and Rice Paper Rolls from Vietnam were a few delicacies among the elaborate spread that not only enticed the eyes and tingled the taste buds, but also propagated the multicultural splendor of Australia..
Students manning the serving counters beamed with
expectant pride as the admiring and famished guests gazed hungrily at their exquisite creations. The aroma of harmony was indeed in the air as they spiritedly expounded on their preparations at this special graduation banquet. Dhruti Modi, a student at the institute from India spoke about how every day on the course was harmony day for her as she picked up culinary skills and gained confidence in a friendly, motivating and supportive environment. Similar sentiments were echoed by fellow students Sham Maudhoo from Mauritius and Dongye Gao from China.
The grand banquet, undoubtedly, demonstrated the expert guidance, direction and supervision provided by the trainers. Reece Thomas, teacher of a number of hospitality training packages and Arvinder Jabbal, assistant program coordinator, hospitality management, were amongst them.
The activities on the day truly were a celebration of AMI’s
successes as a culturally diverse educational community.
Bryan Cole, Director of Studies (Hospitality), welcomed all and talked about how AMI strongly emphasises on being together and respecting and appreciating other culture.
Esther Teo, Head of the Academic Division, in her stirring speech said that Harmony Day is all about people meeting people, supporting each other and enjoying each others’ company, irrespective of cultural considerations. In addition to that, Harmony Day, she stated, stood for thinking not only about oneself but also about the other person and being a friend to the other person.
An awards ceremony was held to felicitate students who had participated in a cookery competition held by the institute earlier. The winning team, aptly named Friendship, was represented by Thi Van Nguyen, Thi Thuy Linh Nguyen and Kim No Doan and their show stealing menu was Zucchini Soup, Barramundi in Sherry Vinegar and Chilly and Raspberry Tart in Hazelnut and Coconut Pastry.
One could visualize how seamlessly the Australian Government’s Express Yourself theme for the 2010 Harmony Day had blended into this special banquet. And as everyone happily tucked into the delightful spread, the clink of the cutlery and the buzz of the merry gathering created a perfect ambience for relishing the taste of harmony. Truly, in tandem with the spirit of Harmony Day, the celebration at AMI professed that “Everyone Belongs”.
Unlike Shahrukh Khan in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, I did not have to take a flight to reach a village in Punjab to feel the essence of being Punjabi. Instead, all I had to do was attend the Gurdas Maan show in Melbourne. The Punjab Express began from the time I parked my car outside the Melbourne Convention Centre. People in glittery salwar kurtas and colourful turbans could be seen heading towards the new entertainment precinct. Groups of Punjabi speaking youngsters hung around outside the venue talking on their mobile phones. Beautiful Punjabi girls with long hair and short kurtis chatted excitedly, and little kids ran amuck inside the hall. So far, so Punjabi!
Maan employed his various talents as poet, lyricist, musician, singer, actor and composer all rolled into one.
Security was strong and very visible. The hall was buzzing with hundreds of people of all ages and the excitement was palpable. When the king of Punjabi melody finally took centrestage in red lungi kurta (traditional Punjabi outfit), the applause was thunderous. He launched straight into it with a prayer followed by a 15 minute rendition of his famous song ishaq da girdha. The audience was captivated from the first note, as Gurdas Maan employed his various talents as poet, lyricist, musician, singer, actor and composer all rolled into one. He sang all his famous songs and sneaked in a few not so famous ones with great aplomb. Songs like Baabe Bhangra Paunde and Apna Punjab Hove roused the audience to their feet, songs like Cycle evoked nostalgia, while thiyan and challa made many sentimental. Either way Gurdas Maan kept his audience engaged throughout his performance.
Gurdas Maan has held his own despite the influx of Daler Mehndi, Bally Sagoo, Malkit and Sukhbir into the world of Punjabi music. He has recorded over 27 albums and written over 200 songs, a remarkable feat for someone who had no formal training in music. Born to a family of farmers near Faridkot in Punjab, Gurdas
Maan was a sportsman with a black belt in judo before fate offered him an opportunity to sing dil da mamla hai on TV. The song was a massive hit and set the trajectory of his singing career. Today Gurdas Maan’s energy packed shows are enormously popular and he has a considerable fan following across the globe. He has also acted in many Punjabi movies and provided playback to many film songs. His latest movie release Sukhmani, was directed by his wife, Manjit Maan.
Sizzlin Events, who organized the Gurdas Maan show, felicitated Manjit Maan during the show and also donated a cheque of $5,100 to the Royal Children Hospital in Melbourne. Sizzlin Events spokesperson Goldy said, “With shows like these we make an effort to bring home memories craved by Indians living abroad. Gurdas Maan is a magical link to the image of Punjab that many people still carry in their hearts.” The many sponsors were Goldy Homes, Tingling Design, Magic Car Wash,
Jai Ho Indian Restaurant, Nova Institute of Technology, Australian Business and Broking Services etc. All the sponsors were duly acknowledged. There were handshakes, touching feet and hugs all round, another way of manifesting Punjabi emotions. I sat in the audience mostly enjoying the show, but enduring the constant posturing of some men in the audience who seemed to wander aimlessly through corners of the hall (but, thanks to good security, not obstructing my line of vision). I couldn’t fathom why they needed to stretch their legs within the first five minutes of the show, and every quarter thereafter. Note to myself: interview some of them to find out why they feel the need to wander in a show that they were clearly enjoying, judging by their unreserved applause. If you know why, do tell me or I promise to tell you when I find out.
Preeti JabbalA feast of music by a talented trio mesmerized its audience into a transcendental state of blissful delight, reports
KUDRAT SINGHBorn in the 1920s in Benares on the shores of the Ganges, Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury grew into a young man fascinated by the arts. In his pre-teens he travelled through Europe with his brother Uday’s dance troupe. This early exposure to music and drama developed into a fascinated interest in music. As a part of the troupe he dabbled in various instruments, finally settling for the sitar.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Ravi Shankar has worked with some of the world’s most respected composers and performers of classical and jazz music. His international career is attributed to his collaborative works with Yehudi Menuhin, the American violinist. He is the most recognisable name in the Indian music industry, within India and globally. Over the past seventy years he has composed music ranging from national songs to theatrical pieces; worked with the Indian People’s Theatre Association; been music director for All India Radio; married thrice, divorced twice and had numerous children; won two Grammy Awards; performed at Woodstock; taught at some of the most established universities in America… and all the while bettering his skills as a performer.
So in his penultimate performance in Sydney at the Opera House, nearing ninety and accompanied by his daughter Anoushka, Ravi Shankar came to say goodbye at his Farewell to Australia concert tour.
The audience was a mix of young and old, and of different nationalities. The sold-out show housed an array of young professionals, dressed to the hilt in fine saris and suits, as well as new age hippies with ‘Om’ tattoos on their backs. This audience was highly indicative of the power of celebrity, even in classical music. The link with the Beatles will always be a major drawing card for Ravi Shankar as far as his western audience is concerned. For some, this was a reason to attend his concert; others were there for more spiritual reasons. The Indian contingent, of course, was there because of the reputation of the man, even if they weren’t familiar with his or Anoushka’s work. The ‘Shankar’ brand name seems to have transcended generations and continents, aided by his extravagant romances which have dubbed Shankar the ‘Mick Jagger’ of India.
Thrilled, intrigued and enthralled by the anticipation, neither Ravi nor Anoushka Shankar disappointed. There aren’t enough superlatives in the English language to begin to articulate Ravi Shankar’s abilities as a sitar player, composer and classical musician.
Anoushka Shankar, however, is a little easier to dissect.
This stunning Indian musician with her wonderfully charming American accent took to stage like a fish to water. Accompanied by the incredible tabla player Tanmoy Bose, Anoushka produced an array of ragas, starting with Madhuvanti, varying in their time structures and
musicality. After a somewhat shaky start to her solo performance in the first half of the show, she powered on, displaying her amazing abilities on the sitar. Once she had settled into the rhythm, Anoushka was unstoppable. By no fault of hers, comparisons did arise - could she be as great as her father? Naturally, this question can only be answered in time. What is apparent though, is that Anoushka Shankar’s talent has been worked on relentlessly. She performed as most classical musicians do, with a formal focus on the sound and rhythm. She might not have exuded the passion that Ravi Shankar and Tanmoy Bose did as they played, but what she lacked in authenticity, she made up for in presentation. The pace at which she played was phenomenal and the sounds she created were truly mesmerising, leading the audience through a trance-like state.
The second half of the evening began with a standing ovation for one of India’s most influential and respected musicians. At 89, Ravi Shankar was accompanied on stage by his daughter and Bose. In appearance he resembled most of his peers; his frailty apparent in his inability to sit cross-legged on stage, but the resemblance began and ended there. His benevolence and love for the audience and for his music was overwhelming. His interaction with the audience was genuine, as he joked about being in Sydney and being unable to tune his own sitar. Shankar justly deserved the applause for his genius and indeed, it was unfathomable, entirely unbelievable, to see a
genius at work. Regardless of his age and his stance, Ravi Shankar played his instrument unlike anyone else. His musicianship is one which comes from within; an unstoppable current which electrifies every part of your being and leaves you wanting more. His is a talent which pushes others to the next level.
Bose played harder, faster and more ambitiously than in the previous session. Anoushka upped her game, as she tried to keep up with her aging father. This was not the same man who walked on and off stage. Whilst playing, Shankar was transformed into another, more youthful man; his energy was breathtaking.
The most joyous moment of the evening was when the trio played the Baageshwari Raga. Explaining that this raga was once more inclined towards improvisation, Ravi Shankar toyed and challenged Anoushka and Bose. Playing this particular raga for close to thirty minutes, the audience was lulled into a trance and snapped from it repetitively as the sitars came in and out. Bose’s display went beyond all expectations in his solo performance, midway through this raga. The audience, overwhelmed by this unexpected burst on the tablas, were silenced by Ravi Shankar as he raised his old, shaky arm in the air. Unperturbed, Bose kept playing.
It was truly magical to see the Shankars perform together and to have Bose in on the action. Some musicians are born and others are trained. As much as Anoushka might belong in the latter, Ravi Shankar and Tanmoy Bose are born artists. They let you in, even if it’s only for the duration of a raga, to a higher ground, a place which ordinary beings cannot find on their own.
For anyone who loves Indian classical music or music in general, do not pass the chance of seeing Ravi Shankar perform. It is a performance which will move your soul and leave you wishing you were him for just a moment, so that you too could know what it feels like to be a humble genius.
(Shankar’s) musicianship is one which comes from within; an unstoppable current which electrifies every part of your being and leaves you wanting more
Chandrabhanu Bharatalaya Dance Academy put up a stunning night w night with Sam Goraya’s scintillating dancing talent and captivating moves. On March 21, an audience at Richmond witnessed something that they could have only imagined. Six perfect performances of Odissi, one of the most sensuous and ancient dance forms were accompanied by the soothing sound of an Indian orchestra.
Sam has achieved his highly artistic skills under the auspicious tutelage of four gurus and the performances were a portrayal of his high state of consciousness through dance, as well as the teaching of all his gurus. He named the event which means showing the right
I am glad I attended this magical performance, as missing it would have been regrettable. Sam dressed like Krishna, resplendent in peacock feathers as headgear and traditional Odissi dress. The stage looked serene with a life-size image of Lord Jagannath, one of Krishna’s incarnations. The performance began with mediation to the Goddess of Earth, Saraswati, followed by a bow before Lord Jagannath. The salutation performance was called the Mangala Charanamdedicated to the God, Gurus and
The next performance, Pallavi, with a soothing was an unfolding of rhythm and melody and its highlights were the lyrical
of Krishna talking to the gopis and rejects his love. Krishna reclines on a cool couch of moist lotuses, while Radha cries in hollow despair. This dance depicts the disagreement, sadness and final reconciliation as they fall back in love.
It was hard to take one’s eyes off the stage as Sam’s moves, gestures and postures were superlatively perfect. The following performance was rather a naughty one, in which Krishna takes away Radha’s sari. To save herself from embarrassment, Radha tries to please him in a scintillating performance.
Panchakshara Stotram, a performance dedicated to Lord Shiva raised goosebumps in the audience. The lighting, music and dance were outstanding. The concluding performance was the moksha nata and sarva mangla. Moksha is the dance of release, the ultimate aim in life. It was a pure dance and a finale par excellence. Homage to Narayana and a prayer for everyone’s well being marked the end the great evening.
Sam is a man of many talents with a PHD in mathematics, four Masters’ degrees and a trained dancer. At 47, Sam dances like a 20 year old and brilliantly balances a regular job, teaching maths and dancing. When asked how such different spheres draw his interest, Sam replied, “I believe mathematics and dancing are very close; maths helps me perform better. I calculate and count moves.” I don’t disagree with Sam, but Isaac Newton, Archimedes and Aryabhatta might not agree on viewing his performance. Dancing since the past 40 years, Sam began under the guidance of his mother, who was an Odissi dancer. He believes his training at Gandharv Mahavidalaya added to his love of the art form. Sam said that dancing has always been a hobby. “It is like meditation, I do it because it keeps me alive,” he remaked candidly.
Sam left India in 1987, but he continues to visit his homeland. “I love India, I don’t know, there is something that makes me keep going back, even my family has migrated, I still make it a point that I go back to where my roots are,”
The Mysore Brothers recently performed at the BMW Edge Auditorium, in a violin concert organized by InConcert. The exceptionally talented Manjunath and Nagaraj Mysore were accompanied by Sridhar Chari and Arjun Kumar on the mrudangam. They enthralled the audience with their virtuosity and demonstrated the importance of sadhakam in the fast tempo in which they delivered some segments. BMW Edge, offering a view of the birds in the Yarra River as a backdrop, set a great atmosphere for the music of the virtuoso duo. A collection of splendid paintings from Shrishti Muralidhar also provided the right mood for the evening.
Nattakuranji pada varnam Chalamela (Adi) was the first piece which set a brisk pace for the rest of the concert. Nagaraj played a brief alapana of Kapinarayani and this was followed by the kriti Sarasa samadhana in a racy style. Bahudari was the first raga to be elaborated in detail by Nagaraj: The alaapana brimmed with raga bhaava and was a truly detailed rendering which focused on the aesthetic aspects of the raga. After this, one is tempted to say that the duo is one of the finest exponents
nuances of the raga in the sangathis. The racy kalpanaswaras added to the delight and their speed was matched by both Sridhar and Arjun on the mrudangams.
Bhairavi was the main raaga of the evening and was superbly elaborated by Manjunath.
The raga offers vast scope for a musician with artistic and technical excellence and
sense of completeness. Upachaaramu kriti of Thyagaraja was presented and it was embellished with the rakthi aspects of the raga. The dual mridhangam thani was a fine display of the laya prowess with a mix of punch and vigour. It was truly enjoyable and pleasing to see both Sridhar and Arjun complementing each other to present tonal
The rasikas had enough time to get back home, discuss the music that still lingered in their ears and get ready for their work week ahead.
World renowned sitar legend Pandit Ravi Shankar was honoured by the University of Melbourne recently at a prestigious function. The 89-year-old sitar player was awarded a honorary degree of Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa), for his “outstanding commitment to music and humanity”. The Honourable Alex Chernov, Chancellor and Chairman of the Australia India Institute presented Pandit Shankar with the award, the highest honour awarded by the university. The musician has now joined an elite league of previous recipients including Burmese democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi; former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson; art critic and author Robert Hughes; indigenous rights activist Lowitja O’Donoghue; the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people the Dalai Lama; academic and commentator on public issues Germaine Geer, and distinguished Australian scientist Professor Sir Gustav Nossal.
The honorary degree of Doctor of Laws is awarded by the University of Melbourne in recognition of people who have distinguished themselves through eminent public service or outstanding cultural achievement. A proposal for awarding the degree must be supported by a member majority of the University’s Academic Board.
The award was presented at a special conferring ceremony, and invitees included
members of Pandit Shankar’s family and troupe, senior academics and students of the University. Anoushka Shankar accompanied her father to the ceremony, which was organised by the Australia India Institute of University of Melbourne.
Alex Chernov said that Ravi Shankar is regarded as a “singular phenomenon in the classical music world of both, East and West.” He further added that the sitarist is the only one who brings them both together through his music.
For the first time ever, a team of 18 Indian cyclists trained in Australia for a month in readiness for the Commonwealth Games 2010, to be hosted in Delhi. The team of 12 male and six female cyclists roughed it out in NSW’s North Coast alongside regional clubs, under the watchful eyes of Aussie coaches.
The cyclists underwent rigorous training in idyllic conditions throughout the Burringbar Ranges and the Tweed Valley until the end of last month, and also trained in Sydney’s Olympic Park for a few days, in the run-up the Commonwealth Games slated for October 3-14 this year.
“This is the first time that an Indian team has been given assistance from and trained, in Australia. It is hopefully, the start of many good things to come. Similar occurrences have happened with Malaysian and Japanese teams that have had a long association with Australia and have cyclists training in Australia,” Phill Bates, President of St George Cycling Club in Sydney, told Indian Link
“The World body, the Union Cyclist International (UCI), has been also assisting nations with less cycling experience to gain assistance from successful international coaches like Graham Seers, a Moscow Olympian. The UCI even has training camps for cyclists from emerging countries to train with specialised coaches in Switzerland,” added Bates, a Board Member of NSW Sports Federation and former Track
Commissioner of the UCI.
“The Minister for Sport & Recreation, the Hon. Kevin Greene, is also pleased that our coaches are assisting the development of the cyclists in India,” he observed.
Minister Kevin Greene, in a press statement, said “NSW has a lot to offer International sporting teams and this is a great example of a very large cycling contingent making use of our countryside and roadways. On top of that, the team is
Geoff Stevens, President of the Academic Board, called Shankar a remarkable musician and praised his outstanding work for society and mankind.
Pandit Shankar, whose father was a lawyer, responded to the honour by saying, “I am overwhelmed and humbled by this award. I can only say that I am deeply honoured and thankful for being recognised.”
Ravi Shankar was in the country to perform in different states with his daughter Anoushka.
Eleanor Holden, patron of the arts who attended the Melbourne concert said that the musician played to a packed house. The first half comprised of Anoushka’s performance with the band. After the interval, it was Pandit Shankar’s turn and he excelled, as usual.
Said Eleanor, “Ravi Shankar may be physically fragile in some part, but those sinewy fingers of a ninety year old were still able to compete with Tanmoy’s bounce on the tabla. This concert was a special pleasure.”
Ravi Shankar’s acceptance of this prestigious award is a positive step towards a better Australia-India relationship, which has faced some rough weather since the past year.
Pandit Ravi Shankar has been credited with the concept of the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh in tandem with George Harrison from The Beatles. They raised money for refugees flowing into India, paving the way for today’s high profile benefit concerts. Pandit Shankar who had given Harrison sitar lessons, considered him as a son.
Pandit Shankar has performed extensively in approximately 40 concerts in the late 1990s. Through his 79-year career he has been a musician, lecturer, music composer and has taken on various other roles, which are only recorded in books. His contribution to the music of the movie Gandhi remains evergreen.
Priya Rajan
throughout NSW and southern Queensland. and staff were building a great cornerstone for the future. “Despite cycling being a major way of transport in India, the sport of cycling is not popular. The opportunity of utilising parts of NSW to enhance their training and racing has been a great help in their advancement,” he said.
The cyclists were accompanied by six management and coaching staff from India. After their month-long stay, the contingent will be competing in the Asian Games in April in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, followed by a test event in Delhi on the newly constructed velodrome, before linking with an Australian racing squad in Boulder USA for high altitude training and racing in June.
also competing against many regional clubs, like Murwillumbah and Byron Bay.” Minister Greene added it was great to see former NSW Olympians, Graham Seers and Cliff Burvill, in charge of the training.
Seers, a Moscow Olympian and renowned international cycling coach, spent seven months in India preparing the cycling team before bring them to NSW; while Burvill, a 1956 Olympic track cyclist, helped with the ground logistics and organising events
The final few months training in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games will take place in Delhi and Patiala in India. The cyclists will spend their last few days in Australia training at the Dunc Gray Olympic Velodrome at Bass Hill – their first taste of competing indoor on a board track.
The Commonwealth Games track is well underway and will be ready for use at the end of April.
Preeti Kannan
BY SHAFEEN MUSTAQ
I didn’t like Rani Mukherjee for the stupidest reason. My favourite actor and actress are SRK and Kajol and my first exposure to Rani was in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai where my beloved Anjali loses her love to Tina. This indeed, was a grave error which set back Rani Mukherjee greatly in my esteem... but she has made leaps and bounds since then! Her films have silenced critics; her acting has wowed fans and converted many a sceptic. Her gravelly voice is now ‘unique’ and her short stature is now ‘cute’. Rani Mukherjee has carved a niche for herself in an industry that is quite her own, and to which she now offers the privilege of opening Beyond Bollywood, Australia’s Indian Film Festival for 2010.
It was a bubbly, talkative, congenial Rani who responded with perfect alacrity and charm at a meetthe-press in Sydney.
“I hope that the films in the festival will give Australians a glimpse into India and its rich cultural heritage, through the eyes of Bollywood,” she said. “Cinema is about opening up one culture to other cultures.
Indian movies reveal a lot about our way of life and traditions; they are all about heart and emotions... ”
Speaking about her own career in films which began she was 17, Rani said her first films - the Hindi Raja Ki Ayegi Baraat and the Bengali Biyer Phool (directed by her dad Ram Mukherjee) - released together. At that age, Rani admits, she indiscriminately worked in whichever films came her way; by her own admission she didn’t know any better and the excitement at actually being offered so many opportunities was wonderful to a newcomer. However, Rani soon became more discerning on realising that what she really wanted to do was meaningful cinema that would shape the industry, not just any role that came her way.
There’s no doubt that Rani is a near-perfectionist
KANK I play a woman who cheats on her husband. But it wasn’t about cheating or having an affair, it was about following your heart and that was the message I was trying to convey… Playing a very diverse range of roles and working with talented people has helped me grow into a better actor and person”.
What’s also important for the actress is who she works with.
“Making Bunty aur Babli was a lot of fun, while Paheli was Shah Rukh Khan’s production. A romantic at heart, I enjoyed Hum Tum as it was a love story. Even KANK I identified with because it was about being true to oneself and working with Abhishek Bachchan was a treat. In Dil Bole Hadippa I got to experiment with my look as well as train in cricket, and I actually fell in love with the game! ”
Inspiration plays a big part in the career and future of this warm, bubbly actress. She admitted to the intention of working in every film that comes her way, but only if it inspires her. She is happy to do Bengali, Marathi, even French films, because of each one’s portrayal of characters and their performances. “It doesn’t matter where the film comes from; it’s about the film itself and if it inspires or challenges me,” said
challenges me as an actor,” she said.
On being asked about stepping into a directorial role, Rani was noncommittal. She admitted that after spending years as an actor in the film industry, it is assumed that the lure of directing a film is quite strong. “I will never say never because I don’t know what plans God has in store for me. If I get energy rush in my body and find a project I believe in, I will switch to directing,” she said.
And where would Rani be at this point of time if she wasn’t an actress?
“Probably married somewhere in Kolkata with a husband and two kids, making chappatis with my pallu tucked into my kamar”, she said, tongue in cheek. She said she owed her present success to her mother, who drove her to acting and supported her at every step of the way.
Rani admitted that she felt blessed, and that nothing in life is impossible, if one has the passion to do it. Acting and interacting with people within and without the industry has taught her so much and made her grateful to be alive and living in the world we live in.
We wish Rani all the very best in her upcoming film
As an actress she is among the top Bollywood brood for her talent and looks, but there’s much more to Rani Mukherjee than meets the eye
“Cinema is about opening up one culture to other cultures. Indian movies reveal a lot about our way of life and traditions; they are all about heart and emotions…”Rani makes time for her young fans Robert Doyle and John Brumby shake a leg with Rani and Sohail Young fans teach Sohail the Bollywood jhatkas
BY PREETI JABBAL
Bunty aur Babli, another improbable pair that hit Melbourne stage recently were Lord Mayor Robert Doyle and Bollywood queen Rani Mukherjee. Rani, in her flamboyant Bollywood ishtyle, professed to ‘be in love’ with the blushing/beaming mayor after having met him, for the first time, in a lunch meeting that day. She also added (very tongue-in-cheek) that she would have married him if she was born 20 years earlier. Friendly, flippant and flirtatious, Rani enamoured the Mayor and delighted her fans in Melbourne. Even John Brumby, the Victorian Premier, gave in to her charm and danced to Bollywood hits along with the petite star from India.
Rani was addressing a select audience of invitees at the gala awards night held at BMW Edge in Federation square. The awards night was part of the Bollywood and Beyond Film Festival organised by Mind Blowing Films. Also present were renowned directors Rajkumar Hirani (of 3 Idiots and fame) Imtiaz Ali (Love Aaj Kal and Jab We Met Singh (Dil Bole Hadippa) and Sohail Khan who filmed his latest feature Main Aur Mrs. Khanna The invitees were chuffed to rub shoulders with the cream of cinematic crop from Bollywood; however, it was the talented Rani who easily stole the show with her vivacious presence.
Even John Brumby, the Victorian Premier, gave in to her charm and danced to Bollywood hits along with the petite star from India
The Indian Film Festival 2010 was held at various venues around Melbourne starting with an inaugural event held at Cinema Nova in Carlton. The opening night saw Rani introduce her hit movies Dil Bole Hadippa and Black to the audience. The audience warmed up quickly to Rani as she answered their questions and singled them out in the audience. One enthusiast sang a little ditty for Rani and was rewarded with a hug from her. A ten-year-old girl was almost delirious when Rani agreed to sing with her on stage and later hugged and kissed her. During the short introduction several fans were presented with an opportunity to gain audience with the queen of Bollywood. It was a classic case of she came, she smiled, she spoke in her husky voice, she sang, danced and without a doubt, she conquered.
The magic continued over the next few days with the screenings of hits like 3 Idiots with an introduction from writer and director Raju Hirani while Sohail Khan introduced Main Aur Mrs Khanna. Both the screenings were held free of cost at Melbourne’s iconic Fed Square. Hundreds braved the elements to catch a glimpse of the magic makers and participate in the Q & As that followed the introductions.
Other Bollywood hits that featured during the festival were Paa, Dostana, Ghajini, Kaminey, Love Aaj Kal, Luck By Chance, Dev D, New York, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Wake up Sid. From regional India came Harishchandrachi Factory, Chaturanga, Mee Sreyobhilashi, Mudhal Mudhal Varai and Shob Choritro Kalponik Several award winning documentaries were also screened. People in Perth, Sydney and Auckland also experienced the wholesome Bollywood fare.
A short Film competition was held for the first time as part of the IFF 2010 and the prize for best film was picked up by Soya Milk (directed by Veeran and produced by Lester) and Asai (directed by Samson from Tamil Nadu, India). Director Kunal Kohli, Kabir Khan, Mick Molloy, Rajkumar Hirani and Imtiaz Ali were on the judging panel. A Bollywood dance fest was organised at Fed Square that saw enthusiastic participation from Melbournians. Winners and grinners danced to the beats of Desi Girls, Kadi te has bole re and Dola re dola
The ‘feel good’ formula that works with Bollywood films also worked at the festival. From the ardent Bollywood followers to those newly acquainted
for everyone.
Festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange agrees.
“Our biggest aim this year was to present a wide range of productions from all around India, rather than just the mainstream Bollywood industry. This year we had a great selection of regional films and documentaries. We wanted to present a fuller presence of Indian cinema. This is why this year’s festival was called “Bollywood and Beyond”. Bollywood is making a significant impact globally and our festival was a true representation of Indian cinema. The feedback so far has been very encouraging,” she said.
The glitz of Bollywood movies, the glamour of dressing up like a Bollywood star to win a prize, and the gossip of who met which star will keep the community abuzz for some time. The Facebook generation has already been documenting their brush with celebrity through posts and photographs. The Bollywood Festival 2010 will remain in the news way beyond its nominated dates. What worked wonderfully for this festival was the interactive and inclusive list of events. Let’s hope the organisers have made a mental note to continue with
Our Big Kitchen for an interview with director Rabbi Dovid Slavin, I am greeted by the smell of fresh baking, the sound of steely knives and a bustle of activity. The Jewish community kitchen in Bondi is gearing up for a regular day of cooking, as people from different backgrounds busily prepare delicacies they know best.
The idea was to go about (Mumbai) randomly handing out the biscuits, similar to how the terrorists had indiscriminately killed people
and move on. People’s lives had been shattered and terrorism is for real. While the Indian authorities and hospitals were going about doing their business, we felt the need to convey the message of compassion in a tangible way. Volunteers came together at Our Big Kitchen and we focussed on reaching out to children,” recounts the Rabbi, who is also the Ambulance Chaplin of the Sydney South Sector.
Kerala as traders.
The religious head is urging Indians and Australians to come and cook together at the community kitchen to foster friendship and overcome any feelings of animosity.
“There have been a shocking number of attacks against Indian students. We would love for the community to come together and bake for the families of victims back home. It is hard to be immigrants or be away from home. Cooking together would be a great opportunity for Indians and Australians to know each other better,” he says.
Rabbi Slavin
“If you are either an aspiring chef or simply find the idea of spreading compassion and humanity through food appealing, then this is the place to be in,” says Rabbi Slavin. The kitchen, which is only a few years old, has opened its doors for people from different faiths, backgrounds and ethnicity to come together to prepare meals for themselves or for others through volunteering and cookins. The concept of Our Big Kitchen is based on the belief that it is possible to empower people through food.
That is exactly what the kitchen did in the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attacks of 2008, where nearly 200 people were killed and over 300 injured.
“When tragedy happens, you just don’t see the news
Besides the fact that nine Jews including a Rabbi and his wife were killed, the community kitchen wanted to do its bit in empathising with the victims. Children and volunteers at the community kitchen baked thousands of biscuits and flew them to Mumbai with the help of Qantas, after which, Jewish volunteers distributed biscuits to children.
“Many people had lost loved ones and we wanted to let children know that love and humanity were very much part of our lives. The idea was to go about randomly handing out the biscuits, similar to how the terrorists had indiscriminately killed people. This was our way to respond to the situation,” says Rabbi Slavin, who is also the co-founder of Gift of Life, Australia.
Rabbi Slavin, who spent a few weeks in 1990 in the Indian subcontinent, recollects his stay with fond memories. He says that he was known as the ‘Kala dadiwala’ or the black-bearded man by children, for whom he ran a camp in Matheran. He says that the group of 170 Indian children were one of the most wellbehaved, happiest and lively children he had met.
The Jews in India, he observes, were well-integrated and have never felt any exclusion or discrimination or anti-Semitism, unlike in other parts of the world. As a religious minority in India, they are believed to have arrived 2,500 years ago and settled down in Cochin,
Indian chefs, he adds, are welcome to share their recipes with the broader community or even cook for the Police or Ambulance authorities to express their appreciation and friendship.
The people behind Our Big Kitchen are hoping that more people from all walks of life and from diverse backgrounds utilise the kitchen for charity or commercial purposes. According to them, a ‘cook-in’ is when a group of enthusiastic volunteers come in regularly for a few hours to help chop, cook, pack and generally keep the whole programme ticking along. The ingredients are sourced by Our Big Kitchen. The food prepared is added to a ‘pool’ of food for distribution. Individuals or groups can then purchase this food for a nominal charge.
The Pentagon, the US defence department, is actively lobbying for “more pressure” on New Delhi to ease tensions between India and Pakistan to win Islamabad’s cooperation in Afghanistan, the Wall Street Journal has reported. It has also revealed that US President Barack Obama had issued a “secret directive” to intensify diplomacy towards that aim.
Asserting that without detente between the two rivals, US efforts to win Pakistani cooperation in Afghanistan would suffer, the directive in December “concluded that India must make resolving its tensions with Pakistan a priority for progress to be made on US goals in the region”, the daily said citing “people familiar with its contents”. A debate continues within the administration over how hard to push India, which has long resisted outside intervention in the conflict with its neighbour, it said. “The Pentagon, in particular, has sought more pressure on New Delhi,” the influential daily said citing US and Indian officials.
The journal cited current and former US officials as saying the discussion in Washington over how to approach India has intensified as “Pakistan ratchets up requests that the US intercede in a series of continuing disputes”.
The Obama administration has, so far, made few concrete demands of New Delhi, it said citing US and Indian officials.
According to US officials cited by the Journal, the only specific request has been to “discourage India from getting more involved in training the Afghan military, to ease Pakistani concerns about getting squeezed by India on two borders.”
The directive to top foreign-policy and national-security officials was summarised in a memo written by National Security Adviser James Jones at the end of the White House’s three-month review of Afghan war policy in December, the daily said.
According to US and Indian officials cited by the Journal, “the Pentagon has emerged in internal Obama administration debates as an active lobbyist for more pressure on India, with some officials already informally
pressing Indian officials to take Pakistan’s concerns more seriously.”
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been among the more vocal advocates of a greater Indian role, “encouraging New Delhi to be more ‘transparent’ about its activities along the countries’ shared border and to cooperate more with Pakistan”, the Journal said citing a US military official.
US military officials were circumspect about what specific moves they would like to see from New Delhi, it said. “But according to people who have discussed India policy with Pentagon officials, the ideas discussed in internal debates include reducing the number of Indian troops in Kashmir or pulling back forces along the border.”
The State Department has “resisted such moves to pressure India, according to current and former US officials, insisting they could backfire,” the Journal said.
No consensus on women’s bill, discussions to continue The central government said it would continue discussions on the women’s reservation bill, after its meeting with leaders of parties in the Lok Sabha failed to reach a consensus as most opponents stuck to their stated positions.
“Further discussion will continue,” the government said in a statement after the nearly two-and-half hour meeting on the contentious bill that provides for 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The statement said leaders of various political parties expressed their views on the Constitution (108th Amendment Bill) 2008 at the meeting chaired by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is also leader of the house.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily and Defence Minister A.K. Antony also attended the meeting.
The bill, passed amid uproar in the Rajya Sabha in March, is opposed by the Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and a section of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U).
RJD leader Lalu Prasad, a strong opponent of the bill in its present form, said the legislation should provide reservation for Dalits, minorities and the backward castes.
Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said her party supported the bill but the interest of the minorities should be taken care of.
Ahead of the meeting, Lalu Prasad had said that he and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav would oppose the bill in its present form.
The government, which faces a bigger opposition to the bill in the Lok Sabha, wants to introduce it in the lower house in the second phase of the budget session that starts April 15.
Easter, signifying the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifiction, was celebrated Sunday in churches across northeast India with special prayer and worship programmes.
Over 5.3 million Christians live in Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Manipur while there are some Christians in the other northeastern states.
“The Salvation Army band party played “He’s risen” in Aizawl, Kohima and several other places in the northeast,” a Church head Zosangliana Colney told reporters.
Members of the Catholic Church broke their week-long traditional fast to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Christians celebrate the resurrection on Easter Day or Easter Sunday two days after Good Friday, the day of Christ’s crucifiction.
Churches in Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya play a very active role in the life and culture of the northeast states.
“Christianity is the harbinger of modernity as well as women’s liberation in Mizoram. The Christian missionaries, therefore, are regarded as a symbol of modernisation, leading to gradual changes in the conservative attitude of men towards women,” Colney added.
Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik said he would not leave India till his name is cleared
It had to take the grit and determination of a woman (nay two women) to bring to books the culprits in an honour killing of a young married couple (Manoj and Babli), on the orders of a khap(caste) panchayat in Haryana.
Their crime was to marry for love despite belonging to the same gotra (lineage), which so enraged their family members and local community that they were abducted and murdered.
Chandrapati, the widowed mother of Manoj, has earned the distinction of being the first woman in Haryana to have taken on the dreaded khap panchayat and fought a legal battle against the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
Chandrapati has done what even our so called leaders and administrators could not dare to do. She dared to challenge the credibility of these rural panchayats, which operate as a parallel judicial system, enforcing a brutal form of justice.
And coming to the aid of Chandrapati was another woman of substance - Vani Gopal Sharma - the additional district and sessions judge of Karnal. In a landmark judgement, she awarded the death penalty to 5 members of Babli’s family and a life sentence to the head of the khap panchayat for hatching a conspiracy to kill the couple.
In her 96 page long judgement the judge said, ‘the present case reflects a long-standing tradition of
oppression against women. It has to be curbed by legislation treating honour killings as a separate offence. I wonder how such a progressive society could allow such action in the name of community honour.’
The verdict sends a strong signal to these panchayats which have become a law unto themselves, with the silent consent of politicians and policemen, in some parts of India. According to one estimate, every year, more than 100 men and women are either killed or forced to commit suicide by khaps for not adhering to traditional norms.
Even as I write this piece, there is yet more news (Hindu paper dated 1.4.2010) of an apparent honour killing of a young couple in Punjab. The victims, hailing from Firozpur, were provided police protection on orders of Punjab and Haryana High Court after marrying against their parents’ wishes. Yet, they were shot dead by 5 people in full public view near Amritsar.
The verdict in Chandrapati’s case came after a tireless three-year long legal battle by her, when her life came to a standstill. Shunned by her own people and community, she fought single handedly against social orthodoxy. Her battle for justice, despite all odds and social ostracism by the community, is a source of inspiration to all of us.
She was happy at the verdict, but wanted punishment for those also who abetted and aided the crime. She wondered ‘How can people who kill our children be trusted to mete
in the controversy surrounding his alleged first marriage to a city girl.
Accompanied by his bride-to-be, Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, he spoke to media persons outside her residence and declared that they would marry on April 15 as scheduled.
“I am here for my marriage and to clear my name. I will, Inshaallah, clear my name and am cooperating with the police and Indian government. I will do everything,” Shoaib told reporters at a chaotic press conference.
Facing a volley of questions, the Pakistani batsman maintained that he had done nothing wrong and hence there was no question of apologising.
He also challenged Ayesha Siddiqui to come before the media, adding the world would know the truth once she comes out.
“I have never met the girl whose photographs were sent to me. I don’t know who is Ayesha. I used to call her (the girl who is claiming to be his first wife) Maha Apa and Apa means elder sister,” Shoaib said.
“I am here, why doesn’t she come before the camera, and I will answer all the questions.”
The cricketer admitted that police had taken away his passport after questioning him on the morning of April 5, but was confident that he would get it back by the evening.
“Nobody can touch me till charges against me are proved,” he said when asked if he fears arrest.
He said the Pakistani high commissioner in India spoke to him and assured him full assistance in clearing his name.
A tense-looking Sania said she was upset over the allegations, but claimed she knew the truth. “Our marriage will, Inshallah, take place on April 15. There is no question of postponing it,” she said.
“We are representing our countries in different ways, and it is very painful to speak on such matters,” Sania said.
Shoaib also termed Ayesha’s allegations “a cheap publicity gimmick”. To questions by reporters that Ayesha alleged she had got pregnant after her “marriage” with Shoaib and had had a
Continued on page 24
By SHOBHA SHUKLADespite her rustic and traditional upbringing, Chandrapati has the wisdom and courage to proclaim that children should have the freedom to choose their life partners.
Many of us elite city folks would do well to learn a lesson or two from her. It is not uncommon for highly educated urbanites to make life hell for their grown up sons and daughters if they dare to go against their parents’ dictates - be it choosing their life partner or even a profession of their choice. I am shocked to see the belligerent attitude of affluent families when it comes to marrying outside ones’ caste, or marrying without dowry, or even refusing to abort a female foetus. It seems that, as our horizons expand, our vision is becoming narrower.
It is hoped that the newly enforced ‘Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education’ Act will be another important step in developing progressive minds, free from social and religious bigotry and from prejudices of caste , creed and cultures. It is also hoped that the government amends the Indian Penal Code to make honour killings a separate offence with appropriate punishment.
But mere enactment of laws will not do. Enforcement of laws must be accompanied by a change in mindset. We need to educate ourselves and our children to live in peace and harmony with each other. We need many more Chandrapatis and Vanis.
“miscarriage”, Shoaib said: “Let her first prove it, and then let’s probe it.”
With the number of billionaires and high net worth individuals in India growing, business jet makers are intensifying efforts to sell their aircraft in India which industry sources say will need over 250 aircraft in the next 10 years.
“We are very optimistic about India. We have good business here as India is an expanding market,” said Roger Sperry, vice president, sales, of the US-based Gulfstream.
“Earlier most of our sales were in the US, but now at least 60 percent of our sales are outside. We have built new facilities for the production of our latest offerings,” Jerry said in an interview.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics. It had a record sale of 250 business jets in 2008 when recession spread worldwide. It is looking to increase its presence in the Asian market.
“Asia is the first to recover from recession. We are meeting with prospective customers,” Jerry had told IANS during the recent Hyderabad Air show.
Another player in the growing segment is Canada-based Bombardier. Its market forecast said that 1,030 deliveries will take place in the next 10 years (2009-18). And this includes 250 business jets for India and 300 for China.
“India represents tremendous opportunity for business aviation,” said Avid Dixon, Bombardier’s regional vice president, sales (Asia Pacific). Bombardier has a 24 percent market share in the region. It displayed Learjet 60 XR, Challenger 850 and Global 5000 business jets at the Hyderabad air show.
An Ernst & Young report had earlier said India forms 12 per cent of the worldwide business jets market, quoting the Brazilian executive jet manufacturer Embraer. The report said the demand for private or business jets in India is expected to grow at 50 per cent on an annual basis over the next few years.
Embraer, which has been showcasing its new mid-size jet, Legacy 500, in the country, is aiming to garner $1 billion by selling executive jets in the next 10 years.
Aviation industry reports say the demand for business jet is expected to go up by 14 percent a year in the next 10 years.
Experts say the main reason for the rise in demand is that a business aircraft is no more seen as a luxury but a tool for increased productivity. Private or business jets allow business leaders to use their time more productively.
And that’s why they say the Tata Group entered the space to start aircraft charter and fractional ownership programmes in the country and picked up a stake in BJETS - a Singapore- and Mumbai-based personal aviation provider in 2008.
According to Gulfstream, India’s present share of business jets fleet is less than one percent - 123 aircraft - of the 18,000 business jets worldwide.
The jet maker currently offers back-up support to its customers through Air Works, a maintenance, repair and overhauling (MRO) company in India.
The company will roll out by 2012 a new business jet, G650, which it says will be the biggest, fastest, longest range purpose-built business jet.
“We have successfully completed its first voyage aloft on Nov 25 last year and it is due to enter service in 2012. G650 can fly 51,000 ft and has a range of 7,000 nautical
miles,” said Jerry.
Fire safety top priority during Six hundred fire department personnel are to be deployed for the Delhi Commonwealth Games and a safety drill is being charted out for various agencies, says director of the Delhi Fire Service R.C. Sharma.
Sharma told IANS: “Special fire safety training will be provided to all the agencies involved in various activities of the Games.”
The mega sporting event will take place Oct 3-14.
The training will entail minute details of fire safety like people management through announcement systems in the event of a fire, training on the usage of fire exits and primary fire extinguishing.
In all, 600 fire department personnel would be deployed for the Games. They would be stationed at the venues with fire tenders. “A minimum of one fire tender would be stationed at every venue and two or three at bigger venues,” said Sharma.
Regarding No Objection Certificates (NOC) to all Games venues, Sharma said: “When construction is over, we will check everything and only then give clearances to the buildings.
“We will also hold special fire safety drills with all agencies involved with the Games - the special training by the fire department would be part of it,” said Sharma.
Apple iPad will take time to hit Indian market
Indians craving to get their hands on the Apple iPad will have to wait for a while as it will be still some time before it becomes available in the Indian market. Experts also believe that the tablet will create a new user segment in India.
Unveiled in January, the iPad lets users browse the web, read and send email, share photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games, read e-books and much more. The 9.7 inch touchscreen tablet is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds-thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook-and delivers battery life of up to 10 hours.
The product, touted as a device between smartphone and a laptop, was officially launched in the US market recently. Prices in the US start at $499 and the most advanced model costs $829. But Indians customers who are eagerly waiting to try the ‘game changing product’, as it is often called, will have to wait for some more time.
“iPad will be available in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models in late April in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. International pricing will be announced in April. iPad will ship in additional countries later this year,” said an official release.
Industry observers in the US believe the iPad could well outsell the Apple’s iPhone, launched in 2007, of which one million had been sold after 74 days on shop shelves.
However, considering price sensitive Indian market where consumers always look for a package product seeking maximum features in lowest possible amount, iPad may remain limited to the upper middle class segment only.
According to technology experts, besides the great features iPad has constraints too like it cannot multi-task, doesn’t have a external keyboard, disk drive or a USB drive.
The experts believe it would create a niche market for itself and emerge as a lifestyle product and not a mass product in India. “This product will create a new class. But given the Indian market scenario, iPad it is not going to have a mass market. It will be a niche product ... it will be a lifestyle product
...,” said Akhilesh Tuteja, executive director KPMG, a consulting firm.
“To start with, it will have buyers who would like to experience it. It will create a class of its own. For a complete experience, one needs to have peripherals. But iPad doesn’t have an external keyboard, no USB drive and disk drive,” Tuteja told IANS.
Explaining further, Tuteja said the secret to iPad’s success lies in the applications.
“The product is not the game changer. It is the applications on it, that would change the game and may take away the need of carrying laptop,” Tuteja added.
Mahesh Uppal, a telecommunication expert, said: “It is a very powerful product. Once 3G (third generation) services are in place in Indian market, then it will be much better.”
After it was unveiled by Apple in January, iPad was stated to be the next big thing to hit the market after iPhone. Creating a new segment, the device tries to blend in best features of a laptop, smartphone, book reader and offers a number of other services.
Technology lovers in India are keenly waiting to experience the new age device. Sudipto Roy, 31, who works in a multinational firm in Noida, said: “Since the day iPad was launched, I have been waiting for it. I can’t wait for months for its launch in India. I will ask my friend coming from US next month.”
Meanwhile, Apple has already geared up to provide thousands of applications for iPad users.
The App Store, a service by Apple, on iPad lets people wirelessly browse, buy and download new applications from the world’s largest application store. iPad will run almost all of the more than 150,000 applications on the App Store, including applications already purchased for iPhone or iPod touch.
Developers are already creating new applications designed for iPad that take advantage of its multi-touch interface, large screen and high-quality graphics.
The new iBooks application for iPad includes Apple’s new iBookstore, where one can buy and read books on it. The iTunes store gives iPad users access to the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalogue of over 12 million songs, over 55,000 TV episodes and over 8,500 films including over 2,500 in stunning high definition.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will soon join 43 global leaders in Washington for a summit on nuclear safety that aims to strengthen the mechanism to prevent nuclear devices from falling into the hands of terrorists.
The summit is being held at the initiative of US President Barack Obama.
Speaking to reporters on April 4, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said India saw the summit as an “important element in strengthening the international resolve to cooperate on nuclear security and supporting the expanded use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
“This will be to India’s benefit, given our concerns on terrorism as well as our interest in the expansion of civil nuclear energy,” she said, adding: “We have welcomed this initiative and have contributed substantively to the summit’s preparations.”
The prime minister will reach Washington on the afternoon of April 12 and attend a dinner hosted at the White House for the 40-plus visiting leaders, including Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Chinese Premier Hu Jintao.
“The discussions at the dinner will focus on the threat of nuclear terrorism, the primary reason why the summit has been convened,” said Rao.
When asked if the summit will discuss Iran’s or Pakistan’s nuclear programme, Rao noted that the meeting was “not about a country-specific situation”.
To a question on Iran not being invited to the summit as it was not a “responsible” nation, Rao asserted, “Iran is a responsible country”.
On April 13, there will be two plenary sessions focusing on national measures and on international cooperation to enhance nuclear security, which will be attended leaders from 44 countries.
A working lunch would be addressed by the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano.
The summit will conclude with the release of an outcome document, which has been under negotiations for the last six months by senior officials, called Sherpas.
“I have led a team of DAE (department of atomic energy) and MEA (ministry of external affairs) officials in discussions on the summit outcome at meetings of the Sherpas in Tokyo and The Hague. The Sherpas will also meet in Washington on the eve of the summit,” Rao said.
On India’s participation in international efforts to curb nuclear terrorism, Rao pointed out that New Delhi had been “piloting” a resolution at United Nations to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction.
“We are also active in the works of IAEA on setting and enforcing standards on physical protection of nuclear material and facilities as well as on combating illicit trafficking in nuclear material,” she said.
India is also party to international treaties like the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its
2005 amendment and is also participating in the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism.
India is in the midst of a surge in civil nuclear energy production, after it got an exception from the Nuclear Suppliers Group in 2008 to take part in nuclear trade despite not being a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty.
The catalyst for the process had been the bilateral agreement between India and US for civilian nuclear cooperation.
Since then, India has signed several agreements with other countries like Russia, France and Kazakhstan.
However, India has concerns about the safety of nuclear installations in Pakistan, which has been the location of activity of several Islamist terror groups.
India had previously also raised objections over the network of A.Q. Khan, the father of Pakistan’s atomic bomb, which had been active in providing technology and materials in countries like North Korea and Libya.
Every year Indians need 100,000 organ transplants, but a meagre 4,000 are being done due to lack of donors. And to create awareness and to promote organ donation, doctors and students recently came together in Delhi for a two-km walk.
The participants of the ‘Donorthon 2010’, walked the two-km stretch near the Akshardham temple in east Delhi.
“Pledging your organs for donation can help save a lot of lives. A single brain dead person can donate as many as 30 organs and tissues and save as many as six lives,” said A.S.Soin, director of liver transplantation at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here.
“We need to raise awareness levels so
as to ensure that more and more people pledge to donate their organs after death. It is a matter of great concern that the organ donation rate in the country is among the lowest anywhere despite India having the largest number of potential donors in the world,” Soin said.
comprehensive.
They said party president Sonia Gandhi, who was made chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC) March 28, was keen on the bill addressing concerns regarding nutritional security of women, children and other vulnerable sections.
“
‘Donorthon 2010’ is an attempt to kickstart a process that will hopefully trigger a change of attitude vis-a-vis organ donation and through this help save a lot of lives,” he added.
It is estimated that around 25,000 people need to donate their organs every year to fulfill country’s transplant needs.
Just before the empowered group of ministers meeting to re-look the national food security bill, the Congress has said that the proposed legislation should provide maximum benefits to the needy sections of society.
“The needy sections of society should get maximum benefits,” Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed told IANS.
He said that present entitlement of below poverty line (BPL) families should be protected under the proposed legislation. Citing media reports, Ahmed said the draft bill cleared by the ministers’ group last month had proposed 25 kg of wheat or rice per month at Rs.3 a kg to BPL families but they got 35 kg of foodgrain every month through the public distribution system.
Some NGOs and activists had described the draft food security bill as “minimalist” and had sought an expansion in its scope. Congress sources said that party leadership also wanted the bill - a flagship programme of the United Progressive Alliance government in its second term - to be more
If all goes well, Uttar Pradesh will soon get a temple dedicated to Chief Minister and Dalit icon Mayawati, whose statues already dot the sprawling state.
The temple is proposed to be erected in the poverty-stricken Mahoba district in Bundelkhand, economically the most backward region in Uttar Pradesh. It will come up in Natpura village, about 300 km from the capital.
“Of course, we are planning to install her idol in the temple that will come up on my private land,” Kanaihya Lal, a Mahobabased lawyer, said in a telephone interview. Lal is not a functionary of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) but a Dalit. He says he got provoked by the hue and cry over a garland of currency notes gifted to Mayawati on her birthday last month.
“If her critics take exception to a garland of currency notes, I wish to say that we are all set to build a temple where her followers will be free to offer such garlands every day,” he said.
He says: “Indira Gandhi was weighed in silver way back in the 70s in Mahoba. But no one found that outrageous. Just because (Mayawati) is a ‘Dalit ki beti’ (daughter of a Dalit), all hell seems to have broken loose.”
Local officials have told him that since the proposed idol in the temple would be that of a living person, it would be appropriate to obtain formal permission from the
person.
“Under the circumstances, I will now move a request to the chief minister through the district BSP coordinator,” Lal said.
Taking a pledge to cleanse the Ganga river from its source in the Himalayas and along its journey to the Bay of Bengal, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank got some popular celebrities to kick off his new “Sparsh Ganga” campaign recently.
While declaring Bollywood actors Hema Malini and Vivek Oberoi as “brand ambassadors” for the campaign, Nishank also sought support of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama as well as popular yoga guru Swami Ramdev, both who were present at the ceremony on the Ganga banks at Parmarth Niketan here.
The chief minister also invited Christian priest Father Dominique as well as Swami Agnivesh.
Former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani too joined in along with other prominent BJP leaders including Pokhriyal’s predecessor, Maj.Gen. (retd) B.C. Khanduri.
The name “Sparsh Ganga” was coined by Nishank himself, whose book with the same title was released by Advani at the function. Speaking on the occasion, Advani gave a call for shunning plastic all along the route of the Ganga river. “It is high time that the laws against dumping of plastic and chemicals or industrial effluents were enforced sternly along the Ganga that is a source of life for all of us.”
Nishank also emphasised the need for undertaking plantations all along the banks of the Ganga.
“This campaign for cleaning of the Ganga will not remain confined to the official machinery, but will also seek involvement of common people living all along the river.”
He proposes to seek participation of different states in making the campaign a success. “As a part of this endeavour, we also propose to invite all other state governments to adopt certain areas for undertaking plantation of trees in the upper reaches of the Himalayan state including Badrinath,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, the Dalai Lama expressed deep concern over the depleting Gangotri glacier - the course of the Ganga river.
“Unless we get down with sincere commitment and dedication to protect our environment, we are going to face difficult times ahead and water crisis is going to be one of these major problems,” he pointed out.
Swami Agnivesh described the Ganga as a “symbol of the earth’s environment”, while Parmarth Niketan chief Swami Chidanand Muni termed it as “not just a river but a national heritage.”
India is satisfied with the progress of talks with the US over access to PakistanAmerican terror suspect David Headley, who is linked to the Mumbai terror attack, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said recently.
“We are satisfied with the progress these negotiations have made,” Rao told media, referring to the activist of the Pakistanbased group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). She pointed out that there had been good cooperation between India and the US in counter terrorism, adding that Indian agencies and the home ministry were in talks with their US counterparts over access to
Headley.
Home Minister P. Chidambaram has stated repeatedly that it wanted access to Headley, who scouted for locations in Mumbai and other places in India for the LeT to attack.
Robert Blake, the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Friday said that while the US was committed to “full information sharing”, no decision had been made on direct access to Headley for Indian investigators.
“And you know, the US Department of Justice is working with the government of India to discuss the modalities for such cooperation. But again, no decision has been made on that,” he said.
Ten Pakistani terrorists belonging to the LeT sneaked into Mumbai in November 2008 and went on a killing spree, leaving 166 foreigners as well as Indians dead.
A senior army commander claimed on April 3 that the latest operation against terrorists in Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir was one of the biggest in recent years.
The operation was codenamed ‘Operation Khoj’ or operation search. It started on March 27 and went on till April 2.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) of
counter insurgency Uniform Force Major General M.M.S. Rai told reporters in Reasi Saturday that the offensive against terrorists left 16 terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) dead in the past one week and six soldiers also lost their lives in gun battles with the terrorists.
“This was one of the biggest operations in Rajouri in recent years,” he said. He claimed that the “army acted swiftly and in time and neutralized the terrorists before they could move up in hills and cause any major damage.”
“During these operations we have eliminated all the 16 militants in four different encounters and this was possible due to the cooperation of Jammu and Kashmir police and other paramilitary forces, particularly Central Reserve Police Force.”
The army also recovered satellite phones, AK-47 rifles from the militants. “All the terrorists belonged to the LeT group,” he said.
Gen. Rai said that the army has stepped up its vigil and all the major routes were being “intensely patrolled”.
Four terrorists and an army soldier were killed in a gun battle in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district. The first contact with the militants was made in Dharmsal area of Kalakote in Rajouri March 27 and two terrorists were killed. The second
contact took place in Thrayth on ATuesday, triggering an 18-hour gun battle that lasted into Wednesday and left four guerrillas and three soldiers dead.
Six terrorists were killed in Rajouri district Thursday.
Be they arranged marriages or those out of love, breakups are on the rise in India. Marriage counselling, therefore, is becoming a necessity before one says “I do”, says counsellor and author Geeta Maheshwari.
“I am a marriage counsellor and from my experience I can say that the top reasons why marriages today are breaking up are mostly lifestyle-related,” Maheshwari, a psychiatrist and marriage counsellor, told IANS.
“For instance, most couples opt to have one child these days, taking care of all his or her needs. So much so that the child is not equipped to handle his or her problems. Then, the tolerance level has gone down - people have less patience to deal with issues that may be crucial to sort out one’s marriage,” she added.
“In the earlier days, divorce was taboo, but now you have people proudly flaunting their divorcee status. This change in psyche is also one of the reasons for people not taking this institution too seriously,” Maheshwari added.
“Marriages are breaking up at an alarming rate these days. Almost 40 percent of Indian marriages, especially in metros, are heading for a breakup,” she said.
While some may believe that arranged marriages have more chances of developing complications since the partners may not know each other very well, Maheshwari said love marriages are no exception in the break-up trend.
“In love marriages, you may have dated for a while, but you should remember that during those times your partner was at his or her best behaviour. You actually come to know a person when you start living with him or her day in day out.
Love marriages therefore are no exception in this worrying trend,” she said.
Considering the current scenario, Maheshwari said marriage counselling is becoming a necessity.
“Marriage counselling is very important these days. Although there are more and more couples coming for counselling before marriage, most people still think that it’s not really important. Since these things affect everyone, I decided to write a book which gives basic tips on how to improve the quality of one’s married life,” she said.
Maheshwari’s book “The Happy Marriage Mantra” (Northern Book Centre/Rs 500) was recently launched by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
The book, she said, has 26 chapters on how to make a marriage work. For instance, there’s one chapter on acceptance of your spouse, one on how to deal with the spouse’s ex and yet another one on how important it is to have a zeal for life. There is also a chapter on the myths of marriage.
“My daughter got married this January and instead of buying her a bulk of clothes, I gifted her the draft of this book so that the chances of her having a happy marriage increase. Every marriage is unique and has unique problems, but there are some issues which span across all,” Maheshwari said.
After this book, the counsellor-turnedauthor said she is going to write two more books - on how to repair one’s marriage and life after divorce.
“Divorce is tough and one should try and make their marriage work. But if is inevitable, there is life after that phase too and that’s what my third book will be all about,” she said.
Never has celebrating harmony been as important as it was in March, in the wake of allegations of racial conflict within Australia. The annual Harmony Day celebration that began in 1999 took on new meaning this year, as double the number of organizations compared to last year, held events to promote cultural diversity in Australia. Thousands of schools, community groups and organisations in Australia hosted celebrations through special events. Winning the ‘ethnic vote’ has become increasingly significant in the current climate and the Government and opposition were both seen to invest time and effort to reinforce their commitment to mutual respect and harmony.
A Harmony Day event was held recently by Liberal Party’s Multicultural Unit comprising of Mr. Ted Baillieu, Nick Kotsiras, Jane Hume, Nitin Gupta and Gladys Liu. The event was attended by over 250 people from various migrant communities within Australia. A strong Indian presence was evident as many Indian community leaders, student representatives, media and prominent members from the Indian community attended the function. Liberal party members Nitin Gupta and
Vasan Srinivasan were among those present. Nitin Gupta who takes credit for coordinating Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu’s visits to many Indian community events said, “If you looked at the slide show presented, you will see how Ted has attended innumerable events within the community. He has happily attended events in various temples and gurudwaras; he has celebrated Holi, Diwali, Eid and many other festivals with our community. This reflects his willingness to be involved with us and support us.”
In his brief speech, Opposition leader Ted Baillieu reiterated Nitin’s words promising to continue attending events and learning more about multicultural communities in Victoria. He laid emphasis on the need for Australians to exist together in harmony to ensure progress. He said his party was committed to provide funding, education and information to help organisations create a spirit of inclusiveness and helps ensure that all Australians are treated fairly regardless of their cultural background or circumstance. Similar sentiments were echoed by Liberal MLA and Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship, Nick Kotsiras.
The rest of the event involved networking with various communities that attended. They all were in consensus over the fact that harmony in a multi-racial society is not an entitlement, but the result of conscious and concerted efforts by people. Waving the flag
Dr. Russell D’Souza receives the Certificate of Recognition of Service to Victoria by the Honourable Daniel Andrews, Minister of Health on behalf of the Victorian Government at a meeting on March 18 at Melbourne
of intercultural exchange and understanding through multiculturalism, the Liberals harmony day event ended on a ‘feel good’ note for those present.
Practical jokes are the essence of April Fools Day, so use your imagination, choose your victims and set the trap by
Farrha KhanAs we glide through Autumn, the weather in Sydney tends to cool down so slowly that its Winter and cold before you know it. But to brighten up our way before the clouds become a constant feature, there is one day in the calendar year when you can truly let laughter rule your day.
April Fools Day or more boringly known as the 1st April is known as the Day of Pranks. Jokes and laughter are on the menu, and joyously, the victims are usually family and friends.
So how do young Sydneysiders prank each other? Here are a few fresh perspectives on the power of pranking
Seventeen year old twins Julie and Mary have an obsession. They love to prank everyone, but mostly, each other!
April Fools Day or more boringly known as the 1st April is known as the Day of Pranks. Jokes and laughter are on the menu, and joyously, the victims are usually family and friends
“It’s a challenge because we can usually figure out what we’re going to do to each other, so it always has to be something unexpected,” says Mary.
“April Fools is usually harder because we’re expecting to get pranked. So all day we’re on the look out,” adds Julie.
So how do you prank your own twin?
“Nowadays, instead of one really big prank, we do lots of little ones. Like switching body powder with flour. Or putting ice cubes between bedsheets,” laughs Mary.
“April Fools Day gets pretty crazy for everyone in the house, because of us two,” says Julie, exchanging a grin with her sister which sets them giggling uncontrollably.
I am definitely glad I don’t live with them!
So will they reveal their plans for this year’s pranks?
“Nope!” is Julie’s instant response.
Mary however, explains the rules. “The plans are exposed when the pranks get played,” she says.
But of course, being twins they also like to play pranks together on their sister and friends. “Then we do the big ones. It gets pretty easy, especially if it’s over the phone, because we sound so similar,” reveals Mary.
“We usually just play around saying we’re one or the other, and people get really confused by the end of it,” says Julie and that sets them off into another fit of the giggles. A troublesome duo for sure! With two pranking minds working together, it’s almost scary to think what they could come up with!
Now that Ronnie is a qualified chef, he explains that pulling pranks on colleagues has become so easy, he barely bothers to think
about what he’ll be doing on 1st April. “I’ll be pranking a friend of mine at work. He struggles with foods that have chilli in them, so when I prepare his lunch, I just might add a few teaspoons of chili powder instead of salt,” he says wickedly.
A spicy prank, he cheekily adds, in which he may also add harmless vinegar instead of water to his friend’s glass, as an accompaniment to his meal…
I sure wouldn’t want to be in this kitchen on any April Fools Day!
Ronnie explains that his April Fools
success began during his school days. His most successful prank was on returning to school after the holidays and convincing his friend, Alex that the day was a Monday, when actually it was a Tuesday. “I got everyone involved! He didn’t find out until Saturday when he woke up early to go to school, and his parents convinced him it was actually Saturday!” he chortles.
And does Ronnie have any other targets planned this April Fools Day? With a big grin, he simply replies, “Yep! My girlfriend!”
Now I have no doubt he’ll be successful, but
Natalie has never pranked anyone before. Why? “I’ve just never really thought about it. I wouldn’t know what to do,” she admits. She may not prank others, but she has been at the receiving end of a few good ones. “Its usually from my friends,” she says, recounting an incident where she and a good friend had gone to the movies. “We watched When a
Stranger Calls and the bad guy does this really scary voice. I was walking home alone right after the movie and I got a call…,”she claims. “Strangely, the caller ID didn’t come up. When I answered, the person had this creepy voice from the movie.” She hung up straight away, a little spooked. “But I figured it out who it was straight away,” she smiles.
Has she thought about a revenge prank on this friend of hers? “No, not yet,” says this non-prankster. Maybe next April Fools Day….
Meet Rachel, 19, the Queen of Pranks! Her specialty, she explains, are prank calls. But she believes that last year’s April Fools prank was her best ever, and believe me, this young lady’s in a different league altogether. “I covered the front of my shirt and pants in tomato sauce and ran inside the house right up to my brother. I pretended to cry saying, ‘I think I killed someone!’ Shocked, her brother asked who it was and where they were. “I cried harder saying, ‘I don’t know who or how it happened, but he’s outside!’,” laughs Rachel. They ran outside, she continues, and when there was no body on her lawn, her brother freaked out even more. “I had to stop the prank then, he was getting a bit too worried,” she admitted with a grin.
So did she have any new shockers for April Fools Day? “Nothing yet. But I probably will,” says this
I’m glad I’m won’t be her next victim.
Debbie has never pulled a prank before, but she sure has thought about it. This April Fools Day she’s travelling, but if she weren’t on holidays she would have prepared a grand scheme. Her victim? Her ex-boyfriend. The plan? “I was going to tell him I’m pregnant with his baby,” she says mischievously. Poor guy, but why? “It would be the last thing he’d expect. So why not?” says Debbie with a smirk. Some might think this is a bit harsh, but Debbie’s been the victim of some harsh pranks herself, and she thinks this would be a fairly good one.
Debbie explains that the biggest April Fools prank of which she’d been a victim, had involved her friends. “They told me that my closest friends had been in a car accident. They actually said one of them was in hospital. I was so upset!” she reveals.
Does she plan on any revenge pranks? “I wish I could, but I’m overseas. But definitely next year!” she says.
Debbie’s friends had better be careful next year. She’s already planning something stupendous.
I covered the front of my shirt and pants in tomato sauce and ran inside the house right up to my brother. I pretended to cry saying.
‘I think I killed someone’ Rachel, 19Debbie Natalie Ronnie
Genelia D’Souza and Ram Charan were recently shooting in Melbourne for Orange, their upcoming Telegu movie. The film crew received an unexpected surprise as Opposition leader Ted Baillieu dropped in for a visit. This is the first Indian movie set Ted has ever been to, but he promised to make more appearances in future.
Ted sat down with Nagababu and the talented Anupam Sharma who is the Australian producer of the movie, and had an interesting chat about Indian cinema in general. He certainly found it a good break and a definite change from a hectic day in Parliament.
Ted stated that Victoria had released a policy in which they have made a commitment towards Bollywood and all south eastern cinema industries. They will soon be choosing a brand ambassador to front any issues that the filmmakers may have.
Different issues were raised with Ted, such as permissions to shoot in certain areas in Victoria which take a long time to get approved. The crew mentioned that in NSW, approvals sometimes come through in 24 hours, which makes it very easy for them to organise shoots. Ted assured them that he would put the request through in parliament, as the Victorian government is happy to be accommodating and would like to promote as many shoots as possible in Melbourne and the state.
The film team were very happy and honoured to meet Ted, and to voice their concerns to a sympathetic audience. The film will be shot over the period of a month in Australia, of which a fortnight’s shoot will be in Melbourne and the rest in Sydney.
Nitin Gupta, a member of the Liberal party and a prospective member for the next elections arranged for Ted’s trip to the sets. They also invited the film crew to watch a footy match at the MCG, in an attempt for AFL to bond with the Tollywood team as well as Indian community in Victoria.
Orange stars Genelia D’souza, well-known Bollywood actress and Ram Chandra Teja, a young and handsome
actor, who has the added distinction of being south superstar Chiranjeevi’s son. It is one of the biggest films from the family of Chiranjeevi and producer Nagababu is Chiranjeevi’s brother, with a whopping production cost of Rs. 25 crore. This film, which is a romantic love story with a theme about youth, is the longest and biggest Indian film shoot set in Australia.
For Indian filmmakers, shooting movies in locations other than India began as a trend some years ago, but it has now developed into a strategic business move. To begin with, the overseas market for films now comprises a huge bracket of the profits. Secondly, the income earned abroad is usually tax-free, since export earnings of cinema and television programs are tax-exempt. Thirdly, film producers like overseas destinations because it allows them to skip the coils of Indian bureaucracy and ensures the star’s presence at shooting locations for an extended period of time. For
ago) and the US or Europe.
Orange will be a stepping stone for both actors and by most counts, it will be a fine film in the director’s library of work. Also, the music should be a plus because the man behind the job is composer Harris Jayaraj, who has shaken the Tamil music industry with lilting tunes since the start of the decade. So while Tollywood eagerly anticipates this film as a treasure to add to its annals, the audience and fans back home and globally are equally keen on seeing these young guns on the big screen. As for us, we can only hope to see more Indian film shoots in Australia in the future.
Priya RajanAzhar Abidi is a talented Pakistan-born Melbourne writer, whose second novel Twilight is set in the 1980s and is about a Mohajir family in Karachi. Although this reviewer has never been to Pakistan, I can say from the several Pakistani novels I have read, that Karachi resembles an Indian city more closely than any other. Even the Pakistani writers I admire have been from Karachi: Mohammed Hanif, Kamila Shamsie, Irfan Yusuf – and now Azhar Abidi. The city’s fairly multicultural and cosmopolitan population – including a small Hindu community, the bulk of the Mohajirs settling down in Karachi, the city’s indigenous Sufi traditions, etc seem to have contributed to a more vibrant, tolerant and liberal culture. At least that was what prevailed until General Zia veered Pakistan in a different direction and changed the country for good: we got that impression from Hanif’s Case of Exploding Mangoes (where he blamed Zia for single-handedly taking Pakistan in the direction of “multinational jihad”) and now Abidi tells us the same thing, although from a different perspective.
Abidi was born in Pakistan and came to
Melbourne in the 1990s where he completed a Masters in Business from the University of Melbourne before settling down here. His first novel Passarola Rising was published in 2006 by Viking Penguin, and was shortlisted for the Melbourne Literary Prize that year. It was set in eighteenth century Portugal around the time of the Inquisition, and was a fictionalised account of a Brazilian priest and aviation pioneer! Twilight (published under the title The House of Bilqis in the US) is his second novel, published in Australia by Text Publishing, and is a much more down-to-earth tale set in Pakistan in the 1980s at the time of General Zia. At the heart of the novel is Bilqis Ara Begum, matriarch of the Khan family, who moved to Karachi from Calcutta at the time of Partition, and about her disappointments; the decline in her family’s fortunes seems to be coeval with her country’s slide into fundamentalism. Her son Samad who is in Melbourne, decides to marry an Australian
and stay there. She is convinced that her daughter-in-law had seduced him and taken him to a foreign country, turning his life into her own. Yet this disappointment pales into insignificance when compared to what she feels for her country. She resents what General Zia and his cohorts have done to the secular Pakistani State, changing the country she had chosen at Partition to a land of religious zealots. Her brother Sikandar, an army officer commissioned at Calcutta, joined the newly formed Pakistan army after Partition; but he too resigned within the year when he realised he would have to fight an ‘enemy’ who were once his comrades. He too watches almost helplessly as he bangs away at his typewriter, writing his regular column for The Dawn, and urges his family to go to a dance performance soon “before the mullahs put a ban on it”. Through Bilqis and Sikandar, Abidi is able to articulate both his love for his country as well as deep regret
at the way it is headed. The author is at his best when creating ambience – as in the chapter where he describes the post-partition elite of Pakistan, although he falters a bit in the sections where he describes the maid Mumtaz and her attraction to the watchman Omar next door who is a Kashmiri jihadi. Cricket lovers – especially those who are serious about the game – particularly Indian cricket, can take cheer in the publication of another splendid book on the subject.
It was Ramachandra Guha who wrote the first serious, analytical and historical account of the game as it was played in the subcontinent, titled A Corner of a Foreign Field That he was a social historian and academic worked in his favour, and the book won him the UK Cricket Society Literary Award and Cricket Society’s Book of the Year in 2002. Another historian and academic – and a novelist to boot – has published a gem of a book on Indian cricket: it is Mukul Kesavan’s Men in White, which is a collection of essays on subjects to do with the game. It is unmistakably Indian in flavour, and partisan, yet the generosity and encyclopaedic knowledge of the cricket-loving public in India shines through. There are sections on growing up with cricket in India, on world cricket and the modern game; the Indian cricket team and its star players. These two books are a must for cricket lovers.
All of us immigrants from the Indian sub-continent have, at some point, found ourselves wound in a laborious discussion about arranged marriages.
“Arranged marriages are like speed dating or dating websites,” I say when posed with that inevitable question. But no cultural parallel really quite unravels the mysterious ways in which arranged marriages work – westerners just don’t get it, do they?
As if responding to the plight of desis around the world, London-based investment banker and author, Farahad Zama reveals the intricacies of
Zama clearly points to some of the evils of Indian society, but rather than take a dogmatic, revolutionary stance, he reveals the ways in which Indians have learned to navigate their circumstances
arranged marriages in a fun, entertaining way through his The Marriage Bureau for Rich People book series.
Set in the author’s hometown in India, Vizag – also known as Visakhapatnam – the second novel in the series, The Many Conditions of Love, charts not just the stories of love and marriage, but also a range of other social issues in contemporary India. In an RK Narayanlike portrait of a small town, Zama captures the heady challenges and small pleasures of the common Indian.
There are no heroes or villains in this tale, simply men and women caught up in economic or social conditions ranging from early widowhood to a devastating crop failure. Zama clearly points to some of the evils of Indian society, but rather than take a dogmatic, revolutionary stance, he reveals the ways in which Indians have learned to navigate their circumstances.
This doesn’t mean that the novel lacks in drama. There are some elements of the regular masala film like a Hindu-Muslim love story, with the girl even being locked away by the fuming father. In true Bollywood style, Zama even quotes lyrics from famous Hindi film songs at opportune moments, to evoke a sense of the musical tradition of storytelling in India.
Linking all these seemingly disparate
strands of the tale together is the character at the crux of the book series, the retired government employee Mr Ali, and his marriage bureau. And some of the best moments of the book, which reveal local characters with all their quirks and habits, are set in this bureau. The families of the prospective brides and grooms come to Mr Ali with a range of conditions – the conditions upon which are based love and matrimony. One father wants only a highly qualified son-in-law for his daughter. An aristocratic lady wants to ensure that her daughter-inlaw has a long nose to ensure the grandchildren will carry on the physical lineage. Even Mr Ali’s assistant is having trouble in her marriage into a wealthy family. However, Mr Ali and his good-natured wife have a wise and common sense answer to all these travails. Read the book and who knows, you might just find the answer to your problems. And if nothing quite as profound, you will still enjoy an easy, gentle read and a loving reminder of the simple ways of our home country.
If you are struggling to explain the concept of arranged marriages to your Australian friends, get them to read TheManyConditionsofLove, says SHIVANGI
In recent years there has been a considerable increase in women who go to work for economic reasons, to fulfill professional needs or to utilize their acquired higher education. But inspite of adding to their monetary status, scores of women across the world ignore themselves while looking after and caring for their family and loved ones –and this is especially true of working women. The longer the working hours, more deadlines to meet or more boardroom meetings to attend, the more she tends to ignore her own nutritional needs. Struggling to maintain a balance between being a professional at work and competing within the workforce and trying to be a perfect wife and a loving mum, somewhere along the way her own health and nutrition are compromised. It is almost the same scenario for most women rushing to the office with just a cup of coffee and a couple of biscuits, then returning home in the evening most times too tired to cook and ordering takeaways or just having ready-to-eat frozen meals. But ignoring one’s diet and health can lead to long-term health issues and deficiencies.
The combination of inadequate diet and inadequate activity can be a lethal one for many chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, cancer and diabetes on one hand, and anemia, vitamin and mineral deficiencies on the other. And amidst all their responsibilities, women also have to undergo hormonal changes, pregnancy and even menopause, all of which take their own toll. But there are some simple health tips that can help make a drastic change in the health of women.
KHURANAl Start the day with a healthy breakfast. Do not just survive with just a caffeine boost. Prepare upma, poha, cereal or multigrain toast to start the day with a kick. Skipping breakfast makes you feel drained right at the start of the day and decreases concentration at work. If you do not have time to sit and eat something in the morning, carry your breakfast and eat it on the train or on the way to work.
l Plan your menu for the week during the weekend or on off days, so that you can do your weekly grocery accordingly
l Prepare masalas for curries during weekends and freeze them for use during the week. This saves a lot of cutting, chopping and sautéing time during the busy week.
l Though frozen foods and ready-to-eat food options are very convenient, attractive and timesaving, most are high in sugars, salt and other preservatives and contain little or no nutrition.
l Try not to have lunch sitting on your desk going through files or reading emails. Try to get up and move your limbs and either go to the canteen or move to the office kitchen; maybe even go and sit at a friendly colleague’s desk. When you sit in front of the computer, reading and eating at the same time, you tend to eat more as you are too engrossed to realize how much you have eaten. Taking a proper break does away with the monotony of sitting and refreshes you.
l Try to carry nutritious food from home instead of just grabbing a white bread sandwich or something equally high in carbohydrates from a takeaway. Carry something like rice and beans or sandwiches with multigrain bread to have low GI foods that keep you full for a longer time. Eat a wide variety of food items which includes
vegetables, grains, fruits, fish, meat or egg. Limit the intake of fried food and sugary items.
l Carry a box of fruit or salad or both with you to work. This will help meet your daily requirement of 2 serves of fruits and 5 serves of veggies every day. Keep the box on your table, munching whenever you have time during the day.
l It is always good to have small and frequent meals. Keep some healthy snacks ready with you such as nuts, yoghurt, crackers, fruit and salads instead of grabbing a high calorie chocolate bar, when suffering from hunger pangs.
l Try and have your 3 serves of calcium each day or you might end up with weakened bones and osteoporosis, especially around menopause.
l Shift to green tea, lassi, nimbu pani or just plain water instead of tea, coffee and aerated drinks. Try to avoid having fruit juices and eat whole fruits instead, as fruit juices are high in calories and have less fiber in them.
l In your busy schedule do not forget to have 8-10 glasses of water every day. Keep a bottle of water on your table and sip throughout the day.
l Most women who work indoors have more chances of vitamin D deficiency, so make sure your regular diet contains margarine, egg yolk, salmon, tuna, sardines and light Swiss cheese, as all these are vitamin D fortified foods.
l For most of us dinner is the heaviest meal of the day. Try not to have large portion size for dinner. Instead, have a healthy snack for evening tea or a bowl of soup before dinner, as you will tend to eat smaller portions.
l Exercise is also very important for your health. Normally we tend to make excuses as we already have been working throughout the day or that we do not have time. But no matter how tired you are, a brisk 30 minute walk keeps you fit and helps decrease anxiety and stress.
Remember that in fact the more you work, the healthier your diet should be as better nutritional status helps in improving your concentration at work, gives you more energy and vitality and also helps combat infection.
Struggling to maintain a balance between being a professional at work and competing within the workforce and trying to be a perfect wife and a loving mom, somewhere along the way her own health and nutrition is compromised
Creative expression, in its myriad avatars is not merely Toril Pursell’s profession, it is her passion too. Over the years Toril has been actively involved in art education and advocacy, developing and facilitating programs for children and adolescents, particularly at-risk youth.
The art therapist, dancer and theatre personality believes that, in slightly improvised words of the immortal Bard, “all the world’s a stage and all men and women, players - each having their grand entrance and exit She herself made a memorable debut onto the Indian Australian scene with the ambitious cross cultural stage production Ha Murray Ganga, a tale of two mighty rivers that shaped the destiny of its inhabitants.
Toril who played the pivotal role of Ganga, volunteered for the project after learning about it through workmates at Rozelle Hospital.
(Toril’s) intention was to provoke questions about mental illness and well-being, and reframe the cafeteria with a dance that did not fall into institutionalized gestures
“Initially I had some reservations about taking on such a complex role. For Hindus, the Ganga is one of the most revered of personalities, full of complex symbolism,” she told Indian Link “But when the coordinators explained that the opera was about the River Murray as well and that the Koomurri Dance Troupe, led by choreographer Russel Dawson, would be an integral part of this, I was ready for the challenge.”
On a larger scale, Ha Murray Ganga was about Australia, indigenous traditions and more importantly, care for the environment, concepts close to her heart, explains the talented performer, who loves experimenting with roles, particularly those that have an unusual dimension.
Toril did extensive research on Hindu ideals and mythology in preparation for her role. She is particularly grateful to Ajanta Bhattacharya, Indira Mukherjee and Annapurna Lodh, who directed her, and script writer Shantha Gounder who demystified the character and explained the nuances of each scene.
As the choreographer, Ajanta had a very open and collaborative way of working, says Toril who found her own structured ballet training background both an asset and a disadvantage to her portrayal of Ganga. “On one hand I was able to pick up sequences and follow her instructions. On the other hand, I had to learn new ways of moving, holding my body and gesturing with my hands. In ballet there isn’t usually the animated or theatrical gesturing you might see in contemporary Indian or Bollywood dance,” she explains. “To start with I felt that I was ‘over-acting’ but by shadowing
Ajanta and observing other dancers, I began to understand how to do this in a way that was genuine. Ajanta was very patient and we were able to laugh together and find the balance between the contrasting styles of dance - Indian, modern and ballet.”
Toril found it easy to relate to Ajanta’s frequent use of metaphor in describing particular movements that were intended to emulate the river. “I tend to be a visual learner and this was poetic and effective on Ajanta’s part,” she says.
While Toril may be new to the Indian-Australian scene (she only moved down under in 2007 to take up a Masters in Art Therapy at UWS), her Indian links go back to her early childhood spent happily in New Delhi.
“My experiences date back to the late eighties,” she reminisces. “Trips to Khan market, attending a Hindi school and then American Embassy School; travelling to Goa, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Kerala; trekking in the mountains near Manali, visiting temples and crossing parts of the desert on camel-back. I’ve been surrounded by Indian art throughout my life and I love the diversity of Indian music and food,” she adds. Likewise, her tryst with the performing arts is also rooted in India, where she first learnt kathak. Her earliest memories are of “putting on ‘shows’ in our living room, of twirling under water and re-enacting dances without the limitations of gravity.”
She began training in kathak at the age of 6 and when the family moved to the US, enrolled in ballet classes.
Dance of some form has always been a vital element of her learning curve. Along the way, Toril also had
exposure to a range of music, theatre and alternative productions.
While her school performances went a long way in character and confidence building, her strict training in ballet taught her focus and self-discipline. “The classes were a social point but also taught me how to remain composed in front of an audience. I recall entering an audition at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC and playing a minor part in a ballet of Shakespeare’s Midsummer’s Night Dream. It was a thrill to see how things run backstage, which is often a contrast to what the audience sees,” she recollects.
“I struggled with certain aspects of ballet,” she admits, “particularly the emphasis on body type and the physical impact of being on point shoes.”
Injury forced Toril to take a break from ballet. But dance continued to be her primary muse, finding new creative outlets in modern dance, particularly the Latin genre. “I found this granted me much more freedom and formally introduced me to the notion of dance improvisation,” she says. Her travels to exotic locations in South America, particularly the Honduras and Argentina, also opened new pathways in selfexpression.
While at University, Toril who has a degree in Art and Anthropology, experimented with Ghanian drumming and dance under master drummer Obo Addy and participated in numerous contemporary hip-hop productions.
“The reasons for my involvement in the performing arts has changed over time,” she explains, “but fundamentally it seemed natural and ‘made sense’ for me to dance. I love music and the way different types of melodies and rhythms invited the body to move in particular ways.” It was only natural that she decided to take up a career in Art Therapy, interning and eventually contracting for STARTTS (NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors). Working across a gamut of health-related fields, art therapy is an interdisciplinary form of psychotherapy and incorporates a range of visual art forms. Aimed at an increased awareness of the self, it is a dynamic and creative process where the journey is as valuable as the outcome.
Toril, who is a member of ANZATA spoke at the maiden ‘Internationalisation of Creative Arts in Therapy’ conference at Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore.
Since arriving in Sydney in 2007, her career took precedent, though she did continue to dabble in yoga and the odd dance class.
But late last year, opportunity came knocking once more when One+2 Studios coordinated Art Outside, a candlelight performance at the psychiatric ward in Rozelle Hospital. Toril and her creative group ARTcircle chipped in. “On the night of the opening I read a poem and danced based on improvised movements. My intention was to provoke questions about mental illness and well-being, and reframe the cafeteria with a dance that did not fall into institutionalized gestures,” she explains.
She believes that art therapy has huge potential within the predominant medical model, but is saddened by the way recent violence towards minority groups is being handled. “Ha Murray Ganga in this respect was a gesture towards reconciliation and celebration of cultures that can co-exist. Beyond all of this, I believe there is a generosity of spirit in Indian community that came through in the performance and in all those who contributed to it. Ideally I would travel through parts of India and incorporate art therapy related research soon,” she says.
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India nearly created history on March 10 when the Rajya Sabha or the Council of States passed the women’s bill to reserve 33 per cent of the seats for women in the State Assemblies and Lok Sabha. The reason I use the word ‘nearly’ is because we, as a nation, are presently far from creating history in righting the gender imbalance.
The bill was passed in the Upper House, but not without its share of political theatrics. The two-day drama did culminate in the passing of the bill by an overwhelming two-third majority (read 186 ayes against 1 nae) and in the suspension of seven members, who had earlier disrupted proceedings. The previous day saw unruly scenes with members tearing up the bill and even attempting to attack Chairman Hamid Ansari.
Unfortunately, there is really little to rejoice about at this moment. Fourteen long years after women’s reservation was first mooted, the bill finally saw some glimpse of hope in the Rajya Sabha on the occasion of the 100th International Women’s Day.
The women’s reservation debate has several layers to it. The contentious bill, if passed in its present form, will no doubt be a milestone and restore, to some extent, gender balance. The presence of women in Parliament may not dramatically alter the status of women in our society – at least not immediately. It may not suddenly prevent our daughters from being killed as foetuses, families from being harassed over dowries, girls’ education taking equal precedence or negate gender stereotypes. But surely, there is hope for gradual change.
Unfortunately, the bill seems to be more about earning political brownie points rather than about women’s empowerment, which is the need of the hour. India’s so-called leaders can scream themselves hoarse about our democratic ways and about being the world’s largest democracy. The fact is that we are the largest democracy by virtue of our population, 1.13 billion officially, rather than owing it to our democratic conventions. It is, of course, to our credit we are a vibrant democracy and have rejected any other form of government. But there is really no reason to pat ourselves on our back, if democracy means tearing up bills or expressing dissent violently.
Watching live proceedings of the two days in the Rajya Sabha, I was far from horrified. Angry parliamentarians flinging
microphones, throwing chairs, chanting slogans, staging protests or disrupting proceedings is not an unfamiliar sight in democratic India. We Indians are too accustomed to such outbursts and misdemeanour. But, there really is no excuse for such behaviour and there is no reason for us to accept it any longer.
Also, political parties have already staked their claim for the success of the bill in the upper house. On the one hand, there is the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) that has asserted the bill to be a realisation of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s dream, and on the other hand is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which said that its numbers had done the trick in the upper house. Then there are the other parties taking equal credit –for preventing it from being passed. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Janata Dal (JD) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), led by the Yadav trio, have vehemently opposed the bill claiming it to be elitist and one which would sideline women from lower-castes and minority religious groups. In short, they are demanding reservation within reservation.
A glance at the data compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union might give us a little reality check and put things in perspective. India presently is competing with Benin, a country in West Africa, for the 99th spot among 187 countries in the number of seats allocated to women. We have 59 seats or 10.8 per cent for our women, figuring way below some of our neighbours including Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh, who incidentally are nascent democracies when compared to our 63 years record.
The next biggest hurdle is the bill’s litmus test in the 552-strong Lok Sabha. Once it is eventually cleared by the house, it has to be signed by the president, after which it has to be ratified by all 28 states. This could well take over a year. What remains to be seen is if the UPA will be able to hold on to its allies and convince them to see the end of this, or if it will wilt under political pressure.
For all those championing the cause of women’s equality in India, the harsh reality is, there really is a long way to go. So let’s hold our breath till the bill actually becomes a law and until 33 per cent of the seats are really filled by women. There is still time for history to be created.
The Women’s Reservation bill is making progress through the echelons of government, but it still has a long way to go, notes PREETI KANNAN
The fact is that we are the largest democracy by virtue of our population, 1.13 billion officially, rather than owing it to our democratic conventions
The contentious bill, if passed in its present form, will no doubt be a milestone and restore, to some extent, gender balance
Australia, like many Western democracies, has become a society which is driven by opinion polls. Almost every week we are bombarded by one or another newspaper running a poll. Often it may be based on a survey of just 600 to 1200 people and their opinions on questions like whether they prefer the prime minister or the opposition leader, are tabulated and broadcast as if they are election results.
The integrity or honesty of the poll results are not questioned but are compared with results from other pollsters to see if they tally. Pollsters like to have a good reputation and therefore, they can be expected to be as honest as possible. The Galaxy poll, published by The Daily Telegraph and associated newspapers, has been known for its uncanny accuracy. Another reputable poll is the AC Nielson poll which is published by the Fairfax group of newspapers.
Material is gathered with respect to location, age and gender and this gives clues with regard to group attitudes. For example, a certain party might promise certain advantages to retirees (like increased pensions) whilst others may focus on women’s issues (like the current debate
on maternity leave pay) and these might get reflected in the polls. Often, the respondent’s normal party preference is also included to find how liberal or labor voters feel about an issue.
There are two problems with polls. The first is that people might not be willing to reveal what they actually think, particularly over the phone and, secondly, emotions might affect their responses. Emotions especially affect surveys on issues like migration and multiculturalism. Leaders who can emotionally relate to people can be expected to do well in both opinion polls and in elections; leaders need to be able to relate to the common man and woman. Charisma does have its place in politics!
In non-democratic societies, people are afraid to vent their grievances. In contrast, in democratic societies people show their dissatisfaction quite openly. That is the difference between China and India. Indian politics, because of the freedom associated with it, often appears chaotic; China in stark contrast is a command society. Australians show their dissatisfaction through polls. The important Newspoll, exclusive to The Australian newspaper, focuses on the satisfaction/dissatisfaction or approval/
disapproval ratings of the leaders of the main parties. It has had near-accurate prediction on the just concluded Tasmanian and South Australian elections.
Australia, like other democracies, has developed a culture of complaint. Students in tertiary education are encouraged to comment on their teachers, which is still alien to many societies. People’s opinions are asked on matters such as health and transport. Sometimes the culture of complaint goes too far when governments are blamed for everything such as drought and the lack of water in the Murray River.
Opinion polls are supposed to reflect people’s opinion on certain matters, but the trouble is that such polls often actually do the opposite. Instead, they influence public opinion and in doing so, they drive policy-making which might then get brushed off as “making policy on the run”.
When poll results are favourable to the opposition, it boosts their morale with calls from their leader not to become complacent. Likewise, if polls favour the government, “don’t get complacent” can be expected from the leader. Unfavourable results for either side are taken as wake-up calls which then result in policy changes; but if polls
Modern societies recognise education to be a lifelong process in which senior citizens can also participate well after retiring from full-time work. Given the increase in longevity, an Australian retiring when in their sixties can hope for an active retirement for 20 to 25 years to follow. That means, learning in retirement needs to be planned on the basis of the retirees’ interests and talents.
Modern education is designed to be broad in scope, covering the humanities, sciences and creative arts. It expects knowledge of not only one’s own country and culture, but also of other countries and other cultures. Such education contributes to a better understanding of the world’s peoples and hopefully leads to peaceful co-existence. European universities encourage their graduates to have a broad perspective of learning. If, for example, an individual graduates in one of the sciences, he or she is obliged to produce a smaller thesis in a very different area, preferable the humanities.
There are two levels of learning where an individual can involve himself or herself in completely different fields. Some who have specialised in one area may also excel in another completely different area. The majority of learners, however, may seek to expand their horizons by learning different subjects, though not specialising in them.
Two highly successful contemporary writers of fiction are also renowned academics. They are Umberto Eco, amongst other things a social
anthropologist and Alexander McColl-Smith who is a professor of medical law. Damodar Kosambi, who excelled in the USA and in India in mathematics, is said to have revolutionised the writing of Indian history; he was honoured in 2008 through a postage stamp. Harvard University established the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement where retired academics engage in lifelong learning,
When working full-time and bringing up a family, it would have been difficult to find the time to pursue learning, unless it was related to one’s work. However, on retirement, with abundant time on hand, one can indulge in learning or in developing skills which have lain dormant for many years. Australia provides myriad learning opportunities for senior citizens. Community colleges which are spread over metropolitan cities, offer numerous courses for gaining knowledge as well as for honing skills. These can range from courses like Australian history and politics to yoga, tai chi and bonsai planting.
Take for example the creative arts. Courses exist for both beginners and advanced students in drawing and painting. It is amazing to see seniors in such courses discover talents which they did not realise that they possessed. This writer found such courses to be particularly helpful in relaxing and discovering the variety of mediums used in creating artworks.
On the other side of the coin, when seniors retire, they often find that they have talents which they can put to use in helping others. They find, for example, that that they can share with other retirees their unique knowledge. Many of today’s Indian retirees came to Australia with high qualifications. Chris Evans, Immigration Minister recently noted that although
become unfavourable over a long period, the ground becomes fertile for leadership challenges and leader replacement.
Of course, polls can get it wrong. All polls have a margin of error. Larger samples, that is, a larger number of people surveyed might help to reduce such margins. Australia has some electorates which are known to be strong Liberal, Labour or National party constituencies. Then there are the swinging electorates which have voted different parties over the years. It is swinging electorates which need to be surveyed if the people’s choice for the next government is sought to be predicted.
Late swings are particularly noted close to the election itself. As elections draw close, things often get summarised through mantras. For example, those working for the opposition might say it is “time for change” whilst government supporters might use the “better a known devil than an unknown devil” argument.
In certain societies, like in the last general election in Italy, general apathy kept a substantial number of voters away from the polls. This affected election results and poll predictions. The last general election in India had a high turnout for a country where voting is not compulsory. In Australia voting is compulsory, and that is why poll predictions can more often get it right. As elections draw to a close, poll results are eagerly awaited to see if late swings are visible.
migrants make up only a quarter of Australia’s population, “they account for around half of our doctors, dentists, IT specialists and chefs, and more than a third of our pharmacists, geologists, mechanical engineers and painters and decorators. Just imagine where Australia would be without them.”
Those Indian retirees who have an academic bent can offer to lecture in a variety of places such as community colleges, in the “University of the 3rd Age” (U3A) and to retirees associations. Once registered with the U3A, for a fee it provides free courses in a variety of topics to senior citizens. There is even a U3A Online which claims to be “a world-first virtual University of the Third Age delivering online learning” which is powered by Griffith University.
Indian migrants will find that courses dealing with Australian topics help them to better understand the country which they have made their home. On the other hand, they might like to know things about India which they might not have had the chance to study. They will be surprised to learn about the variety of Indian topics on offer, ranging from yogic asanas to deeper academic subjects like Indian philosophy.
Courses on Indian philosophical topics, for example, are quite popular in Australia. The Theosophical Society is one body offering occasional series of lectures on Indian topics. Indian migrants might be pleasantly surprised at the number of individuals in Australia who are greatly interested in their country of origin’s civilisation, and who are able to offer new perspectives.
Besides enlarging one’s mental horizons, courses for seniors help one to socialise with a variety of people and thus integrate better in Australia.
In today’s day, the opinion of the public is eagerly sought to predict or define issues as they arise
The integrity or honesty of the poll results are not questioned but are compared with results from other pollsters to see if they tally
Retiring from work should signal the beginning of a new phase of learning and discovery, says NOEL G DE SOUZA
…on retirement, with abundant time on hand, one can indulge in learning or in developing skills which have lain dormant for many years
The city of Sarawak is unique in its history, architecture and natural beauty, making it one of the most liveable cities in Asia.
BY THOMAS E KINGEvery evening before the sun drops behind the wide, brown Sarawak River, the MV Equatorial departs from Kuching’s waterfront promenade. The cruise that follows is a pleasant introduction to the capital of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak, because visitors are provided with a cultural show on the covered deck of the cruiser, as well as commentary about many of the points of interest in the colourful city’s past.
After departing I was directed to look across the river to a white building that appeared like a decoration on a wedding cake. The Astana is now the residence of the Chief Minister of Sarawak. This stately mansion built in 1870 was the regal home for a succession of White Rajahs. Their story is intertwined with the history of Kuching, in fact, all of Malaysia’s largest state.
Tales of the White Rajahs began when English adventurer James Brooke sailed his yacht, the Royalist, to Borneo in 1839 and helped the Sultan of Brunei quell a rebellion. In return, the Sultan offered Brooke the governorship of Sarawak. So began the 105 year (1841-1946) rule of the Brooke family of White Rajahs.
While the greeting was warm and the ambiance was amiable, less than a century ago this Iban community headman could have been a head hunter
When James Brooke died in 1869, his nephew Charles Brooke continued the dynasty for the next 50 years. The latter built many of the city’s lovely historic buildings, including the circa 1874 Court House and the Astana.
James Brooke was succeeded by Sir Charles Vyner Brooke who designed his own flag, issued his own stamps and minted his own coins.
You might still find the latter in shops along India Street. This pedestrian walkway derives its name from the fact that it has always been occupied by Indian shops specialising in textiles, clothing, jewellery and household items. The street was closed to vehicular traffic in 1992 and converted into a pedestrian mall. I wandered down the quaint time capsule looking at the diverse facades of shop houses, photographing the 160 year old Mesjid Bandar Kuching, a sanctuary for many local Indian Muslims, and peering past doorways of a clean and green urban centre ranked as one of the most liveable
cities in Asia.
There are many factors contributing to this accolade, including the nearly kilometre-long tree lined waterfront promenade that hugs the banks of the Sarawak River on one side, and a streetscape of 19th century Chinese shop houses on the other. Throughout the humid day, locals and tourists parade along the walkway.
In the early hours, joggers bounce along its gentle bend. Gardeners and cleaners also start the day early to ensure the waterfront’s manicured gardens and shady paths are verdant and tidy.
While the waterfront area teems with activity during the day, it transforms into a fantasy of lights at dusk. Visitors lean on rails gazing
across a flotilla of manpowered water taxis called sampans, ferrying people home from work or shopping trips with only a primitive oil lamps to guide them.
Fronting the waterfront is the Main Bazaar, once the city commercial centre. Nowadays, it’s studded with native arts and craft shops, a few restaurants and boutique hotels. Travel operators also abound, so it’s the place to organise trips to tribal longhouses or book river excursions that probe the depths of the Borneo jungle.
The Sarawak River is not the only significant waterway in the state. The Rajang is longer but lesser known. From its source in the highlands of central Borneo, Sarawak’s longest river flows
for some 563 km before emptying into the South China Sea. Along its way it passes Sibu, a commercial centre and since mid-2009, the departure point for the MV Orient Pandaw. There are frequent domestic flights connecting Kuching with Sibu to the east and on arrival my wife and I were graciously met by Pandaw staff and whisked to the docked vessel.
The following nine days with 53 like-minded travellers aboard a new river vessel built to replicate a 19th century colonial steamer, proved to be highly satisfying and culturally stimulating. Fitted out with all modern conveniences, the 30 cabin MV Orient Pandaw provides maximum comfort in a very remote corner of the world. We learned just how remote during informative
lectures followed by well organised excursions.
During the 250 km upstream journey (we travelled by day and docked in the Rajang by night) we passed several small communities and countless longhouses where up to a hundred people lived under the same roof.
As progress ‘flows’ upstream many of these longhouses have been rebuilt in modern styles. This was not what we encountered outside Kapit, the last major administrative post on the Rajang River which dates to the days of the White Rajahs. Built in 1880, the all wood longhouse looked its age. Inside the covered veranda we were served tuak (local rice wine) while watching a welcome dance from the longhouse headman. Dressed in a costume
Visitors lean on rails gazing across a flotilla of manpowered water taxis called sampans, ferrying people home from work or shopping trips with only a primitive oil lamps to guide them
1. This statue at the edge of Kuching’s Chinatown is a hint as to how the city got its name
2. The MV Orient Pandaw explores much of the lengthy Rajang River in colonial style
3. With its shops and views to a night-lit Astana, a twilight stroll along the promenade is a must
4. Pandaw excursions include longhouse visits where dancers of all ages welcome visitors
5. Kuching’s pedestrian friendly India Street Mall is a favourite with bargain hunters
Photos: Thomas E KIng
befitting a five year old, even his grandson got into the act!
While the greeting was warm and the ambiance was amiable, less than a century ago this Iban community headman could have been a head hunter. The practice was outlawed in 1924 with a peacekeeping ceremony held at the fort built by Charles Brooke in Kapit.
While the days of head hunting have long ended there are still reminders hanging around … quite literally. I walked part way down the longhouse’s long corridor and looked to the dusty rafters where a collection of skulls could just be seen in the dim light. Back on the slow moving Pandaw, fellow travellers shared skull stories as local longboats sped by transporting locals and the occasional backpack visitor between settlements.
The Rajang is normally a docile waterway but she showed her wild side on the day the guide briefed us about the Pelagus Rapids. After a buffet breakfast we left our floating hotel and transferred to a 600 hp flat bottom tong-kang (cargo boat) for a tryst with white water.
The initial hours were easy as we journeyed past pristine rainforest, sand shoals and the occasional longhouse. As the river narrowed the current increased. The full power of the engine was only put to the test when we met turbulent waters and could only inch upstream. The boat surged but never stalled as spray washed our faces. The struggle was finally over and calm reigned once again.
The captain turned the cargo boat around and began the far faster paced journey downstream dodging protruding boulders and sand bars. After dinner many of us gathered on the observation deck and toasted an adrenalin charged adventure that none had ever experienced before, but all would happily repeat again.
ORIENTATION Dense rain forests and swamp lands make up three quarters of Sarawak, one of two East Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. (An independent sultanate, Brunei Darussalam and the Indonesian Province of Kalimantan share the world’s third largest island with Sarawak and Sabah, the other state.)
FLIGHTS Singapore Airlines has three fights a day from Sydney to Singapore with easy connections using its airline partner, Silkair, on to Kuching. See your travel agent or call Singapore Airlines/Silkair on 13 10 11. Visit www.singaporeair.com.au, www.silkair. com.
ACCOMMODATION From the upper floors of the centrally located 315 room Hilton Kuching, there is a glorious view over the promenade, the river and the Astana to distant cloud-capped mountains. A recent addition to the Hilton’s numerous facilities is the Borneo Oasis Wellness Centre featuring spa treatments using traditional herbs and tribal techniques. Contact the Hilton Kuching at (60 82) 248 200. Log on to www.hilton.com
TRAVEL Established for 25 years, Kuching-based Borneo Adventure specialises
in personalised nature and culture oriented holidays. Arrangements from transfers and city tours to river excursions and stays with tribal people can be confidently made by email info@ borneoadventure.com or phone (60 82) 245 175. See www.borneoadventure.com .
CRUISING
The MV Orient Pandaw operates three luxurious 9 day cruises on the Rajang River every month. Air conditioned cabins with private facilities are furnished in teak and brass. Priced from $2248 per person, cruises include all meals – curry favourites inclusive – in a private dining room, a spa, fitness centre and an open-until-late cocktail bar on the observation deck. For more information and bookings contact the representative office in Sydney, (02) 8080 5622, e-mail: jlbati@ozemail.com.au. See www.pandaw.com
INFORMATION Tourism Malaysia, 2/171 Clarence St, Sydney, tel (02) 9299 4441, e-mail: malaysia@malaysiatourism.com.au can assist in planning your stopover with maps and guides on Kuching and Sarawak. See www. tourismmalaysia.gov.my. Visit the Sarawak Tourism Board office in Kuching for additional information. See www.sarawaktourism.com
“The price of the democratic way of life is a growing appreciation of people’s differences, not merely as tolerable, but as the essence of a rich and rewarding human experience,” said Jerome Nathanson, capture the essence of Harmony Day. beautifully. Celebrated on 21 March each year and managed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Harmony Day celebrates the cohesive and inclusive nature of our nation and promotes the benefits of cultural diversity. The 2010 theme for Harmony Day was “Express Yourself” and Victorian Sikh Association (VSA) was up for the challenge! VSA initiated the Australian Friendship Games as part of their commitment to the State Government agenda of promoting understanding, multiculturalism, tolerance and fostering a strong sense of community. All Melbournians were invited to this free community event. There was music, DJs, drummers and of course, a top level hockey match!
The guest list was impressive to say the least, from members of the parliament to university in diversity experts. It was a glorious autumn afternoon with the sun shining brightly on the lush green stadium and a picture perfect blue sky.
The event started with an opening note by the VSA President, Mr. Harvin Dhillon. He thanked the crowd for coming together and showing their support to send a strong message to the rest of the world that we are united and will not tolerate any person or organisation threatening to undermine our unity. The event officially commenced with the crowd standing to sing the Indian and the Australian national anthems. And I must say, it was an amazing feeling hearing “Jana Gana Mana” and “Advance Australia Fair” one after another, trying to retrospectively analyse if I related to any one more than the other! This was followed by the observation of a minute’s silence in memory of the late Gurshan Singh, a three year old toddler who went missing in early March and was found dead after a homicide investigation.
Hon. Maxine Morand addressed the crowd praising the effort of the VSA in promoting multiculturalism and fostering a strong sense of community by engaging through sport. An interesting fact that stuck out was that Australians come from across 200 countries, speak 200 different languages and follow 20 different faiths! Wow… we are truly a multicultural nation!
for engagement between cultures. He was glad that VSA chose hockey and not cricket, given India recently hosted the Hockey World Cup in Delhi.
The formalities over, the crowds were enthralled by the voice of dhol beats and following the dhol player were five energetic students from the Swinburne University Punjabi Club who broke out into an enthusiastic bhangra performance which was enjoyed by people of all age groups. Then the true stars of the evening, the Guest
language clearly said, “Bring it on”! The crowd cheered and the game commenced... Simultaneously, there was an appetising spread of afternoon tea that had been arranged. It was great to see the informal atmosphere as people got a chance to mingle and chat with the local members of parliament present.
All in all, this was a Sunday afternoon very well spent showing support for the community, surrounding the recent buildup of tension between Indian students
effort of coordinating such events thus sending a strong message of unanimity. This reassures the community and the world that the State Government has the situation under control, not withstanding sensationalism around such issues created by the Indian media.
Oh and the results, the game was won by St.Kilda Powerhouse with the result being 8-3 in their favour! Well done to both teams for the game of the sport, and the sport of the game.
The hot n spicy cross border Sania-Shoaib affair is proving to be quite a media circus. Are they already married, should they tie the knot or wait till the controversy blows over? Indian Link asked its readers for their take on the unfolding Bollywood blockbuster
What a tamasha! The way it’s going, it seems that Sania/Shoib controversy has all the mirch masala of a Bollywood movie. But I think the villian of the piece in this case, is the lady making claims that she is married to Shoib. I have been following the story and it keeps getting more dramatic and unbelievable as she makes all kinds of claims which don’t seem to have any basis. I think she’s just getting her 15 minutes of fame. Somehow Shoib’s version of events seems to be more genuine.
Sania and Shoib should postpone their wedding until this issue clears up, not just for themselves, but because it will cast a shadow over what is to be a happy occasion. After all, they will still be engaged and can marry later, once the allegations have been put to rest. But the people who are happiest about this controversy is the media, who are having a field day. Well, at least someone’s having fun.
Prashant Dixit PetershamThe Indo-Pak love match has turned out to be yet another example of what has been absolutely key to Indian cinema – a dramatic spectacle of a just-to-be-
married couple whose matrimonial plans are rudely interrupted by a third woman who bursts on to the scene with a “Yeh shaadi nahi ho sakti!” I think the great Indian wedding spectacle just got itself a version 2. What a perfect potboiler
Rahul Sethi EastwoodAt a time when India and Pakistan are not on the best of terms, there couldn’t have been better news than a cross border relationship of such high profile. Of course, the Sania-Shoaib engagement has attracted attention because they are both extremely popular sportstars. Sport has traditionally broken down barriers, this is particularly true of cricket. Shoaib himself is well aware of this and has expressed his wish that Sania win an Olympic medal for India.
Shyam Narendra Oatley
We are a species obsessed with each other’s personal lives and have a worthless opinion about everything under the sun. Talking about things as redundant as ‘community/caste’, ‘marriage’ or even nationalism in the 21st century, when the world is nothing but a cheap
Chinese imitation of the US of A, simply goes out to show that we live in a duality of sorts, where our ‘morals’ and ‘actions’ are two different realms. Face it, we rant more than we deliver or practice.
Urvashi Garg CampsieTennis star Sania Mirza’s life has been mired with controversy ever since she started playing tennis a few years ago. From being slammed by Muslim clerics for wearing un-Islamic clothes to being in the news for disrespecting the national flag, Sania has seen it all. I think she has a penchant for courting controversy.
Nitin Shah StrathfieldNow, whether the love-birds actually marry and have a happy-after in Dubai, earning accolades for their respective countries in the realm of sports (true patriots is what they’d like themselves to be remembered as), or they simply move on to greener pastures of love, one thing is certain, their relationship has truly sparked the flames of ‘Aman ki Aasha’ for many and given another reason to bicker for many more.
Sindhu Sharma Westmead
Artist Anuradha Patel is a public artist, a sculptor, a painter, a ceramic artist.....indeed she works with a variety of mediums. For many years, Patel’s primary experience has been in the field of Public Arts design, and she has designed public art projects in the UK and Australia over the last 20 years. In the UK, her works include the A13 Artscape in London, the Peace Garden in Birmingham, and others. In Australia, she is well known in the City of Greater Dandenong area for her public art commissions for Council, Water Pool, the Mons Parade Pedestrian Underpass in Noble Park, and the Noble Park Station Pedestrian Underpass. She has also exhibited her studio-based work widely in the UK, where she lived, and some of her works were recently exhibited at the Walker Street Gallery in Dandenong, Victoria, with which I was impressed, and later spoke to the artist about her art.
Anuradha Patel was born in Gujarat and her family moved to Uganda when she was quite young – where she spent her childhood, and explored the outdoors in a ‘near perfect climate’. It was here that she first began working with clay; she later moved to the UK where she lived many years and went to art school (in 1983). It was then that she discovered the great impact Indian folk art tradition had on her, especially in the way it celebrates and reveres life in all its
forms as well as the way it rejoices in everyday life.
Folk art incorporates art in daily life either as house paintings, murals or art that is put to use in our lives.
For instance, the art of paper cutting in Gujarat –especially paper cutting decorations at weddings, Indian appliqué work on fabric, the use of stylised images of flowers, animals and humans, the splash of colours – have all influenced her in one way or another. For Anu, the decorative and stylistic use of line, form and pattern has evolved from a close study of natural life and form.
As a public artist, Anu Patel’s works have been largely made with metal, where she has had to translate and transfer her paper cutting art to large artworks using industrial processes. She learned to use a specialised computer programme, resort to laser cutting, and has sought professional help from metal workers to create her artworks. Public art commissions are large projects which also entailed working with landscape architects, and are one-off pieces specific to the area, which need to conform to safety requirements and other criteria.
Anu Patel now wishes to concentrate more on gallery and studio work, exhibiting her creations that are wholly her own – her own ideas in which she can explore many things and her own experiences. This exhibition is a step in that direction. Anu’s works in the gallery are primarily figurative and are in a variety of mediums and worked with a variety of materials in both two and three dimensions. They are also an expression of situations and experiences from her life. The versatility and range of her talent were evident in the Dandenong Exhibition.
She now lives in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria
While it’s great having the kids around during school holidays, life could suddenly be busier than normal. Whether its having friends over for a play or a sleepover, or having to hunt through your snack shelf in an attempt to find them something sensible to munch on, or even keeping them amused in case the weather
turns wet, it’s likely that you’ll be in for a couple of hectic weeks.
So why not introduce them to the culinary arts and involve them in making finger foods that are fun, healthy and will keep them busy. Who knows, you could find that your young one is a Master Chef in the making.
650 gms chicken tenders
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
For marinade
110 gms coconut milk
50 gms Madras curry powder
½ tsp lemongrass paste
Salt and sugar to taste
2 tsp oil
For peanut sauce:
200 gms crushed peanuts
2 tbsp red curry paste
½ cup coconut milk
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp oil
Salt to taste
Mix the marinade well with the chicken supremes and leave overnight in fridge. Insert into satay sticks. Grill till golden brown and serve with peanut sauce
For peanut sauce: Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan or wok, add the peanuts and red curry paste. Stirfry for 2-3 minutes. Add sugar, salt and coconut milk, bring to a low boil. Simmer for two minute and set aside. Serve as dipping sauce with chicken satay sticks
Blueberry and apple muffins
115 gms butter
¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 eggs
1 apple, cored and grated with skin
½ tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp marmalade
Zest of 1 orange
1 cup blueberries
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Mix the butter and sugar until creamy. Slowly stir in the eggs, cinnamon, marmalade and orange zest.
Add flour and oats, beat together the mixture until smooth.
Gently stir in the grated apple and blueberries
Place a spoonful of mixture into muffin cases, filling just over halfway. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Mini Nachos
Nacho chips
2-3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
For bean topping:
200 gm can butter beans, drained
200 gm can kidney beans, drained
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
1-2 red chillies, seeded and chopped
(optional)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
For avocado topping
2 ripe avocados
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Juice of ½ a lemon
Salt to taste
For the bean topping: Mix beans, tomatoes and chillies. Mix remaining ingredients together and toss into the bean mixture
Avocado topping: Mix oil, lemon juice and seasoning, add diced avocados and toss to
coat and prevent discolouring. Arrange nachos individually on a plate and fill individually with bean and avocado mixtures. Garnish with fresh coriander.
Paneer kebabs
500gms paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh coriander
4 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp white pepper
Oil for brushing kebabs
Salt
For the garnishing
1 tomato, finely sliced
1 cucumber, finely sliced
1 large onion, finely sliced
Lemon or lime wedges
Mash the paneer in a bowl. Add ginger, chillies, coriander leaves, salt, pepper and cornflour. Mix well until blended. Press the mixture around skewers and place in the
fridge for half an hour. Remove, brush with oil and cook in an oven, grill or barbecue until the kebabs turn golden brown. Serve hot with onion rings, lemon slices, tomato and cucumber slices.
Smoked fishcakes
900 gms mashed potato
900 gms smoked flaked haddock or tuna
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, dill and chives
½ tsp ground pepper
Salt to taste
Flour, for coating
Vegetable oil, for frying
Mix together the potato, fish, herbs and flour. Shape into round or oval fishcakes and coat wth flour. Chill for an hour or even overnight. Heat pan with oil and fry cakes for a couple of minutes on each side or until golden brown. Transfer to oven and cook at 180 degrees for 20 minutes to cook through. Serve with fries and mashed peas.
ARIES March 21–April 20
You are likely to be ambitious and will tend to plan towards your goals methodically. You are organised and will be able to put in serious efforts towards your project. You may feel that you aren’t getting due credit for your efforts. Things will turn out right in due course of time. You would benefit by being innovative, yet logical at the same time. Tarot signifies consolidating plans and taking firm steps towards attaining goals.
TAURUS April 21–May 21
You will not only live well within your means but also be able to save towards a goal. This month the focus is on material wealth which you are likely to receive from some source. However, be cautioned: do not let materialism overpower the emotional values of your relationship. It appears your relationship is not able to grow because one of the partners may not be open to new ideas and changes, a prerequisite for any relationship to develop.
GEMINI May 22–June 23
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. 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.
CANCER June 23–July 22
Tarot foresees both success and fulfilment for you this month. You are likely to be happy on achieving lasting success. You are blessed to have the support of people around you. The goals currently on your mind, towards which you seem to be working whole-heartedly, will bring you success. A positive card is drawn in a travel reading also. Overseas projects are indicated by this card. You should continue to put in hard work in whatever you do.
LEO July 23–August 23
Tarot indicates the simple union of two people in love. A good partnership or bond is suggested here. It is a time for harmony and unity. Tarot suggests that matters can be healed and peace can be restored. This month represents love, passion, friendship, affinity, union, sympathy and harmony. There is a spiritual connection where there is an equal partnership which benefits both the parties. In a relationship reading, Tarot foresees marriage, or a deeper commitment in an existing union.
VIRGO August 24–September 22
You are not at peace with yourself. Perhaps spiritually you are feeling at a loss. Responsibilities, tensions and pressures seem overwhelming. Perhaps you are being overambitious, or you are pursuing 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 trying to do everything yourself, delegate a few responsibilities to others in order to achieve better results.
LIBRA September 23 – October 23
Tarot indicates success through discipline of self and practicality. In order to succeed, you will have to adopt a pragmatic approach to life in spite of the limitations that confront you. Tarot represents stability, strength and conviction. New opportunities will come your way. You need to make the best of them, by laying solid foundations that shall finally lead to success. You should be prepared to act instantly and leave place for any changes that may be required.
SCORPIO October 24–November 22
This is a time when material stability and security are seen by Tarot. It foresees completion of a project. If thinking about your career, Tarot indicates advancement and promotion. There is a focus on congenial family relations also. As well, financial security is seen in a family situation. You may be in a position to help out a person who is going through a difficult financial time. Travel and movement are on the cards too. Make the most of it.
SAGITTARIUS November 23–December 21
This month, your focus will be on your ambitions. Tarot indicates that you will have a favourable encounter with an assertive person who will support you during a difficult time. Good looking, well built, honest and kind, this person is mature and good with people. He/she will be a helpful sort of a person, though he/she may not be emotionally involved in the situation. It will be beneficial for you to you adopt the above-mentioned qualities yourself. \
CAPRICORN December 22–January 19
You realise that you can no longer stay away from issues of concern, and are required to face your problems and responsibilities. There is conflict in the air that may have brought out the worst in everyone involved. Be careful of someone who can create trouble. You have to avoid arguments for your reputation may be at stake. The end result is not likely to give anyone much happiness. You should be careful taking up only as much responsibility as you can cope with.
AQUARIUS January 20–February 18
Tarot foresees positive news that will cheer you up. It is time to start a new project or travel which will take you in a new direction. It could also indicate assistance from a young person or a faithful friend during a difficult time. You may receive news from people you seldom see. You may also have flashes of inspiration and creativity, which if followed, would bring success. The card drawn represents a postman or a messenger, indicating faithfulness and stability.
PISCES February 19–March 20
The card drawn for you this month suggests you have given up old beliefs and attitudes and have adopted a newer understanding of life; and are now able to work towards your ultimate fulfilment. All you need to do is be true to yourself and the attainment of your goal. You are likely to cultivate new relationships as great spiritual growth and learning is involved in them. The changes observed are from within, rather than on the physical level.
Bollywood star Akshay Kumar did what he does best in Sajid Khan’s comedy film Housefull, where he jumped from one balcony to another for a scene, without using any harness. “Akshay had to jump from one balcony to another for a scene. It was advisable to use cables for it since it was quite risky and one small slip would have him badly injured. But Akshay refused and did the stunt himself, minus the cable wires,” said a source from the production unit. The romantic comedy also features Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta, Jiah Khan, Riteish Deshmukh and Arjun Rampal, and is due for an end-April release. That’s Akshay for you…brave and foolhardy at the same time. Wonder what wife Twinkle thought of that stunt? But that’s not all. In a moment of spontaneous generosity, the hunky hero gifted director Sajid Khan a limited edition Tag Heuer watch. “Akshay Kumar watched a couple of scenes of the film and loved it. After viewing those few scenes there is no doubt in his mind that the film will do well. He gifted Sajid Khan a watch to show his appreciation,” a source said. Wow, now that’s what I call a true treat! Lucky Sajid…
Slated to release in July, I Hate Luv Storys a romantic movie produced by Karan Johar and directed by debutant Punit Malhotra. It will have Sonam cast alongside Imran Khan and Sammir Dattani.
In the midst of promoting these films, Sonam will also be doling out time to her new films - Anees Bazmee’s romantic comedy Thank You opposite Akshay Kumar, Pankaj Kapoor’s Mausam with his son Shahid and another hush-hush one. Seems like Sonam’s going to be one busy lady this year. Well, her fans will certainly be pleased.
Sonam Kapoor has done just two movies since her debut in 2007, but this year, the actress has her hands full with the release of two projects and shooting schedules of three movies.
The 24-year-old, who was first seen opposite Ranbir Kapoor in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya and later in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Delhi-6, is awaiting the release of Aisha and I Hate Luv Storys in 2010.
“Guys, I’ve finished filming Aisha and I Hate Luv Storys and they will be my two releases this year. I’m working on three more films this year. I’m doing Thank You, Mausam and the third one I can’t talk about,” Sonam posted on her Twitter page Saturday.
In Aisha, which is an adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Emma, Sonam plays the role of an uber chic high society girl and has three actors opposite her - Abhay Deol, Arunudoy Singh and popular veejay Cyrus
Adrenaline pumping action, cutting edge technology and with three actresses wooing him, Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi is all set to make a grand comeback as the solo lead in action film Prince releasing soon.
With a whopping budget of over Rs.40 crore (Rs.400 million), the two-hour-sixminute venture boasts of action sequences exceeding an hour. It is releasing with over 1,000 prints worldwide. Directed by debutant Kooki V. Gulati, Prince stars Nandana Sen, Aruna Shields and Neeru Singh as the female lead. Sanjay Kapoor and Dalip Tahil also star in the movie.
“‘Prince is my first action film and will showcase me in a new avatar. It’s a story that could be every man’s fantasy and every man’s nightmare,” said an upbeat Vivek in an interview. Shot across South Africa, Thailand and India, Prince narrates the story of a quick-witted thief who wakes up one morning to realise that he has a gunshot
about how he got it because he has lost his memory and that his life is at stake. In his quest to find answers he discovers his name is Prince, he used to work for a man named Sarang and that his girlfriend’s name is Maya. He is being hunted by the secret service of India I Grip, the CBI and the biggest white collared criminals in the world.
He realises that he is the most wanted man in the country because only he knows the whereabouts of a heist, which contains a secret that is linked not only to his memory loss but something that also threatens the future of the human race.
Prince tries relying on his razor sharp instincts to salvage himself, as the web of deception spins and he gets more entangled, as everyday he meets a new girl who claims to be Maya, he doesn’t know which side of the law he is on and above all he has only six days to live.
Vivek lost 12 kilos for the film and had to undergo about five months of rigorous physical training that included skate-
arts, kicks and punches practice.
The 33-year-old has also jumped from a 32-storied building to a 28-storied one in the film and that too on a bike.
The film has been in the news for a while because of the intimate scenes filmed with Vivek with his actresses. Prince is also releasing simultaneously in Tamil and Telugu, apart from Hindi. So will Vivek scorch the screen and rise up like the fabled phoenix, ready for a new career? Let’s wait and see…
After Brazilian Giselle Monteiro and Mexican Barbara Mori, it’s Egyptian Aida Elkashef’s turn to make her debut in an Indian movie as an actress. Director Anand Gandhi says initially he didn’t plan to cast her in Theseus’ Ship. “I met Aida at the Berlin Film Festival where she had come to showcase one of her movies,” Gandhi said
(Find the answer under Caption Contest)
ABHILASHA SENGUPTA brings us up-to-date on what’s hot and happening
in a phone interview. “She is just 21 and the daughter of a respected filmmaker from Egypt. She has made a couple of short films and is also an amazing actor.”
Gandhi, who earned acclaim for his short films, Right Here Right Now (2003) and Continuum (2006), says he had initially written Aida’s part for an Indian actress but failed to find the right face for it. “Her role wasn’t planned at all. She had come to India after we met in Berlin and started helping us out in auditioning male actors so that we could cast one of them opposite the character of a female photographer,” he said.
“During the screen test, we saw how excellently she performed the lines of the photographer. It was then that we decided to rewrite the part for an Egyptian girl rather than an Indian one,” he added.
Gandhi, who used to earlier pen for small screen’s biggest shows Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, says he auditioned close to 35 Indian actresses for the role, but couldn’t settle for any.
“I can’t name the actresses I auditioned, but there were around 30-35. It was frustrating because none of them fitted the bill. I feel there is a serious dearth of acting skills and craftsmanship here because sadly, the general perception among Indian actors is that if you hit the gym regularly, you can make a successful actor.”
For Theseus’ Ship, which is a multi-lingual film primarily in English with parts in Arabic, Hindi, Gujarati and Swedish, Gandhi has also cast Soham Shah, who made his debut with Baabarr in 2009.
“I had not seen Soham’s mainstream film when he auditioned for my film but with whatever I have shot with him, I can say he is a very different and amazing actor. He plays a stockbroker in my project,” he said. Theseus’ Ship weaves four tracks together. These include a story of an intuitive blind photographer, a monk’s ethics put to test, an obsessive compulsive clockmaker with an ailing heart, and a young stockbroker who gets caught up in the stolen kidney racket.
The narrative will travel to Cairo, Stockholm and Mumbai.
After shooting the Indian part of the film, Gandhi will be moving to Sweden and plans to finish the shooting schedules by September-end. He plans a festival release for the film rather than a commercial one. Another indication that Bollywood’s going global….
Filmmaker Prakash Jha, who has a penchant for realistic cinema, says his upcoming dark political drama Raajneeti on which he has been working since the past four years, is his most complete film ever.
“Rajneeti has been a long journey. It is a film about politics and tries to cover most aspects involved in politics - personal, family, social, state, national. Basically, the film tries to showcase what happens in politics. And I would say this is my most complete film,” said Jha at a press meet recently. The film features an impressive ensemble cast with actors such as Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Nana Patekar, Manoj Bajpai, Arjun Rampal, Naseeruddin Shah and Ajay Devgn playing major roles.
The filmmaker, who also contested the Lok Sabha elections last year, says he has had a fulfilling experience working with each and every member of the cast, including the badmaash Ranbir and Katrina.
“I am grateful to God that Ranbir agreed to play this role. He has put in days and nights of effort to play his character and he has done it with utmost honesty. He is one of my dearest actors and I really thank God for giving me Ranbir for this film,” said Jha, as Ranbir bent down to touch his feet out of
respect.
Jha was all praise for Katrina Kaif, who overcame her difficulty in speaking Hindi and delivered her dialogues with clarity even in front of a gathering of 10,000 people.
“Katrina is inspiring. Her quality of work, innocence, honesty and dedication is extremely inspiring. The movie was very tough for Katrina and it took her a lot of courage and confidence to essay the role, give it her best. It’s my good luck that I cast her,” he said. Though Katrina’s simple and sari-clad look in the film has been attracting queries about the resemblance of her character with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Jha clarified saying, “The film is not based on any political party or follows any ideology. It is a film that is based on reality of the politics.”
Raajneeti is set to release in June this year, after a huge promotional campaign that will soon be launched across eight cities in India. After which, Kat will probably be launched into politics for real! Well, she’d certainly make a stunning PM!
Young Maradona Rebello had to do some very strange and unconventional things in his debut film Pankh - get smooched by a man and go completely nude in front of his screen mother, Lilette Dubey. Confessed Maradona, “It’s been a harrowing time for me. I’ve given the role everything because I believed in the film. It’s
the story of a pushy mother and a male child who’s pushed into the movies dressed as a girl. My character grows up confused about his sexuality. I had to do many things that didn’t come naturally to me because I’m a straight guy. I had to kiss a man, get pushed around by him.”
Worst of all were the cross-dressing scenes.
“When I came on the set in a dress wearing stocking and lipstick, my director Sudipto-da freaked out. He was so apologetic. He asked everyone to leave the sets.
I told him to chill. But at night, I just couldn’t sleep, I was so hassled. Luckily, my parents supported me. They saw the film and loved my performance. My mom didn’t flinch when I stripped in front of my screen mother,” he says.
The character has changed Maradona’s life.
“I know I’m straight. But playing a guy confused about his sexuality can shake you completely,” he said.
The boy breathed a sigh of relief about his second film Dunno Y ...Na Jaane Kyun
“In this one I’m completely straight,” he quipped “In fact, I’m straight in Pankh as well. But throughout the film I had to keep trying to prove to the world that I am not gay.”
In the climax of the film, Maradona had to take off all his clothes and show his screen mom Lilette that he’s a man.
“Right through the film she keeps taunting me that I am no man. Finally, in a fit of rage I had to undress and show her that I am a man. It was a very difficult scene to do. Fortunately, Lilette made me very comfortable. Before the scene she hugged me and said it’d be fine. And it was,” he said.
For Maradona, the worst part was being kissed by a man.
“My co-star Amit Purohit had to kiss me on Marine Drive. Luckily, it was at night and not too many people were around,” he said, visibly embarrassed.
Ironically, in his second film Maradona has an affair with his sister-in-law, who’s married to his gay brother.
“I can’t reveal much about the part. But I got to work with screen divas like Zeenat Aman and Helen. Not bad for my second film,” he said.
As for being accepted as a gay role-model after the release of Pankh, Maradona said, “Why not? If people of either sex find me attractive I’m fine by it as long as I remain happily heterosexual in real life.” Sounds like Maradona’s a tough young guy, doesn’t it? But I’ll bet his next movie will be a rosily romantic one.
Bipasha Basu is known to be a sex siren and she has no qualms being sexy. “I want to be a sexy grandmother. I don’t mind being sexy at all,” remarked the gorgeous actress recently. At the unveiling of the Globetrotter Glam special issue of Marie Claire magazine, Bips got her message across to women of the world. “Real women have curves. Love yourself. Take out time for your own self. Be fit and fabulous,” she said. The Bong bombshell was happy to indulge in some personal praise, saying “If all of you have been seeing me over the years, you’ll know that I have a good level of smartness. You have to be smart. It’s very important to have a personality. Then, everything about you is amazing and attractive. You just can’t be beautiful and have a great body and not be smart and intelligent.”
She added,“It’s a tough job being an actor and being an actor coming from outside without any support system, making your name in this business.” Bips also offered fashion and health tips to the audience, who seemed to hang onto her very lips. Well, Bips certainly practices what she preaches!
What are Sylvester Stallone and Kareena Kapoor saying to each other?
Sylvester: Bebo, what say that I’m more good-looking than Saif?
Kareena: I thought you and Saif were twins…
Maushami Chand, Pendle Hill, NSW
Maushami wins a prize from Indian Link
Sylvester: We make a great couple.
Kareena: I think you and Saif will make a better one
Sylvester: Smile, you’re with Rambo
Kareena: You smile, you’re with Bebo.
Sylvester: Want tp learn how to build up muscles?
Kareena: No thanks, but how do I get a big mouth?
Film: Sadiyaan
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Hema Malini, Rekha, introducing Luv Sinha and Ferena Wazeir
Director: Raj Kanwar
It is deliciously ironical that during the same week that our tennis queen Sania Mirza announced she would marry a Pakistani cricketer, comes this film where the young desi pair threatens to get married and move to Pakistan. Life often imitates art. And art is often a close companion of kitsch and melodrama. Kitschy melodrama is attacked by purists. But there’s something to be said about a good oldfashioned melodrama like Sadiyaan where the biological and foster mothers, played by Hema Malini and Rekha respectively, vie for a son’s love and attention and outdo each other in the sacrificial arena.
They don’t make screen-moms like Rekha and Hema any more.
Raj Kanwar induces great dignity into the tussle between the modernday Devaki and Yashodhara. Yup, there’s something to be said in favour of nostalgia. Just see how Hema Malini, Rekha and Rishi Kapoor light up the screen in this surprisingly-watchablein-parts ode to fugitive parenthood.
Cleverly veteran director Raj Kanwar who in the past has made some very successful melodramas, focuses on the older generation in the second-half so that the story of young love gets a strong back-projection.
Film: Tum Milo Toh Sahi
Cast: Nana Patekar, Dimple
Kapadia, Suniel Shetty, Vidya Malvade, Rehan Khan, Anjana Sukhani
Director: Kabir Sadanand
Just for the pleasure of watching Nana Patekar and Dimple Kapadia together, this quaint and sincere look at love across three generations is well worth a dekko Dimple, exuding a warmth that pervades the screen, plays a feisty Parsi woman who
Sadiyaan has its heart in the right place even when it, the heart, rests in callow place. The courtship between the two newcomers in the first-half lacks a virile force. The rituals of romance are rather routine. As a matter of fact, cynics can accuse the scriptwriters of investing too much heart into this tale about the pangs of Partition that tore India into two messy halves more than sixty years ago.
We’ve had some remarkable Hindi films on Partition ranging from the classic Garam Hawa to Gadar Ek Prem Kahani. Sadiyaan is not quite in the same league. It isn’t lacking in emotions. Nor does the narrative miss out on putting the right punctuation marks in every sequence. What prevents the film from taking wings is also the quality that lifts the film above the culture of prevalent puerility.
Sadiyaan has that fast-fading quality called tehzeeb. To get to that core of genteel emotions, one has to forego the fast-food pleasures of contemporary commercial cinema where any shot that lasts more than 5 seconds is considered distracting. Sadiyaan revels in lingering moments and interactive dialogues that speak of mythology in a semi-historical context.
The main actors lead the narrative gracefully into a heartwarming conclusion.
The dialogues by Javed Siddiqui convey a cutting edge touching longforgotten chords and opening wounds of history’s failings that never healed without getting involved in polemics. Anshul Chobey’s camera sweeps over the idyllic innocence of Amritsar with a
isn’t deterred, let alone defeated by attempts to dismantle her dream, namely a strategic cafe where Mumbai-wallahs meet like they still do in cafes all over Kolkata for a bit of a brainy pow-wow and buttery pao It all adds up. The feisty Parsi lady and the cranky sullen unhappy-with-life lawyer (Nana Patekar) who helps her keep her property and not-sopromptly falls in love with the lady. You get the picture?
Rajen Makhijani, Sameer Siddiqui and Kabir Sadanand’s screenplay cruises the realm of the known, but still provides elements of freshness in the way the predictable characters are
panoramic grace.
The debutant Luv Sinha conveys a rawness and innocence that go well with his character. His dialogue delivery and body language need fine-tuning. Time always takes care of the rough edges. That’s what this film is about.
Trust the strong stalwart cast to steel and steal Raj Kanwar’s engaging screenplay. Rekha and Hema Malini as young Sinha’s two screen moms are a study in contrast. Rekha is exuberant and restless and quite an antithesis to her husky mysterious characters. Hema is dignity and restraint personified. Her arrival after intermission signals the film’s most watchable portion. As for
framed and photographed. Pushan Kriplani, director of photography, adds an afterglow to the already seen characters’ lives. You could feel the characters’ feelings, if you care.
There are three sets of people falling in and out of love, stumbling along that path to mutual fulfilment strewn with roses and thorns. This is a film that finally exudes the scent and strength of goodness. The Dimple-Nana relationship is endearing in its nostalgic references. Both are in splendid form. The next generation’s angst is represented by Suniel Shetty, who is restrained in a quiet but forcible way, and the surprise-packet Vidya Malvade.
Rishi Kapoor, has he ever let a film down?
The narrative follows old-world conventions like comic relief (between an Indian and Pakistani domestic help) and a Mujra (performed spiritedly by Neetu Chandra) during the wedding. But it’s the irony at the core of the plot that sweeps us over the glitches and hiccups. A Hindu mother decides to find her adoptive son’s biological Muslim parents so he can marry the girl of his choice.
Sadiyaan appeals at a very basic level. They don’t make too many movies like these any more.
Sadanand gives all his principal actors room to blossom. And that includes the third generation pair Rehaan Khan and Anjana Sukhani who are just discovering life and love. The couple is fresh, eager and raring to articulate their inner world.
The storytelling is moody and leisurely, like a stroll down a beachside on a quiet Sunday afternoon. The narrative has no sharp dips and curves. But director Kabir Sadanand is able to hold all his characters together, giving them a life and sustenance that takes them beyond stereotypes but not far enough to make them memorable creatures of the romantic zone.
Everyone from every generation wants a piece of that shimmering sky where love is more than just a Valentine’s Day slogan. Tum Milo Toh Sahi is not as sharp in its sensitivities on love as could have been.
Lekin tum dekho to sahi
Dear Auntyji
My best friend is getting married and there is a lot of pressure on me as I am planning her hen’s night and people are making all sorts of silly suggestions. Some friends think that it is her last night of freedom and so we should go wild. Others are saying that a quiet dinner will be better, an occasion to reflect on all the beautiful moments of celebration of the institution of marriage. Please advise me Auntyji: down and dirty, or upright and moral?
Auntyji says
Both darling, both! There is no reason why you can’t do both. Life is always a mix of badmashi and good behaviour. As long as it does not lead to badnaami we are all fine. On my hen’s night party, we all sat around the farmyard and looked at hens laying eggs. My 70-year-old grandmother (god bless her) then embarked on a big lecture of the birds and bees. Now, while that was embarrassing, it became even more so when Dadiji used to forget midway through the sentence that my Mataji would jump in to help. Eeeek, that almost turned me away from the whole idea of marriage… but then once I got to know Uncleji, it was all ok! Go organise a girl’s night out at a top restaurant, get a private room and have lots of fun. But take along with you some of the older women in the family like the mother and the aunts who with their presence, will keep the decorum. All will be fun and under control. Remember to toast the bride and wish her all the best for the
wonderful life she is about to embark on with the love of her life. Of course, if the mother and aunts get out of hand, then you could be in trouble.
Yo Auntyji
Whassup? I’m 24 years old and to tell it to you like it is, man, I have lived a carefree live. Free like da little birdies. I got into drugs and all ‘cos all my friends were into it, you know what I mean? But it’s not like I was an addict or anything. Anyways, over eight weeks ago, I went to my bro’s house and he had $250 lying on the drawer just like that and I wanted some gold so I just pop it in me pocket and walked away. So’s my brother got all upset and he doesn’t know where the money went and he gonna call da police and all. Anyway, I’m trying to get off those drugs, man, ‘cos I hear they can kill you. But I’m thinking, should I be telling me bro I took tha dough? I feel bad, and I want to be good now, Auntyji dude. I promise.
Auntyji says Yo? Whassup? What the hell is wrong with you, boy, can’t you speak English? Nothing is more pathetic than a brown boy pretending to be white pretending to be black. Leave this to the experts. Look, you’ve already fallen from grace as far as I am concerned so just go to your brother, tell him you were high on coke that day and you took the money to buy a gun so you could shoot your dealer. Your brother will be so shocked that he’ll do anything to help you out. Of course, this is the easy way out. If you really want to get your act together, go and tell your brother the truth. And then deal with the consequences - what the hell, you do the crime, you pay the time. And if you’re still a bewakoof bachcha and you don’t want to take responsibility for your actions, then go and sneak the money into your brother’s trouser pants, but not while he is wearing the trousers. And while I’m dishing out advice, can you please learn to speak properly - that damn patois you’re using is really irritating to us educated folks. Do
SEEKING BRIDES
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Dear Auntyji
We live in a high rise apartment on the north shore of Sydney. Across the window from us lives another Indian girl. Each morning, as she makes breakfast, she walks around in her underwear. She wears a skirt on her lower half, but her top half is only clad in underwear. She probably doesn’t even know that other people are looking at her. My problem is that I think my husband must feel very uncomfortable when he sees this nangi kudi prancing around in her kitchen. I haven’t said anything to my husband yet. Do you think I should say something to this girl, who I don’t know? I was thinking of leaving a note under her door.
Auntyji says
What? You want to leave a note under her door? Whatever on earth for? Just because you don’t like looking at this girl doesn’t mean that the rest of the residents in your block of flats must be denied this visual feast either. If you don’t like what you see, then don’t look. As for your husband, if he perves on the girl, then you’ve got a problem. You will have to tell him how you feel when he looks at this sundari. And for god’s sake, woman, don’t go accusing him of anything. In fact, I would take a different approach. One day, while this girl is in the kitchen and so is your husband, tell him how you think the girl has a great figure, but you’re hoping that he isn’t perving on her. Your husband will get the message. It’s simply rude to stare at anyone - whether or not they are putting their charms on display for the world to see. If it bothers you this much, invest in some venetian blinds. But don’t go writing a note to the girl - what she does in her apartment is her business.
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We don’t often realise that while working out to keep our bodies fit, we need to pay special attention to the needs of our skin. People who exercise are prone to skin problems caused by the nature of the fitness routine they follow. While exercising is a great way to stay healthy, whether you walk or swim, go to a gym or play an energetic game of squash, it is important to remember that vigorous physical activity comes with its own peril. Here are some skin issues that can come up with various kinds of exercises. So be sure to maintain a hygienic and protective routine for your skin, while exercising.
You absolutely must use body lotion after a swim to combat dryness caused by the chlorine and as far as possible, use one with fewer chemicals and fragrances, as they add to the drying effect
Whether you swim in an indoor or outdoor pool, the chlorinated water in swimming pools makes the skin really dry and damages hair as well –especially if you colour it. The best way to deal with this is to shower immediately after a swim. When you shower, use a soap-free, foaming cleanser or a shower gel which lathers up to get rid of that pool chemical smell. And because shower gels don’t come off the skin as fast as soap, you can spend more time under fresh water, washing it off. You absolutely must use body lotion after a swim to combat dryness caused by the chlorine and as far as possible, use one with fewer chemicals and fragrances, as they add to the drying effect. Also use a colour protecting shampoo for your hair – preferably one that is mild and can be used often.
If you plan to swim in an outdoor pool for long, use a water-resistant sunscreen before you jump in.
If you prefer to go to a gym to workout, be sure to drink lots of water. Hydration is vital, especially when exercising in a closed environment like a gym. Even without a vigorous workout, a person loses about 2 litres of water a day, and if your fitness routine has aerobic exercises included with weight training etc, you will lose much more water. You sweat much more and therefore it is important to rehydrate and compensate for the water loss. If you don’t drink enough water while exercising, blood flow to the skin reduces and over time it will affect the cell renewal process of the skin, making it look dry and wrinkles will make an early appearance. With an aerobic exercise routine, drink at least half a litre of water a couple of hours before exercising, about 300 ml just before you start and keep sipping water every 15 minutes during your workout. Make sure to drink enough water half an hour after you finish exercising. Use a rehydrating natural drink like coconut water or nimbu paani, or the branded rehydrating ones you see everywhere.
A lot of people prefer to go for a walk, jog or a run depending on their level of fitness, as they prefer fresh air and an outdoor environment to the confines of a gym. It is a great way to give your skin some exercise as well, especially if walking in a park where fresh oxygen from the trees, coupled with crisp, cool air will add to your skin’s healthy glow. But given the polluted times
we live in and the UV rays of the sun doing their bit to add to the damage, it is imperative that you wear sunscreen. If not, your body gets a workout but your skin starts to age. The factors to remember are that not just any sunscreen will suffice and the time of the day that you are out for a walk also makes a difference. Opt for a sunscreen with SPF 15-30 at the least, making sure it is light in texture so that it doesn’t clog the pores of your skin. Also, remember to wash the sunscreen off your face after exercising because sweat combines with sebum that clogs pores and attracts dirt. Wear a cap to protect your hair from sun damage and also to keep your face out of the sun.
Other tips to remember are:
l Drink plenty of water no matter what kind of exercise you do.
l Remember to spritz your face with a facial mist to keep the skin moist.
l If you have had a couple of drinks the night before, avoid exercising the next day as you will sweat more and lose more moisture.
l Never, ever wear make-up while exercising. The make-up will run when you sweat and will also clog your pores.
l But a bit of lipstick is okay even while you exercise – be it at a gym or a park.
Your skin is the largest organ in the body and it protects other body parts that keep you active and healthy. Make sure you look after it well, so that you can continue staying fit.
If you don’t drink enough water while exercising, blood flow to the skin reduces and over time it will affect the cell renewal process of the skin, making it look dry and wrinkles will make an early appearance
