With just a few months before the next Federal election, Prime Minister Rudd is fast losing his popularity with the Australian people. Over the past months polling by major research houses have been reporting on voters’ disillusionment with Mr Rudd and the subsequent slump in Labor votes. With the Greens attracting these disillusioned voters, it seems likely that they will hold the balance of power at the next elections. If, on a two party preferred basis, the Liberal Party is able to win, be prepared for an interesting time in Australian politics, with strange bedfellows.
Prime Minister Rudd’s report card really does not read very well. Swept to power on promises of a technology and education revolution and a commitment to environmental change, not a lot has been achieved in these areas, either due to politics or plan mismanagement. With the onslaught of the global economic crisis, Labor had rolled in power with cashed up reserves and the boom in the mining industry. Now only history will tell whether Mr Rudd has a highly ineffective team of Ministers or is he a control freak and unable to delegate well, but the fact remains that there have been far more failures than successes on his watch.
The failure of the emissions trading scheme was a major blow to Kevin Rudd. If he had won this high stakes game, it would have meant international and national accolades. His government home insulation scheme was poorly executed and monitored;
BY PAWAN LUTHRAhis school rebuilding programs are mired in controversy about overspending. His plan for a National Broadband network seems to have no clear strategy; his refugee settlement programme has a number of observers confused. And now his latest battle with the mining industry is one that he cannot lose for political reasons. Even the 20/20 summit at the beginning of his term was a lot of talk and no action.
Prime Minister Rudd and his government have done no favours for India and Indian Australians. On a national front, the Labor government’s decision not to sell uranium to India has been a major irritant, despite the United States agreeing to transfer nuclear know how for peaceful purposes to India.
The Labor party still hanging to the now redundant NTP (nuclear non-proliferation treaty), and continues treating India with arrogance in this area. India’s civilian need for nuclear energy will allow for greater environment controls, and by commencing uranium sales to India in 2007 when the Rudd government came to power, it would have been a positive start between a new government in Australia and one of the strongest democratic countries in the world. But that was not to be and yet another
golden opportunity was missed. The Rudd government’s mishandling of the student issues is also disappointing to thousands of Indian students in Australia. Rather than fixing the system, the draconian step of radically changing the occupation demand list has impacted hundreds of thousands of Indian families who were committed to study and potentially, migrate to Australia. While the Australian government reserves to right to make changes, a more humane way could have been to allow a cut off time in the future, rather than retrospective so that people can replan their lives accordingly. This random change of rules without flexibility has even impacted many Indian Australian business people such as restaurateurs, travel agents, education facilities etc., who work closely with these international students. And since Australia’s unemployment rates have been falling over the past two years, this action reeks more of politics than the impact of the global financial crisis.
Rudd’s report card will unfortunately show an F where the Indian Australian community is concerned. Looking back at the last Federal election, it seems that people of Australia were voting John Howard out, rather than Kevin Rudd in.
Swinburne Punjabi Club (SPC) celebrated the beginning of the harvest season in Punjab with a blast in Swinburne University of Technology Atrium (Hawthorn Campus).
Baisakhi is a Sikh religious festival celebrated every year at the start of a new solar year in the Punjab region of India. It is an important occasion for the Sikh community as it marks the day of the establishment of the Khalsa (Pure Ones) which was conducted in April 1699 by the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The festival is celebrated by Sikhs all around the world. The SPC has been celebrating Baisakhi since the past three years, and it is the biggest Indian event that Swinburne hosts.
The event was funded and organised by the SPC which was formed in 2007 to promote diversity and cultural understanding among different student communities. Swinburne Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Young officially welcomed all with the traditional greetings of ‘Sat Sri Akal’ in Punjabi and ‘Namaste’ in Hindi. Spirits soared right from the start as Mavin from Melbourne Dhol Federation played the traditional Punjabi drums. The national anthems of both, India and Australia, were also played.
The first dance to start off the proceedings was a traditional Bengali number by the Bangladesh Society, Swinburne. It was followed by a peppy bhangra fusion, with students from different nationalities like Australia, Bangladesh, China, India and
Thailand participating. Their practice sessions lasted for many weeks and their efforts received tremendous applause from the audience.
Elizabeth Walsh, a student and one of the dancers in the bhangra fusion said, “At first my mind went blank but I remembered the moves just in time. It was so much fun.” Other dances included garbha, sinhala, bharatnatyam, giddha, bhangra and some Bollywood numbers. Another show stealer was the dance on Bollywood
song All is well from Aamir Khan starrer 3 Idiots. Approximately 41 students from different backgrounds participated in various performances on the day.
Janak S Gorana, a student said that such events give Swinburne students an opportunity to enjoy the rich and beautiful culture of an amazing country. Cultural events at Universities are small efforts towards diminishing homesickness experienced by international students particularly during festive seasons. It also
makes students aware of festivals that are significant to their friends and peers.
Dianne Ruddell, Associate Director (Business Services), Swinburne International said that all staff were very fortunate to experience this Baisakhi celebration and admired the level of multiculturalism promoted by the Punjabi Club. She praised their efforts to involve everyone from different backgrounds to be part of the celebration. She then distributed Certificates of Appreciation to the participants.
Representatives from the Victorian Multicultural Commission also attended the event. They were honoured through a token of appreciation by SPC’s Founder Harpreet Singh Maan and Devinder Singh.
After the entertainment segment, Harpreet Maan and Preet Sagar Singh Sanghera SPC President 2010 invited all to enjoy the food, henna tattoos (mehndi) and yoga classes which were arranged by the club for free. The food was generously supplied by Gujju’s Cafe and Chaat House located on Burwood Road, Hawthorn. The event concluded with students grooving to the beats of Oorja DJs. Attar, a business student in Swinburne said, “It was an awesome festival. I loved every bit of it.” The event was a big success and keeps improving with each year. Swinburne students are now looking forward with anticipation to celebrating many SPC organised cultural events in the future.
Priya RajanThe Australian High Commissioner to India, Peter Varghese, has announced the winners of the 2010 Australia-India Council (AIC) Australian Studies Fellowships. A total of five fellowships were awarded, two in the senior category (for university faculty) and three in the junior (for research scholars).
Announcing the awards in New Delhi in late May, Varghese said “these awards will lift the understanding of Australia and Australian society among Indian university faculty and research scholars. Australia and India have much to learn from each other through collaborative research and these awards will expand the scope of that collaboration. I congratulate the awardees and wish them well with their travels and research.”
Australia’s multiculturalism and cultural coexistence were underlying themes among successful applicants this year.
Professor Priyankar Upadhyaya of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) will work on the challenge of managing diversity, while Ms Lovepreen Kaur from Max Healthcare plans to research the experience of Indian students in Australia. Professor Caldeira from the University of Goa, a 2010 awardee, will use her fellowship to draft a Masters’ course on ‘Multimedia Readings of Australia’.
The AIC fellowships provide an excellent opportunity for awardees to extend their knowledge of Australia and Australian Studies, and to develop collaborations with scholars in Australia. The fellowships are part of the AIC Australian studies program to promote academic linkages.
“First hand exposure to the nation has made me totally restructure the course I had initially designed,” said Professor Caldeira, a 2009 awardee currently in Adelaide.
Since the introduction of the fellowships in 2003, 17 senior and 18 junior fellows have undertaken the 6 – 10 week visit to Australia, spending time at participating universities. Many of
the awardees have continued their strong interest in Australia, and several have become champions of Australian studies at their home institutions.
The successful awardees for 2010 are as follows:
* Professor Priyankar Upadhyaya, Malaviya Centre for Peace, Banaras Hindu University will conduct research on “Managing Diversities Peacefully: Learning Experiences from Multicultural Cities in India and Australia”
* The research topic for Dr Nidhi Singh, Department of English, University of Rajasthan at Jaipur is “Making Connections: South-Asian Immigrants’ Search for Cultural Coexistence”
* Mr Arindam Das, Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata will work on the theme “Indo-Australian Dialogue: Indian Diasporic presence and the rethinking of culture, economy and politics”
* Dr Parmod Kumar, Dept. of English, IGNOU will examine “Writings from the Fringe: A comparative study of Australian Aboriginal and Indian Aborigines (dalits) through their autobiographies, memoirs et al”
* Ms Lovepreen Kaur, Department of Mental Health, Max Health Care, will study “Perceptions of safety and the acculturation experience among Indian students in Australia: A pilot study of North Indian and Punjabi Students in Melbourne and Sydney”.
In its seventh year of operation, the fellowships program is being managed by a consortium of Australian Universities, on behalf of the AIC. The consortium is led by Monash University, and includes the Australian National University, the University of New South Wales, the University of Queensland and the University of South Australia.
The Australia-India Council was established by the Australian Government in 1992 to promote linkages between Australia and India in a range of areas, including Australian studies.
The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, have decided to set up an Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) for the welfare of Indian students and other Indian citizens in distress in Australia. The Fund will provide essential welfare services for students and other Indian nationals without other means.
The ICWF is already in operation in several countries, notably in the Middle East for the last several years, and is being extended to 24 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA, Canada, France, Germany and others.
The Government of India is providing the initial seed money so that the ICWF can begin operations immediately. With a view to building up the Fund for the future, an additional fee of A$ 2 will be charged with effect from 1st June, 2010 on each application for a consular service. This will be in addition to the already prescribed fees and service charges.
The Fund will be administered by the High Commission of India, Canberra in coordination with the Consulate General of India, Sydney, the Consulate General of India, Melbourne and the Honorary Consulates in Perth and Brisbane.
It is almost a year since angry Indian students swarmed onto the streets of Harris Park, venting their anger against relentless physical assaults aimed at them.
The protests continued for two nights and turned peaceful streets into angry confrontational grounds between students and authorities.
Racism was seen as a cause for the attacks on the students and this later escalated into a war of words between Canberra and New Delhi. Media in both countries had a field day making accusations - and denials - of racism, even as an effigy of Kevin Rudd was burnt on the streets of New Delhi.
Now, almost a year on, the situation is calmer and the headlines seem to have died down. The effects on the Indian community are profound and while some are good, others have created insecurity and uncertainty.
Firstly, on the positives: the entire episode gave the Indian community a voice in mainstream Australia. The community benefited from giving well meaning, articulate Indian Australians a chance to voice their opinions on what was happening around them and to offer solutions to the problems. For the first time, the local community found itself in the spotlight and it allowed the Australian media and politicians to interact with a number of these newly emerging community leaders. These spokespeople were spread across the spectrum – from the younger generation of students to the older more established Indians in Australia; from the representatives of Indian organisations to the self appointed guardians of the community. While the established players were miffed at
having their power base diluted, it also served as a wake-up call to take their responsibilities more seriously, knowing there were others in the sidelines who could get on to the centre stage too. It also was a time to get rid of the deadwood who were entrapped in the databases of the government and media organisations as spokespeople for the Indian community for a long while. When there were intelligent comments needed at times of crises, these individuals or organisations were found wanting. The community has now cleared the decks and there are signs of articulate and aggressive representatives emerging from the community.
While the students’ crisis opened these doors for the community, the negative effects are only just emerging. The community was enjoying the benefits of growth, but the
wings. With the Indian student population increasing by 2009, there were multitudes of Indian restaurants, travel businesses, spice shops etc. which had sprung up to service the needs of Indian Australians. The government’s decision to tighten the restrictions on these students - and this affected not only those studying in Australia and hoping to apply for permanent residency visa but also those students in India who were keen to pursue their studies in Australia - meant that all these small businesses are under threat. Without the robust activity and business from the student market, these small businesses are already experiencing severe pressure to keep themselves afloat. Those which can adapt by either cutting costs or aligning to a new market, will be able to ride
this out; others may find it difficult to survive.
Particularly hit will be those who have taken on debt to start their businesses: this debt, in the increasing interest rate environment, will create further cash flow pressures. Also affected will be the students who were planning to apply for permanent residency in Australia at the conclusion of their studies. These students and by default their support network like their families, may have been counting on the financial options opening for them after they secure their PR, helping pay back any debts they may have incurred while undertaking their studies. They will now not have any of these options available.
For Australia itself, it has deprived itself of not only the revenue these students were bringing to the economy, but also of a future work force which was highly ethical and industrious. As one looks around the economics of Europe where the aging population is soaking up national earnings with their pension, and a declining younger generation, Australia needs to continually renew itself to ensure it does not fall into a similar trap. Long term, a steady flow of new entrants will help ease this problem but for the short term, the Rudd government is counting that its newly released skilled migration list can meet its long term demand.
The Indian community, the established as well as the student community, have both undergone a trial of fire in the last 12 months. Indications are that the heat from this fire will continue to burn for a while.
Pawan LuthraAs we get closer to the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games and amidst fears that construction won’t meet the deadline, we are now slowly seeing pictures and footage of unique infrastructure in the form of buildings and stadiums finally being completed. In addition to this, one of the notable pieces of equipment making an impressive appearance is the massive LED (Light Emitting Diode) screens
And it is Australia’s MIC Technologies that is reaching sky high in Delhi - rather literally.
The Sydney-based MIC Technologies (the Australian branch of Indian company MIC Electronics) has been contracted to develop and install 17 large outdoor LED screens around Delhi, displaying up-to-date readings of pollution and other climate conditions in the area.
“It will show air pollution, weather and conditions that can be reviewed by spectators,” said Mr. Murthy Telugu, the head of this project. “This is the first time anyone has constructed these kind of screens during (any) Commonwealth Games.”
The contract for the Delhi Commonwealth Games was given to MIC by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
“The design for these LED screens has been developed by our consultant in Australia,” said Mr. Telugu, clarifying the reason why this project is being headed by MIC Technologies in Australia rather than any other branches around the world which include Dubai, the USA and South Africa.
MIC Electronics began in Hyderabad in 1986, expanding to Sydney and Melbourne in 2004. The strength of the Australian branch is in green energy products. “Most of the designing of video screens and LED products are being done in Australia by MIC Technologies,” said Mr. Telugu. “MIC is promoting LED products and has developed LED lighting that saves 40% of energy”.
This, of course, will appease those worried about possible high energy consumption caused by these large screens being put up in Delhi. “MIC has been branded as a green energy revolution company in the field of LED products,” said Mr. Telegu. This is clearly a major point of interest for the Indian Government, which has dubbed the Delhi Commonwealth Games as the ‘Green Games’.
The 17 screens that will be installed for the Games, two of which are already up, will all be connected to each other through Wi-Fi technology. The largest measures at 12.8 feet by 8.53 feet, while smaller ones measure at 8.53 feet by 5.4. There will also be 6 indoor LCD screens installed, measuring at 60 inches each
Besides being a leader in green energy product research and development, Murthy Telugu explained that MIC is a “unique company, as it is the only manufacturing unit of LED and video screens in all of India.”
“It’s a research and development company. MIC has won a number of awards by the Indian Government,” he added.
MIC Technologies owes its success to its CEO and Chairman, Dr. MV Ramana Rao who is very passionate about developing good products and technologies for the community to use, claims Mr. Telugu. A scholar and researcher in this field, Dr. Rao has pushed MIC Technologies to higher heights and up into the sky in 2010 for the Delhi Commonwealth Games.
The 17 screens that will be installed for the Games, two of which are already up, will all be connected
to each other through Wi-Fi technology. The largest measures at 12.8 feet by 8.53 feet, while smaller ones measure at 8.53 feet by 5.4. There will also be 6 indoor LCD screens installed, measuring at 60 inches each.
“As part of the contract we are also expecting to put up screens at railway stations,” said Mr. Telugu.
MIC Technologies also developed a specially designed software program for the LED screens which will link them through Wi-fi, with automatic updates straight from the IITM.
While the LED screen technology isn’t new, the way in which the technology is being used specifically for this project is unique. An emissions inventory has been prepared by scientists from the Pune-based IITM that will be used in conjunction with MIC’s software. “This project caters to information which is really useful for every person who walks on Delhi streets,” said Mr. Telugu.
The future of these screens after the Commonwealth Games is still unknown. However Mr. Telugu believes they will remain up as a public information service. “At the moment it will be used for pollution readings, weather and climate information. But it will be phased in with a lot of additional information including traffic conditions or emergency information, that the public will like to know,” added Mr. Telugu.
MIC Technologies’ role in Australia is also expanding with many local projects. The company has supplied the LED perimeter screens for the Parramatta League Club at Parramatta Stadium. This project was one of the motivating factors which led to a unique initiative where the Parramatta League Club and its rugby players invited the Indian community to watch the game between
offering 200 free passes to the Indian community. As part of the organisation team for this night, Mr. Telugu believes it was a great success. “The spectators numbered 16 to 17,000,” he said. “The bhangra performance during half-time was received really well too”.
In return, MIC has invited Mr. Osborne and the Parramatta Eels players to visit India. Mr. Osborne has visited India before, travelling to MIC’s factories in India before placing an order for the perimeter screens for Parramatta Stadium.
The initiative was headed by Parramatta League Club’s CEO, Mr. Paul Osborne. “MIC has created an opportunity for Indians to be associated and become involved with Australian rugby,” said Mr. Telugu. “This (I believe) is the first initiative between the rugby industry in Australia and the Indian community.”
The future of MIC Technologies seems as vast as its 8 foot screens going up around Delhi. “We are currently in 3 main sectors in Australia: IT, telecommunications and LED development, with a focus on green energy. We hope to expand within the Australian market,” revealed Mr. Telugu.
With affiliations to the Australian sporting sector and hopes to build facilities in Australia for the production of LED lights, MIC hopes to create new jobs and a stronger tie between India and Australia.
Globally, the future of the LED screens is an avenue that is still to be explored. “In Australia however, extreme weather conditions may make it difficult to put up. But they should definitely be implemented in Sydney,” concluded Mr. Telegu.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Simon Overland has urged members of the Indian community to consider a career with Victoria Police.
Recently Mr Overland joined four police officers of Indian background, in addressing members of the Indian media about Victoria Police’s desire to attract a more diverse range of police recruits.
Mr Overland said that in July this year Victoria Police would launch an official recruit advertising campaign to help employ 1700 additional front line police over the next five years.
Victoria Police figures compiled in January this year showed that 9 per cent of potential police recruits were born in India, three per cent in Pakistan and 2.4 per cent in Sri Lanka. Sixty per cent listed Australia as their country of birth.
In addition, of the 11,904 police officers working for Victoria Police in January, 730 or just 6.1 per cent were born overseas. This includes 34 officers born on the Indian sub-continent (India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka).
Mr Overland said he wanted to see this figure increase considerably and attract more officers with diverse cultural backgrounds.
“The Victorian community is the most ethically diverse in Australia. It is important that our police reflect this and that we attract officers from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds including the Indian community. This is only way that we are going to create greater trust and understanding with the community,” Mr Overland said.
“Policing is a worthwhile and credible profession which is rewarding, challenging and a secure career choice. We have high standards and want the best people for the job irrelevant of where you were born or your racial or religion background,” he said. “It is all about your skills and ability and we want our recruits to demonstrate our key values of integrity, leadership, flexibility, respect, support and professionalism”.
These values are clearly represented in the four police officers who joined Mr Overland in encouraging members of the Indian community to consider joining Victoria Police.
All four spoke about their background and why they joined Victoria Police.
Senior Constable Dinesh Nettur is of Indian and Sri Lankan heritage and joined Victoria Police in 1997, after holding various jobs including working in hospitality, for Village Cinemas and as a bus boy in nightclubs, and even a taxi driver one summer in Geelong.
Senior Constable Nettur has worked right across metropolitan Melbourne including St Kilda, Collingwood, South Melbourne and the Melbourne Custody Centre. He is currently a Multicultural Liaison Officer in Region 1.
When he joined Victoria Police he said there were only a couple of police of Indian background. He admitted
but said policing was an incredibly rewarding career.
“Police officers experience something new everyday and the outcomes are quite rewarding. I definitely encourage people of all backgrounds to join Victoria Police as we really need people from different cultures and who can speak different languages,” Sen Const Nettur said.
“Getting through the Academy is not an easy thing to do but we all support each other to realise our dreams.”
Senior Constable Ash Dixit, based at Melbourne West Police Station, came to Australia 11 years ago as a business student. Ever since he was a child he wanted to join Victoria Police and when he was lucky enough to get permanent residency he started the application process.
“For me it all happened by chance. My housemate went to visit the Victoria Police Museum and came back with a plastic bag which said Victoria Police – Join Now and I thought why not,” Sen Const Dixit said.
“In India you cannot join the police force once you are 28 but when I called Victoria Police they said I wasn’t too old to apply. Some of my friends said I was crazy and that it would be a waste of my business degree but I knew this was what I wanted to do.”
However, getting into Victoria Police was no easy feat as Sen Const Dixit first needed to learn how to swim. It took him ten months to do so, but he achieved his goal.
“I wasn’t the last person to come out of the pool, there were three after me,” he said with a laugh.
Sen Cont Dixit advised people who are interested in a policing career to firstly spend a couple of years in Australia before considering joining.
“Get an understanding of the language, culture and local environment and get a basic grounding in the legal system before joining Victoria Police.”
Constable Dilbar Singh, who is fluent in both Punjabi and Hindi, came to Australia when he was 18, as an international student. He has worked as a chef and in factories. He joined Victoria Police in 2007 and is currently based at Mordialloc Police Station.
helpful through every step of the recruitment process and I made some really good friends at the Academy,” Const Singh said.
“It is the best job with so much variety. There are so many different areas you can work in, you go out and face unexpected things. It’s a different world and when you attend incidents you are the leader, it is up to you to take charge of the situation as people are relying on you. It is very rewarding work.”
Const Manjot Singh came to Australia six years ago, also as an international student. At first, he had a lot of difficulty settling into the Australian way of life, relying on wise advice from his mother back in India to get him through.
“When I got here the airport was like a Hollywood movie. It was all an absolute mess for me. I could not understand the language, I could not understand the slang,” Const Singh said.
“After a year I spoke to my mum and she said I needed to live like an Australian, so I ate some meat pies and even bought a BBQ but it still didn’t work.”
Eventually Const Singh started to feel like he fit in, getting a job as a taxi driver and even meeting and marrying an Australian. He is currently working in the Transit Safety Division.
He said he is proud to be an ambassador for Victoria Police and for the broader multicultural community.
In March 2010, he played a vital role supporting an Indian family whose three-year-old son died.
“I could speak the same language and could help the family get through what they were going through,” Const Singh said.
When asked by a journalist if he thought Victoria Police was racist Const Singh gave a witty but sincere reply.
“In Victoria Police nothing is black, nothing is white. It is all about the blue.”
Those considering a career with Victoria Police can visit www. police.vic.gov.au.
Thyagaraja Festival – now having morphed into the Mum Murthigal festival- was held over 2 days at the Kel Watson Theatre recently. As always, the pancharatna kriti rendition was the highlight of the festival. The entire carnatic music teaching and performing artiste community gathered on the stage to render the 5 great kritis of Thyagaraja, and a few choice compositions of Dikshitar and Shyama Shastry.
The highlight of the aradhana was special invitee from Chennai, Adyar K Lakshman, the doyen of Bharatanatyam teachers in India, and also the chief guest this year. In a special felicitation ceremony, the Academy of Indian Music presented him with a lifetime Achievement award – the title of Sruthi-LayaNritya Rishi – for five decades of contribution to music and dance, and as recognition of his virtuosity and vision. It was a moving occasion, as in the audience were some of the students he had trained and who now run successful dance schools in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane.
Since the festival is organised by Melbourne’s arts power couple Narmatha and Ravichandhira, it showcased many of their new initiatives: more than 5 students from various mridangam schools played the instrument extemporaneously, accompanying local artists during the two day long festival; there were Bharathanatyam performances by Narmatha’s dance students, fusing instrumental melody and works of Lalgudi Pancharatnam for the first time and flute Balsai’s music incorporated western themes. TYME (Talented Young Musicians’ Ensemble) was an important segment, begun three years ago and launched by Guru Karaikkudi Mani, and put up a splendid performance. Seven different schools with 30 students jointly gave an orchestral performance which impressed music connoisseurs. A significant achievement was 8 year old Shakthi Kannan’s (of Narmatha Ravichandhira’s Bharatha Choodamani School) performance in Myladthurai, Tamil Nadu, as a representative of Australia in a
The Laya Vidhya Centre held a concert recently at the Ashwood Secondary College to commemorate the late Trivandrum Sri R Venkataraman, a doyen among veena virtuosos. Quite aptly, it was a veena recital by two of his favourite disciples, the Iyer Brothers, with Sridhar Chari on the mrudangam.
The Iyer Brothers, Ramnatha and Gopinath had written a moving tribute to their guru in the April issue of Sruti, the premier magazine of the arts in India. They recollected some
I can’t offer enough praise to Sangam the outstanding jazz concert held at Melbourne Town Hall recently, featuring Zakir Hussain, Eric Harland and Charles Lloyd.
The confluence of three musical styles created a world of shared music not only between the musicians, but between the performers and listeners. The group improvisations and dynamics of the trio swept away the set traditional structures of jazz giving the concert a unique global rhythm.
It was a befitting end to a week of jazz festivities that saw performances by renowned musicians like Lionel Loueke, Paul Grabowsky, James Shipp, Dave Samuel, Sanders Astrand, Jo Lawry, Ahmad Jamal, Miles Davis and Yvette Johansson to name a few. Jazz enthusiasts also got an opportunity to discuss and explore the technique,
composition, improvisation and inspiration of exerts through Master Classes held with John Abercombie, Mulatu Astatke, Joey Baron, Mark Feldman, Peter Brootzmann and Han Bennink, Theo Bleckmann and John Hollenbeck.
After a week of innovative and traditional jazz from the world’s best, the audience was ready for a nice finishing touch. They were not disappointed as the 90-minute concert between Zakir Hussain, Eric Harland and Charles Lloyd got underway. The richness of Zakir Hussain’s velvety voice (yes, he sang as well), the whispery smoothness of Eric Harland’s drums and the melody of Charles Lloyd’s saxophone resonated in the town hall making people forget the sterility and openness of the large venue. Together the three
him in great awe and affection, for he was not only a great musician, but a teacher who gave selflessly, without holding anything back; an observant and dedicated guru, and most of all, a brilliant musician.
Sri Venkataraman’s career spanned 5 decades, during which time he won many awards, accolades, and fame, the last being the Sangeetha Kala Acharya from the Music Academy in Chennai in January 2010.
The Iyer Brother began with a kalyani varnam, which their Guru believed embodied
accomplished musicians managed to create the intimacy of a jazz club. The trio shared the spotlight as they traded improvised sections with each other underscoring their musical equity. Watching Zakir Hussain highlighting the subtle nuances of the tabla, I kept thinking of the cliché now associated with him, Wah! Ustaad Wah! By the end of the performance, as the varying styles surfaced alongside each other, there was a sense that each had been occurring simultaneously, as if the set were a sonic mural. A standing ovation ended a concert that I would recommend with no reservations and firm conviction. If you are a jazz and music enthusiast and you could not attend this musical triumph I suggest you invest in the album Sangam, it’s worth its weight in gold.
Preeti Jabbalthe beauty of the raga in all its glory. He had insisted that this varnam be taught only after they had mastered a few kritis in kalyani. They presented several Swati Tirunal kritis, the hallmark of the Trivandrum school: in mayamalavagowla; (deva deva kalayamithe) in Arabi; (Narasimha mamava); poorvi kalyani etc, kritis such as Gangeya Vasandhara, Sarasijanabha Sodari, and the well known Tillana in dhanasri. Other ragas rendered were hamir kalyani, todi, shankarabaranam (ragamtanam-pallavi- et al), making the concert a truly ‘sampurna samarpanam’ to their great guru Sri Venkataraman.
Chitra Sudarshan with Maheshwaran Bhuvaneswaran
Keerthana Music School’s fifth annual concert was celebrated on May 8 at the Chandler Community Centre.
This school, established a few years ago by Smt Uthra Vijayaraghavan, has progressed by leaps and bounds within the short time that it has been in operation, and its students have made a mark in several Indian community events in Melbourne - including the FIAV festival in April.
The students, from five to fifty five years, put on an impressive performance – both solo and in group, covering a range of ragas, talas and compositions. The items were well chosen, and appealed to a large and diverse crowd, and even the youngest of students were able to sing bhajans and geetams with confidence. This ensured that the event did not drag on, and proceeded at a brisk pace, and those staying on were rewarded with some delightful and serious music.
Sri Sridhar Chari, the chief guest, praised the school’s tremendous contribution to carnatic music in Melbourne, noting even the novice students’ ability to keep to the shruti, render kritis or compositions with bhava or emotion, and demonstrate a love for music.
They were accompanied by several mrudangam and violin students from Melbourne’s music schools.
Chitra SudarshanChallenges to our social and cultural identity are commonplace in these contemporary times of human migration and re-settlement. Frequently, I’ve wondered about identity dilemmas in a multicultural society. An inherent passion for the arts has often persuaded me to seek answers within the aesthetic realm. Dance has occupied that special corner, in this regard, as I trained in bharatanatyam for close to a decade like most kids from Bengali households where the fine arts hold prime position.
Dance is a powerful tool for cultural expression and communication like any other form of art. And this was likewise echoed by the eminent guru of Indian classical dance in Melbourne and artist par excellence, Dr Chandrabhanu. His inherent grace, poise, intellectual depth and charm truly embodied his insightful opening remark, “Dance is something inborn within me”.
Dance, for Dr Chandrabhanu, symbolises a potent language of communication not only between humans but also connects the person with the spiritual plane and divinity.
An ace student, Dr Chandrabhanu arrived in Australia in 1971 to study Social Anthropology at Monash University. Having already been exposed to other cultures prior to that, Dr Chandrabhanu considers himself to be a citizen of the world.
As artistic director of Bharatam Dance Company from 1985 to 2000, his productions have generated an emotional and intellectual appeal through the harmonizing blend of classical, contemporary and folk styles.
“How we dance is really up to us” he states.
His favourite creations such as the classic Navagraha and Devi: Goddess Absolute were in bharatnatyam style but were infused with an energy that he had instilled. Devi, presented at the Victorian Arts Centre, had the Saptamatrikas (idea of seven mothers) dance piece pioneered by him to convey the idea of female energy.
In 1973 Dr Chandrabhanu instituted the Chandrabhanu Bharatalaya Academy of Indian Classical Dance and Music in Melbourne which continues to pulsate with artistic activity. This year is of special significance as the Academy commemorates the 60th anniversary of the exponent as well as the 30th anniversary of Nrityanjali - the annual performance by the students. The annual event provides a platform to all students to perform before a large audience and apply their theatrical and technical skills.
Dr Chandrabhanu opines that the present generation of students are very proud of their heritage. “Bharatalaya wants to make sure that every student who comes here is given the heritage, legacy and the art form in its best possible way…. but at the same time it realises that they need to do further research”. He reminisces that when he commenced teaching, he would spend the three months of his summer break every year in travelling across India, training under his gurus and researching on dance. “It was going back to the earth where these dance forms had developed,” he reasons.
In his illustrious career extending over thirty years, Dr Chandrabhanu cherishes the warm appreciation with which his creations have been received internationally.
The fervent passion for and devotion to the art continues to drive him as he plans to remount Navagraha next year. He hopes that, in keeping with the mark of a true artist and teacher, somebody will take over the reins of choreography from him and continue the legacy. “They probably will not work the way I did, but that’s the beauty of it”.
Dr Chandrabhanu visited Tunisia recently fuelled by his strong interest in Italian culture. On a lighter note, he revealed that he enjoys cooking and it was delightful to learn that he’s working on an international cookbook.
The celebrated American dancer Martha Graham had said “I feel that the essence of dance is the expression of man -- the landscape of his soul. I hope that every dance I do reveals something of myself or some wonderful thing a human can be.”
For me, Dr Chandrabhanu’s artistic genius represents just that.
Madhuchanda DasFor the first time in Australia, the Sundar Kaand Paath was organised and hosted by the Australian Association for Indian Culture & Education Incorporated (AAICE), recently. The “Sundar Kaand” is the 5th chapter from the holy book of Shree Ramcharitmanas.
Shree Ashwinkumar Pathak (Guruji), the founder of, ‘Jai Shree Ram Sundar Kaand Parivar, Ahmedabad, India, was invited to the 13-day festival by AAICE to recite the most commanding mantra in Hindu sanskriti (culture) “The Sundar Kaand”. Guruji has been reciting this path every day since the year 2000, and has been invited to recite at various international cities.
The concept behind this event in Australia was to promote peace and harmony in the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) society and to actively educate the younger generations about India’s rich culture and heritage. This free event included distribution of the holy book of Sundar Kaand Paath by the AAICE.
bhajans performed by Mr Amitabh Singh, director of Om Music Group and his team of musicians, Mittal, Amit and others.
Attendees joined in and sang along with great enthusiasm. After the bhajans, Didiji, who accompanied Guruji from India and has been following him for over a decade, offered insights on Guruji. After this, Shri
Kaand Paath and all devotees followed. The recitation took an hour and a half.
AAICE successfully hosted The Sundar Kaand Paath continuously for 13 days in Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Sydney. A huge number of people of all age groups attended the Paath at all locations, and the response was
overwhelming.
The success of this event can be measured by the number of people who became members of AAICE Inc. More than 1000 associated members across Victoria and other cities who attended the “Paath” felt the benefit of peace and harmony. Several volunteers worked hard each day to ensure smooth running of the event.
AAICE would like to thank all their sponsors, Priya Indian Restaurant, Café Saffron, Aditya Birla Minerals, Wedding Mandaps, Wyndham City Council, Indus Age and Om Music Group Australia, along with our supportive community members and media such as South Asia Times, Beyond India, India At Melbourne, Bharat Times and Indian Link, to name a few.
AAICE is also grateful to all supporters, volunteers and individuals, who were directly or indirectly instrumental in the grand success of the Sundar Kaand Tour’2010 and the launch of a new community group, AAICE.
SHIVANGI AMBANI-GANDHI reports
Amongst the other high couture creating all the buzz in Sydney as part of the Rosemount Australian Fashion Week 2010 (RAFW) recently, was one designer collection featuring distinctly embroidered kaftans in luscious silks and georgettes, with names such as Maya (Hindu Goddess of illusion), Ratu Gidul (Javanese Goddess, Queen of the Southern Ocean) and Yemaya (African Goddess of the Sea) The designer of the ‘Beach Goddesses’ resort-wear collection is Roopa Pemmaraju, the only Indian designer to have participated in the prestigious RAFW that concluded on 7 May. Having previously worked with Tommy Hilfiger and India’s Madura Garments, Pemmaraju’s eponymous label is now available at 20 stores in major cities in India and Australia.
Pemmaraju’s very first Australian links go back to the Lakme India Fashion Week 2007 - India’s premier fashion event - when her presentation was executed by none other than the acclaimed Australian celebrity stylist, Kelvin Harries. The talented designer talks to Indian Link about the Indian and Australian inspirations behind her sumptuous collections:
What was your vision for the Beach Goddesses resortwear collection?
Beach Goddesses is based on divinities. I am inspired by their radiance and strength. Adorned in gold, pearls and lavish jewels, goddesses are the epitome of beauty and I want my wearers to feel like goddesses themselves.
Can you tell us more about the RAFW event - did you showcase your works along any themes?
My collection was part of the Swimwear Fashion Runway group show at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at beautiful Circular Quay. Dressed in jasmine flower wreaths, the models glided down the runways to The Beatles song Love you to. I choose this particular song as it features a great sitar riff, which suits the theme of my collection perfectly.
We had a world class sitar player to play at the beginning of my show to set the atmosphere nicely.
What was the response to your collection at the RAFW event?
RAFW was the debut for Beach Goddesses and the first time I have showcased my designs on an Australian runway. I was pleased with how it went. We had a vast amount of media coverage, both locally and internationally and it’s all been positive!
What were some of the inspirations behind this collection?
There are several Hindu Goddesses after whom the pieces are named. However, I also sourced out other inspirational immortal figures such as Japanese
What do you think is the appeal of mythic Indian goddesses to the Australian woman?
In the west, the term ‘goddess’ refers to a beautiful, alluring woman, an attractive prospect for any female. My collection provides that opportunity. In luxurious fabrics and ornate, hand-beaded embellishments, it is hard to not feel divine.
I also believe that these days, there is too much
No, I haven’t had any backlash so I’m thankful! I think it is a step to a more open-minded attitude towards fashion.
What kind of fabrics and dyes have you used in this collection?
My main unique selling points are my fabric, prints and colours. I mostly use silk, georgette, chiffon and cotton. Now because I’m venturing into swimwear
Pemmaraju is set to turn the chic, black and white Aussie fashionistas into vibrant and sumptuous Indian goddesses.
Adorned in gold, pearls and lavish jewels, goddesses are the epitome of beauty and I want my wearers to feel like goddesses themselves
those tones into my collection along with splashes of blue and touches of yellow.
What is the appeal of such vibrant Indian colours in a relatively black and white Australian fashion industry?
Although Australian women adore wearing black and white, especially in cities like Melbourne, while on holiday these women choose to wear bright colours to match the holiday atmosphere. My designs fill the niche where there is the need for bright colours,
My resort-wear collection, featuring only lively hues, were designed to be worn lounging in the sun or under the stars on a balmy night.
You have also mentioned that India’s urban cultures and rural villages as your inspiration. Which particular urban and rural areas inspire you and why? Are these the places where you grew up?
I grew up in Bangalore so I am a city girl! But I do travel often to rural areas to source out fabrics and the antiquated but quality craftsmanship that I put forward in my collection.
In my travels, that’s when I get inspired - whether the city of Jaipur or villages in South India.
And what are some key Australian influences in your designs?
Coming from a background that has such a vibrant culture, it is hard not to be influence by it. Therefore I combined the exotic stonework, hand-embroidered pearl and beading and high quality Indian fabric with western silhouettes to produce garments that the Australian woman would wear. Based on my own research and observations, Australian women wear comfortable garments with fluid lines and appreciate simple detailing, which my designs offer.
What brought you to Australia and why did you chose to study at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology?
I came with my husband because he got a great job offer here but I took it as an opportunity to enroll for a Masters in RMIT. It’s great studying in RMIT as I learn a different perspective of the Australian fashion industry before I gain enough confidence to
How different was the RAFW experience from the Lakme Fashion Week?
Lakme Fashion Week was entirely different to RAFW. At Lakme you are showing to a home audience - you know their taste and what they like and it was a fantastic response for my first ever runway. RAFW is entirely foreign to me. It was unpredictable and yet I had a good response.
Do you plan to continue to live and work in Australia or India?
I plan to stay here in Australia but I do float between Oz and India often for my studio and my other Indian ethnic apparel line, Calantha Wardrobe. Which stores in Australia stock your collections?
Most of them are in Melbourne and Sydney. We are being approached by several buyers after RAFW so we’ll see how it goes.
Do you have representation internationally elsewhere?
I have stockists in Dubai, US and of course in India.
BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA
At the time she didn’t know that her words would be prophetic…for herself!
At a chance meeting with AR Rahman in March this year, she sang for him casually. Less than a week later she had recorded a song under his direction.
Twenty-one-year-old Ankita Sachdev’s first full-length Bollywood playback song has just been released, and the film, Mani Ratnam’s multilingual Abhishek-Aishwarya starrer Raavan/Villain
“I’ve really been fortunate to get this opportunity so early,” Ankita told modesty. “I just couldn’t believe it when it was all happening. It gives me goosebumps even now when I listen to the song!”
Although Ankita has already sung playback (she sang the national anthem in the Hrithik Roshan film 4), this is her first ‘original’ song.
The song appears in the Telugu version of the film (Villain) and is entitled soothing, soft-flowing, romantic number”. It is sung in the film by the ethereal Aishwarya Rai, as she dances, blissfully in love, around her home – in the kitchen, in the balcony, yes, even in the rain.
With this song, Ankita finds herself in the exalted company of Shreya Ghoshal and Reena Bharadwaj (who sang the Tamil and Hindi versions of the song respectively).
Most people in Sydney’s Indian community who have heard Ankita sing (whether on Indian Link Idol or at a community event) have thought she is tailor-made for a playback career in India’s music scene. Indeed, Ankita herself has been training for such a move, staying on in Sydney only to finish her Bachelor’s degree. She moved to Mumbai in late December last year to pursue her dream.
To see a clip of Ankita sing to Rahman, catch the Youtube listing of Lift Kara De dated March 27. And don’t miss the change of expression not just on Rahman’s, but Karan’s face as well
Her uncle Sunil Sachdev found a music school for her after researching all the schools in Mumbai.
“I’ve watched Ankita grow up singing and training,” Sunil told Indian Link. “She has impressed us all with her total dedication so far, and so we were all motivated to help her realize her ambitions”.
Ankita has joined the Raageswari School of Music where she has been training in classical as well as playback singing. This of course, is over and above the years of training she has already received under different gurus growing up in Mumbai, as well as after her family moved to Sydney ten years ago.
In late March, Ankita learnt that her school had organized a trip for students to view the recording of Karan Johar’s TV show Lift Kara De (Sony), at which the main guest was AR Rahman. As part of the show, the audience were given an opportunity to ask the guest questions.
Ankita’s question to “Rahman Sir” was, “Which is your favourite song?”
song Munba Ve, even though I don’t speak the language.”
“I love that song too, you know…” Rahman muttered. Ankita had the presence of mind to ask, “Can I sing you two lines?”
To see a clip of Ankita sing to Rahman, catch the Youtube listing of Lift Kara De dated March 27. And don’t miss the change of expression not just on Rahman’s, but Karan’s face as well. When she finished, Rahman responded with a single word.
“Wow!”
Ankita recounts the experience for Indian Link
“I had been sick ever since I landed in Mumbai, but had been keeping up the riyaaz. For the Rahman show I remember vaguely thinking how nice it woud be if I could score an opportunity to sing in front of the master… perhaps before the start of the show or after, if I could catch him for a few moments. So I tanked up on the home remedies – adrak, honey, homoeopathy –anything to make me feel better. But who was to know I would get to sing during the show!”
During the commercial break after her little performance, a staffer walked up to Ankita and asked for her mobile number.
The next day, Ankita’s phone rang. It was Rahman.
They had a brief chat, and he finished by saying, “We’ll be in touch.”
Shortly thereafter, one of his assistants rang her and asked her to come in for an audition.
And then came the call that Ankita thought was a dream.
“We’re sending you two tickets to fly down to Chennai – we want you to record.”
Sunil Sachdev, an accountant by profession, dropped everything and accompanied his bewildered niece to Chennai.
“I got the brief for the Villain song,” Ankita recounted. “I heard the Hindi and Tamil versions constantly till I learnt to sing them both well. Then I got on to the Telugu version. Because I don’t speak the
was helpful and it all went smoothly.”
Meanwhile, Rahman had to fly out to Delhi to receive his Padma Bhushan award at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. At his request the Sachdevs stayed on in Chennai.
“When I was called in to sing finally, I told myself to get my act together. I went in and gave it my best shot. There were many takes and retakes, but I think I’m pleased with the final version,” recalled Ankita.
As they headed back home they were told, nothing was final yet. There was, even now, no guarantee that Ankita’s version would be included in the final cut.
Ankita’s dad Praveen Sachdev, back in Sydney, told his daughter not to be disappointed.
“I said to her, ‘It shouldn’t matter. Rahman ke direction mein, unke studio mein, gaaya, itni hi kaafi hai (You’ve sung under Rahman’s direction, in his own studio, that should be enough).”
For someone who has been the guiding force in Ankita’s career, her dad’s humility rubbed off on her.
“I spent the next few weeks just reliving the Rahman moments in my mind… and I have to say, I thanked God a fair few times,” Ankita said.
In early May, the film’s music was launched. And Ankita’s track had made it!
The reviews came flooding in, with Telugu fans declaring it “the best song of the album” on various websites and chat forums.
Both Praveen and Sunil are full of praise for the treatment they received at the hands of Rahman’s team.
“Their hospitality, and that too to a total newcomer, was amazing,” Praveen said. “Rahman himself is an amazingly humble person, a man of few words. Do you know, in one of his early conversations with Ankita, he uttered something that sounded like, ‘You are taken’. That should have given us an idea…”
And what’s in the future for this talented young lady?
“Don’t know yet,” Ankita laughed. “I’m just waiting for June 18, to see the film on the big screen.”
Good on you, Ankita. Here’s hoping you go far in the industry.
Golf is a highly addictive game. I can visualize the collective nods from golf enthusiasts and the simultaneous rolling of eyes by golf widows as they vouch for this statement. People have spent years and mega bucks in pursuit of this game. Some love it, some excel at it, some spend their whole life battling the greens but there are very few like Indian born Phil Shaw Dennis who gave up a lucrative career in finance to invest in it. Twenty years into the business, Phil, who came to Australia 35 years ago from Mumbai, shares his success story with Indian Link
Driving on Wellington Road, near Mulgrave, one can easily spot Phil’s labour of love – the Waverley Pitch and Putt course. Nestled amidst 6 acres of lush greens, the par 3 course is popular with locals and school groups. Besides the pitch and putt regulars it also attracts many corporate events, juniors and professionals who want to improve their short game. As one of the pioneers of Irishstyle pitch and putt in Australia, Phil has endured risks, trials and tribulations of a unique venture and yet retained his reputation for successfully managing one of the best and well maintained pitch and putt courses in Australia.
The pitch and putt game was developed mainly in Ireland since the 1940s, but is today a growing sport all over the world. The game is played from raised artificial teeing surfaces using a tee and it has its own handicap system. Players can use two irons and a putter to play. Every hole is par three, which simply means that to play an extremely good game you have to putt the golf ball in the cup in three strokes, hence stroke play, and an end score of 54 strokes (3 x 18). “It’s a game for all ages at all stages and good both for beginners or experienced golfers,” explained Phil. “You can practice the most essential part of golf (the short game) in a short amount of time, without having to walk too far or carrying a full bag of clubs” he said.
Phil’s Waverley Pitch and Putt Course is a hybrid between the convenience of mini golf and the challenge of a regular course. Fitted snugly into a small parcel of property, the course has tees in good shape, wide fairways and greens with subtle breaks. Undulating terrain adds to the challenge making it a popular destination for junior, state and national championships. “My calendar for 2010 is packed with events,” claimed Phil. “Besides sporting events we also organize parties and social events on a regular basis to ensure growth and member retention,” he said. “Today I have built up a customer database in excess of 15,000 customers. Our club membership is strong and growing. Three representatives from this club
have represented Australia in the ‘World Pitch & Putt Golf Championships’ in Europe,” he added proudly.
Waverley Pitch and Putt is home of the Victorian Golf Association Junior Golf Championships and it has created a Unique School Sports Curriculum Program that is used regularly by more than 30 schools in and around the municipality. Women’s Golf’ Victoria are also regular users of this facility. “This is a favoured location for corporate golf days/end of year functions. Over the years I have helped organize events for many companies including Commonwealth Bank, ICI Dulux, Hawthorn Football Club, National Australia Bank and Schwartzkoft to name a few,” revealed Phil. Winner of the 2006 Monash World Environment Day Awards, the Waverley Pitch and Putt is gearing itself to extend into an entertainment venue for the whole family.
As a Members’ Representative with the Australian Pitch and Putt Association (APPA), Phil Shaw-Dennis continues to promote the game through ongoing competitions and events. “This is our 20th year and I have many events planned
in pursuing the focus in India. I have already put necessary wheels in motion by making a few trips to India and have interested parties discussing progress. I would be providing a complete turnkey consulting project from design, construction and operational systems to developing this business in India....a country that is absolutely ready (economically and financially) for it, ” said Philip, sharing his plans for the future.
Golf snobs may be quick to write off a pitch and putt course as not being the ‘real’ thing, but for 90 year old Ed it is a game that has given him much joy for most of his life. “I come here every morning with my wife, the grounds are beautifully maintained, it is not as expensive as a game on one of the traditional courses around Melbourne, and I can play 18 holes in less than 2 hours. What more can an old man ask for?” he said as he poised his club to score a birdie.
Phil, who is on first name basis with all his clients, claimed there are many regulars like Ed who give him the motivation to continue investing time, effort and money into this course.” When I gave up my cushy job in the finance industry to do this people discouraged me; but I was passionate about the game and astute with my risk analysis, and after the initial five years of ups and downs and hard work, I have never looked back. Many golf tragics live with the romantic notion of owning their own golf course. My only advice to them is, go for it. It may not always be a smooth drive but give it your best shot and success will swing your way eventually,” he concluded.
When growing up in western Sydney, in the working class suburb of Toongabbie, there were few things of higher status than playing Rugby League for the Parramatta Eels. While my parents may have wished me to become a doctor, my dream was to be half back for my favourite sporting team.
There was a palpable air of excitement at the Parramatta Stadium, as the home team, the Parramatta Eels took on the Cronulla Sharks in Round 11 of the National Rugby League on May 22. Fans braved the cold and wind to root for their team, and splashes of blue and gold dominated the crowd at the stadium. The air of anticipation was shared by over 200 Indian fans who were invited to attend the game in support of the home team.
The Pirtek Parramatta Eels had earlier visited Billu’s at Harris Park to give away 200 passes to members of the Indian community, inviting them to attend the match and experience the magic of an NRL game. This initiative had a dual objective, that of forging closer links with the Indian community as well as inciting an interest in the game. The Parramatta Eels are a strong team representing a city in which a majority of the residents originate either from India or the sub-continent, and whose presence is now a significant one.
The United India Association (UIA) was instrumental in supporting this initiative, with UIA President Aruna Chandrala attending the event, along with a host of prominent members of the Indian community and its media. They were hosted by Pirtek Parramatta Eels club CEO Paul Osborne and Special Projects Manager Bonnie Scott, in a corporate box. However, the highlight of the evening was a performance of Bollywood’s best in bhangra and beats, by Indian dancers. They performed a medley of dances at half time, much to the surprise and applause of the spectators. For many it was a unique experience, and one never before witnessed within an NRL game at the stadium. The bhangra dancers, fittingly attired in the Eels distinctive colours of blue and gold, rocked the stadium with a lively performance and an enthusiasm that lived up to that of the players on field in the first half. Next
followed a couple of dance sequences and the finale, of course, the popular and indomitable Jai Ho!
Ms Chandrala invited the spectators to attend this year’s Australia India Friendship Fair to be held on August 15 at the Sydney Olympic Park, where they could experience a closer interaction with all things Indian. The fair is an annual event and showcases India’s heritage, culture, tradition, diversity and food.
“It was exciting to experience the atmosphere of an NRL game,” said Vivek Trivedi, a first-time spectator of the sport.
“The half time Bollywood performance was very well received and made a positive statement about the Indian community’s support for the Parramatta Eels.”
Earlier this year, Mr Osborne and Mr Scott had visited India in a quest to obtain a better understanding of Indian culture and to establish important relationships. It was a fruitful and enlightening visit, causing the initiative to be introduced and subsequently launched. They hope that their new partnership with UIA will entice the Indian residents of Western Sydney to develop an ongoing interest in the Eels and hopefully, an ongoing relationship with the club, uniting the community through Rugby League.
For UIA, this was yet another first and a successful initiative, as it helped promote assimilation into Australia’s culture through the medium of sport, which is ever-popular in this country. It was also interesting to note that the invitations to the game were enthusiastically accepted within a community which, up until now, has shown an avid interest mainly in cricket, rather than any other true-Aussie sport.
Although the Parramatta Eels lost the match, this significant event heralds the start of a fruitful, mutually beneficial and longstanding relationship between the sport and the Indian community.
One such player lived on my street in a weatherboard house barely a hundred metres away. I would sometimes wait on my front lawn to catch glimpses of him leaving for training in his blue and gold tracksuit. My friends and I once knocked on his door in the hope of obtaining an autograph, only to be disappointed by his absence.
While I have long given up on my hopes of playing half back, Rugby League still occupies an important place in my heart. It is a link to my childhood of lazy afternoons playing sport in backyards and parks, of mingling with my teenage tribe, all from immigrant backgrounds and of bonding with my father watching the games on television or at the stadium. My mother was often confused when she discovered us swearing at referees on the TV set.
Like all true sporting fans, my father and I shared in both the disappointments and euphoria of victories and defeat respectively, almost as if we were the ones kicking the ball or scoring the tries ourselves.
Almost two decades on from the heady period of Parramatta’s glory days, the team and sport have grown to become major corporate entities and key cultural institutions. Any game where Parramatta features on television rates higher than any other team in any football code in Australia. The club is arguably one of the major embodiments of working class Australia, or “working families” as the Prime Minister likes to call them.
Much like cricket in India, the contained period of time and space within which a sporting encounter takes place represents all the ups and downs of life in a short, consumable product outside the working week. The popularity of sport is not just that it is like a mock war, but within its boundaries play out the themes of love and loss, politics, territory won and lost, crushed hopes and dreams and, very occasionally, conquest against the greatest odds.
The innovative gesture from the
Parramatta club, led by its CEO Paul Osborne who spoke to me of his awe and wonder after a recent trip to Bangalore, to attract members of the Indian community to the club is to be commended. While it may have a commercial basis, there is nothing wrong with ventures that can be mutually beneficial. This has been the positive nature of trade since time immemorial.
The fact that a particular geographic area is now being associated with Indians is in fact, very important. I have heard from politicians in the past that ethnic groups do not easily have clout unless they can be linked closely to a particular area and, more importantly, to a particular seat.
Such clustering is not always a positive thing, but the last few years have seen the Indian and South Asian expatriate community come of age within Australia. From broad success and successful integration to stronger bilateral relations between nations, the community is becoming stronger and more prominent. The student crisis was, of course, a blight on such a trend, but it also highlighted the emerging muscle and importance of both India and the local community.
It is also important that Indians are not solely associated with cricket in the sporting arena. Part of modernising is expanding the perception of South Asia in general, away from idealised, orientalist myths. There can be no better symbol of Indian-Australians and their integral role in modern Australia than an association with Rugby League, of all things.
It remains to be seen whether the campaign will actually lead to increased club memberships. The product needs to be attractive. But there is no doubt it has already generated a great deal of goodwill and opened minds about how ethnic communities can better interact with core Australian institutions.
The Indian community’s links with Australian sport are now stronger, after a show of solidarity with the Parramatta Eels, notes TANVEER AHMEDTanveer Ahmed with Aruna Chandrala (UIA Chair) and Paul Osborne (CEO Parramatta Eels NRL Club)
The new year festival of Baisakhi comes in spring in India, when the crops turn yellow, waiting to be harvested. Although it coincides with the season of autumn in our hemisphere, the traditional ‘spring’ festival is celebrated with much fanfare here too.
At ISCA’s celebration, Acting President Dr. Suresh Sharma dressed patriotically in kurta-pyjama and slippers even in Melbourne’s cold. He welcomed the guests – among them, ‘ISCA’s friend’ Minister Maxine Morand, Dy. Speaker of Australia’s Parliament Anna Burke, the Hon’ble Alan Griffith, Cr. Joy Bannerji and Sharon Porteous from Migrant Information Centre. He highlighted with gratitude the sound system and photocopier VMC Chairman George Lekakis kindly donated from ‘Community Strengthening’ fund, and in addition granted $ 500.00 for this function in particular, besides other usual grants.
MC Anu Sood then got the festivities rolling for the 200-strong audience: Barso re by Nisha and Chanchal from India Beauty and Art Centre (Glen Waverley); Desi girl by 8-year-olds Kaajal and Krishna, and the most delightful bharatnatyam recital by 7-year-old Taran.
ISCA’s customary entertainers Jasbir and Paviter Bedi sang Bollywood songs. Cyril Anthony Meeratwala’s tribute to 1950s crave Talat Mahmood, Tasweer banata hoon, brought the house down, as did Meera Sharma’s dance Ay dil mujhe bata de
Dhansukh Panchal on drums, Sanjeev Naik on keyboard, and Ravi Walia on tabla, all from Gunjan India Music Group, contributed by adapting to the moods of the songs sung.
Punning that she had nothing ‘Basanti’ in
wearing traditional clothes,” she remarked, and “keep the tradition alive, treasure it to add to Australia’s diversity.”
Alan Griffith termed the function community-minded. “Pass your culture along, little dancers,” he encouraged the young ones.
As Joy Bannerji recommended we must bring along “our grandkids to such functions” some lighthearted pragmatist retorted, “Why not our grandparents!” A City of Monash Councillor, Joy is credited for recommending small and large grants to ISCA.
* * *
Kingston Indian SCA combined their celebration of Baisakhi with Mother’s Day, with an afternoon of great music and good food.
Barbara Nagaya sang Sanskrit shlokas
of radio 3WBC presented a tribute to his own mum. Signifying a mother’s position in every life, Gopal Krishna stated that realistically for a dedicated son, every day is Mother’s Day. He sang a few Bollywood oldies as well.
Attired in Basanti style Rajasthani bandhej choli-lehnga, colourfully decorated pitchers in hands, six ‘Dancing Devas’: Nutan Thoman, Sangeeta Patel, Kanta Swami, Sarita Swami, Veena Kumar and Kamal Segran performed amorously suggestive Choli ke peeche kya hai, and Om, Shantni, Om, etc., to entertain 70 odd seniors. Excellent performance!
Contributions to the community by the over 70 members, incidentally not one appearing more than 50, were acknowledged with token gifts. So were over 65s, appearing 40, were
acknowledged as well.
Singer Bikram Singh Malhaar, of the Gwalior and Punjab Gharanas presented a superb performance. Chanelling Mukesh, his Chhoti si yeh zindgani re, chaar din ki jawani, impressed one and all. To our surprise, some persistently Hindi speaking Fijian demanded that Bikram sang Punjabi songs, and happily he obliged, but casually mentioned that his forté was slow and romantic ghazals and geets
Cr. Steve Staikos graced the occasion with his presence and spoke a few encouraging words.
President Mona Raju asked members to pray for Member Naidu, the dinner provider, who was in hospital at the time.
* * *
Indian Senior Citizens Forum celebrated Baisakhi late April, “the appropriate time” of the festival, they mentioned. Om Music Group sang bhajans and Bollywood songs to the delight 50 members. Guru Deepika Shome graced the occasion with her presence. Earlier, the Forum also took a bus load to Gumbaya Park east of Melbourne, where there is a mini zoo, water sports, long parks for walks, shaded seats that accommodate large groups, etc. Home made lunch by members was delightful.
* * *
Fijian Indian SCA (FISCA) made it a double celebration: Baisakhi and Lord Buddha’s birthday. Bhajan singing the order of the day, discourse on matters relevant and high tea made it a day worth remembering.
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medium of colour and movement.
According to Caroline Eshak-Liuzzi, Mapping Incidentals is a collection of work that harbours fleeting moments that are either absorbed into our psyche at will or simply pass.
Rohini’s artwork reflects expressions of a soul deeply influenced by her ancient Indian heritage and Indian texts such as the Bhagavad
“The ‘incidentals’ are pauses in the everyday occurrence of life that are captured and transferred into a visual story. The mapping process of occurrences and dialogues with memories has led to a body of work that is a simple record of incidental happenings in the artist’s life. All incidentals are unique in how they are caught by individuals and these works reflect such idiosyncrasies in life,” she explains.
Rohini Kappadath (Roh) is an emerging artist who has been creating works of art since the eighties. Her formal training constituted private tutelage under various artists over a period of twenty five years. Rohini’s artwork reflects expressions of a soul deeply influenced by her ancient Indian heritage and Indian texts such as the Bhagavad Gita. Her works primarily constitute the journey of a soul as it engages in a creative dance through the
Gita
Born and raised in Kolkata, Rohini has enjoyed a 20 year long career in the IT industry in both Australia and India. She is currently Head of Cross Border-Business at Pitcher Partners, a firm of Accountants, Auditors and Advisors. A mother of three, Rohini enjoys pursuing her passion for painting, writing and photography. She first exhibited her works at the 2000 Rocks Art Exhibition in Sydney, where she also trained at the Julian Ashton Art School for a brief period. Recently, some of her works were auctioned by Art Cabriolet during a fundraising initiative for survivors of the Victorian Bushfires. Rohini’s creative interests also include photography and film-making resulting in submission of two short films at Tropfest, Sydney in 2002. .
“Everything I have done in life is fuelled by creativity,” says Rohini. “Whether I am negotiating a deal in the boardroom, splashing paint on canvas or filming through a camera, my thirst for creative expression provides me the desired momentum. Life is a juggling act at any given time but if one masters the art of expressing feelings, thoughts and ideas that reflect who you are while balancing various aspects, life can be sooooooo beautiful,” she claims enthusiastically. Browsing through Rohini’s work, it is plain to see the vibrancy and warmth of the beautiful life of which she dreams. She may want to call her work ‘incidental’ but the talent behind it is quite obviously not fleeting nor forgettable.
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What is it about football that gives it precedence even over cricket for some members of the Indian community?
BY PREETI JABBAL
A football tragic once wrote that Football is an action game where art, science, physics and magic all collide in a wonderful spectacle. As the world’s largest sporting event, the game has a formidable and often fanatical following, including many fans from cricket-loving India. As 32 teams from across the world gear up to compete in the FIFA World Cup in to be held in South Africa this month, we talk to some members of the Indian community to find out why they love football, or soccer, as it is called in Australia!
For Manasi and Sachin Mishra their love for football is not confined to screaming themselves hoarse as their son Joshua kicks a goal. They have taken parent involvement to the next step by volunteering to help as team manager and coach. Wesley College student
Joshua plays for Glen Waverley
Junior Soccer Club under 11-Eagles (Kangaroo league).The club is one of the many family-run football clubs affiliated to Football Federation of Victoria. The FFV provides training, guidelines and code of conducts for clubs, officials and players and offers support as an umbrella body for clubs like GWJSC.
Joshua started playing football at the age of 5 with goal kick in Sydney. The Mishra family then moved to Melbourne, and Josh joined goal kick in Melbourne. Over time he transitioned from playing small sided games to playing well on the bigger field. Said mum Manasi, “We felt that football had a bigger profile in Melbourne because of the large European population that has settled here. Football is a global game now but has always enjoyed a huge following amongst Europeans, especially Italians and Greeks, who form a large chunk of the multicultural population of Melbourne.”
Joshua and his dad Sachin believe that being happy, healthy and rested is a prerequisite for every game. They ensure that they have had a good night’s sleep before every match. The Mishras avoid late nights, especially Saturdays. This limits their socializing to a large extent as matches are generally held on Sunday mornings. “Our priority is to create an atmosphere where Josh can play and excel, if that involves giving up socializing, so be it,” declared Manasi.
“Josh is a confident kid however he can be almost superstitious when it comes to football,” claimed
give him clothes that he may have worn in a match that they lost. It is amusing to see him fret so much about these trivial matters before a game,” revealed Manasi. “But we know Josh takes his game seriously and so does Sachin, because he offered to coach the team last year,” she continued. Sachin had played football in India through school and college, and also participated in the popular Santosh Trophy games in Jabalpur. Sachin volunteered to coach the team and put in several hours every week in training and improving the players. “This year Sachin stepped back due to work commitments, but I put my hand up to be the team manager,” said Manasi.
Manasi’s Sunday mornings begin very early as she picks up cakes and bread rolls from the bakery, opens the canteen, gets the oven ready and defrosts the sausage, pies etc. in preparation for the team. As manager she looks after parent helper rosters, fixtures, fundraisers, does fruit and food duties… the list goes on. “I’m not complaining, I quite enjoy the role and can be a bit of a Hitler to make sure things run smoothly,” she confessed. “I like the multicultural aspect of the game. It is cohesive in a sense that it brings the whole world together in enjoyment of a simple, yet spectacular sport. My favourite team in this World Cup will be the one that has most good looking players!” she added, tongue in cheek. Josh, on the other hand, goes for Chelsea and Sachin thinks England and Spain have a real chance this year.
Year 11 student Vihan Muthanna from Manly Selective Campus, Sydney says, “I love football because its attractive, the action involved in the game and the movement of the ball creates a great visual, the atmosphere it generates is amazing and it is exciting to play.” Vihan and his friends intend to watch some of the World Cup games on the big screen at Sydney’s Darling Harbour. “Watching the games there will be more fun because of the great atmosphere generated by thousands of football fans who will brave the elements to support their favourite team,” he said.
Vihan’s favourite team is Spain. “I really like the team and although they have failed to win a World Cup in the past, their confidence will be high following their Euro 2008 championship. I will be supporting the Australian team as well, but the Spanish team has all my votes,” said Vihan who plays Division 1 football for the North Sydney Bears. According to Vihan, the Indian team is improving, but will take another 8-10 years before they get into the top league.
Vihan began football in the Under 8s due to peer pressure. Many of his friends were involved with the game and he decided to join them. “Originally it was just a social game for me, but by the time I got to the
under 12s, I started getting serious and became more competitive. For the last few years football has become a major part of my life. I practice four days a week for at least a couple of hours each day, sometimes more,” said Vihan as he described his football schedule. “We recently competed in the States knockout competition and made it through to the quarter finals,” he added proudly.
Vihan’s parents Vidya and Vinod Muthanna fully support his involvement in football. “It is a lot of driving to and from matches and practice sessions, as well as countless hours spent in waiting for his game to finish, but it is definitely worth it!” claimed Vidya. “He loves the game and a lot of his passion has rubbed off on us. We are looking forward to the World Cup as much as he is,” she added.
This winter, thousands of Australians will snuggle up with friends and family to watch the action unfold in Johannesburg and it won’t be long before we will know who is a likely winner of the coveted World Cup. In the meantime, fans have invested in lucky solo undies (to support the Socceroos), got their slabs of beer stocked up and barbies ready to be fired up. Let’s collectively hope and pray that elements like the weather, terrorists and controversies don’t mar this wonderful event.
On with the game! And may the best team win!
Joshua and his dad Sachin believe that being happy, healthy and rested is a prerequisite for every gameVihan Muthanna Manasi and Joshua
Serious attempts are being made to incite interest in football within India, through international grants and incentives, notes SANJIV
Soccer was introduced into India during the British rule, with matches played at the world-famous maidans of Kolkota. Modern soccer is not new to India, which is currently a country of cricket maniacs. So when, where and how will this nation of over one billion people make an impact on the world arena in this sport? It’s a question no-one can seem to find an answer to… as yet.
The history of Indian soccer is divided into two distinct parts – soccer pre and post Independence. In the days of the British rule, football was popular mainly in the present state of West Bengal, and games were mostly confined to this state. Popular clubs like ‘Mohan Bagan’ and ‘East Bengal Club’ came into existence during this era. The Mohan Bagan Football Club dates back to 1889, when soccer was being introduced to the rest of the world as well. Mohan Bagan played a significant role in bringing together talented and patriotic Indians, and in 1911 the first all-Indian team beat the British and won their first IFA cup.
The Vision Asia programme for soccer was originally launched in 2004 with the Asian continent split into six zones, with China and India in individual zones because of their size. The launch states were Delhi and Manipur, and while Manipur calmly and quietly has been doing its work to fulfil its part as one of the best Vision Asia projects, Delhi never really got off the ground. For Delhi it was a long time coming, but now it is official that Vision Delhi is, at least for the moment, history. For the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) it doesn’t mean much except closing down a chapter of a continent wide development program, but for Delhi Football it means embarrassment and losing the opportunity to garner help in developing football in the capital. Although Delhi’s failure has often been highlighted, the success in Manipur hasn’t made big headline news. A couple of years ago Kerala and Tamil Nadu were added to the programme, while Goa was added last year and West Bengal is the next state waiting in the sidelines.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) also receives an annual aid grant of $120,000 from the AFC to help improve awareness and involvement in the game, and promote promising players. The AFC grant helps the AIFF pay coaches at the junior level and ensures preparing of a sound youth development programme. The AIFF is also planning to appoint an assistant director of coaching in all the five zones in the country with the help of this grant.
The CEO for the upcoming ONGC I League Sunando Dhar has issued a stark warning to the old football clubs that they need to change or pack in. Dhar, as a representative of the Asian Football Council has set out stiff new criteria for professional football clubs, which have to be compulsorily included into the clubs’ constitution. If they fail to meet these criteria by December 31, 2010 they will not be allowed to play in the I League or Asian championships. Once the Indian league becomes fully professional, they will
There is some interest within the A-league teams here to sign an Indian soccer player, thus helping in converting the migrant community into Sydney FC fans
be eligible to take part in the Asia Club Championship which was won by Adelaide United last year.
I suppose resistance will come from old clubs, namely Kolkata’s East Bengal and Mohan Bagan, but we hope commonsense will finally prevail. New I-league teams namely Pune FC and Lajong from Shillong have been very successful in doing the unthinkable, as they are now witnessing a large following and football has become a big passion for the local city people.
A regretful development has been Mahindra United’s pull-out from the game at this important juncture, after finishing fourth in this year’s National League. But it is understood that AIFF have received many offers from business houses willing to
DUBEYbecome franchises, and hopefully that will change the perception of football in India.
A promising future?
Total Sport Asia believes that there is enough money in India, and there is also international money looking for a window into Indian football. However, the only limiting factor to attracting millions of dollars is the need for major structural changes in the I-League that will ensure protection for investors. There are talks that Mr. Lalit Modi could step in with innovative ideas and project Indian football in much the same way as the IPL, as common opinion is that there is lack of dynamic leadership. There are also talks on benchmarking different models of soccer governance in the world and tailoring one to suit Indian conditions. The Australian model is in the forefront in this initiative.
Soccer in Australia and even in India has never looked in better shape with Australia qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2010 and Englishman Bob Houghton as the Indian team coach. The Indian soccer team qualified for the 2011 Asia Cup in Qatar with Australia, South Korea and Bahrain in their pool, which will be played from
January 7-29 next year. This is seen as a great and positive achievement for the Indian football team; the last time India qualified for the Asia Cup was in 1984. Bob is to help India qualify in the next World Cup.
In a meeting with ex-Socceroo and SBS sports anchor Craig Foster, he mentioned that there is a keen interest within the A-league teams here to sign an Indian soccer player, thus helping in converting the migrant community into Sydney FC fans.
Imagine Indian soccer star Baichung Bhutia playing for Sydney FC! I am quite convinced it will bring loads of Indians through the gates, and increase their membership too.
We hope all the effort and due recognition collectively helps in awakening Indians to help Indian football. Hopefully change will happen, and the standards of Indian soccer will be uplifted and improved, instead of an untimely, ignominious and unfortunate demise.
And perhaps one day in the not-toodistant future we will have our own heroes at the World Cup. But for the moment, let’s wish them luck for the upcoming Asia Cup.
As the FIFA World Cup 2010 approaches, there is great hype surrounding Maradona’s in-form Argentinean side, or the always difficult-to-beat Brazilians, and closer to home, the mighty Socceroos. But when it comes to football, India has
Germany showed clinical form in their qualifying campaign, accounting for Russia in a devastating fashion. They seemed to effortlessly march to the UEFA European Championship final in 2008, and it would be folly to count the seven-time FIFA World Cup finalists and three-time winners out of the top contenders. Player to watch is Miroslav Klose. He seems to perform well on the big stage, at Euro 2008 he scored the second goal for Germany during both the quarter final and semifinal against Portugal and Turkey. Apart from Brazil and Italy, Germany ranks as the team that has won the FIFA World Cup the most times, and in an interesting feat, have won all four of the penalty shootouts they have entered in World Cups. With a somewhat dangerous group, this might be an important factor.
traditionally always been a nation of spectators. It can only be frustrating to the game’s administrators in the subcontinent that there is such a great disparity between our number of footballers, which is very few, and the number of our football fans, which is enormous.
As the opening match draws closer, let’s take a look at the players that can’t be missed, the teams to watch out for from the 32, as well as examine one country that will be watching very closely – India.
Brazil is always the name that springs first to mind when considering favourites, and it’s not without good reason – the five-time winners of this tournament are currently ranked first in the FIFA world rankings, and are in great form going into South Africa, having won the Confederations Cup there last year. They have lost only once in their last 24 matches, beating teams like Ireland, Argentina and England along the way. They boast an incredibly star-studded line up, stretching all the way from their goalie Julio Cesar to prolific striker Luis Fabiano. The key player to watch – midfielder Kaka Since Ronaldinho was controversially left out of the squad, Kaka will be the controlling presence in the midfield, where he is already known to dominate. He has the ability to score from anywhere, and will be one of the most important factors in Brazil’s performance. However, although they are natural favourites, Brazil has one of the oldest squads at the World Cup, with an average age of 28.6 years; they have less pace and energy than their younger counterparts. Brazil also carries the burden of hopes and expectations of 192 million people back home – they are somewhat the India of the cricketing world (albeit perhaps a bit better, following India’s recent efforts against Zimbabwe). Nevertheless, Brazil is definitely the team to watch.
Spain are currently second on the FIFA World Rankings, and not without good reason either. Maturity, resilience and also the ability to overcome adversity were all prevalent during their qualifying campaign, and are the reigning UEFA EURO 2008 champions. While in their captain, keeper Iker Casillas, they have one of the world’s finest goalkeepers, there are few better finishers in the game than David Villa and key player to watch, Fernando Torres. Torres has blistering pace, and aided by a talented line up, he will be an important factor, as he was in helping Spain claim their first major title in 44 years at EURO 2008. The side is fairly balanced, and is in an incredible vein of form, having won all ten of their South African qualifying matches. Spain finished their qualifiers as the European Zone’s second-highest scorers, with 28 goals.
England has not lived up to any of the hype that has surrounded their “golden generation” of players in the last decade or so, and it may be one final chance in 2010 for some of the most well-known faces today. England stormed to nine wins out of ten matches in their European Zone qualification, blasting 34 goals in the process, a zone-high. Their line up is comparable to Brazil’s, with several household names including captain Rio Ferdinand, vice captain Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Jermain Defoe and key player to watch, Wayne Rooney Rooney was awarded the FWA footballer of the year 2009-10, as well as the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, and shouldered much of the responsibility in the qualifying stages. He will surely want to make a difference for his side, which has a penchant for underperforming on the big stage.
Diego Maradona has himself claimed that this year’s Argentinean World Cup side is even better than his own legendary 1986 World Champion side (although he somewhat contradicts this by saying he will run naked through the streets of Buenos Aires if his side goes all the way). And Argentina has no excuse for not dominating their early competition, with possibly the most explosive side in the tournament. And you cannot say too much about their chances without mentioning the key player to watch, perhaps in the entire tournament – Lionel Messi A team’s hopes cannot rest entirely on one man’s shoulders in football, but if they could, then Argentina’s plight is the perfect example. A lot of Argentina’s hopes are pinned on this superstar, who is generally recognised as the best footballer in the world at the moment. Now it’s up to how Maradona can best exploit his talent – the eccentric boss is not known for his strategic prowess, but if he gets it right, there is no reason this team cannot lift the cup. The team does, however, feature some brilliant attacking talent including Carlos Tevez and Diego Milito, and should have no difficulty scoring goals.
Australia is not considered, by the wider football world, as having a realistic chance. And with big teams such as the ones already mentioned, this is not an unfair assessment. But with a battle-hardened unit featuring many of the names and faces from the impressive outing four years ago, Australia was one of the first nations that qualified for South Africa 2010, and remained undefeated across their eight matches in the final stage, five points clear of Japan. Heroic goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer will be crucial, and his form suggests he will be a force to be reckoned with, following a record run of 7 matches without conceding. However, the key player to watch for Australia is, of course,
Tim Cahill
The attacking midfielder scores at an amazing conversion rate for the national team, with his brilliant positional sense and aerial ability. He will be important in attack for a side that is centralised around rocksolid defence.
Defending champions. Familiar faces. With what appears at a glance to be one of the easier groups in the competition, Italy cannot take their competition lightly just because of a stunning tournament four years ago. Indeed the group features Paraguay, who finished a close second to Brazil in the qualifiers, and a dangerous Slovakia. Italy is a team synonymous with experience, and is entering their 17th Finals campaign. They will depend on stalwarts such as ever-present centre-back, Fabio Cannavaro and Alberto Gilardino in attack. The key player to watch: star keeper Gianluigi Buffon, who has just begun to recapture his best form, which had him labelled as the “best custodian in the world”. The aura surrounding past sides is not quite so prevalent this time around, and Italy will rely on experience crucial at this level to see them through.
Recently, India-based IT outfit Satyam put its name forward as a second-tier sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and it is a sad fact that this is India’s closest relationship with the World Cup this year. It may surprise many to know that domestic cricket in India is far less popular than domestic football. India is thus one of football’s most rapidly growing markets, and we will soon see World Cup Fever in India. The key player to watch in Indian football is, however…cricket. It is no coincidence that the national hockey team has been reduced to nothing, and that our greatest achievement outside the cricket field lays in rooms with Vishwanathan Anand – there is just far too much emphasis on cricket in our nation. While this can be seen as healthy for our cricket side, there is a great need of a better grass-roots infrastructure for our aspiring footballers. There are teens playing barefoot in the streets, and there is great passion – but as former coach Steven Constantine put it, “there is no development at the youth level. That, and coach education are the reasons why we are not as advanced as we should be”. It does not help matters that the Sport Authority of India, which controls national youth football, receives no money from FIFA. And as with all major associations in countries as large as India, politics plays a huge role, and is severely halting progress. Captain Baichung Bhutia says, “I definitely see a lot of talent here –even more talented than English players at a young age.” But until more awareness is raised of the football conundrum in India, efforts to improve matters will be superficial. In any case, let’s all look forward to the FIFA World Cup 2010, and maybe it’s a blessing in disguise that India doesn’t qualify – there is no chance of disappointment. It promises to be a fantastic tournament, so let’s go the Socceroos!
OVER 25 years after a gas leak from a Union Carbide plant killed thousands, a court held eight accused guilty of criminal negligence in the world’s worst industrial disaster.
The eight include Keshub Mahindra, who then headed the Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) from whose pesticide plant tonnes of lethal gas leaked on the night of Dec 2-3, 1984, killing thousands instantly and many more later.
Among the others are UCIL officers Vijay Gokhale, J. Mukund, S.P. Chaudhary, K.V. Shetty, Kishor Kamdar and S.I. Quireshee. Quireshee didn’t appear before the court due to ill health.
Another accused, R.B Chaudhary, died during the trial.
Warren Anderson, former chairman of Union Carbide Corp, the American parent company, is absconding.
Tonnes of methyl-iso-cyanate (MIC) spewed out of the now shut pesticide plant that was located in a congested part of the city.
In the years that followed, people exposed to the gas kept dying. The death toll is believed to be about 25,000.
Activists however were furious that the eight officials of Union Carbide had been convicted only for criminal negligence, which is punishable with a maximum of two years jail, despite the enormity of the tragedy.
“Today’s verdict is a disaster... they’ve made it look like a traffic accident,” said Satinath Sarangi of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action, an NGO representing the survivors and an activist who has been involved with the victims since the 1984 disaster.
“The charges have been diluted. The victims are disappointed,” he said. “We want the culprits to be punished adequately”.
Sarangi accused the Indian authorities of lacking political will to go after Warren Anderson, who headed Union Carbide, the parent company in the US.
“He knew everything (about the defective plant) but still let the gas leak happen. He has to be punished,” he added.
Rashida Bi of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karamchari Sangh told IANS:
“This is complete injustice done to the 25,000 dead. It is a shameful verdict. We are extremely disappointed.”
She alleged that the fundamental rights of the families of those who have suffered because of Union Carbide were violated by keeping them away from the court room.
“We will definitely appeal to the higher courts. If the prime minister is even a little concerned about our welfare, he should take action,” said Rashida Bi, a survivor and an activist.
“Warren Anderson should be brought to India and imprisoned for at least 20 years,” she added.
India to discuss Sri Lanka reconciliation with Rajapaksa INDIA, HEAVILY involved in the reconstruction of Sri Lanka’s northeast, will discuss the process of political reconciliation in the country when President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrives on a state visit.
On the agenda of the official discussion will be how and what kind of plans Rajapaksa has in his mind to give the Tamil and Muslim minorities self-governance they can be proud of.
Since the time he became president in November 2005, Rajapaksa has repeatedly promised to devolve powers to the minorities.
But he and his aides have also argued that he needed to be political secure to unleash devolution that would be acceptable to the
Sinhalese majority while also pleasing the Tamils and Tamil-speaking Muslims.
After militarily crushing the Tamil Tigers in May 2009, Rajapaksa scored decisive wins in the presidential and parliamentary elections in January and April this year, becoming one of the most powerful presidents in Sri Lanka. Now, analysts and policy makers say, Rajapaksa needs to deliver.
Rajapaksa will review a military guard of honour at the Rashtrapati Bhavan to kickstart a busy Wednesday when he will lay a wreath at the Raj Ghat and follow it up with a meeting with his Indian counterpart Pratibha Patil and wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
After some private engagements, Rajapaksa returns to Colombo.
Manmohan Singh, who first became prime minister in 2004, has closely followed the developments in Sri Lanka since Rajapaksa took power the next year. Both the leaders have interacted many times.
The Indian prime minister is aware of the complexities in Sri Lanka, including Rajapaksa’s promises on devolution and the ground reality besides the aspirations of the minorities and the role of Sinhalese hardliners opposed to devolution.
On its part, India has been involved heavily in the reconstruction of Sri Lanka’s northern and eastern provinces, the war theatre, and the resettlement of those worst affected by the conflict that bled the country for over a quarter century.
With economic ties booming and Indian tourists flocking to Sri Lanka like never before, New Delhi believes it can contribute substantially to Colombo’s efforts to restore confidence in the north and east.
Among other things, India has contributed huge quantities of medicines, cement and shelter material for those hit by the war and farm packs to resume agriculture in the region.
India has also treated thousands of war wounded and given away Jaipur Foot for those who lost their legs in the war. It has helped de-mine vast areas.
It wants to lay railway lines in the north, ensure railway rolling stock, set up a large cultural centre in Jaffna, five vocational centres, renovate Jaffna’s Duriappah Stadium, and provide for war widows in Batticaloa in the east.
It wants to give seeds to farmers in the north and east besides pre-fabricated houses on a massive scale.
The sweeping and comprehensive rehabilitation package, mostly done without much fanfare, totals a whopping Rs.2,300 crore, including a $413 million Line of Credit. And more is in the offing.
Sri Lanka analyst P. Sahadevan of the Jawaharlal Nehru University here is, however, one of the many now in India who think that Rajapaksa is unlikely to do anything substantial on the devolution front.
“He won’t say he won’t do anything.”
Sahadevan told IANS. “But his definition of political reforms is radically different from what others expect from him. It is time India told him the minimum benchmark.
“But I doubt if that will happen. We seem to be hesitant,” he said. “And Mahinda Rajapaksa increasingly looks like a monarch.”
WITH PRICES OF pulses skyrocketing in India, China’s Saskatchewan province is offering a much cheaper version of the humble ‘dal’, which also promises not to compromise hugely on the taste and texture of some time-tested recipes.
So the next time you have dosas, idlis,
vada, dhokla, laddu, pongal, mysorepak or any other traditional Indian delicacy, don’t be surprised if the basic ingredient is imported from Canada.
“We have tested the Canadian lentils, small and big, and the lentil flour in various traditional foods, including ready-to-eat or heat-and-eat items,” said Prof. G. Pushpa of the Coimbatore-based Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.
“In many cases, the lentil flour can be substituted for bengal, green, red or black gram. Also, while making some dishes one can add a portion of the lentil flour and that can reduce the overall cost,” Pushpa, who specialises in post harvest technology, told IANS.
“The Canadian lentils cost around Rs.50 per kg, while pulses cost more. These lentils also cook faster in a pressure cooker.” The tur dal, one of the most common pulses used in the state and the main ingredient for sambar, costs Rs.100 per kg.
The university’s finding is part of a $110,000 research project it undertook in 2008 for a Canadian association called the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) for developing green lentil-based food products and transfer the technology to the food industry.
“The progress of the project is satisfactory,” said Murray Purcell, SPG chairman who is here as part of a trade delegation from Saskatchewan, led by Minister for Advanced Education Employment and Labour and Immigration Rob Noriss.
“We arrived at the proportion of the lentil or its flour to be used for more than 30 dishes. We did sample tasting across the state. We also did other tests like consumer acceptability tests,” Pushpa said.
According to her, the next stage of the project was to train food processors in using the lentil or its flour in preparing the dishes, even as SPG is looking at another big order from the Tamil Nadu government for its produce.
The Tamil Nadu government has been importing these lentils from Canada for its public distribution system for quite some time. Last year, the Saskatchewan province exported $500 million worth of peas, lentils and chickpeas to India, said Norris.
“Our province accounts for more than 30 percent of global pea and lentil exports,” Minister Norris said. Saskatchewan, Canadian officials added, also accounts for nearly 99 percent of the country’s lentil and chickpea crops and 77 percent of its pea crop.
SAMOSAS, CHICKEN curry and tangdi kebabs are fast disappearing off the shelves of a stall at the India pavilion of the Shanghai world expo in China. So much so that its owner now plans to open a permanent outlet in this Chinese commercial hub.
“We had put out a limited menu. But we were surprised to see everything vanishing at the end of the day. It was heartening. We were not expecting such a reaction,” Arun Khanna, who is behind the IndoCurry Restaurant, told this visiting IANS correspondent.
The expo opened May 1 and will be on till Oct 31.
“Seeing the crowds here, I was encouraged to do a market survey. I found that there are 20 Indian restaurants and most cater to Indians. I am sure there is space for another one. I am working on that now, we will soon open one here,” said a confident Khanna.
Incidentally, he is general manager of Jhankar Banquet, which runs various banquet halls in Delhi, the most famous being at
Asiad Towers.
At the Indo-Curry Restaurant in the pavilion, tangdi kebab is selling at 30 yuan, chicken curry with naan is for 40 yuan.
A samosa costs 20 yuan. The menu also contains mango lassi at 20 yuan, Indian kulfi 20 yuan and masala tea at 10 yuan.
“People are enjoying the taste of mango lassi. On one weekend, we had to turn away many because we had no curd left!” Khanna said.
Besides Khanna’s stall, which is attracting a lot of attention, organisers said the number of visitors to the India pavilion had exceeded all calculations. On one day, it touched 47,000 visitors.
Khanna said they had bought their own ingredients, including masalas and herbs, from New Delhi to prepare the Indian cuisine.
“We have been running this outlet since May 1 when the expo started. And the response has been tremendous. There have been long lines outside our stall,” he said.
Khanna, who also runs the Phoolwari restaurant at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan, where expos are organised, proudly said his outlet’s popularity soared after Chinese magazines and newspapers reported about its food being a hit with people.
“I feel happy as we are giving the Chinese people the authentic taste of India. I don’t know who says there are tensions between us. Both Indians and Chinese are hard working people and are making the world sit up and take notice of two emerging economic powers,” he said.
“Food is one way of winning hearts,” says Khanna.
BJP fields
THE BJP has decided to field former union minister Ram Jethmalani as the party’s candidate for Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. Party sources said Jethmalani had recently written to the BJP president Nitin Gadkari expressing his desire to represent it in the Rajya Sabha.
However, sources said there were divisions in the party as Jethmalani had filed his nomination as an Independent against the former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from Lucknow in 2004.
Jethmalani had served as a minister in the Vajpayee government but had resigned later. Sources said that senior leader L.K. Advani was among the leaders in favour of Jethmalani’s candidature.
Though Jethmalani’s candidature triggered some resentment among BJP supporters in Rajasthan who felt the seat should not go to an ‘outsider’, party sources said that legislators would abide by the central leadership’s decision.
A BJP statement said that party president Nitin Gadkari had nominated Jethmalani as the candidate for the second seat in Rajasthan in the biennial elections.
The party has already declared V.P. Singh as its candidate from Rajasthan.
The BJP has 79 legislators in the assembly. BJP sources said that they will need support of more legislators to get Jethmalani elected to the upper house.
The Congress has so far declared three candidates for Rajya Sabha polls and could field one more candidate for the five seats in the state including a vacancy being fileld through a by-election.
Spelling ‘juvia’ and ‘stromuhr’ correctly, Indian American Anamika Veeramani has won the 2010 Scripps National Spelling Bee crown to retain the honour for the ‘desis’ for the third year in a row.
“I’m really, really happy. This is one of the best moments of my life,” said the 14-year-old from North Royalton, Ohio, who defeated another Indian American, Shantanu Srivatsa of West Fargo, North Dakota in the nationally televised final round to become the bee’s 83rd champion.
Her win earns a $30,000 cash prize and engraved trophy from the event’s sponsor, The E.W. Scripps Co., along with a $2,500 US savings bond and a complete reference library from Merriam-Webster, a $5,000 scholarship from the Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation and a package from Encyclopaedia Britannica totalling $3,499.
The final contest began with 10 contestants, who were eliminated one by one by words such as ‘ochidore’, a shore crab, and ‘terribilita’, a term applied typically to the art of Michelangelo describing the power and grandeur of his work.
Veeramani, who finished fifth in last year’s bee, also survived a marathon four-and-half hour semi-final round earlier that contained a little bit of controversy.
It started when another early favourite, Neetu Chandak, 14, of Seneca Falls, New York who finished eighth last year, appeared to stumble over ‘paravane’, an underwater glider device, in the fifth round.
But the judges reversed the decision eliminating her, blaming the “ambiguous nature of the answers” when she asked about a root word. But given a second chance in the sixth round, she misspelled ‘apogalacteum’, the point at which a celestial body is furthest away from the Milky Way.
For the most part, this year’s spellers proved to be intrepid. The semi-finals were supposed to last three hours covering two rounds. But the contest was extended to a sixth round because too many spellers -- 19
-- were still on board to qualify for the finals, usually limited to 15 or less.
With NBA star Shaquille O’Neal on hand watching, the sixth round proved brutal. Nine of the first 13 were knocked out, leaving only 10.
Judges cancelled the remainder of the sixth round to provide 10 finalists for the evening competition, though a fortunate six had not spelled a word in the round.
The contest began with 273 spellers ranging in age from 8 to 15, some from as far away as China and New Zealand. They included eight-year-old Vanya Shivashankar of Olathe, Kansas, the youngest sister of last year’s champion, Kavya Shivashankar.
Kavya too had her own moment of glory when President Barack Obama met her in the Oval Office this month and congratulated her on her extraordinary achievement and reiterated the importance of a top-flight education for success in the 21st century economy.
SOME WILL use antique gramophones, others the colours of Bollywood or inspiration from the clean lines of a paper plane... designer cycle rickshaws could be plying at the Commonwealth Games village if things go according to plan.
“Two months ago we had made a proposal to the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee to run these rickshaws on Delhi streets and they are seriously considering it.
It would also be a learning experience for the students to work with their mentors,” said Sunil Sethi, president of the Fashion Designer Council of India (FDCI).
To begin with, 50 rickshaws would be launched for players to go from point to
point in the sprawling 63.5 hectare Games village, which has 34 towers with 1,168 flats. The numbers could increase if the organisers gives the green signal.
“Rickshaws are a convenient mode of transport. Once we get the approval, we will be donating them to the real rickshaw pullers with the help of SRCC-SIFE (a joint venture between Shri Ram College of Commerce and an international NGO Student In Free Enterprise). There is no commercial aspect attached to it,” Sethi told IANS.
The FDCI has collaborated with the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) for the project. Nearly 100 NIFT students will be working with 50 designers to create the rickshaws ahead of the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games.
Sethi unveiled four such rickshaws designed by Rajesh Pratap Singh, Samanth Chauhan, Nitin Bal Chauhan and designer duo RahulGunjan at NIFT’s annual event Fashionova 2010.
Said Nitin about his creation: “My rickshaw is inspired by paper planes that we use to make during our school days. It reflects that India is going through future with economic growth, which is very positive right now.”
Samanth’s rickshaw is called “Victoria on Wheels” and he took inspiration from the colonial period. The highlights of his creation were gramophones and lamp-shades.
Talking about the concept Samanth told IANS, “Rickshaws have always been a part of our heritage. Foreigners are crazy about it and this is our way to carry forward are heritage.”
Rahul-Gunjan sought inspiration from Bollywood.
I’ve always felt that cooking is an art form which transcends all boundaries to bring people together. The cook and the people who eat the food come together to bond over the taste, texture, love and hard work gone into the preparation of a meal. This art and hard work was on clear display at an event held recently by students of the Commercial Cookery course at AMI Education, Australia. Celebrating the completion of their 2½ year long course, a lavish buffet was held on June 2 at the Red Whisk Cafe in Carlton. Walking into the function room I couldn’t help but be amazed at the culinary expertise of these young chefs-to-be, who had put up a delicious spread of western cuisine. Such a talented bunch should definitely have no problems getting placed in the industry upon graduation, I thought. Lina from Elle Belle Recruitment who works in conjunction with AMI Education to recruit cookery graduates within the mainstream industry, agrees. An interesting initiative towards this is the Employment Training Program conducted for each student. This program aims to equip the students with interview and presentation skills through mock interview sessions, and also assists in the development of effective and professional resumes. Elle Belle Recruitment begins looking for prospective employers for the students even before they graduate, and some that have already shown interest include the Roxburgh Park Hotel and Satu - a Malaysian restaurant in Melbourne. Rob Mason, one of the chefs, informed me that in the past students have successfully been placed with Crown Casino, Peter Rowland Catering and the Great Eastern Hakka. He added that even though the institute assists in the placement process, a lot of students are able to go out and obtain jobs by themselves. However, as rosy as it may sound, jobs in this fast-paced industry come at the premium cost of a lot of hard work, as I soon learnt from some of the students.
Harsh, Ranchodd, Paola and Manpreet took me through their lives and experiences as cookery students at AMI. Hard work aside, the one thing that they all agreed upon was that their course was exactly what they had imagined and wanted it to be. The fun and positive atmosphere, friendly and experienced teachers from diverse backgrounds and relevant subjects made learning a pleasure while also preparing them for the professional world. All of them seemed to have a genuine interest in their chosen career and were keen to succeed. As Ranchodd pointed out, graduating from a cookery course does not automatically lead to a job as a chef. Sometimes graduates start out with back-breaking jobs of kitchenhands, then move on to food preparation and so on. Of course, ‘Head Chef’ at a good restaurant seemed to be the dream job
I am deeply saddened by the passing of my colleague Rahul Prasad. I remember seeing him perform at shows and concerts since the 1990s. He was a talented singer and musician, blessed with a great voice. It’s a sad and tragic loss for the Australian Indian music scene. It’s also a reminder that life is short and we should enjoy each moment and every day. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends.
RIP Rahul.FIAV Helpline now 24/7
From 7 June, the FIAV has extended the existing helpline to 24 Hour HELP LINE, a free service to all who seek guidance and support with quality information and assistance, where required. Call 1-800-342800 (1-800-FIAV-00) or Thomas Joseph (Vice President) on 0438 59 10 14, Sushil Sharma (Community Services Director) 0401 01 66 34, Subra Ramachandran (Secretary) 0403 777 252
Indian music presentation
Richi Madan Blackburn12 June, 8 to 10:30pm, at Barry Road Community Activity Centre, 36 Barry Rd, Thomastown Mel Ref 08 E 5. Presented by the Malhar Institute of Music, and evening of Indian music with Bikram Malhar and his group. Tickets: $20, call Bikram Malhar on 0433-357-733, or Rajesh on 0402-841-773
and isolating for most overseas students. This group of young cookery students was no different, admitting to homesickness and definitely missing their families back home. But Harsh thought that Melbourne was quite a vibrant place to live and work in, which took away some of the stress of not having family around.
Another good reason of stress for overseas students these days is migration problems. It is common knowledge that recent changes in the Permanent Residency rules for Australia have put the futures of these cookery course graduates at stake. However, most don’t feel that it’s the end of the road for them. Harsh mentioned that as long as he learnt and acquired good culinary skills, he was happy to work anywhere in the world. For him, the first priority was a good job rather than a guarantee of Australian citizenship. It was a refreshing view, but sadly, not one shared by many. Several overseas students still see education
Bryan Cole (Director of Studies Hospitality) pointed out, they have seen a decrease in the number of overseas student enrolments due to the changes in migration laws for cookery courses. To counter this, they have started targeting the domestic Australian students. Time will tell if this approach will be successful.
Rob Mason and Esther Teo (Head of Academic Division) gave brief speeches of thanks and encouragement to the students, encouraging them to work hard, be articulate and creative in their approach and have a commitment to succeed and excel. Good advice for this talented bunch.
The event was an eye-opener for me, highlighted the hard work involved in the path to becoming a chef, as well as the dedication and passion in this group of AMI students. I certainly have a new found respect for the art of cooking, which we often take for granted.
Natasha GhaiCarnatic music concert
19 June, 6:45pm onwards at Performing Arts Centre, Rowville Secondary College, Cnr Wentworth Ave and Humphrey’s Way, Rowville (Melways Ref: 82 F1).
Organised by InConcert, various renowned artists from the field of Carntic music will perform. Donor Family, Early Bird, Concession, Family and full rate tickets available. Contact 0411 44 99 86, or email: enquiries@inconcertmusic.com.au
Bharatanatyam Recital
20 June, 6pm onwards at Chandler Community Centre, 28 Isaac Road, Keysborough, 3173. Bharatnatyam dance recital by renowned exponent Dr Vasundhara Doraswamy, organised by Art of Vinyasa Institute, Melbourne.
Bharatanatyam Workshop
27 June, 3pm onwards at Mt Waverley
North Primary Marcus Ave, Mt Waverley VIC 3149
Registration via phone or email preferable for workshop
For further information on both events, contact: Meghala Bhat, Ph: 94594448, 0439523950, Email: info@artofvinyasa.net
Culture Card for international students
Victoria’s 165,000 international students living in Victoria will be entitled to a free Culture Card, to help them get a better understanding of the state’s culture, sport and food, and interests in zoos, parks and gardens, including access to great offers from the AFL, Cricket Victoria, Melbourne Cricket Club, Museums Victoria and Zoos Victoria. The card aims to enhance their way of life while studying in Australia. For more information visit www. culturecardvictoria.com.au.
Rain, rain, go away, come again another day! It has been two weeks of rain and flooding for us Sydneysiders. Colourful umbrellas jostle for space on wet sidewalks, trains are damp and even more uncomfortable than normal, and roads sprout fresh potholes everyday. It is an effort for most people to be up and ready to go to work, and sick calls must surely on the rise.
It’s nowhere near as romantic as baarish (rain) in Bollywood…
Aah, for Bollywood baarish! The plain chiffon sari, the drenched dancers, the relationships that begin… Over multiple cups of home-style Indian chai, a filmi friend and I spent a very unproductive afternoon trying to list Bollywood’s baarish (rain) numbers.
There were so many songs to choose from - some beautiful, some racy and some plain outrageous. Eliminating the obscene ones we came to a consensus about our list of all-time classic songs shot in the rain.
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RD Burman’s last - and perhaps one of his best - compositions, is the song from Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 1942 Love Story, Rim Jhim Rim Jhim. The song is perhaps one of the most melodious tracks ever composed.
Kavita Krishnamurty and Kumar Sanu at their best, Kavita went on to win the National Award that year for Pyaar Hua Chupke Se from the same film. Set in the ‘40s Manisha Koirala looks very chic in her yellow sari and puff sleeved blouse, while Anil Kapoor looks young and innocent in his very British attire. Shot in the midst of pouring rain in a beautiful glasshouse, this song is a pleasure to watch. Epic film with epic songs indeed!
Here’s a song that dominated the charts in 1998. Saawan Barse Tarse
Dil continues to remain one of the most romantic baarish songs from Hindi films, with Sonali Bendre and Akshay Khanna braving it in the rain to see each other. While Sonali tries to take a taxi and gets stuck in a typical traffic jam, Akshay tries to get a rickshaw that gets stuck in a puddle of muddy water. Akshay manages to get a ride by on a road roller, then on a milkman’s bicycle and then he manages to hold on to a truck as it slowly drives through the undulating roads of Mumbai. The lovers get splashed by passing vehicles several times before they finally manage to meet each other outside a beautiful church, and show no signs of irritation at the attempts of the rain to keep them apart! The song was perhaps the only highlight of the film Dahek that was declared a flop in 1998, and is definitely one of the best duets of Hariharan and Alka Yagnik composed by Anand Milind.
Subhash Ghai’s Taal had many beautiful songs composed by AR Rahman, with Taal Se Taal Milao being shot in the rain. An absolutely ravishing Aishwarya Rai is dressed in all-white here. Set against the backdrop of the magnificent mountains, the terrain is soaked up in rain, all colours saturated and enhanced because of the diffusion of light. Amidst the romantic surroundings is Aishwarya cavorting with her friends in the rainfall, while Akshay Khanna stealthily tries to capture a few shots of Aishwarya. Yet another hit number for Alka Yagnik, who was nominated for a Filmfare Award for it.
Alka has the most number of nominations in this category surpassing many legends such as Asha Bhonsle, Lata Mangeshkar and many more. The film was perhaps AR Rahman’s biggest hit after Roja and Rangeela which marked his foray into Bollywood. It is definitely one of his best albums till date.
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With the NRI population on the increase, film makers hailing from the Indian community have managed to capture the hearts of a wider audience. Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding is one such film that is based on a wedding in India shot during the monsoons. The song that I have chosen for the second spot is arguably one of the most popular Punjabi folk songs ever composed. It is Rabba Rabba Mee Barsa, skilfully rendered by the brilliant Sukhwinder Singh. The song has beautiful lyrics about farmers and the rain and prosperity. What Mira Nair chooses to show in the film while the song plays in the background, is the chaos in the city of Delhi during the rains. The urchins getting soaked willingly, schoolkids in colourful raincoats crossing the street, street vendors rushing to their destinations and a middle class family of five trying to fit onto one scooter! The song is played again to keep the audiences glued to their seats as the credits roll at the end.
One of my favourite baarish number has to be Jhuti Muti Mitwa, with the ethereal Dimple Kapadia dancing in the rain. She is woken up gently by the raindrops that fall on her face through the thatched roof. Unmindful of the leakage in the house, she rushes out into the courtyard to greet the monsoon and dance with abandon! This song is probably one of the lightest and most cheerful moments in an otherwise gloomy and remorseful film. Lata Mangashkar’s voice suits the rustic appearance of Dimple Kapadia her to a T. The song, beautifully composed by Bhupen Hazarika, definitely brings in a moment of joy to the film made by a group of feminists (for feminists, perhaps). This great song with excellent lyrics helps to bring the character of Shanichari (Dimple’s character) to life. The Kalpana Lajmi film that brought Dimple Kapadia her national award in 1993, Rudaali is truly a classic with many haunting scores, with this one being the most charming of songs filmed in
Next in line has to be Panchamda’s classic Rim Jhim Gire Sawan, with the Big B and the petite Moushmi Chaterjee. Its beauty lies in the fact that it is shot so casually, with absolutely no pretentions whatsoever. Amitabh is dressed in a suit fit for a business meeting and Moushmi looks more than comfortable in her simple blue sari! They walk along the streets of Mumbai,
Shreya Ghoshal’s enchanting voice adds to the melody of the very energetic AR Rahman composition, Barso Re Megha Megha. The gorgeous Aishwarya Rai in traditional Gujrati attire, is simply a visual treat. Filmed nowhere near Gujarat, this song is a pleasure to watch. Some very risky shots of Aishwarya Rai braving it in the rain on top of slippery stones and cliffs by the waterfall, and rowing through flooding rivers conveys the
slip into puddles and get drenched in numerous ways. They seem absolutely oblivious to vehicles splashing water on them, and the flooding pavements and walkways. And when Amitabh throws wet currency notes out of his pocket with no regrets, it is liberating… money is not everything in life, is it?! The song makes me yearn for those simpler times, before the Internet and the information overflow. Truly evergreen!
true spirit of the song. Cut to the scene where she decides to elope with her lover: riding a bicycle she leaves for the railway station full of hopes and aspirations… the scene speaks volumes about the character she plays in the film. Loosely based on the life of the business magnet Dhirubhai Ambani, Manirathnam’s Guru is an excellent film with beautiful songs.
This Panchamda song has been remixed several times and has always been a hit. Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein is perhaps one of the most popular songs about the rain. The original song has Rajesh Khanna and Zeenat Aman, on an open terrace dancing away to glory in the pouring rain! This 1974 flick Ajnabee had many beautiful songs in it, like Hum Dono Do Premi and Ek Ajnabi Haseena Se The film itself explored several interesting subjects. Those were the times perhaps when content was important even for a commercially successful film. The remix of the song by Leslie Lewis did quite well in the ‘90s; it had the stunning Anupama Sharma in the middle of a snow storm.
The Number 1 baarish song has definitely got to be from the golden era of film making. You can’t go past the mentor of Bollywood Raj Kapoor and his special lady Nargis, in Pyaar Hua Ikraar Hua. Shot in pouring rain, this song is a true classic and an example of how songs were filmed in the ‘50s. Kapoor’s character is undoubtingly heavily influenced by Charlie Chaplin’s “Little Tramp”. The music was composed by Shankar Jaikishan, and other songs from the film also became hugely popular, with the list including that all-time favourite Mera Joota Hai Japani, probably one of the most popular patriotic songs ever composed We have always associated Mukesh’s voice with Raj Kapoor; however this particular song in the rain is a duet featuring Manna Dey and Lata Mangeshkar. The song has many metaphors, but the lines Main na rahoongi, tum na rahoge, phir bhi rahengi nishaaniyaan, is worth a mention. Did Raj Kapoor know at that point of time that his legacy would continue with the generations that followed? Or did it simply mean that Nargis was pointing out that she wanted to settle down with Raj and have his children? The elusive love affair between the two on and off screen has been a matter of interest to many fans till date.
Saanson Ko Saason Mein Dhalne Do Zara, from the film Hum Tum is probably one of the few slow songs shot in the rain. Alka Yagnik managed to win a Filmfare Award for this one. The movie was a milestone for Saif Ali Khan; the coveted National Award was given to him for his role in this 2004 hit. The song is shot on a quiet night in Mumbai. As Rani and Saif walk under the same umbrella, they come across three couples. The first one is a fun loving Anglo Indian couple, the second a married couple with a pregnant wife and the third is a passionate young couple. Rani imagines Saif Ali Khan and her to be in place of the three couples and fantasizes about being in love with Saif. Saif on the other hand is slightly drunk and up to some kind of mischief throughout the song. The song ends with them walking slowly back home.
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While I have stayed away from the sensuous baarish numbers filled with jhatkas and pelvic thrusts, who can forget the racy numbers that had the likes of Sridevi and Raveena Tandon soaked up in the rain in the ‘90s? Now that list is endless! Rating it would be almost next to impossible.
Like a true Bollywood fan, I see the rain as a harbinger of happiness, prosperity, harmony and romance. However at this juncture I would probably sing Kaale megha kaale megha, Aur paani mat barsao, chale jao!
Indian business leaders like Narayana Murthy, Shahnaz Husain, Rahul Bajaj and Subhash Chandra among many others are well known public figures. They’re constantly in the news for their business ventures, strategies, enormous wealth and fabulous lifestyles. Unfortunately, most often these are the only things we read about these famous people. As a result, most of us don’t know the real personalities behind these enormous businesses… and it’s about time that we did. It would be nice to look beyond their public images and learn how these business stalwarts actually achieved their dreams. Was it luck, inheritance, chance or hard work?
I am happy to say that there is finally a book which answers all these questions, Added Value by Peter Church.
Peter Church is the founder and chairman of the AFG Venture Group, a corporate advisory firm and is Special Counsel to Blake Dawson, a leading Australian law firm. In his book Added Value, Peter Church has written about the lives, trials and tribulations of thirty Indian business leaders who have added value to their own businesses as well as to India as a nation.
After a successful launch in India (New Delhi) in April this year, Added Value was launched in Melbourne on 17 May by Anita Nayar, the Consul General of India in Melbourne. The book launch was held at the Sidney Myer Asia Centre at the University of Melbourne and was organised by Asialink which is a non-academic centre of the
time to have drinks, mingle and network with other guests and purchase a copy of the book which was available for sale at the venue. It was nice to see that the event was a house-full given that it was a rather cold evening on a working day.
Anita Nayar praised Peter Church’s book for steering away from clichéd business families like the Tatas and Ambanis and
instead broadening the spectrum to other business leaders each one of whom have excelled in their own fields. Another interesting fact that Ms. Nayar highlighted was that Peter Church had about an hour to interact with and interview most of the personalities in the book. This, in her own words was “a commendable feat of journalism”. I absolutely have to agree!
When quizzed upon his choice of subject, the author explained that his work and career had led him to be involved with many countries of Asia, including India. Having read and heard about these interesting entrepreneurs, he wanted to see for himself just what it is that makes them tick. The life stories behind the millions...the real people
In his presentation Peter Church talked briefly about some of the personalities in the book and how even though each person had a different business and background, the common thread that ran among them was “focus, determination, dedication and timing”. He read snippets from his book about a few of his subjects YK Hamied (Cipla), GVK Reddy (GVK Group), Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (Biocon), Captain CP Krishnan Nair (The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts) and Captain GR Gopinath (Air Deccan/Kingfisher).
Mr. Church kept his presentation brief, interesting and peppered with amusing incidents that happened whilst he was
his description of the grandeur of Shahnaz Husain’s house in Delhi and how that very grandeur extended to her personality as her staff referred to her as “Princess Shahnaz”.
The end of the presentation was followed by a Q&A session and guests could get copies of their books signed in person by Mr Church.
It was a well spent Monday evening indeed, and guests left feeling enlightened and exhilarated that someone had taken such keen interest in Indian business leaders, talking about them through a medium that is likely to be positively received internationally.
To procure your own copy of this inspirational book, go to the AFG Venture Group website at: http://www.afgventuregroup.com/global/ publications_addedvalueindia.php
Alternatively, you can purchase the book from the Melbourne University bookshop by contacting –Andrew Cerchez, Office Administrator
Tel: (03) 8344 6217, Mobile: 0422 996 401 Email: a.cerchez@unimelb.edu.au
Natasha Ghai
Fear Factor: Terror Incognito, edited by Meenakshi Bharat and Sharon Rundle, is an anthology of 20 stories by well-known and emerging authors from Australia and the Indian subcontinent. It includes names such as David Malouf, Salman Rushdie, Neelum Saran Gour, Tom Keneally, Rosie Scott, Jeremy Fisher, Susanne Gervay, Tabish Khair, Denise Leith, Andrew Y M Kwong, Devika Brendon, Gulzar, Meera Kant, Guy Scotton, Sujata Sankranti, Kiran Nargarkar, Temsula Ao, Jaspreet Singh, Janhavi Acharekar and Meenakshi Bharat, with a foreword by the well known Sri Lankan-Australian writer Yasmine Gooneratne.
Meenakshi Bharat is a translator, reviewer and critic. Her special interests include children’s literature, women’s fiction and English studies – areas which she has researched extensively. Currently, she is engaged in translating a volume of Hindi short stories. She is also getting a volume of short fiction ready for publication. She teaches at the University of Delhi. Sharon Rundle is a writer, editor and lecturer. Her stories, essays and articles have appeared in various publications and have been broadcast on radio, in Australia and
internationally, since 1992.
The book is an attempt by Indian and Australian writers to react to the impact of terrorism and tyranny on the world. The works are strikingly diverse and, as Meenakshi notes in the editors’ foreword, an “assertion of a shared humanity”. What is interesting about the book is that it is a unique collaboration between Australia and India – something of a first. The theme that purportedly holds the stories together is modern terror: the collection, it is claimed, represents the writers’ protests against it: ‘they lead readers along the hidden paths of an unfamiliar psychology [of terror] to make their own discoveries’. A joint publication with Picador UK and Picador India, Fear Factor contains some excerpts from already published works [Salman Rushdie’s contribution is from his 2005 book Shalimar the Clown] and others that have been written especially for this omnibus. Bharat’s own short story Compensation is quintessentially small town India in its evocation of the wily lower middle class woman who uses her wits to make a quick rupee from a terrorist inflicted tragedy.
Some of the interesting stories – and
most relevant to the title and intent of this anthology – is the short story In Search of Essar by Kiran Nagarkar, which is taken from his most recent book God’s Little Soldiers Nagarkar is unique among Indian writers in that he has written acclaimed novels in more than one language. His first novel, Saat Sakkam Trechalis (translated into English as Seven Sixes are Forty Three) was a critical success when it was published in 1974, quickly becoming recognized as one of the most important novels written in Marathi. His next novel, Ravan and Eddie, begun in Marathi but completed in English, was not published till 1994. His third novel, Cuckold (1997) won the Sahitya Akademi award. It has been translated into a number of languages and has become one of the most beloved contemporary Indian novels, both in India and in Europe. All his novels since Ravan and Eddie have been written in English.
He and Janhavi Achrekar - whose story A Good Riot is included in the collection - are both Mumbaikars. Whereas Nagarkar’s story will interest anyone interested in fundamentalist terrorism, Achrekar’s story is much more local and strikingly Indian: a kind of pop social psychology of the petit
bourgeoisie basis of communal politics. Tabish Khair’s story – the very last one entitled Missing is hilarious – a cross between science fiction and comedy, written in the first person. Khair is a talented writer, whose latest novel, Filming: A Love Story (2007), examines memory and guilt against the backdrop of the Partition and the 1940s Bombay film industry. Ranked by Khushwant Singh as one of the best twenty novels in English by Indians or writers of Indian origin, it received positive and rave reviews in British and Asian publications and was short-listed for India’s main fiction award. A Danish translation, called Film, came out in the winter of 2009 to positive reviews in the Danish press. Born and educated mostly in Gaya, Bihar, India, Tabish Khair is the author of various books, most significant of which is the study, Babu Fictions: Alienation in Indian English Novels (Oxford UP, 2001) and the novel, The Bus Stopped (Picador, 2004), which was shortlisted for the Encore Award. He lives in Denmark and has become a thoughtful writer on Islam and Muslims in recent years. These are the short stories that sit well with the title of the book; so is the excerpt from Rushdie’s Shalimar the Clown. The other stories like Sujata Sankranti’s An Eye for an Eye, Gulzar’s Kauf – and the section by well known Australian writers – are all eminently readable in their own right, although one needs to stretch one’s imagination to fit them into the “Terror Incognito” theme.
You bet my friend’s as popular as her daughter in the latter’s school and yes, you read that right. Doling out supposedly magical and heavenly curries at her daughter’s school events, my friend, let’s call her ‘A’, has got famous.
Well, A was in some sort of competition with her daughter dearest, until a while ago, though on different plane. The daughter generated a what-no-one-in-eitherside-of-the-family-ever-did kind of pride in her mum, whilst manoeuvring her little fingers to the notes of the Beethoven classic Fur Elise. And mum basked in the glory of having the ideal child, the best in the community dinner party circuits that every immigrant parent craves for, who had bridged the legendary East West divide with unabashed aplomb. A proudly claimed to all who would listen and several who didn’t, that besides piano, swimming and netball, the daily puja, paratha and padhaai (academic studies) were all reluctant elements in daughter deary’s life.
The secret though, was that A was no different from the milieu… she too was gripped by harrowing thoughts that preoccupy most first generation immigrant minds. Piano shiano to theek hai …but would her possum learn to cook to save her life? Or would daughter deary be capable of tossing up a decent traditional meal for the family? And there was the mother of all concerns... would she marry a decent man of likewise heritage whom A could identify with, which would bring stability, direction and all the packages that go with it?
But, blast! Fearful reality began pounding in A’s eardrums. Her dream quilt was torn asunder by the gory sight of reality. Daughter darling had embarked on hip hop practise for her upcoming event on a Saturday. Saturday? Never! Weekends were reserved for culture, contemplation and heritage buttressing – lest daughter deary finds herself lost in the world of crass materialism and confused identity syndromes. A found
Tomorrow would automate her angel’s actions according to its own social, political, intellectual, economic and linguistic contours
herself floundering again… the dream quilt returned to smother her. She had taken a bheeshma pratigya to infuse her offspring with enough Indian-ness to blabber unending poems, songs and dances in the mother tongue as part of their weekend dinner party rituals. At these do’s, A basked in filial pride, often failing to notice the snores of senior guests, while juniors sported famed dazed expressions, writ large on their faces. The embarrassed host and hostess were the only ones who managed a reluctant clap or two.
A was a mum on a mission to cultivate and nurture a confident, not confused second generationer, a perfect specimen with no qualms, no dilemmas, no nothing!
A poured her heart out to a know-it-all community agony aunt, who also doubled as the community quickfix expert. With all her worldly wisdom, aunty mahaan espoused that the solution was a baanye haath ka khel simply take daughter deary back to her roots, and let her behold the motherland steeped in tradition and old world charm that is absent here. Familiarity breeds acquiescence, sermonized aunty mahaan
And so she did. On the flight to nirvana in homeland, A dreamt of her daughter deary’s reawakening to find her true self, just as had happened to Mohan Bhargav in Swades, or Gogol in The Namesake, or even Krishna Reddy in American Desi. After all, movies take after life, don’t they? A little twirl and swirl with the dandiyas, a village full of loving and giving people, an extravagantly elaborate religious ceremony were all that it took to bridge the cultural crises in those coming of age masterpieces on celluloid. Its only a petty predicament, A pondered, relaxing.
Immediately on landing, A set out on her mission (im)possible. She frantically scoured every corner of the land to track down, uncover and unravel that unadulterated and undiluted symbol of cultural glory that she knew only existed here, away from a world immersed in relentless materialism. Alas! Her search for the namaskars, pranams and parampara seemed largely futile as all she witnessed were new age concrete boulevards, nicknamed malls sprawling up on every possible empty
patch of available land, swanky cars in the fast lane and flashy billboards. The leisurely pace of A’s childhood had all but disappeared and ‘high speed’ was the new buzz word for everything, from internet to lifestyle. A’s land of origin, like everything else, had also moved on with the times. It dawned on her that the motherland had been redesigned and reinvented to fit in with the universal mantras of modern life and living. The Lost Empire? Not really. As she scratched the surface of things, this unanticipated shock metamorphosed into a compelling reawakening.
In her noble undertaking of preserving cultural individualism, A had overlooked the innate nature of culture and identity. They were fluid, evolving and ever dynamic concepts, subject to no rigid labels, definitions or dictates. This in itself probably defined both human assimilation and yet its distinctiveness in the bhelpuri (nee melting pot) of our fusion times.
Lo and behold! The magical cure had taken place. A’s dream quilt was complete and ready to stave her from the chills of the unknown winters of tomorrow. Tomorrow would automate her angel’s actions according to its own social, political, intellectual, economic and linguistic contours. And there was not much she could do about it, A comprehended. Instead of bringing up daughter deary in a mum-fashioned mould, the nirvana trip had ended in bringing up mum instead!
At that moment the chart topping Bollywood number aptly titled Desi Girl…roared from the heavens above…or was it? Nope, it was just the super cool surround sound system. A looked around, seeking the apple of her eyes. And there she was on the makeshift stage in the Millennium Mall, grooving merrily with the other girls while holding onto a sweet corn bhel. As A joined in, daughter deary looked relieved…thankfully there were no instructions from mum this time!
Weekends were reserved for culture, contemplation and heritage
buttressing – lest daughter deary finds herself lost in the world of crass materialism and confused
Nature, in recent times, has not been kind to Europe. Climate change has caused climatic extremes such as excessive cold weather in winter and snowstorms (particularly in Northern Europe), flooding of its main rivers, and excessive summer heat and forest fires (in several Southern European countries including Greece and Portugal). Europe has also been coping with unprecedented ash effusions from Icelandic volcanoes, resulting in extensive cancelling of airline flights to and from Europe.
The continent is now facing a humancaused malaise of which Greece is only a symptom. Ranking amongst the world’s highest in standards of living, Europe can justifiably boast of having some of the world’s greatest cultural achievements in fields from industrialisation and architecture, to music and the fine arts.
The industrial revolution started in Europe, notably in Britain, and brought prosperity to much of Western Europe. But Europe has now entered a post-industrial phase and it cannot compete with the industrial powerhouses of Asia. This lack of competitiveness means that the continent is no longer as prosperous as it was just fifty years ago, after World War II. Several countries of Western Europe, once dependant on their colonial wealth and markets that the colonies furnished, were able to prosper with their manufacturing industries. This continued for at least two decades in the post-colonial era. In that period (the 1950s and 1960s), Indians and other Commonwealth citizens found easy entry into Britain and that was the foundation for the large South Asian communities who now live in Britain. There is also an Indian community in Portugal and small communities in Switzerland and Germany.
With the passage of time, Commonwealth citizens including Indians and Australians are finding it increasingly difficult to enter and work in Britain. Instead, it is the citizens of the European Union who find themselves free to enter and to work, often to the chagrin of British workers. Likewise, goods originating in Commonwealth countries like Australia’s agricultural products are restricted entry into the European Union, whilst goods from within the Union have free passage.
But European dependence on their manufacturing industries for jobs and wealth has become increasingly difficult because of competition from Asian (including China and India) and other emerging nations (such as Brazil). Simply put, by maintaining their expensive standards of living and particularly
their generous social welfare systems (such as aged pensions and hospital care), European countries are living beyond their means.
Europe has had a tumultuous recorded history with wars and rivalries. There was intense rivalry and conflict between the major powers of Europe during colonial times, with several West European powers fighting over colonial possessions like Portugal, France and Britain over India and Portugal, Holland and Britain over Sri Lanka.
European rivalries caused two devastating World Wars in Europe and Indian troops, led by the British, were involved in both wars. For example, during World War II Indian troops landed in southern Italy. Australians likewise, fought alongside British forces in those wars. What happens in Europe affects India and Australia and turmoil in Europe has adverse consequences for both India and Australia.
Europe can be divided into northern and southern Europe, particularly with regard to climatic conditions; and into western and eastern Europe on the basis of people and history. Northern Europe has been generally more prosperous and Southern Europe less so, the latter including the heavily in debt “PIGS” (Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain). Western and eastern Europe are historically contrasting, as major western European powers are still prosperous whilst economically struggling eastern Europe has only recently been freed from its communist history.
The European Union was never a Union of equals. Even before the Union was formed, Spanish and Portuguese workers looked for jobs in German industries.
Citizens of the more prosperous nations of western Europe have been able to holiday and buy properties in cheaper nations like Spain and Portugal, which resulted in a financial “invasion” which adversely affected the people of those countries.
When the European Union enlarged eastwards into the former Eastern Bloc, those countries demanded aid and investment to rebuild their economies. Western Europe thus became their banker. East European workers now have the right to enter West European countries and compete with locals for jobs. This is happening in Britain. Sub-continentals and Australians living in Britain face this competition as restrictions on the entry of new Commonwealth migrants increase. Britain is moving more and more towards Europe and away from the Commonwealth, whilst Commonwealth countries search for trading partners elsewhere.
The questions arise: Was creating the European Union, from very different countries, a good idea? And, more so, was the creating the Euro, from very different economies, ever a feasible concept? These questions are now plaguing the financial markets and currencies of the world.
BY SUKRIT SABHLOKThe lifting of millions of Indians out of poverty after the country’s economic reforms in 1991 should have delivered a decisive blow to those who argue that capitalism exploits the poor. Thanks to deregulation, there has been a significant rise in India’s standard of living during the past 15 years. Unfortunately, the same arguments against the free-market persist. Yet the problem is the government, not the market.
If governments faced the same discipline that private corporations are subjected to, the next election would result in all of India’s politicians being voted out. In spite of grandiose promises, hardly anyone doubts that India continues to remain near the top of the world in corruption and inefficiency. The sad reality is that India has fallen behind East Asian nations. The subcontinent holds the dubious distinction of having the world’s largest number of poor people, despite crores of rupees spent to “stimulate” development.
The reforms of 1991 allowed many a chance at life in the middle-class. For the average person, relaxation of investment laws has meant access to a wider variety of goods and services at cheaper prices. In the past Indians faced restrictions on importing of foreign cars, and were forced to buy inferior local models such as the Ambassador. Now they have the freedom to choose a Toyota, a Honda or even a BMW, if they so desire. The influx of new brands has meant more productive jobs, as foreign companies have set up factories locally.
Many people shrug their shoulders at the dismal living standards in India and resign themselves to thinking, that’s “just the way things are”. This attitude, although understandable, is something to be discouraged. Especially now when the government-caused financial crisis has made Indians a great deal poorer, the urgent need is to examine why it is that –60 years after independence – Bharat still remains a Third World nation.
The answer boils down to this: petty bureaucrats and gangster politicians have ruined India. They are the reason why this diverse nation of 1 billion isn’t yet an “Asian tiger”. Only if we honestly confront the problems India faces can we devise the proper solutions.
For sure, India’s economy is galloping along at about 8% per year. This is a significant improvement from the so-
called “Hindu” rate of 3.5% before 1991. However, there is also much that the growth figures conceal.
Consider, for instance, the fact that no government in India has been able to guarantee a reliable supply of electricity, water or gas. Roads (including many national highways) are in a pitiful state. Ports constantly experience bottlenecks, and train stations and airports are run-down. Underneath the statistics lies a hot-bed of infrastructure and governance problems. Although economic growth is progressing, it is hardly based on sound foundations.
The train system is a good example. Indian Railways, a government company, owns and operates most of the rail network. Indian Railways holds a virtual monopoly, so there’s no incentive for it to improve the quality of its services. Competition is a wonderful thing: it can push businesses to serve the consumer better by lowering prices and improving quality. Yet when government restricts competition, as in the case of India’s railways, the result is inefficiency and a lack of concern for what the customer thinks.
The story is much the same across a whole range of industries in India. Whereas developed nations have privatised some of their utilities (for example, electricity) and opened up markets to competition, the governments of India remain wedded to power and refuse to give up control. But instead of everything being owned by the government, it would make a lot more sense to let the people of India run their own businesses.
The mistake socialists make is to equate ownership by the government with ownership by “the people”. That is a fallacy. The government does not equal “the people”; to the contrary, it is made up of an elite group that often selfishly pursues their own interests. How many times have we heard of politicians lining their Swiss bank accounts with money illegally stolen from taxpayers? This pervasive corruption is an indictment on the theory that politicians care about those they govern – the reality is they couldn’t care less.
Private businesses, not governments, are the most direct representation of the community. This is because anyone, including you and me, can set up a business. More importantly, private enterprise is voluntary. No business can force you to buy their products. But government, by stripping away alternatives, can take away your freedom of choice. Therefore, we should be encouraging more private enterprise and less government.
Sukrit Sabhlok is an Arts/Law student at the University of Melbourne. He is a director of Liberty Australia (la.org.au).
This once-prosperous and confident continent is now simmering with resentment as its people try to work out if creating the EU was a good idea.
But Europe has now entered a postindustrial phase and it cannot compete with the industrial powerhouses of Asia
Its governance is the specific reason why India remains a Third World country
The government does not equal “the people”; to the contrary, it is made up of an elite group that often selfishly pursues their own interests
GEETA KHURANA offers tips on how to make sure your supermarket trolley is full of good, healthy and sensible food options
The weekly grocery activity is a very important part of our life as what we add to our trolley every week is what we eat, and therefore affects our nutritional status and health. Is our trolley full of veggies and fruits or does it have loads of fizzy drinks and frozen snacks or chips? Most of the time we are fascinated by attractive food packaging and misleading claims which are mainly marketing hype. Sometimes even if we want to shop healthy, the time it takes to read food labels and claims on various products which may or may not be true confuse us so much, that we end up buying the regular stuff. There is an ever-increasing range of foods available, making shopping all the more confusing especially if you have to haggle with your kids besides you and their unlimited demands. Discounts, specials - cost affects our grocery shopping, but there are still a few factors that can be kept in mind to help keep a nutritious diet.
Plan a menu Planning a weekly menu helps to shop better. Look for weekly specials and try to plan your menu for the week which saves time and also helps avoid a lot of useless and extra shopping. Also, having a planned healthy menu and the required ingredients at home helps avoid eating unplanned last minute unhealthy meals and dining out.
Try to plan your meal according to the ‘Food Pyramid’ to ensure healthy meals. Make a list:After a long days’ work, if
Your healthy shopping cart should include:
l Low fat dairy food such as lite milk, fat free yoghurts, and lite cheese. Have 2-3 serves of low fat dairy every day.
l Go in for wholegrain breads, pastas, cereals, and biscuits instead of the processed ones. These are important sources of fiber and are low GI foods, and therefore healthier.
l At least half of your trolley should be full of fruit and vegetables. These are full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and therefore, are an integral part of our diet. Have at least 2 fruits and 5 serves of veggies every day. Buy a variety of fruits and vegetables, as no single fruit or vegetable is perfect for all our nutritional needs.
l Eggs, nuts, legumes, fish and lean meat and poultry are good protein foods. Try to have fish twice a week. Go in for the low fat portions. Avoid deep fried pre-cooked foods.
l Choose low fat mayonnaise and salad dressings.
l Look for low sodium soups and sauces. Avoid high fat gravies.
you go grocery shopping tired and hungry without a list or a menu for the week, you tend to wander around and buy whatever looks good. So you reach home with a trolley full of unhealthy snack foods or whatever was on ‘special’. Making a list helps us buy healthy stuff and all the ingredients needed for nutritionally balanced meals for the week. It also saves money and time. And try as far as possible to stick to the list, and not be influenced by flashy advertisements and discounts.
Read food labels This is a great way to compare different products and shop smart. This is especially important for anyone with diet-related conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity or a food allergy. Ingredient lists and nutrition information tables on food packages hold the key to understanding what’s actually in the products/packets we buy. Try to study the ingredient list as well as the nutrition list, such as the amount of calories, protein, carbohydrates, fats (especially saturated fats), sodium and fiber. For example, if you compare two products for total or saturated fats, pick the one with the lesser amount of fat; or if you compare fiber, the foods with higher levels of fiber should be the first priority.
Look for the blue seal of GI which helps in choosing low GI foods. This symbol indicates that a food has had its GI measured using the Australian Standard to ensure its accuracy and that it meets with the strict nutrient criteria, consistent with Australia’s Dietary Guidelines. This means that the food must contain at least 10 grams of carbohydrate per serve, be low in saturated fat, moderate in sodium and
Frozen foods Frozen foods and vegetables are very convenient and stand less of a chance of spoiling.
But make sure you choose product without any added sauces, salt, or additives. When buying canned fruit, buy the ones canned in natural juice and not in sugar syrup.
Ready-to-cook meals are handy, though a bit expensive.
But keeping some healthy options at home again helps to avoid cooking junk food.
Party foods Keep some room for treats and special occasions, but strive for moderation.
where appropriate, should be a source of dietary fiber. Many products available in the supermarket have this symbol. Also the red tick by the Heart Foundation should be kept in mind while picking up foods, especially frozen non-vegetarian products and margarines.
Some foods labelled ‘lite’ or ‘light’ may be confusing as ‘light olive oil’ may actually be light in color or texture. and not necessarily light in fat.
Fancy Packaging Try not to be overwhelmed by fancy, colorful, and attractive packaging and try to buy stuff after reading and understanding the food labels and ingredient list. Try to use discounts only on products that you usually buy, instead of just piling up unnecessary calories for the sake of saving cents.
Most of the time we are fascinated by attractive food packaging and misleading claims which are mainly marketing hype
For some 6000 years, aboriginal people living on the western plains of a vast expanse now known as Canada tracked great herds of buffalo. Periodically, members of these nomadic tribes would gather to undertake trade and commerce on a prime parcel of land overlooking the place where the Red and Assibinboine rivers converge.
The practice continued until the late 19th century when Canada’s country-spanning rail line was completed. In 1886, Winnipeg, the provincial capital of Manitoba, was finally linked with a single ‘ribbon of steel’ that joined Vancouver, British Colombia to the west and Montreal, Quebec to the east. The world’s second largest country could, at last, be crossed in style and comfort.
The strategic peninsula where native campfires once burned was turned into a rail yard in the 1890s but for much of the 20th century the area now called The Forks was a derelict dump. That situation changed in the mid 1980s when the 22 ha. site was entrusted to the city, and transformation began that turned it from a neglected eye ore to sparkling attention getter.
The old commercial constructions remain intact with old advertisements plastered on their sides, still spruiking curealls for all types of 19th century maladies
On a sunshine sprinkled summer’s day I stood in what’s become a sophisticated riverside park, commercial centre and recreation area, looking at the spot where the two muddy waterways intertwine, while listening to the beat of an up tempo jazz band nearby. The Forks National Historic Site as it’s officially called today – one of the most visited attractions in the population 700,000 plus city – is a relaxing place for summer strolling and winter ice skating.
As well, it’s also a hub of quality shopping and gourmet dining throughout the year. Reminders of those exciting rail days now contain retail outlets dedicated to these two fine pursuits. For instance, an old red Canadian Pacific Railway carriage is now a cosy restaurant while the rock-solid Fork’s Market, a former stable, now houses stalls where some 300 talented artisans sell a
variety of unique arts and crafts, all original local products. As well, there’s an eclectic collection of eateries. One evening after a day-long excursion through the city, I returned to the busy market for a meal of Ukrainian specialities; another evening it was tandoori treats.
While the historic buildings at The Forks have been restored, Fort Garry is a reconstruction. Winnipeg was founded as a fur trading post by the French Canadian explorer La Vérendrye in 1738 with the first fort constructed by the Montreal-based North West Company over 80 years later. I walked through the large gates built to replicate the entrance to the stronghold and into the protected compound where a colourful cast of characters was on hand to add authenticity to this tiny time capsule.
Throughout the sensational summer months, daily life from the 1815s is reenacted at the replicated Fort Garry by historical interpreters. Dressed in a beaded buckskin costume, a First Nations woman showed how pemmican was made. The
seemingly unpalatable concoction of 60 per cent dried buffalo meat and 40 per cent oil was loaded with calories needed by energycraving voyageurs (boatmen) who would often paddle their cargo-laden canoes for up to 18 hours a day. Furs had to be sent to waiting ships in Hudson Bay in the north and supplies brought in to this remote settlement via a series of inland waterways before the onslaught of winter.
In the replicated general store, a stocky salesman with a stovepipe hat told me that beaver fur – the currency of the day - was used to make stylish top hats for European gentlemen. Four beaver skins brought in by First Nations people who often did the actual trapping, was worth one genuine Hudson Bay blanket, he said, pointing to a colourful assortment of striped blankets filling a crude shelf on the bare timbered wall. His in-character explanation, period costume and 19th century mannerisms added greatly to the experience.
I ‘travelled’ from the early 19th century at the fort to the early 20th century in only
1 The remains of the Old St Boniface Cathedral are the iconic symbol of the French district
2 The Forks features shopping, stages for cultural events and interesting dining options
3 The Exchange District has a grand collection of century-old buildings often used as film sets
4 A cast of characters recall stories about early fur trapping days at the replicated Fort Garry
a few blocks when I visited the Exchange District in the heart of the city. This defined area which consists of 20 city blocks was the city’s financial hub for several decades before and after the turn of the 20th century. The railway had brought great prosperity and the city’s population nearly tripled from 40,000 in 1900 to 115,000 in 1907. Around 150 brick warehouses and commercial buildings still stand in this fascinating area which was given a heritage listing in 1997.
The old commercial constructions remain intact with old advertisements plastered on their sides, still spruiking cure-alls for all types of 19th century maladies. The scene is so evocative of days long gone that film makers have used “the best collection of turn-of-the-century architecture in North America” as convincing backdrops in Hollywood creations such as the circa 2006 The Assassination of Jesse James with Brad Pitt.
Like the Exchange District, St. Boniface is easily walkable and as I discovered, it’s a leafy tree-lined delight in summer. Home to the largest French speaking community in western Canada, Winnipeg’s French quarter began in 1818 with the establishment of the first Roman Catholic mission in the west. The landmark of the area is the towering façade of the circa 1908 Romanesque St Boniface Cathedral.
The cathedral burned in the late 1960s and a large hole can be seen in the wall where a massive stained glass window once existed. Visitors scurry around this oddity trying to find the best angle to photograph it and then often wait for an escorted walk in the footsteps of history.
I joined the unusually named Theatre in the Cemetery for a very entertaining yet highly informative narrative which is regularly conducted by costumed guides. For an hour I was enthralled by stories about the life and times of so many people who have all significantly contributed to Winnipeg, a rich multicultural oasis set on the scenic prairies of western Canada.
Air Canada operates the daily CA34 flight from Sydney to Vancouver. The 14 hour non-stop flight is in a Boeing 777-200LR equipped with a personal touch screen TV at every seat and in-seat power for laptops. See your travel agent or contact Air Canada Australia-wide on 1300 655 767 for details of flights and fares. See www.aircanada.com Interstate passengers can easily connect with CA34 as it departs Sydney at 1330.
Winnipeg is three air hours east of Vancouver. Air Canada has multiple flights every day connecting the two provincial capitals. In addition, you can travel by coach (Greyhound Canada) or car making stops at Calgary, Alberta after a scenic trip through the Rockies and Regina, Saskatchewan before continuing on the Trans Canadian Highway to Winnipeg.
ViaRail’s
Canadian offers a thrice weekly eastbound service. See www.viarail.ca and www.canadabyrail.ca
A former railway hotel, The Fort Garry is a historic 246 room property oozing with style and substance. See www.fortgarryhotel.com Located within the Forks precinct, boutique The Inn at the Forks offers 116 contemporary rooms near the produce and arts market. See www.innforks.com
Indians living in Australia will be able to meet with Indians residing in multicultural Winnipeg during Folklorama. Set over August 1 -14, this cultural celebration features some 30 pavilions located in halls and community centres throughout the city. See www.folklorama.ca
If you are headed to the city next month, then the Winnipeg Folk Festival is the event to attend. Numerous musical genres compete for
audiences during this 5-day outdoor musical extravaganza scheduled from July 7 – 11. See www. winnipegfolkfestival.ca/wp
Churchill, Manitoba’s most northern town, is the base for polar bear viewing in winter and beluga whale watching in summer. Best seen from mid June to mid August, beluga whales are not true whales but water-breathing fish closely related to the sailfish and marlin. With up to 3000 belugas spending the summer in the Churchill River, the chance of seeing these normally docile sea creatures during a snorkelling or kayaking adventure is exceptionally high.
Polar bears, by contrast, are best seen in and around Churchill from October to December when temperatures average a temperate -10°C. Yes, temperate because during January and February the temperature dips to a numbing – 40°C! Excursions are made in a Tundra Buggy equipped with propane
heaters and washrooms.
Travel between Winnipeg and Churchill takes 36 hours by rail or it’s a mere 1½ hour flight with Calm Air. Frontiers North Adventures is a specialist tour operator able to make all arrangements for any adventure in Manitoba. The long established Canadian company planned our comprehensive itinerary of Winnipeg and Churchill entirely by e-mail! Contact info@frontiersnorth.com, tel. (204) 949 2050. See www.frontiersnorth.com
For advice on planning your holiday in Canada visit www.canada.travel or call the Canadian Tourism Commission on 1300 300 576. Also see www. destinationwinnipeg.ca and www.travelmanitoba.com Available from leading book outlets, Lonely Planet’s Canada has substantial information about Winnipeg, Churchill and other places of interest in Manitoba and all other parts of Canada.
I ‘travelled’ from the early 19th century at the fort to the early 20th century in only a few blocks when I visited the Exchange District in the heart of the cityPhotos: Thomas E. King
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On a trip back home to India recently, I carried with me a variety of items from the health food shop. My parents have become total health food freaks lately and I thought they would enjoy what I had to offer.
“Isn’t this alsi?” Mum said as she closely inspected my beautifully packaged bag of flax seeds.
“Yeh to yahan mitti ke bhav milti hai she said (it’s cheap as dirt here). She opened her freezer and showed me her stash of flax seeds. While the polypropelene packaging on my bag was decidedly superior, the seeds in the plain Indian plastic bags looked so much fresher and better in quality.
Apparently both Mum and Dad have added flax seeds, or linseeds as they prefer to call them, as an essential element in their daily diet.
“It is highly nutritious,” Dad told me. “It is filled with Omega-3 fatty acids so it is good for my cholesterol, and it also has plenty of fibre and anti-oxidants”.
Vegetarians who want to increase their intake of Omega-3 fatty acids, and want to stay away from fish-oil capsules, will find flax seed very useful. And as for fibre, new research has shown that there is no food higher in fibre than this tiny seed.
Flax seed is also very low in carbohydrate, and so dieters like to add it in their breads and muffins.
The little flax seed, it would seem, is a powerhouse of nutrients.
In fact, Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Wherever flax seed becomes a regular food item among the people, there will be better health”.
Enough said – I returned to Australia determined to max the flax in my own diet. Read on for some interesting flax seed recipes. Note two facts however: one, flax seeds need to be ground to make their nutrients available (even though the lead recipe presented in this column uses them whole), and two, keep them stored in your freezer (the fat in them, highly unsaturated, can go rancid fairly rapidly).
Mum’s Quickfix Alsi Ki Panjiri
1 cup flax seeds
1 cup wholemeal wheat flour
2-3 tbsp ghee or canola oil
½ cup light brown sugar.
Dry roast flax seeds, cool and then grind in a dry grinder. Mix with wheat flour.
Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan and add the flours in. Roast until aromatic. Take off heat and add the sugar; mix well.
Store in an air-tight container and eat a small bowlful every day.
You can add in nuts and raisins to make it fancy.
Alsi Ki Pinni
Mum’s panjiri is actually the basis for pinni, that northern-Indian laddoo that is eaten during winter to ward off the cold. Pinnis are made from a variety of ingredients, but are filled with ghee and nuts. This particular version is however, less fatty, and perfect for this time of the year.
1 cup flax seeds
1 cup wholemeal wheat flour
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 cups puffed millet
1 cup raw almonds (with skin), chopped
1 cup sunflower seeds
½ cup flax seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon powder
½ cup canola oil
½ cup light brown sugar
1 cup dried apricots (chopped)
1 cup chopped pitted dates
Mix together in a large bowl oats, millet, almonds, sunflower seeds,
flax seeds, salt and cinnamon. Add oil and sugar and mix well. Use your hands if you have to, but make sure sugar is evenly mixed. Line with foil 2 large baking trays and lightly oil. Divide the mixture evenly between the two trays and bake in a moderate oven, 180 degrees, for about 20 minutes. Cool, and then mix in the dried fruits. (You could use any other dried fruit of choice such as raisins).
Store in an air-tight container.
1 cup canola oil
¾ cup jaggery, roughly powdered (or use
1 cup gm almonds, pistachios and cashewnuts, coarsely powdered
Dry roast seeds and then coarsely grind in a dry grinder. Dry roast the wheat flour until brown and aromatic. Keep aside.
Now heat ghee in a large wok/karhai, and add the jaggery or brown sugar. Let the mixture bubble, then add the flours. Keep heat low and mix well. Then introduce the nuts and raisins. Mix well and remove from
Allow mixture to cool enough to handle, and then shape into little balls.
Store in an air-tight container.
Apple Muffins
1 1/4 cup flax seed meal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp nutmeg powder
¾ cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1 apple, chopped finely
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients together first, then add the others. Set aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, grease a 12-muffin tin. Pour batter in and bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
Flax Seed Bread
2 cups flax seed meal
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
5 beaten eggs
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup oil
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line a large oven tray with baking paper and grease. Combine flax seed meal, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. The add eggs, water and oil and mix well.
Set aside for five minutes. Then pour onto tray and even out with spatula. Bake for about 20 minutes, until it springs back when touched.
Cool and then slice up.
A little seed of goodness can provide a whole lot of essential nutrients.
affluence one is able to gain, as well as the prestige in one’s occupation or profession.
BY SAROJA SRINIVASAN
I was intrigued by the phrase ‘deferred happiness’ when I came across it a few years ago. At a time when immediate gratification and the achievement of ‘instant nirvana’ are the main motivating factors for most individuals, who would be deferring their ‘happiness’? After all, the one emotion every one is chasing is ‘happiness’.
Dr. Clive Hamilton, director of the Australia Institute which produced the report that coined the term ‘deferred happiness syndrome’ defines it as “ ..the widespread propensity for people to persist stoically in unhappy and stressful occupations while convincing themselves that they will be in a position to live happily at some time later”. These are the people who may be neglecting their families and to an extent their societal responsibilities while increasing their bank balances. The debts they incur are not in terms of money but reflected in their relationships or lack of relationships altogether. They have high earnings and with that come the material
The kudos that comes from peers and admiration that accompanies it, becomes a sort of blinker that stops one from seeing the true value of such transient things.
Once these blinkers are on they are hard to remove, for the ‘reality’ that presents itself when the blinkers are off is far too threatening. So the blinkers are left on and happiness is deferred to a later date.
So what goads us on to continuing endlessly in less satisfying pursuits? Is it the promise of Utopia, the kingdom of heaven?
What is so powerful that we are willing to suffer enormous frustrations so that we may gain an elusive state of happiness in an uncertain future? Are the visible material gains and comforts enough to make us postpone enjoying the invisible, intangible feeling of happiness which in reality is our true nature? This true nature of bliss or total happiness has been veiled by layers of misconceptions about it. Society no doubt
has a part to play, but alas the individual seems to have lost his/her capacity to critically evaluate what is being presented. In an effort to move away from negativity, there is now an endless chase after ‘happiness’ as the ultimate goal. This is based on several assumptions: firstly, that it is a tangible ‘thing’, that there is a definite lack of it at present and that it is ‘out there’ and that we need to make a ‘great amount of effort to reach it’. On the surface it appeals to many people to follow this line of argument. However, there are
some fundamental flaws in this argument that need to be addressed. Happiness is an emotion as ethereal as love or sorrow. It is no more tangible by answering a set of questions than it is to describe one’s love for a loved one on a questionnaire. Secondly, that it is somehow always present only in the future begs the question as to how one long one needs to chase after it. Movable goal posts and attaining these as the end to the journey rests on precarious shifting grounds. Thirdly, efforts to reach goals set to achieve happiness become endless, thus keeping it beyond reach. No wonder despondency and desperation set in. The search for happiness now disintegrates into depression and hopelessness.
These are the people who may be neglecting their families and to an extent their societal responsibilities while increasing their bank balances
No, this deferred happiness is not for me. Happiness as our true nature can be experienced as long as we do not make its source external. The cultivation of contentment, a true evaluation of one’s goals and assessment of their relevance to remain happy has to be undertaken periodically to enable us to maintain a sustained state of equanimity which eventually leads us to true happiness. We need no longer defer happiness – it is there for us to enjoy every moment of every day.
which it shares a common ancestor.
BY GRAHAM SIMSAs we all know, Australia has more than its fair share of strange and unique creatures, such as the platypus, kangaroo, echidna, emu, kookaburra, and so on. At an official level, we don’t have a “national” animal, although the kangaroo and emu appear on several coats of arms or crests.
We mourn the passing of the thylacine, the so-called Tasmanian Tiger, (for which we were responsible), and there is currently a very justifiable concern about the doubtful future of the Tasmanian Devil, infected with contagious and potentially fatal facial tumours.
On the world scene, Australia has a pretty lamentable track record for looking after our unique wildlife heritage and one of our most internationally recognised and loved Aussie icons is now facing a very grim future, almost certainly doomed to extinction in the wild.
The animal concerned is the koala, once called “The Native Bear” and most probably the origin of the ubiquitous “Teddy Bear” of song, cuddly toy and storybook fame ... and supposedly sourced to U.S President “Teddy” Roosevelt, who had such a toy bear.
The Australian author, Dorothy Wall, wrote a celebrated children’s book called Blinky Bill, the story of a young orphaned koala. Although first published in 1939, Blinky Bill is still in print, and has even been made into a film. The koala could lay claim to being Australia’s most instantly and internationally identifiable symbol, adored, (at least until they actually meet one) by overseas tourists, and once used by Qantas in a major promotions campaign, despite the kangaroo being the official symbol of our national airline.
Despite their fluffy ears, boot-button nose and eyes, their cute, furry appearance and supposedly harmless, cuddly nature, the koala, in reality, is not a mega-star in personality, intelligence or sex appeal. Even Prince Charles referred to them, after one or two encounters of the close kind, as “piddling, stinking little beasts”.
The koala desperately needs a new press agent, before it’s too late!
So, where does the koala stand in Aussie culture and environmental science, and what is its likely future? Firstly, there were countless thousands, probably millions, of koalas up and down the entire east coast and in Western Australia, before the arrival of the first Europeans.
They were known to, and used by the Aborigines for their fur and probably as a food source. The dingo, bush-fires and severe drought took their due toll of the animals, but they still thrived.
As was the case with several Australian creatures, early Europeans tried to correlate the koala with a known, familiar animal. Hence it became the Native Bear or Koala Bear. (“Koala” supposedly means “no drink water”). Even throughout my childhood it was still referred to as a Koala bear, although as a marsupial, it is not related to bears. Its closest living relative is the wombat, with
Although the koala is arboreal and has paws suited to climbing, it can run (or bound) quite well on the ground. Indeed its anatomy is closer to that of a grounddwelling animal. Its pouch, for example, slopes backward (or downward), like a wombat’s, and is potentially quite dangerous for a young joey. The wombat’s brain, however, is much larger and more complex.
Early settlers made use of the koala’s fur for hats and rugs, and intriguingly, there is no evidence of it being a clan totem for any Aboriginal group, in contrast to other animals such as the kangaroo, crocodile etc, which were tribal totems.
In the wild, koalas are almost the ultimate loners. Even the 9-12 month bond between mother and cub is broken the minute a new joey reaches the pouch.
The largest (13 kilo), dominant or alpha males are brutal towards all rivals and towards all sexually available females, including their own daughters. In a further mismatch, males are sexually active all year, whereas females (10 kilos or less) ovulate for only a few hours each 35 days. Many males try to mate with available females, but usually only the alpha male succeeds. Even then, the procedure hardly looks and sounds like courtship. Years ago I heard the roars, grunts and screams of “courting koalas”. I was reminded of a bushman’s description of it sounding like “a mad pig trying to sound like a demented donkey”.
After only 35 days, one tiny “joey”, the size of a peanut and weighing only half a gram, is born in the normal mammalian way and, blind and hairless, makes the hazardous journey up into its mother’s pouch, hopefully attaching itself to one of only two nipples. There it remains for 13 weeks (twins are extremely rare). Until comparatively recently, it was thought that marsupial babies (koalas, kangaroos, possums etc.) were actually born in their mother’s pouch, The late Dr Harry Frith of the CSIRO proved that the birth process is the same as for all mammals.
The koala also has a strange, internal, tubular organ, some 2 metres long, thought to be the equivalent of our human appendix. It is now known that this organ, called the caecum, is a means of slowly processing and neutralising the toxins in the eucalyptus leaves which form the koala’s diet. And here is another of the koala’s oddities. It was long thought that the koala lived and thrived on eucalyptus leaves alone, and only those from a specific type of gumtree. It is now known that it will eat the leaves of over 30 types of eucalypts, but all of them, to varying degrees, are toxic.
Furthermore, the toxins are strongest in the newest, freshest, greenest leaves, which are precisely the ones koalas seem to prefer. Hence the 2-metre long caecum has to slow down the koala’s metabolism, so that the minimal, manageable amounts of toxins actually get into the koala’s system.
Despite their fluffy ears, boot-button nose and eyes, their cute, furry appearance and supposedly harmless, cuddly nature, the koala, in reality, is not a megastar in personality, intelligence or sex appeal
Western Sydney’s Doonside, very helpfully explained that although koalas seem to thrive in captivity, (just as well, given their grim future in the wild), they’ve never been able to wean them off their toxic dietary preference. Although they will occasionally nibble on a piece of fruit, they soon return to their beloved gum-leaves. Even specially prepared food pellets are rejected. Despite this, they can live twice as long in captivity as in the wild, where 10 years is their life expectancy. Evan mentioned with pride that Featherdale has “an old girl, 19 already ... and still going strong!”
One doesn’t need to be Einstein to realise that, in the wild, a slow moving, slow eating, slow breeding, eucalypt dependent tree dweller such as the koala requires extensive forests of gum-trees, or at the very least, appropriate corridors of them, through which it can range, feed and breed in safety. It no longer has them!
The koala’s habit of spending up to 19 out of 24 hours sleeping or resting, is not, therefore, “laziness”, but a necessary means of processing and safely digesting its potentially dangerous diet. If it tried to be constantly active, it would die. It’s now also been discovered that as soon as the baby koala attaches itself to a nipple, the mother koala exudes a “pap” from her caecum to help her joey cope with her potentially toxic milk.
In the wild, koalas have also been observed eating leaves from the acacia (wattle), boxtree, native cherry, tea-tree, native kapok and swamp paperbark, even pine-needles. All of these contain toxins.
I was intrigued to know whether, in captivity, koalas could be persuaded to eat fruits or non-toxic plants etc. Evan Harris, a senior keeper at Featherdale Wildlife Park, in
The extensive and rapacious deforestation up and down the entire east coast of Australia and our forests’ replacement by modern development foreshadow the extinction of the koala in the wild. Tokenistic bits of parkland and scattered trees are not enough to save it.
And as if this weren’t enough, the defenceless koala has been hit for six by another scourge. Increasing numbers of wild koalas, (and even some in captivity), are infected by an insidious, sexually transmitted disease called Chlamydia. Its external symptoms include “wet rump”, but, even more seriously, it affects the reproductive organs, especially in females, leading to sterility and death. There now seem to be very few populations of wild koalas not affected.
Zoo-kept koalas can, of course, be monitored and treated, but Featherdale’s Evan Harris indicated that there are now several forms of Chlamydia-related diseases and retro-viruses making the koala’s future, without our help, even grimmer.
With sadly typical hypocrisy, koalas have been “protected” in Australia for 100 years (in Victoria since 1898, NSW since 1909 and Queensland since 1927).
A few pitifully underfunded researchers strive to find the cause of, and cure for, the koala’s life-threatening diseases; dedicated lobby groups, zoos and carers do their very best for those that come under their care ... but as John Williamson’s song, Goodbye, Blinky Bill so poignantly says, it’s not enough.
Sure, in reality, the koala is not the sweetsmelling, cute and cuddly, loveable “Teddy Bear” we mythologised it to be. It is, however, a unique Aussie icon, struggling to survive in an increasingly hostile environment which we have changed for our own, selfish benefit.
It deserves a better fate than its likely one.
Years ago I heard the roars, grunts and screams of “courting koalas”. I was reminded of a bushman’s description of it sounding like “a mad pig trying to sound like a demented donkey”
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Dear Auntyji
My husband and I are having some problems which I’m sure we will sort out. My problem is that my 11-yearold son is now having behavioural problems at school - where he faces disciplinary action for hitting other kids. How do I deal with this? Why is my son becoming so angry? What can I do Auntyji, please help me.
Auntyji says
Aaah...whenever there’s a family in trouble, it’s usually the kids who manifest the issues. I’m sure your son is aware of the tension between you and your husband, he is simply asking for attention. Have you spoken with your son to see what the issues are, or do you simply leave that to his teachers? Talk to your son, spend time with him and find out what’s troubling him. Also, I would get him involved with some sports, as this always helps release all the testosterone floating around in juvenile bodies.
Whatever you do, don’t pretend this is not happening or don’t just send your son to see a doctor. You can deal with the situation effectively. Further, sort out the issues with your husband; they are probably serious if your son is displaying such problems. Remember, kids usually display all the symptoms of an unhappy family, only most of us or parents are too blind or in denial to do anything about it. Don’t fall into that trap.
Dear Auntyji
Hello, Auntyji how are you? You seem to be such a wise lady, I was hoping
that you could help me out with a problem I have. My mother-in-law arrived from Pakistan 6 months ago to live with us. While she has been helpful with the kids, she is now beginning to take over the house. She tells us when to wake up and when to have breakfast and when to go to sleep and where we should go on the weekends and what we should wear.
I am beginning to dislike the old bat. We got along well at first, but now’s she’s just an interfering old cow. She told me that I don’t look after Fardeen because I don’t make him warm milk at night. She also says that because I don’t stay home, I’m a bad mother. Bilkul nak me dam kar diya hai unho ne. Fardeen says she is his mother and he loves her and doesn’t want to get in the middle of anything. However, I am getting fairly unhappy about it. I want to send her back to her daughters in Islamabad, but I don’t want to look like the sulky daughterin-law. Main kya karoon? Please kuch advise
dijiye na AuntyjiAuntyji says Hmmm. Looks like your saas is bored and has no life other than what she has with you guys. Have you tried speaking to her and telling her what’s on your mind. Maybe she’ll respect you for it. At least give her a chance to change. Remember, she bought up Fardeen to whom you are now married
This is the lady who raised him; show her some respect by telling her how you feel instead of simply discounting her and being an old bat yourself. So, you have two options. Rant and rave and nag your Fardeen like a churail until he sends mummyji home, or get mummyji interested in life outside the walls of your home. Get her to visit other Pakistani families and make other friends. Get her to go and stay with other relos or friends, if she has any. Otherwise, pack her bags and send her back. Life is too short to deal with these hassles. This is your family after all. Mummyji’s days as a primary caregiver are over. Fardeen is a big boy, he doesn’t need mummy. By the way, just remember, it’ll be your turn one day to be old and not wanted. How would you like to be treated then?
Dear Auntyji
I fell in love with this girl about 6 months ago. She is sweet and beautiful and kind, but I’m bored with her. There is now another girl I’d really love to go out with, who is also showing an interest in me. I have had 6 girlfriends so far, but once I have them around for 6 months or so, I get bored with them. So, Aunty, what should I now do about Anjali, as she is a family friend and my parents will kill me if they knew I was out of love with Anjali, whom they are hoping I will marry. I mean, I really still like Anjali, but I am tempted by this other girl, who is smart with a body to kill for. Any advice?
Auntyji says
You zaleel, khud garz nadaan naujawan Admi hai ke shaitaan? You seem to have no maan or maryada or izzat. In fact, your karam is only marginally more evil than your dharam, you beast. You should be deeply ashamed with your behaviour. You change girlfriends as if they were CDs which you listen to and then put to the back of the collection never to be heard again. You need to develop your character. This means, you don’t have a girlfriend and then dump her because someone better comes along. But, I have no advise for a haraami like yourself. You know what you’re doing is wrong. You also know what you need to do to make it right. If I were you, I would become a brahmachari for a long long time. Stop wasting my time and my column space, bewakuf. Door ho ja meri nazron se.
Send
ARIES March 21–April 20
Tarot foresees a focus on relationships. On a personal level it is a good time for romance and compatibility. Tarot indicates harmony, romance, peace, concord and prosperity. Gatherings will be happy and congenial. Monetary success is suggested. Purchase of property can be contemplated. Tarot indicates a quiet time spent with friends and family in a favourite place. It is a time when you are successful in feeling at home in a relatively new situation.
April 21–May 21
The focus this month is on development of potential for advancement. You are seen building foundations for future success. Opportunities for a new job or development of a new skill, abound. A creative talent could turn into a profitable project. Friendships are likely to be strong. You are likely to be committed to a situation at the present moment, which will reap you rewards in the future. It’s a good idea to take up a course to widen your scope of employment.
GEMINI May 22–June 23
Your focus this month is on aspirations and ambitions. You are likely to come across a sensitive person who would be able to give sound business advice as she would be intuitive about people. She will be trustworthy and would sincerely work towards general good. Her practicality and good communication skills get her through situations and people. You are likely to be helped by such a person. Tarot signifies security in money and status. You can be successful through practical application of your ideas.
22
Tarot indicates success through self-discipline 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 are likely to come your way, which you need to make the best of, by laying solid foundations that will finally lead to success. You should be prepared to act instantly and leave the option for any changes that may be required.
LEO July 23–August 23
Your focus is likely to be on matters related to family and relationships. You will encounter a friendly and loving person who is not only popular in company, but also clever in business and works with drive and enthusiasm. This person is likely to bring you success in business. You are advised to adopt such qualities yourself. You are likely to achieve success through inner strength. Tarot suggests a good business proposal. Anything to do with property or security is well favoured.
VIRGO August 24–September 22
You are likely to come across a person who is virtuous and honest. Tarot indicates a stable relationship, linked to domestic happiness. In order to develop an inner understanding of matters on the table, you are required to study the depth of things. Tarot advises you to adopt a mature approach in life and take action only after thinking and rationalising. You are likely to achieve success in creative disciplines. Tarot indicates an offer for friendship or a deeper level of commitment in a relationship.
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LIBRA September 23 – October 23
You are likely to focus on your achievements this month, and an overall feeling of happiness will result from it. Tarot indicates success and victory. You are nearing your personal goals and an enterprise is coming to a successful conclusion, making you feel emotionally secure and content due to a job well done. Your inner needs are fulfilled. Relationships hold harmony, as you have learnt to love and care for yourself and so you work towards making relationships happier.
SCORPIO October 24–November 22
Congratulations, Tarot foresees success and fulfilment for you. You are likely to be happy on achieving lasting success. You have the support of people around you – well-wishers surround you from every side. Overseas projects are indicated for you this month. Travel is likely to be fruitful. The project on your mind at this time will ultimately bring you success. Make the most of this time, but remember, you should continue to put in hard work in whatever you do.
SAGITTARIUS November 23–December 21
Tarot advises that it will benefit you to surrender to life with faith in positive changes. A struggle in the present circumstances would only lead to further entanglement and difficulties. Peace will be restored after this challenging period is over. You should use the present opportunities to quietly reflect on the causes of your present state of being. You need to make adjustments to improve your circumstances and use free will to move forward when the time is right.
CAPRICORN December 22–January 19
You realise that you can no longer stay away from issues and are required to face your problem responsibly. There is a conflict in the air that may have brought about the worst side of everyone involved. You need to be careful of someone who can create trouble, and 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 signifies a new beginning for you. You may be required to make a decision and act on it. Hence, it is important for you to keep yourself emotionally balanced for the same. You are likely to act with utmost passion towards your desired goal. In a relationship reading, it seems you have a clear idea of what you want from a relationship requiring mental compatibility. Your purpose is clear, so you are able to focus on what you desire.
February 19–March 20
Winter comes so that there can be a spring. Change is the way of life. Tarot signifies changes that are permanent in nature. The old is likely to give way to the new. It will bring with it new beliefs and understandings. There are times when situations end in life and new beginnings are seen and experienced. Certain beginnings are accepted easily and some may need adjustments. Be open to change and make the best of it.
TBM TRAINING
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Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots swept the 11th edition of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards that concluded with much fanfare in Colombo recently, despite the absence of Bollywood’s megastars like the Bachchan family and Shah Rukh Khan. However, the Roshan family turned up in full force, from Hrithik Roshan’s filmmaker maternal grandfather J. Om Prakash, his dad Rakesh and mum Pinky, and even the hunky star’s wife Suzanne and sister Sunaina.
The glitzy and glamourous awards ceremony also had Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Bipasha Basu flying the Bollywood flag with comperes Lara Dutta, Boman Irani and Riteish Deshmukh once again enthralling the audience with their excellent chemistry on the extravagant sets. Naturally, there were high points like Hrithik Roshan’s mindblowing livewire performance when he not only danced, but wowed the audience by singing as well.
And of course, forgettable moments like Bipasha Basu’s performance.
The three-day event saw a fashion extravaganza, a live musical event and even a charity cricket match where, needless to say, the Sangakkara XI knocked out the two Bollywood teams led by Suneil Shetty and Hrithik Roshan.
But it was the grand finale that stole the show with its extravagance and glamour, a true setting for Bollywood’s best to be publicly acknowledged for their talent.
3 Idiots created history by becoming one of the most successful films in Hindi cinema, carrying away 11 trophies, including Best Film, Best Director (Rajkumar Hirani) and Best Actress (Kareena Kapoor).
Kareena shared the award with Vidya Balan for her role as a single mother in Paa
Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan was deeply moved when a group of people, including a little boy, lined up along a road in Gujarat with bouquets in the wee hours of the morning to catch a glimpse of him. He was in Gujarat to shoot for a tourismpromotion campaign, but couldn’t stop to acknowledge his fans because of the entire contingent of cars moving with him at the time. But the superstar set up a meeting with the same group the next day as he drove to Diu to catch a flight back to Mumbai.
“It was the look on the face of the little boy holding the bouquet of flowers at 5 in the morning that moved me. This is the group of fans from a nearby resort Amidhara that had put up the banner outside their facility on the drive from where I was to pass,” Bachchan wrote on his blog.
“I felt that our driving away was so inconsiderate to the boy, who must have had
so much expectancy as he stood their waiting for me to acknowledge him,” he said. The Big B stopped at their resort, apologised for his behaviour to them, took some pictures and autographs and then drove away, satisfied that he was able to assuage his guilt at ignoring the party.
“All is well that ends well and I am happy that it did,” he said in his blog. Which goes to prove that Amitabh Bachchan’s heart is certainly as big as his mega star status.
Katrina Kaif has proved that she is more than just a glam doll, as the actress earned rave reviews for her role of a politician in Prakash Jha’s Raajneeti. Katrina, who is seen in a de-glam role in the film, has won praise for her acting prowess, said reviews of the film.
Sanjay Dutt, Bollywood’s affable Munnabhai, walked away with the Best Comic Actor for All The Best, while Boman Irani received the Best Actor in a Negative Role award for his brilliant portrayal of an eccentric professor in 3 Idiots Other award winners were: Sharman Joshi, Best Supporting Actor, 3 Idiots Divya Dutta, Best Supporting Actress,
Talking about her performance in the film, acclaimed critic Taran Adarsh said, “Katrina Kaif is first-rate. The sincerity and earnestness shows in every sequence. She sheds her glam doll image and transforms into an actor with this film.”
“Katrina has often been synonymous with
Pritam Chakraborty, Best Music Director Award, Love Aaj Kal
Swanand Kirkire, Best Lyrics Award, 3 Idiots
In the special award category, well-known Hindi filmmaker J. Om Prakash who made films like Aap Ki Kasam (1974), Aasha (1980) Aas Paas (1981), was honoured for his outstanding contribution to cinema. The award was presented to him by proud grandson Hrithik Roshan.
Versatile actor Anil Kapoor was honoured for outstanding achievement by an Indian in international cinema, mainly for his powerful Slumdog Millionaire. And yesteryears’ glamour girl Zeenat Aman was honoured for her outstanding achievement in Indian cinema.
While Bollywood macho man Salman Khan was given the Habitat for Humanity award, his not-so-good friend Vivek Oberoi, was honoured with the Panasonic Global Green award.
The first look of movies like Dabaang, Lamhaa and Knockout were also showcased at the event, as was a sneak peek into the multi-million project Kingdom of Dreams - a mega entertainment destination slated to open in Gurgaon in Mumbai, ahead of the Commonwealth Games in October.
It was an event with song, dance and all the trappings that make for glamour and excitement. There were impromptu performances galore, like Salman Khan, Govinda and Anil Kapoor singing on stage and getting the audience to join in as well. Despite unsavoury controversies surrounding the Awards and their venue in particular, the event showcased Bollywood in all its glory. Kudos to the IIFA for pulling it off!
candy floss roles but with Raajneeti she is out to prove that she is here for the acting. In the film she plays a character whose life changes dramatically and she handles it well. Additionally, her beauty doesn’t overshadow her performance,” said a trade analyst.
The 25-year-old beauty, who has delivered
Reluctant
(Find the answer under Caption Contest)
ABHILASHA SENGUPTA brings us up-to-date on what’s hot and happening in Bollywood
actress who always wanted to be better known for her singingHrithik Roshan Mahesh Bhupathy and Lara Dutta Bipasha Basu Jacqueline Fernandes
a string of hits playing the urban young woman in films like Namaste London, Singh is Kinng and Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani has silenced her critics with her performance in the new film.
“Katrina’s popularity is soaring by the day. Often topping polls of beauty and sex appeal her contemporaries have much to worry about since she just proved her acting prowess,” the analyst added.
Shot in Bhopal, Raajneeti is the story of a fiercely fought election campaign where money power and corruption are the accepted norms and where treachery and manipulation are routinely used weapons. And it isn’t just Katrina who’s walking away with accolades. Co-star Arjun Rampal has also been swarmed with compliments for his role of a conniving politician in the film. Many from Bollywood, including Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Rishi Kapoor, Shekhar Kapoor, Riteish Deshmukh, have congratulated him for getting rave reviews.
The actor, who recently received a National Award for his supporting role in Rock On!, is on cloud nine, and says he is “humbled and touched”.
So that’s two more from the glamour gang who have proved that they can actually act. Well done, Rajneeti!
Bollywood item girl Sherlyn Chopra has cited reasons for not accepting the offer from Playboy magazine and said that she is not at all comfortable with frontal nudity.
“Bob, the magazine’s chief photographer, saw my pictures on the net and approached me but I had to refuse it because the shoot involved frontal nudity and I am not comfortable with it,” said Sherlyn in an interview. Recently, Sherlyn had posted a nude picture of hers on Twitter. According to her, it was to get feedback from her fans. “I wanted to get feedback from my fans. Most of them posted that I shouldn’t be doing something like this as it is against our culture,” said Sherlyn. Well, I guess Twitter’s as good as Playboy, so keep those pictures coming, Sheryln!
Irrfan Khan, who is not only a popular actor but also one of the biggest Bollywood actors in Hollywood, says that he is as comfortable in Hollywood as in Bollywood.
“As actors, we all need change, we can’t deal with similar stories and do the same things. Also, the way of telling a story should be different so that it enhances your acting capabilities,” Khan said in an interview.
“I am comfortable with both sides of the entertainment industry - Hollywood and Bollywood. All I want to do is things from different parts of the world,” he added.
Irrfan will soon be seen in Knockout, directed by Mani Shankar and also starring Sanjay Dutt and Kangana Ranaut. Knockout is supposed to be based on the 2003 Hollywood flick Phone Booth but the actor denies it saying that the movie is very contemporary and is based on reality which is very relevant in today’s world. “It is going to be an explosive movie that will touch some reality issues,” said Khan.
The 48-year-old actor has worked in movies like Haasil, Rog, New York and Maqbool among many others. He became a prominent Indian face in the international film circuit as well after he featured in movies like A Mighty Heart and Slumdog Millionaire He is also working in Jennifer Chambers Lynch’s Hisss
The actor at present is shooting for the American television show In Treatment but says that working in Bollywood movies is a different experience altogether.
film,” said the actress who has teamed up with Rajat Kapoor and Amole Gupte in the movie. So will Neha have us in splits again? Let’s wait and see.
Veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha’s son Luv Sinha, who made his screen debut with Sadiyaan that also starred Rekha and Hema Malini, feels that it was a mistake to start his career with that film.
“I’m going through scripts and trying to find the right projects because it is very important. I don’t want to make the same mistake twice. Based on audience perception to your work, you have to figure out what they want from you and do that. That’s what I’m trying to do,” said Luv in an interview.
“Now I would prefer doing something more contemporary, something more modern. Even if it’s a romantic comedy or an action thriller. I feel I can do those things pretty well, but to do that you need the right director who will actually tap you,” he said, revealing his wish list.
“An actor is only as good as the director he works with. I say this without any problems and I completely believe in this,” he added. When asked if his father, who has been in the industry for so many years, would help him get the right project, the actor said, “I don’t know how much having a celebrity father helps. You can meet the right people through your connections but it won’t help you get a project.”
you don’t need to be logical all the time. Real life can bore you, so Bollywood will always remain close to my heart,” said Khan.
When asked whether he had any dream role the actor replied, “No, I don’t have any dream role. All I want to do is to do diverse roles as an actor and learn with every movie.”
Unlike other actors who feel making someone laugh is difficult, Neha Dhupia enjoys doing comedies and says she has never doubted her capabilities as an actor.
“I don’t think comedy is difficult. It all depends upon how the director guides you. It becomes easy when you are working with good directors. Moreover, I don’t doubt my capabilities as an actor,” said Neha, who showed her comic streak in films like Singh Is Kinng and De Dhana Dhan
“Comedy is a genre that offers complete entertainment, so I never hesitate to take it up. When you are working with directors like Anees Bazmee (Singh Is Kinng) and Priyadarshan (De Dhana Dhan), you are bound to perform well.”
Neha, who won the coveted Miss India title in 2002, made her Bollywood debut in 2003 with Qayamat: City Under Threat and was later seen in films like Julie, Garam Masala, Delhi Heights, Mithya and others.
On Bollywood Neha says, “Acting is in itself a liberating profession. The fact that I can do so many different things and entertain people, keeps me hooked on to it. You can make so much difference to yourself and the people watching you - this is the best part of this profession. Bollywood is a fantastic place to work in.
It is changing every day. I don’t think I would like to be anywhere else except for Bollywood.”
Last seen in Raat Gayi Baat Gayi, Neha has a string of releases lined up this year, which includes romantic comedy Action Replayy that has Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar in the lead roles, Pappu Can’t Dance Saala and With Love to Obama, in which she has donned a completely different avatar. “I play a village thug in With Love to Obama. For someone like me who likes to wear western clothes, playing a village girl was challenging. I am really looking forward to the release of this
Send in your responses to info@indianlink.com.au and win
But does his father advise him while going through scripts?
“He always gives me his advice and inputs. My mother has also been an actor, but I pretty much go by what my father says. He’s been here for so long, so his experience really counts for me,” Luv said.
Poor Luv, not so lucky first time around, but hey, he’s here to stay!
Viveik Oberoi and Celina Jaitley are working as anchors at an award show.
Viveik: “Hey Celina can you handle this show alone - I have to rush off now”.
Celina “But why????”
Vivek: “I just saw Sallu walk in”.
Sunny, Eastwood NSW
Viveik: “Arre Celina, tu to moti ho gayi hai…”
Celina: “Kya baat kar rahe ho?! Abhi to liposuction karvaya hai!”
Jaya Punjabi, Lidcombe, NSW
What’s the chitchat between Celina Jaitley and Viveik Oberoi?
Celina: “Stay away from me Viveik, I know you have a thing for beauty queens –Aishwarya Rai, Jacqueline Fernandez…”
Viveik: “You know me so well already – I’m sure we have a great future together!”
Nisha Pathak, Dandenong VIC
Nisha wins one free ticket to new Hindi film Raajneeti
Viveik to Celina: “Before we take this relationship any further, please confirm… do you have anything to do with Salman Khan?”
Neha Talwar, Parramatta NSW
Viveik: “I’m fed up of handing out Best Actor trophies… How long do I have to wait win one myself?”
Celina: “I know exactly how you feel, Viveik”.
Sonia, St. Leonards NS
Film: Kites
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Barbara Mori, Kangana Ranaut, Kabir Bedi, Nick Brown
Director: Anurag Basu
Music: Rajesh Roshan
Producer : Rakesh Roshan
There are one too many strings attached to this film, so that it never really soars to the heights it should - becoming, in the end, a predictable tale of star-crossed lovers. Set in the glittering lights of Las Vegas and the brooding deserts of Mexico, it’s Matchpoint, Bonny and Clyde and much else rolled into one, failing to take off on its own.
The problem with Kites is that it is never truly its own film. The first half constantly takes you back to Woody Allen’s compelling Matchpoint with the doomed quartet of Jai (Hrithik), his girlfriend Gina (Kangana Ranaut), her brother Tony (Nick Brown) and his fiancée Natasha (Barbara).
Life is set to roll for the rakish, down and out Jai with Gina, the fabulously rich, hopelessly-in-love daughter of a Vegas casino owner, until he meets Natasha, the exotic Mexican immigrant also looking out for the good life. The attraction is inevitable - and fatal.
The pull is irresistible. Designer watches, flashy cars and jewels beckon but Jai and Natasha are caught in a relationship that transcends language. She knows no English and he knows no Spanish.
So far so good, before the script decides to meander into a Bonny and Clyde caper with the couple on the run from the powerful Tony, robbing a bank. Completely unnecessary and giving no time for the intensity of the romance to develop.
The narrative moves back and forth in time, beginning with a bloodied Jai tumbling out of a train wagon and
Film: Raajneeti
Cast: Nana Patekar, Naseeruddin Shah, Manoj Bajpai, Ajay Devgn, Arjun Rampal, Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif
Director: Prakash Jha
In Prakash Jha’s sweeping, damning and definitive look at Indian politics and its power-hungry players, Sarah Thompson is Ranbir Kapoor’s Irish-American girlfriend who suddenly finds herself thrown into the vortex of murky Indian politics.
Jha, known earlier for his deft Devgnhelmed Bihar-centric political thrillers Apaharan and Gangaajal, this time explores the Mahabharata for a look at the way politics in our country governs almost every aspect of existence.
Thompson’s shocked realization of the immoralities of Indian politics cuts across the audiences’ perception of the world bathed in blood and corruption.
Raajneeti has more characters lunging for the ballot box than the popcorn-nibbling
stumbling across the desertscape to look for his ladylove. So you get a sense of what is in store. The predictability of the script is not really a problem - the opening line of the film lays the tenor, with Jai in a voiceover telling you that two kites flying together can never soar very high or very long because one has to get cut.
This is a chronicle of a tragedy foretold, much in the way of other epic romances.
It could have worked. The much talked about chemistry between the lead couple is in evidence, but not enough. Director Anurag Basu is at his best in the intimate scenes. Like when Jai looks out of his window to see Natasha being roughed up by Tony and goes to comfort her. There are no words but the shadow play on the wall of their fingers intertwining is romance as it should be.
The soul of true love is there somewhere, but it gets lost in the two-hour film that also brings in murder, torture and gunmen galore. Basu seems lost in the larger macro frame of the film.
The two main characters are not fleshed out enough, and the others around them are like caricatures. How many Bobs (Kabir Bedi as the powerful, ruthless casino owner who does not balk at shooting down cheaters) have we seen, or Tonys, the archetypal jealous boyfriend with an army of goons behind him?
A script doctor was badly needed to stitch up the loose ends - too many loosely scripted scenes and gaps that really should have been filled for a lucid narrative.
But the superb cinematography that has the look of a truly international film, and Rajesh Roshan’s lilting music (Zindagi, zindagi) score as winners.
Barbara Mori also strikes a chord, and she’s a real good looker. But the best for the last - Hrithik Roshan looks better than he has in any other film, and with him dominating virtually every frame, this one is a treat for his fans. Go swoon, if you must.
Minu Jainaudience can keep track of. A taut, clenched drama of devastating nemesis, Raajneeti moves across its epic-inspired canvas with a vigour and velocity that sweep audiences off their feet.
The way Jha captures the parched, dusty, bustling energy of political rallies is impressive. This is no amateurish attempt to yoke the Mahabharata with Indian politics. The truth-defining moments in Raajneeti are truly shattering. The lies that co-writers Anjum Rajabali and Jha’s characters live have ricocheting ramifications.
Jha delves deep into the characters’ conscience to emerge with penetrating insight into the corroded heart of the Indian body-politic.
But his storytelling never touches those nerve-ends in his narration where his characters would have actually expressed what they feel. A sequence like the one where the mother-figure (Nikhila Tirkha) meets her illegitimate son (Ajay Devgn) for the first time is more interesting for its dramatic possibilities than their actual realisation.
The criss-cross of relationships is an intricate tapestry of trust, betrayal, murder and atonement. But no character is allowed ample space to express his or her innermost desires and ambitions.
Katrina’s character, for example, is so underdeveloped that we never know what
she really wants to get out of her space in life. The brutality with which she is shoved by the male characters - from rebuffed love to a marriage of political convenience to a widowed political career - is a plot of immense dramatic potential, alas sketchily realized.
We see Jha’s gallery of dynastic politicians in all their ruthless glory. But we never get close enough to them to connect with their lust, greed, pain, anger and hunger.
The squalor and ugliness of Indian politics is put on screen with cutting immediacy. There are interesting side characters, like the ambitious female politician from Sitapur (Shruti Seth) who uses sex for barter, and women newscasters, rallyists and petty politicians played by actors who seem to know the world they are meant to occupy from the fringes.
The trouble with the over-laden plot is
that all the major characters clamour to be individualistic. They are unique in their portrayal of political clichés.
What really elevates Raajneeti to the level of a powerful political parable of our times are the performances. Nana Patekar, Manoj Bajpai, Arjun Rampal and Ajay Devgn get a firm grip over their characters and carry their tumultuous karma to a logical culmination.
Katrina comes into her own in the last 15 minutes. She looks vulnerable and resplendent as a girl forced to put power over her heart. As for Ranbir, he is actually the backbone of Raajneeti. He brings a reined-in, steel-edged ruthlessness to his character. For sure there is no other actor from his generation who could have played this character.
The pair’s goodbye sequence at the end is so deftly handled, you wish there were more moments between the two. Raajneeti is not just a film that opens up the tattered edges of Indian politics. It dares to walk right into the muck with restraint, vigour and some sensitivity.
The film has some outstanding cinematography by Sachin Kumar Krishnan. The camera seems to be looking into places in the characters’ psyche that perhaps even the screenplay isn’t aware of.
Subhash K. JhaLate at night, sleepless and with a lack of anything better to do, I set about teasing Google for silly searches. First it was the Montauk monster, which led to the Chupacabra monster - a mythical blood sucking beast, and typical of a sleepdeprived mind, I began to wonder what such a beast might relish as an accompaniment to its beverage. Something sweet….ahh! Donuts, that’s it! Unthinkingly, I typed in a search for donuts and was surprised to find that June 4 is celebrated as Donut Day. And from there I made the most amazing discovery, one which dashed any hopes of sleep for the next couple of hours. I found out that almost every day in the month of June dedicated to celebrating something.
June 1
Stand For Children Day
On this day, the Stand for Children aims to use the power of grassroots action to help all kids get a good public education and the support they need to thrive.
Oscar the Grouch’s Birthday
The well-loved Sesame Street character was born on this day. World Milk Day is being celebrated on June 1 in 35 countries including Australia. It is a United Nations initiative to raise awareness of dairy products.
June 2
Radio was patented on this day in 1896.
June 3
The First US Space walk by Ed White in 1965 took place on this day and is still celebrated.
June 4
Aesop’s Birthday
We are all familiar with the timeless classic Aesop’s Fables about the hare and the tortoise, the lion and the mouse, the fox and the cat and the goose who laid golden eggs. Yet nobody knows much about the author apart from the fact that he was born a slave in Greece on June 4, 620 BC. Diehard fans celebrate his birthday every year.
Donut Day
Celebrated with the baking of donuts and some donut offering free samples on the first Friday in June.
June 5
World Environment Day
Each year on this day the UN seeks to focus world attention on the environment and on the efforts put forward for protecting or restoring the globe’s natural heritage.
June 6
D-Day
This day is also remembered as the best known D-Day dating back to 1944 Normandy landing, initiating the
June 14
Queen’s Birthday
Celebrated on the second Monday of June in Australia, this is a true cause for jubilation with a long weekend to look forward to
Western Allied efforts to liberate mainland Europe from Nazi occupation during WW2.
June 7
Amazing Mumford’s Birthday
Mumford the magician from Sesame Street was created on this day to keep kids in stitches with his chant of “a la peanut butter sandwiches” and magic gone all wrong.
June 8
World Ocean Day
World Ocean Day is officially celebrated on this day because of a UN General Assembly resolution passed in 2008. Events are organised in coordination with zoos, aquariums, museums, schools etc., to raise awareness of the world’s oceans and highlight our connection to the sea.
June 9
Donald Duck’s Birthday
June 10
Iced Tea Day
To mark the official start of summer in many countries, gatherings offer iced tea to celebrate this day.
June 12
Magic Day
Magic Day is just another day to thank your loved ones for the magic in your life brought about by their love, or to organize magic shows and learn more about magic.
Fly a Kite Day
Celebrated in commemoration of Ben Franklin’s kite experiment of June 15, 1752 this can be a fun day to hunt out the kites and head for the park.
Global Wind Day
This day is celebrated all over the world to emphasize the benefits of wind energy, through contests, exhibitions, workshops and conferences.
This is an annual commemoration in Dublin and elsewhere to celebrate the life of Irish writer James Joyce and relive the events in his novel Ulysses. The day is marked by readings of the classic novel, its dramatizations and having fun in
World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
Events and activities around the world to protest against desertification, land degradation and drought are conducted to celebrate this day.
International Picnic Day
Grab a picnic rug, some snacks, round up a handful of friends and head to your favorite picnic spot to celebrate this year’s International Picnic Day.
World Juggling Day
The International Jugglers’ Association strives to spread fun of through the art of juggling and to bring the jugglers together all over the world.
Ice Cream Soda Day
Ferris Wheel Birthday
United Nations Public Service Day
The United Nation’s Public Service Day is held on this day every year, aiming to celebrate the value and virtue of service to the community.
June 25
Take Your Dog To Work Day
Celebrated with dog talent shows, photo contests and of course, tagging your dog along to work.
June 6
Yo –Yo Day Whip out your yo-yos and impress everyone with ‘walk the dog’, ‘sleeper’ or ‘forward pass’ skills.
June 9
Donald Duck’s Birthday
June 13
Weed Your Garden Day
Give a little extra thought to your garden today and weed out those life sucking nasties.
June 28
Let It Go Day
Whatever’s bothering you, just let it go today!
June 29
Camera Day
June 30
London Bridge’s Birthday
London Bridge was opened on this day in 1894
Superman’s Birthday
Phew! Wouldn’t that be a busy month for someone who likes to celebrate every day of life?
If you’re looking for a reason to celebrate each day, June is the month for you, says FARZANA SHAKIR
