2010-08 Melbourne

INDIAN LINK

PUBLISHER

Pawan Luthra

EDITOR

Rajni Anand Luthra

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Sheryl Dixit

CONTRIBUTORS

Mamta Sharma, Ritam Mitra, Preeti Jabbal, Darshak Mehta, Shraddha Arjun, Usha Ramanujam Arvind, Chitra Sudarshan, Geeta Khurana, Madhuchanda Das, Thomas King, Noel G deSouza, Guneeta Dhingra, Sunil Gautam, Rani Jhala, Raka Gujral, Malli Iyer, Tanveer Ahmed

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Vivek Trivedi

02 9262 1766

ADVERTISING ASSISTANT

Priti Sharma

02 9279 2004

GRAPHIC DESIGN AND LAYOUT

Darren Monaghan

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

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The politics of shame

As the election countdown reaches its midway point, it is interesting to note how the two campaigns are unravelling. Much to everyone’s surprise, while to date the Liberals have been largely rallying, the Labor Party under Julia Gillard seems to have trouble keeping its campaign on track. In the week that the United States was trying to hose down problems caused to its Afghanistan war efforts by the document published by Wikileaks, the Labor Party was in full damage control as disparaging comments about the elderly attributed to Julia Gillard were leaked to the media. As Gillard’s fortunes took a tumble, it seemed that the Labor machine was scrambling to keep its message on track.

As Prime Minister, Julia Gillard is an unknown to the Australian people. In her haste to call the elections, she has not given the electorate much time to know her and as she is thrust into the hurly burly of politics, voters are taking time to warm to her. While Labor’s strong points of education and health are flying high in the campaign, their climate and population policies has aligned them more with their opponents, rather than as a party on its beliefs. While Liberal leader Tony Abbott is a known climate sceptic, Gillard’s announcement of a think tank of 150 to discuss the issues of climate change has angered many. This seems to have cost her (and her predecessor) popular support.

The Coalition has always been unrelenting in their attack on migration, and that the Labor party is also issuing similar statements disguising them as “sustainable

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

Australia”, is disappointing. Both parties are targeting asylum seekers and migrants as a problem, rather than starting the debate on infrastructure management. Better transport facilities, housing arrangements etc., must be invested in; cities such as London and New York are prime examples of vibrant multi-cultural communities living together and enriching each other’s lives, rather than the shallow interpretation shown by Australian politicians. Australia is a country made of migrants – whether these are the forced convict migrants from England over 222 years ago or the wave of European migration after the World War II.

This is who we are and for any politicians to imply otherwise and build their campaign on the roots of fear and racial divide is deplorable. Shame on them!

On another matter, the Delhi Commonwealth Games will begin in little over six weeks and reports of unsafe facilities and shoddy workmanship on game venues are surfacing. The Central Bureau of Investigation in India has been called in and details of corruption in awarding contracts for building and false completion certificates are emerging. While these investigations continue, the damage is being done to Brand India. The reputation of India is at stake and after the fantastic

Olympic Games in Beijing and the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, it is meant to be time for India to show its true colours to the world. To date, all reports coming from India are disparaging with headlines in Australia screaming Shame Games.

With Australia being one of the leading contenders at these Games and record monies being paid by the television channels to secure broadcasting rights, the update on the state of the stadiums in eye-grabbing headlines here, are being noticed.

Brand India is in danger of being seen in a very poor light and the non-existent efforts by the Government of India Tourism Office here to promote spectator or tourist traffic to the Games amongst Australians isn’t helping. Indian Australians are their ambassadors and mouth pieces; their engagement in promoting the Commonwealth Games in Delhi has not been harnessed to its full potential.

It’s time for the official representatives of India to speak up for Brand India. But will they take up the challenge?

Amazing Aamir

It’s rare to meet an actor with the versatility, talent and downright charm that simply sweeps you off your feet

BY PREETI JABBAL

He has made a success of etching indelible and distinct characters through his choice of scripts and superlative performances. He is up there in the top echelons of contemporary Indian cinema. He continues to be a remarkable certainty in an otherwise uncertain and unpredictable Indian film industry. No longer enmeshed in the ‘oh-so-cute-lover-boy’ image, he has a fan following bordering on adulation. If we can capsule his career in a sentence, he has put Indian cinema on the international landscape. He is also called ‘Mr. Perfection’ for his attention to detail. Aamir Khan is in the city prior to the screening of his new release Peepli Live, as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival. The actor talks to Indian Link about the movie, his charismatic career and future plans.

What was the creative process of inspiration, implementation and fruition that went into the making of Peepli Live? Has it met with your expectations?

Anusha Rizvi, who has also been a journalist, read the script of this movie to me. It was humorous, thought provoking, touching – it had everything that is required to engage an audience. I liked it, but Anusha was a newcomer and this was her first script. So I asked Anusha to execute five shots which she did, and I was amazed at her talent. We auditioned hundreds of people for roles before selecting our final cast. The filming of Peepli Live was a great experience. It was received very well at its first screening at the Sundance Festival. I am hoping it will be liked by everyone.

You have the knack of creating something new or off-beat that works; it could be a comment, hairstyle, production or movie. So what makes you decide that a script will work?

“I myself am the audience when I come across a script that moves, touches and excites me, and it’s only then that I work with it”

I don’t have any preconceived ideas when I read a script. I feel that my core responsibility as an entertainer is to give people a good time. I look at that responsibility very seriously when I choose a script. It is impossible for me to guess exactly what an audience would want, so I don’t do that. I myself am the audience when I come across a script that moves, touches and excites me, and it’s only then that I work with it. After that I hope people will like it too.

In your blog you have expressed pre-release nervousness about this movie, even asking non resident Indians to promote it. Is your target the overseas market?

No, our target and primary market is Indians, whether they live in India or overseas. Peepli Live is a film that offers a great window into life in rural India. The issues that the film raises are common issues, and hence it will resonate with everyone globally. Countries where rural life and farms are affected by drought or global recession will relate to the story. In that sense, it has the potential to reach out to everyone around the world.

In your opinion do Indian movies deserve a global market?

There is a lot of talent in the Indian film industry and a lot of potential to entertain a wider audience. However all along we have had such a large and healthy audience of traditional Indian film lovers that we have not had

our movie-making process. A lot more time and effort and even money should be spent in developing scripts. This is one of the things that I would like to see change in Indian films.

You have knocked back film awards and even Madame Tussaud’s, so how about Hollywood?

I don’t mind working in a Hollywood/international project and I have been offered many roles, but I haven’t yet come across anything that excites me yet.

Tell us about your philanthropic work, the charities you support and how you give back to the community. There are several public service issues with which I am involved. I have made two films on education. I support Teach For India, a campaign that invites 100 children who have completed higher education to invest 2 years of their time in teaching in municipal school. This gives an opportunity for youngsters to give back to society. I also support Prevention of Suicide and Right to Information. I also feel that anything I want to contribute to society is right there in my films.

media hypes up everything?

I don’t think there is any country in the world that is free of violence and a certain amount of racism. India is no exception. I felt that it was unfortunate that these incidents should occur, and I spoke my mind. Each one of us should speak about issues that concern us.

You shot Dil Chahta Hai in Sydney before the media kerfuffle over attacks on Indians in Australia. Would you shoot here again? It depends on the film. If there is a script that requires us to shoot in Australia, I will.

What’s next on the cards?

After the release of Peepli Live I will be releasing Dhobhi Ghat which is written and directed by my wife Kiran. I have also acted in it. That should be released sometime in January-February 2011. I am also currently working on Delhi Belly with Imran Khan as one of the leads, along with a bunch of new actors. Frankly, I have been so busy with Peepli that I haven’t looked at anything else. Hopefully once this is released, I will look at new scripts and see what excites me.

“One of the things I feel about Indian cinema is that we need to give a lot more value to writers and writing in our movie-making process”

Photo: Preeti Jabbal

Performing for the press

Even the most talented of actors are up against it when facing the press live, but Aamir Khan takes this challenge too, in his stride. PREETI JABBAL reports

Another slick and assured performance was delivered by superstar Aamir Khan as he answered questions at a press conference held in Sofitel recently. The charming actor used all media-savvy strategies to his advantage while speaking on subjects as varied as Twitter, Indian students, social engagement and the upcoming release of his film Peepli Live. Aamir Khan was in Melbourne for the Australian premiere of Peepli Live as a guest of the Melbourne International Film Festival. Peepli Live is due for a worldwide release on August 13.

Aamir Khan had a message for youngsters, especially students, from all parts of the world. “Follow your dreams,” he said. “It is important for all of us to be honest to ourselves. Try not to compromise on your happiness due to pressure from others. You need to know what makes you happy.”

Citing his own example he added, “It is really important for me to do what makes me happy. If I make mistakes in the process, I treat them as a learning experience. Doing things that make me happy has worked for me.”

The star who made cinematic history with the song Papa kehte hain chose to quote his mom instead. “My mom always used to encourage me by saying that no matter what you do in life, you should always think of what the other person is going through and not hurt anybody,” he said.

“I have always wanted to do films that excite me; at the same time I want to do films that are economically viable so nobody loses money in the process,” he claimed. “I try to combine the two. As an entertainer I try to reach my audience and entertain them, and at the same time touch on a social topic. However, not all my films are on social topics, some are plain romantic or simple comedies. I enjoy watching and making films that are not conventional”.

When asked what people will take away from watching Peepli Live Aamir said, “Peepli Live is a movie that will make you laugh, it will touch you and engage you. It is also sad at times, but it is a very sensitizing script. As a society we tend to focus all our resources on cities, in the process we forget our villages. We are not aware of how things work in villages. Peepli Live is essentially a script about the growing divide between urban and rural India. I am hoping that this film will sensitize the issues faced by people living in rural areas”.

Not only does Aamir possess good looks, acting prowess, fame, fortune and a fan following, he is articulate and very willing to comment, especially on his blog. “As a citizen it is important to engage socially and politically, and voice your concerns,” he said. “I am not a social activist but I live in a democracy where we can express our thoughts, and I like to comment on issues that I feel strongly about, as a human being.”

Aamir’s blogs have generated a lot of interest in India, where he is treated almost as royalty by movie lovers.

According to Richard Moore, Executive Director of the Melbourne International Film Festival, the 5 to 6 Indian movies that featured in the 2010 festival were termed ‘Not Quite Bollywood’. Indian films, according to him, have started making a bigger presence in festivals around the world. “A new trend is emerging within Indian cinema and it is now more visible in the world market,” commented Richard.

Mitu Bhowmick Lange from Mind Blowing Films, who was instrumental in getting Aamir to Melbourne, agreed with Richard. Mitu will be distributing Peepli Live in Australia and she has also been hired by the Directorate of Film Festivals in India as their curator of Australian/NZ films for the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). This year Mitu also brought

competition from hits like Avatar, What about the Morgans? etc.” She added, “The fact that Indian films are being appreciated here is a very big factor for directors, actors and film makers in India. They are happy to endorse this appreciation and do business with Australia.”

At the end of the conference Aamir commented that he was not comfortable calling Indian cinema ‘Bollywood’. “Hindi cinema can be called mainstream Indian cinema, not Bollywood!” he said. “It’s not fair to forget that there are films made in various languages. Hindi cinema is just one part of Indian cine scene, so it does not make sense to put all Indian movies under the

concluded.

Later that evening, Aamir’s movie Peepli Live premiered to rave reviews and was attended by a predominantly Indian audience. “For us, Aamir is the best thing that happened to Indian cinema,” said an ardent fan. “Melbourne was lucky to host such a tremendously talented artist.”

Throughout the conference the actor was relaxed, nonchalant, decisive with his comments and completely in control of the media barrage, proving his mettle as a highly accomplished actor. On seeing him perform live, one can understand why he truly deserves the accolade of superstar.

“Hindi cinema is just one part of Indian cine scene, so it does not make sense to put all Indian movies under the title Bollywood”

“I am not a social activist but I live in a democracy where we can express our thoughts, and I like to comment on issues that I feel strongly about as a human being”

Photo: Preeti Jabbal

Aamir Khan with Mitu Bhowmick-Lange and Richard Moore

Ordinary Versus

Australians are waiting for their major political players to make an impact before the Federal Elections, but

BY MAMTA

For India and the Indian-Australian community here, the federal elections on August 21 will be particularly interesting for several reasons. These include the issues of supply of uranium to India, the recent changes to immigration policies, as well safety and security of the thousands of Indian students here.

To sense the political sentiment within the Indian-Australian community, Indian Link conducted an in-house election survey, asking 100 registered voters their choice of party and candidate. They were also asked other questions like which party they think would be better for Indo-Oz relationships and their views on circumstances which led to this election.

The results were interesting. While the community has historically leaned towards Labor, the balance of power seems to have shifted. Perhaps not completely in favour of the Liberals, but the odds are being evened. However it is clear that indecision is in the air, and in this, the Indian community joins the rest of the country in trying to figure out exactly who could be best for the general good of Australia. At the time of going to press on August 2, figures on Newspoll indicate that the Liberals and Labor are split 50-50.

Liberals lead, Labor follows

While a section of Indian Australians (27%) seemed undecided when asked about which political party they currently supported, the majority (39%) supported the Liberals. This is largely in the hope that they will offer better policies and services for the Indian-Australian community and the India-Oz relationship as compared to Labor, which managed to get only 24% of the community’s support.

“Though they have not done well in the past, I currently support the Liberals and believe that this time around they will be better for the Indian Australian community in dealing with issues like immigration policies and student safety,” says Ashok Sharma.

“I support the Liberals as Labor’s policies are not good when it comes to Indian student issues and immigration. When Julia Gillard was the education minister, she took some really bad decisions,” claims Sheela Singh. From the community’s viewpoint, Gillard as education minister totally mishandled the international students’ situation, which affected a large number of Indian students in Australia.

However, many respondents thought that the Liberals lacked a good leader in Tony Abbott. “I will support the Liberals, but they don’t have a proper leader in Tony Abbott,” says Avinash. “Change Tony Abbott, I will vote for the Liberals,” adds another critic.

Another category felt that both parties were no good but when it comes to choosing between two devils, they would rather go with the Liberals than Labor!

With the debate over a sustainable population and immigration levels a central theme of this election, Labor has certainly been no friend to India or Indian-origin voters. Under fire for its

non-friendly policies towards India like students’ safety, the Visa Capping Bill and the sale of uranium fiasco, Labor received just 24 % votes with most supporting Julia Gillard and her promises for the future, instead of cribbing over what she had done in the past.

Looking forward to better policies from Labor in the future, Apoorva says, “I am not thinking of Labor’s past policies. I find their campaigning agenda very promising, and I see a good leader in Julia, rather than Tony Abbott”. Interestingly, the Labor party became the obvious choice for some, thanks to Tony Abbott. “Because Abbott represents the Liberals, Julia becomes my obvious choice, and hence the Labor party. Abbott has been responsible for some really bad decisions in the past, like in the health sector,” says Priyanka.

Going for Green?

Toiling along dutifully on environmentally friendly policies and sticking to issues they’ve long campaigned, the Greens may not have raised a great deal of national attention, but they are still making an increasing impact. 10% of the respondents were overwhelmingly in favour of the Greens.

Predicting the party to be the “future of Australia”, Jayashankar feels that Greens will win a big majority in Victoria, as they have made some good decisions. “Being an environmentally friendly party will certainly help,” he adds.

Anupam Suri has also decided to support the Greens, but simply because he doesn’t find any of the other major political parties worth voting for. “Though I don’t find all their policies practical, at least they can unite with the majority party and move them towards a bit of good work,” he says.

“I would like to vote for the Greens, but they don’t have the maturity yet to lead this nation,” confesses Debbie F. “Their policies should be more broad-based and should focus more on defence and international issues, rather than just on

environmental ones.”

The Greens are gathering their forces, and it is possible that they’ll be a significant factor to both the Liberals and Labor, if the race is set for a close finish.

However, a whopping 47% of the respondents felt dissatisfied with the choice of parties. IndianAustralians in general are disappointed and dissatisfied at the way the leading political parties are reaching out to the community. 33% responded that political involvement in community affairs didn’t affect them and 20% were unsure.

Community issues

Respondents were asked who they thought would be the better power in relation to India-specific issues, such as safety for Indian students and the recently reviewed immigration policies. By and large, 41% supported the Liberals, as best equipped to offer more practical policies, but 32% went with Labor, in the hope of better policies in the future. However, a highly frustrated 27% were vehement that none of the parties will tackle these issues or support these causes.

“No matter which brand of milk I buy, I know it will be tasteless and with little or no nutritional value,” says one angry voter.

“No one will benefit from these elections except the government and the political parties themselves. We will have to pay taxes as usual. The government operates for big enterprises and business people, but not for retirees and the poor,” says Ashok Kumar.

Kicking out Kevin

How did respondents feel about Labor’s seemingly ruthless ousting of former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard’s subsequent slither into the seat of power? About 40% of the respondents were negatively influenced by the way he was treated, and this has influenced their decision to not vote for Labor.

“So what if it was an internal matter of the party? Julia may not be directly responsible for the action but she was a part of it. If she did not support the decision she could have backed out, but she did not do so. It was really wrong on her part to do what she did,” says Ashutosh.

“My vote goes for the Liberals. Apart from

SHARMA

While the community has historically leaned towards Labor, the balance of power seems to have shifted. Perhaps not completely in favour of the Liberals, but the odds are being evened

Telemarketers Anamika Singh, Manoj Yadav and Saurabh Anand hit the phones for Indian Link’s Federal Elections 2010 survey

Average

the Liberal and Labor parties seem more indecisive than the voters

Indian Link Survey on 2010 Federal Elections

1. Which political party do you support at this point in time?

Labor Liberal Greens Not decided 24% 39% 10% 27%

2. Which Party would be better for the Indian-Australian community?

Labor Liberal None 32% 41% 27%

3. Which party do you think will work towards better relations between India and Australia?

Liberal Labor None Greens 37% 32% 30% 1%

4. Are you satisfied with the manner in which the leading political parties are reaching out to the Indian community? Yes No Not sure 33% 47% 20%

5. Who will make the better prime minister Julia Gillard Tony Abbott Neither 57 % 26% 17%

6. How much is your decision influenced by the manner in which Kevin Rudd was removed as PM by Julia Gillard?

* Positively influenced: I liked the strength she showed 17%

* Did not matter to me at all 43%

* Negatively influenced: I thought Kevin Rudd was wrongly treated by Julia Gillard 40%

7. How much has state politics influenced your decision? * A little 14%

* A lot 20%

* Has not influenced my decision at all 66%

8. Which party do you think will support the Indian students’ issues relating to safety and immigration?

Liberal Labor None 41% 36% 23%

9. Which party do you think will offer better immigration policies to migrants?

Liberal Labor None 41% 32% 19%

10. Is your vote influenced because Julia Gillard is a woman? Yes No 15% 85%

the spate of debacles that Labor has produced, the manner in which Julia removed Kevin Rudd from power also helped me decide. It was so very wrong. I personally hate people who backstab and what Julia did was a kind of backstabbing,” claims Sujeet.

“You can’t trust her because of how she ditched Kevin Rudd,” says Savita. Interestingly, it did not matter to a majority of people (43%) who said that they couldn’t judge if it was wrong or right as “it was an internal matter of the party, and it knew what was best for them.”

And surprisingly, 17% people were positively influenced by the entire episode. “It shows what a hard politician she is, not leading on emotions,” says Srinivas.

voters.

“In these times, it does not really matter whether you are a woman or a man, because basically, you are a politician first. There’s no way that Julia being a woman will affect my voting decision. I will vote for her as I support the Labor Party, and not because she is a woman,” says Sreedhar.

From the community’s viewpoint, Gillard as education minister totally mishandled the international students’ situation, which affected a large number of Indian students in Australia

Kevin Rudd found a supporter in Partha, among others. “I supported Labor until Kevin Rudd was removed in that manner. But not any more! I would have voted for Labor if it was Kevin Rudd, and not Julia,” he claims, echoing similar sentiments of many others.

Who will make a better Prime Minister?

The Federal Elections seem to be shaping up more as a contest between Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott’s political styles and personal values, rather than between Labor and Liberal.

Besides, both leaders’ move up into their current roles has not been inspiring. Gillard ousted her leader while Abbott gained ascendancy over Malcolm Turnbull by just one vote. Gillard’s policies on education and the youth seem uninformed, while Abbott has the unfortunate tendency for a politician, to say in honesty, things that come back to bite him.

So when we put the big question of who will make a better PM, a whooping 57% of the respondents showed confidence in Julia Gillard, but Tony Abbott trailed with 26% votes. The balance 17% thought both would fare equally badly as leader of Australia.

Another supporter of Labor and Julia Gillard has probably the best reason to not be influenced by her gender while voting. “Why will my vote be influenced because she’s a women? I am married, you see,” laughs Singh.

The balance 15% of respondents, however, did not deny the fact that gender does play a role in politics.

“Gender has a role to play in politics. If you look back at the history of Indian politics, there was a blind vote bank from women for India’s first woman Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and she very cleverly used that emotion in her favour,” says Kapoor.

Fitting finale

So while Julia Gillard appears as a promising leader to some, the majority favour the Liberals who they feel are a reassuring government. Liberals have shown support for India-related issues like the sale of uranium, which the nation has been promoting for a long time now. There are others who see Australia’s future with the Greens, and finally, there are the ones for whom the election is all about “two imperfect parties with two flawed leaders”. Unfortunately, there’s not much one can do about that, because voting is compulsory in Australia, unless you have a sufficient and valid reason for not doing so. Says Sukhbir, “It is sad to see that there is no party worth voting for. However, I have to vote, to avoid paying the $20 fine. How I wish I could vote both parties, Labor and Liberal, and cancel my vote!” But we hope he can make up his mind by August 21.

Gillard’s policies on education and the youth seem uninformed, while Abbott has the unfortunate tendency for a politician, to say in honesty, things that come back to bite him

“Julia will make a better Prime Minister any day! I find her really confident and firm with her decisions, and way more dynamic than Tony Abbott. She is a hard politician and that’s what a leader should be like,” says Amit Singh.

“At least Julia doesn’t have her own agenda. She will definitely be a better leader than Tony Abbott,” adds another.

However, Jagdish Kapoor does not agree. “Julia Gillard is an inexperienced person for the job. She is just like a raw fruit which is sour, and is yet to ripen!” he claims.

Gender Politics?

So how significant is the fact that Julia Gillard will make a better Prime Minister because she’s a woman? And this is one of our most surprising statistics. A whopping 85% of the respondents claimed that Julia Gillard being a woman does not affect their decision to vote for her as the better leader of the country. In fact, a female PM ruling Australia seems like a commonsense idea to many

Amit Singh a mature voter, felt it was time the Indian-Australian community took a voting decision on the basis of what was good for Australia, and not the community alone. “I am sorry to say that hype has been created around the immigration issues and the racial attacks etc., with respect to Indian community here. If one goes into detail, one will realize that the reality is not what it is made out to be... the immigration policies of Labor don’t tell Indian students particularly to not come to Australia. It’s high time we understood the larger picture of an issue before jumping to conclusions,” he says.

The Indian Link survey covered but a fraction of the community, and we are sure opinions will differ as August 21 draws closer. Political pundits are reluctant to predict an outcome to this race in which neither candidate inspires confidence, not just from the Australian voters, but even from within their own party. In this we have to agree with John Kenneth Galbraith’s quote: Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable.

FIAV AGM raises relevant issues

“Whatever you do, work at it wholeheartedly as though you were doing it for the Lord and not merely for people,” claims a 1st century AD proverb. As with other motivated former Federation of Indian Associations of Victoria (FIAV) Presidents, the imagination and efforts that current President Vasan Srinivasan instills into Federation affairs simply stands out. Before FIAV held their Annual General Meeting this week, a hundred strong members of the community were given the opportunity to suggest what they expected the Federation to work on, and to what results. Even constructive criticism of FIAV’s performances was welcome. Vasan requested each association to place one article of their activity in each issue of the FIAV newsletter, so that the community is kept informed of each others’ activities.

A presentation of the eleven points of FIAV’s vision was discussion, with points raised by members tackled satisfactorily by the panel of three: President Vasan, Vice President Thomas Jacob and Chairman, Newsletter Committee Dr. Santosh Kumar. The ugly face of domestic violence was disclosed under which seventeen allegedly persecuted women of the community and three men were helped by FIAV. Aggrieved members were given food vouchers worth $20 per day, in addition to other help. Vasan requested those affluent in the community to offer investment properties where such members could be accommodated temporarily, also offering to pay nominal rent.

A library at the venue, where separating walls had been removed to create a large hall, was proposed, which members promised to support by contributing books. The younger

What’s On

Freedom Concert 2010

13 August, 7pm onwards at Box Hill Town Hall, 1022 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill, Vic. Concert with two great artists from India, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia on Flute and Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma on Santoor.

Tickets: $125/100/75/55, contact Raju 0400 915 151, Sanjay 0433 842 363

Independence Day celebrations

14 August, 7pm for 7:30pm start at The Manningham Reception Centre, 699, Manningham Road, Doncaster - Vic 3158. The FIAV, AISV (Australia India Society of Victoria) AIBC (Australia India Business Council) and VIBC (Victoria India Business Council) will celebrate India’s Independence Day together with Melbourne’s Chinese, Iranian, Korean, Sri Lankan Fijian communities and other ethnic communities. Donation $50per

Guru Purnima celebrated at Shirdi Sai Temple

Thousands of devotees from all over Victoria visited the Shirdi Sai Temple on the occasion of Guru Purnima on July 25. The temple was open up to 8pm, for abhishek, havan, arti, bhajans, baba darshan and mahaprasad. The Hon. Brian Tee, Parliamentary Secretary for Public Transport visited Sai Temple in the evening and was welcomed by Mr Pradeep Rupanagudi, President of the temple committee and Mr Manoj Kumar, a community leader. Mr Tee attended the celebrations as Victorian Premier Hon. John Brumby’s representative and this initiative by the Premier is indicative of his respect and commitment to multicultural values and the community.

generation of the Telugu Association presented a costume show, lit brass lamps, distributed sweets and displayed Telugu alphabets and numerals. The President wished Telugu could form a part of the school curriculum, just like other ethnic languages. Invited guest Dr. Nick Hill created a stir when he spoke with the Maharashtra Mandal members in Marathi, learned when he lived in Pune. A member of the Croatian Association met Vasan and offered help, presenting FIAV with a shredder-bin which he promised he would clear each week. Another company offered 85 chairs for members to sit on. Linguists, computer and culinary literate members, engineers and such were requested to spare time to help the younger generation and overseas Indian students with their studies. The Telugu Association offered to impart relevant knowledge at the venue from 2 pm to 3:30 pm one day a week. Community members were encouraged to organise viewings of Bollywood movies on the giant screen, and make use of the venue in many

Local State Member, the Honourable John Pandazopolous, who has been of assistance to FIAV in many ways arrived late, but praised “Little India” as a unique caption, and delivered a motivating speech. The Telugu Association placed a traditionally symbolic silk shawl around John’s shoulders, making him feel welcomed. Ann’s Spicy Palace in Dandenong catered a delicious lunch for the event. FIAV may be contacted on 1800 3428 00 (24 hours) or 03 9671 4442 (between hours)

George Thakur

Mr Tee was introduced to devotees and the organising committee members of the temple before reading a message from the Premier. In his speech, Mr. Brian Tee expressed his deep respect for Sai Baba as great Guru and asked the devotees to follow the path and teachings of Sai Baba to maintain peace and harmony. He thanked them and the temple’s committee for giving him an opportunity to celebrate Guru Purnima. The temple committee then honoured Mr Tee with the temple priest undertaking the worship followed by Baba’s arti. In his speech Mr Manoj Kumar thanked the Hon. Premier of Victoria and Hon. Brian Tee for their keen interest in the Guru Purnima festival.

At the end of the ceremony Mr Tee was offered mahaprasad by Mr Rupanagudi and was invited to visit the temple again. Shirdi Sai Temple is located at 32 Halley Ave, Camberwell and devotees from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds visit in large numbers to get the blessings of Sai Baba.

person for 3 course dinner; dress: business/ national. For more details contact FIAV Operations team on 1800 3428 00

Flag Hoisting Ceremony

15 August, 10am at No. 214, Kooyong Road, Toorak. A flag hoisting ceremony on India’s Independence Day will be held at the residence of the Consul General of India. All Indians and persons of Indian origin are welcome to attend. Email: cgo@ cgimelb.org

Savera Music and Dance Programme

15 August, 2pm onwards at Performing Arts Centre - Hunting Tower School, 77 Waimarie Drive, Mt Waverley VIC 3149 MELWAY REF - 70 G 1. Federation of Indian Music and Dance (FIMD) presents Savera, a presentation of Indian music and dance forms from north and south, by a

variety of artists. Tickets: $10 per adult, kids freeContact: Vandana Murali 03 9801 2952, Anita Radhey 03 9846 2595

Mehfil Night

20 August, 8-10pm at Coburg Library

Hall, Cnr: Luisa and Victoria Street, Coburg. Open night of light music for singers. Free event with karaoke and keyboard support for singers. Contact Dr.Saratchandran on 9366 5444

Shri Sankat Mochan Mahotsava 2010

22 August, 2pm to 6:30pm at Darebin Arts and Culture Centre, Cnr. Bell St. & St Georges Rd., Preston (Mel way Ref: 30 E-1) Free parking. Contact Vinita Bhatia0412 771 779 for sponsorship and Sunila Shrivastava RSVP - 0427274 462, or e-mail- ashriv@gmail.com

India Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan

28 August, 2-4pm at Community Centre of Shirdi Sai Sansthan, 32 Halley Ave, Camberwell (Mel.60 B5). Free event organised by Indian Senior Citizens Forum to celebrate India’s Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan. Contact Seema on 9552 0267, Rakesh on 9543 6615, Anand on 9762 5211

CGI Announcement

The Consulate General of India will be moving to a new location at344, St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004 with effect from 1 September, 2010. To facilitate the move, the Consulate will be closed on Monday, 30 August and Tuesday, 31 August, 2010, and shall reopen on 1 September 2010 at the new location.

Vasan Srinivas, Thomas Joseph, Santosh Kumar

John Pandazopolous

Nick Hill

Award for enterprising ex-VMC

Ex Victorian Multicultural Commissioner Usha Sharma received the Diverse Women Driving Melbourne award at the Queen Victoria Women Centre in July. Her name will be engraved in the Shilling Wall, an emerging Melbourne landmark acknowledging and celebrating the contributions of women in shaping the world we live in. She was nominated by the Victorian Multicultural Commission and the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre Trust. The Chairman of VMC, George Lekakis, presented the Shining Wall certificate to Usha and a number of other distinguished women of the community.

Originally from Fiji, Usha lived in India for 12 to13 years before migrating to Australia in 1982, with her two children and late husband. Over the years she has been involved with a variety of roles. Besides being a home maker and mother, she has worked as a businesswoman operating her own business in light fittings. She currently hosts a radio show one day a week. She worked as a VMC (Victorian Multicultural Commission) Commissioner until last year, and currently works as a coordinator in the disability sector, while completing Certificate 4 in disability. Socially, Usha has been instrumental in organizing various cultural events within the community and her list of achievements matches her enthusiasm for life.

“I love life and if I can do something I am always willing to give it a shot. I am grateful that life has offered me so many opportunities and I have gained from every one of them,” she said when asked how she managed multiple roles. “I have worked with an enormous amount of people from diverse backgrounds, especially in my role as VMC commissioner. All this interaction has helped to widen my mind to endless possibilities,” said Usha. “My current work with people who suffer from acquired brain injury has been a real eye opener. We take so many things for granted without even realizing it. Working with the disabled and having the pleasure of talking to them and understanding them has taught me so much. I now see life from a different perspective. I now see the people, not the disability,” she added.

Usha’s radio program is a mix of news, views, music and masti, according to her. “Quite like me,” she adds, tongue in cheek. “I have both, my serious and fun personalities reflect in everything I take on. My partner Mario Rodriguez who works in Spanish radio, is the stabilizing presence in my life. He supports me in everything and brings me down to earth when I tend to get carried away with something. He was delighted when he heard about my nomination,” said Usha. “This is the first time VMC commissioners have been awarded; and my thanks to Queen Victoria Centre and VMV Chairperson George Lekakis. We have worked very hard with women from diverse communities and it is good to have that work acknowledged,” she added.

Overseas student discount card launched

The IISAC discount card for international students was launched recently at an elegant event held at Windsor Hotel in Melbourne. “We are very happy that this major initiative is coming to fruition today and we are working on several other initiatives that will benefit Indian International students. At IISAC, we are committed to providing the best possible support for international students so they are able to reach their academic and personal development goals,” said Dr. Sangita Kalra, one of the main consultants for IISAC who conducted the proceedings.

Ms Marsha Thompson, Parliament Secretary for Justice and Member for Footscray, Mr George Lekakis, Chairman of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, Ms Anita Nayar Consul General of India, Mr Max Walker My Rewards Global Ambassador, representatives from Federal and State Government departments, community members and media were also present to support the launch.

The Indian International Student Advisory Centre (IISAC) was established in March 2008 to provide advisory assistance and advocacy services to Indian students pursuing their academic career in Australia. As part of its ongoing service, IISAC helps with employment assistance, provides limited financial medical assistance, resolves academic issues with their RTOs, and resolves sub tenant issues with assistance from Victoria Police.

Said Dr. Rae Subramaniam chairperson of IISAC, “We are all aware of the challenges the Indian international students are facing in Melbourne today. While the reasons are debatable, IISAC understands these students need all forms

of support to survive and reach their personal goals. IISAC would like to act as a conduit between the Government Institutions, Victoria Police, educational providers and the local community.”

The launch of the IISAC Discount Card is the first major initiative from a list of many proposed initiatives undertaken by the Centre, according to Dr Subramaniam. “We find our international students undertake huge financial commitments back home in order to pursue their academic goals in Melbourne. This results in them working long hours to pay their loans. The IISAC discount card is introduced to ease their financial difficulties, whereby students may obtain huge discounts on different consumables from more than 4000 retail outlets around Melbourne,” she claimed.

This card is available to all Indian international students at a small annual fee of $20. IISAC has tied up with My Rewards that provides member benefits to over a million members from 200 corporate organizations across Australia and New Zealand. David Vinson, Chairman of My Rewards provided more details about My Rewards and their services at the launch. The IISAC discount card is currently being promoted in all educational institutions, including the Centre’s office in Elizabeth Street.

IISAC’s new office is located on 506 Elizabeth Street. The centre is open through the day on Thursdays from 9.30am to 4.30pm, and Saturdays from 10am to 12 noon. For more details, contact Rae Subramaniam on dorais@optusnet.com.au or Sangita Kalra on sangitakalra@hotmail.com

Yoga exponents to discourse at workshop

Of late, has it been happening to you- the heavy eyelids, the drooping shoulders and the burning urge to be liberated from the unyielding, unending demands of our typical hectic, on the edge lifestyle. Well, it could happen to the best of us and probably its time to give our bodies and minds that much needed break. And that’s where yoga can help. In Melbourne, once again we have the golden opportunity to incorporate yoga into our daily lives and soak in the numerous benefits it offers to promote happy and healthy living.

Vasudeva Kriya Yoga (www.vasudevakriyayoga.com) is organising its 3rd annual Yoga and Health Workshop in Melbourne on August 29 between 8.45 am and 4 pm. The theme for this year’s workshop is Yoga for Health, Harmony and Self Realisation and its main purpose is to bring awareness of the traditional practices of Yoga to the modern community. It also seeks to strengthen ties with other Yoga schools.

Shri Rajendra, the founder of Vasudeva Kriya Yoga, has a passion for Yoga and currently runs five centres

in Melbourne and one in Bangalore. In India, every year he teaches yoga at the Bangalore prison, schools, villages and yoga schools. Thousands of people have attended his Vasudeva Kriya Yoga.

The workshop held at the Oakleigh Hall will bring together Yoga institutions like Vasudeva Kriya Yoga, Yoga in Daily Life, Art of Living and Shiva Yoga. The day of complete yoga practice, self enquiry and practical yoga philosophy would be facilitated by leaders of four authentic yoga traditions. The teachers will be Shri Swami Gopal Puri, senior yoga instructor of Yoga in Daily Life; Shri Swami Atmananda, teacher of Learn to Meditate courses at Shiva Ashram; Shri Chris Dale, teacher of Art of Living and Sahaj Samadhi Meditation courses, and Shri Rajendra himself.

The benefits of Yoga in restoring the body-mind-soul connection are well known. So its time to tune in, take a deep breath, shape up and relax.

Madhuchanda Das

Indian links in the

Ethnic candidates share their personal and party policies to garner support from compatriots

ethnicity, keeping in mind that I do have an English mother and am therefore of mixed cultural background,” Joy says.

BY USHA RAMANUJAM ARVIND

As the Federal Elections loom and we are inundated with all kinds of literature supporting the local candidates, it wouldn’t be amiss to wonder when the Asian subcontinent community can expect at least some level of ethnic representation within the corridors of power. So here are the candidates who will stand for election to help realise their hopes for a better Australia.

Representing equality and diversity

JOY BANERJI

ALP, Menzies (Victoria)

Contesting against former Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews (who gained notoriety in botched Mohammad Hanif case) for the safe Victorian seat of Menzies is Labor’s Joyoti (Joy) Banerji.

Born in New Delhi and raised in Adelaide, Monash Councillor Joy is no newcomer to politics, having twice been Mayor of the multicultural region. This mother of three has lived all over Australia before finding her dreams and true calling in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

Back in the early ‘70s, Joy’s father was the first foreign doctor to migrate and work in Point Pirie in South Australia. Politics was always entrenched in my life, Joy explains. “My parents took a great interest in political discussions and had a great deal of knowledge on the subject.”

She quit a promising career in banking to pursue community development and eventually, local government. Joy is currently qualifying in the area of dispute resolution, mediation and advocacy.

With a strong belief in the ideals of fairness and equity which she holds as the bedrock of Labor philosophy, Joy became a grassroots member in 2002 and is currently serving her third term as Councillor.

The world of politics, of course, is full of obstacles and often difficult to negotiate, she confesses. “But I have never ever doubted my beliefs and I stay true to myself. It is always ‘do as I do’ and not ‘do as I say’. I have tried to practice that philosophy with my children too,” she reveals.

An advocate of active and meaningful lifestyle choices, she is passionate about public health and public education. “In Menzies there is an ageing population, and health and aged care is a growing issue. Other health issues such as diabetes and mental health are also a pressing concern in the community. I would put these at the top of my list of priorities,” she says.

Likewise, Joy is also committed to addressing the needs of the culturally diverse demographics in the region.

“The newly emerging ethnic and linguistic minorities need strong representation. Many migrant communities have very different needs and it is important to be engaged continually and positively with them, assess what they are thinking and how governments can assist,” she says.

“And as a candidate in Menzies, I am determined to demonstrate what representation is all about. I enjoy mixing and talking to people from diverse backgrounds. I believe that representation is about a strong involvement in the community across a wide spectrum of groups and individuals,” says Joy confidently.

The City of Monash, she proudly declares, has more Indian born and Chinese born people than any other municipality in Victoria. Monash has also had some of the highest levels of skilled migration settlement in the country. The Chinese and Indian communities are making a significant contribution to the social and economic fabric of society.

What about her own journey as an Indian Australian policymaker in the public arena?

“I have never experienced any disadvantage due to my

Joy is thankful that in Australia, and particularly in Victoria, they are very fortunate not to have any major issues with regards to cultural and religious differences. “However there are always exceptions, but that does not reflect the views of the general population,” she is quick to point out.

“More recently the promotion of privately run colleges to attract international students has been surrounded by controversy. Universities are also increasingly dependent on international students as a source of revenue for tertiary institutions,” she admits.

A huge fan of Environment Minister Penny Wong, Joy faithfully subscribes to the new Labor policy of a sustainable Australia.

“Over the last 40 years our population has had a quantum jump and we know that it is growing in very specific areas, the liveable areas, which are limited in Australia. There must therefore, be a clearer vision of what is sustainable and how best to achieve it. We need to protect our finite energy resources and look towards alternative sources of renewable energy, sooner rather than later,” she says vehemently.

Refusing to be drawn into specifics like the Visa Capping Bill and uranium sale to India, Councillor Banerji however did comment that our “uranium exports should not be used for non-peaceful purposes.”

With the battle lines now drawn out, Joy Banerji needs a 6% swing to wrest the seat of Menzies.

Promoting humanitarian issues BRAMI JEGAN

Greens, (Senate seat)

“I have always grown up aware that there are people in the world less fortunate than myself. But it was not until I went to Sri Lanka at the age of 22, that I saw personal suffering first hand, along with the effects of discrimination and the tragedy of war,” says Tamil Australian Brami Jegan.

The plight of refugees worldwide has stirred the former banker and now journalist. And she hopes to further this cause by contesting the 2010 Federal Elections through a Greens Senate ticket.

But the 30-year-old is no newcomer to activism. “Over the past years I have been advocating for various issues

animals rights, fair trading, reducing poverty, rights of the Tamils in Sri Lanka and now the issue of asylum seekers in Australia. Entering politics with the Greens is the next step in my journey to try and work out how to make this world more humane, safer and peaceful,” she states.

Her journey back to Sri Lanka in 2002 was a true eyeopener. “Seeing children blind through malnutrition and adults without arms and legs because of landmines was really confronting,” she admits.

Injustice, suffering, hope and human kindness sustain her in the fickle and demanding world of politics. “Many friends lost their lives in the war in Sri Lanka last year, and their memories sustain me. My role models are really the people around me,” she says.

Her Sri Lankan Tamil parents escaped violence and discrimination back home in the ‘70s to find new life on African shores, eventually shifting base to Australia when Brami was 8.

“I found Australia to be a very welcoming country. I feel very privileged and fortunate, and I look forward to giving something back,” she adds.

Brami went on to become an investment banker for nearly a decade, before giving it all up to pursue journalism in London. She has worked with SBS and is currently employed with the aid and development agency of Australia’s trade union movement APHEDA, as a communications officer.

This election, she believes, is really an introduction into Australian politics. “I have great admiration and respect for Lee Rhiannon. I wanted to be part of the Senate ticket so that I could use my experience, passion and community networks to help her get elected and to support the other Lower House

candidates,” she explains.

“To me, the Greens are the only major party showing any leadership in the areas of global warming, refugees and Indigenous rights. As well, they have a long standing history of showing solidarity with communities that are oppressed, and this is something I feel very strongly about,” she reveals.

While Brami is focusing her energy on Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers and refugees, her future plans are clear. “I would like to do more work around Indigenous rights, global warming and multicultural Australia. The Greens are already leading the way and I want to be an integral part of their journey,” she adds.

Brami has lot of respect for former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd too. “When Rudd was elected, I had a lot of hope. His apology to the stolen generations will be one of Australia’s proudest and finest moments. Rudd also guided us remarkably well through the global financial crisis,” she claims. But she has also been terribly disappointed by some bad decisions, particularly dropping Australia’s commitment to climate change, stopping the processing of asylum seekers from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan and continuation of children living in detention.

According to Brami, Australia needs to urgently address the issue of global warming. Likewise, Australians are sick of

2010 elections

in the Watson electorate of Sydney’s inner west is 26 yearold Mayank Mark Sharma - an Independent contestant of Indian ethnicity. Though Mark has a background in Marketing with a degree in Accounting, he has always been passionate about local and global politics. Following the subject closely since his teens, Mark decided to actively plunge into frontline politics after being disillusioned with both Liberal and Labor

“Even prior to taking up Australian citizenship, I was on the streets campaigning for the Liberal party. But I am now running as an Independent because of their stance on immigration. I believe in a fair and transparent immigration policy,” says the former Delhi boy who looks upon Sardar Vallabhai Patel as his political role model.

An avid socio-political blogger and netizen, he is, in fact, a man on an express mission – to teach Labor a lesson “so that no politician ever takes his voters for granted!”

Condemning the Visa Capping Bill, Mark who currently serves on Burwood Council’s Multicultural Committee, believes that immigration cuts and the new Sustainable Australia tagline will hurt the economy.

“It is nothing but fear-mongering by Gillard and Abbott in the lack of real issues,” he declares.

“Sustainability is like a side dish which political parties and lobby groups use on almost anything; be it population, environment or any other,” he argues.

“In reality, Australia needs a younger skilled population. The Visa Capping Bill is unfair, unjust and discriminatory, and gives way too much power to Immigration Minister,” he states categorically. When someone has already undergone the legal process, why should they arbitrarily suffer, he asks. So that Labor and Liberals can win marginal seats?

“The Bill is targeted against skilled Indian applicants. With all the media coverage about racist attacks on Indians, the government has decided to silence dissent through devious backdoor means,” claims Mark.

“Overcrowding and creaking infrastructure is the direct outcome of successive Labor and Liberal Governments at both State and Federal levels, which have failed to plan for the future, and not because of a migrant influx,” he explains. “When they should have been investing more to develop Western Sydney, they were enjoying upgrades on Dubai

“As a result we are now seeing more traffic problems. Overseas students don’t drive 4WDs. It’s everyday Australians like us who do, because we have no faith in CityRail to reach our work place. The Delhi Metro is million times better than Keneally government’s public transport,” he asserts.

delaying tactics like the newly proposed ‘citizens assembly’, she says. The Greens have a carbon tax proposal on the table, based on the recommendations of the Garnaut Report, which she believes, is the real action on climate change that Australia needs.

Indigenous Australians too have been given the short end of the stick, she argues. “Our policy is to oppose the Northern Territory intervention and unconditionally reinstate the Racial Discrimination Act, and I fully support this,” says Brami

On the Visa Capping Bill, she believes that while it is reasonable to have a need-based immigration system, it is also important to understand that some people make decisions about what to study in Australia based on the pathways that are open to eventual residency. “Some of these people are spending the whole of their savings in order to study in Australia and pursue a better life. So if the government changes the visa conditions arbitrarily, that’s not fair at all. The changes shouldn’t apply to people who have already made decisions and spent large sums of money,” she states categorically.

Sustainable Australia, she contends, is a vague term. “I am really concerned that both Labor and Coalition are pushing buttons on immigrants and asylum seekers to gain electoral

advantage. It suits them because it distracts people from the real issue in terms of population in Australia. For nearly fifteen years, both governments have been dragging the chain on investment in public transport, public health and public education,” Brami claims.

The Greens however understand that population sustainability isn’t just about numbers rather the way people live, she avers. “That’s why we push for investment in public services and infrastructure and a low-carbon economy.” No matter what the election outcome, Brami hopes to champion the Greens’ cause working with communities nationwide.

“Being part of the Greens NSW campaign has been a huge learning curve. The next few weeks are going to be a wild ride, but there are some very intelligent and passionate people supporting the Greens and I think our party has an exciting future,” she concludes.

Supporting skilled migration and political accountability

MARK SHARMA

Independent, Watson (NSW)

Pitted against Sustainable Population Minister Tony Burke

On uranium exports to India, Mark believes that the Greens and Labor hold the key. “Basically both these parties the ‘60s when India was weak. Now in 2010, India dictates to the world. Even the USA has got the message and clinched a deal that was supported by over 85% of US politicians on both sides. Obama, Hillary Clinton, McCain, Joe Biden, Bush and every other major politician supported it. Ironically here in Australia, the Greens Senator Scott Ludlam doesn’t want it,” Mark quips.

A proactive Strathfield resident, he believes in taking action to fix a system that doesn’t work, rather than merely complaining about it. Likewise, Mark stands up for politics that is based on policies, rather than empty spin. Corruption and political accountability are major platforms he will fight in this election, with other pressing issues like extra hospital beds and better roads. He also believes in happy families.

If elected, Mark hopes to secure 2000 extra places for refugees from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, is against internet censorship and is extremely vocal about getting a non-white person elected to the House of Representatives.

Fighting for brand Parramatta

KALPESH PATEL

Independent, Parramatta (NSW)

Independent candidate Kalpesh Patel hopes to change the image of Parramatta, which took an international battering in

Continued on page 14

ALEX BATHAL

KALPESH PATEL

JOY BANERJI

BRAMI JEGAN

Continued from page 13

the wake of the fee paying student crisis. Community issues are his passion. A long-term local resident, he hopes to take a “stand as an integrating voice to represent the common interests of all ages and backgrounds.”

“As a well-educated individual with wide experience in multiple industries and strong organisational abilities, I am deeply committed to local issues”, he says.

“Parramatta is home to many ethnic minorities, who are skilled and enterprising. My vision is to work closely with them to improve services, community facilities, inter community relations and local job opportunities. By doing so, I wish to project the entire Parramatta Council area as a harmonious, congenial community that is safe and secure, and a great place to live”.

Patel believes there is an urgent need to curb antisocial elements, which are making after hours travel unsafe. “I realise people in other suburbs pay comparatively lesser premiums to insure their assets. Let’s help ourselves by working together through an effective community watch to reduce thefts and thereby slash our premiums”, he contends.

As well, Patel, who has a background in pharmacy, marketing and retail, hopes to boost the economy by creating and retaining more jobs in the area.

“We need to develop a harmonious equation between businesses and residents so they create a reciprocal and symbiotically sustaining equation.”

He also promises to tap into the multicultural environment by promoting local weekend fairs to boost business and healthier intercommunity relations.

Another top priority is to fight for proper care at local public hospitals. The extremely long waiting time for patients in crisis needs to be urgently reduced, he laments. Better infrastructure is also an issue that Kalpesh promises to focus on. Besides improving transport network, he hopes to make elevators mandatory at all railways stations to assist elderly, young families and less mobile. As well he will work for improved parking facilities and better bus linkages so public transport becomes a sustainable alternative.

Kalpesh is also very passionate about holistic development and thus believes more should be done to instill strong values among children. “Better partnerships between schools and parents would enhance the education system. They need the right learning, guidance and support to stay away from addictive habits, particularly substance abuse, which can destroy their future”, he opines.

In this context, he proposes an upgrade of parks and recreational facilities.

Kalpesh is already committed to further the interests of skilled migrants. “Most of them are equipped with appropriate qualifications and extensive experience. Yet when they arrive here, entering the workforce becomes a challenge. Circumstances force many to take up lower end jobs triggering disillusionment”, he regrets. The government needs to put simple but effective strategies in place for their early integration into industry circles, he suggests.

Similarly, Patel believes that international students are great assets to the domestic economy and not merely as revenue generators for education sector. Australia should seriously consider retaining them to augment our skilled workforce, he contends.

Campaigning for a green South Australia

YESHA JOSHI

Greens, Lee (SA)

Adelaide activist and environment crusader Yesha Joshi is Greens candidate for the electorate of Lee in South Australia. Adjudged Sustainable Young Citizen of the Year at the Charles Sturt World Environment Day awards in 2009, Yesha has been raising awareness in the community in the areas of workers rights.

“I am passionate about being your voice for a better future in South Australia,” says the outspoken youngster. A member of SA Young Greens, Face Up to Climate Change is one of the latest campaigns she is working on. It involves engaging the public on the issue and allowing them the opportunity to speak their mind to the government.

“The idea is simple, we take a small white board, a marker and then we hit the streets, university campuses, the central market and hold Face up to Climate Change events”, she explains.

A roving radio presenter on work rights and social justice, Yesha believes that South Australia transitioning into a green economy is essential for the future prosperity and creating jobs in the local community.

She is committed to “saving the River Murray, pushing for a sustainable environment and campaigning for a green new deal on jobs to transition Australia into a clean, green economy.

I believe these are crucial issues that need to be addressed to ensure a safe and secure future for us all”, she endorses.

“There is a significant push for climate action throughout Australia. National events such as Youth Decide, National Climate Change rally and the Power Shift July 2009 Conference are just a few examples of how everyday people are coming together to collectively ask their governments to act on climate change by reducing CO 2 emissions and provide more green collar jobs for a green economy- an economy that takes into account the cost of the environment and the social sector”.

But the longer the debate stalls about the effects of climate change, it is the workers, regrets Joshi, who will be at a loss as the world’s biggest economies shift towards modern and green industries, such as solar, wind, and wave power generation.

The cost of action, she firmly holds is less than the cost of inaction. Debates may rage on and on but in the end it is what we as a growing community do about these issues that really matters, she argues.

Standing for sustainability and for youth affairs

ALEX BATHAL

Greens, Batman (Victoria)

“I’m running so Batman voters have an alternative to the coal and uranium fuelled agendas of our sitting member. I’ll work for sustainable solutions to the challenges we face; for a safe climate, local jobs, quality education and health services”.

Alexandra Kaur Bathal lives in Preston, Victoria, with her partner and two sons. She first moved into the Darebin area in the early 1990s. Alex comes from a mixed-race migrant background. Her father arrived in Australia from India in the early 1950s to study medicine and her mother’s family is from the Geelong region. She has been involved in helping Indian students who’ve been affected by violence or robbery over the past four years. Last year she co-authored a major study on international student safety in Melbourne.

As a social worker, Alex has worked with families and local communities in Melbourne’s northern suburbs for the past 20 years, and during this time, she has specialised in helping young people. She is currently doing a PhD exploring the experiences and ideas of Australians about climate change.

Alex has served on two council committees, the Darebin Environment Reference Group (2005-2007) and the Darebin Ethnic Communities Council. She has been involved with 10 local community organisations, most recently as spokesperson of the South Preston Residents’ Association.

As a social worker, she has been an advocate for social justice and community safety and is also a supporter of refugees in the community. As a member of the Greens she is a passionate supporter of a nuclear-free Australia and is involved in local and national environmental campaigns. At home she enjoys gardening, cycling and live music – she plays the viola.

“This is the third time I’ve run as the Greens candidate for Batman. My first campaign was in 2001 and I ran again in 2004. More recently in 2006, I stood for the state seat of Northcote. Over this time the Greens vote in the Darebin area has steadily grown, and I’ve every reason to believe this trend will continue this year,” Alex says.

“If ever there was a time for a new way of facing up to the mounting pressures on our community, it is now. All around us we see evidence that these are challenging times. The demands of climate change and rapid growth are bearing down upon us but there is no co-ordinated or sustainable plan to deal with them. Federal governments – both Labor and Liberal – have failed us on emissions controls, on affordable housing and on the effective delivery of local jobs and services. It’s clear to me we need a new approach. From one end of the electorate to the other, I hear the people of our suburbs saying we need to make changes,” she claims.

In her party profile Alex explains why she is running for elections as a Greens candidate this time. “The Greens have the vision and the courage to act for fair and sustainable solutions to the challenges we face. If we work together, there are huge opportunities for our community. In Darebin, we stand to gain a lot if the federal government takes the necessary steps to put a price on carbon, if it makes the shift to renewable energy and protects Australia’s precious water and land against the impacts of climate change. We will have cleaner air, quieter streets and more secure food and water supplies,” she writes.

“We will also see the regeneration of our local manufacturing sector as renewable energy industries set up in our industrial estates. This means an immediate boost in the numbers of sustainable local jobs, and a boost to the economy that can help pay for quality education and health services in this region. These are all part of the Greens vision - I’m proud to be running for a party that always puts people and their wellbeing first”.

YESHA JOSHI

MARK SHARMA

South Asians in politics

BY TANVEER AHMED

There is a growing presence of politicians from South Asian backgrounds in Western countries.

In the United States, the Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, is a regular presence on American television screens. During the current oil spill crisis, he was an even more prominent figure. The son of a doctor who studied at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, Jindal was touted as a potential leader of the Republican Party until he displayed an awkward performance at rebutting Obama’s first State of the Union address. But he remains the most powerful Indian politician in the world, outside India.

The Republican Nikki Haley (nee Nimrata Randhawa) will follow in his footsteps in the state of South Carolina if she wins the elections there later this year.

In the UK, the Indian-origin Keith Vaz continues to be in the limelight since he first won general elections in 1987, representing the Asian dominated constituency of Leicester, even serving a stint as Minister of State for Europe (1999-2001) in the Tony

In reality, it is unlikely that major leaders will emerge from the first generation of South Asian migrants

Blair government.

The British election held barely two months ago also thrust forward a major South Asian politician. Baroness Sayeed Warsi is a British lawyer of Pakistani descent who has long been involved in Conservative politics, before being made the chairwoman of the party and roving Minister after David Cameron ascended to the Prime Ministership. Her appointment is an affirmation of the large South Asian community in Britain.

In Canada, the glamorous Liberal Party MP Ruby Dhalla is in the news frequently, often controversially.

There are no such figures here in Australia. With another Federal election only weeks away, the prospect of any such figures arising are also very small. The number of South Asians in Australia, while significant, is smaller as a proportion of the population compared to the United States and Britain.

Nor has the period of migration been as long. Due to the White Australia policy, non-white migrants have only been arriving en masse since the 1970s, a few decades after similar migratory patterns to the Northern hemisphere were prevalent.

The majority of South Asians involved in politics in Australia are descended from the first generation of migrants, people like my own father. There are several scattered around local councils, and I remember meeting a Victorian MP of Sri Lankan background several years ago. If I can relate my observations of my father, he was heavily involved in Bangladeshi community functions and fundraisers throughout his life in Australia. It continues to be a major source

of pride.

His activities often related to cultural functions where local politicians would visit to vie for the vote of their local ethnic communities. Politicians like Laurie Ferguson who live in Sydney suburbs like Auburn spend almost every night of their lives watching a cultural function from one of our countless ethnic communities. There is both beauty and drudgery in this work.

Such involvement with community organizing and contact with local politicians often propelled first generation migrants into more formal political roles, usually at a low level. There have also been a number of cases of Indian general practitioners working in rural areas who later became mayors of their country towns.

In reality, it is unlikely that major leaders will emerge from the first generation of South Asian migrants. There is a cultural interplay and social knowledge that is passed on when children are raised and educated in Australian schools that just can’t be replicated. Almost certainly, local councils will be the ceiling for this initial group of politicians.

A major exception is Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, who rose to become President of the Australian Medical Association.

So where is the next generation of politicians from our communities? To be frank, I am not so sure. While I have interacted with a number of Indians in industries like law or business who have had some involvement in politics, few have been more active. In part, they are reflecting broader trends. The second generation of immigrants are usually focussed on rising up the social and economic ladder. This is best done by being streamed into the most prestigious and highly paid jobs - like

Afghanistan. Sri Lanka is beset with interethnic tension whose refugees are spilling over into Australia. And Bangladesh is set to become a major hotspot with regards to the effects of climate change.

becoming a doctor, lawyer or banker. Then, as for most people, the all-encompassing task of rising up the corporate ladder, accumulating status and wealth can absorb several decades. Unless people come into contact with great injustice and become emboldened towards activism, politics is not so attractive these days. The lure of global

Australia is a very wealthy and significant middle power. Politicians of South Asian backgrounds could be real brokers in affecting some of these pressing issues. Furthermore, broader voices from backgrounds such as this would enrich public debate within Australia and better represent the reality of diversity on the ground. It is bound to happen, but may be slower than we would like or anticipate.

Tanveer Ahmed is a consulting psychiatrist and a columnist with the Sydney Morning Herald

Although the sub-continent ethnic community is a large and growing one, there are few takers for politics

Unless people come into contact with great injustice and become emboldened towards activism, politics is not so attractive these days

1. Nikki Haley (US)

2. Ruby Dhalla (Canada)

3.Keith Vaz (UK)

4. Bobby Jindal (US)

Edicts on Elections

“ Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.”

Plato

“ Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other. ”

Oscar Ameringer

“ Remember to vote early - and often ”

Al Capone

“ Mankind will never see an end of trouble until… lovers of wisdom come to hold political power, or the holders of power… become lovers of wisdom.”

Plato

“ When the political columnists say ‘Every thinking man’ they mean themselves, and when candidates appeal to ‘Every intelligent voter’ they mean everybody who is going to vote for them.”

Franklin P Adams

“ If pigs could vote, the man with the slop bucket would be elected swineherd every time, no matter how much slaughtering he did on the side.”

Orson Scott Card

Please move forward and take action!

As India celebrates Independence Day, Australia celebrates Incontinence Day. Byron Baybased comedian SANDY GANDHI (‘Australia’s most Easterly Indian’) offers her take on the 2010 campaign so far

If there was a one-word mantra to describe the shenanigans of the Coalition and Labor’s campaigning for Election ‘10, including the tedious debate between Tony Abscess and Julia Dullard, it would be “Um” and not “Om”.

Thankfully, I was in India for the month preceding the 2007 election where most had never heard of Johnny Coward or Kevin Dudd.

On my return to Australia in mid November, the nation was exposed to some serious poll dancing, and it was time to put our left foot in and put our right foot out, put our green thumb in and stir it all around – doing the hokeypokey, it was all so bloody blokey, but that’s what it was all about.

Now we have Julia, which begs the question, what’s the best thing about having a female PM? We don’t have to pay her as much! Could be reason enough why a bunch of blokes turned on Kev. Poor old Kev, he has undergone emergency surgery ‘cause he was suffering from too much gall –that’s what happens when you say, “and you know something?” once too often.

Julia’s been moving forward so fast, it has resulted in her finding her real self as opposed to her unreal self we’ve seen so far – rumour has it her last face-to-face words to Kev were, “It’s moy turn now”.

“ Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable.”

“ Elections are a good deal like marriages, there’s no accounting for anyone’s taste. Every time we see a bridegroom we wonder why she ever picked him, and it’s the same with Public Officials.”

It might also be time for all our pollies to be issued with incontinence pads – for all that ‘involuntary’ leakage that is occurring. Perhaps we should be calling this Eleaktion 10 – sounds a but Kiwi.

It seems like the whole nation is experiencing a group workshopping, being urged to ‘take action’, and ‘move forward’ – personally, I’d just like some ‘closure’, thanks very much!

Check out Sandy Gandhi’s work on www.sandygandhi.com

“ Democracy consists of choosing your dictators, after they’ve told you what you think it is you want to hear ”

Alan Corenk

John Kenneth Galbraith

Will Rogers

Philosophers, writers, thinkers and poets…. all have wisdom to impart when it comes to politics

“ Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything.” Josef Staline

“An election is nothing more than the advanced auction of stolen goods.”

Ambrose Pierce

“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”

Sir Winston Churchill

“ It’s not the voting that’s democracy; it’s the counting.” Tom Stoppard

Does the Indian community matter?

Both major parties contesting in

Federal Elections

times the influence.

totally mishandled that crisis.

BY DARSHAK MEHTA

To describe the Indian community’s influence in political or national affairs in Australia as toothless and irrelevant would not be an exaggeration.

The forthcoming election will have proven that beyond all doubt.

Not only do we, as a community, have little impact on policies formulated that affect our country of birth, but we have zero influence on matters that affect students, newer permanent residents and visitors.

How did it come to this?

It is a subject which our plethora of Associations (Trade and Cultural) need to introspect about, and take steps to address.

Indian Link asked both major political parties to expound their stance on two important matters which are of great interest or/and concern to a lot of Indian-Australians – the Visa-Capping issue and the uranium-sales issue.

Till the time of going to press, all we got was a bland acknowledgment and a disingenuous apology that during the election campaign, it would not be possible to attend to our query.

I mean, can you imagine both political parties not having a settled position on Israel and policies that affect it? During the campaign both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition are expected to have close interaction with the Jewish community and address at least one major function each.

The Jewish community in Australia is about a third of the size of the Indian community, but would easily wield three

Did you know that outside Israel, the only country in the world where Jewish people have occupied the highest offices of State, Chief Justice, Chief of Army and Head of State itself is, in fact, here in Australia. Tony Abbott said this when he last addressed them last month.

How about we publicly ask the obligatory/token Australian Government mantri, at our next Indian mela, as to what is his party’s stand on uranium exports to India and also if they support the Visa Capping Bill of 2010 in its current form?

This won’t be bad manners. We need to make them squirm. Anyone can turn up at a function, make motherhood statements, talk nonsense and then disappear after being felicitated. Why do we crave the indulgence of some of these extremely ordinary members of the Australian political class? We actually need to put these people on notice that they cannot take us for granted anymore.

So, how do we assess the policies of the Government and the Opposition?

The Labor Party will not sell Uranium to India and the Liberal Party will. This is fairly clear-cut.

The ALP is not going to do anything on the Visa Capping Bill of 2010 unless there is a huge outcry and unless the Indian Government also chooses to publicly embarrass them. You can’t just attract all these students to Australia with the implicit understanding that at the end of their “studies” they stood a great chance of becoming permanent residents. And after these poor souls (some, literally!) come here - families mortgaging homes etc - they are told that the policy is being changed retrospectively and that at the end of their academic endeavours, there is little chance of them being able to get PR status. This is treachery of the worst kind and it is entirely dishonourable for a Government to behave in this manner. They were fully aware of what was going on all along, and, if they were not, they should have been.

The ALP is not going to do anything on the Visa Capping Bill of 2010 unless there is a huge outcry and unless the Indian Government also chooses to publicly embarrass them

The Liberal Party traditionally takes a hard-line on immigration policy, but it should be pointed out that some of the largest rises in migration numbers occurred under the Howard Government. So, what they preach is not necessarily what they practice.

In the last three years of the Labor Party being in power, the relationship with India has been as badly bruised as some Indian students. The damage done to Australia’s image by the racially motivated attacks on Indian students has resulted in Australia being considered as an extremely racist and hostile country by most Indians back home. The Federal Government as well as the Victorian Government have both floundered and

Apart from the above issues, I suppose the Indian Australian community should be alarmed at the current debate playing out in which the issues of population, immigration and infrastructure have all been blurred, and what has emerged is a dog-whistle to the xenophobic, the bigoted and the racist.

Both parties are guilty of indulging in this for the sake of a few Western Sydney marginal seats.

Overall, the standard of debate so far has been underwhelming, the issues uninspiring, the vision (what vision?!) absent and as far as the Indian Australian voter goes, they are either being taken for granted, or, worse still, ignored.

We need to be more activist and assertive. We need to demand more of any self-anointed community leaders who claim to speak for us or represent us.

The history of this country - on and off the sporting fieldis replete with examples that unless one is prepared to stand up and be counted, we will be bullied or ignored.

the

are doing little to woo the Indian subcontinent electorate, which could be revealing as to what the future holds

Guest speakers enlighten Seniors

Kingston Indian Seniors Citizens Association’s (KISCA) meeting this month was about the significance of care and prevention of falls in seniors’ day to day living. After briefly welcoming members and invited guests, President Mona Raju handed the afternoon over to Ramba Thoman, a physiotherapist by occupation and an active KISCA member. Ramba outlined various aspects of unsuspected hazards such as tripping while walking in the park, slipping at home when mopping floors, losing balance when trying to reach shelves on higher levels, and others related problems seniors may face every day. Ramba also had a relaxed, yet consistent session of light exercise to enlighten members of the necessity and benefits of keeping mobile and active.

A few members sang Bollywood songs and some entertained the attendees with jokes. A number of prospective new Australian members from India and Fiji who wished to know about the facilities the area offered were invited to join in and enjoyed the afternoon. Tea, coffee and snacks were served at the end of the meet. KISCA next meets on August 15 at the usual Marcus Road, Dingley venue at 2 pm – 5pm, ending with dinner. At this meet, members will celebrate the anniversary of India’s Independence, and later, participate in the KISCA Annual General Meeting. Kingston City Council has requested if KISCA seniors would like to present a cultural item such as an Indian dance for the Harmony Day next year, to which Mona Raju has consented. Mona is now hiring a tutor who would transform interested seniors into part-time Bollywood dancers. Rather interesting! For more information, please call Mona Raju on 85581610.

* * *

Indian Senior Citizens Association (ISCA) this month invited two speakers from the Migrant Resource Council who talked about the role of carers in our society, and provided relevant information about the program. While Moyra Kwan detailed the related social, ethical and legal aspects of the program, Annalica Cannizaro detailed that since even carers needed care, governments have earmarked a Carers Respite Program as well. Under this, the role of the primary carer is taken over by a volunteer for the day, while the carer is allowed a leave of absence from his regular duties. Members, if interested,

were provided contacts numbers of the offices of Carers’ Associations in suburbs where those caring for someone could get further information if they qualify for a grant.

After this rather sombre topic, twenty year old Meghala Bhat lifted spirits with an amazing performance. A dancer of exceptional understanding of her art, she performed three differing aspects of Bharatnatyam, each successive portrayal superseding the previous and superlative in its own right. Meghala runs a school of Classical Indian dances known as Art of Vinyapa, colloquially interpreted as a form of yoga and dance combined, and can be contacted on 0439523950.

ISCA President Dr. Prem Phakey informed me that 2010 has been a great year for ISCA. Firstly, it received the Victorian Multicultural Commission’s “Community Strengthening Grant” toward updating equipment such as the photocopier and the music system. Next, ISCA received another VMC grant toward the “Basant Fair” event held in April and the annual “Multicultural Day Celebrations” in August, both attended by various Ministers and invited dignitaries. These grants are in

also the recipient a Support Grant from the City of Monash towards holding functions in Monash. The grant from the Federal Government was to promote volunteering among the elderly in the Indian community.

This year, ISCA has arranged some highly useful talks on health related topics. In January, Dr. Jasbir Bedi talked about causes and treatment of arthritis. In February, Dr. M. Mundae discussed the management of rheumatism. In March, Dr. D. Kochhar, in his light-hearted manner, talked about aging and mental disorders in the aged, etc. The next major event for ISCA is the Annual

FISCA AGM ends with song

Fijian Indian Citizens Association (FISCA) held its Annual General Meeting on August 1, in which the outgoing President Liladhar Jerry Jeraj highlighted the achievements for the year that included 10th anniversary celebrations, two bus trips to Geelong and FlindersHastings region, joint social function with Ballarat Indians Association at Ballarat, Deepawli, Christmas and Holi festival celebrations, celebration of Prophet Mohammed’s birthday and Buddha Jayanti, etc. In the exercise program at Knox Leisure Centre, 20 seniors attended a 12 week program that was subsidized by the association. 17 of these twenty elected to renewed membership until January 2011.

Jerry commented that FISCA probably is the only Seniors group that took pride in celebrating festivals pertaining to four largest religions in the world, namely Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. He also

noted that more Caucasians attended Hindu festivals, just as more non-Christians attended Christmas festivals and more non-Muslims attended Prophet Mohammad’s birthday celebrations. This is FISCA’s contribution at promoting multi-religious/multi-cultural activities and the Association will continue to celebrate these festivals in the future.

The new Committee includes dedicated and experienced members such as Liladhar Jerry Jeraj, President; Mrs. Satwati Nath, Vice President; Indra Chandra Akhil, Secretary; Ram Vilash, Treasurer; and Nabi Buksh and Brji Bhan Singh, Committee Members.

Once the AGM ended, Brij Bhan Singh was symbolically ‘punished’ for being elected Committee Member and ordered to provide the first item of entertainment. He duly complied with a beautiful bhajan, which was followed by a bhajan by veteran Amar Singh.

followed by a sumptuous lunch for $15.00 per financial member and $ 20.00 for non members. For tickets, call President Phakey on 9560-9607. On September 11, ISCA will hold its AGM at Gaylords Indian Restaurant in the city. A special musical and dance extravaganza is planned for October 9 and on November 13 the ISCA family will celebrate Diwali. The end of the year party and Christmas will come early on December 11. A rather busy cultural calendar coming up!

George Thakur

Next, the FISCA ladies took over and sang several bhajans, conveniently outdoing their male counterparts. Lila Nambiar sang Chaahe Raam Kaho, Chaahe Shyaam kaho, followed by Krishna Pyaare Sanwre, Bansi Bajaate Kyon Naheen by Kamla Jeraj. Daya Sharma, Indu Lal, Kamla Maharaj, Kamla Naidu, Satwati Nath, and Mrs Puran Lal also sang Bollywood songs. Puran Lal and Ram Vilash beautifully rendered ghazals. Jerry ended up with a Shiv bhajan while Chandra Akhil and Ram Kumar threw in a couple of jokes. The day ended with afternoon tea.

The next FISCA meeting will be on August 29 at 2pm at Bayswater Primary School. Since the meeting will coincide with the festival of Janamasthmi, members have been requested to prepare associated discourses and Krishna bhajans. For more information, please contact President Jerry Jeraj on 98491023.

George Thakur

ISCA lunch

Soft heart, strong opinions

I have to confess, to the surprise and annoyance of many, that I am not a great fan of cricket, and even less of cricketers. But interviewing Kapil Dev while sharing a sightseeing trip to Domaine Chandon winery in Melbourne recently, has converted me. I enjoyed the luxury of an entire evening to chat with this cheerful, affable and extremely talented veteran cricketer, whose prowess on the field rightly earned him the sobriquet of ‘Haryana Hurricane’.

Kapil Dev was in Melbourne to collect Pooran Singh’s ashes from the cemetery in Warrnambool, where they have been preserved since the past 63 years (Indian Link, July Issue). He was profoundly moved by the story of this hawker from Victoria, and volunteered to return the ashes to Pooran Singh’s home town in Punjab, their final resting place, where they would be immersed in the river Ganga. It was a great gesture from a humble and yet prolific person.

As Kapil Dev relaxed in the car with his shoes off during the drive and made us listen to his favourite Punjabi and Hindi song he endeared himself with his warmth and easy going chit chat. “I am not a strong headed person, but I have strong opinions,” claimed the cricket legend, adding weight to the statement by frankly commenting on all the topics discussed. After the interview and the time spent with KD, he has one more fan to add to his already impressive listyours truly!

Preeti Jabbal: Tell us a little bit more about your involvement with Pooran Singh’s Ashes story?

Kapil Dev: I am a very emotional person. I came to collect Pooran Singhji’s ashes simply because I believe he deserved a rich tribute. After hearing the stories that have now come out after so many years, I believe he must have been a good and lovable person. Lots of people left home in that era between the 1800s-1900s to make a living abroad, and left an impact on people around them like Pooran Singhji did. It must have been hard for them. I am interested in knowing details of how Pooran Singhji came

negativity around this issue; however it is the responsibility of the media and individuals to not let negativity override all the good work that has been done. Events occur everywhere, even in India, but you can’t run down a country or individual and spoil relationships based on few mishaps. Every Indian coming to Australia is an ambassador for the country, it is also their responsibility to make sure they assimilate to lead a healthy and happy life. Good and negative elements coexist. It is up to us to focus on the positives and live together in harmony.

to be in Australia? What was his journey like? How did he live? How he worked and what kind of impact he made on people around him… It is a very emotional and beautiful story. I hope one day, they make a movie out of his story.

PJ: People are still coming to Australia to make a living or to study here. What do you think of all the recent controversies in relation to Indians living in Australia?

KD: I am disheartened by the stories I hear and read about back home. And personally, I have only one question to ask: how can we

PJ: Do you think Pooran Singh’s story will promote that harmony? Has the Indian media offered his story the same coverage as the negative ones?

KD: Back home in India there is an influx of news channels and they are all out to get a story. Sometimes they do stories for their personal benefit, rather than providing good coverage. I would like to see more positive stories coming out of Australia and India. Pooran Singhji’s story is unique. One good story like this can make such a difference. Fortunately, the media interest in this story has been enormous. I have been interviewed several times over in relation to this, and it

was heartening to see hundreds of people willing to travel to Warrnambool for the final journey of Pooran Singhji’s ashes. I am a person who likes to see the positive side of everything, and I am glad I made the decision to get involved and come out on my own to Melbourne to give Pooran Singhji the respect he deserved.

PJ: Are you still involved with cricket?

KD: Not much. Cricketers like me get involved with working for cricket through cricketing events, TV etc., but all the major decisions are made by the cricket control boards. They are the ones who have the major responsibility towards the sport. The Indian cricket boards are a power in the world of cricket today. I hope they put their heads together and try to do good things for

world cricket.

PJ: What do you think of the IPL?

KD: IPL has a good and bad side. Everyone loves it and enjoys IPL. There is nothing wrong with that, however it is the way it is conducted that can be questioned. As a cricketer I may not like the dancing on field and late night parties etc., but this is a new generation. They think differently. The important thing is that the 20-20 has attracted thousands of people watch the game and that is wonderful for the sport. You cannot only criticize the IPL; you have to say ‘well done, keep up the good work’

PJ: What is your view on criticism of the IPL, that it is a money-making exercise rather than being of real benefit to the sport?

KD: There is nothing wrong with making money. If a game is commercially successful, that is a benefit to the sport. There’s nothing wrong with the IPL making money, as long as they make sure that they are putting some back into the sport. In totality, if cricketers and others are getting a better life out of IPL that’s great, provided they do good work for cricket and bring a good name to the sport that has lasted over 200 years.

PJ: What do you think of ICC’s rejection of the nomination of Ex-Prime Minister John Howard as Vice President?

KD: I have not followed that issue very closely, but I don’t see anything negative in Howard’s nomination. If someone of that stature comes into the sport, then that’s good for cricket. An ex Prime Minister wanting to get involved cannot be bad for the game. Then again, ICC have their own systems and policies, they know better what works for them. They need to make decisions based on what is best for ICC. All I have to say is that hard words are not going to take anyone anywhere. If a politician wants to be involved in sport they need to keep politics aside and focus on improving the infrastructure and name of the game.

PJ: You have written two books so far, any more in the pipeline? On what topics would you write?

KD: I don’t have any plans on writing a book at the moment. It takes a lot of time and I cannot afford that with my present commitments. The books that I have written in the past have not been to make money. A lot of people write and sell their stories. I don’t want to do any such thing, in fact, I am happy to keep my personal life out of the limelight. I am not a strong-headed person, but I have strong opinions. Sometimes my ideas and words are misquoted or misrepresented by the media. They write about me or quote me often, but a lot of their work is influenced by their own preconceived notions. If I write a book it is to give my personal perspective on things which I may have said or done.

A cricketing celebrity makes a kind gesture out of the goodness of his heart. PREETI JABBAL chats with Kapil Dev, who was in Melbourne recently

Every Indian coming to Australia is an ambassador for the country, it is also their responsibility to make sure they assimilate to lead a healthy and happy life. Good and negative elements coexist

Cricketers and wine get better with age (Right) Kapil Dev signs autographs for the staff at Domain Chandon winery

63 years after death, Indian migrant’s ashes reach home

More than six decades after his death, the ashes of Pooran Singh who migrated from Punjab to Australia in 1899 and died here in 1947, were immersed in the Ganga river in Haridwar, in accordance with his last wishes.

Pooran, hailing from Uppal Bhupa village in Jalandhar district, worked as a hawker in Australia, moving from settlement to settlement in a horse-drawn carriage with goods. He died on June 8, 1947 at Warrnambool in Victoria province, aged 77. His body was cremated in Melbourne on June 10, 1947 but his ashes were preserved by the Guyett family, owners of Guyett Funerals, as Pooran had wished his ashes be returned to India to be immersed in the Ganga. Three generations of the Guyett family preserved the ashes till the time Pooran’s last wishes could be fulfilled.

Pooran’s story was broadcast on SBS Radio’s Punjabi program run by Manpreet Singh and covered in local Indian media, and it aroused a huge public response. Renowned cricketer Kapil Dev and Pooran’s grand-nephew Harmel Uppal, who is settled in Britain, especially flew to Melbourne to carry the ashes back to India.

“I came across this unique story through my historian friends Len Kenna and Crystal Jordan. It’s been an amazing journey so far,” said Manpreet Singh, who accompanied Pooran’s ashes to India.

“The response to our trip was overwhelming in Melbourne and the people at Pooran’s village were quite enthusiastic when we reached there with the ashes. We saw Pooran’s ancestral house, renovated with the money which he had sent home,” she added.

“His name is also inscribed outside the house,” she said.

“On July 2 we immersed the ashes in the Ganga,” Manpreet said.

Uppal said he was “very happy that we have been able to fulfill the last wish of Pooran”.

IANS

The moment of emancipation

At Har Ki Pauri, the priest waits for us; he asks Harmel to strip down to his shorts, take a dip in the Ganges, and sit down for the last rituals. The rituals are performed solemnly and earnestly, with the priest explaining every step to us, since none of us has ever witnessed this before After ablutions and prayers, the priest asks Harmel to open the box containing the ashes. We are already carrying a screwdriver with us, aware that the box needs to be prised open. As soon as Harmel opens the side lid, the ashes just pour out…. as if they didn’t want to wait even a millisecond longer … just like that….a white mound of mortal remains from 63 years ago.

The enormity of the moment dawns on us…I cry, Len and Chris are elated, yet fighting back tears, but Harmel is completely stoic –he performs the ceremony with absolute grace and dignity. Within a few minutes, the ashes are poured into the River Ganges, and

we look at them merging with the water, mingling, dissolving, disappearing….. We hug each other and Harmel says with a smile, “Pooran is happy now”. It’s almost as if Harmel feels a release, a mighty unburdening that one feels at the completion of an enormous task

Manpreet Singh

Read Manpreet Singh’s blog and check out the photos at www.sbs.com.au/ yourlanguage/punjabi

Advertorial Sydney readies for Vaikunta Anubhavam in October, 2010

Back in the seventies, when a small group of professionals conceived the grand idea of a pan Hindu temple down under, it seemed like a mission impossible. Both money and manpower was scant. Hectic lobbying saw the grant of land by Wollongong Council for the project. An idol of the god of good beginnings - Ganesha was soon installed. Though the original group of founders started small, they dreamt big. Their vision backed by decades of commitment by ensuing generations, paid rich dividends. Twenty-five years on, the southern continent is now home to one of the largest temples outside India. In October 2010, the Venkateshwara Temple Helensburgh will conduct Brahmotsavam (Brahma’s festival) to invoke eternal blessings and celebrate its iconic status in the community. Auspiciously, the event coincides with Sri Balaji Brahmotsavam in Tirupati.

In the Hindu pantheon, Balaji, an avatar of Vishnu is universal, with a large following irrespective of nationality, region or tradition. Thus diverse Hindus including Indian, Thai, Sri Lankan, Nepali, Malaysian, Balinese, Fijian, South African and of course Australians visit SVT. These groups also actively participate through the year and will manage various events during the ten-day festival.

A thanksgiving ceremony is dedicated to the divine preserver of mankind, ‘Brahma Utsavam’ derives from Lord Brahma, who worshipped Sri Balaji on the banks of holy Pushkarni in Tirupathy. For devout Hindus, Brahmotsavam is a rare opportunity for

Vaikunta Anubhava (experience the heaven itself), making it a truly unique experience in Australia.

The ten-day festival from 9-18 October will be preceded by a special obeisance to Lord Ganesha, as well as the rite of Ankura arpana (sowing the seeds of fertility, prosperity and abundance). Likewise homage will be paid to Sri Viswaksena, the leader of Vishnu’s retinue for safe completion of festivities.

The Brahmotsavam will commence with the customary Dhwaja Aarohana or the hoisting of Garuda’s flag at the Dwajasthambam. In keeping with our ageold traditions, the ten-day period will be marked by daily morning homam, Vedic chanting and elaborate evening alankaar and ritualistic procession; a visual spectacle not to be missed. The utsavamurthy will be taken out in a majestic nightly pageant on nine different vahanas, culminating in the grand chariot procession. A custom designed chariot has been specially created for the historic occasion. On Venkateshwara’s janmanakshatram (birth star), avabhritha utsavam will be held. The auspicious ritualistic abhishekam for Sudarshana Chakra, to be carried by the head priest, will be the highlight of the festival. Being blessed by the holy bath water is said to give lifelong protection of Lord Vishnu himself.

The celebration officially concludes on the 18 October with Dhwaja Avarohanam, the lowering of the Garuda flag and ritualistic farewelling of Gods and sages to Devaloka. Hectic preparations are already underway

for the special event. The temple itself is undergoing extensive refurbishments ahead of the big day. A new amphitheatre for cultural performances has been created. The event has attracted both overseas and local talent, particularly youngsters.

Elaborate infrastructure arrangements have also been put in place to cope with the increased devotee influx during the period. According to conservative estimates, devotee numbers will range from 400 daily on weekdays to 4000 on weekends. Approximately 100 volunteers on weekdays will service their needs. The number will double on weekends.

Free bus transport, to help students, seniors and young families is being organized from key suburbs. Likewise frequent bus shuttles will also run to and from Helensburgh railway station. Annadhanam (free lunch) for all devotees is also being arranged through community kitchens on all ten days.

Meanwhile community groups have lent their support in a massive way. Diverse ethnic groups have already committed to manage each of the ten days, adding to the multicultural flavour and spirit of bonhommie. Each group is providing the social, physical and financial support by way of volunteers, daily community kitchen, participation in religious ceremonies and of course coordinating cultural programs, including many children’s activities.

Community groups are also canvassing support from within their own networks to make the event a huge success. This

includes participation, sponsorship as well as donations.

Major fundraising events by high profile overseas and local artists have already generated tremendous publicity and enormous goodwill within the community at large. These include sell-out performances by Carnatic vocalist OS Arun and Sydney based Rasika Dance Academy. The cultural calendar in the lead up to Brahmotsavam is equally hectic, with more artistes performing (Vidwan TN Krishnan, Usha Karunakaran to name a few). The ever-popular program ‘Darshan in Suburbs’, has also mustered lot of support with numerous community groups hosting the event around town.

“It is heartening to see this spirit of unity”, SVT’s Murali Dharan told Indian Link. “The temple is always open to new ideas and helps individuals and community organizations in every way possible. We are truly humbled by the support that has come from all community organisations, temples, missions, art/cultural/ study groups and student associations. Youth groups in particular are keen to play a major volunteering role at this festival...we wholeheartedly welcome their participation especially on Saturday Fireworks and Sunday Chariot pulling at the Brahmotsavam”.

Can there be a better illustration of the basic Hindu tenet of Vasudeva Kutumbam, he wondered.

Artistes, groups, individuals are all welcome. To participate, contribute, volunteer or find out more visit www.svtsydney.org or call 1300 626 663.

Reviving a surviving relationship

Australia and India have experienced phases of warmth and chill through a relationship spanning decades, but now’s the time to even the balance

and small businessmen, with their creative element tending to be drawn back to India.

BY HAMISH MCDONALD

In 1955, the future novelist Christopher Koch and his travelling companions took an impulsive decision to disembark in Colombo from the passenger liner that was taking them on the post-graduation rite of passage for young Australians, a spell in Britain with forays into continental Europe.

Together with a young Sikh they met on board, they set off on a long journey by ferry and rail across the length of India that was to last months. It was regarded as “madness” by their fellow passengers, Koch recalled. “Their faces, staring down from the rail, wore expressions of doubt and concern: I think they believed India would literally swallow us up.”

Ten years later the experience in India and earlier on port-calls in Java was transformed into Koch’s novel Across the Sea Wall. A further two decades on, in his essay Crossing the Gap published in 1987, Koch further distilled his encounters with India, Java and Hinduism into a sense of shared duality about Europe and Asia, writing “...I concluded that Australia and India, in at least one way, might be akin in spirit. Australians might well become the Hindus of the south.”

A half-century after Koch’s impulse, another Australian writer, Christopher Kremmer, embarked on an exploration of Hinduism in his book Inhaling the Mahatma. Eventually he is asked by a mahant (holy man) in Varanasi whether he has decided to become Hindu. “I think I am a Hindu,” Kremmer replies. “Always have been. No need to become one.” The following morning, he takes his first ritual dip in the Ganges. “It felt good to be home, good to be free. I would be keeping the name my parents gave me, the wisdom of India’s sages, a healthy scepticism, and the secret of how a polluted river can make you clean, grinding it all down until it resembled something I could call my own.”

For their part, Indian writers have so far seen little spiritual to explore in Australia, not even in the Aboriginal mythology and cave-art that might have pre-historic kinship or affinities. For example, novelist Salman Rushdie’s visit to northern Australia accompanying his friend Bruce Chatwin on research for The Songlines, resulted in a wry travel narrative focussed on unreflective White Australians in the Outback.

The 95,000 Indians who enrolled in Australian universities and colleges in 2008 came for the most part for explicitly vocational courses, many in business or information technology. The 235,000 settlers of Indian origin are merged into the predominant urban lifestyle of Australia as professionals, entrepreneurs, executives, bureaucrats

Which is natural enough, given Australia’s overwhelming materialism, and the slowness of a mythology of the land to emerge among its nonindigenous people. But it does help explain the sense of unrequitedness that periodically emerges in Australian studies, of that amorphous thing, the “relationship” between the two nations.

Commentators and newly-elected governments regularly discover a “neglected” relationship, and in the usual reversion to cricket metaphors, talk of “dropped catches” in the games of diplomacy and trade. “The rhythm of Australia’s dealings with India is a constant series of rediscoveries, matched by regular disjunctions and disappointments,” noted the ABC’s Graeme Dobell, on the eve of a prime ministerial visit by John Howard in 2006, aimed at picking up the ball again.

The sense of closeness has certainly waxed and waned with the affinity between the Indian and Australian leaders of the day.

There was cordiality around the time of India’s independence from British rule in 1947. An Australian, Richard Casey, had been appointed governor of Bengal in early 1944; together with a new viceroy in New Delhi, he had alleviated the notorious famine caused by the neglect of their predecessors and shown a new openness to contact across racial lines.

The Australian Labor Party government had reached out to the new Indian government, with prime minister Ben Chifley and foreign minister Herbert Evatt getting on well with Indian prime minister Jawarharlal Nehru, a relationship that no doubt played a part in Nehru’s decision to keep India in the new Commonwealth that was replacing the British empire.

By the time Koch made his trip in 1955, things were cooling. The prime minister elected in 1949 at the head of a conservative coalition, Robert Menzies, felt India had been unready for independence, was showing its immaturity in its openness to the Communist countries and its role in the emerging Non-Aligned Movement. Pakistan - anti-communist, pro-American - seemed a more reliable prospect.

Sentiment reached a low point in 1960 when Nehru took the podium in the United Nations to tear apart a draft resolution on the Cold War sponsored by Australia. Menzies sat in the General Assembly seething, later writing to his wife about Nehru’s speech: “All the primitive came out in him.”

There was a bounceback in 1962 after China’s surprise attacks across the Himalayan border, when Australia along with the big Western powers, took India’s side. But this was dissipated by developments in subsequent years, notably the Indo-Soviet agreement of 1971 that gave India preferred access to modern Soviet arms. A new Labor prime minister, Gough Whitlam, sought to rebuild relations with democratic India, now led by Nehru’s

In the India-Australia equation, writers and sportsmen have found success where diplomats and statesmen have struggled: Leading Indian fashion designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla pick Aussie cricketer Brett Lee to star alongside socialite Shweta Bachchan Nanda at their event at the Delhi Couture Week, 25 July 2010 (AP Photo)

daughter Indira Gandhi, to balance his new ties with China, but again misgivings set in over India’s “peace nuclear explosion” in 1974 and Indira’s suspension of democracy under her Emergency rule declared in 1975.

Whitlam’s conservative successor, Malcolm Fraser, found an unlikely fellow soul in Indira’s replacement after the restoration of democracy, Morarji Desai, visiting India three times as prime minister. So did the next Labor prime minister Bob Hawke, with Rajiv Gandhi, who became India’s prime minister after his mother’s assassination in 1984.

Rajiv’s visit to Australia in 1986, the most recent by an Indian prime minister, was marked by effusive oratory, and several concrete steps emerged through the remainder of Labor’s 13-year rule under Hawke, and then Paul Keating. A modern open-cut coal mine at Piparwar, Bihar, was opened by Australia’s White Industries, with Australia providing 40 percent of the A$500 million funding. A new Australia-India Council and a National Centre for South Asian Studies were set up in 1992.

The end of the Cold War and collapse of the Soviet Union over 1989-92, plus a balance of payments crisis in India in 1990-91, lessened Australian concerns about the ambitious naval expansion India had sketched out in the mid1980s - a concern used by Australia’s navy to clinch a decision on its A$6 billion acquisition of new submarines.

Then India’s economic reforms from mid1991 signalled a decisive turn from the autarchic development policies begun under Nehru, and a new openness to trade and foreign investment emerged. As Meg Gurry asked in a 1996 paper for Griffith University, was this the “end of neglect?”

A study by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s economic unit in 1994, India’s Economy at the Midnight Hour, set a new utilitarian agenda for the relationship. Keating, by then prime minister, was focussed more on East Asia but his government launched a multi-million dollar trade and cultural expo in India, titled New Horizons.

When it was held in December 1996, Keating’s conservative successor, John Howard, did not attend. In 1997, his government’s first Foreign Affairs White Paper did not rank India as one of

Commentators and newlyelected governments regularly discover a “neglected” relationship, and in the usual reversion to cricket metaphors, talk of “dropped catches” in the games of diplomacy and trade

the states that “most substantially engage Australia”. Later that year, Australia took a leading role against India’s application to join the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, supporting the 10-year moratorium on new members.

When a new Indian government led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party carried out overt nuclear tests in May 1998, Howard called them “outrageous acts” in search of a “grotesque status symbol” and imposed sanctions that included cutting all military-to-military ties, even hauling an Indian officer out of a defence college classroom in Canberra. “Australia’s response to India’s nuclear tests is the most abrasive of all the responses at the international level,” noted Jawarharlal Nehru University’s Man Mohini Kaul.

The pendulum swung back quickly with Howard visiting India and dropping sanctions in 2000, and again visiting in 2006. By 2005, it was India that was facilitating Australia’s entry to a regional forum. Its admission to the East Asian Summit (initially grouping the 10 Asean nations with China, Japan and South Korea) made it easier for Australia and New Zealand to get in. Canberra is now explicitly in favour of India’s admission to APEC when the new membership moratorium is lifted in 2010. This contact may even out the “fits and starts” of the relationship. As Meg Gurry observed in her 1996 study, it needs a multilateral, regional setting: “Leadership affinity and unilateral diplomatic initiatives are not enough.”

But the relationship today can no longer be described as neglected, though it is far from full potential. Indians represent the largest body of foreign students in Australia, and at least until the start of the global downturn in late 2008 and the change in visa rules in late 2009-early 2010 for students, their numbers were growing by some 40 percent annually. The Indian community is the nineth largest minority community in Australia. Indian books, film, home decoration and food have a widening popularity.

India became Australia’s 6th largest partner in merchandise trade in 2009, with two-way trade reaching A$16.5 billion, of which 85 percent were Australian exports. Likewise trade in services was heavily weighted in Australia’s favour, with about

$3.7 billion earned from India, mostly in education, and India selling $666 million in IT and other services. Investment is more evenly balanced, but still at modest levels in manufacturing, IT, car components, mining, metal processing, agribusiness and tourism. In August 2007 it was agreed to study a bilateral free trade agreement.

At government level, Labor’s Kevin Rudd elected in November 2007, set out to resolve the “neglect” of the previous Howard era. Like Whitlam, India became valuable insurance against any perceived tilt to China. “It is absolutely essential in the course of this century that Australia takes its relationship with India to a new level, that we take our relationship with India to the front line of our international partnerships,” declared his foreign minister, Stephen Smith in 2008. “..That period of fits and starts is over. Australia’s past approach to India has been like a 20/20 cricket match: short bursts of enthusiasm followed by lengthy periods of inactivity.”

A visit by India’s external affairs minister, Pranab Mukherjee came amid a flurry of ministerial visits, and agreements covering defence cooperation, air services, customs, terrorism, and scientific research. Still, there are expressions of unfulfilled partnership, at least on the Australian side. “The complementarity between our countries rests on much more than the English language, cricket, hockey and burgeoning economic, educational and scientific linkages,’’ Smith said. “That complementarity rests on profound values and virtues we have in common, including democracy, pluralism and the rule of law. They include our shared wish to play constructive roles in regional and world affairs.”

Yet the perception of equivocation is not entirely on the Australian side. In India, there is a view that Australia is not its own man in foreign policy, that it follows the American lead in its relationships. This was compounded by the coincidence that both of John Howard’s official visits to New Delhi followed closely on those of American presidents, in 2000 after Bill Clinton and in 2006 after George Bush, and that on both occasions, Canberra’s decisions - to forgive the 1998 nuclear tests and later to endorse civil nuclear programs with India - also followed similar steps by the United States.

If, as Howard’s foreign minister Alexander

Downer recently claimed in opposition, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs tends to dismiss Australia as a significant independent regional player, his government hardly acted to dispel such thinking. One of Labor’s big sticking points with India comes from not following Washington’s lead. It is caught in a policy dilemma about nuclear issues. Support for the Non-Proliferation Treaty has acquired totemic status in Labor policy, yet the American acceptance of India’s weapon status and domestic pressure lift the ban on uranium trade with non-NPT signatories like India conflict with the goal of a closer embrace. Labor has bought time by supporting an opening of civil nuclear exchanges with India in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, while maintaining the uranium export ban. It will be some years before India has the new reactors that might need uranium imports, but eventually something will have to give - either Australia, or the NPT signatories.

Canberra also has to think through the rise of Indian strategic power, especially now that former budgetary constraints on the Indian defence forces are slipping. Rudd explicitly rejected the idea of drawing India into a strategic alignment of democracies with the United States, Japan and Australia - an idea with antecedents promoted by Canberra and Washington after the 1962 border war, and briefly pushed by former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2006-07- on the grounds that it could be self-fulfilling in creating a belligerent China.

Yet as India builds its capacity to project power through acquisition of new aircraft carriers and missile-carrying submarines, the need to understand its defence doctrines, its foreign policy formulation, its interaction with other powers to the East and West, will become more pressing.

At present Australia’s peak intelligence body, the Office of National Assessments, is said to be struggling to build its analytical expertise on India. Australian diplomats are learning about India after they arrive in their postings. The arrest of the Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef in 2007 exposed the tenuous ability of the Australian Federal Police to handle interviews in Hindi or Urdu, surely a necessary expertise in the anti-terrorism field.

This can only get worse if the current woeful state of Indian studies in Australian universities is not reversed. With an ageing faculty either retiring or being lured off to Singapore’s new Indian centre, only the University of NSW offers a full semester of modern Indian history and only the ANU, fullytaught Hindi and Sanskrit.

Twenty years ago, in 1989, the Ingleson Report into the state of Asian Studies found that 15 out of Australia’s then 19 universities offered intensive teaching on South Asian topics, notes Kama Maclean, who teaches the UNSW course. “At that time, Australia was a place in which research on Indian history had attained international attention. Much of the early work of the Subaltern Studies collective was based at Australian National University in Canberra, and researchers such as A L Basham, Ravinder Kumar, D A Low, Robin Moore, Robin Jeffrey, Tom Weber and Peter Reeves achieved global recognition for their scholarship.’’ Cricket and Commonwealth have always been the fallback. But the controversy in January 2008 when the Indian cricket tour was put in doubt over the alleged “racist” comments of Indian player Harbhajan Singh, suggests a new competitive nationalism is pushing out the “gentlemanly” side of the game, and that Australia is yet to appreciate the power of India’s huge new media audience. The media uproar in India over the spate of attacks on Indian students in Australian cities only emphasised that. India has been changing fast and Australian institutions are struggling to keep up in their reactions.

Yet as India builds its capacity to project power through acquisition of new aircraft carriers and missile-carrying submarines, the need to understand its defence doctrines, its foreign policy formulation, its interaction with other powers to the East and West, will become more pressing

Hamish McDonald is Asia-Pacific Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and author of the forthcoming Mahabharata in Polyester from New South Books at the University of NSW Press. This article is an update of an essay for Melbourne University’s Asialink Index.

A new kind of Independence

BY SHERYL DIXIT

This year, Independence Day in India will be celebrated in it usual style and splendour. The nation will rejoice in its 63 years of freedom, its economic and social progress and its increasing strength as a force to reckon with in the world.

But there’s much more to celebrate than the usual march pasts and flag hoistings, because independence has taken on different avatars in the India of today. Let’s take a look at what makes India truly liberated.

IT ka kamaal

Khana Khazana

Yes, India these days is in the throes of a Food Revolution. And this is not about national cuisine, it’s about the width and variety of international food now available. From an inspirational Italian restaurant in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad to a tiny, poky joint serving delicious Tibetan food in Anjuna, Goa, India now has it all. Move over dal makhani, sambar, rotis and even Indian Chinese, meals these days aren’t quite the same without Mexican, Thai, Cantonese Chinese, Italian, Greek or Lebanese gracing the weekly menu, even in one’s home. Naturally if one’s household boasts of a cook, he’s even sent to classes to expand his repertoire of dishes. Ramukaka can now cook the most delicious vegetable lasagne or chicken provincale, says madam with obvious pride. And that’s not all that’s changed. How about muesli for breakfast, the healthier option to parathas? Catering for a kitty party or a boys’ night in? Cocktail samosas, chicken tikka and pakoras are passé, bring on the tapas. Teatime treats are not quite Marie biscuits and masala chai any more. Bakeries boasting only celebrity clientele will sell you special brownies or scones – but only if you come recommended by one of their regulars! Ah, for the ancient delights of bun maska and cutting chai….

India is known as an IT hub, and its nationals are making sure everyone knows it as well. Now even the istriwala gives you his mobile number, all you have to do is call him to find out when your clothes will be ready. Most likely they won’t be, but it’s worth listening to his ringtone, the newest Bollywood blockbuster theme song. Give him a few months and you’ll be able to visit his website and track down the status of your ironing. Payments though, will still have to be paid upfront in cash, because his subjiwala is a well-known hacker. Independence through IT has never been more blatant than now, and is heading for some pretty competitive times. Travelling interstate by train via third class AC, you’ll find men of the family engrossed in their laptops, while their children fiddle with DSs and their wives talk incessantly on their mobile phones. Throw a stone and you’ll hit a Blackberry or iPhone with its owner looking at the screen in mystification. Flat screens, plasmas, Bluetooth DVDs, Wiis, Playstation – they’re all there, fighting fit and enjoying their time in the limelight. Also, let’s not forget the internet revolution with Facebook and Twitter, with everyone and his dog displaying their lives and sins to the world. In this, India isn’t alone of course, but I wonder if there’s any other country in the world in which its lead actresses have numerous profiles that they probably don’t even know exist!

The celebration of freedom on August 15 is more than just a reminder of India’s Independence Day

Shaadihojaye?

Here’s one concept that’s rapidly going out of style, much to the relief of the country’s upbeat and in-with-it youth. India’s young men and women have finally convinced conservative parents that the best way to find a ‘suitable’ partner is to enrol on a matchmaking site. They list their own specifications including interests, hobbies, and what they desire in a partner and voila! The search is on! Of course, one does hear the occasional story of two interested parties who communicated long and hard until the ‘meeting’ stage, only to realise that it was both sets of parents representing their kids, who were blissfully ignorant of the entire exercise. And there are the jokers who download heavily retouched photographs covering the acne and correcting the vision, in the hope of getting a hit from a similarly phoney party. But what the hell, the best thing ever is that one can now confidently boast to friends that they met their partner ‘on the internet’. How much cooler is that than an ‘arranged marriage’!

Paisa phaiko

Yes, money’s flowing all around India like the tributaries of the Ganges. Restaurants and retailers enthusiastically overcharge, doormen at fancy hotels expect more than a mere Rs 100 note for parking your car and the ten paisa coin is now almost obsolete. You are even likely to cop a dirty look from the beggar or eunuch with palm outstretched at signal lights, particularly if your only offering is a five rupee coin. And the amazing thing is that people actually spend incredible amounts of money. A night out with a couple of friends could cost up to Rs 50,000 in a posh restaurant with a bar, but the noisy DJ belting out remixed Bollywood tunes would be a part of the deal. And that would be normal for some people in India, but would make us poor videshis living abroad wonder at the sheer indulgence of it all. So while you’re busy converting rupees into dollars while looking at kurtis in what you thought was a reasonably priced shopping mall in Malad, a bright young thing walks around randomly picking up stuff and toting up a bill that easily hits five figures. And she’s still talking to her call centre friends on her iPhone while you’re desperately trying to relocate your jaw that’s fallen to the floor. The nouveau richies spend money almost as quickly as they earn it, and the concept of ‘saving’ which I was brought up to believe is almost as old as India’s history, has somehow slipped through the cracks. Money means independence to this young breed of big spenders, and they’re happy to pay the price for their freedom.

all the unreal ingredients of escapism, there used to be the one-off movie that broke the mould. But now, things have changed to such an extent that the number of good movies coming out of Bollywood are worth way more than one’s three hours. Social themes are tackled with panache, topics like terrorism, abuse, disabilities, and the malaise in the education system are being highlighted in realistic, yet tasteful cinematic style. Bollywood has finally come of age, and it’s an independence that’s welcomed by the nation (and its unworthy compatriots residing abroad). Even the commercial no-brainers appeal with their gorgeous actors, stunning sets and locales, rhythm-filled music and of course, the ever appealing item dances. Unfortunately, all can’t be great in this mega-industry and the problem is with its actors. They’re talented, goodlooking and mind-numbingly boring! Actors today display their lives on Twitter and personal blogs, leaving very little to the imagination of fans and to the gossip writers of film magazines. Live-ins are popular, but not shocking after the initial speculative excitement. Break-ups, makeups, getting hooked are all a part of Bollywood, but seem to have lost their appeal. There isn’t that sense of intrigue or mystery about the acting fraternity any more, they’re all quite normal instead of being the quirky, temperamental creatures we expect them to be.

in-laws, interfering parents and ungrateful children. Everyone enjoys a sense of independence as grandparents spend quality time with their grandkids without feeling that they’re being put-upon, parents enjoy the responsibility of yelling at their kids without having to endure disapproving looks, and the grandchildren enjoy playing one set of adults against the other. Wealthier families who still abide by the concept have now rebuilt their homes to include a floor for each branch of the family, and the rules of ‘sharing’ a kitchen and mealtimes taken all together is rapidly fading, regardless of what dada/dadi Besides, they’re too busy finding old friends on Facebook!

cricket as the common man kicking around a ball in narrow alleyways, as hitting a ‘six’, which breaks an unpopular neighbour’s window for the nth time. For the rich, famous and their wannabes, golf, motorsport and yachting are now buzzwords.

But in the same perspective, there’s way more awareness of women’s rights, girl children are no longer considered a liability, people are willing to be generous for a good cause, there is a genuine desire to learn and educate and the coils of corruption are slowly, but surely untangling. Yes, India today is certainly more liberated that it ever was, since the advent of Independence in Jai hind…or is it Jai

Flash floods claim 132 lives in Leh, 500 still missing

Over 500 people, including a Spanish tourist and 20 Army soldiers, were missing after a cloudburst caused flash floods in Jammu and Kashmir’s Leh town on 6th August, claiming at least 132 lives and causing widespread destruction.

Four Air India flights have reached the town to evacuate stranded passengers, most of them foreigners, while the Indian Air Force sent more planes with relief supplies.

Inspector General of Police (Kashmir zone) Farooq Ahmad said the 111 bodies identified so far do not include any foreigner. The rescue teams have fanned out to six villages near Leh that had not yet been reached during the relief operations.

Over 400 people were injured in the disaster, including a Spanish tourist, and are being treated in a local hospital, he said. The bodies of four policemen who died in the rescue operations were airlifted to Srinagar, where tributes were paid to them. Their bodies were later sent to their hometown, Kargil, in the Ladakh region.

Ahmed said that medical personnel and relief supplies had begun reaching in strength and special flights have been flying out stranded tourists.

At least 20 soldiers deployed near the base camp of Siachen glacier - the highest battleground of the world at the height of 18,000 feet above sea level - are still missing and are feared dead, army sources said in Jammu.

The sources said that they feared that the soldiers were dead as there was no trace of life anywhere in the area they were posted in.

The IAF has pressed more aircraft into service to take relief material. Besides Chandigarh and Delhi, relief supplies are being ferried in from Jammu and Udhampur as well, an army spokesman said in Jammu.

“An IL-76 and AN-32 transport planes took off from Jammu and Udhampur on 8th August with relief material and also debris clearing machines like earthmovers and engineering equipment, provided by the Northern Command of the Indian Army,” the spokesman said.

Stunned locals are still trying to come to terms with the tragedy that hit Leh, which is popular with Indians and foreigners alike. The floods razed important buildings and washed away homes as people desperately tried to escape.

Survivors clawed through their devastated homes to look for their near and dear ones - some who survived while others were not so lucky.

The shocked tourists promptly made a beeline for the airport to leave the town at the earliest.

Britain on 8th August advised its citizens against travelling to Ladakh and asked those in the area to follow “local advice”.

“Due to ongoing disruption following floods, we advise against travel to Leh and the surrounding area at the current time,” said a travel advisory issued by the British foreign office.

The police have set up tented accommodation for 2,000 victims in Choglamsar village and Leh town where free meals are being served.

In Delhi, NGO Save the Children appealed to the people to contribute relief material like blankets and household utility kits.

“About 5,000 blankets are required immediately to keep people warm, particularly children as homes have been damaged and the weather conditions are poor,” said Thomas Chandy, the NGO’s chief executive officer.

“About 5,000 household and hygiene kits are required. Tarpaulins and medical

Head in the sand: India’s leading sand sculptor Sudarshan Pattnaik won the People’s Choice Award at the Eighth International Sand Sculpture Festival held in Berlin recently. Pattnaik’s work is entitled You don’t listen. You don’t talk. You don’t see. Don’t put your head in the sand, act now. Pattnaik had earlier won the award in 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2009.

assistance are some of the other critical needs of the victims,” he said.

Save the Children is coordinating relief efforts with international NGO Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and local NGOs.

To lend a helping hand or to donate one can call or SMS at +91 8898619953 and +91 9811320906 or log onto www. savethechildren.in

Over 6,000 army soldiers and troopers of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) are involved in the massive relief and rescue operation and are assisting the local administration.

Leh is 434 km from Srinagar and 474 km from Manali in Himachal Pradesh, to which it is connected by an alternative highway.

The cloudburst occurred at Choglamsar village, which is situated above Leh town, causing flash floods and mudslides that washed away government offices, paramilitary camps and residential homes.

Among the worst hit are the Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), many local hotels and shops.

The headquarters of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), a government polytechnic, an ITBP camp, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp, some government offices and the main transmitter of All India Radio Leh have been extensively damaged by the flash floods.

The general manager of BSNL said that according to preliminary estimates the corporation has suffered a loss of around Rs.12 crore and the damage has led to communications being completely disrupted in Leh.

Another service provider, Airtel whose network is still operating in Leh, has issued SIM cards to the local administration for setting up helplines.

Situated at 3,524 m above sea level, Leh is spread over 45,110 sq. km. and comprises the main town and 12 adjacent villages.

Pakistani teenager mistakenly enters India, sent back

A Pakistani teenager who had inadvertently entered Indian territory on 8th August has been sent back to his country by the Border Security Force (BSF), an officer said.

According to the officer, Mohammed Hyder, 16, had entered Indian territory from near the Rorawali post at around 4 a.m.

“On seeing a boy coming from Pakistan side, we immediately challenged him and he surrendered to us. During his questioning, we found him innocent and informed the Pakistan Rangers,” the BSF officer said.

“Hyder is a resident of Golmandi in Lahore. He was repatriated from the same point of Rorawali post from where he had entered India.”

In normal practice, if any Pakistan national enters India unintentionally, he is handed over to Pakistan Rangers through the Attari-Wagah joint check-post, around 30 km from here.

“The boy was found innocent and he had entered India by mistake. Moreover, keeping in mind his age, we decided to send him back through the Rorawali post,” said the BSF officer.

Efforts on to check worst oil spill in Arabian Sea

Efforts have been launched on a war footing to combat an unprecedented oil spill in the Arabian Sea, spanning around two miles, from a Panaman ship which crashed into another vessel in Mumbai harbour.

The oil spilled from Panaman ship MSC Chitra which collided with a St. Kittsregistered vessel, MV Khalijia-III, on 7th August.

In the biggest such operation mounted so far in the Indian waters, the authorities have deployed five ICG ships, a helicopter and a small aircraft for controlling the massive oil spill in the Mumbai harbour, around five km south of the island city, an Indian Coast

Guard (ICG)officer said.

The affected ship, MSC Chitra, was loaded with an estimated 2,500 tonnes of oil at the time of the accident, but officials declined to comment on this.

Due to the impact of the collision, MSC Chitra has dangerously tilted in the sea and rescue groups were seeing containers that it was carrying falling from it at regular intervals.

The containers are floating in the choppy sea in the busy navigation channels that are the entry to and exit from one of the country’s oldest and the largest ports - the Mumbai Port - and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).

In view of the serious hazard posed by floating containers to vessels navigating in that area, the shipping traffic has been kept on hold for the time being.

Meanwhile, the ICG ships - Sankalp, Amrit Kaur, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Kamla Devi and C-145 - have joined the ICG AOPV Sangram which was deployed to monitor the oil spill and guide the relief efforts.

A helicopter and a small aircraft have been pressed into service for aerial spraying of dispersants on the thick oil slick through regular sorties.

So far, they have sprayed nearly 150 litres of dispersant, the officer said.

The ICG’s smaller vessels are now engaged in churning down the oil sheen for weathering or emulsification, but the discharge from the grounded ship continued, thwarting the efforts by different agencies.

The officer said that the authorities are making the best efforts to mitigate and minimise the damage to the sea due to the oil spill.

“Containment and recovery of spilled oil in present position is not feasible because of the rocky surface and the prevailing weather and tidal conditions,” the officer explained.

Photo: IANS

Though officials declined to hazard a guess on the time-frame, it is expected that the operation may go on for over a week.

The ICG has also requisitioned additional pollution check assistance from Goa, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and other agencies.

The state government, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and the Maharashtra Maritime Board are also in a state of high alert to mobilize resources for a shore clean-up if required, according to the officer.

Besides, the Bombay Natural History Society has been approached to mobilize and keep volunteers on standby for shore cleanup operations.

In the meantime, the maritime authorities have requested the state government to restrict all fishing activities off Mumbai till the oil effects are controlled and minimized.

The shipping agency of MSC Chitra has engaged Smit Salvage of Singapore to help out with the salvage operations of the fully loaded cargo ship.

The MSC Chitra collided with an incoming vessel, MV Khalijia-III - both more than 200 metres long – on 7th August around 9.45 a.m. near the JNPT, creating the emergency situation.

Shortly after the accident, the ICG rescued 33 crew members and evacuate them to safety, even as the MSC Chitra ran aground near the Prong Reef Lighthouse.

The Directorate General of Shipping and the port authorities have already instituted separate inquiries into the accident, which occurred due to navigational errors, as per preliminary reports, said officials.

Tejaswini becomes first Indian woman shooter to win gold at World Championships

Tejaswini Sawant has became the first Indian woman shooter to win a gold at the World Championships with a world record equalling score in the 50m rifle prone event in Munich on 8th August. She dedicated the medal to her father, who had been her pillar of strength and passed away earlier this year.

Tejaswini shot 597 (100,100,100,99,99,99) and was tied with Polish shooter Ewa Joanna Nowakowska, equalling the 1998 record set by Marina Bobkova of Russia. She was declared winner with a better perfect score tally of 41. Olga Dovgun of Kazakhstan won the bronze with a score of 596.

After winning the medal, the gritty girl recalled how at one point financial constrains forced her to consider giving up shooting, but the strong support of her family, especially her father, kepy her going.

“I dedicate this gold to my father,” Tejaswini said.

Tejaswini’s father passed away Feb 23 when she was competing at the Commonwealth Championships.

“I was shattered after hearing the news, but I could not leave the competition. I was part of the team and had I left, the team would not not have been able to participate,” she said.

“I owe it to him. On many occasion I told him that I will not go for the camps and tournaments, because it was getting difficult for my family to afford it. We have seen some bad days. But he would always tell me to continue shooting and somehow he would manage the finances,” said Tejaswini, 29, who won two gold medals in the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games in the air rifle event.

She won gold medals in 10m air rifle singles and 10m air rifle pairs (with Avneet Kaur Sidhu).

Tejaswini says she could have broken the world record but nerves got the better of her in the last shot.

I have been training hard and as per the plans charted out, I was supposed to score my personal best here. I won the gold with a world equalling score, I could not have asked for more,” she said.

India’s shooting coach Sunny Thomas was elated with Tejaswini’s performance.

“It came as a pleasant surprise. I was expecting a medal from her in the rifle 3 position event. She was very confident and she did well in the elimination, but could not produce the same performance in the finals. She made up in the prone. She is the World Champion and it is a huge achievement. She is only the fifth world-record holder in India,” Thomas said.

Thomas said it was a mixed performance from the Indian shooters at the World Championships.

“There are some shooters who peaked in the tournament, but there were some shooters who were nowhere. There were a lot of expectations from some of them. It could be a completely different team in the Commonwealth Games because the scores of this event would be taken for final selection. For shooters who could not participate in this event, we would have another selection trial.”

Dialogue with Pakistan must despite WikiLeaks, says India

It is vital to talk to Pakistan despite

against India”.

The foreign secretary was asked if this held true despite WikiLeaks disclosures that Pakistan was directly and clearly involving in instigating terror against India, including in Afghanistan.

“I believe that dialogue is the most effective means to tackle outstanding issues with Pakistan,” she said. “In other words, dialogue is the most intelligent means of addressing points of contention.”

Dialogue, she said, “has served the purpose of putting across our deepest concerns in Pakistan”.

She said that what WikiLeaks had come out with was known to India for a long time.

“The role of officials agencies from Pakistan in promoting terrorism against India is something we have been speaking of and drawing attention to for a long time now,” Rao said.

“We understand and we know that country better perhaps than any other country in the world.”

She denied that India was dependent on the US to curb Pakistan’s terror machine.

“We are not dependent on any third country when it comes to transacting relations with Pakistan,” she said. “We deal directly with Pakistan, and bilateral issues are taken up bilaterally with that country.”

Turning to Afghanistan, Rao said that Washington’s increasing leaning

against India as the history of the last 60 years goes”.

She sought to allay fears that Pakistan would virtually take over Afghanistan once the US military left, saying Afghans were too independent a people to allow themselves to be subjugated.

“Afghanistan is a fiercely independent country. And the take away we have had from meetings with the Afghan leadership in the recent past is that they are zealous about guarding that independence.”

A former Indian envoy in Beijing, Rao said the relationship between India and China was complex but would be the “big story of the 21st century”.

“A story based on dialogue, which we intend to conduct intelligently and which we intend to conduct with confidence so that our concerns are protected always,” she added.

Rao said the two Asian giants not only have a multi-pronged, multi-sectoral dialogue but also consulted each other on multilateral issues.

India and China fought a war in 1962 but have since witnessed an increasing economic relationship, with trade volume expected to increase to $60 billion by the end of this year.

A fresh start: British Prime Minister David Cameron plays cricket with school children at the National Hockey Stadium in New Delhi during his recent visit to India. Cameron pledged to strengthen relations with India ahead of wide-ranging talks that focussed on trade and security.

Photo: AP

Mere desh ki dharti...

Of all the themes that govern its films, Bollywood’s best can be found in its patriotic ones

BY SHRADDHA ARJUN

What is the true meaning of being an Indian? This is a question that I have often pondered about. In a culturally diverse nation like ours it is really hard to stereotype our lot! What holds us together despite our differences is still difficult to fathom. However, there is some sense of harmony amidst the chaos, a method to the madness and that is the undying spirit of togetherness, brotherhood and optimism that keeps us going. Indian cinema has always been a reflection of our society, aspirations and dreams, of current issues and achievements as they unfold. And when it comes to what we call ‘patriotic’ films about our heroes and great leaders, there has been nothing short of greatness and cinematic excellence.

When choosing my list of top ten films in this category, I found it hard to rate them. It would be unfair to rate one better than the other. With a change in technology and circumstances, films made about patriotism are different and deal with issues that are not always the same.

So here’s a host of films to choose from, epics that have received appreciation and accolades from all over the world, and which have touched the hearts of millions of Indians.

10Upkaar The genre of patriotic films as we know it cannot be separated from that living legend of Indian cinema, Shri Manoj Kumar. In 1965, when the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri asked him to create a film based on the slogan Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Manoj Kumar made his magnum opus Upkaar (1967). It marked his directorial debut and won him four Filmfare awards, the second Best Feature Film National Award and

the BFJA award for best dialogues. The film had great music composed by Kalyanji –Anandji and the song Mere desh ki dharti, sung by Mahendra Kapooor became immensely popular, akin to an anthem. The song is still popular and is played on occasions like the Independence Day and Republic Day, and at several functions and ceremonies in India. The film was made soon after the Indo-Pak war of 1965, and captured the spirit and mood of the Indian audience, making it a box office hit as well.

9Lagaan A deadly combination of rebellion against the British raj and of cricket, the movie instantly hit the right chord with its Indian audience. Set in the Victorian period, the story revolved around farmers from a barren land who were oppressed and forced to pay high taxes imposed by the British. To resolve the issue a senior officer decides to cancel their taxes for three years if the village team beat them in a game of cricket. What happens eventually, is now history. This film made us proud; indeed it made it all the way to the Oscars, losing only to the best in the category. With a formidable combination of Aamir Khan, AR Rahman and Ashutosh Gowarikar, it was a complete entertainer with the right dosage of fun and drama that kept the audience unmoving and on edge, even through its rather lengthy climax. Made with great grandeur and skill, this film is an absolute delight to watch irrespective of one’s age, nationality or social status.

8Mother India In what some say is Nargis’ best performance as an actress, this film is in the league of timeless Indian classics. It was also nominated in the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars in 1958. The central character Radha, portrayed by Nargis, was a representation of

A deadly combination of rebellion against the British raj and of cricket, Lagaan instantly hit the right chord with its Indian audience

the Indian woman in relation to a then newly independent nation. It juxtaposed moral and traditional Indian values against modernisation and technical advancement of Indian society. It also brought rural life to the forefront, and was able to capture the true essence of India as it was in that era.

7Swades

This film might have been a fiasco at the box office, but in my opinion, it is a very honest movie made with great conviction and sincerity. It explored the infamous issue of Brain Drain and the growing shortage of knowledgeable minds and geniuses in India. The central character played by Shahrukh Khan was unlike any role he had ever done in his career. His earnest attempt in the role of a successful Indian scientist was noteworthy and heart-warming. The simple story is of an Indian scientist who decides to come back home for good, following a short stay with his nanny and the village folk where he rediscovers his roots. The film criticizes discrimination based on the ancient caste system and also tackles issues of imbalanced growth and development in modern day. The songs composed by AR Rahman are hummable and became chartbusters eventually. But despite critical acclaim, the film didn’t go too far with the Indian audiences.

6The Bhagat Singh Movie

Marathon Numerous films have been made portraying the life and struggle of this freedom fighter who gave his life up for his nation. The spirit of rebellion, anger, youthfulness and tragedy in the life of the character seems interesting and inspiring to many filmmakers. Manoj Kumar’s image as a patriotic hero started with the film Shaheed (1965), where he played the role of the martyr who fought relentlessly for India’s freedom. A recent depiction

if Gandhiji approved of the death of Bhagat Singh or not, but these films don’t enter into controversies. Instead, they concentrate on the fight against oppression, empowering citizens and freedom from bondage. Some issues raised are relevant even today.

5Rang De Basanti This film is about awakening and the spirit of rebellion that transcends time and age. The story has various montages of rebellious freedom fighters who opposed the British rule, and sets the base for what happens later on in the movie. Sue, a British filmmaker, decides to make a film about Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekar Azad and their fellow contemporaries in the struggle for independence. She decides to get some students of Delhi University to act in it. As the plot thickens, these students find themselves in a similar situation, entangled in a lifestyle that is self-centred and materialistic. In the end, these youth decide to take the law into their hands, creating a very suggestive and controversial point of view. The characters are played by Aamir Khan, Soha Ali Khan and many other lesser-known actors. The music composed is commendable, managing to convey the true spirit of the film, and instantly appealing to the young.

4Border

Movies made about war are always the greatest examples of patriotic films and this Bollywood venture is an epic tale of young soldiers and conflict. The film is loosely based on The Battle of Longewala fought in Rajasthan during the Indo –Pakistan War in 1971, and also draws references from the Bangladesh Liberation War. The story revolves around 120 soldiers of the Punjab Regiment headed by Kuldip Singh Chaudhpuri, who

3Chak De India

A successful film about sport, it broke all the clichés of a hit Bollywood film’s so-called ‘formula’. Firstly, it was about the nearforgotten sport of hockey, and secondly, about the women’s team. The cast had entirely new and young actresses and no song and dance routines, but it did have Shahrukh Khan, minus his glam image! It broke box office records too, in the same fashion. It looked into the pathetic condition of sport in India and how women’s teams are often ignored and not taken seriously. The film was all about what some may call ‘Girl Power’. It didn’t involve girls from a particular demographic, but had characters from diverse cultural, social and financial backgrounds.

The film drew inspiration from the women’s hockey team that won the Commonwealth Games that year. It was not a film that pointed the finger of blame at anyone, nor was it a sob story about suppressed women. It had a refreshingly novel approach to the subject in hand and although not wholly patriotic, the film did relate to unity in diversity, tolerance and brotherhood.

extremist, and he is sent to Kaala Paani. Serving his term in jail he is exposed to the various atrocities inflicted British authorities and starts to empathize and strongly support the rebellion to overthrow the British Raj. Musical genius Illayraja did the musical honours and the cast included Tabu, Mohanlal, Amrish Puri, Annu Kapoor and Prabhu, to name a few. Shot brilliantly in the locales of Port Blair, this film is a visual treat and was recipient of the National Award for Best Art Direction (Sabu Cyril) and National Award for Best Cinematography (Santosh Sivan).

2Sazaa

e Kaala Paani This multilingual film by Priyadarshan delved into the dark truths about lives of prisoners in a cellular jail in Kaala Paani, and island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The film had a lukewarm response in the North, but received a lot of critical acclaim and was a hit down South. The story evolves around a doctor played by Mohanlal who is wrongly accused of being an

1Shaheed My pick for most patriotic film, has got to be Shaheed, perhaps one of the oldest films made about Indian Independence way back in 1948. It is a great example of the quality of cinema of the period, the nationalist movement and the talent of the central character, played by Dilip Kumar. The film was also the last screen appearance of actor Chandra Mohan, a regular in any of V Shantaram films in the late 1930s. The songs of the films were very well received and were composed by Ghulam Haider. Some like Watan ki raah men watan ke naujawan shaheed ho and Badnaam na ho jaaye mohabbat ka fasana are still afresh in minds, even nearly 60 years since its release. And of course, there are other noteworthy films. To be honest, Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi would be one of the best examples of patriotic films, but it is not Bollywood made. The underlying theme is what one must look at in these films, which could be pride in being Indian, willingly accepting challenges and working towards the good of the country and community as a whole. In this day and age where violence and corruption are rampant, these films play an important role towards bringing in a positive change and attitude into society, in addition to successfully entertaining the masses.

Shroff, Suniel Shetty, Akshay Khanna, Pooja Bhatt and Tabu, the film was a huge hit with the Indian audience. The songs also contributed to its success.

AIBCT must build corpus to manage funds effectively, says Kennett

Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett recently launched the Australian Indian Benevolent and Charitable Trust (AIBCT) at an elegant function held at Green Acres Golf club in Kew. The Trust will be administered and managed by a group of renowned members from the Indian community led by former Honorary Consul General of India, Dr T Janardhana Rao. The current trustees are Mr Arun Sharma, Mrs Jaya Sharma, Dr Virendra Berera, Dr Jayant Bapat, Mr Deepak Sanghvi and Dr Raman Marar. The AIBCT has support from various community leaders including Ms Anita Nayar, current Consul General of India in Melbourne.

According to the AIBCT, their objectives are to use the held funds to relieve poverty and assist persons in need generally, and to care for the sick and needy of the community. They intend to provide scholarship and educational advancement as well as meeting places and instructional and recreational facilities by acquiring and managing appropriate premises. They also aim to provide financial assistance in settlement of migrants and refugees in Australia, and to carry out the last rites and funeral ceremonies of the underprivileged and persons in need. They plan to utilize the funds for the advancement and celebration of spiritual and religious knowledge, values and events of cultural importance.

At the launch, prominent retired Liberal politician Jeff Kennett said in his speech, “While the objectives of AIBCT trust are

them.” He suggested that AIBCT trustees revisit the objectives and focus on how all the capital they have is not expended. “Your concept is excellent,” he said. “But you need to ensure that you build money and use that corpus as your income. Your corpus needs to be millions of dollars to operate effectively, so lift your sights higher and make sure you raise enough funds from the community to meet your objectives, like securing a large building for the proposed half house,” he suggested with his characteristic frankness. “Don’t use the word ‘trust’ lightly. For all those who have worked hard for this trust by delivering their time, best of luck!” he

The event was well received and attended by many people, including representatives from the Indian media. Some community members dug generously into their pockets and offered donations at the launch, while others donated exclusive items to be auctioned to raise funds. DJ Richi Madan added rhythm and spice to the proceedings, while the dance troupe Zhoom Bollywood got guests involved in fun and dancing. Curries and cuisine, provided by Sarosh, kept the winter chill at bay.

MC Dr Jayant Bapat kept the audience interested with his witty remarks. Dr Virendra Berera who has won several awards

for his work within the community and Mrs Jaya Sharma, a very well known radio personality who has worked for many years with SBS Hindi, also addressed the audience. They were unanimous in thanking all the trustees especially Mr Arun Sharma, for the untiring efforts towards establishing the trust. Dr T Janardhana Rao was unable to attend the launch as he had to travel to India on a personal matter. Dr. Rao has faced some controversy and allegations in relation to this trust; however, that, according to trustees, has not deterred him or them from pursuing their objectives in the interest of the community.

Preeti Jabbal

Photos: Guruswamy

Revelation and inspiration

The quest to find the truth behind Muslim belief and a journey of indomitable courage make the subjects of two riveting books

BY CHITRA SUDARSHAN

This book is very much in the same genre as Sadanand Dhume’s My Friend the Fanatic, and V S Naipaul’s Among the Believers – in that it is a travel journal by a non believer through Islamic lands and societies, and their experience of extremist Islam. The difference is that Aaatish Taseer’s book, Stranger to History: A Son’s Journey through Islamic Lands, is an interdigitation of his own life’s journey with the political.

Aatish resolves to find out what it is that made his father – an alcohol drinking, pork eating selfconfessed nonbeliever – a Muslim

Aatish was born in Delhi out of an affair between Salman Taseer – currently the governor of Pakistan’s Punjab – and the well-known Indian journalist Tavleen Singh. Aatish was brought up by his Sikh grandparents. At the age of 20 something, Aatish goes to meet his (hitherto absent) father and his step family in Pakistan for the first time. A little later, in 2005, Aatish, now a journalist in London, writes an article about the Leeds bombers responsible for the 7/7 terrorist attacks. This evokes a strong reaction from his Pakistani father who accuses Aatish of not understanding Islam. Aatish resolves to find out what it is that made his father – an alcohol drinking, pork eating selfconfessed non-believer – a Muslim. His quest takes him to Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and finally Pakistan. His grim portrayal of Muslim communities in the countries he visited – including those in the Beeston suburb of Leeds from whence the London bombers came – is disconcerting and unsettling, to say the least. Taseer observes a gulf between what it means to be a British Pakistani and a British Indian: to be Indian is to come from a safe, ancient society, and more recently, an emergent power. In contrast, to be Pakistani is to begin with an incomplete sense of nationhood. In the 60+ years that Pakistan has been a country, it has been a dangerous and violent place, and has defined itself by a hatred of India.

Not surprisingly, even ‘liberal’ Pakistanis (such as Ziauddin Sardar) have bagged the book because of its critique of Islamism. Perhaps Aatish’s observations of Islamism in the Arab nations and Iran is reductionist and facile. However, his description of his visit to Pakistan is compelling as it is a subject about which he knows best and is most deeply felt. The scar of partition of the

subcontinent is a scar across his family and his own heart. That in the twenty first century Pakistan still nurtures myths about itself and ‘the other’, viz India, is beyond belief: that Hindus are depraved, cowardly and effeminate; that Pakistan was a nation born somewhere in the middle east; that their women are prettier, they are braver etc. Aatish’s account is honest, self-effacing and riveting, and there is a sincere attempt to engage with his subject. Nowhere does he push a view or harangue the reader. I certainly found the book riveting.

A book of a totally different genre, is The Cure – a book that inspired the movie, Extraordinary Measures, (starring Harrison Ford, Brendan Fraser, and Keri Russell). It was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist of Indian origin, Geeta Anand. It is the incredible true story of a father’s determination to find a cure for his terminally ill children, even if it meant he had to build a business from scratch to do so. Geeta Anand, while still a student, and later while working for a pharmaceutical company, did a profile of that father,

URGENT APPEAL FOR BONE MARROW DONOR

My wife (30 years old) is currently under treatment for Leukaemia (Blood Cancer). The treating team at the Alfred Hospital has advised Bone Marrow Transplant as the only option to cure this disease. We have not been able to find any suitable bone marrow donor for my wife in Australia or overseas. The number of Indians registered in these registries is miniscule. According to the doctors it is only possible to find a matching donor from a person of ethnic Indian background. I therefore appeal to the Indian community to REGISTER THEMSELVES AS A BONE MARROW DONOR WITH AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS. There is no cost involved in registering with the Red Cross.

MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS: A person between the age group of 18 – 60 years of ethnic Indian background. A donor is required at the earliest.

There is no risk to the donor and the donated bone marrow is recovered in 6-8 weeks. The Indian community’s support to a member of their own community in distress will be a great help.

For further information please contact: Vishal 0433 455 766 (3 Mobile). Email anandvishal20@gmail.com

Australian Red Cross 131495 . Website www.donateblood.com.au

(The Cure) is a most moving and inspiring story simultaneously of the love of a father and his refusal to accept the fate of his children lying down – and the birth of a business enterprise

John Crowley, in Street Journal, and she expanded the profile into a book and published it in 2006 as The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million Bucked the Medical Establishment a Quest to Save His Children inspiring story simultaneously of the love of a father and his refusal to accept the fate of his children lying down – and the birth of a business enterprise. Anand’s experience working in R&D for a large pharma company meant she had a keen understanding of all it takes to get a drug through the development and approval process – and that inside knowledge adds to the depth of this book.

With deft prose and devastating clarity, Wall Street Journal reporter Geeta Anand has written a wonderful account of this remarkable story of cutting-edge science, business acumen and daring on the one hand, and the indomitable fighting spirit of a family on the other. This book will inspire anyone who reads it.

Bangalore House for Sale

Four Bedrooms, with en-suite. 33’ X 40’. Recently renovated corner block, East facing. Close to Bhasyam circle and 7 km from Vidhana Soudha. Price 480k.

For private sale.

Email: b.rao@bigpond.com

The challenge of diversity

Managing the kaleidoscope of India’s cultural, religious and racial mixes is a unique, yet attainable task

BY MALLI IYER

“Civilization should be measured by the degree of diversity attained and the degree of unity retained”, so said eminent British poet WH Auden. It would appear that the poet had India in mind. Our values of universal tolerance, policies of nonaggression and a welcoming attitude to new settlers, religions and racial mixes, are well-known. Our history is dotted with several instances in which we shared our riches with the rest of the world. These are welldocumented facts since the Indus Valley civilization and Hindu scriptures too stand testimony to this.

Our acceptance of global diversity as a fact of life enabled us to welcome the Moguls, the Zoroastrians, the Portuguese, the French and the British traders over a thousand years

A couple of gems have typified centuries of Indian attitudes to diversity. These include Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning the whole world is a single family. Then we have the prayer that is said at the end of most Hindu rituals: Lokaa samasthaa sukhino bhavantu, meaning, may the people of the entire universe be happy and peaceful. Religious tolerance was preached by Buddha, and equally, Emperor Akbar wrote about the need for tolerance and national integration in his Din-e-Elahi More recently, Rabindranath Tagore incorporated this philosophy in the Indian National Anthem: ...Punjab, Sindhu, Gujarat, Maratha, Dravida, Utkala, Banga...., sending out a clear message advocating national integration.

India’s diversity can be explained in a single sentence: “a young country, but an old civilization”. The staggering simplicity of this statement can be deceptive to the reader, because it has taken our leaders,

elder statesmen and greatly skilled politicians, over six decades since Independence to fully understand it, as they continue to struggle to hold India together as a nation.

India has more than 2000 ethnic groups and only Africa exceeds the linguistic, cultural and genetic diversity of the country. With a population of about 1.15 billion, it is one of the oldest civilizations of the world. It is significant that India was the home of the Buddha, Mahavira, Guru Nanak, as well subject to successful raids of religious conversions by Christian missionaries and Islamic clergymen. Our acceptance of global diversity as a fact of life enabled us to welcome the Moguls, the Zoroastrians, the Portuguese, the French and the British traders over a thousand years. India has always believed that trade amongst nations brings about increased contacts between peoples, and that new settlers will inevitably bring with them culturally diverse living styles. It can be safely said that India has been just as resilient to tyranny as practiced by Aurangazeb or the 12th century invader Timur Lane, as to the benevolence of Alexander the Great or Emperor Asoka.

In post-independence India, threats to the unity of India have been many – the separatist movements in Kashmir and the north-east frontier, the Khalistan movement, Naxalite and Maoist movements and even the linguistically-oriented States Reorganization. More recently, the destructive regionalism promoted by the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra state has not succeeded in shaking the foundations of democracy. India’s attempt to hold together as a peace-loving nation has also been jeopardized by cross-border terrorism and territorial disputes in the Himalayan region. The world has now realised that India is unstoppable in its attempt to grow and prosper, these threats notwithstanding. On the contrary, India acquits itself with distinction by not resorting to military suppression or totalitarian policies to quell these separatist elements that have raised their ugly heads.

From the onset, India committed itself to becoming a secular and sovereign democratic republic and

successive Governments have adopted nothing but democratic means to settle differences arising from its diversity. All the Indian states and Union Territories have a unique demography, history and culture, festivals, foods, dress and language, and the nation has the challenging task of meaningful assimilation of various cultures and heritage. Modern India continues to hold strong values in all walks of life and the vibrancy of its young population enables it to project a constructive approach to social and economic change. The education/communications revolution which has enabled its youth to adapt to the needs of the information technology age will undoubtedly help them to shed obsolete taboos and age old beliefs. It should also help them avoid political exploitation by religious fanatics, regional bias and caste systems as well as movements like hindutva, which are major obstacles to unity.

Despite being the most ethnically diverse country in the world, India presents itself to the world as a sterling example of unity in diversity. The sceptics of the ‘British Raj’ felt, at the time of granting India its independence, that the dream of its national leaders and their promise of India’s unity in diversity in its constitution would remain unfulfilled. However, the maturity demonstrated by India’s people in preserving their democratic institutions despite stark differences in culture, traditions, habits, religious beliefs, caste and regional attitudes is proof of accurate foresight by leaders and statesmen who plotted the course for the future of India as a living example of peace and harmony, amidst its diversity.

As we celebrate the 63rd anniversary of our independence, our intelligentsia need to put on their thinking caps and embark upon new initiatives – such as reaffirmation of pride in our heritage; encouraging and rewarding attempts at rejuvenating nationalism; underlining the price of freedom at every level of education, and the extensive use of mass media to create a patriotic awareness of India’s progress. Measures like this would enable Indians, at home or abroad, to hold their heads high.

In all fairness…

BY RITAM MITRA

“Seeking a slim, homely and fair girl for our son”.

How often have we come across these words in the matrimonial section? Whether one is seeking a bride or a groom, the stress is always, invariably, on the word “fair”. While fairness is often perceived as a sign of “beauty”, having “fair” skin counts for a lot more than just attraction. This one word seems to exude connotations of bourgeoisie aristocracy, and even today a person’s career opportunities and matrimonial prospects often depend upon their skin tone.

So it is no surprise that modern social phenomena reflect these politically incorrect conventions. Only recently, Vaseline introduced a Facebook application that lets users lighten their profile pictures, in an effort to promote their latest skin-lightening product for men. The application has naturally resulted in controversy, and the fact that Shahid Kapoor is the face of the application only makes it more notorious. A quick scan of the application’s page reflects widespread anger towards Vaseline, with one Facebook user deeming it “Absolutely disgusting”, while another condemns it as “sooo backward [sic]”. The application had been rated 1/5 stars by over 23,000 users within just a week of the application’s release.

The skin-lightening industry is worth a staggering $500m in India and is showing no signs of slowing down. It will without a doubt continue to be a big market for opportunistic manufacturers until the stigma associated with darker skin is no longer present. But the question we must ask ourselves is: why is there a social stigma in the first place?

Skin tone is, after all, a purely scientific factor in a person’s appearance, and there is absolutely no evidence to suggest skin of any colour reflects one’s intelligence,

The immigration debate continues

As the federal election looms old issues re-emerge, and once again the focus is on preserving the Australian way of life

caste or personality. For Indians, brown skin is just a fact of life, through a process of natural evolution, and various other factors such as climate and ancestry. It is a fascinating phenomenon then, that we discriminate against what is essentially our own skin colour.

On my most recent trip to India, for example, I was met with surprise from relatives who exclaimed “Look how dark you’ve become! You were so much fairer as a child!” I proceeded to inform them of the 15 hours I spend in the harsh Australian sun every week for cricket training and matches, as well as the countless lunchtimes and recesses playing in the sun at school. Yet it did not seem to be a legitimate enough reason to them for my becoming darker! Indeed, ironically enough in most European nations, fairer-skinned people often seek tanned skin, with the darker tone supposedly reflecting good health. However, in contrast to products such as Fair and Lovely which promote lighter skin by discouraging dark skin, there is barely any stigma here associated with having pale skin. This begs the question that is not asked often enough: are we, as Indians, a nation of closet racists?

Before you think about this question, imagine for a second that a company from a Western nation released this Facebook application. Controversy would again ensue, however on a much more emotionally - and racially - charged scale. The use of such popular figures such as Shah Rukh Khan, Shahid Kapoor and John Abraham to market the products has, without a doubt, a detrimental effect on impressionable teenagers: in today’s image-conscious society, this is the last thing we need.

So put yourself in Anuradha Nigam’s [name changed] shoes, the 25-year-old lady who was denied marriage to her long-time boyfriend, because she was deemed “not fair” by his mother. Put yourself in the shoes of countless civilians in India who have been racially profiled and denied jobs as a result of darker skin. Put yourself in the shoes of millions of teenagers across the world dreading school the next day because they aren’t “fair”. Feel oppressed?

BY NOEL G DE SOUZA

Australia is comfortable with its British-based culture. Australians expect any government they elect to nourish and preserve that “core” culture. This expectation is an emerging theme in the lead-up to the forthcoming federal election.

Indians share many aspects of that Britishbased culture.

Since the end of World War II, Australians have been tolerant and accommodative of many other cultures, both European and Asian. There have also been concerted efforts to encourage Asian links, such as through the learning of Asian languages and cultures.

Australians love their way of life. For many Australians, this equates to suburban living, leisurely commuting to work and housing affordability. But this lifestyle cannot be achieved or maintained if there are sudden and significant increases in population. This past decade has seen the arrival of over a million migrants.

To cope, state and local governments are proposing high-rise dwellings in selected suburbs. The last decade has seen big cities moving skywards to accommodate an expanding population. This is causing anxiety in suburban dwellers, who see their preferred lifestyles under threat. Maintaining the Australian “way of life” is an underlying issue, particularly in marginal seats.

In the national population report published in 2009, a projection based on the current growth rate predicted a population of 36 million by 2050. When Kevin Rudd spoke about believing in a big Australia, it was assumed (perhaps erroneously) that he had endorsed this figure. Mr Rudd had not nominated any particular figure, but the figure of 36 million sent alarm bells ringing amongst those who cherish the current Australia and who see the value in preserving its lifestyle for forthcoming generations.

There are two major concerns amongst Australians regarding population increase. Firstly, because this continent suffers from frequent droughts and considerable water shortage (like those experienced within the last decade), it cannot support a dramatic increase in people. As Minister for a Sustainable Population Tony Burke says, “The air you breathe, the parkland you have, the congestion in the traffic - all of those issues are real issues and if you’re only looking at productivity rather than sustainability, you’ll miss half the equation.”

The second concern is based on the fear that too sudden and too great a population increase could result in a loss of culture and

of identity. Australian culture is based on the English language and the Westminster system of politics, and the zeal amongst Australians for retaining these features is not surprising. Any threat to Australia’s cultural identity considerably troubles many people. This is akin to every Indian state that zealously guards its language, upon which is based its people’s identity.

Australia is not unique in wanting to preserve its cultural heritage. No country welcomes being swamped by a large influx of migrants. There is concern in the United States at the number of illegal arrivals from Mexico into its southern states. Several European countries are alarmed at the entry of migrants from other nations of the European Union.

Australian senior citizens are the depository of the old and continuing values of Australia. Between 13 - 15% of Australians are aged between 55 and 65. These individuals have had considerable influence in shaping Australia’s culture within the last five decades. That period ushered in multiculturalism whilst retaining the pre-eminence of the English language and the democratic system with which Indians are also familiar.

Senior citizens form a sizeable chunk of electoral constituencies and this gives them considerable clout. Major political parties carefully avoid either ignoring or offending them. Many federal seats have been won by margins of below 4%, such as in Southeast Queensland and in Western Sydney. It is said that the forthcoming federal election will be won or lost in such seats. When Prime Minister Gillard emphasised her opposition to a “big Australia”, a lot of voters heaved a sigh of relief. The opposition leader Tony Abbott’s criticism of asylum boat arrivals also focuses on population concerns. The numbers of refugees arriving by boat are small compared to the total annual migrant intake but, if left unchecked, the fear is that floodgates could dangerously open for unlimited arrivals.

The Liberal Party has vowed to cut immigration to around 170,000 per year but the Labor Party claims that its policies have already reduced immigration close to that figure.

This is a unique election wherein both the Prime Minister and the opposition leader are British-born, but Australian-raised. Many older Australian voters are either Britishborn or of British descent. Julia Gillard has emphasised that Australia’s principal links are with the United States and Britain. This is reminiscent of the “Anglo-sphere” talk of the Howard years.

This “Anglo-Sphere” emphasis should not worry Indians overmuch. Indians have migrated to Australia on the strength of their English-language qualifications, many of them having good quality jobs. India has a considerable stake in the world’s “AngloSphere”.

A new Facebook application has shown how much skin colour continues to matter in modern-day India

For Indians, brown skin is just a fact of life, through a process of natural evolution, and various other factors such as climate and ancestry

The second concern is based on the fear that too sudden and too great a population increase could result in a loss of culture and of identity

Har Har Gange!

done carefully in context of the environment. Climate related factors could make India’s GDP decline by 9%.

BY SHAILAJA CHATURVEDI

Aye abogad-e-Ganga

Vo din hai yaad tujhko

Utaraa tere kinare

Jab caravan hamara

O influential river

Do you remember the day

Our caravan stopped

On your banks…

Dr Mohammed Iqbal (Urdu poet, 1877-1938)

Magasthenese from Younan, Fahiem and Huensang from China, Albourini and Mark Twain have all described the Ganga as the oldest river in its religious and philosophical forms. India not only nurtures its natural resources but as its highest gratitude, worships them. The Ganga has continued to define civilizations on its banks through the millennia and it is referred to not just as a river, but as a goddess.

Global consultants have been invited to formulate an action plan to clean the Ganga and the World Bank has contributed $3 billion to manage the plan, with $1 billion agreed over the next decade

King Bhagirath prayed to Lord Shiva to bring Ganga down to earth from heaven, to relieve the scarcity of water, as the deity held it in his locks to prevent flooding. The Ganga has remained the mightiest river system, responsible for the material and spiritual sustenance of three billion people living in India, China, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

4000 metres above sea level is Goumukh, a mystical, spiritual and holy cave surrounded by the bottle green ice of the Western Himalayan glacier, the largest in the world.

In its original form as Bhagirathi, the river sprawls down from Goumukh conjoining with the Alaknanda river in Dev Prayag, where it becomes Ganga, the most popular of its

From this source, journeying down the 2510 km to the sea, the Ganga tells the story of the culture and civilization of India, the rise and fall of empires, great and proud cities along its banks and adventures of man. This celestial river bed supports vegetation year-round, even when there is little or no rain. The Ganga irrigates 17.9 million hectares of land in Northern India and was declared a National Heritage landmark recently, and the nation’s national river in November 2008.

The Ganga is undoubtedly indispensible. Glaciers in the Himalayas are melting faster than anywhere in the world, with an estimated 20% of the range lost since the past five The Goumukh glacier (Gangotri) is receding by about 5.5 metres per year. The melting ice on the Himalayas and not the temperamental rainfall, decides the depth and flow of the Ganga, and both these factors are adversely affected by climate change.

In the next 20 years if the world shortage of water reaches 40%, it will be 50% in India. According to a UN climate report, the Himalayan glaciers could disappear by 2030 if the temperature continues to rise. India stands to bear the brunt of some of the most devastating consequences of human-induced climate change. Although India’s contribution to anthropogenic green house gas emission is amongst the lowest in the world, it needs to adopt climate friendly technology which will generate both challenges and opportunities. To sustain its growth, Indians must make informed and voluntary decisions to build a low carbon economy, without significant adverse impact on its future development.

Development of renewable energy from nonconventional sources like nuclear, wind turbines, solar panels, biomass and the most efficient type of coal power plants will enhance India’s future progress. Nevertheless, should hydropower also join the list of renewable sources of energy, it must be

Public health concerns are increasing with the potentially serious or irreversible impact of climate change on health infrastructure and services, especially in the event of extreme conditions like droughts, flooding and storm. International research shows an increase of cardiopulmonary illnesses, malaria, food and waterborne diseases, while an estimated 80% of all health problems and one third of deaths in India are attributed to waterborne diseases.

A human development report has identified that 14 billion litres of sewage and industrial waste and 7 million tonnes of chemical fertilizers and pesticides are poured into the Ganga each year. The faecal coliform count of the Varanasi Ganga water is 10,000% higher than the government standard for safe river bathing.

The legacy of civilization places high value in preserving the environment and maintaining ecological balance. Despite its triumphs and tribulations, India has always remained in the forefront of this legacy.

The Indian government is mindful that global warming is weakening the glacier, which could lead to flash flooding and wipe out an entire village in an instant. To this end, the Indian government began the Ganga Action Plan in 1985, and reaffirmed its new declaration at the Climate Change and Health AGM in November 2009. The treaty on sharing the waters of the Ganga for 30 years was signed in 1996 between India and Bangladesh. It was hailed as a trendsetter move both nationally and internationally, a sign of friendship and goodwill. The Ganga joins the Meghna and Brahmaputra rivers in central Bangladesh, becoming the Padma river in the Bay of Bengal and forming a delta of 354 km shared by India and Bangladesh.

The state-of-the-art Ganga Gallery was created in Allahabad in 2008 aiming at research and dealing with issues like pollution. In October 2008 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reiterated that the government will do all it can towards holistic environmental protection of the Ganga, although it is the duty of all Indians to maintain the river’s purity. Unfortunately, despite over Rs 24,000 crores spent on Ganga Action Plans I and II between 1985 and 2006, the holiest river is still sullied.

Nevertheless, the unrelenting dedication and commitment of the people and government to save Ganga has resulted in more enthusiasm. The Prime Minister has approved projects worth Rs 1.394.11 crores for Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Uttarkhand, a trajectory of the river. Global consultants have been invited to formulate an action plan to clean the Ganga and the World Bank has contributed $3 billion to manage the plan, with $1 billion agreed over the next decade.

The National Ganga River Basin Research Institute was established in Varanasi this year for sustainable development of the Ganga river basin in the region, and to investigate hydrology and pollution issues. In addition, they will study social, cultural and religious dimensions and work on developing eco-friendly technology. The centre is optimistic that by 2020, the polluted river Ganga will be cleaned at the cost of Rs 15,000 crores.

In April 2010, the Ganga Sparsh Abhiyan was inaugurated by BJP leader LK Advani, following a World Water Day human chain of 7km, reaffirming the participants’ pledge to save the Ganga.

In 2010, the Ganga Raksha Manch was also set up by spiritual heads, convened by world renowned Swami Ram Deo, coinciding with the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar. Empedocles (495-435 BC) a pre-Socrates philosopher suggested that the combining power of love and disrupting power of hate were the two ultimate forces of nature.

Fortunately for the Ganga, it is the compelling combining power of love which will ultimately save it.

In the confrontation between the stream and the rock the stream always wins - not through strength, but through persistence

HJacksonBrown

Concentrated and concerted efforts are being made to salvage and renew India’s national river, an icon of its glorious past and compelling future

Away to Anhui

A charming town in China is steeped in natural and man-made wonders

By THOMAS E KING

Since ancient times Mt Huangshan in China’s southern Anhui Province has been called the “No. 1 Mountain under Heaven”. Noted for twisted pines, grotesque rock formations, a cloud ‘sea’, crystal-clear hot springs and winter snow scenery, these attributes considered “the five sublimes of Huangshan Mountain” have long been creative influences for painters and poets. These days, the picturesque massif in southern Anhui Province still attracts artists, but it’s also China’s must-see mountain for visitors from around the world.

During previous visits to China I had seen the first two attractions on the country’s list of prestigious natural scenic spots: the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River and the Guilin Li River Scenic River. Excitement intensified as the kilometres clicked by during the 500 km road journey between Shanghai and Huangshan City, as I would soon see another highly regarded sight.

I finally arrived in the 1.8 million-strong provincial centre where ample tourism facilities ensure visitor comfort. After a relaxed night I was off the next morning for the hour-long drive to Tangkou, a small town at the foot of the mighty mountain. Shuttle buses continued on to the Yungu Cable Car Station, where I boarded a sleek glass capsule for the journey up the mountain side.

Mt Huangshan is actually a mountain range extending over 1200 sq. km and was formed around 100 million years ago when an ancient sea disappeared due to a rise in the land

Two misconceptions were immediately dispelled upon reaching the top and stepping out onto the mountain: it’s not yellow nor is there a solitary summit. The name came from an imperial decree in 747 AD when Mount Yi – Black Mountain –was rechristened as Mt Huangshan to honour Huang Di, a legendary Chinese ruler known as the ‘Yellow Emperor’.

As for being a solitary summit, some 72 named peaks each soar higher than the next. Lotus Peak is the loftiest at 1864 metres, with Bright Summit Peak and Celestial Capital Peak rounding out the trio.

Mt Huangshan is actually a mountain range extending over 1200 sq. km and was formed around 100 million years ago when an ancient sea disappeared due to a rise in the land. The hunk of Mesozoic granite was later shaped and smoothed by glacial action. Over time, fissures and fractures appeared on exposed surfaces. Miraculously, a robust plant found such a harsh place to be an ideal location to thrive.

Huangshan pine is indigenous to the mountain. Thousands of pines are more than 100 years old with one gnarled veteran I saw having celebrated an estimated 1200 summers! While another veteran called Black Tiger Pine is also revered for its age, there is added interest. Though it’s just 7.5 metres high, its crown spreads out in the clean fresh air to somewhat resemble a tiger. An odder characteristic is that this particular pine when viewed from certain angles, roughly resembles the Chinese character for ‘tiger’.

Mt Huangshan is a veritable botanical garden with more than 1450 recorded varieties of plants including endemic pines and Chinese hemlock. As well, the mountain is home to more than 550 types of mammals including Tibetan Macaques. I saw plenty of pines but no primates while venturing along some of the 50 km of footpaths that link peaks with canyons.

An estimated 60,000 stone steps have been carved into the mountain with some dizzying pathways and solid staircases believed to be over 1500 years old. Many scholars of old walked these stones when they came to admire enchanting mountain landscapes, create paintings, compose poems or make pilgrimages to sacred sites.

Considered one of five holy mountains in China, Buddhism was introduced around 420 AD with 100 temples subsequently built on its pine-padded slopes. Many of the still remaining structures are of interest to modern day pilgrims and visitors. In all, there are more than 200 surviving temples, pavilions, pagodas, passageways, stone sculptures and ancient bridges.

I stopped at one old stone bridge where literally thousands of rusty padlocks had been affixed to its railings. This practice, I learned, is still observed by newlyweds who pledge their eternal allegiance to each other on this most spiritual mountain.

Even from a distance, the grandeur of Yellow Mountain is awe inspiring. Those living within view of the fabled mountain are indeed fortunate, I thought, retracing the cable car journey down a cloud-shrouded slope and proceeding to an ancient hamlet at the foot of range in the Huīzhōu region of southern Anhui.

Described as “a unique, cow-shaped ancient village”, Hongcun is unlike any other place I have ever seen in China. During the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279), the ingenious villagers of Hongcun constructed a complex water system to supply clean water for household use, the irrigation of their fields and fire prevention.

While it’s not readily apparent, the whole village spread over 30 acres is actually more like a water buffalo lying on its side surrounded by green hills and blue water. Dwelling houses

1. A sea of cottony clouds nuzzles winding mountainside paths of mighty Mt Huangshan.

2. Located in the heart of Hongcun, Chengzhi Hall is covered with delicate sculptures.

3. Visitors take a break from mountain walks to pause for photos before Black Tiger Pine.

4. Typical to the province, traditional Huangmei Opera combines local folk songs and music.

5. Talented artists gather at Hongcun’s South Lake to paint classic scenes of old China.

form the body, nearby Leigang Hill is the head while two tall trees are the horns. South Lake just beyond the cluster of houses is the ‘stomach’, while waterways spread out like ‘intestines’.

Narrow alleyways crisscross the village and I trod along well-worn flagstones while passing some of the 140 buildings that remain from the 14th to 19th centuries. The distinct architecture typical of Huīzhōu culture was highly visible. On the outside, homes have whitewashed walls and black tile roofs many with horse head gables. On the inside, most homes are furnished with carved wood panels and have cosy interior courtyards.

There are several attention-getters in Hongcun like the circa 1855 Chengzhi Hall, a marvel of China’s ancient architectural arts. Detailed with refined wood, brick and stone carvings and praised as the “royal palace outside of the Forbidden City” it’s open to visitors unlike most of the other old homes which are still private residences.

Many home owners have opted to become entrepreneurs. I saw residences with artisans working at doorstep workshops to carve bamboo and horn into jewellery and ornaments. Elsewhere, several home shops stocked locally processed green tea. Grown on the fertile mountain slopes, Maofeng tea has been an important cottage industry for generations.

Meanwhile, other owners were carving slabs of slate which would be used later by artists to hold ink for writing, calligraphy or delicate ink paintings. Additional shopkeepers sold guidebooks and postcards or snacks and cold drinks to the continuous throng of hungry and thirsty visitors.

World Heritage Listed, Hongcun has been widely praised over the centuries as “a village in Chinese paintings”. This continues in ‘oils’ because on fair weather days a long row of artists take up prime positions under trees lining the bank of the bow-shaped South Lake. With brushes in hand I watched them create realistic likenesses of the quaint stone bridge, an idyllic lake and the historic houses of Hongcun. As I happily discovered, these lures are only a small part of a truly special place that has been officially gazetted as “One of the Ten Most Charming Towns in China”.

Travel notebook Anhui

FLIGHTS

Air China has a daily Airbus A330 service between Sydney and Shanghai (four are nonstop) and four nonstop flights a week between Melbourne and Shanghai. For details contact your travel agent or Air China on (02) 9232 7277 or (03) 8602 5555. See www.airchina.com.au

TOURS

The treasures of Anhui are included in several holidays offered by Helen Wong’s Tours including a 9-day Beijing/Huangshan/Shanghai package. For details/bookings contact Helen Wong’s Tours, e-mail hwtaus@helenwongstours.com or phone nationwide 1 300 788 328. See www.helenwongstours.com

EXCURSION

Huicheng Town in Shèxièn County, once a grand

centre of Huīzhōu culture, is another village where wealthy merchants lived in tidy residences during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Xuguo Archway, China’s only surviving four-sided decorative archway, is the lion-adorned gateway to this cultural and historical city. Beyond is Doushan Street’s compact collection of ancient dwelling houses and wells.

INFORMATION

The China National Tourist Office in Sydney can assist with information about China and Anhui, e-mail: sydney@cnta.gov.cn. See www.cnto.org.au and www. chinahuangshan.gov.cn.

Lonely Planet’s China, a useful guide available in Australia, has a chapter devoted to the many treasures of Anhui.

Photos: Thomas E. King

Building a multicultural police force

The Victoria Police are targeting CALD communities – in their new recruitment campaign

BY PREETI JABBAL

In their largest ever recruitment campaign, the Victoria Police are seeking men and women of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

“We want our police to be reflective of the diverse community we serve,” Chief Commissioner Simon Overland said at the launch of the campaign recently.

“We want to hear from people of all ages, life and work experiences, level of education and qualification. We are keen to recruit the right people regardless of any factors like racial, language, sexuality, gender, cultural or belief system differences. We want to hear from women and men, and people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds,” he said.

This police force is seeking 1700 new recruits to join their team of 11,500 police members.

While addressing members of multicultural media the evening before the formal launch, Simon Overland emphasised the diversity of Victoria Police and briefly touched on his own experiences within the department.

“People looked at me and passed remarks like ‘You are so little, so petite, how can you become a Policewoman?

“As a member of the Police you can do many different things, each of them challenging and rewarding,” he said. “It can be a series of careers within the same organisations with opportunities to learn and grow with a variety of roles. There are many different things I have done in my time ranging from walking the beat as a uniformed constable to my role now, running a very significant organisation of thousands of people operating over a budget of more than $2 billion per annum and dealing with some very complex social issues”.

One offender even went on to challenge me by saying ‘You don’t have any biceps, why should I listen to you?’ To which I answered, I may not have biceps but I definitely have brain cells, now get moving!”

Constable Sonali Deshpande

He then introduced Constable Sonali Deshpande, one of the first women with an Indian background to join Victoria Police.

Petite and friendly, Sonali smiled as she recalled her experiences on the streets of Melbourne as part of her Police beat. “People looked at me and passed remarks like ‘You are so little, so petite, how can you become a Policewoman? One offender even went on to challenge me by saying ‘You don’t have any biceps, why should I listen to you?’ To which I answered, I may not have biceps but I definitely have brain cells, now get moving! Every day brings a new challenge and that is the best thing about this job,” claimed Sonali.

Sonali arrived in Australia in 2003. Surprisingly, she holds a degree in medicine and had worked as a doctor in India for a year before coming to Australia.

“I did not fancy being restricted to handing out prescriptions to patients every day, so I started looking for an alternative career,” Sonali said. She came across an advertisement seeking new recruits in the Police department, and rang them out of curiosity. Having always found the policing process fascinating and interesting – thanks to TV shows such as CSI - she decided to apply. At that time she had only been in the country for three months and did not hold permanent

residency.

While she waited for her PR to come through, she took to the gym to improve her fitness. She also learnt to swim and up-skilled herself in English. Her attempts proved successful and she joined the Victorian Police training. “The course was tough, yes, but I cleared it with determination and hard work,” she said with pride.

Sonali has worked for Victoria Police for five years now.

But her commitment to medicine still remains strong: Sonali also works casually as a health educator in the multicultural section of women’s health.

“I am often asked why I chose policing over medicine and I always say that according to me both professions share the same vision of serving the community. They follow different procedures towards the same outcome. For me it was a matter of transferring my medical skills to my policing job. I now have the flexibility of working as a policewoman while continuing working in community health”.

Sonali thought at first that she could use her knowledge to work in the forensic department, but after having worked in various fields within the organisation she has decided to work in investigation. She is currently training to become a detective.

The attendees at the launch were shown a preview of the 60-second ad campaign that is now running on local TV and radio channels. Simon Overland referred potential candidates to the Vic Police website where they can access information about the recruitment campaign including personal stories of people from various backgrounds who, like Sonali, have found a fulfilling career with Vic Police. The website outlines how after gaining some good grounding in general

duties of policing, there are opportunities to pursue a variety of roles within the organisation. Some specialist areas include water police, dog squads, and Crime Scene Officers (CSOs), Operations Response Unit (OR U0), state highway patrol or air wing.

And in all of this, police officers from diverse backgrounds can contribute so much more. Constable Deshpande herself can speak four languages and has found that very helpful in her role. “The community in Victoria is very diverse. As a police officer I have often used my language skills to communicate and find solutions. I strongly believe Police members from multicultural backgrounds add their unique perspectives and experiences to the police force. They have a large responsibility to connect the public with the police. On one hand they communicate law enforcement to the community; on the other; they help Vic Police to understand the culture of various communities. This helps a lot in addressing social issues. We do need people from different backgrounds in Victoria Police,” she said as she wrapped up her speech. “So aspirants from all backgrounds please think about it, act on it, and jump on board - we would like to see you here”.

Commissioner of Victoria Police Simon Overland

Arcade games

Did you know...

The earliest coin-operated game was probably the pinball machine which came out in the 1930s, but it was not electronic and it did not have fancy lights or screens. The first coin-operated video game was made in 1971 by Stanford University students in the US – it was called Glaxay Game. The next

year, the game was massmanufactured by a company called Atari, and this started the video game industry. In the 1990s, the two-player games were invented, and by 1996, the home versions of the games were invented, which were played on consoles and computers.

My Favourite Arcade Games

Claw Machine

Pacman

Donkey Kong

Mario

Space Invaders

ML

Pinball machine

I learnt a new word

Manual dexterity Skill in using the hands ML Coordinated Working together harmoniously, such as in “eye-hand coordination”; or, to form a pleasing combination, such as in “shoes coordinated with the outfit”. DL

(One friend Sarina, actually pays me to play for her, but don’t tell

Collectibles

ML

Matrimonials

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Gujarati

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Chicken tonight

A different chicken curry for each night of the week

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

(That would be about thirty, at last count). And that is not including the ubiquitous ‘butter chicken’, for which it is impossible to identify origins.

As we celebrate India this fortnight, let’s take the humble chook round the country and look at the different ways in which we can treat it.

Sydney chef and restaurateur Ajoy Joshi of Nilgiri’s fame does up his murgas in a southern Madras style and a northern Kashmiri style for us here – both equally finger-looking good. And we try and cover the regions in between by stopping off at Mangalore, Goa, Punjab, and a Parsi joint along the way!

But what about Butter Chicken? Well, if you know of it as a creamy mixture of tomato paste and tomato puree into which tandoor-cooked chicken is dunked, then it is definitely not Indian, but some vaguely Indian-influenced concoction that fine diners have learnt to steer clear of. In one of the recipes here, we bring you what could possibly be the authentic version of the reddish pink chicken curry that has been sitting all-day long in the bain-marie at your local Indian diner: Murgh Makhani. We cook it for you here with chicken drumsticks.

Enjoy!

Shakoothi (Goan style chicken)

1 kg chicken pieces of choice

2 medium onions, sliced

2 medium onions, chopped fine

2 medium onions, quartered

¾ small coconut fresh grated

¾ cup thin coconut milk

½ cup thick coconut milk

1 ½ tbsp coriander seeds

1 ½ tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1-inch piece cinnamon

4 cloves

¼ tsp black peppercorns

Pinch nutmeg

1 dry red chilli

6-8 cloves garlic, crushed

1-inch piece ginger, grated

Green chillies to taste

½ tsp turmeric powder

4 tbsp vegetable oil

Salt to taste

Juice of one lime

Coriander leaves for garnish.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and roast the coconut with sliced onions till they start to turn brownish in colour. Blend to a pulp in blender, using a little water.

Dry roast together coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cinnamon, cloves,

Murgh Khubani (Chicken with Apricots)

1 cup dried apricots

2 tbsp vegetable oil

3 brown onions, halved and thinly sliced

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 ½ tbsp minced garlic

3 fresh mild long green chillies, slit lengthwise

3 green cardamom pods, crushed 1-inch piece cinnamon stick

1 whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces

3 ripe tomatoes, chopped

¾ cup water

¼ tsp saffron strands, soaked in 2 tbsp water for 10 minutes

½ tsp Nilgiri’s garam masala

Steamed Basmati rice to serve

Put apricots in a bowl, and cover generously with hot water. Set aside 20-30 minutes to soften. Dran and set aside.

Meanwhile in a frying pan, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and salt and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until onions are dark golden brown, 20-25 minutes.

Raise heat to medium, add ginger, garlic, chillies, cardamom and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Raise heat to high, add chicken pieces and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and water, reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered, until chicken is cooked through and tender about 20 minutes.

Add apricots and saffron and water and stir well. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes to blend flavours. You don’t want apricots to become too soft.

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if necessary. Remove from heat and stir in garam masala.

Serve immediately with basmati rice.

peppercorns, nutmeg and dry red chilli over medium flame. Grind to a fine powder in a dry grinder.

Blend garlic, ginger and green chillies together in a blender, using a little water. Heat remaining oil and sauté chopped onions till brown. Add garlic-ginger mixture, salt and turmeric turn heat down to medium.

Introduce chicken and stir well to combine. Add ground spice powder, stir for a minute, then put in thin coconut milk. Cook, covered, till chicken is almost done.

Then put in quartered onions, thick coconut milk and coconut-onion paste and bring to a boil. Add water if needed. Simmer for about

ten minutes until sauce thickens. Finish off with lime juice and coriander leaves.

Mangalorean Chicken

750 gms chicken pieces of choice

1 small fresh coconut, grated

Dry red chillies to taste

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp tamarind paste

Green chillies to taste

8 cloves garlic

1-inch piece ginger

1-inch piece cinnamon

2 cloves

3-4 green cardamom

½ tsp turmeric powder

2 medium onions finely chopped

½ tsp) fenugreek seeds

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnish

Dry roast cumin seeds, black peppercorns and coriander seeds. Grind together in a dry grinder along with dry red chillies, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.

Blend together fresh coconut, green chillies, ginger and garlic.

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and throw in fenugreek seeds. When they start

From Regional Indian Cooking by Ajoy Joshi and Alison Roberts (2005)

1 kg chicken thigh fillets

¼ cup buttermilk

2/3 cup vegetable oil and melted

unsalted butter, combined

1-inch cinnamon stick

3 green cardamom pods, cracked

3 whole cloves

1 tsp powdered asafetida

5 brown onions, chopped

2 ½ tbsp crushed fresh ginger

2 ½ tbsp crushed garlic

3-4 tsp chilli powder

2 ½ tbsp ground coriander

4 tsp ground turmeric

Salt to taste

8 tomatoes, chopped

1 cup chopped frsh coriander

2 tbsp crushed black peppercorns

18 fresh curry leaves

to splutter, add brown onions and fry till translucent. Introduce the mixture from the blender. Turn heat to medium and allow to cook, stirring, till it is all aromatic. Now put in chicken, salt and turmeric and mix well to combine. Add tamarind paste and water, and boil till sauce thickens and chicken is cooked. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves before serving.

Kozhi Kuttan

(Chicken Curry Kerala style)

1 ½ kg chicken pieces of choice

1 ½ tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

1 tbsp yoghurt

1 ¼ cup coconut milk

2 ½ cups water

4 tbsp coconut oil

Dry red chillies to taste

1-inch piece ginger, chopped

10 cloves garlic

½ tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp fennel seeds

1-inch piece cinnamon

In a glass or ceramic bowl, combine chicken and buttermilk, and mix well. Place in refrigerator to marinate while preparing sauce.

In a large, heavy saucepan or karhai, heat oil and butter mixture over medium heat. Add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Immediately stir in asafetida, then add onions. Cook onions, uncovered, stirring often, until dark golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Add ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring, for one minute. Add chilli powder, coriander, turmeric and salt to taste,

10 cloves

3 green cardamom pods

5 tbsp coriander seeds

½ tsp cumin seeds

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 green chillies

1 cup tomato puree

Mix 1 tsp turmeric powder and a little salt in the yoghurt and marinate the chicken pieces in this.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and roast together the dry red chillies, ginger, garlic, peppercorns, fennel, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander and cumin seeds. Grind together into a paste, adding a little water if needed.

Heat remaining oil and fry the onions until lightly browned. Add remaining turmeric powder, the ground paste, green chillies and tomato puree. Cook for about three minutes, stirring constantly. Introduce chicken and mix well to coat. Check seasoning.

Add coconut milk and stir to combine

and stir until fragrant, about one minute. Add tomatoes and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes soften and sauce thickens slightly, 1015 minutes.

Stir in chicken and buttermilk and cook, stirring often, until chicken is done, 5-10 minutes. Add coriander leaves, peppercorms and curry leaves, and mix well. Serve with steamed rice.

using a little water.

Grind cashewnuts into a paste, using a little water.

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add onions and fry till brown. Add chilli paste. When combined, introduce the chicken. Add salt and stir fry briefly.

Add water, mix and cover tightly. When chicken is nearly done, add cashewnuts paste, tomato sauce and sugar. Cook till chicken is fully done and sauce thickens.

Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken)

There are a number of variations of this dish commonly called Butter Chicken. However, you might find this one slightly unusual, given that there are no shortcuts – no tomato paste or supermarket tomato puree. We confess the preparation time is roughly three hours, so even if you don’t want to try this one out, read on for its interesting technique in preparation.

8 chicken drumsticks

For preliminary marination

3 ½ tsp garlic paste

1 ¾ tsp ginger paste

¼ cup lemon juice

For secondary marination

½ cup yoghurt

2 tbsp fresh cream

3 ½ tsp garlic paste

1 ¾ tsp ginger paste

1tsp chilli powder

½ tsp cumin powder

1 tsp black cardamom powder

½ tsp green cardamom powder

Cinnamon powder

Rose petal powder

For gravy

90 gms butter

2 ½ tsp ginger paste

2 ½ tsp garlic paste

1 kg tomotoes

1-inch piece ginger

2 green chillies

3 ½ tsp cashewnut paste

Salt to taste

½ tsp chilli powder

150 mls fresh cream

1 tsp dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)

1 tsp garam masala

Skin chicken drumsticks. Mix all the ingredients for preliminary marination and apply over chicken evenly. Keep aside for 20 minutes.

well. Cover and cook until chicken is done and sauce is thickened, stirring intermittently.

Murghi Ma Kaju (Chicken with cashew nuts, Parsi style)

1 ½ kg chicken pieces of choice

2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

Dry red chillies to taste

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ cup cashew nuts, broken into pieces

1 ½ cups water

½ cup vegetable oil

2 medium onions, sliced

Salt to taste

3 tbsp bottled tomato sauce

1 tsp sugar

Marinate chicken in ginger-garlic paste for about an hour.

Meanwhile, soak dry red chillies in water for about fifteen minutes, then drain water and reserve.

Grind chillies and cumin seeds to a paste,

Prepare secondary marination by whisking yoghurt in a bowl and adding to it all the remaining ingredients. Rub chicken with marinade and keep for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees and cook chicken.

Wash and roughly chop tomatoes and ginger, deseed and slit green chillies. Cook in pre-heated oven for about ten minutes or until three-fourths done.

Then, for gravy, melt half the butter in a pan; add ginger and garlic pastes. Stir over medium heat until moisture evaporates. Them add the done tomatoes and salt, stir, cover and simmer until tomatoes are mashed. Force the mixture through a fine mesh soup strainer and keep aside. Melt the remaining butter in a pan, add the ginger and the chillies that were done with the tomatoes in the oven. Saute over medium for a minute, add the grilled chicken, the tomato puree and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat, add cashewnut paste and stir. Add chilli powder and simmer until of thick sauce consistency. Remove from heat, stir in cream, bring to a boil and sprinkle top with kasoori methi and garam masala.

Steamed basmati rice for serving

From Indian Home Cooking by Jan Purser and Ajoy Joshi (2003)

Chicken Chettinad

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ARIES March 21–April 20

You

Tarot predictions for August

Tarot predictions for February 2010

LIBRA September 23 – October 23

Tarot indicates that your circumstances are likely to improve. Your work situation is going to be congenial, yet at the same time new projects may take time to materialise, so watch out against being over anxious. You are likely to have to make an important decision linked to finances. In a relationship reading, Tarot signifies a decision regarding a new stage in a relationship that may require spending of some money.

TAURUS April 21–May 21

It’s time for you to decide what it is that you truly desire, and how to achieve the same. You may find yourself fantasising about the way you want things. You are likely to be presented with an offer beyond expectations. The card drawn for you represents favours, imagination, reflections and a time to acknowledge the path of spiritual fulfilment. Tarot emphasises the need for you to take time out for your inner growth and fulfilment.

GEMINI May 22–June 23

You may find situations or circumstances challenging, but Tarot says, now is not the time to give up. You have to revisit your line of action and make adjustments in order to find a more practical approach towards obtaining better results. It is important that you are patient, yet cautious of hidden motives or double standards. Successful people don’t do different thingsthey simply do the same thing differently. Put your best foot forward.

CANCER June 23–July 22

Tarot signifies the need to be observant and subtle in approach in whatever you do. You may get help in contracts from a person of insight. A journey by air is indicated, and much awaited news. You are likely to give in to inspiration easily but you need a reality check on the practicality of your plans. In a relationship reading, there are more chances of indulgence in dreaming than any practical efforts being put in to make the dreams a reality.

LEO July 23–August 23

Tarot indicates the inevitability of change. Certain events in your life may be unexpected, but it’s important that you remain optimistic. The changes at home or in relationships are likely to be for the best. You need to leave behind old beliefs and values which no longer support you and adopt a newer approach in life, in order to progress ahead. You will benefit by accepting the fact that old forms collapse and give way to new forms, for the better.

VIRGO August 24–September 22

You are likely to come across a person who is able to give sound business and financial assistance. Food pleases such a person. He is practical and reliable. You are advised to adopt such qualities yourself. Business seems to hold a promise of success. Tarot suggests the achievement of goals through practical planning and the best of efforts. In a relationship reading, the idea of material comforts seems to crop up: perhaps one partner is equating happiness with material well-being.

Tarot signifies that now is a good time to start a new project. Use your skills and follow your instincts. In order to achieve success in your project, be determined to use your potential to the maximum. It is the right time to initiate action and execute plans. In a relationship reading, Tarot indicates a dynamic relationship where one partner provides the inspiration and the other makes them a reality, through his skills and practicality.

SCORPIO October 24–November 22

You have the ability to combine spiritual knowledge with spontaneity of temperament. This aids you in achieving harmony by being patient and self-disciplined. Your approach in life at this time, needs to be balanced. At the same time, it will benefit you to be diplomatic in your dealings with others. A blend of actions and emotions will bring a sense of harmony. Time is right for both learning and teaching. If undertaken, travel will prove to be fruitful.

SAGITTARIUS November 23–December 21

The present time is likely to bring with it challenges of the financial nature. It is important for you to be careful of any opportunities that come you way, so as not to miss any options for advancement. You may find your work to be uninteresting. You may be feeling lonely and low at this point of time. Tarot indicates spiritual emptiness as a bi-product of not being flexible or adaptable towards change. Be open to change from within.

CAPRICORN December 22–January 19

Tarot indicates fortune, luck and change and with it will come, new things in a different environment. Optimism should be high on your list, as whatever is at the bottom of life’s wheel can only move up. The key to your success lies in your ability to be adaptable and change with the flow of time. You need to observe this change from within and then put in physical efforts to make the best of what you are presented with.

AQUARIUS January 20–February 18

This month, self confidence and perfect planning are likely to get you the desired fruits of labour, as well as the satisfaction of a job well done. Your inner strength, self-reliance in your project and hard work will prove to be the reasons behind this success, leaving you feeling happy and secure. Financial rewards are around the corner for you. Any business decisions emerging from negotiations are likely to bring positive results.

PISCES February 19–March 20

This month your focus is going to be on negotiations. You will be required to make a choice between two alternatives. It is important that you come to terms with any emotional issue before taking a decision. It will be beneficial for you to face facts, understand the depth of the situation and then decide on your future line of action. All rifts would be resolved with a proper focus, leading to mutual love and respect.

Tarot ‘n’ You Tarot ‘n’ You

2010

Tarot ‘n’ You Tarot ‘n’

BUZZThe

Postcancer, Lisa Ray back to her chirpy ways

After fighting a rare cancer of plasma cells, model-actress Lisa Ray is leading a healthy life and is in no hurry to act, but is instead keen to spread cancer awareness and write a book.

“I am engaging with the world, but with a different quality now,” she says. “Someone told me, ‘healing begins when you realise there’s no cure’. I’m not back to a normal life, but an extraordinary life because of the insights I’ve gotten and the changes I’ve made to my lifestyle. In a word: simplified.”

“My disease, multiple myeloma, is in remission. We don’t take the attitude that it is ever gone completely, but we monitor regularly and now I’m leading a particularly healthy life,” Lisa, 38, said.

Lisa, who looks forward to the release of her film Cooking With Stella, is trying to do things she enjoys but is living life on her own terms.

“I don’t believe in a swinging career. I believe in living my life to the fullest and career is just one small aspect. I think I sacrificed a lot of my life for my career to date and it’s time to balance this out now. Cancer is a huge wake-up call.”

Lisa is in no hurry and hasn’t yet signed another film. As of now she is busy finding out platforms and ways to raise awareness for multiple myeloma.

Antara Mali is back, all bald and beautiful

The ‘once-upon-a-time hot’ Bollywood actress Antara Mali, who was last seen five years ago in the flick Mr Ya Miss, is all set to make a comeback of sorts but in an entirely She was supposed to have quit films after her marriage, but she is coming back with a bang. Antara has got a makeover that most Bollywood actresses wouldn’t even dare to dream about. She’s playing a Buddhist monk, and has gone and shaved her head for the role! This is for in acclaimed yesteryear actor and director Amol Palekar’s film And Once

However, the actress states that the film is not her return vehicle. “I am not making a comeback. I just did this film because Amol approached me and it was a great story. Don’t mark this film as my return. I am not returning to the screen,” she said. “I am not averse to acting, but I will work only once in a while and when I get something as good. Else I am happy doing other things,” said

Dealing with the intricacies of adult relationships, the film, slated to hit screens August 13, subtly talks about repercussions of violence on human life and the lingering shadow it casts on us with its startling shades. The film has been shot in the beautiful locales of Sikkim and stars Rajat Kapoor and Rituparna Sengupta in the lead roles Antara Mali.

Antara admits it wasn’t easy shaving her head. “I did suffer later, but I still have no regrets,” Antara said

“When Amol da told me that I would have to shave my head for the role in the film, my initial reaction was just excitement because these are opportunities that don’t come to you too often and even if they come they

GUESS WHO

This actress and former Miss India is better known these days for her love of adventure sports, and for her twittering

ABHILASHA SENGUPTA brings us up-to-date on what’s hot and happening in Bollywood

(Find the answer under Caption Contest)

come at a wrong time”.

Antara, who made her acting debut in 1999 with Prema Katha, went on to do films like Mast, Khiladi 420, Company, Road, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon and Naach

She also produced and directed Mr Ya Miss in 2005 that failed at the box office. Antara hasn’t been seen in a film since then and she got married last year. “I think that at that point, I’d hit a dead end in terms of what I wanted to do. I wasn’t very sure and then I thought that I didn’t feel like working. All of us go through that phase,” she said.

We’ve seen Antara Mali in skimpy outfits before, but this time it’s her deglamourized role that is all set to charm the audience.

Way to go, Antara!

Anurag’s next That Girl… goes to Toronto, Venice film festivals

Hang up your boots and get ready to be excited. After the successful Dev D and Gulal, Anurag Kashyap is coming up with his next thriller That Girl in Yellow Boots But this is not the only reason to rejoice for all his fans out there.

Anurag Kashyap’s Udaan was the official choice at the Cannes Film Festival in May this year Now his Girl in Yellow Boots with Kalki Koechlin and Naseeruddin Shah, is going to be screened at the upcoming Venice and Toronto film festivals respectively.

Produced and directed by Kashyap, the thriller will be screened under Out-ofCompetition section at the 67th Venice Film Festival to be held Sept 1-11. At the 35th Toronto International film festival, the movie will have its North American premiere under Special Presentations.

Co-written by Kashyap and his girlfriend Kalki Koechlin, That Girl in Yellow Boots is a story tracing Ruth’s (Kalki) search for her father in Mumbai. She struggles to find her independence and space even as she is sucked deeper into the politics of the city’s underbelly only to encounter a devastating truth.

Would love to work in a Bengali film: Sonam Kapoor

Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor dazzled Kolkata with her style quotient as she landed in the city to promote her upcoming film Aisha recently.

And when asked if she is interested in doing Bengali films, she said, “I would love to work in a Bengali movie if I am provided with a good script. Most of my favourite directors are Bengali. One of my most favourite directors is Bimal Roy.”

Roy, known as the “Silent Master of Indian Cinema”, was known for films like Do Bigha Zameen, Devdas, Sujata and Madhumati that had the power to inspire and move audiences.

The movies of Aparna Sen and Satyajit Ray also inspire her, she said.

Sonam was accompanied by most of her Aisha co-stars and sister Rhea, who is also the producer of the film.

Unheard melodies of Rafi, Madan Mohan released

Mohammad Rafi and Madan Mohan fans have a reason to cheer. Two unheard songs sung by Rafi and composed by Madan Mohan have been released to mark the death anniversaries

unreleased as the respective films were shelved.

The first song, Ya illahi, ek haseena ne machai hai tabahi was recorded in the late 1960s and is a light, naughty track sung by Rafi in his inimitable style. The second song, Har sapna ek din toote is duniya mein, is a philosophical number recorded in the early 1970s.

Together, the talented duo worked on many unforgettable tracks like Ab tumhare hawale watan saathiyon, Yeh duniya ye mehfil, Tum jo mil gaye ho, Meri awaaz suno, Teri ankhon ke siwa and Kabhi naa kabhi, among many others.

The two songs are available on the website www.madanmohan.in

Ajay Devgn in Speed remake

Ajay Devgn becomes terrorist after gangster now. After acting in the movie Once Upon

A Time In Mumbai as a gangster named Sultan, Ajay has been signed to play a terrorist in Priyadarshan’s as-yet-untitled film inspired by Jan de Bont’s 1994 . The film will be shot on an actual subway train speeding from London to Glasgow. Devgn has been in the film industry for two long decades now and he has shown his acting skills in romantic, action and comedy roles. He also earned accolades in his negative role in the last smashing His recent release Once portrays him as a

The 1994 Hollywood thriller was about a bomb in a bus that would go off if the bus “But the film is not called , nor is it inspired by that film. I don’t know where this wrong news came from! It’s inspired by Speed. The difference is that we’ve translocated the terror attack from a bus to a train,” says Priyan, as he prepares to shoot this untitled thriller beginning September.

The most unusual part of the film is the casting. While Manoj Bajpai (a first for Priyan) has been cast in a positive role as the engineer trying to control the train’s speed so that the bomb doesn’t go off, Ajay Devgn plays the ace terrorist. The last time he was cast in a negative role was in Raj Kumar Santoshi’s Khakee.

The actor will be seen placing a bomb under a train unlike the original movie, where the bomb was placed under a bus. Priyadarshan adds that they will have many more new ideas which will be further implemented in the movie.

“We have managed to take permission for shooting in a station in London and also inside a train. That was hard but at last we did it. Without the train and the actual locations, it does not make any sense to shoot the film”.

Priyadarshan has selected Kangana to play opposite Ajay Devgn. Both of them also star as a pair in the movie, Once Upon A Time In Mumbai. The others in the film include Sunil Shetty, Sameera Reddy, Tusshar Kapoor and Manoj Bajpayee.

Aamir loses sleep as PeepliLive release nears

Aamir Khan is known to give his heart and soul to his projects and the superstar admits that he’s extremely nervous as his production venture Peepli Live nears its release date.

“As 13th Aug gets closer, the butterflies in my stomach are really beginning to flutter around. Have lost my appetite and my sleep,” Aamir wrote on his blog.

“I’m really depending on you guys (audiences) this time round for support. This is an especially tough one with no big stars and a film based in a rural background.”

“For those of you living outside India please tell all your friends, neighbours, colleagues, gardeners etc, who may not have ever seen an Indian film before, to give this one a try. Assuming you like it of course,” he

Directed by debutant Anusha Rizvi, Peepli is a satire on society. It revolves around two impoverished farmers - Natha (Omkar Das Manikpuri) and Budhia (Raghubir Yadav) - who live in a village called Peepli. They are about to lose their land due to their debts.

An incompetent politician suggests they commit suicide to get government help. The news spreads and the media turns Natha into

What’s Salman saying to his wax statue at Madama Tussaud’s?

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Last issue Caption Contest winning entry

What’s the chitchat here between Shashi Kapoor and daughter Sanjana?

Look where Karina and Karishma have reached today. If only you didn’t insist on dressing like a sati savitri.

Raj Saneja

Castle Hill

Raj wins one free ticket to the new film Aisha. Distributed by mindblowingfilms

ANTARA MALI

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Cine Talk

A satirical swipe at corruption

Film: Khatta Meetha

Starring: Akshay Kumar, introducing Trishna Krishnan, Kulbhushan Kharbanda

Directed by: Priyadarshan

First things first. This is not, repeat not, a comedy. Not by any yardstick. For those expecting a typical Priyadarshan-Akshay Kumar comedy Khatta Meetha is not your cup of tee-hee. For those who know there’s a more reflective and ruminative side to both the prolific director and the leading man, here’s the thing.

Khatta Meetha takes stinging satirical swipes at the epidemic disease of corruption that has taken over the Indian ethos. Tragically the treatment is quite often heavy-handed. But the statement never drowns in the diatribe. Priyadarshan tends to fill up the outer edges with a profusion of incidental characters and overelaborate gags and jokes that hold themselves in place in a world of unmitigated chaos like De Dana Dan

Here the clutter and the clamour just make you feel the director needed to respect his own tone of sobriety in this longish tickling treatise on malpractices in the middleclass.

The plot is a bit of a tangle. Akshay Kumar’s family of discontented mal-paani practitioners is a universe of brutish brothers and screechy sisters-in-law, and silently-suffering parents (played by those wonderful actors Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Aroona Irani).

It’s a family of corrupt road contractors and initially, Akshay seems the most wickedly immoral of them all. But hang on! As the narrative - at time plodding - moves

forward, we begin to understand the wacked - out sinister yet satirical, chaotic yet orderly, corrupt yet weirdly - ethical world of Sachin Tichkule.

Here’s a character that seems to have been written only for Akshay Kumar. And he gets hold of the ‘muddle’ - class morality of Tichkule’s world with delightful earnestness. Frequently Akshay is exasperating in his efforts to explain why the middleclass is in a state of self destructive decline. But it isn’t the actor to blame. It is the nature of the material offered to the actor.

The domestic and professional world of Scahin Tichkule is not easy to penetrate. Akshay, demonstrating a primetime ripeness in his body language and repertoire of Chaplinesque expressions, enters this wacky wounded world of the exploited and the damned with extraordinary empathy.

Akshay’s is a performance that is far more accomplished than it may seem to the popcorn province. He’s exasperating in his directness. He’s partly a cartoon character, partly an emblem of our times and wholly entertaining in his chaotic comprehension of the inadequacies of world we’ve inherited from the freedom fighters and brutally disfigured.

But alas, Akshay’s character is much much too wordy in his tongue type. The hallmark of Charlie Chaplin’s social comment was his silent expressions of protest. Akshay’s character and the film on the whole are much too verbose. The characters are constantly talking, as

though not speaking would take away the audiences’ attention. A film making a social comment didn’t have to over-state its case so blatantly.

But the words do not cut into the narrative’s basic flow of tongue-in-cheek satire. Some sequences such as the one involving the steamroller and the elephant consume too much footage. The art of understatement eludes this political statement.

Trisha Krishnan in wearing chunky ear-rings makes an unusual debut. She is different from the shortskirted hotties. But whether that difference makes a difference in Hindi cinema, time will tell. stands tall in its message of restoring a semblance of moral order in the middleclass. The last half-hour after Sachin Tickule’s sister is murdered, is thoroughly gripping. And the fight between Akshay and the corrupt goons in the crowded lanes is chilling in its realism.

Realism is a remotely but decidedly obtainable component in this parodic parable on the rotten fruits of excessively materialistic aspirations in post-Independence India.

Technically polished and many notches superior to Akshay Kumar’s other recent entertainers Khatta Meetha conveys that sweet-sour taste of a universe that has rapidly degenerated into absolute self-gratification.

See it for what the film leaves unsaid, though that’s hard to do when everyone is ceaselessly talking.

Subhash K. Jha

A throwback to gangsterism in Mumbai

Film: Once Upon A Time In Mumbai

Starring: Ajay Devgn, Emraan

Hashmi,Randeep Hooda, Kangna Ranaut, Prachi Desai

Directed by: Milan Luthria

It’s the way he looks at the camera. Almost as if it doesn’t exist. Ajay Devgn as Sultan Mirza is NOT Haji Mastan, please note. He’s just this Robin Hood in the 1970s who happened to be a smuggler and who at some point in the taut plot, locks horns with a junior recruit who, please note, is NOT Dawood Ibrahim.

So who, in the name of immoral crime and haphazard policing, are these two men? So stylishly masculine, so sweaty in their realism and so menacing in their demeanour and complete denial of the existent morality they remind you of the anti-social heroes from Sam Peckinpah’s Westerns?

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai takes us back to the beginnings of gangsterism in Mumbai. Milan Luthria excels in creating smouldering combustive stress between two mean menacing men… Remember Devgn (who back then was Devgan, just as Mumbai was

Bombay when the film under review unfolds) and Saif Ali Khan in Luthria’s Kachche Dhaage and on a more satirical note, John Abraham and Nana Patekar in Taxi No 9211

In Once Upon A Time…. the conflict between Devgn (who is NOT Haji Mastan) and Emraan Hashmi (who is NOT Dawood) is placed in a far more complex and challenging scenario. The screenplay (Rajat Arora) takes into view the entire gamut of grime in the canvas of crime that cannot be hidden by the surface glamour and glitter.

The vintage cars, the costumes and that attitude of rebellious abandon comes through in the inner and outer styling of the characters. The people in Luthria’s panoramic view of Mumbai in the late 1960s and ‘70s are steeped in a cinematic realism. Neither a part of that period nor a completely true representation of an era gone-bye-bye the characters hover in a noman’s-land populated by fascinating details of past recreated with a tongue-in-cheek broadness of purpose.

There are bouts of suppressed satire in the way the whole era of the genesis of the underworld is represented. For example Emraan Hashmi befriends and sleeps with a woman who looks a lot like a Bollywood actress that Raj Kapoor had introduced in a film and Dawood had befriended and allegedly impregnated.

Often the characters are an amalgamation of furious folklore and long-forgotten newspaper headlines of the 1970s. Kangna Ranaut plays an actress from the 1970s who gets the hots for the Robin Hood-styled smuggler-hero. Later she is discovered to have a congenital heart disease (a la Madhubala who came two decades before the events of this film are supposed to unfold). But look at the irony! It’s her smuggler-hero lover who dies of a wounded heart.

Maybe we shouldn’t give away the plot. Because the plot never gives itself away. It never betrays a phoney intent of purpose. The narrative unfolds through the firstperson narration of a troubled wounded cop, played with remarkably restrained bravado by Randeep Hooda. Indeed this is the most accomplished performance in the film. He’s partly a gallant law enforcer and partly a victim of a system that breeds inequality, corruption and finally, self-destruction.

Hooda is wry, cynical, bitter, anguished and yet able to see the humour of a situation that one can ride only by sublimating its gravity. As for Ajay Devgn, he continues to evolve with every performance. As a gangster from the 1970s Devgan brings on the table a clenched self-mocking immorality. He stands outside the character even while internalizing the performance.

Director Milan Luthria imparts a keen eye for details to the storytelling. Some bits in the second-half get shaky, such as the predicable club songs and the repeated use of overlapping editing patterns to convey the rising tension between the mentor and the protégé turned tormenter. But the director’s command over the language of outlawry is unquestionable.

Emran Hashmi as Devgn’s uncontrollable protégée gets the look and body language right. His courtship of Prachi Desai to the accompaniment of romantic hits from the 1970s (e.g Raj Kapoor’s Bobby) is engaging. Understandably, the two ladies are reduced to pursing their lips and wringing their hands as the story progresses. The film’s best, most charming and heartwarming moments come in the early stages of the drama between Devgn and Ranaut. Their growing fondness for one another is recorded in scenes and words written by a poet who can see the humour behind mutual attractions.

The real hero of this film is the writing. Rajat Arora’s dialogues flow from the storytelling in a smooth flow of poetry and street wisdom. Aseem Mishra’s sharply -evocative cinematography gives to this rugged-and-razorsharp look at Mumbai’s mythic mating with crime, an urgency that simply can’t be ignored.

Subhash K. Jha

The end of Endorsements

Suggesting a solution to combat overkill in advertising featuring celebrities leads to a near fatality

BY SUNIL GUATAM

I met up with an old friend on my recent visit to Mumbai. I was seeing him after a long time, but I could still see that something was amiss. My friend was not in his usual spirits. He seemed a bit lost, like a health-food fanatic at a junk food outlet. As old pals, I knew his vulnerability to seemingly ordinary issues of life. He was the kind who would get upset about political unrest in Peru, for example. Once he went on a hunger strike to save the partly-orange-tailed parrot from naughty children at a local zoo.

So though I was not worried about him, I still wanted to know what his problem was this time around. After much cajoling, he started to talk.

“You know how much I love advertising,” he said, “We have been discussing different campaigns through the years.”

I agreed that he had a very keen interest in the industry and loved analyzing different ads and their strategies.

“But now I am not so sure. This use of celebrities is not sitting well with me,” he said.

I tried to explain how it was nothing new and celebrities had been used in advertising all over the world.

“But things are different now. Earlier 3 out of 10 campaigns used celebrities, now 10 out of 10 do.”

“So what’s the problem,” I asked.

“I don’t know who to trust any more!” he said. “Everybody is selling

everything to me. Every star wants me to sign up with his telecom company, buy his soap and wear his watch. He is there on TV when I am at home, on billboards when I am on the road, in magazines when I am trying to relax.”

“So you find all this a bit overwhelming?” I asked. “Wouldn’t you?” he retorted, adding “There was a time when we made the choice of when to go and see these celebrities in action. We chose the time and the location. Now we have no control over it. They are all over the place! What’s worse, they are trying to tell us what to do! ”

“But you can ignore all this,” I thoughtlessly offered.

“That’s not the only problem,” he said, revealing his old brooding self, “I don’t know how to react to these people in movies anymore. I am not sure where the actor ends and the salesman begins. I am afraid that one day, in the middle of an emotional scene, John Abraham may just take his jeans off and say, “Hey guys, while I mourn the death of my screen mother, why don’t you take a commercial break and try these chaddis?”

“That is just your anxiety getting hold of you.” I tried playing the cold shrink.

“It is not just the movie stars!” he lamented. “What about our cricketers? Why do I need Dhoni to tell me which phone to use? Who is Zaheer Khan to decide my brand of T-shirt?”

“Well, they don’t force you to follow the brands they endorse,” I tried to explain, “You are free to decide what you want to buy.”

“Bah!” he said. “Free? I am only free to decide which celebrity to follow! There are no ads without some celebrity or the other! I miss the days of real models. They seemed so genuine compared to these actor/

“Gambhir has been getting run out more often ever since he and Sehwag did a commercial together. Now they start giggling in the middle of a run and India lose a wicket!” he said indignantly.

“Isn’t this a bit of overreaction?” I asked.

“Raavan didn’t work because people have already seen Abhishek and Aishwarya sharing a bar of soap in a TV commercial. So the whole abduction and forced staying together had nothing new to offer,” he fumed.

“And?” I pushed my luck.

“Hrithik did MacroMan Baniyan ad and see what Kites left him with?”

“A baniyan?” I tried to guess.

“Salman featuring in a detergent ad, Shah Rukh endorsing a small car, Hema Malini pushing a water filter….where will it all end?” He demanded an answer.

“I have heard that it is all going to end soon,” I said, daring to offer a solution.

“How?”

“There is soon going to be a campaign against the over-use of celebrities in advertising.”

“How are you sure it will work?” he asked.

“Come on pal,” I said, “the campaign features Amitabh Bachchan, how can it fail?”

I still have my friend’s fingerprints around my neck.