2010-08 Sydney (1)

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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Email: info@indianlink.com.au

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?

What’s On

Generation WHY?

Sat 7 Aug A family drama presented by Sri Om Adisakthi Ashram, directed by Nitya Raghavan. Don Moore Community Centre, Carlingford, at 6.30 pm Details Vidya 0433 048 099.

AHIA Manna Dey night

Sat 7 Aug Australia Hindi Indians Association (AHIA) announces a Manna Dey night as a fundraiser towards activities of its senior citizens group.

Venue Red Gum Function centre

Wentworthville, at 6.30pm. Presented by Avijit Sarkar, accompanied by Pushpa Jagdish and Srijani Dan. Details Tilak Kalra 0413 753 134, Rakesh Sachdev 0407 229 093.

UNSW Indian Cultural Association

Awards 2010

The UNSW Indian Cultural Association is introducing awards in three categories to be awarded on Sept 1, 2010:

• UNSW International Indian Student academic achievement award

• Best visionary article award (topic India)

• Best visionary article award (Indian students’ contribution to India and Australia)

Submissions may be made to info@ica. unsw.edu.au before 9 Aug 2010

Alaska

11 Aug - 28 Aug A disturbing and unflinching play about power and race relations.

Venue: Studio 1, Pier 4/5, Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay

Details at www.atyp.com.au

Vedanta Centre function

Sat 14 Aug Vedanata Centre of Sydney presents Arpanam, an evening of folk and devotional dances, in aid of its building fund. Venue Bahai Centre, 107 Derby St, Silverwater, 5.30pm for 6.00pm start. Details Laju Bhojwani 0414 363 752, Vedanta Centre 02 8197 7351.

Independence Day celebration

Sun 15 Aug India’s Independence Day will be celebrated at the residence of the Consul General (2 Pleasant Avenue, East Lindfield, Sydney, NSW 2070) from 9.00am. All Indian nationals are welcome to attend. Program includes a flag hoisting ceremony, singing of the National Anthem and reading of the speech of the President of India to the nation.

Liverpool Markets Indian Festival

Sat 14 and Sun 15 Aug It’s an Indian weekend at Liverpool: free entertainment Indian food, jewellery, clothes, dance, music and much more. Orange Grove Road (Cnr Cumberland Hwy & Viscount Place, Liverpool)

Details at www.liverpoolmarkets.com.au

Rakhi with Brahma Kumaris

Fri 20 Aug A Rakhi celebration will be organised at Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Meditation Centre, 78 Alt Street, Ashfield, 6.oopm. Program includes meditation, a talk on the spiritual meaning of the festival, the tying of Rakhi followed by light dinner. Details BK Ashaben 02 9585 2727.

Rakshabandhan

Sun 22 Aug To promote and develop universal fellowship and friendship in a multicultural society, and to support and promote multiculturalism, Vishva Hindu Parishad of Australia Inc’s NSW Chapter will organise a day-long celebration of the Hindu festival of Rakshabandhan.

11.00 am at Harvey Lowe Pavilion, Castle Hill Showground in Sydney. Entry is free. Details Brij Pal Singh 02 9484 5204.

Chinmaya Mission events

Sun 29 Aug Stage production Journey of a Master, will tell the story of Swami Chinmayananda, the inspiration behind the Chinmaya Mission. 5pm onwards at Greenhalgh Theatre, UTS Ku-ring-gai, Linfield. For bookings and details contact Rahul on 0402 587 579

2 Sept Shree Krishna Janmashtami Program at 6.30pm - 9.30pm (includes Pooja, Children’s program/performances, Dinner Prasad) at Harvey Lowe Pavillion, Showground Castle Hill and 9.30pmmidnight at Chinmaya Sannidhi. Details 02 8850 7400

Spiritual leader Bhagyaji visits

21 Sept – 11 Oct Global Organisation for Divinity announces the Sydney tour of spiritual leader Bhagyaji. He will give public lectures, conduct a mass prayer for world peace and harmony, and attend workshops and seminars. Details Jayanthi Ramanan 02 9614 1784, 0430 487 781.

Combined Universities’ Cultural Night

Sat 25 Sept The annual cultural extravaganza organised by the Indian societies of the major universities in Sydney will be held at Hills Centre, Castle Hill. The theme this year is A Mystical Rendezvous: Elegance Through the Ages,

and the night includes a special dance competition segment entitled Flaunt Your Flava. Details at www.sydneyculturalnight. com

The Indian Empire: Selections from the Portvale Collection

19 Aug – 7 Nov 2010

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney

The Indian Empire exhibition, shaped by a promised gift of significant works from the Portvale Collection, introduces the competing narratives that emerged following the first European encounters with India. This extensive exhibition, comprising prints, photographs, posters and textiles, includes images of the India of the European imagination together with images created under the patronage of foreigners overwhelmed by a totally different country and culture. Such images favoured portraits, depictions of the manners, customs and costumes of the Indian people, as well as topographical prints in the ‘picturesque’ style then in vogue in England. Also included are the vibrant lithographic prints created from the first introduction of the press in India in the mid 19th century.

Details 02 9225 1744 or recorded information 02 9225 1790; National Toll Free 1800 679 278

Raja Yoga Meditation classes

Om Shanti Margaret Goodwin, on behalf of the Brahma Kumari Raja Yoga Centres in Australia, runs Raja Yoga Meditation classes on Tuesdays 6pm and 7pm. Venue

Alpha Park Centre, Alpha St, Blacktown. (Next to the childcare centre, opposite Westpoint). Please call 8600 0150 to book. No charge for the classes, though voluntary donations may be made to help with the costs to provide the classes. Other locations at which to learn Raja Yoga

Meditation

Ashfield: call Pranita 9716 7066

Canberra: call Panna 6260 5525

Liverpool: call Sashi 9607 2916

Parramatta: call Margaret 8600 0150

Penshurst: call Asha 9585 2727

Wollongong: call Ami 4227 2241

Sydney Veda Patasala

Sundays Vedic chanting and cultural heritage school welcomes interested people (from 5 years to 75 years) to join its classes.

6 to 7pm Crestwood High School, Chapel Lane, Baulkham Hills. contact Subhashree 9894 2897

5.30pm to 6.30pm West Epping Guides

Hall, Plympton Road, North Carlingford. Contact Padmaja 9011 5793

4pm to 5pm 1/93 Castlereagh St, Liverpool. Contact Shilpa Ram 9601 8345

Multi-lingual brochure on how to make contact with police interpreter easier Eastwood Police and the City of Ryde have joined forces to produce a multilingual How to Contact the Police brochure that makes it easier for people to request an interpreter.

The brochure translated into in Chinese, Korean, Arabic, Hindi and English was developed following requests from various multicultural and community groups in the area.

It sets out simple instructions on how to ask for an interpreter and what information needs to be relayed to the Police in relation to the most common reportable incidents:

 Crime in Progress, Life Threatening and/or Emergency Situations

 Suspicious Activity

 Minor Crime or Non-Urgent Incidents

 Anonymous Information

Copies of the brochure will be included in the July Council rates notice. Copies are also available from City of Ryde Customer Service, Libraries, Eastwood Police Station and Ryde Police Station. You can also download a copy from www. ryde.nsw.gov.au/contactpolice

Bala Samskar Kendra

Sanskrit language, Hindu heritage and cultural classes for children and youth 2pm to 3.30pm Metella Road Public School, Toongabbie. Contact Rohini 9863 3067

2pm to 3.30pm Liverpool Library, George St. Liverpool. Contact Shipa Srihari 9601 8345

Call for pharmacists of Indian origin Pharmacist Rajeev Malhotra invites pharmacists of Indian origin living and working around the Sydney region to associate together. Contact Rajeev Malhotra at 0422 409 881 or at rmalhotra@scientist.com

ARRIVAL OF 3 NEW MANDAPS

Special introductry price with basic mandap inclusions as well if u mention this add. Special Price valid for three months from date of advertising. Please rush to make your bookings!!!!!!!!!!

Change agent

Eco-warrior Deepa Gupta becomes the youngest ever recipient of the Green Globe Premier’s award

BY USHA RAMANUJAM ARVIND

When I think of people going hungry for weeks on end, I think of those on this planet living in droughtridden land, which won’t yield the crops they have been waiting for.

I think of those thwarted by the changing monsoon patterns; who can’t predict when to plant their seeds. I think of people who have been victims to a hurricane or flood and have lost access to food and water.

I think of the victims of climate change: past, present and future.

Far-sighted and passionate, these words of wisdom were spoken by 22-year-old activist and change agent Deepa Gupta at Climate Justice Fast, an international campaign that coincided with the Copenhagen Summit late last year.

Ironically, she belongs to a millennium fuelled by abject consumerism, where more is less and brand power rules. But unlike most of her Gen Y peers, Deepa is rooted in Gandhian ideals, opting to lead by example.

Born and raised in Sydney, her aim is to create and communicate powerful solutions for a sustainable future.

Support, Unite, Share, Engage, Inspire, Change – that is Deepa’s mantra for change.

The NSW government recently acknowledged Deepa Gupta with the prestigious Green Globe award for extraordinary environmental achievement, making her the youngest ever-individual recipient.

In late July, the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, Frank Sartor announced Deepa Gupta, as the Green Globe Individual Sustainability Champion Award at a ceremony at NSW Parliament House.

The Sydney Theatre Company’s ‘Greening the Wharf’ project took the Green Globe Premier’s Award for Sustainability at the same event, and was accepted by Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton.

“I have one of the best lives and best jobs in the world,” says the Indian Australian eco warrior.

“As a climate change activist, I have been privileged to meet and work with young people all over India and the world who want to change the world for the better, who want to protect our earth and all those who live off it - youth who I believe are the real heroes of today,” she adds.

Currently on the last leg of a Bachelors degree in Business from University of Technology Sydney, which she put on hold to pursue her dreams, Deepa will relocate to India in late 2010, to champion its cause.

The rising economic superpower has two major issues to be addressed – development and climate change. And the power to change rests with the country’s youth, she told Indian Link

Having represented Australia and India at

global climate forums, she co-founded Indian Youth Climate Network to whip up public opinion and lobby government action.

IYCN, she explains, is a generation wide grassroots movement created to orienteer Indian youth and youth organisations. It aims to empower them to take adequate and urgent action to reduce their carbon footprint.

While in India, Deepa hit the dirt trail with the first ever Climate Solutions Road Tour, travelling across the breadth of the nation for over five weeks in solar powered vehicles, spreading the message of sustainable living through road shows and dance gigs, thereby planting the seeds of change.

“One of the biggest outcomes has been the launching of eco-groups at colleges and corporate campuses,” says the petite campaigner. “We hope that by the end of 2010, hundreds of campuses will have joined.”

She also plans to “have made inroads into policy circles, with representatives in the Indian Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change.

So how did the academic high achiever stray into developmental work and climate crusade?

After all, Deepa was faithfully pursuing every second generation ethnic Australian’s dream career pathway - selective school background, sought-after Bachelors course, lucrative finance career.

“Honestly, even two years ago, I could not have imagined doing so much”, she admitted. “But when I think of thousands of field workers out there passionately championing the cause and doing amazing things, I feel humbled”.

Her first exposure to environment activism came at North Sydney Girls. But it was at UTS’s Enviro Collective that her campaign

delivered impassioned lectures and attended sustainability meetings, while collaborating nationally to mobilise youngsters. She has been very active with the “Flick my switch” campaign to make UTS, Australia’s first major institution to be powered by 100% renewable energy. Besides engaging the Australian Hindu youth in her capacity as faith campaigns coordinator, she has also been the Indian facilitator for the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC), liaising between the two superpowers for clean technology transfer.

Deepa has also worked for the global auditing major PWC in both business assurance practice and climate change teams.

“I guess I got really involved when I heard about climate change activist Kartikeya Singh who was the only Indian to speak at the Bali UN Climate meet”, she revealed.

Deepa took a semester break and even got sponsorship from UTS to continue her work in India.

IYCN was thus born in March 2008 and

Deepa addressed the UN summit at Poznan. There’s been no looking back since. From a core group of three, IYCN now has over 300,000 members, sending delegations to the global enviro summits.

Leveraging on her core skills, Deepa hopes to develop business models for IYCN, tapping into fundraising networks.

Armed with the capacity to dismantle geographic boundaries, according to Deepa, the global youth climate movement is now a veritable force.

Speaking against Australia’s emission trading scheme, Deepa said that although 80% of the world’s power currently comes from coal, “the thinking that caused the problem will not be

really need to stop using coal as our future and put an immediate price on it”.

Likewise, she is highly critical of the world’s largest coal exporter for lack of strong direction. “For anything to be efficient, the market needs clear indicators, making it hard for businesses to act”.

“I also call for urgent legislation to end all new coal power stations. Otherwise we will get locked in for another 50 years. Australia needs to be taking targets of 40 percent or more by 2020. More incentives and investment needs to be made”.

Quoting statistics, Deepa says Australia needs to focus on renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. “Australia is one of the windiest, sunniest countries in the world. It is surrounded by ocean. It has the best hot rocks and a CSIRO study says that in the next 15 years we can actually generate 1 million clean energy jobs. For Australia, it is definitely doable”.

Likewise, she advises all youngsters to seize “every opportunity that comes your way, even if it seems small. I too started small by signing up to the Enviro Collective and three years later I’m helping to build one of the world’s largest youth movements.”

Deepa’s parents have been very supportive of her decisions. “I grew up in an environment where volunteering and social awareness played a big role”, she explained. Her family has been actively involved with the Ekal movement in their drive to eradicate illiteracy and poverty in remote rural India. While she may have derived her core values from them, more recently it is her parents who have been inspired by Deepa’s climate activism to go green. Their Epping home is entirely powered by renewable energy, with an organic veggie garden.

Quite clearly Deepa and her family practice everything they preach.

Meanwhile, 350 is the magic number Deepa is focussing on - 350 parts per million as the upper limit of safe carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to prevent nations going underwater.

At the moment though, the inspirational young woman is busy spearheading climate change campaigns for Get Up Australia ahead of the 2010 Federal elections.

Having represented Australia and India at global climate forums, she co-founded Indian Youth Climate Network to whip up public opinion and lobby government action

Sydney Telugus play host to favourite Lord

Sydney’s Telugu community recently hosted the popular SVT event Darshan in the Suburbs. Over 500 devotees packed Homebush Boys High, braving the wintry chill and heavy downpour for a glimpse of Lord Venkateshwara. The event was in aid of the upcoming Brahmotsavam festival to be celebrated in October this year.

In his welcome address, Ramabhadra Rao stated that the Telugu Association was proud to be associated with the SVT Brahmotsavam and silver jubilee celebrations.

“How many of us, being thousands of miles away from the homeland, have the opportunity to participate or witness Brahmotsavam at the Kaliyuga Vaikuntham in Tirupati and Tirumala? For all of us who call Sydney home, Helensburgh is our Tirumala and witnessing the divine spectacle is a rare privilege”, he declared.

SVT has left many memorable and blissful experiences for all of us and also to hundreds and thousands of devotees

visiting Sydney, he said.

Lauding the efforts of SVT in bringing Perumal to the people, he added that “we always complain Helensburgh is too far to go for Lord’s darshan. Look, the Lord himself has come down to Homebush to shower his ‘nir hetuka’ Kripa on us.”

As is custom, the utsavamoorthy was welcomed with the purna kumbham and chanting. A handcrafted oonjal was specially created for the evening’s pooja. Devotees had also painstakingly prepared alankaram and garlands for the moorthy

Lakshmi Rayaprolu and Madhu Byreddy conducted the evening’s program. Vedic chanting, Carnatic renditions of Annamayya krithis, Bharatanatyam recitals and dance dramas were the highlight of the evening.

Srinivas Byreddy inaugurated the performance with shloka chanting.

This was followed by devotional renditions by Sivakamini and Sai Pavani Divakarla, Lakshmi Narendra and Dr Giridhar Tirumalai. The Sydney Annamayya group also recited some of his favourite compositions.

Dance performances Adivo Alladivo and Veedhula Veedhula both by local children, was well received by the audience. Shobhana Kambhammettu performed a solo Muddugare Yashoda.

There was sumptuous mahaprasadam for all. Rao appealed to the community to actively volunteer and contribute generously to the Brahmotsavam celebrations.

The Telugu Association has committed to host all events on 10 October 2010. Over 4000 people are expected to take part in the festivities at Helensburgh.

Usha Ramanujam Arvind

General Versus

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

BY MAMTA SHARMA

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

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.

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 18

ALEX BATHAL

KALPESH PATEL

JOY BANERJI

BRAMI JEGAN

Continued from page 17

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)

Does the Indian community matter?

Both major parties contesting in the Federal Elections are doing little to woo the Indian subcontinent electorate, which could be revealing as to what the future holds

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

times the influence.

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.

totally mishandled that crisis.

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.

Singh Food and Spices

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

Please move forward and take action!

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

“ 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.”

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”.

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

“ Remember to vote early - and often ”

“ 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

Administration Assistant

Working in an established company, you will be responsible for day to day administration duties of a medium sized office. This is a full time position with future career progression for the right candidate.

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To be successful in this role you will have previous experience within administration and will be a great team player with a strong work ethic. You will also be prepared to take on additional tasks and will have great attention to detail. In return you will receive outstanding training and gain a wealth of experience with a friendly, successful team.

RESPONSIBILITIES

o In and out going phone calls

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o Data entry

o Stationery orders as required

o Basic management of HR issues

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o Previous history in an administrative role and office environment is essential

o Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and simple Data Entry software

o Knowledge in MYOB (ideal but not necessary)

Please email your CV to salessydney@gmail.com. Only successful candidates will be contacted.

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

People Places Parties

IIT alumni gather with families for their annual picnic get-together at Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park

Twins Sonali and Shameel Pagli turn 21

Indian Link Radio listener Suvidha Horn (right) collects her $200 prize from radio presenter Shraddha Arjun, for picking Spain as the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup as part of an Indian Link contest

Celebrating the launch of Maharaja Lakeside Restaurant at Norwest are (from left to right) Inder Singh Benepal, Sunny Benepal, Sukhdev Singh Dindsa (General Secretary Akali Dal and Chairman Commonwealth Games 2010 New Delhi), Nathan Rees (ex NSW Premier and Labor MP for Toongabbie) and Satinder Benepal

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

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

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!

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

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!”

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”.

Constable Sonali Deshpande

Commissioner of Victoria Police Simon Overland

fun!

BY RAKA GUJRAL

There was much hustle bustle at home as two women got ready to go to one of the most anticipated events in the community’s annual social calendar - Sakhi Sangam.

The theme this year was a rather risqué one, Dare-toBare.

Women of all age groups flocked to the Croatian Club for an afternoon strictly dedicated to masti. Looking around I saw the razzle and dazzle of saris, bindis and bangles galore, and couldn’t help noticing that many ladies had been much more daring than myself – there were sexy blouses everywhere.

Sakhi Sangam is celebrated to mark the festival Teej,

which denotes the start of the Monsoon season in India. Teej is also celebrated in India as a ‘Women’s Day’ of sorts, and special meals are cooked by the women for the women. (In Sydney, there were not many women in the kitchen –they were out ‘daring and baring’!)

Social stalwarts Sushma Ahluwalia and Nandini Thadani have been organising this event for the last 12 years. It is no easy feat keeping 700 women entertained for a whole day! Although, the shopping does help, you have to admit…. Without husbands in tow, ladies indulged at all the stalls, buying up big on bangles, bindis, saris and all those trinkets - essential nutrients for our overall well-being that men just never seem to comprehend!

After a quick beeline to the stalls and a good few hundred dollars later, I sat down to indulge in my second best pastime – food! The food was served up by Manjit’s team, who have also been part of this event since it started off. The quality of the food, as well as service, was exactly what we have come to expect with the name – exceptional. The ladies of the day, however, were MCs Preeti and Rasheen. Shimmering from head to toe, the duo kept everyone entertained with their jokes, games and raffles. And the dancers, what can one say - stunning, energetic, graceful and flamboyant all in the one go!

“Sakhi Sangam happens because the ladies want it to happen,” Sushma and Nandini explain their motivation behind organising the event every year. “For so many, it is an occasion to get away from home and work and to relax with girlfriends and dance away all their troubles.” Kudos to them for their effort and hard work, for an event of this magnitude would never be successful without the careful attention to detail they are so well-known for.

Pamela had come with her mother Veena and little daughter Anneka - three generations of women celebrating being women. This year I was accompanied by three beautiful ladies, my mum, my mum-in-law and my aunt and we had a blast together. We danced without inhibition to the latest Bollywood hits that DJ Dimple churned out non-stop.

Friends dancing away with friends, grandmothers shaking their hips with their granddaughters… ladies were dancing everywhere. Those who couldn’t make it to the dance floor just stood up and danced at their table!

We all came home with a beautiful hand-painted hanging mobile as a memento of the afternoon, another thoughtful gesture by Sushma and Nandini. They themselves however, went home exhausted but content, and already thinking up plans for next year’s Sakhi Sangam. I, for one, am already looking forward to the next one!

(Desi) Girls just wanna have

Special Attractions:

Kudiyan kamaal! Teeyan 2010

It was beauty, glamour, tradition, culture, arts - and plenty of laughs - at the Punjabi women’s festival Teeyan.

Celebrated in its Sydney avatar late July at the UWS Parramatta Campus, Teeyan is an Indian festival, observed at the onset of the monsoon season. Traditionally, it heralds prosperity and marital bliss, and as such, it is a fun-filled festival that celebrates the ‘sisterhood’ – relationships not only with other women in the family such as sisters, cousins and aunts, but also with all the girlfriends from childhood up! Newly wed women visit their parents’ home, thus strengthening the ties with the family and childhood friends. (History has shown that Teeyan has been a significant annual event right from the time of rajas and maharajas).

The Sydney-based Teeyan Society (made up of Amardeep Kaur Grewal, Harinder Kaur, Navjeet Kaur Sandhu, Gurpreet Kaur Brar, Rajkiran Kaur Randhawa, Dr Nighat Nasim and Amrit Versha) focuses upon serving the community by preserving Punjabi culture and traditions. Their endeavour is to pass on the Indian values through this annual program. The team members come from varied professions, such as medicine, academics, law, social science, health science and economics.

The festivities this year, from morning till sunset, took the form of giddha (folk dance performed by women), jaggo, lok geet (folk songs), boliyaan, charkha (spinning wheel used to turn cotton into thread), Bollywood dances, music and gifts

for everyone.

Giddha, compiled of boliyaan (verses) was the life of the Teeyan function, no surprises there, with its story line based on relationships between mother-daughter, husband-wife, and mother-in-law-daughter-in-law. Jaggo brought back fond memories for many a participant. A part of marriage rituals, jaggo (‘stay awake’), is a song and dance procession led by ladies, in the village streets at night. The bride or bridegroom’s aunt carries a clay pot lit with candles on top of her head, while others sing and dance alongside, in a bid to keep the villagers up all night.

The audience members got a chance to be a part of the Teeyan celebrations both through the entertainment and a variety of contests. The titles of ‘Teeyan 2010’ were conferred upon four lucky women picked on the night. Bhupinder Kaur took the Miss Teeyan 2010 title; Parminder Kaur was crowned Mrs Teeyan 2010, Mandeep Bhullar took the title of Teeyan Di Raani (Queen of Teeyan) and the Navi Viahi (newly wed) title was claimed by Sukhdeep Kaur.

The littlies’ Bollywood dance Ahun Ahun (Love Aaj Kaal) set the stage for everyone to get up and shake a leg. Four gutsy young girls Tarana, Nadia, Mansi and Kanan (Platinum Indian Entertainment), added spice to the event with their beautiful smiles, enthusiasm, traditional pink attire and astounding dancing skills. Poornima Sharma and her team from Indian Dance Centre held the audience spellbound,

O re piya,

songs from Bollywood films Fiza, Chameli, Aaja Nachle and a finale sung by the irrepressible Shubha Mudgal.

A play highlighting the issues of women in Australia, had the audience laughing their hearts out. The beauty stall, mehndi and churiyan stall (henna and bangles) had the ladies lining up. Maharaja’s Haveli served up scrumptious Indian delights such as chaat-paapdi, chole-bhathure, samosa, jalebi along with masala chai

On a more serious note Teeyan Society made it a point to honour four women who have been serving the community in their own way. Among them were, Meera Reheja in her mid ‘80s, still actively involved in community development and service. After partition in 1947, Meera worked in refugee camps for women in Jalandhar. Ms Reheja, one of the founding members of the Indian Seniors Group in Australia, won a state award for outstanding work in the community in 2008.

Other ladies honoured at Teeyan 2010 were Kumud Mirani, Aruna Chandrala and Harjinder Dhillon.

The ticket for the day full of fun cost just $5, but what made Teeyan 2010 different from other events, was its endeavour to highlight women’s issues whilst providing entertainment and creating some beautiful memories. And for this, the Teeyan team deserve our kudos.

Guneeta Kaur

Open 7 days

Interest rates to go up after Elections ?

By Navjeet Singh Matta

Full Accredited Member of Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia; also Director, Gain Home Loans

important discussion during the Election campaigning. Some politicians have even written and signed statements that the rates will not go up during their term! I really don’t understand how these politicians can make sure that the rates will remain low. Yes, they can have policies in place to contain inflation and other economic factors, but how can they control the changes that happen globally. Australia is much dependent on other economies especially China, which consumes lot of raw material which Australia produces. During the recent global financial crisis, the rates went down to a record low-level not because of the government’s policies but because the economies all around the world went into recession. Australia almost avoided the recession and that is why the interest rates here did not fall to a level compared to other countries like US where rates almost touched 0%. The present government did take a lot of measures such as stimulus payments (like the increased First Home Grant) which helped the Australian economy however the payments have been stopped and now we will see the real impact of the economic downturn. As per the Reserve Bank, the rates are still under the long-term average and they are expected to go up after the Elections in Sep 2010. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!

Property prices still on the way up?

Hello Friends,

Just a few days back the political parties were worried that the Reserve Bank was going to lift the rates right before the elections. Especially the ruling Labor Party would have lost its edge in the elections if the rates had gone up. It all depended on the inflation numbers which were released a few days back. It was almost certain that if the inflation figures were high the Reserve Bank would lift the rates in the first week of August. The latest inflation figures are much weaker than expected, and that makes it less likely that interest rates will go up when the Reserve Bank board sits on 3rd Aug 2010. By the time you read this article, it is almost certain that the rates have remained un-changed. Interest rates always have been an

Every day of the week I am asked the question, are the property prices still going up? There is no doubt that for the last 18 months the values of properties all over Australia have headed north. Sydney (10.4 % growth in 2009) and Melbourne (16% growth in 2009) headed the capital cities across Australia. Canberra is another city which has seen a lot of growth in terms of both property prices and new dwellings. The question is, is this growth for real or is it a bubble which is going to burst? Record level low interest rates coupled with first home benefits increased competition amongst purchasers thereby increases in the property values. My personal opinion is that the values will remain stable for the time to

come. They won’t increase at the rate they did last year but the competition will still remain stiff for quality properties. As mentioned in my earlier articles, the government has proposed new concessions in regards to stamp duty for offthe-plan properties. Please don’t hesitate to contact me on 02 9676-2417 if you need further information or just visit our website if you need to order a Free RP Data property report for a suburb or for any specific property.

Have you done your home loan health check lately?

With the rates going up, it becomes very important for you to find out whether you have the right product and the right structure. You may save a lot by just switching your current home loan, the variable rate starts at 6.47%. With so many different home loan products, lenders and their ever-changing policies, it can be a very difficult task to choose the right Home Loan; however, mortgage brokers like ourselves will save a lot of time and can find the right home loan for you. We have helped hundreds of families choose the best Home Loan as per their situation. In a few simple steps we will provide you with free, independent information to help you make your decision easy by finding the best home loan that fits your needs.

We are available 7 days a week: call us on 02 9676-3417 or visit us at Lvl 1, 15 Flushcombe Rd, Blacktown. We are very centrally located and only 2 minutes’ walk from the Westpoint Shopping Centre. You are free to discuss your situation by calling me on 02 9676-3417 or emailing me on nsmatta@gainhomeloans.com.au. More news next time, take care.

Disclaimer: Advice given in this article does not take into account the personal needs and objectives or financial situation of the reader. The reader should consider the appropriateness of this and seek professional advice before making a decision whether to acquire or continue the products and services mentioned.

A legend lives on…

USHA RAMANAJUM ARVIND reviews another gem from the stables of the student-based Vishwaas Productions

In the annals of Indian history - both ancient and modern - the tale of ‘Samrat Chakravartin’ Asoka is a celebrated one. An able administrator, champion of peace, upholder of righteousness or humanitarian monarch, he unified a fractured nation through ambitious conquests and far sighted policies.

Yet very few know the dark side of this iconic figure – a fratricidal, regicidal usurper.

Born tragically as the younger sibling to rightful heir, his superior sword skills, political acumen and statesmanship made him a royal favourite, sparking jealousy, hatred and intrigue.

It is this dichotomy and inner turmoil that Vishwaas Productions’ stage spectacular Legend of Asoka demonstrated with artistic flair.

Like its predecessor Gandhi – The power of one, the sold-out show directed and produced entirely by UNSW students, raised substantial funds for Vidya Vikas Kendra and Medical Students Aid Project.

Another gem from VP stables, it tells the tale of unbridled personal ambition (a kingly virtue), whose consequences can be tragic.

His vengeance ruined a family

His ambition destroyed a kingdom

His remorse united a nation

Asoka’s beloved mentor and royal adviser Radha Gupta thus introduces the

The most remarkable aspect of Asoka’s life… is his transformation from ruthless tyrant (chanda Asoka) to a man who championed ahimsa

protagonist in the opening scene. The guru becomes the narrator, guiding the audience through the three-hour-long tale of his beloved and supremely gifted student, whose greatest asset also becomes his biggest liability.

At the very pinnacle of success, the legendary emperor also faces his moral nadir (Akayla Asoka). He has abandoned all ethics, forsaken his family, defied his mentor and incurred the wrath of his own subjects in ruthless pursuit of private glory. The Kalinga war thus becomes a personal battle, but one that eventually defeats his ego. Victory is therefore bitter-sweet.

What have I done? If this is a victory, what’s a defeat then?

Asoka’s blinding hubris and lust for power, mercilessly sacrificing those in his way, is not unlike Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Yet in the face of tragedy, Asoka has the moral courage to reincarnate and redeem himself – from the path of tamas (darkness) to jyoti, asat (untruth) to satya, mrityu to nectar of immortality, making him a true legend.

It is this glorious quality that the drama celebrates, making a two thousand year old tale relevant even today.

The most remarkable aspect of Asoka’s life, producer Yashneel Prasad wrote in his welcome address, is his transformation from ruthless tyrant (chanda Asoka) to a man who championed ahimsa The Legend of Asoka interprets the transformation of his

battle-hardened soul both poetically and profoundly.

repentance ( goodness (

After all, to err is human, but the capacity to atone for past sins is a divine virtue – the privilege of a rare few.

the two-act magnum opus flowed seamlessly, holding the audience on edge, pausing only to delineate the moral turmoil within the core characters.

Lead actors Akshat Gupta and Akshay Bhatnagar (as Asoka and Susheema) excelled in their gripping portrayal of puerile but tragically all consuming sibling rivalry. As youngsters they fight over their grandfather’s sword. As disciples they fight for guru’s praise. As heirs they vie for their father’s attention and ultimately his empire, bickering to emerge out of the other’s shadow.

Vruchi (Sumitra), Maathumai (Queen Dharma) and Prishika (Vidhushi) balance the underlying current of negativism with sane

pragmatism (and emotional quotient). They may be victims of their circumstance but they are deeply aware of the interventional role a powerful matriarch plays in royal politics. Sumitra symbolises the power of forgiveness in the face of darkest tragedy, while Vidhisha is the change agent, planting and selfless sacrifice that will eventually salvage Asoka’s soul.

Likewise director Paran Nadeswaran portrays both pride and futility as Guruji, who is unable to check his favourite disciple’s cataclysmic fall from grace.

Not only were there stellar performances from all the cast, the whole production was executed cleverly, interspersing comic interludes (Chiranth Wodeyar as Rinpoche) and dance sequences that provided texture, tempo and balance.

GALLERY

More stunning pictures from TheLegendofAsoka www.indianlink.com.au

The musical score (Chiranth and Sabinesh Pottekatt) from the live stage band was a definite standout, matching the moods from joyous and celebratory to angry and cruelly tragic. The core music team has efficiently combined diverse strains from classical (Carnatic and Hindustani) to contemporary with effortless ease.

To choreograph the adrenalin rush of battle scenes live on stage is a real challenge. Through simple props, clever stunts, gripping music and slick lighting, the grand battle of Kalinga unfolded in all its gory charm.

The talented Vishwaas Production team has once again proved that when it comes to creative excellence, they are no amateurs.

It is truly inspiring to see second generation Hindu Australians enriching their society through such artistic and philanthropic exercises. They are rooted in tradition but dare to express themselves, freely and fearlessly. Well done kids, keep those creative juices flowing. We look forward to many more iconic showcases.

(Above) Akshat Gupta as Asoka (Right) Paran Nadeswaran as Guruji (Below) Vruchi Waje as Sumitra and Prishika Raj as Vidhisha

(Above) Asoka’s moment of truth

Beautifully crafted

Melodious, pleasing and convincing are the words I would use to describe Gayathri Venkataraghavan. The popular vocalist was in Sydney recently as a guest of local carnatic music group Pallavi, and performed as part of their fifteenth anniversary concert series.

Blessed with a pleasing voice and a compelling style, Gayathri took the audience through a sentimental journey through the ragas Reethigaula, Thodi and Gowri Manohari. Of course, there were other items -Viriboni Varna in Bhairavi, Thillana in Dhanasri and Surdas Bhajan which were in no way of a lesser measure. Each of these was rendered with an elaborate alapana, adequately demonstrating the depth in her music. There was clever craft and above all the essence of the raga chosen flowed effortlessly in her singing. The exposition of ragas was intricate whether it was the majestic Reethigaula or the pathos filled Thodi or the light-hearted Gauri Manohari. What is to be appreciated is that Gayathri rendered these in what may be called a straightforward manner without resorting to gimmicks she allowed music to speak for itself.

With Reethigaula it was the celebrated Janani Ninuvina. The line Thamasamu Cheyagane Brovu was elaborated with a very imaginative swara prastara. The craftsmanship Gayathri exhibited with Thodi in the composition – Koluva Marakatha was really of a high order. The alapana, reminiscent of old masters but definitely in a new cast, was scholarly. The elaboration on the line Thamboora Bekoni gave an everlasting experience of Thodi, pleasing and authentic. What let the audience swaying was the rendering of raga Gowri Manohari, a lighter raga usually reserved for a nondetailed treatment. Gayathri rendered the Raga, Thana and Pallavi on the lines Guruvay arulvay guhane, Palanivalar tandani and a melodious ragamalika swaraprasthara. However, I felt

maybe due to time constraints. Many of the items were rendered with a moving virutham - mention must be made of that in Shahana and Shanmugapriya for Vele Panivaru and for the Reethigaula item.

Gaythri was accompanied by Akkarai Subhalakshmi on the violin who proved that she was very capable and clever on it. Many a time, one saw a competition on her part, which I would say was most welcome. Her alapanas in Thodi and Gowri Manohari stood a testimony to this and

Manoj Siva gave the mridanga accompaniment and added to the success of the performance.

Often, people speak as though classical music is coming to an end and that the days of good music are over. But when I listen to a performance such as this where you have music so expressive, so filled with bhava, and where one performs so freely within the constraints of tradition, I have no doubts whatsoever that carnatic music is safe - indeed, it thrives.

Sydney Srinivas

Singh Food and Spices

Special Rakhi hampers

A spice shop with a difference

Gayathri Venkataraghavan

India, US reprocessing deal opens n-power market to US India and the United States have taken another crucial step in implementing their landmark civil nuclear deal with the signing of an agreement on the nuclear fuel reprocessing arrangements under the accord.

The agreement signed by Indian ambassador to the US Meera Shankar and the US Under Secretary of State William Burns at the State Department on July 30 will enable reprocessing by India of USobligated nuclear material at a new national reprocessing facility to be established by India under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.

The reprocessing agreement was one of the few remaining steps needed to facilitate participation by US firms in India’s expanding civil nuclear energy sector. The US side is now awaiting the passage of a nuclear liability law by India to enable American companies to take advantage of an estimated $150 billion nuclear power market opening up in India.

Describing the agreement as “a reflection of our deepening ties,” Shankar said India was now looking forward to the visit of President Barack Obama in November. “We are confident that the visit would take our relationship to the next level and demonstrate how our two countries are working together to find solutions to the pressing global challenges of the day and for promotion of peace and stability in Asia and beyond,” she said.

India has an ambitious program for development of civil nuclear energy to meet its growing energy needs with a target to increase our installed capacity more than seven fold to 35000 MWe by the year 2022, and to 60,000 MWe by 2032, she said.

International cooperation, including cooperation with US firms, is an important component of this plan, Shankar added.

The State Department said the agreement carries forward the commitment made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Obama to fully implement the India-US Civil Nuclear Agreement, describing it as a significant step which highlights the strong relationship and growing cooperation between India and the United States.

This arrangement, negotiated and concluded under President Obama, reflects the Administration’s strong commitment to building successfully on the landmark USIndia Civil Nuclear Cooperation Initiative and is a prerequisite for US nuclear fuel suppliers to conduct business with India.

Previously, the United States had extended such reprocessing consent only to the European Union (EURATOM) and Japan. The Civil Nuclear Cooperation Initiative has facilitated significant new commercial opportunities across India’s multi-billion dollar nuclear energy market, including the designation of two nuclear reactor park sites for US technology in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, the State Department noted.

Increased civil nuclear trade with India will create thousands of new jobs for the US economy while helping India to meet its rising energy needs in an environmentally responsible way by reducing the growth of carbon emissions, it said.

India’s Adani eyes Australia’s coal reserves

India’s Adani Group Ltd is set to announce it has bought a coal tenement in Queensland’s Galilee Basis from Australia’s Linc Energy Ltd, according to news reports.

The deal could be worth more than 1 billion Australian dollars ($900 million) and be the first time an Indian company has bought a coal seam rather than invested in a coal mining company.

2009.

put your head in the sand, act

Adani is India’s largest coal importer and a key player in India’s plans to double power generation over the coming decade. There are 28 coal-fired plants under construction and another 28 on the drawing board.

The bid would be from subsidiary Adani Enterprises.

The value of shares in Linc has risen nearly 60 percent since the start of July in anticipation of the sale of three Queensland coal assets.

Earlier this year Adani raised $765 million on the Mumbai stock exchange in what was the largest share sale to institutional investors by an Indian company this year.

Linc’s primary business is coal seam gas.

Battle to control Rs.7 bn Lilavati Hospital hots up

A family feud, going on for control over the estimated Rs 7 billion business empire linked to the Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre in Mumbai, has taken a new turn with a top trustee hitting out at others.

The hospital’s permanent and managing trustee Niket V. Mehta said that he was shocked by a statement issued by his relatives, Chetan Mehta, Prabodh Mehta and Rashmi Mehta, claiming that he was not a trustee of the institution.

Hitting back, Niket Mehta - who was assaulted by goons recently- said that he had been appointed a managing trustee and a permanent trustee vide a board of trustees resolution passed October 16, 2002.

On the contrary, he pointed out that Prabodh Mehta has been convicted for forgery of Rs.1.7 billion and sentenced to a jail term of six months, besides the imposition of a fine of Rs.1.7 billion, by a Belgium court.

“According to Indian rules, any person convicted in a crime cannot be appointed a trustee, and subsequently, on March 17, 2010, the Assistant Charity Commissioner (ACC), Maharashtra, ruled that he was not liable to

continue as a trustee,” Niket Mehta said. He followed it up with an order July 21 this year, dissolving the powerful sub-committee managing the day-to-day affairs of the hospital.

The action was taken on the grounds that sub-committee head Prabodh Mehta had been convicted by a Belgian court and was not entitled to handle financial matters or take executive decisions.

Blatantly disregarding the ACC’s order, Prabodh Mehta continues to be the trustee of Mumbai’s most prestigious private hospital, situated in Bandra west, Niket Mehta said.

On July 23, 16 people barged into Niket Mehta’s third floor office inside the hospital and brutally attacked him.

Hours after that shocking incident, his father, the renowned Mumbai philanthropist and linguist, Vijay K. Mehta, died July 24.

The Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre was set up in 1997 and in less than a decade, it became one of the leading healthcare facilities in the city.

India’s atomic scientists must pass psychological tests for jobs

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has made it mandatory for all job aspirants to pass psychological tests before being hired by any of the units under it.

On the increasing incidents of suicides among the nuclear scientists/ technologists, Atomic Energy Secretary and Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman Srikumar Banerjee said, “As per our investigation, no employee committed suicide due to pressures at work place. The suicides are due to personal reasons.”

According to him, only few young and who are intellectually active below 30 years of age tend to show some signs of suicidal tendencies.

“Now we have made it mandatory for job candidates to take a psychological test and

only those who pass that test are hired and others are rejected,” Banerjee said.

Digital broadcast signals to take over Analog by 2013: TRAI

There will be a complete switch over from analog to digital broadcast signals in the country in a phased manner by December 2013, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman J.S. Sarma has said. He said TRAI’s final consultation paper on digitalisation will be released soon.

Sarma asked the industry to support for the switch-over. “We are forward looking and proactive on regulation on digitalisation,” he said at a conference organised by CII.

Welcoming the decision, Amit Khanna, chairman, Reliance Big Entertainment, said media companies have to transform from products to relationship with audience in the future. He predicted more event-based (FIFA World Cup, Avatar, 3 Idiots) things in the emerging digital world. “We are moving away from economy of attention to economy of in attention and there is too much distractions.”

Speaking on the digitalization of Pay TV, Vikram Kaushik, Tata Sky chief executive, said, “The major challenge of digitalising is the fragmented economy, due to which the industry is losing large amounts of money. It is critical for proper implementation of digitalisation. It has to be mandated”.

Pakistan wants Indians to testify in its courts: Envoy

Claiming that Pakistan policy of supporting some terrorist groups has changed, its ambassador in Washington recently said that Islamabad has asked India to send its officials to testify before Pakistani courts to help convict those responsible for Mumbai attacks.

“The individuals who were responsible for the Mumbai attack are all now under arrest,”

Continued on page 46

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

now. Pattnaik had earlier won the award in 2003, 2004, 2007 and

Photo: IANS

Continued from page 44

Pakistan’s ambassador to US Husain Haqqani said when asked about Pakistan’s lack of action against Lashkar-e Taeba (LeT) terror group behind the Nov 26, 2008 Mumbai attack.

“And we have requested our Indian neighbours to provide us with evidence in the sense of allowing Indian officials who have knowledge of this matter, to travel to Pakistan and give evidence in our court,” he said. “And we will be able to complete the prosecution process and convict these people.”

Haqqani said, “Pakistani policy changed very clearly, even after 9/11. It started changing. I think the changes are in much faster gear now.

“Our military leadership, our intelligence leadership, and our civilian leadership are all on the same page,” he said.

Haqqani acknowledged “Pakistan’s history has given a lot of people reason for cynicism about democracy, about our relations with our neighbours, about relations with the United States.”

“But in this environment of cynicism I think we need to be very clear about one thing. Pakistan as a nation can have a good future only if we resolve our problems in our neighbourhood, our neighbours are reasonable about it, the United States support this process of transformation, and Pakistan emerges as a democracy.”

“Pakistan wants to play well with the world, and that is where our future lies,” he said.

S.Y. Quraishi takes charge as CEC

S.Y. Quraishi took over as India’s new chief election commissioner (CEC) on July 30, becoming the first Muslim in the country to occupy the post.

He takes over from Navin Chawla, who held the post for one-and-a-half years.

Quraishi had earlier said that he was taking over the post with “great pride and humility”. “I request the cooperation of all stakeholders, especially the people of this great country to fulfil my responsibilities.”

Media mogul K.M. Mathew dies, thousands pay respects

Chief editor of Malayala Manorama K.M. Mathew died on August 1 at his residence in Kottayam in Kerala. He was 93.

Mathew is survived by three sons and a daughter. His wife passed away in 2003.

Thousands came to pay their last respects to Mathew, who was known as Mathukuttychayan to all.

The body was lying in state at his home at Kanjikuzhy, close by the Malayala Manorama office.

Condolences poured in from President Pratibha Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari,

Heritage Honour: Jaipur’s famed astronomical observatory, Jantar Mantar was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site recently. The UNESCO world heritage committee described the Jantar Mantar, built by Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur and completed around 1730 as an astronomical observatory as the “most significant, most comprehensive, and the best preserved of India’s historic observatories.”

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, union cabinet ministers, governors, UPA chief Sonia Gandhi, Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and state ministers. Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs

Vayalar Ravi also paid his last respects.

In 1954, Mathew became the managing editor of Malayala Manorma and its chief editor after his brother passed away in 1973.

Despite his advanced age, he kept working in office till the very last week, actively taking part in meetings and airing his opinions on news.

During his glittering journalistic career, Mathew was the chairman of Press Trust of India, president of the Indian Newspaper Society and the chairman of the Audit Bureau of Circulation besides holding numerous other positions.

The first issue of Malayala Manorama appeared March 22, 1890. It started as a four-page weekly newspaper published every Saturday and since then has not looked back. Today, it is a media group that has 48 publications with Manorama having a circulation of more than 1.8 million copies.

It was under Mathew’s stewardship that the Manorama group of companies adapted to the changing times in the media industry and did not have to think twice before entering into the arena of the electronic media. He also launched the online medium of Malayala Manorama

The highly acclaimed English news

magazine - The Week - was his brainchild. But, if there was one thing Mathew failed to achieve was an English daily from the Manorama group.

Mathew’s position as a colossus in the media industry could be gauged from the fact that he always had the first audience with any political leader passing through Kottayam, which included even Pope John Paul II on his Kerala visit in 1986.

Mathew was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the country’s third highest civilian honour, in 1998. He was one of the founding members of the Baselious College, Kottayam in 1964.

NIA to probe Samjhauta Express blast

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will take over investigations into the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombing as well as the plan to attack a multinational firm in Hyderabad, Home Minister P. Chidambaram has said.

“NIA has been directed to take up the cases of Samjhauta Express and the attack on Deloitte Hyderabad,” Chidambaram said while presenting his ministry’s monthly report card for July, an exercise he started soon after assuming office.

He pointed out that the cases were being handed over to the NIA as they had not been solved. “Some of the old cases not being solved are being given (to the NIA) as we want to solve them. Samjhauta Express is one

example,” said Chidambaram.

At least, 68 people were killed in bomb blasts on board the Samjhauta Express near Diwana railway station in Panipat, Haryana, Feb 18, 2007. The train links India and Pakistan.

In the other case, an alleged member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group was arrested in May this year for allegedly plotting to carry out attacks against multinational auditing firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu in Hyderabad. The Samjhauta Express case was being probed by a Haryana Special Investigation Team. Maharashtra Police, which were investigating the Malegaon bomb blasts, had at one time accused Hindu right wing extremists of being behind the Samjhauta Express bombings.

But Chidambaram demurred from pointing any fingers, stating the case had not been solved yet.

However, he did note that the NIA would be the best agency to investigate the matter, so that it could look into inter-state probes like the Amjer bomb blast, Mecca Masjid blast and the Malegaon attacks. All of them are being investigated by three different state police agencies.

Arundhati Roy, Indira Nooyi among Forbes’ most inspiring women

Indian author and activist Arundhati Roy is ranked third and PepsiCo’s India-born

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Photo: AP

chief Indira Nooyi 10th in Forbes’ list of the world’s 30 most inspiring women that also features Mother Teresa and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Topping the “30 Utterly Inspiring Role Models” list, compiled by Forbes Woman, is TV show host Oprah Winfrey, one of the world’s richest people, who was named the Most Powerful Celebrity by the US business magazine last month.

“Winfrey’s role model status extends beyond her professional career; her philanthropic work, including the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, is just as inspiring,” Forbes said.

“Role models mean different things to different people – some of us look for guidance in business, some in our personal lives, some of us strive to make the world a better place each day, some admire trailblazers,” it said.

Others named in the list include actor Angelina Jolie, former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, first lady Michelle Obama and author J.K. Rowling.

As a single mother, Rowling took to writing stories about a young wizard in a coffee shop and built one of the top-earning literary franchises ever, inspiring movies that have grossed more than $5 billion, spin-off books, theme parks and more, noted Forbes.

Also featured is actress and model Lauren Hutton, who “shows that aging gracefully and naturally is possible, and can even be glamorous,” it said recalling “when she posed nude at age 61 for Big magazine, she said she did it for other women: ‘I want them not to be ashamed of who they are when they’re in bed.’”

“In the sports arena, race car driver Danica Patrick shows girls and women that females are just as fast as men, while Williams sisters Venus and Serena set examples of athleticism and power on and off the court.

“Their personal histories, outlooks and missions may be different, but each role model sets an example of how to be the best women we possibly can be, Forbes said.

Haryana clerk fulfils Australian woman’s last wishes

A clerk in Haryana travelled hundreds of miles to fulfil the last wish of an Australian woman, born in British India, who wanted her ashes to be immersed in the Ganga river at Haridwar.

Jill Villers, who was born in Lahore in 1945, passed away in Mount Barker, Western Australia around two years ago. Before dying, she had expressed her desire of immersing her ashes in Ganga river.

Her daughter Linda Wibberley, the Australian cycling team manager for the preCommonwealth Games invitational event, reached New Delhi recently and planned to fulfil the last wish of her mother. But due to time constraints, she could not make it to Haridwar.

“My mother is from India, she was born in Lahore. She wanted us to immerse her ashes in Ganga. This is my first visit, I have brought her ashes to disperse in the Ganga, but it seems impossible since I have a tight schedule,” Wibberley said.

Moved by this gesture of a daughter for her dead mother, Ravinder Kumar Aneja, who works in the office of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, contacted Wibberley and offered his services.

Aneja travelled to Haridwar on his own expense and immersed the ashes on her behalf. He also arranged to document the entire ceremony and is e-mailing it to Wibberley.

“I did it for the sake of humanity,” Aneja said.

Reacting on Aneja’s effort, Wibberley said, “Angels and god have found a way for my mum to come home”.

India has a long way to go in education: PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that India has a “long way to go” in spreading literacy and that paucity of funds will not be allowed to hamper the spread of education in the country.

“We still have a very long way to go (in spreading education),” Manmohan Singh said, referring to “significant gains” India has made in the field.

“According to UNESCO’s Global Monitoring Report 2006, out of 771 million illiterates in the world, 268 million are estimated to be residing in our country, which accounts for nearly one-third of the world’s non-literates,” he said.

The prime minister was speaking at a lecture of his “school friend” and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen organised by Pratichi Trust, Asian Development Research Institute and the National Literacy Mission.

“It is our government’s commitment that paucity of funds will not be allowed to limit the spread of literacy and education in our country. It is on the foundation of this fiscal commitment and political resolve that we went to parliament and added a new fundamental right to our constitution - the Right to Education,” the prime minister said.

Even though India’s GDP has recorded a very high growth rate in the recent past, the inferior literacy status of the country has contributed to the lowering of its position in the UNDP’s Human Development Index.

nmohan Singh said the government has taken a series of important steps in the past six years “to make the light of literacy and education shine for every child, every citizenirrespective of gender, caste or religion”.

He lamented that even at the end of the first decade of the knowledge century, “a quarter to a third of our people remain

illiterate”.

“It is even more unfortunate that a strong gender bias against women persists in the spread of literacy,” he said, adding that to make India “fully literate and to eliminate the gender bias in literacy must be our immediate priority goals”.

Sen’s talk focused on “The Centrality of Literacy”. He said the schooling could be deeply influential in the identity of a person and the lack of school education could make a person susceptible to violence.

The Nobel laureate said that basic education “plays a role in tackling health problems in general and epidemics in particular”.

“Women’s education helps in reducing infant mortality rate and illiteracy can muzzle political voice and ability to understand one’s legal rights,” he said.

Sen said in rapidly changing societies like India and China, discussion on smoking could be introduced in school

and added that “India can be a pioneer in this regard”.

Kalmadi rubbishes allegations of financial irregularities

Commonwealth Games organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi has denied media allegations of financial irregularities related to the launch of the Queen’s Baton Relay in London last year and threatened to sue a television channel for levelling “baseless allegations of corruption”.

The Times Now news channel had reported that the British government has launched an investigation into alleged dubious money transfers to a UK company after a letter written by the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee to the Revenue and Customs Department of United Kingdom came into focus.

The news channel claimed thousands of pounds had been transferred to a smalltime company in the UK contracted to the organising committee without proper contract and permission.

Kalmadi said, “The budget of the London function was Rs.130 million but we utilised only Rs.60 million. We have also taken permission from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and they have given us all the necessary approvals.

“The Times Now report also said that 25,000 pounds were given for costume design. It is not true. I don’t know where they have got the reports from.”

The channel claimed that the Indian High Commission had written to the sports ministry over the allegations of transfer of money to one AM Films UK Ltd from the organising committee during the launch of the Queen’s Baton Relay in London in October last year.

Kalmadi said that it was the Indian High Commission, which had recommended AM Films UK Ltd and its sister company for hiring cars and putting up mobile screens and toilets in London for the event.

“We got the approval to hire AM Films from the Indian High Commission. I got a mail from Raju Sebasatien from the High

Continued on page 49

Inspiring women: Activist Arundhati Roy (seen here receiving the Sydney Peace Prize in Nov 2004) and PepsiCo’s Indra Nooyi make it to Forbes list this year.

Photo: AP

Commission on October 13 recommending the name of the company and at High Commission’s rates. We have dealt all matters in a transparent way,” Kalmadi said.

Kalmadi reiterated that payments worth 238,093.56 pounds were made to AM Car & Van Hire Ltd and worth 146,868.80 pounds to AM Films UK Ltd on Oct 24 for hiring mobile video screens.

“This was made after Metropolitan Police insisted that we provide the mobile video screens at the venue of the function. The accounts were settled before the Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi left London. No payment was made after Oct 30. The allegation that Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi makes payments of 25,000 pounds every month to AM Films UK Ltd is baseless and incorrect,” he said.

Kalmadi also informed that the organising committee had asked for a VAT refund from the British government.

“If there was anything wrong, why would we have asked for a VAT refund,” he said. The Indian High Commission, however, has denied Kalmadi’s claim that it had recommended London-based firm to CGOC.

Kalmadi, who refuted the allegations, hit back maintaining that it was the Indian High Commission which had recommended AM Films and its sister company for hiring cars and putting up mobile screens and toilets in London for the event.

Kalmadi released three letters, one written by him to the Indian High Commission and the other two which one Raju Sebastian from the mission wrote to the CGOC in response to his letter.

“It is being reported by the media that the Indian High Commission in London has denied that they recommended M/S Am Cars to the organising committee for providing various services for the function.

They have also said that Mr. Raju Sebatsian is too junior an official to make any recommendation on behalf of the Indian High Commission,” Kalmadi said in a statement.

“The OC would like to clarify that we had written to Vikrant Ratan, the first secretary (Protocol) of the Indian High Commission, to provide us the list of agencies for transportation, accommodation and other services and their approved rates.

“In response, Mr. Raju Sebastian of the (Protocol Division), giving reference to our mail to the first secretary, informed that the approved vendors for transport art M/S AM Car & Van and the Chauffer Company. He also indicated the approved rates of the High Commission for accommodation and transportation. The copies of the mails received from Indian High Commission (Mr. Raju Sebastian) are enclosed,” Kalmadi said in the statement.

“This clearly indicates that the Indian High Commission had recommended M/S AM Car & Vans to the Organising Committee for the Queen’s Baton Rally function in London.”

Somdev enters top-100 in tennis singles’ rankings

India’s Somdev Devvarman has broken into the top-100 of the tennis rankings in singles, jumping seven spots to 96 in the Association of Tennis Professional (ATP) chart.

Somdev is only the second Indian male after Leander Paes to be ranked in the top 100. Paes’ career high singles ranking was 73 in 1998.

The Indian benefited from his second round appearance at ATP Farmers Classic tournament in Los Angeles recently. Somdev lost to Serbian Janko Tipsarevic who had beaten the Indian at the Chennai Open in January 2010. It fetched Somdev 32 ATP points, including 12 points he earned in the

qualifiers. He now has 540 ATP points. His career-best rankings will be a shot in the arm for him before the US Open later this month.

Somdev was ranked 126 at the start of the year, but his ranking plummeted to 162 by the third week of January. He picked up with some good performance in the circuit.

Somdev reached the ATP Tour quarterfinal of the SA Open in Johannesburg and the second round of the ATP World Tour 500 series in Dubai Tennis Championships where

he lost to Marcos Baghdatis.

Somdev, who leads India’s singles challenge in Davis Cup, also qualified for the French Open and went down to Switzerland’s Marco Chiudinelli in the first round.

He reached his maiden ATP Tour event finals in Chennai Open last year.

International funding sought for Nalanda University: Amartya Sen

International funding will be sought for the proposed revival of the ancient Nalanda University, a global centre for learning, and Singapore Buddhist organisations have already offered donations for the construction of a world-class library.

“We will go for international fund raising,” Amartya Sen, chairman of Nalanda Mentors Group and Nobel economics prize winner has said.

“The Singapore Buddhist community is making an important gesture to finance library,” Sen added. They have reportedly offered around $5-10 million (Singapore dollars) to finance the institution.

Sen said they were open to funding from both public and private organisations as well as religious institutions.

Pegged as a symbol of global cooperation in education, the Nalanda University, proposed to be set up in Bihar near the site where an ancient university flourished centuries ago, will have schools on Buddhist

studies, philosophy and comparative literature, historical studies and ecology and environmental studies.

The Nalanda Mentors Group, constituted in 2007 and chaired by Sen, has been giving a concrete structure to the plan to revive the educational institution, which had attracted students from across the world in ancient times.

The mentors group held extensive two-day meetings in New Delhi recently that was also attended by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

George Yeo, visiting Singapore foreign minister and member of mentor group, said that he hoped “that by East Asia summit, the bill will be passed and work will begin”.

He was referring to the proposed legislation to be tabled during the current parliament session which will govern the operations of the university.

Amartya Sen also introduced the new vicechancellor designate for the university, Gopa Sabharwal, a sociology professor in Lady Shri Ram college.

“This is an exciting task and a huge responsibility. The primary task is to translate vision of Nalanda Mentors Group,” said Sabharwal.

Asked if Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama was associated with the project, Sen said: “No religious activist is involved in the process. This does not mean that they are out of the frame.”

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

Somdev Devvarman

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.

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

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).

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.

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,

(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.

GREYSTANES $349,950

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GREYSTANES $539,950

eat in kitchen, polished timber floors, garage, walk to shops and station. Ideal for new home builder or redevelopment (subject to council approval) fantastic opportunity, not to be missed!

Open For Inspection: Saturday 11:30-12:00pm

Auction: Saturday 21 August 2010 on site at 12:00pm

Laing & Simmons Wentworthville 9688 4000 Contact Alan Fowler 0413 057 699 or Leanne Ollerenshaw 0414 790 887

POTENTIAL, POTENTIAL, POTENTIAL 179-181 Dunmore Street Set on 1012m2, the property offers renovated 3 bedroom home with ensuite to main, built-ins, new kitchen, combined lounge/dining & tiled throughout. Run your own business or rent out shop with modern fit out, also with office and storage area at rear. Ideal investment or future redevelopment or for the astute buyer.

Open For Inspection: Saturday 10:30-11:00am

Auction: Saturday 21 August 2010 on site at 11:00am

Laing & Simmons Wentworthville 96884000

MERRYLANDS $359,950 QUIET LOCATION Fantastic townhouse in a great location, features 3 bedrooms, spacious living area, separate dine area, modern bathroom & kitchen with gas cooking, lock up garage, large private courtyard, close to transport & good long term tenant. A MUST TO INSPECT! Laing & Simmons Wentworthville 9688 4000 Contact Alan Fowler RYDALMERE $599,950 ROOM TO MOVE 81 Fallon Street Large 2 storey 6 bedroom home in need of a modern brush. Potential for 2 family living with 2 kitchens + bathrooms, 3 air conditioned living areas, in ground swimming pool, garage & carport, set on 752sqm block and situated close to ferry, Eric Primrose park & shops. A MUST TO INSPECT. Open For Inspection: Saturday 1:30-2:00pm Laing & Simmons Wentworthville 0433 872 145 Contact Michael Cuskelly

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LARGE BLOCK This 3-4 bedroom fibro/tile home is set on a north east facing large block of 809sqm approx, an ideal investment or great block to build on with potential for duplex (subject to council approval). The property features an updated kitchen with dishwasher, polished floor boards, internal laundry, sunroom and lock up garage. Located within walking distance to Wentworthville railway station, transport and a short drive to westmead hospital. A MUST SEE! Laing & Simmons Wentworthville 9688 4000 Contact Leanne Ollerenshaw

TOONGABBIE WENTWORTHVILLE $319,950 CONSTITUTION HILL $494,950 164 STATION STREET Immaculate ground floor unit featuring 2 large bedrooms with built ins, large lounge & dining area with floating floor boards, modern bathroom, internal laundry with 2nd toilet, modern kitchen with gas cook top, lock up garage and large private decked courtyard excellent for entertaining, all set close & handy to schools, shops & trains. Laing & Simmons Wentworthville 9688 4000 Contact Leanne Ollerenshaw

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

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 non-aggression 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 well-documented facts since the Indus Valley civilization and Hindu scriptures too stand testimony to this.

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.

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

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

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

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…

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

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,

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?

Indian Link Radio 24/7

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 immigration debate continues

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”.

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

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

The Glycaemic Index

We’ve all heard about GI, but what does this stand for and how does it benefit our health?

BY GEETA KHURANA

All carbohydrate foods are broken down to glucose after digestion and therefore lead to an increase in blood sugar levels. But different carbohydrate foods increase the blood sugars at different levels. The glycaemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high GI are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed, and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels and therefore are beneficial for diabetics.

There is a close relationship between GI and diabetes. High GI foods result in higher, more erratic blood glucose levels. Low GI foods help control diabetes as they produce lower, more stable blood glucose levels. Low GI foods also make you feel fuller for a longer time, thus helping control appetite and delaying the feeling of hunger.

• Low GI foods have a GI of less than 55.

• Medium GI foods have a GI between 55 and 70.

• High GI foods have a GI greater than 70.

The GI Symbol

Backed by the Glycemic Index Foundation and in collaboration between the University of Sydney, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Australia and Diabetes Australia, the GI Symbol Program helps people make healthier food choices every day for every meal, towards their long term health and well being.

Look for the blue seal of the GI symbol on a number of foods in the supermarket and make healthier food choices. Foods can only have the

GI symbol if they have a low glycemic and meet other nutritional benefits including being lower in calories or energy, fat, saturated fat and sodium; and where appropriate, higher in fibre and calcium. But it is also important to remember that some foods that do not have a GI symbol may also be low in GI. When you see the GI symbol, it means that an approved GI testing facility has tested the food for its glycaemic index. However, the symbol itself does not indicate whether the food has a high, medium, or low GI. The actual GI value and its meaning will appear near the nutrition panel. It is therefore, up to you to look for the actual GI value near the nutrition panel. GI applies to only carbohydrate foods and it is good to include one low GI food in each meal or to try and combine a low GI food with a high GI food.

Foods are not good or bad only based on GI. You should also consider other factors:

• The fat content of the foods: Potato crisps and chocolates for example, have a low GI but are high in fat.

• Portion sizes: The bigger the portion, the more it will increase your blood glucose, regardless of its GI rank. It is important to know that eating small portions of high GI foods is unlikely to have a big impact on blood glucose and insulin levels, whereas consuming large portions of low GI carbohydrate foods like pasta or wholegrain bread can still raise blood glucose and insulin levels considerably.

• Processed, refined, starchy foods: Limit the intake of these, as they tend to be low in fibre and other nutrients, and also have a high GI. Eat wholegrain and bran bread more often than white bread. Consume more of beans, legumes, and lentils, even adding these to your soups, salads, paranthas, and cutlets.

• Combine your foods: If you choose a high GI food, combine it with a low GI food, for an overall medium GI meal.

• Eat fresh: Enjoy a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables as these have a low GI, so they break down into sugar slowly in your body.

The GI of some of foods is listed below:

Low GI Foods Medium GI Foods High GI Foods

Breads Whole grain Wholemeal bread White bread

multigrain breads Hamburger bun Bagel

Sourdough bread Rye bread Gluten free bread

fruit loaf Croissant English muffin

Country Life low GI Crumpet Baguette

gluten free bread Pita bread

Breakfast All Bran Un-toasted muesli Sultana Bran

cereals Guardian Just Right Bran Flakes

Special K Nutri-Grain Coco-Pops

Oat bran Sustain Puffed Wheat

rolled oats Weet-Bix Rice Bubbles

Ultra Bran Soy shredded wheat Cornflakes

linseed

Vogel’s

Dairy Milk Condensed milk Rice milk

Foods yoghurt

ice cream

custard and soy milk

Grains Barley Basmati rice Cal rose rice

pasta wild rice Jasmine rice

noodles brown rice Rice cakes

fettuccine couscous Corn thins

spaghetti cornmeal Tapioca

buckwheat polenta Millet

semolina Arborio rice

Doongara rice Basmati rice wild rice

Legumes Beans Broad beans

chick peas

lentils

Fruits Grapefruit Sultanas Watermelon

peach paw paw

apricot raisins

apple rock melon

pear pineapple

plum

orange

grapes

banana cherries

mango dates

Starchy Sweet corn and taro Sweet potato Other potatoes vegetables parsnip

Low-GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels and therefore are beneficial for diabetics

Say Yes to Yoga

The benefits of practicing yoga are manifold and lasting, from a physical, mental, health and even spiritual perspective

BY SHERYL DIXIT

It’s been around for centuries, and despite the lures of new age alternatives to health and wellbeing, yoga has persevered and is indeed, making a comeback in today’s world. Loosely termed as a ‘life science’, yoga is a system of physical, mental and spiritual discipline that originated in India, but whose beginnings are lost in remotest antiquity. Descriptions of yogic methods have been found in Hindu sacred works like the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagvad Gita and the Tantras. Besides, nearly 5000 year old intact ceramics discovered through excavations in the Indus basin depict some of the postures of yoga.

The word ‘yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’, meaning ‘to control’, ‘to yoke’ or ‘to unite’. It can be construed as the union of body and mind in harmonious health and efficiency, but it also incorporates a harmony of the consciousness. The ultimate aim of yoga is spiritual freedom through self realisation (Samadhi) via a mystical union between the individual spirit (Atman) and the universal spirit (Brahman). However, any venture into yoga is beneficial to the person practicing it and after a short period of regular involvement, one will experience in improvement in health and vitality, a firmness of muscle, a feeling of lightness and relaxation, and an increase in confidence and poise.

In the West, yoga is practiced more for health, relaxation, emotional stability and psychological poise. The techniques of yoga relate more to posture, breath control and meditation, all of which contribute to the release of stress and maintaining of a harmonious and balanced lifestyle.

The ancient yogis, in their wise understanding of the ways of humanity, devised different paths for the different temperaments of man.

l Jnana yoga or union by knowledge is for the intellectual, in which the truths of existence and the nature of the Self are examined.

l Bhakti yoga or union by devotion involves faith and worship, through concentrating and meditating on the divine.

l Karma yoga is the union of action, and involves work performed for the service of mankind, which is also perceived as worship.

l Mantra yoga or union by sound seeks to concentrate the mind by the repetition of special words and sentences, prayers and incantations.

l Hatha yoga or union by body control is about understanding the body and gaining mastery over it. Physical exercise, hygiene and breathing practices are all a part of this form of yoga.

l Raja yoga or union by mental control aims at mastering the mind and controlling the stream of thoughts that flow through the human mind.

Each of these paths can be attained in isolation or through combining different ones. For example Hatha yoga and Raja yoga are closely linked and often practiced together, as the former brings the body and mind into harmony while the latter deals with mental mastery.

The most natural progression from practicing Hatha yoga is to venture into Raja yoga. Most yoga practiced by the West is based on Hatha yoga, with some level of involvement with Raja yoga.

The practice of postures, breathing control and meditation are the most basic steps towards venturing into yoga, and of all home exercise systems, Hatha yoga is the best. It needs no equipment, can be performed in a small space without the need of a lot of energy and is gentle and refreshing. Yogic asanas are postures to be held, not exercises as we assume them to be. Those who practice the asanas regularly will find their bodies becoming shapelier as their muscles become firmer and stronger. Almost all the asanas have a stretching action on the spine which houses and protects the vital nerve channels. The ancient yogis believed in maintaining a healthy and efficient nervous system.

Yoga practiced daily not just wards off stiffness in muscles and joints due to old age, but also slows down the whole physiological ageing process. In addition, its calming and integrating influence improves one’s personality. The influence of emotions on health is now well-known to medical science. Emotional stress and conflict can cause both minor ailments and serious diseases. But yoga helps purify one’s mind and body leading to an inner peace and contentment which is not just discernable to its disciples, but all who come in contact with them.

Thousands of people across the world have now accepted yoga as a part of their life, and the world is a better place for it. They testify that the practice of yoga has rejuvenated the body, reduced obesity, increased suppleness in the spine and body, toned the nervous system, promoted mental alertness and even kept the skin glowing and healthy.

There are a whole range of asanas to suit your personal regime, but if you are planning to practice yoga for the first time, it would be best to consult a doctor before attempting some of the postures, particularly if you suffer from any specific ailment. For example, the pose called the ‘Headstand’ should be avoided by people suffering from high blood pressure, heart ailments, or ear, eye or brain illness. But if you are of normal health and fitness, you can attempt all the asanas, provided you don’t overstrain the body. Gradual progress is the best. A regime of 15-30 minutes per day is usually recommended for beginners by practitioners of yoga, with simple postures. Once you are comfortable with these postures, advanced asanas can be attempted. Do not exercise within two hours of having a meal. Meditation is another form of yoga which helps still the mind, leading to attaining inner serenity. By setting aside fifteen to

thirty minutes each day for a session of meditation, you will find visible changes in your outlook and attitude to life. The best times to meditate are either early in the morning before the household rises to another day, as this will help you cope well with what the day has to offer; or just before going to bed at night, which will ensure a good and refreshing night’s sleep.

Except for two hours after meals, any time of the day will do for yoga meditation. Once you decide on a time each day, try and stick to it, as it will become a habit and will be a part of your regular routine. To begin with, meditate in a quiet place free from noise, interruptions or extremes of temperature, either indoors or outdoor. It is best to use a meditative posture with the spine held naturally upright. If, for health or age reasons, you cannot adopt the easy posture, a comfortable, straight backed chair should do. Avoid lying on your back because this recumbent position will naturally promote a feeling of drowsiness. In yoga meditation, one needs to be awake and alert. As one masters the technique of yogic meditation, one will find it easier to meditate even in locations that are not considered traditionally suitable, like a train or a frequently visited park.

Breath control is an important part of yoga, as it teaches the art of breathing correctly. Yes, there is a technique to breathing, which is called Pranayama (prana: life breath + ayama: pause). Yoga breathing exercises, if performed sensibly and without strain, can lead to greater body vitality and can exert a beneficial influence over emotions and the mind. As with most yoga exercises, the last meal should be at least two hours prior to commencing Pranayama and should be ideally conducted either in the open, before an open window or in an airy room. There are various forms of breathing techniques, but all have the desired effect of increased body vitality and stimulation of the mental processes.

Hygiene and diet are important to maintain the feeling of wellness brought about when practicing yoga. There are many methods of cleansing the system of toxins, as well as methods of cleansing the colon, stomach, nostrils, eyes, etc. To meet with an added measure of success in practicing yoga, one must also pay attention to how and what one eats. Moderation is the key, so at any meal one should eat enough to satisfy hunger, but not so much that one feels bloated or gorged. Yoga masters recommend a diet of ‘pure’ foods like milk, milk products, fruit, vegetables and grains. However, it is acceptable if one doesn’t wish to abstain from meat or fish. What is desired is a balance supply of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, water, vitamins and mineral salts.

The physical, mental and spiritual benefits of yoga are now being appreciated even more, and this practice gains converts with each day. Yoga works, and it could make a marked difference to your lifestyle and attitude. Yoga practitioners are now abundantly available in Australia, and can even be practiced individually in the comfort of one’s home. So take a step towards discovering this life science; the results may surprise you.

(Practitioners) testify that the practice of yoga has rejuvenated the body, reduced obesity, increased suppleness in the spine and body, toned the nervous system, promoted mental alertness and even kept the skin glowing and healthy

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The directors of Ezy World Travel have focused on providing the highest level of customer service to all their clients from Day One of the business. This customer-focused attitude is quickly becoming a huge strength for the business: it is a major reason why customers are returning back and in fact are more than happy to refer the service to their family and friends. Apart from providing outstanding customer service, Ezy World Travel also aims at providing its valued customers with the best and most competitive airfares in the market and making their customers’ holiday an affordable and value-for-money experience. As the directors of Ezy World Travel often say, we are determined to make your travel Ezy by making your dollar go further!

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Ezy World Travel is conveniently located in the business hub in Castle Hill and is proud to be known as the travel agency of choice for all those from the Asian Subcontinent who are local to the area. However, Ezy World Travel also has loyal customers all over Sydney as well as interstate and is on its way to increasing

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Dot com friendships

International Friendship Day (August 1) can be celebrated with exuberance on cyber space, thanks to social networking sites

BY MADHUCHANDA DAS

Thank heavens for the agents of change that have sustained human sociability. These hyper-stressed times that we live in have probably taken their greatest toll on our time and relationships. As we are challenged to constantly balance our lives and our livelihood, our subsisting landscapes seem to resemble a complex juggling of jugalbands. Socially indifferent these times may be, but can we deny that we’re still inherently Aristotle’s social animals? Forever pining for sane company, we’ve sought solace in the past perfect to escape the trials of the present continuous. Those peerless people from our priceless days have just stopped being manufactured these days. We seem to be drowned in oceans of people, yet we are stranded in desolate islands of loneliness. It’s no surprise we’ve all been on our search missions, digging for meaningful connections in piles of acquaintances, partners, colleagues and guardians.

It has landed us lonely hearts in a unique virtual universe to quench our thirst for companionship, and created that transparent, close-toperfection common ground which broke manmade barriers

But hey, kudos to the human mind’s never-say-die spirit. It has managed to come up with the Viagra for our isolation pangs - the new marvel known as ‘social networking’ that has us hooked and booked. It is the proverbial silver lining that makes our past perfect tangible, accessible and viable. It has landed us lonely hearts in a unique virtual universe to quench our thirst for companionship, and created that transparent, close-to-perfection common ground which broke manmade barriers. Without much investment of time, effort or money, we can now be transported to comfortable hangouts far from the madding crowd of the real world. These hangouts revive flesh and blood friendships from the good old days that had, until now, perished in the dark corners of our life’s closet. They

make us realise that though we have moved on in our relationships, we haven’t actually moved apart. The home page is indeed second home - where profiles reflected the latent person rather than the larger-than-life personality. We can afford to indulge and have a ball without being bothered about the tyres around our waists or the bags under our eyes. Yup, here’s where we can fib, flaunt, fraternize, feast and foster. We can be flabbergasted by a whacky black-and-white photograph from three decades ago, and yet debate philosophically on the significance of the 100th grey hair discovered that morning. We can talk nonsense and yet make perfect sense. Isn’t this what normal human life is meant to be? Anyway, why bother to dissect that thought when we can take an escape route to virtual exuberance and emancipation? Yes, the mode is blatant, public, in-your-face, but at least it is liberating, relevant, addictive, free, entertaining, uplifting, and above all, happening.

It provides us with a bustling virtual life with lots to catch up and chat up on. It opens us to new relationships and communities and makes us feel loved, wanted and respected. It is the new wave news channel that beams updates and status messages from friends - making us more globally informed, but in a local sort of way. We don’t connect with all our 500 friends every day, but hey, it is fun to feel their presence on the fringes of our social domain. No matter how entangled we are within life’s labyrinths, a quick check into our friends’ lives provides that undeniable succour to our otherwise boring lunch breaks. And with time, the urge to steal a peek only grows stronger, often to escape from the looming drudgery of our mundane everyday existence. If not for it, our relationships would have frozen in time. And so we are indubitably happy to retrace those meaningful bits and pieces of our past, to charge up our present, and direct our future.

The high and mighty endlessly debate on social networking demeaning true friendship. But they overlook the fact that like everything else, friendship itself is a mutating concept, moulded by changing seasons of time. Separated as we are by mammoth geographical distances and leading forever-on-the-go

lives, it is indeed hard to physically hold on to friends for long. Again, the onset of age and wisdom also play their tricks, making us choosier and moodier. Striking serious friendships seems more challenging than ever before.

And we are happy and in many ways relieved to discover that more than half our khaandaan is wired too!

Updates on each other’s lives get less painstaking. It also implicitly threads our bonds in a new cord of congeniality. The content of expression may have changed, but the context and concern remain the same. You bet, sharing and caring were never such fun.

Reminder services for birthdays and anniversaries are finally freed from the memory chips of mortal minds and mobiles. The cost of celebration is wickedly cheap with just a virtual gift to bestow in a click, and we are done.

Fake, the pundits cry hoarse, but it is genuine for us ordinary mortals and works wonders for our ever-craving self esteem. We are someone, we are famous, and we are being noticed and followed. We have a chalked-out space in that enviable neighbourhood that gives us a high, and an impalpable sense of achievement and belonging. So what if real connections only qualify as relationships; this cyber camaraderie is flawless, faultless friendship. So what if our compatriots are impersonal thanks to the Earth’s varied time zones; there is at least someone to talk to whenever we are in the mood, yes, even in the dead of the night.

Friendship in its latest avatar has arrived - from life’s race to the virtual space. And to its creators - I join the other 500 million who just logged in, to say thank you for unravelling what is integral to and inherent in us. You guys sure did make this Friendship Day uncannily special.

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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

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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

The struggle for independence

The fight to keep independence of spirit despite the shackles of family can be an arduous but worthwhile struggle

BY RANI JHALA

Just after my 21st birthday, I came to Sydney for my best friend’s wedding. Tina had been dating Mark, an Australian cricketer, but the wedding in the Land Down Under had come as a surprise.

We arrived three days before the wedding. I was put up at Mark’s aunt place. And there I met her son, Jared By the end of the day he and I were being called an item. After Tina left on her honeymoon, our group stayed on an extra week to see the city. By the end of that week Jared and I knew that we had truly found love, and that neither of us could ignore what we felt.

The night before I was to fly out Jared proposed and without any hesitation, I accepted. Jared was everything I had hoped for in a partner.

My parents too expressed their happiness. Their only request was to have the wedding in India so that relatives could attend. Jared’s plan that we marry straight away was put aside, but they agreed to a short engagement.

At Jared’s request I cancelled my stopover in Singapore and stayed on in Sydney. I organised to catch up with the group on the last leg of the trip back to India.

The next couple of days with Jared were magical. People say that western families are not as close knit as Asian ones, but I saw a different side. The whole family was tied by a humungous knot of love and respect. They lived each day to the fullest and slept each night in peace. I think they understood the need to be thankful for each day, for they knew that tomorrows were never guaranteed. That was because Jared was in the armed forces, and the family had learnt to live with uncertainty.

Jared saw me off at the airport, and for the first time I saw misty eyes on a man in uniform. My brother was also in the Army in India but he had ensured that he never displayed his soft side to us. When I remarked on this, Jared replied, “Ah, but he must not yet be in love!”

If I left in the bloom of happiness, I arrived to the depth of silence. No one wanted to talk about my engagement, my fiancé or even my trip. It was as if these episodes never occurred.

I rang Jared’s mum to let her know that I had reached safely. She promised to ring me back after she had contacted Jared. Worried at her long silence in the next few days, I rang her again later, only to learn that she had tried to call me on three occasions and each time had been told that I was unavailable. On confronting my parents, I was told of their true feelings. For them, Jared did not even exist. They had found a perfect sonin-law from the same community, social standing and faith.

I did not want to hurt them, but I knew that I was being given one chance at happiness and I was not going to lose it for anyone. But I didn’t realise the battle I was taking on. In this century where every crime is protected by law, I was turned into a virtual prisoner.

My work place was informed that I was unwell, my mobile was taken away and all communication banned. My only contact to the outside world was the newspaper and my only ally, the family maid. Through her I smuggled out two letters – one was to Tina and the other to Jared. In them, I explained all.

I later found out that both had called. I sent another letter to Jared offering to end the relationship. Again all calls were intercepted and denied.

Destitute and forlorn I clung on to hope, and that hope turned to sheer joy when I saw a tiny ad in the classified section of the newspaper that read, “It is too late to accept your offer. Jared”. And so began a month-long communication. Somehow through an uncle, my parents found out. Two days later I was flown to my aunt’s home interstate. No maid, no newspapers! There I learnt that my marriage had been arranged. I was to fly straight to the altar on the morning of the wedding. My fear turned to horror when I heard that Jared had arrived in India and worse, that they had reported him for ‘stalking’. I was given a single warning – communicate with him and he goes to prison!

Surrounded by uncles, I saw no hope of escape as the plane soared into the sky. Then I saw an angelic vision. An airhostess beckoned me to the rear, towards the toilets. No word was exchanged but a note was

passed into my hands. “Be ready to marry me. Jared”. The plane landed and my brother greeted us. I was locked into his car and the cavalcade moved off. At the first roundabout, our car broke rank and turned left. I fretted as it turned into a narrow alley and then stopped. My brother turned to me and said, “I am fighting to keep our country’s independence safe; you go and fight to keep your love!” With that he pointed towards a white van, and the man standing besides it. I hugged my brother, and ran towards Jared. We married on reaching New Delhi and then flew out to Singapore. It was August 15 – the day India celebrated winning its Independence. Now I too had won mine. Not from the country that gave me birth, but from the people that gave me life.

I stayed in Singapore with Jared’s friends until my Australian visa was approved. Jared had to return to work. In India, my brother ensured that the police records were cleared, but was unable to change my parents’ views.

Three years later I still dread each time Jared gets assigned to a foreign post. But from his mother I have learnt to live each day to the fullest, and to be grateful for what I have. I do not waste time regretting that my child will never know her maternal grandparents because I have to ensure that my child does not miss out on knowing her dad.

My fear turned to horror when I heard that Jared had arrived in India and worse, that they had reported him for ‘stalking’

I think they understood the need to be thankful for each day, for they knew that tomorrows were never guaranteed

Matrimonials

SEEKING BRIDES

Alliance invited for a 39-year-old Gujarati boy, Australian citizen, well-settled IT professional, innocent and issueless divorcee. Looking for a well educated girl with good family values. Please email biodata and recent photograph to rashp9@hotmail.com

Well-settled Indian-Aussie parents of 25 year old son (vegetarian, non alcohol, non smoker) are looking for Kannada Brahmin bride, brought up in Australia, good looking, good family back ground and like habits. Please apply with horoscope and photo to aussieindiangroom@ gmail.com.

Seeking alliance for a 29-year-old, 5’11”, Gujarati boy. Working as a database analyst in Melbourne. Looking for a well-educated, preferably Gujarati girl with family values. Please email at modi.nayan@gmail.com or ring 0403 652 602. Bharat Matrimony: G549338

Seeking a suitable match for Ramgharia Sikh boy, my brother, handsome, 6’ tall, 26 years old, clean-shaven, working in family construction business in UK, with degree in building surveying. I’m settled in Sydney. Please email biodata with recent photo to jsmotay@hotmail.co.uk tel: 98372998.

Seeking a slim, fair and homely girl with good family values, for my brother, very handsome, 29 years, clean-shaven Sikh boy, marketing manager in Dubai. I’m well settled in Sydney for the past 8.5 years. Please email a.kaur@optusnet.com.au

Australian citizen, 36 years old, hospitality professional working in Sydney. Seeking girl between 27-36 old, caste no bar. Please contact 0416 398 869 or for other details

and photo mail to: satishsingh_2009@yahoo. com.au

SEEKING GROOMS

Gujarati Lohana girl, ‘74 born, Aus PR, currently settled in USA, well educated, govt job, looking for a boy willing to settle in USA, well educated and upper caste. Girl visiting Australia Nov - Dec 2010.Please contact 0403 279 177 or email drbharti_g@ yahoo.com

Wanted well-qualified, handsome, fair Punjabi Hindu boy, well-settled in Sydney, PR holder/Australian citizen for a Punjabi Hindu girl, extremely beautiful, slim, very fair, 32 years, 5-3”, MBA (Australia), Australian citizen and a professional belonging to a high status, very well qualified business class family. The girl is an innocent divorcee following a brief marriage. She is very loving, homely, caring, intelligent and bubbly with a perfect blend of traditional and modern values. She is born and brought up in India. We are God fearing, very well respected, down to earth and sober family with a positive outlook towards life. Similar profiles preferred. Please send full profile with latest photos to email id: to.sweet@hotmail.com or contact on 0451 589 389

Family seeking suitable match for an attractive, 23 year old, 5’ 2’’ tall, slim built, North Indian girl with strong values. She is highly intelligent and is a tax consultant at a high profile firm in Sydney. The preference is for a suitably employed, well settled boy (age: 25-27), brought up in Australia, USA or England. Please send biodata and a recent photograph to OZ7654@gmail.com.

Match for Gujarati girl, age 39, 5’2”, currently working as a beautician, residing in Melbourne. Never married.

Seeking a caring suitable Gujarati boy – with good family values. Aged between 38-43. Email: p.b56@hotmail.com.au Mob: 0447 673 998

Well-settled and professional alliance invited for fair, beautiful Sikh girl, 35/5’3”. Profession doctor, working in Canadian based company in India as Senior Health manager. Well mannered with modern outlook and traditional values. Brother well settled in Australia. Please respond with photo, education and professional details to email: singhsarav@hotmail.com Mobile: 0402 954 955

Seeking a suitable match for goldsmith girl, 32, (applied regional residency), 5’2”,working full time in community welfare. Seeking match with broadminded personality, preferably in Australia. Caste no bar. Contact kaur_m13@yahoo.com 0011-91-99887-49191, 0011-91-85250-1746

Seeking professionally qualified/well-settled match for 39/165, never married, fair, slim, beautiful Punjabi girl, family oriented and responsible. Engineer working in Sydney, Australian citizen. Early marriage. Can relocate. Parents well-settled in India. Caste no bar. Email with photo: sydgirl09@gmail.com

Seeking match for 28/158cm, fair, beautiful, intelligent, Australian citizen girl, from a respectable Hindu family with good professional job. Boy must be 29-32, professionally qualified, well settled, openminded, non-smoker with strong family values. Please email profile and photo to sydney_girl2010@hotmail.com

Punjabi Arora parents invite never married well-settled/professional match for fair, slim, attractive, 37/165, IT professional with strong family values. Never married. Settled in Sydney. Australian citizen. Status family. Caste

no bar. Early marriage. Email with photo: ausgirl101@gmail.com

Match for Punjabi Saraswat Brahmin Vishisht Gotra, Manglik girl, MA B.Ed, DOB 29-3-1977, 5-20 pm, Deolali (Maharashatra). Applied residency in Australia, 5’-2”, prefer Australian boy. Call +91 9888 970 986 or email nsharma0786@yahoo.com.

Family seeks suitable professional match for a very attractive and intelligent South Indian girl with modern and family values. She is 29, 5’5”, fair and medium built, working for a large accounting firm in Sydney. Please contact with biodata and recent photo to aus. mum1980@gmail.com Only if the boy is a citizen, tall, handsome, aged between 30-34 years and earns more than $100,000

Seeking alliance for 40 yo handsome guy, RC, N/S, N/D, DTE, 5’10”, divorced, marriage annulled, no kids. Girl should be family-oriented, good looking, with good family values. Caste no bar. Kindly email with photo to: cheerfulguy14@yahoo.com.au

Suitable professional Sikh match for Jat Sikh girl. She is 32 years, 5’3”, slim, fair, beautiful. Masters in professional accounting. Well settled in Australia. Currently working as financial officer. Father retired gazetted officer. Email with snap to: pannumate@ hotmail.com

Parents of Sikh Khatri girl invite alliance for their beautiful, slim daughter, 30 /5’-1”, Australian citizen, never married. Currently working in Sydney as Analyst with one of the large banks. Family settled in Sydney. Seeking professional, well-educated match with good family background. Caste no bar. Contact: 02 8807 4258 or email: schadha06@yahoo.com

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Tarot predictions for February 2010

ARIES March 21–April 20

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 things - they 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.

LIBRA September 23 – October 23

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.

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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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

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Castle Hill

Raj wins one free ticket to the new film Aisha

ANTARA MALI

SONAM KAPOOR

MOHD RAFI

AAMIR KHAN

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

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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 short-skirted hotties. But whether that difference makes a difference in Hindi cinema, time will tell.

Khatta Meetha 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 postIndependence 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 selfgratification.

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, selfdestruction.

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

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.

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