2010-12 Sydney (1)

Loren D’Souza (VFS Services Australia)

Anita Nayar (Consul General, Melbourne)

Amit Dasgupta (Consul General, Sydney)

Sujatha Singh (Indian High Commissioner)

“I can safely say that you can expect a twoday turnaround from now on,” he stated, to applause. “In fact, as of today, November 20, I can confirm that all applications till November 17 for police clearance have been cleared; for new passports till November 16; for OCI, till November 11, and visas till November18,” he said.

Similarly, the CG (Melbourne) Anita Nayar also reported a significant reduction in backlog.

The role of VFS

Facing a barrage of criticism against his company’s procedures, the baby-faced Loren D’Souza from VFS did his best to explain the situation from his end.

“We are only an administrative section in the entire visa-issuance process. The rules are not set by us,” he noted, prompting the High Commissioner to jump up and second him.

“We have extensive guidelines set up for all applications and we do have a number of people who turn up with incomplete application forms. Over the past few months due to Government of India’s administrative changes, our normal time on the counter with clients got blown out,” D’Souza said. It seems that instead of 7 minutes per client, now in excess of 25 minutes was being spent, which caused further frustration to both clients and staff of VFS. “VFS operates in 26 countries globally and we process over 9,000,000 visa applications yearly. Our job is to ensure we deliver the best to our clients,” he said, adding, “In Australia, we process over 140,000 applications yearly and have over 50 staff, of which 23 are full time. Our full time staff has been with us from the beginning, and we have very experienced staff.”

Poor customer service

Yet both VFS and the diplomatic corps accepted blame for poor customer service at their counters. Perhaps some training is required and we shall look into it, they offered.

and dismissive staff can be at VFS as well as the Consulate, and comparisons made with the services provided at similar Australian offices.

much longer I would have to wait,” one lady recounted to the shock of the audience, to which Dasgupta directly replied that while it was too late to apologise for that, he would see to it that no one would have to wait in angst to see their jobs completed at the counters.

“Such behaviour is inexcusable,” Sujatha Singh said, adding, “I’m surprised it has happened, but it will be remedied.”

Significantly, it was also revealed that the staff themselves face rude and irate clients who bring in incomplete forms, are unaware that rules have changed or that charges have gone up, or who expect staff to fill in the forms for them.

You’ve got to treat us better too, if you expect to be treated better, the officers seemed to be saying.

“The same clients are more polite when they seek service at an Australian centre - and probably have their papers all in order,” Mrs Singh noted, adding “Our Australian customers are themselves polite and follow procedures well.”

At the end of it all, a few issues became obvious to impartial observers in the audience that afternoon:

• the staff can be rude at timesprobably because they are overworked and desperately need a few extra hands, especially at peak periods;

• the clients can be rude too - probably because the actual procedures are somewhat cumbersome (such as putting in multiple copies of forms, all of which have to be attested by JPs)

• clients are not always aware of the procedures they need to follow, and the Consulates themselves need to disseminate information better, especially in a scenario where the rules are changed frequently (it is not enough to say ‘the new rules are on our website’).

• VFS and the Consulates need to put their systems and procedures in place, spelling them out clearly (for themselves

comprehend was the cost for OCI for those who had given up their Indian passport. If the date of Australian citizenship is prior to 31 May 2010, the cancellation charges are $25, but for those who had their Indian passport cancelled after this date, the cost is $273 for the surrender certificate. This exorbitant cost by the Indian government was a major source of discord.

Another cost which was highlighted was the 99c per minute call charges by VFS.

Sujatha Singh explained that this was a cost which needed to be put into context, keeping in mind that the US Embassy charges $14 to hear a recorded message, and the UK High Commission charges $10 per question. There also was an issue for states like Western Australia where there is no local office of the Indian Government and for emergency visas, people had to fly interstate to get an approval.

Mrs. Singh again confirmed that steps are being taken to minimize any inconvenience to those residing in Western Australia.

On the whole it was a productive forum, with a robust interchange of ideas. While community members vented their

this strategy, the diplomats in Australia have not only increased their distribution channels, but also ensured that future partners include leaders when the community at large wants to discuss any frustrations in this area. Perhaps a future town hall meeting, opening the door for the wider community to explain and discuss these issues, can be considered.

Canberra calling

For High Commissioner Sujatha Singh, this was the third successive annual conference of this nature. The event brought together members of the Indian community and Indian associations from around Australia. Bigger than ever before, it attracted so many this year that an external conference venue, inside the National Museum of Australia, was booked. A number of speakers took the opportunity to speak on issues of concern, but it was the forum on Consular issues relating to visa woes that was the most interactive and debated.

Last year’s conference brought about the idea of the Indian Community Welfare Fund, a programme which has been put

Sujatha Singh: “We understand your frustration; try and understand ours”

Sujatha Singh’s open forums with the community are becoming popular

Photos: MTE Photography

A Future Maker

Finding a way to create sustainable energy that is environment friendly has been challenging, but achievable

BY JYOTI SHANKAR

Some time ago, I watched a fascinating movie called The Future Makers, directed by Maryella Hatfield, which tells the story of key Australians leading the way in the field of renewable energy technology. I was thrilled to realise that one of the scientists leading the way in making geo-thermal energy possible was Dr Prame Chopra, cofounder of Geodynamics Ltd. Dr Chopra is a secondgeneration migrant of Indian origin whose father came to Melbourne way back in 1948 as a student, when Indians were a rarity around Australia. He agreed to speak to Indian Link from his home in Canberra, sharing the journey of how he made his childhood interest in collecting minerals, gemstones, rocks and love of the environment combine, to discover a way of creating sustainable energy from the depths of the earth.

Geo-thermal energy, or heat energy from the earth, conjures up pictures of hot molten lava, volcanoes and hot springs, but this is merely the conventional geothermal energy. Before Australia, this source of energy has been exploited for many years by countries like Italy, New Zealand, the US and Japan. Dr Chopra’s research was in another form of geo-thermal energy, that which is hidden in the hot rocks of earth’s crust, also called ‘Enhanced Geo-thermal Systems’ energy. We do not have sources of conventional geo-thermal energy like those just mentioned which occur along geological plate boundaries, as the Australian continent sits rather on the centre of the Indo-Australian plate. The granite here generates heat from the radioactivity within, but if you were to drill a hole a few kilometres into its depth, you wouldn’t get a hot gush of steam and water. So how do we capture this heat efficiently? That was the question.

It was found that if cold water was pumped in at high pressure, it gets heated as it circulates through fractures in the rocks and can be brought back to the surface to generate electricity from the steam, the water being reused for pumping in again. It works in a closed loop, making it a very efficient and sustainable way of generating electricity (see picture, Geodynamics Limited).

Though many countries have researched this technology, Australia’s geological makeup makes it ideal for commercialising hot rock geo-thermal energy, and it will soon be the first country to do so

One cubic kilometre of hot granite at 250 degrees centigrade has stored energy equivalent to 40 million barrels of oil. Though many countries have researched this technology, Australia’s geological makeup makes it ideal for commercialising hot rock geo-thermal energy, and it will soon be the first country to do so. Dr Chopra was actively involved in the early mapping of high heat producing granites found within 3 to 5 kms of the earth’s surface, but has now handed it over to Geoscience Australia, the national geographical survey organisation, which has been working on producing better maps.

A University of Queensland (UQ) researcher, Dr Tongu Uysal, during his studies of the Cooper Basin has found evidence of a major asteroid impact that occurred more than 300 million years ago. He noticed unusual ‘planar deformation features’ in the quartz grains in the rock. He said that the impact of an asteroid may have triggered a huge explosion which caused the ground water to boil and induce chemical and mineralogy changes in the surrounding rocks which has made the Cooper Basin such a rich source of geothermal energy today.

Geodynamics has completed Stage 1 of its project which is delivering ‘proof of concept’. A 1 megawatt (mw) plant now supplies energy to the small town of Innamincka about 10 kms away from their plant in South Australia’s Cooper Basin. They are now into Stage 2 which is delivering a commercial scale plant of 25mw.

This will prove that the concept works for a price that is practical, estimated at $100/mw. To put things in perspective, Dr Chopra explains that coal is available at a far cheaper price of $25 to $30/mw, but that does not include the cost of emission of CO2. When they have to pay for carbon emissions, the real price of coal will emerge and that is when renewable energy becomes attractive. A big advantage for geothermal energy is that unlike wind and sun energy, it is available 24 hours a day.

Stage 3 which will be the large scale generation of power won’t happen until 2018, but investors as well as the government have placed their faith in this renewable technology. The company received a grant of $90 million, the single biggest given to one company, from the federal government kitty of $500 million, distributed under its Renewable Energy Development Program. Over the past 10 years shareholders have raised another $300 million. Origin Energy is now a joint-venture partner. It is interesting to note that that Tata Power is now one of the largest shareholders in Geodynamics; part of the agreement for coming on board was that Geodynamics would work with India in exploring this technology. Dr Chopra explains that geologically India and Australia are very similar, being part of the same Gondwanaland before the land broke up and masses drifted away.

The process from research to implementation has not been an easy one. The main lesson Dr Chopra says he learnt was that it is necessary to partner with the right people. “You need to find people to work with you on your ideas, those who value their reputation more than they value their ability to raise money,” he says. “Then to make an idea work, you not only need government support, but the project should make economic sense.”

Enhanced Geo-thermal Systems energy can hardly compete with cheap coal unless the cost of carbon emissions is factored in. “Investment will come into renewable technologies when there is a level playing field,” claims Dr Chopra. He feels that the government’s target of 20% renewable energy by 2020 seems almost impossible to achieve at this stage, but there is now clearly a lot of interest in renewables. “The best thing about geo-thermal energy,” says Dr Chopra,“is that it

uses the same technology as oil and the skills are easily transferable. So people are not going to be put out of work but instead, they can work on cleaner, environment-friendly technology.”

For any new technology, reckons Dr Chopra, there is always a long period of development. There is often a sudden frenzy of activity when it becomes commercial. In fact, the success of Geodynamics’ project near Innamincka has resulted in many other companies taking out exploration licenses for hot rocks in a number of states. “One can see this trend in solar energy too,” he says. “Following long lead times and high costs when the technology was new, solar energy costs are now coming down.”

Dr Chopra tries his best to be environmental friendly in every aspect of his life too. He rides a bicycle to work and has solar panels installed on his rooftop.

“Being interested in earth science and interested in the environment, geo-thermal was the only way to go for me. Coal, gas, oil, minerals all cause pollution in one way or the other. Then I had the needed high level IT skills, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and databases skills and also the typical Indian ability with business,” he adds with a laugh.

Dr Prame co-founderChopra, of Geodynamics Ltd.

Photo: Geodynamics Ltd.

Friends do their bit for Labor

With the state elections scheduled for March 26th next year, the Sub-Continent Friends of Labor organised a meet and greet for Labor politicians and the Indian media in Sydney. Chairperson Harish Velji has been working extensively to better acquaint the Labor Party with the community. Attending the function were a number of State Labor politicians and a Federal politician who mingled with a small group of media from the subcontinent.

Member for Toongabbie and former Premier Nathan Rees was present as was John Robertson, Legislative Council member for NSW. Over the next few months, one would expect to see them regularly at Indian functions due to their political requirements to get greater visibility in the sub continent voting community. Media reports about Nathan Rees being faced with a pre-selection challenge by Indian born Susai Benjamin will be the first hurdle the former Premier will be facing in his bid to retain the seat of Toongabbie. If he clears this hurdle, then the challenge of being elected to the

Parliament post March 26 will be the next goal, and with a sizable Indian and subcontinent community in his electorate, he needs to continue engaging with the community. Nathan Rees’ work in defusing the student issues and bringing AR Rahman as a guest of Sydney Festival were acknowledged by a member of the Sub-Continent Friends of Labor, Raj Dutta.

In contrast was one of the first appearances at a sub-continent function by John Robertson, Minister for Transport and a member of the NSW parliament Upper House. The Minister has confirmed a move from the Upper House to the Lower House and is throwing his hat in the ring to contest a Lower House seat in the 2011 election, the seat being the seat of Blacktown. The seat is held by a 22 per cent margin by Labor member Paul Gibson who is retiring. Blacktown has a large number of Indians and hence, are a crucial voting bloc for Minister Robertson. The move from the Upper House could position him to challenge the current NSW Premier

Kristina Kenneally, according to political pundits. With respect to transport issues for the Indian overseas students, there was not much sympathy shown by Minister Robertson. Handballing it as an issue which will impact State revenue, Minister Robertson did not deem it an urgent enough issue, in spite of this being a major aspect of the entire overseas’ students problem last year. “We have increased security on all our transport systems and that allows students to travel in a secure environment”, was all he would tell Indian Link Michelle Rowland, the Federal member for Greenway also dropped in after a hectic week in Canberra. Recently elected by a slim margin to the Federal Parliament, she has a large number of Indian constituents in her own electorate. In a discussion, she confirmed that she is aware of the concerns of the sub continent community with respect to student visa issues; however, when grilled on the financial impact of the Labor Party policies to a $15 billion education industry, she was uncertain of the facts.

She promised to look into this further and also get a greater understanding of other issues affecting India and Australia such as Australia’s refusal to sell uranium to India.

Also attending were Minister for Planning Barbara Perry, Minister for Ageing and Disability Services Peter Primrose, Deputy Speaker of the House Tanya Gadiel and Shaoquett Moselmane MLC.

Sub-continent Friends of Labor, with founding members such as Ejaz Khan, Raj Datta, Mukesh Maru, Jay Housr, John Niven, Balaji Venketaranghan, Amarinder Bajwa, Moninder Singh and Harish Velji, have made a positive step forward in starting a dialogue between the Labor politicians and the sub-continent community. They need to be applauded for it, for surely, it is a great opportunity for the local sub-continent-origin constituents to educate the politicians on matters important to them and give them a chance to earn their vote, rather than just expect it.

Pawan Luthra

Harish Veilji, Chairperson Sub-Continent Friends of Labor with Federal and State Labor members at a recent meet-and-greet function Photo: Harpreet Singh

IRC a step towards stronger

The official inauguration of the India Research Centre at Macquarie University is a significant step towards a better understanding of the country, writes MONICA DALIDOWICZ

November 16 marked an important date for the advancement and development of IndoAustralian relations within academic circles here in Sydney, with larger implications for the growing Indian diaspora in Australia. A corner of the Macquarie University campus in North Ryde was transformed into a host venue for the inauguration of the newest addition to university research culture: the India Research Centre (IRC). While designed to be both a catalyst and a showcase for all styles of research on India, IRC also intends to direct part of its focus to the performing arts, as well as community outreach and development. Although scholastic in nature, the intention of the centre is to have farreaching impact, well beyond the walls of the academy.

Dr. Kalpana Ram, Director of the Centre, described its activities during the launch as a “triveni, in which three streams come together in one, as in the braiding of a plait, or as in the famous triveni sangam of three rivers, a site of great power”. Correspondingly, the three areas of focus within the centre are: cultural, political and social science research on India and Indian immigrant diasporas; engagement with Indian performance culture both in written and practice based forms; and collaboration with the Indian community on issues of community concern, as well as through the arts. Precisely how the centre will achieve these goals remains to be seen, but if the events surrounding the launch week were any indicator, there is a lot to look forward to in the future.

of November 17 at Macquarie University and was marked by evocative opening speeches by Consul General of India Amit Dasgupta, Executive Dean at Macquarie John Simons and Director of the Centre, Dr. Kalpana Ram.

Dr. John Simons expressed both his gratitude and support for the centre, sharing his own personal connections with India. Simons’ grandfather served alongside members of the Indian army, and as a child, Simons grew up with stories of the loyalty and bravery of the Indian people. Sympathetic to the need for the IRC, Simons endorsed the Centre and offered Macquarie’s ongoing support. “There is still much to be done to deepen research on India in Australia. At the Centre, we aim to build on the work we’re already undertaking and create a research community of work on India, which will strengthen the broader research community of South Asia scholars. We’ll develop further research links with India and other countries, which will lead to closer ties and ultimately a greater understanding,” Simons said.

Consul General Amit Dasgupta spoke with similar passion about the idea for the Centre, its subsequent development, and the possibilities ahead. Dasgupta described with great sensitivity, the incredible opportunity that had come out of the recent tragic events, the attacks on Indian students. He

relations at an all-time low, at present we are in a position to work to improve and truly develop such relations. The IRC is one of those possibilities. Dasgupta’s initiatives with Macquarie University began earlier this year with the Consul General’s donation of 100 books to the University.

The launch of the centre also celebrated the endowment of the new Tagore Chair in Art and Culture by the Government of India, presented by Dasgupta. Sponsored largely by the Indian government but also through the contributions of Macquarie University, this Chair will bring a visiting professor to Macquarie each year to continue and extend the work of the Centre through their own research on India-specific topics. The chair, in honour of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, seems quite appropriately suited for the IRC with its plans to advance an agenda including emphasis in the arts. A sculpted bust of Tagore will be donated to the Centre in honour of the chair. Other noted possibilities include the development of courses in modern Indian languages to be offered at Macquarie.

The evening also featured musical performances by IRC members, Dr. Adrian McNeil on sarod (Macquarie professor), Sandy Evans on carnatic-saxophone (Australian jazz musician of the year and IRC graduate student), as well as Bobby Singh (2010 ARIA winner). The IRC plans to continue hosting performance events throughout the year.

November 16 – 17, Macquarie hosted an academic conference displaying the diverse research interests of centre members and graduate students. Members presented papers on their recent work relating to India, covering topics ranging from the negotiations of Hindustani musicians in Kolkata, to experiences of Indian migrants in Australia on temporary work visas, to rhetoric in Tamil media.

In addition, the IRC hosted two guest speakers, Dr. Partha Mukherji from the Institute of Social Sciences, Delhi who discussing the multi-ethnic nation-state of India, and keynote speaker, Dr. Ranjani Mazumdar from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi who discussed representation of terrorism in Mumbai’s recent cinema.

In congruence with the three-stranded approach of the centre, the IRC also hosted a community forum, a dialogue on issues facing Indian students in Australia with participants both from within the academy and outside, including community workers, NSW government representatives and students. The conference also included a number of performance-related events, including a panel specifically highlighting the IRC’s research on music and poetry, a literary reading accompanied by the sarod, a special exhibition of photographs of the freedom movement in India, and an exhibition of the University’s collection of Indian instruments.

The week of activities concluded with

1. IRC Director, Dr. Kalpana Ram, speaks at the official launch of the centre

2. Consul general, Amit Dasgupta, officially inaugurates the centre

3. A literary reading by IRC members Dr.Ian Bedford with sarod accompaniment by Dr. Adrian McNeil

4. IRC members, Dr.Maya Ranganathan, Dr.Kalpana Ram and Dr. Dalbir Singh listen to a morning panel on music and poetry

5. Dr. Andrew Alter delivers his talk on the ritual Pandavlila in the Himalayas

6. Dr. Partha Mukherji reflects after his presentation on the multi-ethnic nation-state of India

UTS in Sydney. Over both days a number of scholars presented on current issues in Indian cinema, from notions of Bollywood and its position on the global stage, to pedagogies surrounding the teaching of Indian films.

The people behind IRC

So who are the individuals behind the Centre and what kind of work can we expect to see emerging from the IRC? The India Research Centre was conceptualized and designed to build on research on India that is already occurring within the Faculty of Arts at Macquarie University. As the conference demonstrated, the Centre will bring together researchers working in a variety of disciplines in the Faculty of Arts, such as Media, Cultural Studies, Sociology, and Music. The IRC will be officially housed within the Department of Anthropology at Macquarie University, under the directorship of Dr. Kalpana Ram, and is a joint initiative between Macquarie University and the Indian government.

Dr. Ram is herself an anthropologist at Macquarie and has been one of the driving forces behind the opening of the Centre. Ram notes, “During my period as inaugural Director of the Centre I will be developing a number of commitments that emerge out of my research and history: research on themes to do with social justice, connections both through research and practical involvement with the Indian diaspora in Australia, and an emphasis on performance and performance cultures.” Her own research ranges from

investigates connections between ritual action and music in North India. He is recognized as a leading scholar of musical practice in the Himalayas, having undertaken extensive research in the state of Uttarakhand. Dr. Adrian McNeil, also an ethnomusicologist, has conducted extensive research on the cultural history of the sarod and is recognised as a leading authority on its history. He is also an established performer of the sarod, having undergone intensive training in the guru-shisya parampara, and performs regularly in both India and Australia.

Dr. Ian Bedford, also from Anthropology, has a long history of research in both India and Paksistan. His research includes such topics as Indian and Pakistani muslims, Urdu literature, south Indian classical music. He is also a translator of Urdu verse and a novelist, writing fiction works set in India and within its diaspora.

From Cultural Studies, Dr. Goldie Osuri’s work addresses nationalism and transnationalism in relation to race, ethnicity, multiculturalism, terrorism, and religion in the Indian context. Dr. Maya Ranganathan, from the department of International Communication, focuses on Indian media and the identities it constructs and conveys in the age of globalisation. She is also exploring

foreign policy since 2001, and AustraliaIndia relations from student issues in Australia to the Commonwealth Games in India.

And to round out the Centre’s membership, from sociology, Dr Selvaraj Velayutham has researched on Indian migration, diaspora and transnationalism, and Tamil culture. A recent project of Dr. Velayutham examined the temporary skilled migration of South Indians to Australia.

The eclectic range of scholarship and research interests highlights the diversity of the centre and its potential for a wide-ranging scale of future activities. With this diverse and accomplished group of scholars at the reins of the new IRC, we can expect exciting things to come.

In addition, the IRC is host to a growing body of graduate students, working alongside many of the centre members. The IRC currently has eight affiliated graduate students from disciplines such as music, sociology and anthropology. The higher degree research students similarly represent a broad spectrum of research, including such topics as reproductive technologies and commercial surrogacy in India, patterns of Indian labour migration and Hindu religious practice in Sydney. Amongst this group are also two practice-based researchers, one a carnatic-jazz musician and another, a kathak

extended to December 2010. The scholarship is a great asset to the local community as it encourages much-needed research in Sydney’s Indian communities; the IRC encourages all potential applicants to apply. * * *

The week’s activities and the creation of the new India Research Centre mark an important turning point in India’s role in the academic setting. The IRC at Macquarie has demonstrated their ongoing commitment to the improvement of IndoAustralian relations, the fostering of further collaborations and the creation of a research community of work on India. The hope is that such academic pursuits will contribute to a deeper understanding of India and the Indian diaspora in Australia.

The overall feeling at the IRC launch was certainly just that, one of hope and endless possibilities. Dasgupta’s inaugural speech ended with a moral tale of Guru Nanak’s, within which he described the scattering of all the ‘good people’ of one village far and wide, so that they could go out into the world with their knowledge and goodness, to disperse and to share what they know. One gets the sense that those gathered would do just that.

Nostalgia by the Swan

BY SAI NARAYAN

For me, Diwali has always been a festival at which I had the most fun as a child. Family visiting in the evening, receiving various firecrackers, throwing lit sparklers with their handles curved into a hook up into the trees, rockets with the complex mechanism of being lit from a bottle and making sure the direction was right…. Safety and fear took a backseat and the world was a riot of light and fun.

But all that was a world away as we hunted for a few measly sparklers in Perth’s shops. After driving around we finally succeeded in our quest and got a few, to give our children a glimpse of what the festival is all about.

However, all was not lost as Perth celebrated the Swan Festival of Lights to provide us with entertainment during the Diwali weekend from the November 4-7. During those four nights, the Perth skyline was lit up with lights from fireworks of every hue, as a multicultural extravaganza unfolded on the shores of the beautiful Swan River. The festival has been an annual event since 2008 and is organized by the Annalakshmi Restaurant and the Temple of Fine Arts, both non-profit organizations. The Annalakshmi Restaurant is well known to Perth’s connoisseurs of Indian vegetarian cuisine as it is perfectly located right next to the iconic Bell Tower and overlooks the Swan River. Its unique approach of ‘eat as you like and pay what you feel’ is a refreshingly new approach to dining.

The festival nights displayed some amazing cultural performances as Perth’s denizens were treated to a sumptuous culture-fest ranging from fusion music to ballet, Indian classical dance forms and Spanish flamenco dancers. November nights are still cool and crisp and people enjoyed the lovely weather under starry skies on the shores of the Swan river, listening to the wafting music. Perth is a charming city

and simply being there on these nights watching the cultural performances would make anyone inclined to feel lucky and blessed.

The festival was great entertainment for everyone ranging from visitors from the eastern states, the Indian community here and other sandgropers! For people like Peter, a Queenslander who is here on work, the chance to enjoy some great Indian food was too much of a temptation to overcome. In addition to enjoying the performances, he was absorbed in watching spectators dancing to the music and enjoying themselves. The crowds were definitely interesting to watch, including Indians dressed in traditional colourful clothing added to the charm of the festive atmosphere.

The aroma of puris and crackling dosais with sambar drew people to the food stalls like bees to honey, and judging by the throngs, one could tell that they were enjoying themselves. With their choice of mouth-watering fares, people sat down on the greens savouring these delicacies while watching the dark glistening waters of the Swan. The food fare was the usual Indian ones with some Malay cuisine thrown in, numerous sweets of all kinds and the ever popular Punjabi drink – the lassi!

One of the performing groups which drew fulsome praise from many was the band, Akasha. This 7-piece instrumental group played an eclectic mix of music styles including Malay, Indian, Chinese and Western. A friend was so impressed, that he bought a CD released by the band.

The classical dance presentations by the Temple of Fine Arts were awesome as Perth-ians saw glimpses into the beauty of Kathak and Odissi dance forms. It was not only about Indian dance, though. There were some absorbing performances by the Spanish Ancestrais Capoeira troupe, a Malay dance drama performance, some contemporary dance numbers, Chinese dance by the Chung Wah Association and Aboriginal dance to name a few, all of which made this a truly multicultural festival. Bollywood

dancing is nowadays becoming part of western consciousness, and was fittingly featured in the performances.

A drama rendition of the epic Ramayana – a timeless story that never seems to become stale, at least for me, kept the audience spellbound.

Besides the cultural programs staged, there were a number of smaller stalls to keep everyone interested. The Arts stall and its paintings, especially a couple of Hanuman and Krishna, were beautiful. Kids lining up for face painting and those with an interest in holistic healing had plenty to keep them engaged. There was computer astrology, palm reading and tarot reading for those interested to know what the future holds in store for them.

Another interesting sideline to the festival was that the last day was inaugurated by Australian writer and Indophile Peggy Holroyde, who has written many books about India, one of them being Colonial Cousins: A Surprising History of Connections between India and Australia. A report I read in a magazine somewhere highlighting the links between Aboriginal and Dravidian cultures came to mind.

Daily fireworks brought each evening to a fitting finale. Though not the same as Diwali in India, watching fireworks light up the night sky in a hundred different hues brings out a sense of child-like wonder in all of us, whatever one’s biological age!

The festival offers a wonderful opportunity to various dance and art groups within Western Australia to perform and showcase their unique talents. After all, what are performers without an audience and often it’s the appreciation and applause of the crowd which is their crowning glory. But for the common many in Perth from all walks of life and culture, it is an opportunity to enjoy, learn and celebrate the diversity which we are lucky to experience, and should cherish in Western Australia. Hopefully the festival next year will continue to enthral Perth and will be on a bigger scale, with even more innovative themes and performances which will bring, in some form, the spirit of Diwali to the good people of Perth.

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A Kinsey-style report on the Indian community in Oz

BY JYOTI SHANKAR

In 1948, Alfred Kinsey created a furore with his ground-breaking research into the sexuality of human males. Now Vijay Ramanathan, an Indian researcher at Sydney University, has embarked on researching the sexual health of Indian male migrants, a subject of farreaching implications for the migrant group and the way it assimilates into its adopted culture.

“Sexuality is the core component of being human. It is not just the act of sex, but also about how you think and how you relate to others,” says Vijay.

According to him, sexual behaviour is determined by a number of factors ranging from the place where you have spent most of your life, culture, religion, family values, health, your interaction with others in the community, amongst a host of other factors. Vijay’s research aims to study if these factors indeed impact Indian migrants and how, as well as the areas of life they impact on, and the implications this has for the health and happiness of Indian origin men. It is also a topic that is not frankly or seriously discussed among the Indian community, though his preliminary studies show that it does have a great impact on migrants from the Indian sub-continent as they undergo the process of acculturation into this new society.

When people of different cultures are thrown together, there is a process of change and transference that occurs between both, followed by a process of adjustment and acceptance. Sociologists define acculturation as the process of adopting the cultural traits or social patterns of another group. It may manifest as Assimilation which is a strong identification with the host culture and society, and a weak identification with their ancestry; Integration, which is when an individual combines a strong dedication to their origin, but also a commitment and conformity to the host society; Marginalisation, which manifests in a weak dedication to or strong detachment from, both the host culture and the culture of origin; and, Separation, wherein the migrant shows an exclusive commitment to the culture of origin even after years of migration, with weak involvement in the host culture. (Source –inter-cultural models, John Berry).

Now we have all observed our friends and acquaintances, and possibly ourselves too, exhibiting such varying degrees of acculturation. Vijay says that not all people acculturate in the same manner or to the same extent, and the impact of this on sexual health is what interests him.

Because of taboos associated with issues around sexual health, people often seek help and information from dubious sources. Vijay says that because of this, people are conned into bogus remedies and made to part with large sums of money with a promise of instant solutions. But there is no instant solution for sexual problems – sexual infections could be contained with medicines, but one needs to explore the deeper issues of the problem. The problem of erectile dysfunction is not just a physiological problem of lack of blood supply to the area, but is often the precursor of cardiovascular

problems. It could be because of issues relating to weight and obesity.

Vijay, a registered medical practitioner in India moved to Sydney in 2005 to do his Masters in Medicine, specialising in sexually transmitted infections (STI) and HIV medicine. He got interested in sexual behaviours when he realised that to control STI and HIV, which was a product of sexual behaviour, he would first need to understand these behaviours. Sydney University is a world leader in the field sexual health education, he says. He decided to stay on to do a PhD in Sexual Health of Indian Migrant Men Living in Australia. This thesis aims to study the impacts of migration on attitudes toward human sexuality, sexual behaviours and sexual health of Indian men living in Australia.

“Many doctors can treat a sexual infection, but I am more interested in examining the issue holistically and understanding how I can

help people to improve their general health,” Vijay explains.

Vijay wears a few hats as he works towards his doctoral thesis – he works for Central Sydney GP Network Ltd which provides education and support to general practitioners. He also is an Accredited Sexuality Therapist, practising at Bondi Junction and is an honorary lecturer at the Sydney University. He also runs an online service via www. sexualhealthindia.com, where people can access unbiased and non-judgemental information on matters of sexual health.

“Always look for credibility when you access information over the internet,” says Vijay.

“Earlier there was the problem of lack of information, but these days it is the other way around – a lot of it, but much of it may be wrong. There are no instant cures, people do need to realise this and not fall into a trap.”

When asked why his study is restricted to men, Vijay explained that the first stage of his research was speaking to a focus group in which 25 men participated, and being a male investigator, he was not comfortable talking about sexuality to women. A female colleague of his is now replicating the same study with South Asian women. A majority of the men in the focus group were Indians who are the major South-Asian group in Sydney, but the findings could possibly be generalised to migrants from South Asia. “Themes we got from the focus group suggested that acculturation is influencing a change in attitudes. To collect more quantitative data we are doing the online survey wherein we can get objective validated tools to prove this,” says Vijay.

He is looking to collect surveys from a sample of four to six hundred Indians (readers can participate anonymously at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/ WEB22BE4RHXXRL) from about 200,000 males living in Australia. It covers a range of topics about sexual behaviour, attitudes, perceptions and help-seeking behaviours.

Following this research, Vijay hopes to use its learning to implement a plan to improve the health of migrants. “I want my PhD tied to community welfare and I want to see how this research can be transferred to the Indian community of 20 million Indian across the globe,” he asserts. He wants patients to get educated and thus empowered.

Vijay has post-doctoral work also lined up – researching how religion and media influence attitudes and behaviour. He also believes that there is a wealth of information in Hindu literature, but it is not expressed in a way that a lay person can understand. Everyone has heard about the book Kama Sutra but how many of us can claim to have read it, I wondered. Vijay believes that Kama Sutra is a fantastic guide to sensual satisfaction in a mindful way. “Sexuality is about thinking (which is about love), expressing (which is about eroticism) and doing (the actual sex act).

Medical doctors and the scientific world do not speak enough about the pleasure aspect, about how to increase bonding,” he says.

Simplifying the Kama Sutra - that’s another project in the offing for Vijay, it seems!

“Many doctors can treat a sexual infection, but I am more interested in examining the issue holistically and understanding how I can help people to improve their general health” (Vijay)

A research study on sexual health in migrant Indian men could contribute to their future health and happiness, says an Indian researcher

Vijay Ramanathan

How to market in India Ford India MD

70% of Ford’s worldwide growth will come from the Asia Pacific Africa region in the next decade. This was the bold prediction made by Australian born and educated Michael Boneham, president of Ford Motors India.

In Sydney recently, Michael Boneham was a guest speaker at the UNSW’s Australian School of Business. His talk was titled “Emerging and diverse India – challenges and opportunities.”

Boneham should know all about succeeding in India, having launched a new car Figo Ford there earlier this year. Since its launch, the car has sold over 50,000 units, making it into the top 10 selling name plates in India. Though Ford entered the Indian car market in 1997, till it launched Figo (Italian for ‘cool’), it had less than 1.8% of the Indian car market.

“Figo is a game changer for Ford and will help us to increase our market share in India”, Boneham said.

And it seems Ford is keen to position itself to benefit from the ever growing Indian market. The industry forecast is that there will be over 9 million commercial and passenger vehicles in India by 2019, up from 2 million in 2008 and 3.1 million in 2010. The growth trajectory is even sharper

than China, potentially being fuelled by the younger Indian population dynamics.

Boneham admitted that Figo was targeted at the upwardly mobile mature youth market. market research indicated and largely confirmed to us the complexity of the Indian market. parts of the world people look at the features of the cars first and then the price, it is the other way around in India. Aspirational youth still live in a joint family system and seek advice from their elders on major decisions,” he said.

India continues to remain an interesting market with its diversity, and a number of factors make up India. “Education, Bollywood, spirituality, cricket, family values, increasing female influences in decision making, pride in the newly emerging Indian global giants in the corporate world such as Tatas, Mittals etc, all play an important factor in the psyche of the Indian market,” Boneham lectured.

“Education, Bollywood, spirituality, cricket, family values, increasing female influences in decision making, pride in the newly emerging Indian global giants in the corporate world such as Tatas, Mittals etc, all play an important factor in the psyche of the Indian market” (Boneham)

funnel – awareness, favourable exposure, consideration, shopping, intention, closure and repeat referral,” he said. “In fact, we used a fair bit of social media. We created a lot of buzz and excitement for the Ford small car through a fun filled viral teaser campaign. We allowed a number of media and bloggers in the car market to test drive the product and spread the word,” he told the audience.

Obviously, it has all worked, with the Figo

Indian consumer will expect a new launch every 12-18 months, if Ford needs to keep ahead of the competition from Suzuki Swift, Tata Indican, Volkswagen Polo, Honda Jazz etc.

But with the view that India is positioned to be the world’s third largest car market over the next decade, this is certainly an exciting market which his bosses in the United States are keen for him to make inroads into.

Michael Boneham is an Australian selling an American-branded Italian-named car in India, and he’s having a ball.

PAWAN LUTHRA reports

Driven to succeed: Michael Boneham

Photo: UNSW Australian School of Business

FUNDRAISER

Treasure hunt for Pakistan

A special Sydney woman creates a unique fundraising event to help the victims of the Pakistan floods

BY DEEPA GOPINATH

Have you ever watched the news, read the paper or listened to the radio delivering news about devastation that takes place all over the world and felt utterly helpless?

The miners in Chile and New Zealand, the floods in China and the earthquake in New Zealand are all events that deeply struck a chord in all of us, but apart from donating a few coins to fundraisers wandering around the city, could we really have done something to make a difference?

One woman in Sydney has just shown that yes, we can all make an impact on the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves.

Meera Mehta’s interest in the recent floods in Pakistan was kindled when she read about a boy in the midst of this disaster, who not only lost his father to the flood but also had to leave behind his grandmother in order to save himself. This extraordinary story of survival set wheels turning in Meera’s mind and inspired her to organise an event that would raise funds for the victims of the flood, while encouraging participants to spend quality time with their families and friends.

Weeks of planning in collaboration with Team Focus International and other supporters culminated in “Fighting the Flood of Tears”, a treasure hunt fundraiser supporting Oxfam. Held at Sydney Olympic Park on November 20, the adventurous family day out attracted over 40 participants and raised $6,500 for Oxfam Pakistan Flood Appeal.

More than three months have passed since the onset of the devastating Pakistan floods and with winter fast approaching, the situation remains dire. Large areas in the south are still under water, and 7 million people nationwide lack adequate shelter. Many farmers will be unable to plant winter crops as their farmlands remain submerged or waterlogged, impacting heavily on their basic subsistence. Making matters worse, international funding has begun to dry up, threatening aid and recovery efforts.

Meera, a financial planner from Botany, was deeply distraught as she learnt more through her research of the natural disaster. “The more I read, the more

the people of Pakistan’s urgent necessity for clean drinking water in order to stop the current spread of disease, the lack of sufficient medical facilities and the need to

Meera, a financial planner from Botany, was deeply distraught as she learnt more through her research of the natural disaster.

help farmers regain their livelihood,” she added. Meera chose to support Oxfam, an organisation which is currently active in Pakistan, carrying out emergency work in still-flooded southern areas and helping other flood-hit communities begin the process of recovery. They are reaching 1.2 million people, providing water,

and household items, and provide winter kits for families to prepare them for the coming chilly season.

However, despite all the efforts of Oxfam, Meera and supporters of “Fighting the Flood of Tears” recognised that this is currently the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, and there is still an urgent need for funding.

The treasure hunt on a sunny Saturday in Sydney was designed like a mini Amazing Race and had participants organised in teams, travelling around Sydney Olympic Park completing challenges and activities whilst collecting points within a 2-hour time frame. This highly successful event gave Sydney-siders an exclusive opportunity to explore the entire park and provided a unique perspective on this distinct landmark.

To further promote the importance of spending time with family and friends, a

substantial funds to assist the flood relief efforts in Pakistan. Despite her incredible effort in organising this event, Meera humbly acknowledges the support she received. “It would not have come together without everyone’s help and participation,” she says, while thanking the companies who supported the undertaking, including Team Focus International, Westpac Bank, Bakers Delight Mascot, Bread Brassiere Botany, Cypress Lakes resort (Hunter Valley), Chinta Ria Restaurant, Ghermez Cupcakes, Imax Darling Harbour, T&G Hairdressers, Homebush Bay, Randwick Ritz Cinema’s, Trophy Land and Snowgoose.com.au.

Meera and all those who volunteered through support, sponsorship and personal time to make this event a success, are truly inspirational!

Meera Mehta

Sikh society for Pak relief

The flash flooding and extreme weather related disaster in Pakistan, made headlines the world over in recent months. Unprecedented heavy rains have caused untold damage to infrastructure in the affected areas, including buildings, businesses, schools, bridges, crops, livestock and homes. Thousands of men, women and children perished before their time in the relentless waters, and those who survived have lost all their worldly possessions and savings, and now have nowhere to go. In such a situation it becomes the moral duty of everyone to help those devastated by such a calamity.

On humanitarian grounds, the Sikh Council of Australia (SCA) took up the challenge and held a concert and dinner fundraiser in late November in Silverwater to raise funds for the flood victims in Pakistan. About three hundred people from different faiths and nationalities attended the function. Also present were MP Laurie Ferguson and the Consul General of Pakistan. Laurie Ferguson spoke well of the initiative taken

by the SCA to support the flood victims and the Consul General of Pakistan was very appreciative of the help and support offered, while encouraging Sikhs to visit Nankana Sahib.

A sumptuous free dinner was provided by Avtar Singh of Billu’s Eatery and Sweet House (Harris Park), and the cultural program was exceptional. Headed by the young “Sakhya Group” of performers, the event began with a Kathak dance, followed by several classical Indian dances, each performer presented by Mrinal Mandsorwale. Famous singers like Pupinder Mintu, Kakoli Mukherjee, young Jagpreet, budding songwriter and singer Shagufta Zia from New Zealand, along with Shabnam and Jaggi Dhol entertained the audience with Punjabi and Hindi songs and dances. The hall buzzed with hums and claps and calls for “one more”. The lively and enjoyable concert came to a close at 11.45pm.

All the proceeds from this concert will go directly to flood victims and not a cent will be spent on administration

Bawa Jagdev

Tuning in to Tannishtha

She’s referred to as the ‘princess of parallel cinema’ and the ‘most international of Indian actresses’. Tannishtha Chatterjee has been nominated for Best Actress alongside Dame Judi Dench and Anne Hathaway in the British Independent Film Awards, and her most recent acting collaborations include working with Martin Sheen and first-time actress turned filmmaker, Lucy Liu. Following in the footsteps of Shabana Azmi and Aparna Sen, Tannishtha Chaterjee is in the Gold Coast this week for the 4th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), and is one of the youngest members of the international jury. Link caught up with the actress for a quick chat.

Tannishtha lived in Australia as a child but doesn’t remember a lot of it. Yet she finds herself smitten by the Gold Coast’s sun and sand. The versatile actress feels that Australians are a bit ‘Indian-like’ with their generosity and hospitality. She is thrilled to represent India at APSA where the jury this year comprises of members from China, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, the United Kingdom and Australia. International cinema and film festivals largely tend to have an American and Eurocentric focus, and hence they are limited in terms of story telling and aesthetic appeal.

“APSA has crossed my expectations in providing a long awaited platform for the Asia Pacific region. Watching films of different languages and styles from 15 different countries has been a blissful experience for me,” admits Tannishtha.

Despite the jury being so diverse in their expertise and viewpoints, she has observed that human beings respond to emotions and stories similarly. “This is where, though different culturally and cinematographically, good cinema transcends culture and speaks the universal language of human emotions,” she explains.

through, where despite a strong presence of Hollywood, regional cinema is finding a much-needed revival,” claims the actress. She makes a very compelling case for India to maintain its own cinematic medium and style. “I believe film festivals such as APSA should be encouraged so that countries such as ours can keep their plethora of languages and cultures alive,” she avers.

“I am passionate about initiatives likes APSA that preserve diversity, and I believe that there lies the true beauty of cinema,” says Tannishtha. This year India has five nominations, each unique and compelling in their language, culture and performance.

Atul Kulkarni and Tejaswini Pundit have been nominated in the best performance categories for two separate Marathi films, and Hindi film Udaan has been nominated in the Best Children’s Feature Film category. A majority of the nominations

Tannishtha is open to all kinds of cinema; however it is the characters in the scripts and the filmmakers that are the driving force for her. “It is extremely important for me to choose working on projects where actors and filmmakers involved share my energy and passion for good cinema,” she says. The actress finds herself frequently working with first-time directors who take a brave step and go after their films with full steam and focus. “This is what gives cinema a new perspective and makes people all over the world sit up and listen,” explains Tannishtha. “Bollywood, despite being stereotyped as nothing but songs and dances, in essence is very original and has its roots in the larger-than-life Indian drama, theatre and folklore,” she says adding, “Despite the presence of American cinemas and their popularity with the Indian elite, a very interesting movement is taking shape in India where independent cinema is rising, putting regional cinema into the spotlight.” Tannishtha believes this is very vital for India’s film industry as a lot of great internationally renowned filmmakers from Satyajit Ray to Tapan Sinha and Mrinal Sen all have their background in regional cinema.

Tannishtha calls herself a cinema buff and is having a fantastic time in the Gold Coast watching some amazing movies, meeting inspiring members of APSA and enjoying delicacies from around the world. However, the actress is aware of the responsibility that comes with being in the jury and assessing cinema and its various forms. “Regardless of the jury members and their different areas of expertise, so far we have all had similar reactions and no conflict in viewpoints; this is good cinema, striking a chord across the board, which is termed as ‘cross-over’ cinema,” she says. APSA awarding such films and celebrating their achievements inspires Tannishtha to continue on her path of representing India’s talent internationally in acting and filmmaking.

Tannishtha is a trained Hindustani vocalist and has sung for movies such as Page 3 and Road, Movie. Her first film Swaraj

won her the National Film Award, and her resume boasts names of highly acclaimed Indian and International filmmakers. Tannishtha Chatterjee is supportive of young Indian talent, and is bent on creating and educating the whole world about a new kind of breakthrough Indian cinema. Indian Link wishes this young Bengali beauty all the best in exciting years to come. We will be following her career with interest and pride.

The Asia Pacific Screen Awards is the region’s answer to the Oscars of the west, and honours filmmaking projects across a region covering 70 countries, which makes up one third of the earth and half the world’s film output. APSA will take place on Australia’s Gold Coast on December 2, and is an initiative of the Queensland Government in collaboration with the MFA and UNESCO.

This talented actress with a passion for her work is now on the APSA’s international jury, yet another accolade in her already illustrious career

“Bollywood, despite being stereotyped as nothing but songs and dances, in essence is very original and has its roots in the largerthan-life Indian drama, theatre and folklore”

(Tannishtha)

Tannishtha Chatterjee with Abhay Deol at Gold Coast during the APSAs. Abhay, Tannishtha’s co-star in Road, Movie, is at Gold Coast filming the Bipasha Basu starrer Singularity, and joined in some of APSA’s activities.

(From left) Abhay Deol, APSA Jury President Lord David Puttnam, APSA Jury member Tannishtha Chatterjee, APSA Jury Member Ellery Ryan, Lady Patricia Puttnam, APSA Jury Member Salman Aristo.

Chef Required

Job Description

• Excellent skills in cooking North Indian Curries, Tandoori Items, Mughlai Items and indian desserts

• Must bring extensive range of menu items relating to above categories to the organisation

• Responsibility to maintain existing menu which includes, planning, ordering, documenting receipes, cooking of different types of meats, gravies etc required to prepare Alacarte orders and banquet menu

• Team Player and leadership skills to work in a team or lead the team. Multitasking skills

• Implementing Australian Hygiene standards in kitchen

• Training New and junior staff in various tasks as per requirement in kitchen and front of house.

• Working with in budgets of kitchen in terms of labour cost and wage cost.

• Ensuring to implement efficient cooking cycle to ensure freshness and minimum wastage and following Australian Food Safety Requirements for which training will be provided

• Supervising cooking processes, cleaning processes and other tasks in kitchen.

• Excellent communication skills in english will be an extra advantage

• Experience and skills in South Indian food will be an extra advantage

Job Description

• Excellent Communication Skills

• Excellent Team leader ship and team player skills

• Knowledge of general food and hygiene principles

• Thorough knowledge of processes involved in indian food

• Flexible to work in different roles in kitchen.

• Adopting clean as you go approach.

• Enthusiastic, creative to bring the best of indian food.

Only experienced And qualified Indian cooks need to apply. Sponsorship available to right candidate(Subject to DIAC approval)

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Ascertaining the bigger picture

A powerful production that reveals the sometimes shocking plight of Indian students in the quest to make their future in Australia

BY TIM BLIGHT

Racist or not racist? That is the question posed by Yet to Ascertain the Nature of the Crime, a production by Melbourne Workers Theatre. Directed by Gorkem Acaroglu, the theatre performance is part documentary and part theatre, and scrutinizes the complex experience of Indians, particularly Indian students, in Australia.

In the wake of the 2008 – 2010 controversy surrounding allegedly racially-motivated attacks on Indians living in Australia, the performance does not shy away from asking big questions. Based entirely on transcripts from interviews with Australians and Indians, it seems noone seems to fully comprehend all aspects of the debate. No-one, that is, except the cast and crew themselves, who skillfully combine humour, tragedy, emotion and honesty to present this unflinching look at Indians in Australia. While it is not always easy to watch – this reporter squirmed a couple of times while listening to the often disturbing stories – it is certainly engaging.

Actors Andreas Litras, Georgina Naidu and Greg Ulfan skillfully quote numerous interviews, which are repeated verbatim. Frequently the actors don headsets, listening to the actual interview while simultaneously speaking the script – no easy task, and a true testament to their talents. Occasionally the audience is exposed to recordings from the interviews and even video footage, which makes it all the more real. The name is based on a cartoon which appeared in a Delhi newspaper soon after the tragic death of Nitin Garg in January of this year. The controversial sketch depicts a member of the Victorian police dressed in a Ku Klux Klan outfit uttering the statement. Much was made of the cartoon at the time, however it reflects the mood of a period when social tensions between India and Australia reached the diplomatic level.

Perhaps the most explosive of all is anonymous voices discussing the education scheme in Australia. For one of the first times in a public forum, it is explicitly revealed that shifting visa laws in the early 2000s transferred the responsibility of immigration to the realm of tertiary education institutions. The opinion, which one assumes is of someone involved in the education industry, explains how the revised Australian visa system allowed schools to become ‘visa factories’ with little regard for the welfare of the largely Indian student body. Students were

experiencing the exhilarating highs and depressing lows of life abroad, education agents had a seemingly endless supply of revenue and the immigration department was making a mint from the visa fees.

All this comes crashing down when the experiences of Pami, Sravan and Karan are related. These particular characters (who aren’t characters at all, but actual victims of crime), humbly talk of the degradation and violence they were subject to in Australia, and go on to discuss their reasons for staying. The strength of these students was as inspiring as their forgiveness was unsettling – particularly Pami was able to distinguish between the actions of a few and Australian society as a whole. “No worries!” he sighs. One ponders whether they would be capable of such fortitude and rationality after such a horrific ordeal. Actor Andreas Litras personally interviewed some of the students. He said that they were at first hesitant to convey their stories for fear of further inflaming racial tensions, because they weren’t convinced that the attacks were racially motivated. Fellow actor Georgina Naidu, who recites much of Pami’s interview, said that until very recently she struggled with the emotion of the script. “To hear his voice and to speak the words, I could feel myself welling up inside,” she said.

Between comical references to Norway (“the whitest country in the world!”) and hysterical, if shameful, reminders of the White Australia era, two teenage white supremacists vocalize their concerns for Australia’s future. While many may consider their voices extreme, they raise important questions over the often isolating life of a teenager in suburban Australia. Whether ‘these Indians are taking our jobs’ is another debate entirely, but the link is clearly drawn between young Anglo-Australians short of opportunities and resentment towards “fresh-off-the-boat Indians” who seem to be employed in hospitality and the taxi service.

Hapless desi students, new to Australia, often employed by less than scrupulous business owners are also subject to discrimination from within their community. From the Punjabi who labels Bengalis ‘arrogant’ and the Bengali who calls Punjabis ‘gaudy’, it is clear that racism exists in India as well. Indian hatred is reserved for Pakistanis although, as one actor quotes, he can’t really explain why. Even some Indians who have been in Australia for several decades seem to look down on the ‘new arrivals’, a common occurrence in multi-generational immigrant communities. Students work and pay tax, however they are not always taken seriously by society or the police.

Neither here nor there, students are alone and confused. As a taxi driver puts it, “I don’t know whom to trust. Back in India, a businessman in a suit is respectable, but here, even they can be drunk and rude.”

Speaking after the premiere performance on November 24, students Sam, Abdul and Odras of the Northland Youth Centre said they were impressed by the professional delivery of the material. “It was handled in a very good manner,” reported Sam, originally from Sri Lanka, who has been living in Australia for less than a year. Co-writer Roanna Gonsalves said that despite being of Indian background herself, even she was surprised to hear some of the interviews. “It’s so interesting to hear the ideas and opinions from all sides,” she said. The show does not offer solutions to the issues, but rather allows audience members to conclude their own after sharply bringing into focus important issues facing contemporary Australia and those who migrate here.

Yet to Ascertain the Nature of the Crime showed at Artshouse, North Melbourne Town Hall from November 24 - 28. There are plans to take the show to Sydney, and it has been selected to appear at Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda Festival next February.

Left to Right: Actors Greg Ulfan, Georgina Naidu and Andreas Litras

At Xmas, all roads lead home

It’s an Indian affair when the Mangalorean Catholics Association celebrate Christmas. NOEL G. DE SOUZA reports

Christmas is the most important feast for Indian Christian groups in Australia and one can expect a good celebration. The Mangalorean Catholic Association of Sydney (MCAS) had its yearly celebration at the Granville Town Hall in late November. The event is a family affair wherein the old and the young participate together.

By ensuring that children and teenagers take part in these celebrations, the traditions of communities like the Mangaloreans are sustained. X’mas was celebrated as a happy affair. Modern music for the function was provided by the Face2Face band and the audience freely joined in dancing and the revelry. The atmosphere was permeated by a blend of curry flavours.

It was a pleasure to watch some quite young children spontaneously participating. They were thereby being socialised and thus could be expected to have few qualms about participating in the greater community as they grow up. Functions like Christmas act as bonding opportunities for families and for the community. The Mangalorean Association follows the calendar that Mangalorean Catholics follow in coastal Karnataka from where they originate. The Association’s vision is “to provide a platform to bring Mangalorean Catholics together as one community to promote and sustain Mangalorean culture, values and tradition”.

The highlight of the evening was the appearance of the traditional Santa. Children were gathered much earlier in anticipation and when Santa did arrive, one could see the expectant countenances of the young ones as they awaited the goodies he had brought for each of them in his heavy bag.

Mangalorean Catholics originated in Goa and fled southwards to Karnataka when the Portuguese King of the time declared that Catholics in Goa would have to abandon all aspects of their original culture. They wanted to remain Catholic but with their old culture intact. As the Mangalorean Association’s charter states, its mission is “bringing Mangalorean

Catholics together through celebration of our faith and fellowship in our traditional culture.” There would come a time when Mangalore itself would come under Portuguese control, but by then the restrictions against the old culture had been done away with.

The forebears of Mangalorean Catholics followed the same path towards Karnataka as had the Gaud Saraswat Brahmins from Goa who had wished to retain Hinduism. Many of those who fled Goa were Gaud Saraswat Brahmin Catholics. Some of them settled in an area near Udupi in coastal Karnataka. That area was appropriately called Brahmavar.

Quite a number of Mangalorean Catholics have established themselves in Bandra in Mumbai. The district where they live in is also named Brahmavar.

Alan Machado, who also uses the original surname of Prabhu, has authored the scholarly book Saraswati’s Children (IJA Publications, Bangalore, 1999) about Mangalorean Catholics and the facts behind their history.

MCAS has been participating in Indian events such as the Australia-India Day on 24 January organised by an umbrella Indian organization, the round table discussions on students organised by the NSW Premier Kristina Keneally, the AR Rahman concert in Parramatta Park and the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay event.

MCAS contributed money to the people affected by the unfortunate events in the Mangalore and Udupi areas in 2008. At that time miscreants disturbed what has been otherwise a harmonious atmosphere between various religious communities for centuries, by vandalising some church properties.

MCAS recently had a day-long planning meeting. Its newsletter states that it discussed “various proposals in the areas of culture, language, communications, public relations, youth and senior citizen activities, technology applications, liaison and participation with similar community organizations.” It thereby wishes to ensure its contribution to its members.

Large turnout for Eid celebrations

Prayers were held at mosques across Australia, the subcontinent and the world as Muslims celebrated Eid al Adha (Bakrid) on November 16. The day coincides with the climax of the Hajj, the yearly pilgrimage which Muslims are obliged to undertake at least once in their lifetime. As up to four million hajjis (pilgrims) descended on Makkah in Saudi Arabia, families in Australia, India and the wider subcontinent marked the occasion with families and friends

As it is a time to spend with loved ones, for many South Asian Muslims in Australia, Eid is the time when they miss their families the most. Attending Eid prayers at the mosque of the United Muslim Migrants Association of Victoria (UMMA) in the Melbourne suburb of Doncaster, students and other expatriates said they were looking forward to later in the day, when they could speak with their families on the subcontinent and exchange Eid greetings. Pakistani student Yousuf Atta explained that while he misses his family on such occasions, he was impressed by the celebrations organised by the Muslim community. “It’s nice to see everyone here together – there are so many Indians and Pakistanis, a couple of Bangladeshis,” he said. An estimated gathering of over 400 people attended the service, filling the prayer hall, the community hall and spilling out on the car park where organisers hastily laid down plastic sheeting in place of prayer mats.

The UMMA mosque prayers attracted Muslims from various backgrounds, including Arab, Iranian, Turkish, Southeast Asian and Anglo-Australian. However the largest ethnic representation at the mosque was of South Asians – up to half were from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, with a handful of Fijians, Sri Lankans and Maldivians. This ethnic mix

is in stark contrast to Eid celebrations as recently as just one decade ago, when the large proportion of mosque-goers in Australia were of Middle Eastern background, a testament to the growing population of desis in Australia. This influence is to be seen at certain mosques, where the khutbah (sermon) is now often delivered in Urdu as well as English or Arabic.

The prayers were followed by a community breakfast provided by volunteers at the centre. Delicious helpings of kheer (rice pudding) and other Eid specialties were served, as the faithful filed out of the crowded building. The Hyderabadi contingent particularly enjoyed the sheer korma, native to that South Indian city, although none could match ammi’s recipe! Surrounding streets were abuzz with Muslims heading to their next ports of call; in most cases, a celebratory brunch with extended family or friends. This scene was repeated in Muslim hubs across Australia, including Fawkner and Clayton in Melbourne, Auburn and Rockdale in Sydney and Thornlie in Perth. However the largest Australian Eid celebrations by far were seen in the Sydney suburb of Lakemba, where thousands of worshippers packed the Islamic centre and police closed a section of Wangee Road to accommodate the overflow.

Bakrid was a national public holiday in India on November 17 this year. Massive celebrations were held in the large Muslim centres of Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi. Even larger celebrations were held in India’s Muslim neighbours, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives, where Eid al Adha is one of the biggest dates on the national calendars. The holiday is also recognised in Sri Lanka, home to a significant Muslim community. Recent years have seen Eid fall in the latter part of the year, coinciding

with the festival season in India which also features Diwali, Christmas, Ramazan and Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru’s birthdays.

Traditionally called Eid al-Adha (Arabic for ‘festival of sacrifice’), it celebrates the Muslim prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his own son, Ishmael, for the sake of Allah (God). Allah intervened and offered a goat to be sacrificed instead of a human, but Ibrahim’s spiritual devotion was noted, and is hence marked on this day. Due to this, Eid al Adha is also known in Hindi/Urdu as Bakri Id or Bakrid, literally ‘goat festival’. Hindi and Urdu speakers would also recognise ‘Eyde Ghorban’, the Persian name for ‘festival of sacrifice’, which also exists in the languages of the subcontinent. Traditionally, on Eid, a goat or a sheep would be sacrificed and the meat divided between family and the needy, although these customs are declining in urbanised areas. Most Australian Muslims and increasing numbers of urban Muslims around the world opt for a charity donation in place of an actual sacrifice.

Eid takes place on the tenth day of the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar year, Dhu al Hijja The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, so like the moon’s cycle, it is approximately 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar. This means that the dates of Islamic festivals jump back approximately 11 days each year. The hajj will conclude in Saudi Arabia in the next few days, whereupon the throngs of pilgrims will return to their respective nations with stories to tell for a lifetime.

Tim Blight

UMMA Centre Doncaster, Melbourne plays host to Eid prayers and celebrations

Verandah vignettes

Vandana Ram discovers deep connections to colonial India in a historic Australian house

BY SHIVANGI AMBANI-GANDHI

Elizabeth Farm, Australia’s oldest surviving homestead and now a beautifully kept housemuseum in western Sydney, has a long connection with India. Artist Vandana Ram unearthed these Indian links in Australia’s colonial history after her curiosity was sparked by references to this building as an Anglo Indian bungalow.

“I was intrigued to find out what that meant. I later realized that in Australia it is used to describe something that originates in British India,” says Ram.

She has now reinterpreted these Indian connections through a series of works for her new exhibition at Elizabeth Farm titled Verandah

“I have worked in Western Sydney for the last 15 years or so, and more recently, I have focused on embedded histories in Parramatta and the surrounding region. I became particularly interested in the untold history of Indians in the early colonial history of Australia, and approached the Historic Houses Trust about two years ago to develop some site-specific work around Elizabeth Farm,” explains Ram.

The house, built in 1793 by John Macarthur and his wife Elizabeth, is now cared for by the Historic Houses Trust. “I have looked for Indian resonances within Elizabeth Farm, a building which physically manifests the Anglo Indian experience,” explains Ram. “This includes the early 19th century trade connections which brought textiles, furniture, ceramics, food supplies, seeds and most importantly, people from India to Australia. By 1840, a ship was leaving Sydney for India roughly every four days,” she adds.

Even in her initial visits Ram found many objects in the house that evoke Indian sensibilities, such as muslin and calico furnishings. Moving beyond these obvious material evidences, Ram began looking through diaries and letters to find further connections. “I found references to blue gurrah cloth and Bengal canvas in the Macarthur household shopping list, chintz curtains in the dining room, furniture, cane stools and Kashmiri carpets, and we know in 1830, John Macarthur purchased three Calcutta mats,” reveals Ram.

“He also put 60 Bengal sheep to graze as his first flock of sheep on the farm in 1793, predating the Merinos, which is the more broadly understood history of the wool industry in Australia. Unfortunately for these Bengal sheep, they seem to have ended up on the Macarthur dinner table!”

In researching the history of the house, Ram also suddenly stumbled upon a more specific reference to one of the domestic servants that appears in the 1820 muster. John Bono, the 23-year-old ‘coloured’ footman, a Mussalman (Muslim) who arrived in Sydney as a free man on the Brig Active (a ship owned at one point by Samuel Marsden, that sailed constantly between Calcutta to Sydney via Hobart). “Little is known about him, but it is believed that his responsibilities would have included polishing the silver and crockery,” reveals Ram.

As part of the exhibition, in her installation titled John Bono, Ram spells out his name in Western crockery and cutlery, as well as Indian utensils and spices and houses the lot within the butler’s closet. “Discovering people like John Bono is critical in telling the story of the integral connection with Indians in the history of Australia as it emerges as an early British colony,” says Ram. “There are numerous references at this time, in shipping lists, newspapers, diaries and letters, to

Indian coolies, servants, ayahs, nursemaids, grooms, natives, lascars (Indian soldiers) or ‘blackies’– most often with little else to go on.”

Ram found another telling reference to India which she represents in her work, titled Doob In an 1843 letter to her son Edward, Elizabeth Macarthur wrote, “… the lawn mown on which there is a very heavy swathe of Doob, an Indian grass that the Hindoo worships by an Hymn inscribed to it, as a divinity…”.

“Doob is an artwork made from Darba grass, which I have planted in front of the verandah and surrounded it with red gravel. The words inscribed in the grass are from the first line of the Gayatri Mantra - Om Bhur Bhuva Swaha, which for me is the most powerful of Sanksrit mantras.”

In another work, Whitewash, the reference to the title of the exhibition - Verandah - becomes apparent. A deeply personal work, Whitewash is an installation of a series of images of Ram’s childhood, much of which was photographed on that verandah juxtaposed with images of what she imagines Elizabeth Macarthur would have looked out at, sitting on her verandah. “There are snippets of songs and stories told by my grandmother, as well as Enid Blyton telling a Noddy story. These post colonial residues are embedded in the language with which we grew up and the English literature we read, as well as the multiple cultural influences that we have in India.”

In her artistic practice as well as her work as Director of the Blacktown Arts Centre, Ram has had a longtime commitment to involvement with the Indian community in Sydney. For instance, her first solo exhibition, Indigo (held in 2006 at the Blacktown Arts Centre) emerged through a series of workshops she conducted with women from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India living in Blacktown, in which she explored the ideas of homeland, significant colours, spices and associated rituals and recipes.

For Verandah, Ram interviewed elderly people from the South Asian community to describe their encounters with the British in India and their memories of Partition. “I was curious to see if there had been much interaction between our communities and if so how that was manifested,” she explains. As part of the exhibition, Ram has installed a small screen showing these interviews in the Dining Room closet—a small room that comes out from the main Dining Room.

“They add a different layer of meaning to the exhibition, and it is also a way to encourage more storytelling by local Indians about these kind of memories of British India - to bring our community into this very historic home. I am interested to see if there are other things that can be brought out through our ways of seeing this house and the objects within it,” she reveals.

This exhibition, which is part of the flamboyant Parramasala 2010 Festival, also makes subtle connections to the recent racial attacks on Indian students in Australia. “This exhibition is very significant in a place like Harris Park and the location of Elizabeth Farm within it. I did want to respond to the recent history of racial violence against Indian students in this area, and the fact that it is also now home to a huge number of people originating in South Asia,” says Ram. “I think it is important for the wider community to be aware and acknowledge the much older history of Indians in this location and rethink what it means to describe home and a sense of belonging to a suburb.”

Verandah continues at Elizabeth Farm, Rosehill until February 2011.

“I have looked for Indian resonances within Elizabeth Farm, a building which physically manifests the Anglo Indian experience” Vandana Ram

Whitewash: A soundscape installation on mosquito netting utilising family recordings and photographs, digital footage of domestic spaces and sounds, radio and Hindi film songs.

Vandana Ram

There were foxes in our hedge: Oil on canvas

People Places Parties

Nataraj Academy shows off its talents at the year end concert “Bollywood Unplugged”

Paratha eating competition: Winner Balvinder Singh takes home $100 for eating 12 parathas, while Surya Sriram takes second place with 10, at Singh da Dhaba’s paratha competition (both are at centre). Chefs Gopi and Gurpreet (both in red shirts) are exhausted after cooking 87 tandoori parathas nonstop in 2 hours.

Preet with her mum and dad and friends at her 5th birthday party

Beaming with pride: Gayatri Behl (centre) with her son Dinesh and new daughter-in-law Nitasha (to her right) and daughter Evita and son-in-law Jehangir (to her left)

(From left) Richa, Bhavana, Shreya and Labdhi party it out at their Girraween High Year 10 formal

Sri. Taralabalu Jagadguru Dr. Shivamurthy Shivacharya Mahaswamiji of Sirigere, India, inaugurates the newly founded Veerashaiva Samaja of Asia-Pacific (VSAP), a not for profit community organisation. Mrs. Amanda Fazio, President NSW Government Upper House looks on

Opening soon in Epping

Designer wants Big B to ‘Don’ jacket

Ever since designer Nida Mahmood heard that Amitabh Bachchan was fascinated by her handpainted ‘Gabbar’ jacket, she has been itching to make the Bollywood mega star wear the ‘Don’ jacket.

Her quirky jacket, with actor Amjad Khan’s famous Gabbar avatar painted on the back and adorned with famous dialogues from the blockbuster “Sholay”, was being flaunted by restaurateur A.D. Singh at an event when it caught the eye of AmitabhBollywood’s origina “Don”.

Nida wants to customise the ‘Don’ jacket for the actor.

“I felt fantastic when I heard that Bachchan really liked the Gabbar jacket. I had made the jacket for A.D. Singh and he told me that Bachchan fell in love with it and went gaga over it. I would love to do a ‘Don’ jacket for him and gift it. The character is iconic,” Mahmood said.

The beige jacket has the word ‘Don’ painted across the shoulder blade, with the famous dialogue – “Don ka intezaar toh 11 mulkon ki police ko bhi hai, lekin Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin, namumkin hai” - painted in Hindi. It also has two kitschy images of Don running, with an orange lotus in the background.

The jacket belongs to the designer’s Bioscope collection, which draws inspiration from Bollywood. It has a heady dose of the once-popular poster art.

Mahmood took cues from movie posters of the 1970s and 80s, and roped in poster artists to handpaint the kitschy designs.

The young Delhi-based designer says it was a task hunting for the artists and getting them to pick up the paintbrush once more.

“These artists were out of practice when I met them. Earlier, they used to pass on the art to the next generations, but now no one wants to learn it because there is no market for it. But it feels great to reinvent the art form through the collection,” she said.

It takes about a week to make a jacket. Mahmood says Bollywood-inspired merchandise usually proves to be a huge hit overseas.

“There is a lot of NRI population that is nostalgic about Bollywood, especially for the 70s and 80s. For them, these

kitschy clothes and accessories are very special. Besides, I also have German clients and some in Tokyo who like these works.

“What’s important is that for many people abroad, Bollywood is very dream like, it’s not realistic. The rosy cheeks and fiery eyes that we saw in old movie posters are what they love about it,” said Mahmood, who claims to have catered to “orders and re-orders” for the Bollywood-inspired collection.

Recently, London’s popular Victoria and Albert Museum too expressed a keen interest in showcasing her design for an exhibition to be held next year.

Andhra turmoil: Jaganmohan quits, Congress unmoved

The Congress suffered a blow on November 29 when Kadapa MP Jaganmohan Reddy and his legislator mother Vijaylaxmi quit the party with a view to weakening the Congress in its bastion of Andhra Pradesh.

The dramatic resignation came five days after Kiran Kumar Reddy, a former associate of Jaganmohan’s father and late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy or YSR, was sworn in as the new chief minister.

The Congress brushed away the challenge, saying the country’s oldest party “is greater than individuals”.

While resigning earlier in the day, Jagan alleged that he and his family were insulted by the party on several occasions since the death of his father. He said he had no other option but to quit the party.

“Why did you create division in the family? What crime had we committed?” Jaganmohan asked in his emotive letter to Sonia Gandhi, accusing the party of luring his uncle Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy away with a ministerial post in the new Andhra government.

While Jaganmohan resigned as MP, his mother also gave up her assembly seat.

But despite the resignations, Andhra Pradesh’s new cabinet will be sworn in.

Kiran Reddy met Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and submitted a list of ministers. The governor will administer oath of offive and secrecy to a deputy chief minister and other ministers.

Kiran Reddy took charge after K. Rosaiah, chief minister since YSR died in September last year, resigned last week. Jaganmohan has been campaigning against Rosaiah after he was denied the chief minister’s chair after YSR’s death.

Protests against the Congress broke out in parts of Andhra Pradesh after Jaganmohan resigned from the party and parliament.

His supporters attacked Congress offices in Kadapa, Anantapur and Chittoor districts. Dozens of lowerrank Congress leaders resigned from the party.

In Hyderabad, hundreds gathered outside his residence in Banjara Hills

For Amitabh fans: Indian designer Nida Mahmood’s ‘Don’ jacket in tribute to the Big B Photo: IANS

to express solidarity with him. They raised slogans in his praise and against the Congress and party chief Sonia Gandhi.

Congress sources admitted the developments needed to be watched carefully.

“The Jagan story has begun today. One has to see how it affects the Andhra Pradesh and national politics,” an MP from the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) said.

On paper, the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh does not appear to be in immediate danger unless Jaganmohan woos a substantial number of legislators to his fold.

The Congress has 156 members in the 293-member house even after the resignation of Vijaylaxmi. With the Telangana campaign gaining momentum, the party is trying to ally with actorturned-politician Chiranjeevi, whose Prajarajyam Party has 18 legislators.

The All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), a regional party that is part of UPA, has seven legislators. There are four independents.

On the opposition side, the Telugu Desam Party has 89 members, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) 11 and the Left parties five members.

Reacting to Jagan’s and his mother’s resignation, Congress spokesman Janardan Dwivedi said: “It is their decision. The party has nothing to do with it. They must have perceived the pros and cons but I would like to say emphatically that the Congress is greater than individuals.”

Congress president Sonia Gandhi was away visiting her constituency Rae

Bareli when Jaganmohan released his letter of resignation. But he appealed to his supporters not to quit the state assembly.

Jaganmohan’s campaign against the party took a sharp turn when his Sakshi TV channel aired programmes criticising Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

A Sakshi programme also mocked at Rahul Gandhi’s campaign in Bihar, where the party suffered a rout.

Congress MP V. Hanumantha Rao said Jaganmohan’s exit would have “no effect” on the Congress in Andhra Pradesh as the party was “very strong”.

India, Russia to sign several agreements during Medvedev’s visit India and Russia will sign several agreements during the visit of Russian President Dmitri Medvedev in December, including for jointly developing a fifth generation combat jet.

“We are discussing the implementation of projects in various sectors, including the creation of a fifth generation fighter plane,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in New Delhi after talks with his Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna.

Lavrov, who landed in New Delhi on November 29, also called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his 7 Race Course Road official residence.

Lavrov’s first engagement was at South Block - a meeting with Krishna. He then met him again in the evening at the Hyderabad House.

The Russian minister also expressed support for India’s quest to become a

permanent member of United Nations Security Council.

“We think the UN Security Council will only benefit if India becomes its permanent member. This is our position at the ongoing talks on UN reform,” said Lavrov.

He left after the talks.

The two foreign ministers had met last week at the trilateral Russia-India-China summit in Wuhan, China.

The inter-governmental commission on trade, economic, scientific, technical, economic and cultural cooperation had also met in New Delhi in November, where they finalised several agreements to be signed during the Medvedev visit.

In 2009, Russia-India trade reached the $7.5 billion mark. The countries plan to take the figure to $20 billion by 2015.

The biggest joint projects between the two countries today are the construction of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu and exploration of the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas field in Russia with participation of India’s staterun Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

Five new zero traffic rule violation zones in Delhi Delhi Police Commissioner B.K. Gupta has announced five new corridors where there will be “zero tolerance” for traffic rule violation, taking the total of such stretches to 15.

“We have identified five more corridors for traffic improvement. I am confident we will succeed in our efforts to improve the traffic situation in Delhi,” Gupta said.

The new corridors where “zero

tolerance” for traffic rule violation would come into force are: Outer Ring Road from Modi Mill flyover to Rao Tula Ram Marg, Africa Avenue-Vinay Marg, Vikas Marg from IP flyover to Karkari Morh, NH 24 from Nizamuddin to Ghazipur and Teen Murti roundabout to India Gate hexagon through Akbar Road.

According to the plan, buses and trucks will ply in the extreme left lane, autorickshaws and other utility vehicles in the middle lane and cars in the right lane on these stretches.

Outer Circle in Connaught Place, Ring Road from Ashram to Naraina, Tilak Marg, Lodhi Road and Nelson Mandela Marg are among the existing 10 “zero tolerance” corridors.

Continued on page 40

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A magnificent Indian ‘sarpech’ is set to go under the hammer at a Christie’s jewels sale in Geneva, Switzerland. Created with 17 principal diamonds weighing 152,64 carats, the ‘sarpech’ (head ornament) is estimated to fetch nearly US$ 1.5 million

Photo: AP

Continued from page 39

Sangakkara replaces Tendulkar as number one Test batsman

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has replaced India’s Sachin Tendulkar to be the number one batsman in the International Cricket Council’s Test rankings.

Sangakkara, who reached the top spot after scoring an impressive 150 runs against the West Indies in the ongoing home series, has 882 rating points in comparison to Tendulkar’s 859. Dashing Indian opener Virender Sehwag is at third place with 850 points.

South Africans Jacques Kallis (806 pts) is at fourth place while AB de Villiers (793) has leapfrogged to 5th from 13th position after his innings of 287 not out against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.

India’s Zaheer Khan (743) has touched a career high ranking of three in the bowlers rankings.

Zaheer’s rise can be attributed to his figures of 4-90 against New Zealand in the second Test match at Hyderabad.

Australia’s hat-trick hero Peter Siddle (621) and England’s Steven Finn (552) have also climbed the rankings at the conclusion of the first Ashes Test.

Siddle has risen to 14th after claiming 6-144 in the first Test while ICC ‘Young Player of the Year’ Finn has broken into the top-20 in 19th place after his sixwicket-haul.

Speedster Dale Steyn (860) of South Africa and England’s spinner Graeme Swann (831) are number one and two in the world.

There is no change in the rankings for Test all-rounders with Jacques Kallis still leading the field.

ICC Test Player Rankings

Batsmen

Rank

1 Kumar Sangakkara (SL)

2 Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)

3 Virender Sehwag (Ind)

4 Jacques Kallis (SA)

5 AB de Villiers (SA)

6 S. Chanderpaul (WI)

7 M Jayawardena (SL)

8 Jonathan Trott (Eng)

9 Graeme Smith (SA)

10 T. Samaraweera (SL)

Bowlers

1 Dale Steyn (SA)

2 Graeme Swann (Eng)

All-rounders

1 Jacques Kallis (SA)

2 Daniel Vettori (NZ)

3 Shakib Al Hasan (Ban)

4 Stuart Broad (Eng)

5 Shane Watson (Aus)

Gay community asserts identity with pink products

Mugs and T-shirts with witty one liners like “Jalebii High”, “Pink Sheep of the Family”, “Haan Hoo! Toh?” (Yes I am! So?) are catching up among New Delhi gay community that held the third edition of its ‘Gay Pride Parade’ on Novemeber 28.

Such customised products are increasingly gaining popularity among the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community which wants to assert its identity a year after a court decriminalised homosexuality.

The parade this year by the LGBT community saw around 2,000 people march from the Barakhamba Road to Jantar Mantar in central Delhi.

An exclusive exhibition of specially customized cloth and accessories line for the parade was on offer by the store Azaad Bazaar.

“We started our exhibition here on November 26. We have received a great response from our clients here,” Sabina from Azaad Bazaar said.

The mugs and T-shirts come with witty one liners like “Maa Ki Laadli”, “Jalebii High” and “Pink Sheep of the Family”, “Haan Hoo! Toh?” (Yes I am! So?) and “I Walk With Pride!”.

According to Sabina, not only the queer community but also the non-queer groups have shown enthusiastic interest in the products.

“Even the non-queer community has shown a lot of interest in our products and out of the total sales 40 percent

Peoples Tree store in central Delhi.

The niche market segment spanning clothing and fashion accessories, tourism and media targeted at the LGBT community is fast growing in India, with entrepreneurs wanting to cash in on its purchasing power.

Sanjay Malhotra founded Indjapink, India’s first dedicated online gay travel boutique, nearly two years back. It has catered to around 500 high-end foreign and Indian tourists.

The Delhi-based firm organises special tours to holiday spots in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kerala among others and charges approximately $200 (over Rs.9,000) a day.

Merchandise apart, the special literature too is catching up.

Social activist Shobhna S. Kumar is the brain behind Queer-INK, an e-store catering to the gay community.

“I got the idea for this after I personally experienced the lack of availability of books on queer issues in India. Even if they are there in a mainstream book store, queer people hesitate to buy it,” Kumar, director of queer-ink.com, said.

Even the entertainment and lifestyle segment of the community saw a boost with the recently launched ‘Fun’ magazine, the seventh such publication catering to the LGBT community.

“The pink industry here is growing as fast as in the West. With economic growth and huge amounts of disposable incomes with young queer people, you see new customized products,” said Robert Wintemute, professor at King’s College, London, who has studied sexual minorities across the world.

Saina climbs to second spot in world rankings

Saina Nehwal may have lost out on a medal in the Asian Games but she climbed a rung to be World No.2 in the

63211.26 points. Xin has 66152.40 points.

It is the Indian’s career-best rankings. The rise was courtsey another Chinese, Wang Yihan’s fall. Wang, who held onto the number two spot for eight weeks, slipped to the third spot with 62488.91 points.

Tine Baun of Denmark is placed fourth and Chinese Shixian Wang fifth.

Saina, who won three back-to-back titles and the Commonwealth Games gold this year, went down to Yin Pin Yip of Hong Kong in the singles quarterfinals in the Asian Games.

Sahihabad stitches a link with Tom Cruise, Russel Crowe

The Tom Cruise starrer “The Last Samurai”, Russell Crowe’s “Robin Hood” and many other Hollywood movies have an India connection. The epic war attires of these stars were made by a company based in Sahibabad (Uttar Pradesh).

“For Tom Cruise and Orlando Bloom’s (‘Pirates of the Caribbean’) movies, we directly supplied the combat dresses for the cast. We now export war dresses of the ancient and medieval era to a Spanish company that rents it out to various Hollywood-based production houses and others,” Ashok Rai, 29, the owner of Indian Handicrafts & Textiles Syndicate, said.

“I can’t remember the names of all the movies where our products have been used, but I can tell you that our war paraphernalia was used in ‘Robin Hood’, ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean -Dead Man’s Chest’,” Rai said.

Talking about his first deal with Hollywood, the young entrepreneur recalled: “We were first approached by someone in the directorial team of ‘The Last Samurai’. He first enquired whether such a company exists, and then someone from the New Zealand embassy came to

Saina Nehwal

inspect our products and placed the order for director Edward Zwick.”

“We made all the war dresses for Tom Cruise, except the sword, and were paid around $6,000 for it. For Ridley Scott’s war epic ‘The Kingdom of Heaven’ we made 1,500 chain mails worth $250,000 and were paid $180,000 in advance,” Rai said.

Asked if his firm had made any equipment for Bollywood movies, he said: “No, as of now we haven’t made any products for Bollyood. I think they find our rate too high and we don’t even see too much margin here.”

Based in Sahibabad town of Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad district, adjoining Delhi, the firm specialises in making replicas of helmets, swords, chain mails, shields and other war paraphernalia of medieval eras.

Rai, a college dropout, joined his father’s business at the age of 17. The company’s business stands at $2 million.

Talking about his clientele, he said: “Our major clients are from Europe. In many European countries they enact various period plays where they require these costumes. They are very particular about small details,” he said, showing a German knee-length boot worn by a soldier during Word War-II that had been sent to him by a client for reference.

IANS

2G Spectrum Scam

Barely had the dust from the Commonwealth Games expose settled that the nation was shocked by the 2G spectrum scam that resulted in the resignation of Communications and IT Minister A Raja and could potentially be a political setback for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

The issue dates to 2008 when nine telecom companies were issued scarce airwaves and licenses for second generation (2G) mobile phone services at Rs 1,658 crore (less than $350 million) for a pan-India operation. As many as 122 circle-wise licenses were issued.

The Opposition said that by giving the airwaves cheap, that too in the controversial manner of first-cum-first-served basis, the exchequer had lost billions of dollars. The cutoff date for applications was also arbitrarily advanced.

Later, based on the auction of airwaves for third generation (3G) services, which got nearly $15 billion to the exchequer, and that for broadband access, which fetched over $8.5 billion, the notional loss was estimated at $38 billion to the exchequer.

But Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself defended Raja’s decision and said that all that his Communications Minister had done was to implement a policy already in place and none of the norms were flouted.

The opposition further stepped up its attack with two examples on 2G auction:

* A new player, Swan Telecom, bought licenses for 13 circles with the necessary spectrum for $340 million but managed to sell a 45-per cent stake in the company to UAE’s Etisalat for $900 million. This swelled its valuation to $2 billion without a single subscriber.

* Another new player, Unitech, paid $365 million as license fee but sold a 60-per cent stake to Norway’s Talenor for $1.36 billion, taking its

valuation to nearly $2 billion, again without a single subscriber.

Similarly, another licensor, Datacom, later became Videocon Mobile and Stel now has a large stake by Baharian Telecom. The other companies are Tata Tele, Idea Cellular, Loop Telecom, Shyam Telelink and Spice.

Recently the Supreme Court asked the solicitor general why the Prime Minister had not responded to the representation by the Opposition to sanction proceedings against Raja.

The final blow came after the Comptroller and Auditor General of India said the entire process of spectrum allocation was undertaken in an arbitrary manner and that the advice of the industry watchdog was ignored and misused.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its report on the 2G spectrum scam indicted Telecom Minister A Raja in the scandal and said the allocation was doctored to benefit a few operators. According to the CAG report, Raja ignored advice from everyone including the Finance Ministry regarding allocations. The report said that Raja’s decision cost the government over Rs 90,000 crore-1,40,000 crore.

On November 14, yielding to relentless Opposition pressure, Communications and Information Technology Minister A. Raja resigned from the Union Cabinet in the wake of the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

“In order to avoid embarrassment to the government and maintain peace and harmony in Parliament, my leader [DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi] has advised me to resign,” Mr. Raja said.

HRD minister Kapil Sibal was given the additional charge of the telecom ministry by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a development that takes the portfolio away from DMK at least for the time being.

The Supreme Court even asked the Centre

to file an affidavit on Manmohan Singh’s “alleged inaction” on a plea seeking sanction to prosecute ex-telecom minister A Raja in the 2G spectrum scam case, calling the matter “extremely serious”.

Manmohan Singh turned to Attorney General GE Vahanvati to represent him at the apex court over why he failed to probe the 2G telecom scandal. The Prime Minister faced questions in the Supreme Court over his handling of an alleged multi-billion dollar telecom scam as Parliament remained paralyzed over demands by the Opposition for a full probe.

Refraining from any direct personal remarks on the 2G spectrum scam, the Prime Minister said no one found guilty of wrong-doing will be spared, and urged all political parties to let parliament function and carry forward the due process.

“We are ready to discuss all issues in Parliament. We are not afraid of discussion,” the PM said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi in what were his first public comments on the 2G spectrum scam.

“I can state that various aspects of this are being looked into by the respective investigating agencies in their domain of interest,” he said. “But there should not be any doubt in anybody’s mind if any wrong thing has been done by anybody, he or she will be brought to book. For all this to happen, in a democracy, I think, we have to allow parliament to function,” he said. “It is my humble request to all parties to let parliament work.”

The 2G spectrum saga has crippled Parliament since then as the Opposition refused to give up its demand for a parliamentary probe into the scandal that has even enveloped the Prime Minister’s Office. The Opposition was not satisfied with the resignation of DMK leader A. Raja as Communications Minister

2010’s

It’s the end of the first decade of the new millennium and I’m sure we’re asking the same question: How did the year go so fast? Do we even remember what happened in 2010?

BY SHERYL DIXIT

Well, here’s a glimpse of ten different topics, each that tells the story of events which made this year a unique one by capturing not just news headlines, but our attention and emotions as well.

PETTY POLITICS

• The one event that rocked Australia’s traditional ennui towards politics was Kevin Rudd’s by his trusty deputy Julia Gillard. At least the event created a furore, unlike the (yawn) Federal elections which began as a damp squib and finally went out altogether as weeks passed with both parties lobbying to win favour with the Independents to come into power. Julia Gillard is now Prime Minister and Labor is in the hot seat… for how long is anyone’s guess!

• Another global coup of a completely different kind was US President Barack Obama’s whirlwind Apart from charming the country and finalising mutually beneficial deals, the icing on the cake was Obama’s declaration of support to India for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. This is clear recognition of India’s increasing prominence on the global arena. India this year got its non-permanent seat into the UNSC, after a gap of 19 years.

• After a court battle of 60 years, the Allahabad High court judged that the Ayodhya land dispute would be resolved through a three-way division. Hindus and Muslims are joint title holders of the disputed land, it said, and one-third each will go to the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and the party for Ram Lalla. The verdict has been generally hailed as a sensible, Solomon-like decision by was rejected in his bid for Vice-Presidency of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in end June, being outvoted by six countries, and supported by only three. Sharad Pawar took on the role as President amidst the global cricketing media’s extremely vocal opinions about the rejection.

2 SENSATIONAL SPORTS

• Ah, the Socceroos! The FIFA World Cup saw Spain as the victor, but our boys exited in style with an awe-inspiring victory over Serbia. After their crushing defeat by Germany, it was a fitting finale as our boys came home with their heads held high and their pride intact.

• And of course, there was the IPL with its fanfare, glory, talent, cricketing greats and cheerleaders. The Chennai Super Kings carried away the 2010 crown, beating the Mumbai Indians by 22 runs.

• But although soccer and cricket had their moments of fame, all accolades go to the Delhi Commonwealth Games from October 3-10 which provided a competitive and balanced environment for athletes from all over the world. India is still smirking over this triumph, in the face of heavy global criticism prior to the Games.

3 IN THE LIMELIGHT

• Au Sang Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace prize winner and Burmese politician opposed to the military junta was finally released from house arrest after 15 years, on November 13.

• Australia got is very first saint in Mary MacKillop

• Indian writer Chetan Bhagat, author of novels One Night @ the Call Centre and Five Point Someone was listed in Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. However, his squabbles with the Three Idiots team (and his last minute noshow at the Melbourne Travel Writers’ festival in end-October) disappointed fans and patrons alike. So much for fame!

• Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, unveiled a new invention, a tablet PC called the iPad, and sold 3 million of the devices in 80 days.

• The World Health Organization declared the H1N1 influenza pandemic over, claiming that worldwide flu activity has returned to typical seasonal patterns.

• Researchers at CERN trapped 38 antihydrogen atoms for a sixth of a second, marking the first time in history that humans have trapped antimatter.

4 FINANCE 5

• The Aussie dollar briefly reached parity with the US greenback and continued to remain strong thereafter.

• Greece and Ireland plunged into financial crisis, only to be rescued by an EU-IMF and Eurozone bailouts respectively.

• Jyoti Basu, longest serving Chief Minister of West Bengal and legendary Communist politician passed away on January 17, amidst public mourning on an unprecedented scale.

• In Australia, we bid farewell to opera singer Dame Joan Sutherland

TOP TEN

6 TRAGIC TIMES

• The year began unhappily for Haiti, as a massive earthquake of 7.0-magnitude left 230,000 dead, 300,000 injured and affected 3 million people in this beleaguered nation.

• In October, a tsunami following an earthquake killed over a hundred people in Western Indonesia. A 6.9-magnitude earthquake occurs in Qinghai, China, killing at least 2,000 and injuring more than 10,000. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake, occured in Chile, triggering a tsunami over the Pacific and killing 497.

• Volcanic ash from one of several eruptions beneath Eyjafjallajökull, an ice cap in Iceland severely disrupted air traffic across northern and western Europe.

• Heavy monsoon rains in July cause widespread flooding in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan

Over 1,600 are killed, and more than one million people are displaced by the floods.

• 33 miners in Chile were rescued after two months, nine days and eight hours since their ordeal began, in one of the most dramatic survival stories in mining history.

• And closer to home in New Zealand, the tragic deaths of 29 miners trapped in a coal mine in Pike River on South Island plunged the nation into grief.

• A stampede during Bon Om Thook (Khmer Water Festival) celebrations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, killed 465.

• In air disasters, on May 22, Air India Express Flight 812 overshot the runway at Mangalore Airport in India, killing 158 and leaving 8 survivors. And Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771 crashed at the runway at Tripoli Airport in Libya on May 12, killing 103 of the 104 people on board. The President of Poland, Lech Kaczyński, was among 96 killed when their airplane crashed in western Russia.

• And India saw two major train accidents which took the lives of hundreds

7 SENSATIONAL SCANDALS

• In a yet-unfolding saga, the alleged spectrum allocation scam which is said to have cost the Indian government $38 billion, is uprooting fresh evidence of corruption and bribery at the highest level.

• Meanwhile, investigations are reluctantly proceeding to find the cause behind shoddy construction at the Commonwealth Games venues, which were responsible for highly damaging global publicity. Let’s hope the big cats, not only the small fry, get their just desserts.

• Wikileaks, an online publisher of anonymous, covert, and classified material, leaks to the public over 90,000 internal reports about the United States-led involvement in the War in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2010.

• The IPL controversy involving Shashi Tharoor and Lalit Modi far outshone the sporting competition as conflicting allegations of match-fixing, illegal betting, money-laundering and corruption downplayed the glory of the event. Now with both the chief protagonists out of the running through timely resignations, the long, slow but thorough job of tidying up has begun.

8 MAN’S MISTAKES

• North Korea’s deadly artillery attacks on South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island left two dead, twelve wounded and several civilians injured.

• Stalemates, shellings and bombings continue in Iraq, Afghanistan and hotspots in the Middle East.

• The Deepwater Horizon oil platform exploding in the Gulf of Mexico in April resulted in the largest oil spill in history, killing eleven workers, severely contaminating the waters and the US coastline, and damaging marine life.

• Toyota announces recalls for approximately 5.2 million vehicles for technical problems.

• They may be the world’s biggest commercial aircraft, but the recent problems arising from the Airbus 380s have caused consternation in the airline industry.

9 MARITAL MOMENTS

Sania Mirza, India’s tennis sensation and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik finally married in Bollywood eshtyle in mid-April, despite controversy about the groom’s earlier marriage and the bride’s dumping of her arranged match. However, the ones who celebrated the most were the media, who went on a rampage of speculation and sensation. The couple have now diplomatically moved residence to Dubai, and are keeping well away from the spotlight.

Prince William and Kate Middleton decided to tie the knot…finally. After an eight year relationship, you’d think they would have made that decision sooner! At last the British public will have another go at a fairytale wedding, but this one shows more promise of lasting. Perhaps because Will seems to take after his illustrious grandma!

• And India’s very own cricketing star Mahendra Singh Dhoni tied the knot with Sakshi Singh Rawat in early July. The lowprofile wedding was followed by a pretty high-profile reception.

10 BELIEVE IT OR NOT!

•The Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest manmade structure opened on January 4 in Dubai, towering at a staggering 2,717 feet.

• Mukesh Ambani’s first electricity bill in his much publicised mansion Antilia is in excess of a mere Rs 70 lakhs for the month of September. And that’s after he was given a discount of nearly Rs. 50,000 for prompt payment. Experts say that the bill is roughly equivalent to the monthly power bill of 7000 average homes. Now that’s rich!

• Lady Gaga arrived at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards in a dress made of raw meat, complete with hat, boots and handbag. Gaga said that it was the most comfortable dress she wore all night. Now we know just why she’s called ‘Gaga’!

• A Chilean miner stuck under the earth had not just his wife praying for him but also his mistress, and it was later found out, a third girlfriend! He certainly is a busy man!

Challenge and charm in Coorg

Sarita Mandanna’s debut novel outlines the life of a feisty lady in the backdrop of the picturesque Coorg hills

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

Sarita Mandanna’s Tiger Hills created quite a stir prior to it even being published. It was reported that the book was sold to Penguin India for one of the highest sums paid to an Indian writer for a first novel. Not that Indian origin writers lack the spotlight, as can be seen from the careers of Salman Rushdie to Rohinton Mistry, or from Arundhati Roy to Amitav Ghosh - all writers of Indian origin who have continually enjoyed being in the limelight over the past few decades. Of the new writers, Chetan Bhagat and Jhumpa Lahiri have enjoyed moderate success, while the Sydney-educated Aravind Adiga went on to win the prestigious 2008 Man Booker Prize, the world’s most prestigious literary awards, for his novel The White Tiger.

Sarita Mandanna’s first novel weaves a great story, and is an easy and enjoyable read for the lazy summer weeks ahead.

Spanning 50 years, the book is set in Coorg at the turn of the nineteenth century. For Coorgites, it paints a beautiful picture of rolling hills with mists rising in the far distance, lush fields with beautiful flora and fauna. The Scotland of India, Coorg provides a picturesque landscape to the trials and challenges in the life of

Devi and the men in her life - her doting father, her forbidden love with Machua, her passionless marriage with Devanna and her two children, Nanju and Appu. As each of these relationships unravels, one gets closer to Devi and is exposed to her bitterness with life, her will to succeed and her desire to build a future with the ghost of her lover Machu, while living with her husband and son on their coffee plantations. From a shunned husband, scorned lover, betrayed mentor and favoured sibling, all the characters work into the unravelling of the storyline.

The book wonderfully captures the political scene of the times. The arrival of the British, the local Indians being conscripted in the army as sepoys and sent to fight wars for the British, the sprawling coffee plantations in southern India, the rise of Nazism in Europe, India and the world touch around the fringes of this book, whose heart is set in Coorg and the life of Devi.

The book begins with Devi’s spoilt childhood as the only girl child born in her family in the last six decades. In her childhood, she and Devanna are friends who become very close to each other. As they grow older Devanna’s friendship with Devi matures into love, whilst Devi herself sees Machu and decides she can’t marry anyone else. The love triangle is now in place. Meanwhile, Devanna suffers extreme bullying in boarding school which breaks him to the extent that even Devi becomes a victim of circumstances.

From a reader’s point of view, it is an easy read. The prose is basic and does not get bogged down in detail. The characters are well defined and their presence and interconnectivity with the central character of Devi and her men is well maintained. One quite enjoys the picture painted of village and family life during Devi’s younger years. As she grows into a shrewd businesswoman who indulges in a bit of scotch whiskey at night, she is far removed from the little girl skipping along the river in her village. But then, this is what life is all about.

As the 452 pages of this book come to end, one is left wishing for more. But one suspects that there is not much left to offer in this saga. Just as The Thorn Birds with its forbidden love brings forth suffering in the life of Meg, the sweet sorrow of Tiger Hills can take one only so far. It is a book which is highly recommended for its pure escapism, enjoyable without being too challenging.

Tiger Hills by Sarita Mandanna is available online from Hachette Australia for $32.99.

Sarita Mandanna’s first novel weaves a great story, and is an easy and enjoyable read for the lazy summer weeks ahead.

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Rajiv and Rann

Some questionable decisions and Italian connections have got SA Premier Mike Rann in the hot seat, not unlike Rajiv Gandhi in his heyday

BY LP AYER

South Australian Premier Mike Rann seems to have quite a few things in common with India’s late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

For starters, their handsome and youthful looks, and pretty Italian spouses. However the latter is now providing a lot of grist for the mill in Mr Rann’s case, as it did with Rajiv in the late ‘80s. The once very popular Premier is coming under constant criticism by the print media and sections of the public. While it is not unusual for politicians’ popularity to wax and wane, there is a cyclical resemblance between Rajiv and Mike, despite their taking different paths to power.

Born in the political cradle as the scion of a ruling dynasty, Rajiv could have surfed to the top job; yet he was a reluctant recruit and had to be goaded and groomed following the accidental death of younger brother Sanjay, the chosen one. Eventually he was swept to the Delhi durbar by a surging sympathy wave after his mother’s tragic demise.

On the other hand, Mike carved his way into the inner circle of Don Dunstan, the Premier of the ‘70s whose social reforms were of a kind that brought bouquets and brickbats in equal measure, helping Mike, as his minder, to master the art of media management. Sitting two terms as the Opposition leader, he eventually became premier after a quirky event of loyalty switch by a dissident Liberal, a la Gillard’s hold on the top job.

On taking charge of the nation’s wheel, former pilot Rajiv’s stock soared sky-high initially, but started to dive following allegations regarding a billion dollar Bofors gun deal that eventually blasted him off his pedestal.

Rumours were rife about some Italian sources being beneficiaries of the Bofors bonanza, though none of the allegations ever got proved. Sadly he was cut down in his comeback campaign with no chance to prove himself one way or the other.

When the Opposition demanded he disclose the dollar benefit of this Italian extravaganza, Mr. Rann accused them of conducting a smear campaign against his wife, Sasha Carruozzo, an Adelaide Italian of Puglia origin

Now closer to home, Mr Rann bolstered his first term wafer thin majority into a bulging buttress in his second term. His rating remained rock solid until the eve of his third try, but started plummeting because of some personal issues. He could only manage to scrape in at the March election and, having been humbled, he promised to reconnect with the electorate. However disclosures of some of his Italian connections are doing the disconnecting again, driving his stock down.

The cause for Mr. Rann’s popularity crash was his support for a trade fair in Puglia, a little-known corner of Italy in the south-east, and the appointment of one Nicola Sasanelli, a Puglia-raised professor, as a special envoy to Europe until 2014, costing a tidy sum to SA taxpayers. When the Opposition demanded he disclose the dollar benefit of this Italian extravaganza, Mr. Rann accused them of conducting a smear campaign against his wife, Sasha Carruozzo, an Adelaide Italian of Puglia origin. Pretty Sasha, 47, whom Mr Rann married

awaiting the local authority’s approval for an upgrade. Last year she was named one of Puglia’s overseas citizens of the year and received free air travel.

Although in today’s political ethics such favours seem insignificant, their disclosure, coming at a time when his Government is abolishing trade envoys to the State’s top export nations such as China and India and cutting funds to 40 chambers of commerce promoting trade with other parts of the globe, has caused all the furore. India ranks among the top five export markets for SA with a value of $600 million, having doubled in the past few years. China, US and Japan lead the pack. On the export ladder Italy takes 41st rank, falling behind even the tiny island of Mauritius. In fact, earnings from Italy have fallen from $29 m to a mere $17 m in the past three years when the State has spent a million dollars on the annual trade fair ‘Fierra del Levante’ in Puglia’s capital Bari, and has committed to participate until 2014 with no SA business turning up at the show. On top of this it has also committed $250,000 a year engaging Professor Sasanelli as a special envoy to Europe to focus on research and education. The local Chinese commercial circles have not failed to notice that Mr Rann had visited China, the State’s top trading partner with over a billion dollars, only thrice compared with more visits to the UK, Europe and India, that he had made eight times.

Persisting with Puglia in the midst of proposed cuts to the State’s Department of Trade and abolition of established benefits like long service leave has angered sections of the public and party men who now talk of looking for the next generation of leaders.

Has Mr Rann run his last race?

The virtues of Christmas

At this time of the year, let’s make an effort to share our festive pleasures with those less fortunate than us

BY NOEL G DE SOUZA

As the Christmas season approaches, many people the world over focus on peace and goodwill, even though these virtues have become rare in today’s world. Nevertheless, there are those who are striving to promote peace and goodwill, both on the world stage as well as at the local level. Peace and goodwill are best promoted through the three virtues associated with Christmas which are faith, hope and charity.

Faith is an internal human trait which needs to be nurtured and cultivated. In the modern world, faith in one’s own self is being inculcated by educators and psychologists, albeit at a secular level. For example, sportspeople are trained both physically and psychologically to compete by having faith in themselves. Faith in a Benevolent Presence, who looks after the affairs of humankind, has been traditionally promoted by religious groups, particularly to those who are in desperate need.

The Apostle Paul in Letters to the Corinthians, while calling for the belief in the virtues of faith, hope and charity, extolled the supremacy of charity: “And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” These three virtues, the basic pillars of human ethics, are found in all the world’s religions and are the basis of humanitarian values.

Significantly, in Buddhism, the act of charity (dana in Pali and Sanskrit) is also considered as the first of the great perfections (paramitas) which a Buddhist seeker on the path (marga) of enlightenment has to achieve.

In materialistic societies in which many of us now live, Christmas, to our chagrin, has become a time of suffering. This great festival actually accentuates amongst the poor the feelings of poverty, loneliness and deprivation. Various charity organizations try their best to alleviate this sense of deprivation through their works. We can do our bit as well. Making all individuals feel wanted and cared for is a particular focus of volunteers in the community who also include some prominent business people. Some of them attend and serve traditional Christmas lunches to the needy.

people attend and make it a success. This is definitely an expression of Australian egalitarianism and of non-discrimination. But things were not always like this everywhere. Mahatma Gandhi was once refused entry into a church in South Africa when he wanted to attend a Christmas celebration. He had merely desired to listen to his friend CF Andrews (author of Mahatma Gandhi’s Ideas), whom he had previously known in England, preach during the service. This refusal was despite strong entreaties. Such was the extent of discrimination then during the era of apartheid.

Many years later (in 1986), we saw an African, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, installed as the Head of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa; he had been earlier bestowed with the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1984. Tutu describes South Africa as a “rainbow nation”, a term also appropriately applicable to Australia. Charity is not all based on merely giving either money or gifts. Kind language and proper consideration also fall into the category of charity. Particular mention must be made here about groups who welcome refugees, the most disadvantaged of groups in Australia, and make them feel at home.

The Salvation Army, in a recently released shocking report (October 2010), states that two million Australians live in poverty. It is sobering to realise, particularly in the context of Christmas, that 70% of poor children live in jobless families. This is a severe indictment of a materialistic society.

Whilst an average Australian child had $228 spent on her or him, according to the Salvation Army, hundreds of thousands of children went without any gift at all…

Last year, in December 2009, the Kmart Christmas Giving Index revealed a great social divide in Australia. Whilst an average Australian child had $228 spent on her or him, according to the Salvation Army, hundreds of thousands of children went without any gift at all and that organisation, therefore, endeavours to encourage sparing a gift for children in need.

Christmas, which existed originally as a solar festival, belongs to all mankind. The time chosen to celebrate it is close to the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. From then onwards, daytime in the Northern Hemisphere begins to lengthen. This significant seasonal change (the rebirth of light and warmth) belongs to all mankind. In the Southern Hemisphere, we celebrate the festival during the height of summer when the glory of the Sun is at its ascendant.

The Wayside Chapel in the Kings Cross area of Sydney, recruits hundreds of volunteers for a big street Christmas party for the needy. This annual event is assuredly one of Sydney’s biggest yearly festivities, and is open to everyone. Thousands of

Whatever might be our religious beliefs, we can all reflect on ways by which the spirit of Christmas can be translated into peace and goodwill for ourselves and for those amongst us who are less fortunate.

Peace and goodwill are best promoted through the three virtues associated with Christmas which are faith, hope and charity

INDIAN LINK

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Breaking new ground

Usman Khawaja’s inclusion in ‘the battalion’ - to use Peter Roebuck’s term - to face England cannot be underestimated by sub-continent-origin lovers of cricket here in Australia. However, when the squad was later trimmed to 13, Khawaja was not in the short list. But when doubts of Australian vice captain Michael Clarke’s fitness emerged prior to the First Test, Khawaja was put on standby. Clarke ultimately proved fit, and Khwaja could not secure that baggy green.

Richard Chee Quee made quite a splash in the mid 1990s when he became only the second Asian after Hunter Poon in 1923 to play first class cricket. But the Australian national team under Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh was at its very peak and very few new players got an opportunity to break in. Chee Quee’s talents could not get him the holy grail of the Australian baggy green.

Khawaja’s emergence in Australian cricket comes at an appropriate time. Australia’s dominance of world cricket since 1995 stands broken. Languishing at fourth place in the ICC Test Cricket rankings, the selectors are looking for a new direction. There is talk about aging players and falling crowds. Test cricket battered by the onslaught of the 20/20 format is losing favour with the younger Australian population. Perhaps this is the

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

time to look more closely at some both on field and off field options.

Usman Khawaja immigrated with his family to Australia at the age of 3. Since then his cricketing skills have steadily blossomed. He was Player of the Year in the Australian Under 19 Championships in 2005, and also played for Australia in the 2006 Under 19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka as an opening batsman . In 2008 Khawaja hit consecutive double centuries for the NSW Second XI - a feat never achieved before by a NSW player. Over the last 12 months, he has been on the fringes of the Aussie national team and finally, it seems that he is one step away from donning his own baggy green. He will surely serve as a beacon to thousands of children from sub continent backgrounds who aspire to represent Australia in cricket. On any given weekend, cricket nets in a number of Australian suburbs have an overwhelming proportion of budding India, Pakistani and Sri-Lankan cricketers practising their shots and bowling.

The lower ranks of grade and club cricket also have their shares of Ranasanghes, Singhs and Khans. While excellent at these levels, when it comes to the final check point for State cricket, not many are able to enter. Usman Khawaja has shown that this indeed can be done.

With more players from the subcontinent playing in domestic and international cricket, it will allow for greater interest from the subcontinent viewing public. In that part of the world, cricket is akin to a religion and with millions of viewers watching the diverse range of talent in Australia, it can only mean better benefits from television rights and sponsorship dollars.

While we are seeing diverse talent emerge on the playing fields, perhaps it is also time to look at the range of voices which can be heard on the various broadcast channels in Australia. The game of cricket has seen a huge change in the past few years; perhaps it is time to expand the pool of media presenters for the game - younger presenters, perhaps, or a more multicultural panel.

Cricket tragics love their stories and folklore, and Khawaja’s inclusion in the national team will surely rank as one of them. Bring on the options of an Australian national cricket team with all its diversity!

A notorious nexus

Could three distinct divisions of society work together towards a common ground of equality, or is this another instance of meaningless political parley?

sharing a common railway platform. This relationship is alive and kicking furiously. Jesus, get a room!

BY ROY LANGE

Very recently, at the Indira Gandhi 10th Annual Conference, Sonia Gandhi pleaded for “the state, business and labour onto a common platform in pursuit of a shared vision — the vision of a more equal, more caring society”. Is this sincere plea possible?

What divisions of society are they working with? Who are these State, business and labour people? Rahul Gandhi’s very effective catch phrase of “two Indias” attempts to paraphrase the new Indian paradigm of the Esteem drivers and the Atlas bicycle riders. But to claim that India is only divided in two, is calling a halffilled glass of water a 12-year-old bottle of scotch.

In fact, a single division would be an earth-shattering achievement. Anyone reading this will know that Indian politics is fractured into a wildly complicated matrix of splinters that belong to caste, class and regional loyalties. Which is a head spinner! In fact, in this dumbing down age, I’m fast warming to this new idea of only three divisions.

It has to be said though that Mrs. Gandhi’s usage of the term “platform” is unfortunate, because these new castes would not be seen dead sharing a common platform, never mind a waiting room. It conjures up images, for me at least, of hordes of labourers waiting, with increasing impatience, for the Indian Economic Miracle Rajdhani Express, clutching tickets given to them by the Congress.

But they are increasingly resigned to the realisation that those tickets, to what is rightfully their passage, are worthless 60-year-old I.O.U. notes. In return for no water, no education, no health and no electricity, whilst the agents of the State made ends meet by slumming it out in Lutyen bungalows and London private hospitals.

The new business caste’s stoic social commitment? Will they answer Madam’s call for a much greater sense of social responsibility? If you asked them to share a platform with the labour classes they would kill themselves by laughing their guts out. Why in hell would they do that when you can bloody fly? You don’t get frequent flyer points for mixing with those types.

However, if there is an airline strike, which is known to happen, I can very clearly see, with no degree at all of opacity, the State and the Business classes cozily

This unperturbed display of intimate relations between the State class and the Business class has not escaped our leader’s attention. Mrs. Gandhi ominously said, “Graft and greed are on the rise.”

The wildly lucrative 2G spectrum and Commonwealth Games construction graft were glaring examples of how well the Business and State classes work together. Kalmadi, reportedly, helped bribe an unprecedented 72 States to secure the Games, displaying a legendary, Godgiven talent for cementing the BusinessState relationship. Yes, finally a common indivisible vision! Yes, even the labour class was involved in the construction! A glorious victory march towards a more equal, more caring society.

Well, it’s undeniable Kalmadi and Raja, the former Telecommunications minister, are now equally filthy rich and equally caring about their country. In fact they’re probably so concerned about India that they will likely team up, buy a small Pacific country with their small change, and settle there.

But Mrs. Gandhi’s belief that the cancer is growing is wrong. The corrupt have never left the corridors of power and don’t increase in number; it is the sheer scale of easy pickings that has grown in every dimension, to a size that is sublime‘commissions’ that have been made possible by the new economic powerhouse in amounts that can only be marvelled at.

Ironically, Mrs. Gandhi’s proposed antidote to this divisive poison is to have “greater probity, more transparency” - a cleaned window to the gears of government and business practice. This may be counterproductive. The less the public know about the workings of this Government, the better the chance of re-election.

The hard-to-find positive side of the Orwellian nature of the Indian press coverage is that corruption scandals are far more likely to be reported than in the old days of Doordashan rule. Importantly the audience reach of these televised corruption exposes increases exponentially every year, even deep into the remote heartland of backward States like Chattisgarh, that are experiencing intense ‘insurgency’.

For Mrs. Gandhi’s plea for a more caring, equal society has been, in no small way, prompted by this view of increased corruption. She knows that a unified country, with one vision, can never happen with the Business - State nexus unapologetically piddling in the village tank.

The corrupt have never left the corridors of power and don’t increase in number; it is the sheer scale of easy pickings that has grown in every dimension

FANTASTIC LOCATION – CLOSE TO WESTMEAD 79 Darcy Road

Presentation plus – this home is close to all amenities and is neat as a pin – Features include 3 good size bedrooms, large separate lounge with combustion fire and r/c air, separate dining area, modern kitchen with dishwasher, neat bathroom, large yard with decked a/ground pool, kids cubby house, loads of room for entertaining, LUG

NORTH FACING 24 Essington Street

Wow what a stunner!, you will surely be impressed by this home, it is pretty as a picture, features include 3 large bedrooms with built-ins, modern bathroom, large lounge with air-conditioning, ultra modern galley style kitchen with gas cooktop, separate large family room, polished floor boards and tiles throughout, 2nd kitchen with gas cooktop, internal laundry with 2nd shower, large covered pergola area, huge yard - excellent for the kids, large driveway room for several cars. OPEN FOR INSPECTION: Saturday’s

GRAND HOME WITH VIEWS 48 Thane Street

This home is endless and includes 4 double size bedrooms, separate study or 5th bedroom, huge modern bathroom, large balconies with views to Parramatta and the City, large formal lounge and separate formal dining area, huge timber kitchen with dishwasher and gas cook top, separate large family room with combustion fire, separate tv room or games room, ensuite to main and 2 bathrooms, 3rd toilet and shower in the internal laundry, loads of storage space, self contained guest home, ducted air throughout, double lock up garage, still a large yard for the kids to play in and extra storage in the home and under the house, really you need to see this house to realise the size of it!

OPEN FOR INSPECTION: Saturday’s 11:30pm-12pm

AUCTION: Saturday, 4th December 2010 on site at 12pm

Laing & Simmons Wentworthville 9688 4000

Contact Leanne Ollerenshaw 0414 790 887 or Alan Fowler 0413 057 699

huge Caesar stone top kitchen, tiled throughout, high ceilings, reverse cycle ducted air conditioning, security system and video, intercom and more outside. There is a large covered entertaining area and a potential fully self contained granny flat, set in quiet cul-de-sac location. This property is a must to inspect.

OPEN FOR INSPECTION: Saturday’s 2:30pm-3pm

AUCTION: Saturday, 4th December 2010 on site at 3pm

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

Healthy holidays

BY GEETA KHURANA

“Mum, I’m bored”; “Mum, I’m hungry!” These are the two main phrases that are synonymous with school holidays. Most mothers are on tenterhooks each day, catering to the overwhelming energy of their kids and finding ways and means to keep them entertained and occupied.

The school holidays are a relaxing time for both, children and their mothers as they don’t have to rush in the mornings, but lack of a regular routine also means mothers are almost never out of the kitchen. And especially with the Christmas season here and so many goodies on display, it becomes difficult to maintain healthy eating habits when you want to also indulge in the goodies. Food is an important part of school holidays especially for us Indians, as with our parties, we first plan the menu and the games and other activities come later.

There is nothing wrong with eating pizzas or pakoras now and then, but snacking and a decrease in physical activity ends up with most children gaining weight. The temptation to overeat may be great, but with a little planning your healthy regime may not be compromised. Here are some simple tips to keep the kids occupied as well as fit.

± Encourage your children to maintain their school eating regime as a lack of regular routine means more opportunity to eat junk food the whole day through. Try sticking to a nutritious breakfast to start the day, followed by morning tea and a regular lunch instead of the brunch that we normally try to indulge in.

± Keep healthy foods and snacks at home and within reach, rather than chips, candies and biscuits. Cut a big plate of salad and fruit and place it on the kitchen top for your children to eat when passing by.

You will be surprised at how fast it vanishes. Keep a stock of microwave popcorn, yoghurt, pretzels, nuts and dried fruit at home.

± Keep the kids busy and occupied as much as possible, as boredom plays a very important part in overeating and snacking. Encourage the kids to play outdoor games, and involve them in more physical activities rather than watching TV or playing on their Nintendo or on the computer.

± Limit their hours of sitting on the computer or watching TV, and do not allow them to eat any snacks or munch during these activities. Sometimes we can get so engrossed by what’s on the screen, we don’t realize the amount of food that we are eating.

± Get enough sleep. Kids who keep to reasonable bedtimes are less likely to be late night snackers.

± Try to organise more outdoor activities and sports such as swimming, bike riding or playing in the park. Even when going for a swim or to the park or mall, carry fresh fruit or homemade sandwiches instead of buying fast foods or similar stuff. Carry plenty of water as you tend to get dehydrated in summer, or carry a bottle of nimbu pani

± Encourage the children to drink plenty of water and not sugar-laden soft drinks or other fizzy drinks. Also try to avoid caffeine laden drinks like energy and sports drinks. Try to plan low calorie drinks to quench their thirst such as lassi, nimbu pani, low fat smoothies with fruit, fruit drinks and fresh juices.

± The school holidays are a great time to teach children how to shop and cook simple foods. Take them along when grocery shopping and involve them in choosing healthier options. Kids are more likely to eat stuff that they have helped choose to buy.

± Try to capture your children’s imaginations and let them come up with some interesting ideas using fruit and salads. Let the kids plan colourful and healthy salads and sandwiches using different shapes as well as fruit and vegetables. You can help them make different shapes such as stars, squares, rounds, etc

The school holidays are a great time to teach children how to shop and cook simple foods. Take them along when options.

with biscuit cutters. This will help them engage in an activity, as well as learn to cook healthy meals.

± If you are doing your own baking, substitute a portion of the white flour called for in recipes for wholewheat instead.

± Try to modify your recipes to minimize the fats and the sugars so that you may enjoy food without the addition of extra calories. For example, use margarine instead of butter, in cakes. Use fat-reduced dairy products such as milk, yoghurt, cream, and sour cream instead of the full fat ones.

± When meeting with friends don’t carry sweets or lollies for their kids as gifts, and also try to discourage them from doing the same. Try to ration the intake of sweets and lollies in the holidays.

± Also, when planning a get together for children, try not to include too many soda drinks as these make the kids hyper because they contain a lot of caffeine. Also, try to balance some healthy stuff such as popcorn and fruit or sandwiches and salads, with chicken nuggets and spring rolls.

± During holiday parties or at get-togethers and dinners, feel free to sample different foods, although you shouldn’t splurge. Go around and see what’s on the menu and then decide what to eat, instead of overeating at the entrée and then continuing to overeat until dessert, since everything on the menu is good.

± Be flexible with your healthy eating, as one bad meal won’t ruin your diet. However, balance your calories over the next few days and don’t consider just one meal or day.

Keep in mind too, that children are more likely to mimic what they see rather than what the adults in their lives tell them. Make sure that you make healthy choices about food yourself. The key to enjoying the holidays is to maintain a simple balance between healthy eating and some physical activity, with maybe some feasting now and then.

Happy Holidays!

Kids are more likely to eat stuff that

It’s the easiest thing to overindulge during the holidays as it’s the festive season, but try to include good food options too

Of chips and salad

We all know that the sexes have distinct characteristics, but understanding how to handle them makes all the difference

BY NIMA MENON

It was not until recently that I became privy to the fact that chips originated on Mars and salad came from Venus, and that there were only right turns in Mars and more left turns on Venus. In today’s health-conscious world, it is an absolute pleasure to watch some six packers enjoying their plate of chips with no guilt whatsoever. Walk into a food court or a small restaurant, and a very common sight is the woman sitting with what my boys call “ghas-phoos” in front of them, slowly munching away on a salad, and enviously eyeing the plate of chips her partner is devouring. So what is it about us women that makes us guilty every time we indulge ourselves? We love food, most of us enjoy fancy cooking (not dal-chawal of course), we can’t resist those colourful cookery books, enjoy those fancy pictures, but then spoil the fun by counting calories and the size of each portion . But he is happy to whack something on the BBQ or get a packet of chips and throw it into the oven if she says she’s in no mood to cook. She panics and runs to the fridge, looking for something green. And then both of them enjoy their animal instincts but in very different ways – one carnivorous, one herbivorous.

compartments, and they have in their brain what is called a ‘nothing’ box

OMG! How different are we from one another?

Oh, yes. We are different, and do you know why? As a teacher, I had to do a study about the learning styles of boys and girls, which lead me to researching about them. Some of the facts I came across, though they sounded weird at first, were very believable in hindsight. I always knew that women approach a number of things very differently from our counterparts, and that it is all because of the way our brains are wired. It is understood today that boys are generally right-brained and girls generally left-brained, and that girls are more capable of drawing information from both sides of the brain, than boys. So if you ask your boyfriend or husband something and he does not respond immediately, realise that he is not ignoring you, but simply looking for the information asked! (Men are slow; we always knew that....... but now we know why!)

The most fascinating fact is that boys store information in boxes or compartments, and they have in

their brain what is called a ‘nothing’ box. (Now, does that surprise you?) It seems this box helps them to switch off when they want to. Lucky, aren’t they? Somewhere to go to when you want to pretend naivety or ignorance!

Studies also prove that boys are kinaesthetic and visual learners. They are not good listeners....surprise, surprise! So the next time you want your hubby to remember something, act it out in front of him and make it as visual as possible. Wasn’t the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words” coined just for them? Ladies, spend some time getting creative, instead of yelling, nagging or throwing those tantrums. Remember that if you do, he may just retreat into his ‘nothing box’, and then you’ll have lost him. It is said that men are poor with words and not good at expressing how they feel, be it anger or passion. So if you are worried, especially those lovebirds who have grown up on M&Bs and other romantic novels, don’t waste your energy wondering why he can’t spell out those words........he has a very poor vocabulary. Don’t expect anything overdramatic. Sometimes his smile can mean more than words can say. Those of us who have been in a successful relationship for some time now may have already worked this out, without even knowing the reasons behind their strange behaviour.

When we send our hubbies off shopping to steal some ‘me’ time, they will most certainly return having forgotten at least a couple of things we may have asked

to get done. Ever wondered why? Don’t bombard them with instructions. They may not be able to digest more than a couple at a time and that too, on one of those good days. Make sure everything you want is written on a piece of paper and everything ticked off. But do not hassle him repeatedly or he may just switch off; and always remember even if he is at fault, he does not like to be told off... for he is the MAN. If you find him putting on the ‘I don’t care’ garb, there is a good chance that he is either confused or frustrated. Be kind and understanding during such times, and you may reap rich dividends. Please do not be annoyed by his fidgetiness or loud music, it actually has a calming effect on him. All of the above are true if you have sons too.

I am no authority on the behaviour of the male species, but being the only female in the family towered over by three men (two young and one not so young), I smiled and nodded to myself when reading all the conclusions made after a series of studies conducted by experts in the area. I am sure reading this article would bring a smile to many of my Venusian comrades, and a smirk to the Martians. Well, thanks to the women in their lives, men are rediscovering and reinventing themselves, and have even reluctantly moved away from their cave man days. He is the MAN, and the WOMAN in his life says so. Cheers!

most fascinating fact is that boys store information in boxes or

It came at the right time, says Ipad winner

Apart from lots of fun, came some added luck for Amanpreet Verma at the Diwali Mela 2010 held at Parramatta recently.

A resident of Wentworthville, Amanpreet won a 16GB Ipad in the lucky draw organised by Indian Link in association with Talent 100 (www.talent-100.com. au). Talent 100 has developed a personalised, results-focused and concise learning system that helps Year 9, 10, 11 and 12 students of all abilities score the very best HSC results.

Amazed and excited, Amanpreet said, “I like to fill up forms for lucky draws but this is the first time that I have won something.”

For Amanpreet, the Ipad came at the right time. She said, “It is a coincidence that the prize I won comes at a time when I actually need it. We have three computers at home but being a big family I do not happen to access them much. I was only recently asking my husband for a new computer as I am doing a course and needed an independent machine to do my

assignments. The Ipad will really help me in my course”.

A big fan of Indian Link , both newspaper and the radio, Amanpreet said, “I am a big fan of Indian Link Radio and love to listen to it in peace. I have also been a regular participant in the radio contests.”

“The best thing is that through the Indian Link Radio I have been able to connect to friends I had lost touch with. Only recently I got in touch with a friend of mine again through the Indian Link Radio. She is also a regular participant in the quizzes on Radio and that’s where I heard her one day and got in touch. It actually is a connecting link,” she added.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the lucky draw and congratulations to the winner. And for all those who missed it this time, don’t despair as we have many more campaigns coming up in the future. Look out for updates at our website www. indianlink.com.au

Who knows, you could be next!

Richard Chua, CEO of Talent 100 education group, with Amanpreet Verma, winner of Indian Link’s Diwali Mela lucky draw

Punjab Lions come out tops

BY SANJIV DUBEY

Community cricket as a sport is the base of a pyramid for communal harmony as well as for mental, emotional and physical well being. All possible measures should be taken to make this pyramid as strong as possible. With ongoing help and support from sponsors and volunteers, the New Australian Sports Association (NASA) is also contributing towards the amazing sport of cricket which is not only played among people of the subcontinent, but is widely accepted as their lifeblood. It is a love, passion, life or religion for many.

The clash is set to be tricky affair and the match is likely to swing between one team to the other till the very end, as the Afghan Lions are well prepared along with their key players.

The Billu’s 30/30 Parramatta Spring Cup 2010 reached its pinnacle on November 28 when the Punjab Lions and Vibrant Gujarat, two of the most powerful teams of the tournament, competed against each other in the first semi final at the Ollie Web Reserve grounds in Parramatta.

Although the match was played on a ground with no corporate boxes or champagne, the crowd was sparse but genuinely enthusiastic and the action was attention-grabbing. And despite a steady drizzle which continued through

the day, the clash was perhaps the most competitive in the tournament, as both teams have played consistent cricket through the league so far.

The match began at 8:30am, and the Punjab Lions were sent out to bat after losing the toss. Their opening batsman

Vinod Rehan belted the Vibrant Gujarat bowlers and the team finished with a competitive total of 214/5 in their innings of 30.

Vibrant Gujarat put up a spirited performance in the field, but the Punjab Lions overcame a late surge from Gujarat’s batsmen and won comfortably by 30 runs to reach the finals.

Vinod Rehan (Laadi) was rightly named Man of the Match for his superb 104 runs off the bat and for picking up 3 crucial wickets, this contribution being significant in winning the game for Punjab.

The second semi-final between the Afghan Lions and Sydney Supersonic was postponed due to rain, but will be played on December 5. Sydney Supersonic will be hoping to beat the Afghan Lions impressively, using the might of their big match winners like Kannan, Hari and captain Ram. The clash is set to be tricky affair and the match is likely to swing between one team to the other till the very end, as the Afghan Lions are well prepared along with their key players. The team that plays well under pressure and takes those half chances is likely to run away with the match. Fingers crossed for both semi finalists, may the best team win.

TEAM OF THE WEEK: VIBRANT GUJARAT

Although they succumbed to the pressure of playing in the semi-finals, the Vibrant Gujarat team were very impressive throughout the tournament, captained by the able Jignesh Patel. In fact, the Punjab Lions lost to them in an earlier round, and the semi finals saw a determined team ready to avenge

themselves on Vibrant Gujarat. But there is no doubt that Vibrant Gujarat deserved to be declared as Team of the Week.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: VINOD REHAN

Son of Jograj Rehan, Vinod (Laddi) was born in Lambra in Jallandhar, India. The family migrated to Australia in 1996, and have since been living in Manly. Vinod has played most of his cricket for Warringah shire for six years followed by a move to Manly-Warringah grade cricket. Vinod doesn’t just love the game, he idolises it. He is also a true competitor, taking up the challenge in the spirit of the game. This young man is a true hero of community cricket, playing the game almost every weekend. Says Vinod, “After cricket on Saturday I go straight to work for the whole night and after an hour’s sleep on Sunday, I am off to Parramatta to play some more cricket! My father has worked hard all his life for my family and always supports my love for cricket.” Vinod has been playing community cricket for many years and loves the game and his team. He always gives the game his best and would love to win the finals. I wish him success. So far, his scorecard reads at 300 runs in six innings including 51, 94, 105; and he has taken 14 wickets as well.... Well done, Laadi!

SEMI-FINAL RESULTS

Punjab Lions (214/5) defeated Vibrant Gujarat (184/all out) Punjab won by 30 runs.

Semi-final: Sydney Supersonic Vs Afghan Lions (game abandoned)

Register now for the upcoming 20/20 Indian Link Radio Cup. For more details, call 0433 669 334.

In an exciting match, a lesson in teamwork and talent, the semi finals see victors in the Punjab Lions

Punjab Lions celebrate their victory

Vibrant Gujarat: Team of the week

Vinod Rehan scores an impressive hundred

On

LECTURE

Montek Singh Ahluwalia

Wed 1 Dec The Australian Institute for International Affairs, in association with the Lowy Institute for International Policy, and the AustraliaIndia Council, present economist Montek Singh Ahluwalia, one of India’s leading policymakers, at the Glover Cottages, 124 Kent St Sydney, 5.00pm. Details 02 8011-4728 or email nsw.branch@aiia.asn.au

SPIRITUAL

Chinmaya Mission events

3 – 5 Dec Annual National Youth Camp “The Secret to Perfection” with Swami Swaroopananda at Cataract Scout Park, Baden Powell Drive, Appin NSW.

Details call Br Gopal Chaitanya 02 8850-7400, Mobile: 0416 482 149 or visit the website www.chinmaya.com.au

Maha Gayatri Yagya

Sun 19 Dec The Ram Krishna Temple’s long-standing development application with the Liverpool City Council for building a Temple on our Austral site at 275 Fifteenth Avenue, has now been approved. In celebration of this important development, the Mandir is holding a Maha Gayatri Yagya at the Temple with Pundits Sachin Sharma and Shyam Sharma. 6.00pm start.

Details Babita Singh 02 9608 6099

EXHIBITIONS

Verandah

Upto 6 Feb SSydney artist Vandana Ram presents Verandah , an exhibition of artworks that explore historical and cultural exchanges between Australia and India through shared colonialism, migration and cultural memory.

Elizabeth Farm, 70 Alice St, Rosehill. Details 02 9635-9488

STAGE

Billie

8-12 Dec Indian-origin actor Michelle St Anne presents her critically acclaimed solo play Billie , to mark the 10th anniversary of her company The Living Room Theatre.

Venue: Cleveland St Theatre, 199 Cleveland St, Redfern

Performance Times:

Wed 8 - Sat 11 @ 7.30pm Sun 12 @4pm

Bookings: www.actt.edu.au/buytickets

Info: www.livingroomtheatre.org

HANG recital

Fri 3 Dec Prabhu Acharya presents a HANG recital at the Lotus Room in Govinda’s Restaurant 112 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst. Prabhu will be accompanied by Nila Hagglund on Tabla and Jiva Berry on Mridanga.

Details Prabhu Acharya 0403 070 468

FESTIVAL

Multicultural night of carols

Sat 4 Dec Christmas carols by Australian, Arabic, Fijian, Sudanese, Tamil and Malayalam choir groups, at Redgum Function Centre, cnr Lane and Veron Sts, Wentworthville. Come and celebrate the night with food, song and dance! Details Raj 0425 313 363.

St Francis Xavier Feast Day

Sun 5 Dec The Goa Overseas Association NSW will celebrate St Francis Xavier Feast Day at the Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church, 2 Myrtle Street, Rydalmere, with mass 11.00am, followed by a function at 12 noon at the Ermington Community Centre. Details Mark Soares 0434 097 676.

X’mas Dinner Dance

Sat 11 Dec The Goa Overseas Association NSW will hold its Christmas function at Parramatta Leagues Club, 13-15 O’Connell Street, Parramatta, 7.00pm-midnight. Details Mark Soares 0434 097 676.

MISC

International Day of People with Disability

Sat 4 Dec VHP’s Hindu Social Services Foundation invites all people with disability, their carers and the frail and elderly for an exciting afternoon, 2.00pm to 6.00 pm, at Pennant Hills

Community Centre, Yarrara Road, Pennant Hills. Sponsored by the Hornsby Shire Council, the event includes presentation by the ‘Special’ people, inspiring speeches, music, art, Bollywood dance, games and of course delicious vegetarian food. Details Uma Ramasubramanian 02 9617-0060.

Sexual health of migrant Indian men living in Australia

The University of Sydney is conducting a study on the impacts of migration on attitudes toward human sexuality, sexual behaviours and sexual health of Indian men living in Australia. We are requesting participants aged 18+ and fluent in English to participate in this survey. Participation in this survey is voluntary, anonymous and confidential. The survey takes about 20minutes to complete. To know more about the study or to participate, click on the link: http://www.zoomerang. com/Survey/WEB22BE4RHXXRL . Or, log onto www.indianlink.com.au and fill in the survey

Is The Time To Have Great Health Using

Perfectly imperfect

BY MADHUCHANDA DAS

OMG…it’s wrap up time already! The end of another year and the brink of another decade’s hurtling towards us at a crazy pace once again. Not fair! It happened even before we could get our act together to act on the previous New Year’s resolutions. Well…I had resolutely resolved to shed my extra baggage, to finally forsake my middle-aged status and give those anorexic gals a run for their money. But here I am…at the same crossroads again with the very same stubborn, sagging baggage for company. Yikes!

And so we thanked heavens for path-breaking technology that airbrushed our images, and also boosted our forever fragile spirits.

Wasn’t it just yesterday that we ushered in the new decade, 2000? Such unprecedented flurry was created over our journey into an unknown territory and an unpredictable decade. We had expected colossal changes to sweep us, changes that would unleash watershed transformations and alter our lives forever. And happen it did! From the busting of the dot com bubble to the social networking marvel, from 9/11 to 26/11, from the global financial crisis to climate change, from the introduction of a single currency for Europe to the introduction of high definition TV, cameras, smart phones and the Wii, from an outsourcing haven called India to an odyssey into space by India’s first woman astronaut, from Black Saturday to a now black-now white Commonwealth Games. Whew! What a rollercoaster ride it’s been. But presumably, isn’t this exactly what life in the present era’s meant to be…. weird ‘n’ whacky, on the edge ‘n’ fluky, impassive ‘n’ techie, hasty ‘n’ (you will hate me for this!) so very greedy. Retrospectively speaking, we outgrew the greed for fancy cars and sprawling mansions to a persistent penchant for self narcissism aka, seeking prominence and perfection. Our swelling heads and self-absorbed lives were being progressively unfolded and dramatized publicly, courtesy our increasing existence in the digital universe. We were compelled, as billion others also were, to upload flashy, flamboyant images of

our blemish-free lives onto our online portfolios. Anything below that was sacrilegious. And so we thanked heavens for path-breaking technology that airbrushed our images, and also boosted our forever fragile spirits. After all, our social standing was largely dependent on not what we possessed, but on what we portrayed.

We were marked and measured by other people’s yardsticks rather than our personal prudence. As the reality show progressed to discern whether we had the X factor or not, we ranted and raved to present our best feet and selves. Our best selves could resort to anything from botox to silicone, from age-defying to agedenying, since it was only the outcome that mattered.

The decade progressed and yet another, laugh line, aching joint and grey hair tiptoed into our lives. “You can aspire for precision… but sorry, we’re imperfect!” they all yelled in unwavering unison. And as we persisted to squash them under umpteen layers of make up and makeovers, they rebelled with double determination. Our physical prowess triumphed, but only for a bit. And one fine morning, we found ourselves standing face-to-face with ourselves in front of the mirror.

Hmmm… we’re nearing the end of a defining decade…a turning point that upturned our lives. It was remarkable in the sense that it bestowed us with some gimcrack gizmos and made us believe we could be God….we could attain perfection and beat time and tide. But, alas, our wrinkleridden reflection today speaks otherwise, and belies it all.

Yes…we’re at the crossroads again…..with choices galore. The quick-witted me - I managed to recognize the voice of my calling, to break free from this cycle of vexation.

Wabi Sabi - that’s what it is for me, for now and forever. Something from the annals of ancient wisdom to sustain me if the blitz of the next decade strikes real hard or when my time limousine eventually pulls into the driveway. And if you just happened to wonder what Wabi Sabi stands for, it’s an ancient Japanese concept that recognizes the flaws and impermanence of life. It doesn’t mean settling for anything less than you deserve or that one shouldn’t work to improve one’s situation. It’s about balance and contentment, rather than chasing the unattainable.

And so, at the crossroads, I’m into resolution mode again. But this time, it’s unique. I will endeavour to discover life afresh with all its

imperfections and flaws. I will endeavour to spot the crack on the pottery, the blot on the painting as also the freshest wrinkle on my face and the stinging arthritic pain in my knees. I will embrace them all tightly with unflinching warmth and love as they define me. I will navigate through the undulating trek of life with my imperfect self, my imperfect family in an imperfect world. I will refuse to pursue illusions, but will rather celebrate grounded life with all its myriad hues - be it in the form of my girl’s rapturous karaoke singing or the hubby’s thunderous snoring. And as I sign out for this year, here are a couple of lines that I found on the way and would like to share with you:

I will refuse to pursue illusions, but will rather celebrate grounded life with all its myriad hues - be it in the form of my girl’s rapturous karaoke singing or the hubby’s thunderous snoring.

“I wish for you an imperfect life, and all the wonder that living can bring… the wealth that comes from knowing loss, the tears that find their way to laughter, the joy that grows after the rain, and the love, felt deepest, by those who have been carved by pain.

I hope that you can value this imperfection, hold on to it, so it gives you such comfort that you will dare embrace the beauty of all the imperfect lives that surround you.

And then you will be perfectly free to step to the beat of your own imperfect heart, and you will have truly lived.”

Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!

It’s a life that demands posturing and perfection, but the first step of accepting oneself is the first step towards self-redemption

Breezing around Bandung

From volcanoes to shopping, from education to pleasant weather, this gem of a city in Indonesia has a charm of its own and something for everyone

BY THOMAS E KING

Bandung’s biggest drawcard is ugly, smells bad and often can’t even be seen at all! But that doesn’t stop tourists from making an excursion out of Indonesia’s third largest city for a glimpse and a whiff of Tangkuban Prahu. There are around 130 active volcanos in the vast Indonesian archipelago – currently the newsmaker is Mt Merapi outside Yogyakarta - and another 200 or so that are extinct. Tangkuban Prahu comes under a third geologic category: dormant activity.

This smouldering giant just 15 km out of Bandung is also unusual because its crater is the only one accessible by road on the population-packed island of Java. A modern roadway is the hard surface link to a still bubbling crater that emits stinking sulphur fumes. Hundreds of thousands of tourists come every year to see and smell this geologic acrobat.

Upon arrival, visitors are greeted by entrepreneurs eager to sell charcoal broiled corn, hand carved bone elephants, plastic bags filled with pineapple pieces, hastily woven wicker baskets and a multitude of other wares, both large and small. After walking along a makeshift path leading to the crater I stopped before one rustic shed where a blue jeans clad artisan was deftly carving animals and household items from a strange patterned wood.

The finished product was attractive, but I had come to Tangkuban Prahu to sniff, not shop. Walking on, I soon reached the edge of a 500 metre in diameter crater. Standing behind a flimsy fence I gazed out to a small lake and a virtually silent moon-like landscape. Now and again I heard a ‘whish’ as a plume of stinky air shot skyward.

The first eruption of Tangkuban Prahu was in 1829. In the 180+ years since then, a 2000 metre high mountain has been created and several craters have been formed. The 200 metre deep Kawah Ratu Crater is the easiest one to see ... and smell.

Try to get to the volcano early in the morning as mist weaves its way through the trees by noon. I did arrive early but there were still times when a blanket of spray swirled around me, noticeably obscuring visibility.

Not far from the volcano, the Ciater Hot Springs have been a health magnet since the days of the Dutch. The steaming hot sulphurous pools attract visitors seeking remedies for an assortment of ailments. While the odorous crater and hot springs

are among Bandung’s prime natural attractions, the capital of West Java has a number of other special appeals of its own. One is the city’s proximity to Jakarta. Set in cool, volcanoencircled hills that sprawl across a 700 metre high plateau in the beautiful Parahyangan Mountains 190 km southeast of Jakarta, three million-strong Bandung can be easily reached from the Indonesian capital. The scenic journey is especially popular with residents of crowded Jakarta, so book in advance and avoid weekends and holidays when the city is packed with day tripping and overnighting bargain hunters scouring the many factory outlets along Jalan Cihampelas. This haven for shopaholics is locally known as Jean’s Street!

Bandung is the power house for around 60 per cent of Indonesia’s textile industry. This spans the spectrum from traditional Indonesia batik to denim.

Reaching Bandung is like inhaling a breath of fresh air, particularly for those coming from the congested capital. The Garden City’s fine climate is experienced throughout the year. This was a key reason why the city was selected so long ago as a commercial, aviation and educational hub. The prestigious Institute of Technology and some 30 other universities have made the city a true centre of learning, with students from across the globe studying in this cool, green haven.

Established in the late 19th century as a garrison town by the then ruling Dutch colonial powers, Bandung is a relatively modern and unhurried city of particular significance to visitors interested in architecture and culture. In the 1920s and 1930s, architects blueprinted many of the city’s prominent buildings in a so-called ‘international style’. The collection of Tropical Art Deco masterpieces that remains is unique in Asia, if not the world.

Unfortunately, a few have been lost to relentless developers who erected glass and steel office blocks and shopping plazas. However, the city’s active conservation society has helped ensure that Bandung remains a low rise zone with tree lined avenues and parks. I set off down the most important of these leafy thoroughfares, Jalan Asia-Afrika, and surprisingly, discovered a link to India.

Dating to 1879 but given several incarnations over the years, Gedung Merdeka (Freedom Building) was the site of the first Asia-Africa Conference. It was at this gathering in 1955 that world leaders formulated the principles for the Non-Aligned Movement. Statesmen of the time China’s Chou En Lai, Indonesia’s President Sukarno, Egypt’s President Nasser and Pandit Nehru came with others to initiate a counterweight front to the American and Russian power blocs. Today, the building houses a museum

1. The ever steaming Tangkuban Prahu is the most accessible volcano on Java.

2. Numerous factory outlets in suburban Bandung attract customers with garish displays.

3. A talented artisan handcrafts wooden oddities just beyond the bubbling volcano.

4. Stop at Bogor en route to Bandung and explore the world famous botanical gardens.

5. Children regularly demonstrate their musical talents using bamboo angklungs.

where I saw several photos of India’s first prime minister with other great figures of world history.

There’s more than a history lesson awaiting your arrival in Bandung. You will also learn about its distinct culture while travelling around this charming city once called the Paris of Java. The area of West Java where Bandung is located is called Sunda and many aspects of typical Sundanese culture can be seen in the provincial capital. For instance, there are a number of Sundanese restaurants spread across the city which serve specialities like chicken steamed in bamboo leaves and fish with ginger.

Another treat not to be missed is an afternoon of music and dance at Saung Angklung Udjo, a cultural village in suburban Bandung. Here I watched batik-clad performers – some as young as five years old - play the angklung, a Sundanese traditional musical instrument made of bamboo, that had been handcrafted by other artisans elsewhere in the popular village.

Travel notebook BANDUNG

GETTING THERE

Garuda Indonesia operates a total of six direct services to Jakarta from both Sydney and Melbourne with return economy class airfares starting from $829 per person including taxes. Contact your preferred travel agent or call Garuda Indonesia on 1300 365 330 or visit www.garuda-indonesia.com

TRAVEL

Bandung is linked to Jakarta by air, road and rail. My choice is the air conditioned rail service with the Argo Parahyangan Express connecting the two centres eight times a day. The journey – a 3 ½ hour trip from central Jakarta’s Gambir Station to the rail terminus in the heart of Bandung – is a scenic treat with panoramas of rice terraces, mountains, jungle and tea plantations.

PACKAGES

Garuda Indonesia’s “Bali on ANY budget” features a wide range of package holidays to Indonesian destinations including Bandung. Contact your travel agent or call 1300 365 331. Visit www.BalionANYbudget.com.au

There are around 130 active volcanos in the vast Indonesian archipelago –currently the newsmaker is Mt Merapi outside Yogyakarta - and another 200 or so that are extinct.

Before that performance I watched ornately decorated puppets in a performance that interpreted ancient legends. Wayang golek is the traditional Sundanese puppetry. This puppet show was followed by the crashing of gongs and the clashing of cymbals during a gamelan concert. Then it was on to the angklung

The afternoon of musical enlightenment – bamboo style - was heightened when audience members were each handed instruments, each tuned to a different key and then given a tuneful tutorial from a master player. In an interactive session, along with dozens of others, I eventually mastered the basics of the region’s unique music and we played as one. Perhaps another lesson is needed, however, before I’m ready to give a solo concert!

ACCOMMODATION

Conveniently located in the central city, the Grand Hotel Peanger is one of Bandung’s more historic hotels. Opened in the 1920s, the 187 room property is a landmark in the Braga area of town which is noted for its historic buildings. See www.preanger.aerowisata.com

EXCURSION

Sited between Jakarta and Bandung, Bogor is a city offering an outstanding botanical odyssey. Established by the Dutch in 1817, the 110 ha. Bogor Gardens house over 11,000 species of plants. The park, considered to be one of the biggest tropical gardens in the world, contains many rare and unusual plants including the Bunga Raksasa which grows to 3 ½ metres.

INFORMATION

For downloadable brochures visit www.visit-indonesia.com.au or contact AVIAREPS Oceania, which represents Visit Indonesia (the Indonesia Ministry of Culture and Tourism) on (02) 9959 4277. An independent website for West Java is www.visitwestjava.com

Photos: Thomas E. King

Hairless and happy

Laser technology is a solution to getting rid of unwanted hair with a few zapping sessions, reports

FARZANA SHAKIR

After a long drawn winter surely even the most diehard of sceptics would look forward to a nice, long summer. Lazy weekends on the beach, long afternoons spent shopping for trendy short-sleeved and sleeveless tops, capri pants, cool skirts and shorts, stylish sandals and thongs.

Laser removes the hair from the root ensuring that regrowth

But as is true for everything in life, along with the delights come the dilemmas. In this case, topping the list is the struggle to keep ourselves hair-free ad infinitum, to be able to flaunt this season’s must-haves. Fortunately with technology advancing at a rapid-fire pace, there are many options available both for men and women to rid themselves of unwanted hair. From tried and tested razors, waxes, tweezers and sugars to electric shavers, epilators, depilatories that offer temporary solutions, to more advanced electrolysis and the latest trend - laser hair removal that promises the regrowth of hair at a very slow rate and in some cases, not at all. So if you’ve heard the ad for a popular cosmetic clinic that insists ‘Now is the best time to get laser hair removal’, I reckon you might be one of many considering the option for yourself. But before hopping onto the treatment couch, donning eye protection and settling for a session, it is vital to do some research and know key facts about this procedure.

What is laser hair removal and how does it work?

It is important to understand that despite some misconception, there is no technique yet that guarantees permanent hair removal. Laser removes the hair from the root ensuring that regrowth is very slow. This procedure is gaining popularity based on the fact that it is fast, relatively pain-free and cost effective. During the process, a hand-held device is pressed onto the area to be treated. Light rays of different wavelengths are beamed at the dark pigmented melanin in the hair. This heats up and damages the hair follicle without damaging the surrounding area. Some hair follicles are irreparably damaged so those hair don’t grow back. The laser light only affects hair that is in an active growth phase which leaves the hair in dormant cycle unaffected. For this reason, multiple sessions are required to treat all hair as it passes through the growth cycle and becomes active. Laser hair removal works best on light skin and dark hair, but different lasers to treat different types of skin and hair colour are now available.

Advantages

The most obvious advantage of laser hair removal is a long lasting result and a reduction in the appearance of hair growth, which is permanent. The hair that grows back is lighter in colour and thinner in texture. It is faster and less time consuming than waxing or other methods and ingrown hair is better managed. This procedure is especially useful in getting rid of unwanted hair on large areas like the back, chest, arms and legs. For women, it is one of the most effective options for facial hair removal.

Disadvantages

The advantages and disadvantages of laser differ from person to person depending on their skin and hair type. Some people experience blistering or a burning sensation after the initial treatment which usually disappears with successive sessions. After treatment the area may feel sensitive, and some flaking can occur. It is also important to follow the before and after instructions provided by the clinic, as the treated area needs to be kept clean to avoid the risk of infection between sessions. Laser can trigger an outbreak of

herpes if you suffer from this condition. It can cause burns, abrasions, pigmentation, blistering, redness, swelling, skin discolouration and scarring if improperly applied. Another drawback is the fact that there is no long term evidence to support the effectiveness and ensure the safety of this procedure. In addition it can be costly, because several sessions are required to achieve desirable results.

What to look for…

Laser hair removal is considered safe and complicationfree if performed correctly by a qualified professional. However, there is a lack of legal regulations regarding the purchase, training and quality control standards for laser devices. There are many so-called experts with very little expertise so it is best to do your homework and not risk long term injury. Choose a practitioner who is willing to give you a consultation (preferably free) before you commit to anything. Ask lots of questions and get as much information as you can specially about pre and post procedure requirements, the qualifications of the practitioner and the cost. Make sure the premises are clean. It is advisable to shop around and not commit at the initial consultation. Also, don’t be tempted to go in for the cheapest option. Once you’ve chosen a clinic it is important that your skin type is correctly assessed, any lesions are properly diagnosed and the right wavelength of laser is used. This is especially important for the face, as incorrect wavelength can cause hypopigmentation.

Is it painful?

Well, yes! Reliable laser clinics use pain reduction techniques like cooling gels, water mists and cool air to make the experience less uncomfortable. While areas of the body like the arms, legs and back may feel a slight stinging sensation, laser on the face can be a bit more painful for the simple reason that the face has more sensory receptors compared to other areas. Choosing clinics that use the most advanced devices like the Candela Gentlelase which has a dynamic cooling device attached, can minimize this problem.

It is imperative to look after your skin before and after the treatment. Take all the necessary precautions. Avoid prolonged sun exposure, use mild soaps and non irritating creams, and in no time you will be confident and happy, strutting silky smooth and hairless skin.

Once you’ve chosen a clinic it is important that your skin type is correctly assessed, any lesions are properly diagnosed and the right wavelength of laser is used.

is at a very slow rate and in some cases, not at all.

‘Tis the season

Making a gingerbread house is quite easy… or so they tell us on TV food shows

Gingerbread House

BY DEVNA LUTHRA

Ever since I was little, gingerbread houses have held a fascination for me. I saw them in movies and in books and was transfixed every time. Tall, icing covered gingerbread houses covered in all kinds of sweets… Once, on a holiday in Fiji, I saw a massive gingerbread house in the lobby of the resort we stayed in. It was as big as a small cubby house! I wanted to tear little bits off and eat it, but my Dad said “Cockroaches must be walking all over it at night!” Of course I think he was lying (as usual) but the idea of the gingerbread house stuck in my mind.

When I saw TV chef Rachel Allen on her show Rachel Allen Bake, showing how to create these towers of magic, I was surprised to see it look so easy. I decided to give it a try. (Her basic recipe is shown here). It turned out fantastic but just a bit disappointing, as you will see!

Making the dough and baking the walls and roof was easy. The gingerbread was delicious and smelled beautiful around the house, and I had to force my family not to devour it!

When it was cool, we got to the fun part: decorating. I followed the instructions and added my own twist and it all worked out beautifully.

The walls were up and it was time to attach the roof. I raised the two inclines gently and got mum to hold them in place while I piped the icing mixture (the ‘cement’). It stayed in place and I smoothened it all out. The chimney went on and it was complete.

My house looked good enough to eat, lol!

Then we did the ‘landscaping’. We used desiccated coconut for snow, cocoa powder for the path leading to the door, green sprinkles for some grass and blue for the pool. I also used edible icing flowers which looked great! Then the house was ‘open for inspection’ and everybody ooohed and ahhhed! Mum put it in the formal dining room. Then she made a serious mistake. She didn’t photograph it! I was too tired to do it myself – my back and shoulders were sore after all the chocolate-tiles gluing…

The next morning, disaster! The roof had caved in. We tried to resurrect it but the weight of the M and Ms and all the glue was too much for the gingerbread slabs. Ultimately, the roof collapsed into pieces. It was like the three piggys’ fairytale.

Anyway, two days later, on Christmas, we ate the remains of the house.

It was dee-licious!

INGREDIENTS

300g butter

125g caster sugar

125g soft dark brown sugar

225g golden syrup or treacle

725g plain flour

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

3 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter together with the sugars and golden syrup or treacle. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl. Add the melted butter and sugar and mix together.

Knead the mixture for a few seconds until it comes together, adding a teaspoon or so of water if necessary, but without allowing it to get too wet. Flatten the dough slightly into a round about 2cm thick, wrap with cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

To make the gingerbread house, first make templates with paper to the following dimensions.

• Front and back panels 12.7 x 17.7cm.

• Two side panels 12.7 x 15.2cm.

• Two roof panels 10.7 x 17.7cm. Place a sheet of baking paper on the work surface, dust with flour and roll out about one-quarter of the dough to 5mm thick. Place one of the paper templates on the dough and cut round with a sharp knife, then slide the dough, still on its baking paper, onto a baking tray. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling the trimmings, until you have a front and back wall, two side walls and two roof panels. Re-roll any leftover dough to make into Christmas trees or boys and girls. Carefully trim excess paper from around each piece on the baking trays.

Bake all the sections in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until slightly firmed and just a little darker at the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes on the baking trays to firm up. One by one, lift the pieces, still on the paper, and trim around the template to give clean, sharp edges. To make an open door for the house, cut one out of the front wall and cut out windows, if you wish. Place on a wire rack for a few

For the ‘glue’ and icing for the house:

2 egg whites

500g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

For decorating the house:

Hundreds and thousands

Chocolate buttons (milk and sugared chocolate)

M and Ms

Chocolate sprinkles (in different colours)

Flake bar for the chimney

Or any other sweets you wish

minutes, then turn over and peel off the trimmed paper. Leave all the pieces to cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare a board for the house to sit on.

To make the icing ‘glue’ for the house, place the egg whites in a large bowl, sift in the icing sugar, then stir to make a thick, smooth icing. Spoon into a piping bag with a small, star-shaped nozzle.

To assemble the house, pipe generous lengths of icing along the vertical wall edges, one by one, to join the walls together. Using a bowl or some other object or objects to support the walls from the inside, hold the walls gently in place with your hands until the icing is dry. Leave the roofless house to dry for at least 30 minutes until the icing is firmly set.

Once dry, remove the supports and pipe a thick line of icing along one long side of a roof piece and along the top edge of all the walls. Stick the two roof sections together at an angle and set the two pieces on top of the house. You can arrange the roof so that there is a slight overhang on either side of the house. Hold the roof gently in place for a few minutes until it dries, then leave it to dry for a further 30 minutes.

While the roof is drying, attach the door to the doorway - so that it looks slightly ajar - by running a line of icing glue down one side and along the base. Stick a small piece of a Flake bar onto the roof as a chimney.

Using the icing, pipe around the windows, and stick sweets around the door and on the front of the house.

Using the icing, stick milk chocolate and sugared buttons onto the roof for tiles. Glue the gingerbread trees or boys and girls around the house, then scatter the board with sugar strands.

Modified from: www.rachelallen.co.uk

The shire of humanity

BY RANI JHALA

Exhausted after a difficult day, Elizabeth Sealy seated herself in front of the TV. She enjoyed her work, but there was no challenge left in it. She fought her cases and won most; then she came home tired to her cup of tea and her favourite shows.

Just as always, the news anchor informed the masses of the day’s happenings. Yesterday’s news, revamped as today’s headlines. But this evening, the scene that unfolded caught her attention. A meeting at a local town had been filmed. Agitated voices expressed arguments. But Elizabeth was a lawyer, an extremely successful one. And what she heard over the din was a desire to hold on to the past by some, and a fear of changes that the future would bring, by others.

The meeting had been called by the local council, in the hope of bringing about an amicable solution. On the one side stood the local residents, on the other side were the neolocals from a diverse faith. One did not want a new shire; the other was desperate to have a place of worship. One feared their culture would get eradicated, the other hoping to hold on to a part of theirs. One lot did not want any changes in their country, the other lot hoped to keep up with the changes that were already in progress. The first feared their religion would be overtaken, the second feared theirs would be lost. But underlying all these varied emotions was the need to stay true to faiths, and a struggle to understand the true meaning of multiculturalism.

As expected, the meeting did not produce a solution. The council became wary of giving approval and the meeting ended with ‘no conclusions’.

And then Elizabeth saw him. The tall man wearing immaculate clothing, making his way slowly, to the front of the crowd, shaking hands with those he passed. Both sides were known to him, both sides received acknowledgements. As he said goodbye to the local leader, the camera picked up on the leader’s comment, “Ash, this is not personal. But a precedent will be set, and we fear that the changes that will come will be undesirable. There will be the unavoidable increase in traffic, the demand for more amenities and conveniences. Our domestic neighbourhood will become a thoroughfare for visitors. We don’t want to see our beautiful community tear each other apart when problems occur, and they will. There will always be a clash of cultures.”

Calmly the man replied, “I understand that fear, but pushing the problem onto another suburb or community cannot be the answer either. If you let us be in residence, then you must give us the privilege to worship without having to travel to the ends of the earth.”

At that moment Elizabeth knew that this was the calling she had been waiting for! Secure in her personal belief, unthreatened by moral dominance and secular in her religious views, she rang the TV station. By the next afternoon she had made contact with Ash and they met over coffee.

She convinced him, that discussions do not change history. Only the law has the power to do that. She offered to be their representative. She assured him of her support.

During the next six months they met daily. She learnt of his beliefs, he read up on hers. She fought his verbal battles, he wrote the emotional pleas. But the path they had taken was a difficult one, emotional and soul-searing; it called for fortitude and demanded perseverance. If anything blossomed in those difficult days, it was love between two people, so different by birth, so similar in view.

Finally the day in court arrived. It had been Elizabeth’s idea to tell Ash’s story. She had said,

“It is not enough to just feel, you must make others feel. You must tell them what you have told me and what your heart tells you every day.” And so Ash’s life became the first exhibit.

“This is Ash’s adopted country and he remains loyal to it. Proud of the land that gave him birth and glad for the opportunity to be linked to both. He gave up the language of his birth so that he could learn the language of this land. He changed his name, from Ashwant to Ash, so he could blend in.

When you go to another country, it is your duty to accept their rules, to embrace their principles and forge bonds with their citizens. At the same time, when a country accepts you, it is their duty to welcome you, to bridge friendships and to tolerate differences.

What we are asking for, is not to change what exists now. What exists here, is what attracted most migrants in the first place. Materialistic and emotional values can be adapted or compromised for a greater cause, but the spiritual need of man, asks to be met. Yes, he goes to churches, mosques and temples. Yes, he says prayers of different faiths. But on three occasions, only your own religion can perform the rites - at birth, marriage and death. You need a place for that to happen. You need a ‘shire’ for salvation.

True he can drive two hours to an outer suburb, away from ‘native’ places of worship. But how practical would that be with infants and the elderly. How fair would that be, between residents?

The laws of this land will not be broken. The place of worship is for peaceful congregations. All they ask is the right to have a place to worship.

Ash came from a land which was historically invaded. Each brought their faith, and the forced conversions. But neither was the culture nor the religion lost. Even today those that believed, continue to believe.

Yes, society changes, but time does that, nor particular ‘people’. Fear of that change is stillchanging things!”

Elizabeth won for them, their battle. She gave Ash, the ‘Shire of Humanity’. A year later the Shire was standing and at the inauguration, Elizabeth was asked to do the honours. During his opening speech, Ash spoke of the person who was most responsible - Elizabeth Sealy, and dedicated these words to her, “We shall always be indebted to a woman who fought for a cause that was not hers, for a religion she did not belong to, and a people, who were alien.”

This is a work of fiction; however, it is dedicated to a Sydney woman who helped a group of new Australians secure a place of worship for their faith

Fighting for a cause that is not of one’s understanding or belief simply because it is represents the rights of an individual, is a tough challenge

Materialistic and emotional values can be adapted or compromised for a greater cause, but the spiritual need of man, asks to be met.

Matrimonials

SEEKING BRIDES

Australia settled Gursikh, 25 years, 6 feet, slim and healthy, working as a physiotherapist from a well established Khatri family of Mohali India, seeks good natured, qualified, professional match. Tel: 0412 268 568, pacifichighway@optusnet.com.au

Punjabi Brahmin, 30 years, 6 feet, fair, handsome, double degree holder, Reigistered Nurse, Australian citizen of Sydney. Seeking a suitable match of honest girl with good family values. Cast no bar. Please reply with photo and details amit4012@hotmail.com or call 0431 647 402.

Seeking an alliance for Valmiki boy, 36, 5’8”, very well educated, LLB, MIB(AUS) government employee, Australian citizen. Parents are seeking a well educated, homely girl with traditional values. Caste no bar. Respond with photo and complete bio on valmikiboy@hotmail.com or call 0431 159 221.

Match for Melbourne-resident never-married Arora boy, self employed, earning good money, dob 30-08-1977, 5′-5″, smart features, fair colour, open minded. Caste no bar. Girl’s merit main consideration. Respond with photo, education and professional details to email: sachdevasunil30@gmail.com or call 0401 408 211. Boy is in Chandigarh, India for next 10 days.

Indian man, university educated, Government occupation, mid 40s, seeks honest Indian /Fiji Indian lady for marriage. Please call 0404 263 400 or email tamavu@hotmail.com

Seeking a Gujarati girl with good family values, for my son, 35, divorced since 3 years, no children, tax consultant, fair, 5’8”, non-smoker, light drinks, eggetarian, living in Sydney since 18 years. Contact 0402 416 353 or hp11869@hotmail.com.

SEEKING GROOMS

Alliance invited for a good looking Tamil Christian girl (CSI Protestant), 28 years, 5’7” Engineering professional working for a European company at Chennai (currently in Holland). Seeks Christian professional of good family background. Contact details 0458 788 869; fredrick.samuel@gmail.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 with 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 to.sweet@ hotmail.com.

Well established Indian Hindu family from Fiji living permanently in Melbourne seek a professionally qualified boy with good career background for their daughter 28+. Five feet tall, medium complexion, slim, attractive, Australian born, University graduate. Please send in absolute confidence your biodata, telephone number, recent photograph and email address to The Advertiser, PO Box 339, Naree Warren South, 3805.

Looking for a suitable match for Hindu girl, 29 years (Aust citizen), 5’8”, working in Sydney. Seeking a sensible, educated and broadminded person, preferably settled in Sydney, age between 30-34, caste no bar. Send details and recent photo at matrimony513@hotmail.com

Seeking match for Agarwal girl, 24 years old, 5’4″, very beautiful girl, born and raised in India, family well settled in Sydney. Graduate in commerce and completed PG Diploma in Banking and Finance from IFBI. Seeking professional match with good family background. Early marriage. Prefer Agarwal, Hindu boy. Contact: 0401 44 8186 / 91- 9849728729 or email: giri32@yahoo.com.au.

Alliances invited for Sikh Jassal girl, 27, 5’, Registered Dentist in NZ practicing in Auckland, Permanent Resident. Clean shaven preferred. Caste no bar. Eligible to practice as dentist in Australia also. Contact: litledocship3@gmail.com Ph: 0064-92766 519, 0064-21106-2734

Seeking match for Sidhu Jat Sikh beautiful girl, 23 years old, height 5’ 6”, doing B.Sc Post Basic Nursing final. Raised with Indian values, in a very well settled family in India. Both her grandfathers are retired Colonels from the Indian Army. Father is a serving commander in the Indian Navy; mother was the principal of a Teachers Training College in Karnal. Seeking a decent match with a loving family background. Reply with bio-data. Early marriage. Email: matchsidhu@gmail.com

Jat Sikh parents seeking professionally qualified well settled match for their Australian citizen daughter, 32, 5’4”, slim, beautiful, intelligent and family oriented. Highly qualified with two Masters degrees in IT and Information Systems. Working as an Administration Manager in a leading MNC in Sydney. Upper caste no bar. Please send full bio-data & recent pictures to matrimony8491@ yahoo.com.au

BUZZThe

Pam shops for vegan shoes in Mumbai

Apart from saris, suits and Indian spices, former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson, a strict vegan, also took away a bagful of nonleather shoes made by Indian designer Rina Shah, back home to the US.

During her short visit to India for reality show Bigg Boss 4 , Anderson took time out to arrange a variety of vegan shoes to be brought to her in Lonavala. Anderson loved Shah’s leather-free shoes so much that she took a suitcase full of them back with her, says a source.

Shah’s label, Rinaldi Designs, is popular for shoes, belts and bags made of non-leather material. Earlier this year, Shah also presented a pair of vegan shoes to Hollywood star and animal activist Natalie Portman in celebration of the actor’s 29th birthday.

Like Shah, Anderson is a long-time supporter of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and animal rights. She even wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to ban leather trade in India. Well, at least we can hope to see Pam in decent footwear, never mind the clothes!

promotion. One is only talking about the commercial side of cinema, not the creative

Sheila ki Jawaani for her upcoming film

Festival of India (IFFI), Palekar said regional cinema has contributed “nicely and strongly” towards the palette of Indian cinema.

“When Hindi films are made, one looks at a wider market, the masses. These heap pressures on the minds of the filmmakers. Will it appeal to everyone?” said Palekar, who has revived regional Marathi cinema in the recent past.

“And then there are the budgets. I am not saying they are bad, but then no one wants to take risks with such huge budgets. There is only talk of Rs 40 or Rs 50 crore film with a budget of Rs 20 crore for

The actor of classic comic yesteryear Chhoti si Baat said that relatively sober-budgeted regional cinema could afford to take risks and experiment because it was not buoyed down by tons of money.

“Indian cinema is not only Bollywood. Regional cinema has contributed nicely and strongly into making Indian cinema what it is,” said Palekar who has directed critically acclaimed movies like Anahat, Thoda Sa Rumani Ho Jayen, Daayraa and Samantar

Palekar also described his latest film Dhoosar which deals with Alzheimer’s disease surrounding the relationship of a mother and daughter. The film, according to him has been shot almost entirely in Goa.

Kat’s cool with raunchy

Katrina Kaif’s sizzling item number

Tees Maar Khan is one of the raunchiest she has ever shot, according to the sexy actress. “The exposure in the song is more about attitude and I was specific about it,” she says. “It is about dancing without inhibitions.”

Now Kat went all out to perform the number, viewing song numbers and item dances from a series of earlier films featuring the likes of Madhuri Dixit. But Kat is quick to point out that she had no intention of imitating or emulating the actress, all she wanted was to see and experience the joy and abandon La Dixit portrays through her dance. And of course, it was impressive.

Tees Maar Khan is an action comedy starring Akshay Kapoor and Kat in the lead, with Akshaye Khanna in a cameo. Salman K and Anil K have made special appearances too. So it should be worth seeing, if only for Kat shaking her booty!

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

She shaved off all her hair for a film role

PAMELA ANDERSON

Mayawati inspires Neha Dhupia

Actress Neha Dhupia says she took inspiration from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati to get her regional dialect right for her role of a female gangster in upcoming comedy Phas Gaye Re Obama . “As I play a gangster from UP in the film, I had to get that language right and so I observed Mayawati to learn how she speaks. She is the only woman whose dialect, whether she is serious or funny, is extremely monotonous. So I have tried to incorporate this in my character. However, my character is not inspired by her,” Neha said recently in an interview. Which obviously, is the diplomatic thing to say, as Mayawati wouldn’t be thrilled to know that she was being observed for her gangsterlike qualities.

The actress is promoting her new film along with co-stars Rajat Kapoor, Sanjay Karan Johar. Abhishek feels that Big B’s film shouldn’t be remade frame by frame, as it would put huge pressure on the new actor.

“I think with Pa, you should not remake his film directly scene by scene because he is too iconic an actor. I feel that about most iconic actors. I feel it becomes a huge burden for the new actor to do. You should have a different perspective on it, like when Shah Rukh Khan did Don , it was a completely different perspective of the original one,” Abhishek said.

Abhishek rubbished all speculations that he was approached with the role before Hrithik. “I was never

asked,” he clarified.

Considering Hrithik’s acting talent, do you think he’ll give the Big B a run for his money with Agneepath ? I guess not…

A fromjhalak Madhuri’s life

From dancing queen to dancing mum, Madhuri’s love affair with Bollywood is still far from ended. Her last outing Aaja Nachle may have failed and she may be based in the US, but that’s not stopping Bollywood’s dancing scripts. However, she has no plans on staying for too long.

“I send my kids to school, prepare breakfast, shop for vegetables, drop and pick them from school and all those things. I can do one film or one show and return, but I can’t take up too much at the moment,” she

Even her sons appreciate her songs. “My too. When I was coming to India for , they were very excited and said - ‘Will we see you on TV?’. And I was like, ‘Yes, you will!’” she confides. Age has not touched La Dixit. She is fit as a fiddle and her grace, personality, smile and aura are as youthful as ever. With her kind of looks, no wonder most present day actresses don’t cringe before saying, “ Main

What’s Deepika Padukone saying here?

What’s Farah Khan whispering to husband Shirish Kunder?

MADHURI DIXIT

NEHA DHUPIA

AMOL PALEKAR

KATRINA KAIF

Cine Talk

The ultimate teenage rom-com

Film: Break Ke Baad

Cast: Imran Khan, Deepika Padukone, Sharmila Tagore, Lillete Dubey, Shahana Goswami, Navin Nischol, Yudhistir Urs

Writer-Director: Danish Aslam

Bollywood has a sub-genre of romanticcomedies meant for urban, chic teenagers, first pioneered with its full frontal glory by our very own coffee drinking Karan Johar. These films, and the people that inhabit it, are nothing like you have ever known, or are ever likely to know. But the reality inside it is so glossy and Cinderella-like that everyone aspires for this free floating, un-rooted, but super fun unreality.

Break Ke Baad is a fun example of that.

Aaliya (Deepika Padukone) and Abhay (Imran Khan) are childhood sweethearts whose sweet course of sugarcane love encounters the roadblock of youthful ambition. Aaliya, a fiercely independent, risktaking person decides to go to Australia to pursue her acting ambition, thus breaking the relationship. Both make mistakes, but eventually discover themselves only to realize that it’s not that easy to say ‘talaq’ to a love that has now matured.

Break Ke Baad is the ultimate, teenage, escape, love fantasy of 2010, much like Jaane Tu… in 2008 and Love Aaj Kal in 2009. These films create a magical world in which almost everything happens coincidentally, but ultimately all loose ends are tied up perfectly, so that all that you see makes sense. But we know that such a mythical unreality can exist only in Bollywood.

Yet, the film is good in its own sub-genre. The strongest part of the film is a wellbaked script; the tight, crisp, contemporary

(thankfully!) and often rooted dialogues of Renuka Kunzru are funny at times, and profound in a cliched way at others.

Yet the film will never make it to the annals of Bollywood greats. It does not have either the cuteness of Aamir Khan’s launch vehicle Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, or the undertone of class struggle depicted with extreme melodrama in Maine Pyaar Kiya; the overtone of struggle against tradition of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge or the excessive sugar-pulp

and totally nonexistent reality of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (KKHH) - a film which this one pays hearty tributes to.

The conflict is mostly in the minds of the protagonist, and not real. Ironically its fault would perhaps be that it is not unreal enough like KKHH

Though the characterizations, at least in the beginning and in a few side characters, have the smell (or stench if you consider the escapist drama) of reality, it flies off

Another look at life on the street

Film: AllahKeBanday

Starring: Naseeruddin Shah, Sharman Joshi, Faruk Kabir, Anjana Sukhani, Atul Kulkarni

Directed by: Faruk Kabir

A feeling of foreboding and damnation builds up in the narration from the very first frame in this film. Here’s a gloriously gutsy film exploring the underbelly of Mumbai through the lives of two slum kids who grow up in identical circumstances, but with somewhat disparate values.

First-time director Faruk Kabir displays remarkable skill in creating a pastiche of mammoth crime and little punishment. The pace leaves meagre space for grace. And yet Allah Ke Banday creates a world filled with acute aggression, repression and damnation with a reasonable amount of paciness to the edgy narrative.

The world that Faruk Kabir’s characters inhabit is reminiscent of Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire , Irrfan

Kamal’s underrated Thanks, Maa , Mahesh Manjrekar’s City Of Gold and Chandan Arora’s Striker. Deriving its lingering study of juvenile delinquency from these sources Allah Ke Banday moves forward and acquires a life of its own.

The gripping narrative takes us through the world of petty crime and underage lawlessness non-judgementally. Faruk Kabir’s deeply-felt concern for children who dodder dangerously on the edge of society is never overdone. The director creates a world of uncertainties with unwavering confidence.

The nervous anxiety of the characters is rather aptly replicated in the film’s rough and unvarnished look. Kabir’s cameraman Vishal Sinha goes through the rugged merciless slums searching for only Allah-knows-what. The actors wear their unwashed demeanour casually, so much so that at times we forget the existence of the camera. At the same time, there are uneven sections in the narrative that mar what could otherwise have been a standout exposition on the genesis of social outcasts.

Sharman Joshi and Faruk Kabir play the two driving forces of the plot with a deep understanding of their characters and the milieu. Both seem to have got right their characters’ physicality, and then proceed to explore their

to KKHH land. At least the old films were caricatures, exaggerations of people you would have encountered somewhere. No such luck with Break Ke Baad

But it is fodder for teen fantasy, seeped in the dual confusion of maturing while finding true love. It’s over two-hour ride is fun, full time-pass and paisa vasool.

amount of compelling confidence.

The others in the cast merge into the relentless milieu. As usual, the extraordinarily brilliant Naseeruddin Shah is under-used. Whenever he shows up on screen, an extra dimension is effortlessly added to the proceedings.

Notches above the run-of-the-mill entertainer, there is genuine concern for juvenile delinquency here. Life on the streets never looked more dangerous and less glamorous. This time, crime is not glorified. Thank god for small mercies.

Subhash K. Jha

Satyen K. Bordoloi

Film: Guzaarish

Starring: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Monikangana Dutta, Suhel Seth

Directed by: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Breathe a sigh of relief. During a year when cacophonic crassness masquerading as comic entertainment has been sanctioned by critics and the masses, Guzaarish comes along to remind us that excellence is alive in our cinema.

Ironically this wonderful work of art, nuanced and magical in its portrayal of an unstoppable spirit’s quest to juice life to its fullest, is about dying. If the journey towards death in art can be so mystically explored, then let’s embrace mortality as a stepping stone to immortality and a film about dying as a sign of cinema not dying on us. Not yet.

Only those who suffer the numbing pain of isolation would know what it feels like. Dilip Kumar in Devdas, Guru Dutt in Pyasa, Meena Kumari in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and Nutan in Bandini communicated to the audience the indescribable pain of solitude.

Ethan, as played by Hrithik Roshan in Guzaarish, is so bemused by adversity that he can actually look at his own suffering with

Big, beautiful, dazzling

Not Bhansali’s cinema. Played at the highest possible scale, his drama unfolds in wave after wave of rapturous splendour. His characters occupy a space that defies definition and seduces audiences into celebrating a state of sublimity and splendour. Ethan’s inert physicality is alchemized into an ambience of animated joy. His spirit dances and sings at the sheer pleasure of every moment that is given to him to live. He radiates joy. We feel his profound happiness at the gift of life.

No film in living memory has brought out the sheer blessing of being alive with such spirit and glory. While Shah Rukh Khan’s Devdas in Bhansali’s opulent opera was a character broken in spirit, Hrithik’s Ethan in Guzaarish is irreparably damaged in body. But his spirit soars, his eyes light up like thousands of stars every time Sophie walks in.

That Sophie is played by Aishwarya Rai is a stroke of genius that goes a long way in giving Guzaarish its flavour of exceptional elegance. No other director brings out the quiet grace

gentle smiles and hints of a smothered passion that could erupt any time, if only destiny didn’t choose to be so mean to the spirited.

The scenes between Ethan and Sophie, the backbone of Ethan’s spine-challenged life, radiate an inner beauty and wisdom and underline the director’s enormous understanding of the self-negation that a love relationship requires.

Guzaarish is Bhansali’s most tender and evocative film to date. It layers the pain of a dying body with the passion of an unstoppable spirit as manifested in Hrithik’s skilled and effortless performance as a quadriplegic who pledges to make every moment of his limited “sau gram zindagi” pleasurable for himself and those around him.

Barring Amitabh Bachchan in Black there has never been a better performance in a Bhansali film than Hrithik’s in Guzaarish. He grabs Ethan’s role and makes the dying character come alive in delightful waves of provocative histrionics. And if we’re talking chemistry

of celebrating life. Monikangna Dutt is a looker. the proceedings. Suhel Seth, Shernaaz Patel and Rajit Kapur also make a lingering impact in a film that you carry home with you in an inviolable place in your heart.

A word about Bhansali’s music score. The songs communicate the rich tapestried emotions of lives that are determined to smile through an extraordinary tragedy. Every piece of music and song in Guzaarish echoes the film’s incandescent soul.

The film’s technical excellence, particularly Sudeep Chatterjee’s cinematography, is not dazzling and flamboyant in the way it was in Devdas. In Guzaarish, the appeal is far more delicate and subtle. The deep but sober colours on screen reach out to you to enrich your life in ways that cinema was always meant to, until it was waylaid by the hooligans and imposters posing as filmmakers.

Guzaarish is the real thing. A big, beautiful, dazzling emotional movie experience. You won’t see a better film this year.

Subhash K. Jha

Tarot ‘n’ You Tarot ‘n’ You

Tarot predictions for February 2010

Tarot predictions for December 2010

ARIES March 21 - April 19

This month will be a very positive one with work and business partnerships. Work will get a lot better and personal life will be passionate and funfilled with the possibility of a new romance or deeper feelings within your existing relationship. There will be a lot of flirtation, so be careful of an office colleague trying to get too friendly. Travel and communications will be strong. Now is the time to put plans into practice for the coming year. Beware of stomach ailments.

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

You will be able to make major changes in your life this month. You will be very enthusiastic and must remember to keep yourself balanced with feet firmly on the ground. Mid-month will be right for solving any longstanding issues and problems faced. Those in a relationship should devote more time to their partner and a short holiday together will lead to a passionate and sensuous time ahead. Those who are single will have a chance to get to know someone better.

GEMINI May 21 - June 20

This month is a time to complete all projects and make sure that recent success is maintained. There are a lot of positive changes with more travelling and gain in finances, and some professional and business rivalry. There may be news of the birth of a child and also of a marriage. Devote time to loved ones and give space to those who need it. Keep an eye on your weight this month, as you may have gained a few pounds.

CANCER June 21 - July 22

There seems to be a lack of concentration around work because of issues arising around you and your family. Don’t be arrogant or lazy, as you should not lose any contacts or contracts. There will be important decisions to make in the first couple of weeks in December. Look up old friends and build relationships with people you work with. There will be a lot of socializing either for work or pleasure. For the workaholics, take time out to relax and have fun.

LEO July 23 - August 22

This month, you will have a lot on your mind. You will have some difficulties in relationships and if separated, will finally be reunited, with the relationship taking on a deeper understanding. Work will steadily progress and you will need to make some decisions around a new job or business. Financial gain may happen around a planned move or purchase of property. You may also start a short course to pursue artistic talents, or learn a new style of dance or language.

VIRGO August 23 - September 22

WThis is a month of gathering strength and making dreams come true. You have ideas around work and business, but have put things on hold. Look at your future very seriously, and as the year ends you will have plans which will affect your personal and work life. If not working, you may do something to keep busy. You need security and stability, which are paramount this month. There is a chance of an engagement. Single Virgos will have a fun time.

LIBRA September 23 - October 22

By NANCY SOOD www.nancysood.com

This month will be very varied and challenging. You may have been feeling a little down lately. Financial strains and problems either around you or with someone dear will trouble you. There seems to be some minor disagreement between you and a loved one. There may be some delays with documents or important matters, or with travel and trips. You will have some amazing ideas this month, which you should pursue and make changes in the coming months.

SCORPIO October 23 - November 21

This past year has seen an increase in your popularity. This month will be busy with work and life. You may have had a slight health setback as recovery is indicated here. Caution is needed whilst driving, as your attention may not be that sharp this month. You may have to choose between an old love and a new relationship. There may be some unexpected expenditures relating to family or children. Take care of your possessions, as carelessness is indicated.

SAGITTARIUS November 22 - December 21

You may have purchased a new property this year, so there is a lot of expenditure. You may feel lethargic and lazy, exhausted from recent events. Your love life will be important, and you will put a lot of energy into harmony and peace. Work may take a back seat as you better things on the home front. Your enthusiasm for work will return once you feel settled and happy with your relationships. Make sure you have your eyesight checked this month.

CAPRICORN December 22 - January 19

This month is about making decisions about your life path, and filled with ideas and decisions around home and family. Work will be busy and challenging. You will feel more settled within yourself, but emotionally you have been on a rollercoaster ride for most of the year, not knowing where you are going. Decisions have to be made about affairs of the heart and you are awaiting news which will help you decide what to do. Travel is indicated. Look after your knees.

AQUARIUS January 20 - February 18

You feel quite exhausted and drained this month. Work and family have been a balancing act for you. You will make peace with a member of your extended family on disagreements relating to property matters or money. You may have suffered sleepless nights lately, as you are worrying about things and are not able to relax. Travel will be connected to work and you will feel very pleased with the results. Work will get busier. Be careful whilst walking.

PISCES February 19 - March 20

This month sees the resolution of any problems faced with colleagues. There may be legal matters around you that will come to an end in your favour with financial gain. There may be news of an engagement in your family. An elderly member of your family may be going through some minor health issues and needs to be checked up. The past will hover around, and you need to let go of something that has disturbed or upset you.

3-day turn-around for

Officials promise an easing of services at the Consulates and at VFS

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

If you haven’t experienced it yourself, you probably know someone who has.

The hassles of dealing with the Indian consulates here to get visas to India issued reached a crisis point this year. Stories flew in thick and fast about long queues, outdated procedures, rude staff, queries not being answered, clients left high and dry with no clue about the status of the visa, being scuttled between the Consulate and VFS, forms difficult to fill in, clients sent away to bring back more forms or more information, varying charges, out-station travellers facing extra fees…..the list was endless. “Nightmare” is the term most commonly used to describe any dealings with the consulates.

And we haven’t even started talking about the OCI application procedure yet.

At a community-wide conference called by the Indian High Commissioner at Canberra in end-November, visa woes formed the major discussion point. The Indian government officials probably expected this to be the case, given that they had organized for an entire forum devoted to the issue. In attendance besides the High Commissioner Mrs Sujatha Singh, were Consul General of India (Sydney)

Amit Dasgupta, Consul General of India (Melbourne) Anita Nayar, and Loren D’Souza from VFS, the private company to which the administrative responsibilities of visa processing were outsourced just over two years ago, and who have recently had their contract renewed for an additional three years.

Participating, were community members not only from Sydney Melbourne and Canberra, but also from Tasmania, Western Australia and Northern Territory. Individual members stood up and spoke of their grievances, which at first elicited sympathy, but towards the end, caused much mirth, as complaint after complaint against the “ and “babudom” revealed the ridiculous nature of the operations in what some described as a basic requirement of an expat community.

The diplomatic corps sat by and listened patiently, as did the VFS officials (their “partners-in-crime”, if the indignant audience members were to be believed).

And then they took the floor to brave the torrent, led by High Commissioner Sujatha Singh herself, breaking the tension cleverlyand perhaps cheekily - by opting to take some of the blame herself as the “babu-in-chief” out here.

“It’s a badge I wear with pride,” she laughed, and then proceeded to make a textbook case of what makes a diplomat a diplomat, all credit to the “babudom”.

Explaining the backlog

“When we outsourced our visa processing to the private company VFS in Jan 2009,” Mrs Singh began calmly, “it seemed like we had solved our problems. Things seemed to be functioning satisfactorily – because we had no complaints. The processing time has gone down; yes, the cost has gone up, but that is the way of the world. In fact the letters of complaints on my desk were replaced by

The reason we’ve had such issues in the processing of visas apparently, among a few other things, can be traced back to the Mumbai attacks and David Headley. Yes, David Headley, the terrorist who has pleaded guilty to the charge of aiding and abetting the murder of innocent people in Mumbai on November 26, 2008. A PakistaniAmerican, Headley changed his name from Daood Sayed Gilani and was able to travel

The VFS boys

Sujatha Singh presents her case

What’s with the bag?

BY LP AYER

That does it! Sunil Gautam’s lowdown on women’s footwear and Rajni’s rejoinder (Indian Link November 1 issue) has ignited a fuse dormant in me for long. I can’t wait anymore to write on a subject that has been weighing on my mind and taxing my brain for quite some time now. Yes, it is the handbags – the mega sized ones women carry.

We men never dare to question the need for our opposite numbers to carry a handbag. Unlike us males who don’t mind looking uncouth even at best of times, women are conscious of their countenance twenty-five hours of the day. Some of them wake up in the middle of the night to touch up their make-up before going back to sleep. So there can be no question that they need to carry a few items - a coloured wax stick to make languid lips look luscious, black pencil to adjust arches above the brows and a couple of other things to spruce up skin tone, enhance eyelashes, etc. Some sanitary pieces are standard items for obvious reasons. All these can easily be ensconced in a paperback size pouch. Or in a golden Glomesh of yester year. So why on earth do most women now carry such huge handbags that will swallow everything except the kitchen sink. I do suspect they carry not a sink but a washbasin, so that they can avoid the inconvenience of a long wait in public conveniences.

Look at Liz whose ancestors once carried on their shoulders half of the planet. But our dear Queen has a bag only half the size of her corgi, daintily dangling from her elbow. Does the lady from Bucks buck the current trend? If a woman of such great pomp can manage with a tiny tote, why do our women carry queen-size bags? What do they carry in them? I feel like screaming, even at the risk of being

branded a perv. I am not, I assure you, I’m just plain curious. My ignorance is due to the fact that MOH (my other half) still carries only an airline ticket folder-size bag in leather or leather-like material. She is a proud possessor of a pearly Glomesh pouch as well.

According to unofficial research, those toffs trundling large treasure (and trash) troves want the size of their bags to match their ego. Besides, the bags must bear brand names as pouches of pedigree, with bells and whistles to boot. Designer names are dime a dozen in this domain of handbags - from Armani to Zak and every alphabet in between. You can be assured of a good giggle when you google to read the description of the brand names. One of them, Mui Mui sounds like it is made of moggy’s fur. If you want to see them all in one location, any large street market in China is your best bet. After all, it is where most of them are made like most other designer stuff. And one more thing. No woman is satisfied with just one bag for all occasions. It is a case of one size doesn’t fit all. There should be one in every shade to go with the gear they wear and also match the mood of the moment. Still, bags come only second to shoes in a well-stocked wardrobe. So let’s not bag those ladies who have more than one. According to a recent research paper, psychologists can tell the character of a person from the contents of her bag. Rumour has it that offices employing a large number of women are considering placing a measuring basket, as seen

near airline check-ins, to limit handbag size as the extra space they occupy costs more in rental. They also want to use that as an excuse to pay women less than their male coworkers. No doubt women of the world will weld together to ward off anyone bagging them, and eventually carry the day.

Sunil, following your footsteps on your fancy footwear feature, I would like to see if the bag issue attracts a rejoinder.

It’s in the bag!

They may not fit into the average male’s concept of a petite purse, but big, beautiful handbags are making more than a fashion statement today

BY SHERYL DIXIT

Okay, so the trend of the day for us women is to carry around something that looks like a small sack that Santa would lug in these thrifty days. And just like Santa, this tan receptacle (also available in green, purple and enticing shades of gold) is full of goodies. Like your designer sunglasses, which you refuse to stick into the pocket your slacks, for fear that it will mar the lines of the garment and make you look more daggy. And those wet wipes which you need after spilling dal on your T-shirt at a restaurant. Also your phone and car keys which you’ve forgotten on the table at the same restaurant, as you make a dash for the door before we decide on a second dessert.

Are the kids hungry? Snacks are available 24/7, along with drinks, bottles and assorted toys for keeping them busy when you’re trying to have a prolonged adult conversation with your boss whom you’ve bumped into at that very restaurant (isn’t it popular?). How often have you heard those words that save your psyche from an onslaught of juvenile tantrums which always happen in public: it’s in my bag! And as the moment passes, you breathe a sigh of relief.

So why, you may ask, would the young, trendy, upbeat and

childless carry around those ungainly extravaganzas that are almost as large as themselves? Simply because you can conceal a whole wardrobe in them, which facilitates for a quick Cat Woman like change from professional to party animal on a Friday evening. And they can reach for anything, from that crucial bronze lip gloss to the handy contraceptive, simply by dipping into its mysterious depths. Handbags, like shoes, are an enigma for women and this current trend of voluptuous styling is available in Gucci, Prada, YSL, Bvlgari, Jimmy Choo…and they can’t be wrong, can they? Try fitting your universe in a little clutch bag and I’ll bet you’ll have a challenge on your hands.

And of course, there’s the Queen. Now Liz, as you familiarly call her, is a ‘little bag’ person, simply because she doesn’t ever need to hand Phil a tissue to rub that spot off his nose. Her corgis have their own entourage, so she doesn’t need to fit in a collapsible poop-scoop or doggiedoo plastic bags. But have you seen Margaret Thatcher in historic action with her bag, bopping a deserving journalist on the noggin? Or for that matter, Paris Hilton’s armwear? Everything’s in there, from six iPhones, three wallets full of credit cards, a three kg cosmetic clutch and her dog. That’s right, ‘big’ is the new ‘in’!

We women salute the gurus of style who decreed that handbags should be large and should actually serve a more domestic purpose than that of just looking good. They can be a weapon, a pillow, a bin and are a deterrent to pickpockets who will be unlikely to find your wallet among the rest of the debris.

So curb your secret envy that men are cursed with meagre accessories and leave us to our big, bulky, brawny, bold and beautiful bags!

This fad of women toting around large and ungainly handbags is a mystery that’s waiting to be solved

visa processing

targets for attack, on behalf of Lashkare-Taiba. As his modus operandi came to be revealed, the Government of India decided to crackdown on applications for tourist visas, in order to be able to make thorough checks and make sure the option of multiple entry options on such type of visas are not exploited. In practice, this new processing took much longer than expected, and along with the seasonal rush of October and November, resulted in a large backlog of the issuance of visas at the consular offices.

As part of this review, there was also the

the procedures for getting a visitor’s visa to India for NRIs. While prior to November 2009, people holding non-Indian passports but of Indian origin, could apply for a tourist visa with just an application, now they had to prove that their original Indian passport had either been cancelled, surrendered or lost. This confirmation had to be done via a Statuary Declaration or a letter from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship of Australia and other supporting documents. This was to ensure that there were no dual passports being used as India does not allow for

Earlier options of having tourist visas which could allow multiple entry options were changed. Now all tourist visas had a single entry option and those visiting India on multiple entries within a stated time had to apply for a re-entry permit which was granted in very rare cases.

After July 2010 when these new rules were introduced, many people applying for visas were not aware of these extra requirements. This led to lengthy delays and frustration at the counters of VFS.

Having explained this, the High Commissioner revealed that the backlog occurred with greater intensity at the

Sydney and Melbourne Consulates, rather than at Canberra and the other state offices. This was because of the rush at the larger Consular offices, and she went on to reveal that extra staff had been put on, particularly in Sydney.

“They have been working through weekends, immediately after Diwali,” she stated.

The Consul General of India (Sydney) Amit Dasgupta backed her up by providing dates up to which visa applications in various categories were now cleared –most, up to two days prior.

Continued on page 10

Indian High Commissioner Sujatha Singh

Listening to the community perspective

Consul General (Melb) Anita Nayar

VFS head Loren D’Souza

Consul General (Sydney) Amit Dasgupta