2011-02 Sydney (2)

FREE Vol. 18 No. 5 (2) • February (2) 2011 • www.indianlink.com.au • FORTNIGHTLY

SYDNEY

The Indian angle NSW politicians reach out to the community

Kristina Keneally

Barry O’Farrell

Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000 • GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001 • Ph: 18000 15 8 47 • email: info@indianlink.com.au

Published Sydney • Melbourne • Adelaide • Brisbane • Perth

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EDITORIAL

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INDIAN LINK PUBLISHER Pawan Luthra EDITOR Rajni Anand Luthra ASSISTANT EDITOR Sheryl Dixit MELBOURNE Preeti Jabbal CONTRIBUTORS Darshak Mehta, Shafeen Mustaq, Jyoti Shankar, Shivangi Ambani-Gandhi, Gaurav Pandey, Anusha Menon, Sanjiv Dubey, Noel G deSouza, Mark Sharma, Sukrit Sabhlok, Sunil Ranadive, Farzana Shakir, Ritam Mitra, Sandip Hor, Petra O’Neill, Malli Iyer, Minnal Khona, Rani Jhala ADVERTISING MANAGER Vivek Trivedi 02 9262 1766 ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Drishya Sharma 02 9279 2004 GRAPHIC DESIGN AND LAYOUT Kaye Martin Indian Link is a fortnightly newspaper published in English. No material, including advertisements designed by Indian Link, maybe reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the editor. Opinions carried in Indian Link are those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed

by Indian Link. All correspondence should be addressed to Indian Link Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000 or GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001 Ph: 02 9279-2004 Fax: 02 9279-2005 Email: info@indianlink.com.au

NATIONAL EDITION

Liberals play a dangerous game Liberal leader Tony Abbot is not having a good time in Canberra. If the adage of keeping your friends close but your enemies closer, is a philosophy to assure longevity in politics, Abbot certainly seems to be losing sight of this mantra.

In the last few weeks while the Gillard Labor government is looking more assured, the Coalition seems to have lost its direction, as mixed messages and a shadow cabinet leaking like the sieve, are portrayed to the country at large.

Tony Abbot is aware that he is on thin ice at the moment. A political animal, he would be well aware of the issues that are keeping him in the position as leader of the opposition, and potentially a heart beat away from being the next Prime Minister.

Abbot, through clever manoeuvring and a helping hand from the mining companies and a disenchanted Labor party, was able to bring down a sitting Prime Minister in Kevin Rudd. He then led his party in a focussed and a disciplined manner to an inch of forming the government, only missing out when Independents Tony Windsor and Rob Oakshott voted with the Labor party.

It was clear by all polls at election time and those which are being conducted now, that while the Labor

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

and Coalition parties are neck to neck in a two-party preferred basis, Abbot trails Gillard as the preferred Prime Minister by a huge margin. Abbot is not being accepted by a majority of Australians as the alternative Prime Minister and by default, the Coalition is finding it hard to take the lead away from Labor. The saviour of the Liberal party seems to also be its liability. Yes, all political parties publicly state that they do not pay attention to these polls, but it was these very results that determined the fate of Kevin Rudd, knocking him off his leadership pedestal.

Abbot is on borrowed time and would have another six months to prove himself. By August, the election of 2010 would be a year old, and the next one (unless there is a mid term change in government) will be due in 2013. It will be a reasonable assumption that change can occur.

Different camps are already emerging in the Coalition; Joe Hockey has never been backward in coming forward

with his views, even if they disagree with those of his leader. Julie Bishop has had her disagreements with Tony Abbot. Surprisingly the man Tony Abbot defeated by one vote to become leader of the opposition party in 2009, Malcolm Turnbull, is strangely quiet.

For those who know Malcolm, this is indeed strange. One feels that as an investment banker turned politician, Turnbull will make a play for the top position at the right time at the right place.

Meanwhile, the Coalition views on migration, leaks on their plan to play the race card, and media reports of their alignment with the One Nation party are not playing out well with the public. Immigration minister Scott Morrison’s alleged comments on playing the Muslim race card has been criticised by all. While the Labor government has moved more towards stating its multiculturalism status with announcements of its clear support of cultural diversity, the Coalition message is unclear. They need to define their policies and perhaps, Abbot can be the man to do so for them.

There are a lot of votes in multiculturalism and after all, the face of Australia is changing. An astute politician will accept and work along those lines.

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What’s On SPIRITUAL Mysore spiritual leader visit Sat 19 March Sri Anaghadatta Inc presents Sr Sri Ganapathi Sachidananda Swamiji performing a Sri Chakra Pooja and Ganapati Homa at Redgum Function Centre, 2 Lane St, Wentworthville, 9.30am.

Sun 20 March Healing and Meditation Music at Marana Auditorium, 16 MacMahon St, Hurstville, 5.30pm.

Details Santosh Vanka 0412 677 670.

Chinmaya Mission events Feb 21 – 26 Free public talks True Goal of Spirituality with Br Gopal Chaitanya.

7.30pm - 9.00pm at Chinmaya Sannidhi Ashram.

Thur 3 March Mahashivratri festival 7.30pm to midnight.

Details Chinmaya Sannidhi 02 8850 7400 / 0416 482 149.

Events at Manav Dharam Society of Australia Fri 25 Feb Pravachan on Atmagyan by Mahatma Suvidhya Baiji at Sri Mandir, 286 Cumberland Rd, Auburn. 7.30 - 8.30 pm.

Fri 11 Mar Pravachan on Navdha Bhakti by Mahatma Suvidhya Baiji at Ram Krishna Mandir, 24/7 Lyn Parade, Prestons. 7.30 - 9.30 pm.

Fri 25 Mar Pravachan on Atmagyan by Mahatma Suvidhya Baiji at Sri Mandir, 286 Cumberland Rd, Auburn. 7.30 - 8.30 pm.

Details Mahatma Suvidhya Baiji on 0422 059 772 or Sanjeet on 0432 682 275.

Brahma Kumaris weekend retreat 1 – 3 April Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Meditation Centres, Sydney invite you to a weekend Hindi Retreat to understand and explore the secrets to establish easy and

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constant link with the Almighty Authority for inner peace in the self. Venue: Inner Space Centre for Spiritual Learning, 150 Macarthur Drive, Wilton. Details Asha Bhen 0435 196 146 or Devendra Bhai on 0431 446 056.

STAGE Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Feb 18 – 27 As part of the 2011 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival, Trikone Australia presents a stage production In The Space Between dealing with homosexual themes within the Indian context as well as within Australian-Indian context (and features stunning costumes, foot-tapping music, sweeping dance numbers, promising an evening of quintessential Bollywood entertainment). Cleveland Street Theatre, 199 Cleveland Street, Redfern. Details Akash Arora 0430 933 234.

FUNDRAISERS I-India Project for Rajasthani kids Wed 23 Feb I-India Project Australia’s fund-raising dinner for the Jhag Children’s Village in Rajasthan will be held at one of Sydney’s favourite Chinese restaurants, Golden Century at Fox Studios, Moore Park, at 7.30pm. This year’s dinner celebrates the 2011 Chinese New Year, the Year of the Rabbit, with a ten course banquet. The cost is $110 per person. Lucky door prizes, raffles, auctions and entertainment will add to the evening’s fun. Funds raised will help ongoing work at the Jhag Children’s Village which is a residential and educational facility for vulnerable children in Rajasthan that yearn for brighter futures. RSVP is the 16th

February. Details 0402 958 582 or visit www.i-indiaproject.org.au Holi Hullad Fri 25 March Rekha Rajvanshi presents Holi Hullad, a fundraiser for the Queensland flood affected. Enjoy the spirit of Holi with Bollywood songs, dances, humorous poetry, tambola and Bollywood trivia and traditional Holi dinner. 7.30pm11.00pm at Parravilla Function Centre, 42 Campbell St Parramatta. Details Rekha Rajvanshi 0403 116 301 SENIORS Sri Om Care Fri 25 Mar Riverstone Neighbourhood Centre, Park Street, Riverstone from 10.00am to 1.00 pm.

Sat 26 Mar Liverpool Library Hall, Liverpool from 11.00am to 3.00pm Sun 27 Mar Picnic at Auburn Park Macquarie Road, Auburn Details Jay Raman 0410 759 906.

MISC UIA’s community forum Sat 5 March Women’s Forum Sat 19 March Seniors Forum Both events will be held at 10.00am at Parravilla Function Centre, 42 Campbell St., Parramatta. Working lunch will be provided on both days.

Details Aruna Chandrala 0410 338 900.

Nutrition researcher seeks subjects Are you an Indian origin mum with children 1 year to 5 years of age? Rati Jani, a child nutrition researcher from Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, would like some information from you. You must be older than 18

years of age, residing in Australia for more than 1 year and less than 8 years.

If you’d like to share your experience and help Rati in her research, please complete a questionnaire survey about your feeding practices. The questionnaire is in English and will take about 20 minutes to complete. The questionnaire is online at: http://survey.qut.edu.au/ survey/171152/1429/ If you wish to fill in a hardcopy please contact Rati on (07) 3138 6223 or email rati.jani@student.qut. edu.au. (This project has been approved by the QUT ethics committee, approval number 1000000943).

SENIORS WEEK 2011 Sri Om Care event Sat 19 Mar Sri Om Care celebrate Seniors’ Week at Auburn Town Hall, 11.00 am to 4.00 pm. Free bus pick up and drop off, free whole-day medical camp, multi cultural entertainment by seniors and youth, and free lunch.

Families of seniors invited to see the special activities for seniors organized by Sri Om Care. Details Jay Raman 0410 759 906.

RAIN event Thur 24 Mar Resourceful Australian Indian Network (RAIN) announces a Herbal Green Bolly-Food Festival at Senior Citizens’ Centre, 91 Queens Road, Hurstville, 12.30pm to 3.00pm. Program includes henna celebration, cooking with herbs competition, herbal delicacies book launch, talk on herbal remedies, Bollywood entertainment and lunch for seniors. Details Sudha 9585 9158.

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COVERSTORY

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Sari seduction What Labor accomplished for the Indian community, and what it could have done better While it is all over - bar the shouting - for the NSW Labor government with the newspaper pre-polls handing them the worst possible drubbing at the 26 March election, it seems that no one has mentioned that to current NSW Premier Kristina Keneally. She is out there every day, brimming with enthusiasm as she leads the Labor party campaign.

While she is reaching out state-wide, she is particularly getting to work with the ethnic communities. There are regular press briefings at the Premier’s office, and the Labor party has promoted community launches of its policies, such as one for the Indian community alone.

With the Indian community “Mujhe aapka specifically, the Premier is sahyog chahiye” enjoying her dress-ups. Over the Republic Day function organised by the Council of Indian Australians (CIA), she turned up in a beautiful summery salwar kameez, dupatta adeptly balanced on her shoulders. And at the Indian Sub-continent Community Awards presentation at Government House, she took it up a notch higher, opting for a glamorous look in a sequinned blue sari.

(Her “wardrobe adviser” Aparna Vats confirmed it took half an hour to put on). Premier Keneally can easily get a Bollywood role if she ever tires of politics.

As well, she engaged the services of Hindi language tutor Rekha Rajvanshi to reach out to the Indians here in their native tongue. She learnt to mouth her tag-

line “I need your co-operation” in heavily accented Hindi: Mujhe aapka sahyog chahiye (coming across rather like an early Sonia Gandhi!) The line is used in her radio campaigns for the Indian community.

Looking back, it would be fair to say the Indian community in NSW has been better served by this Labor government than any other previous incumbents. True our numbers have grown exponentially during the time this government has been in office, but now the community has so much to laud. The external illumination of Parliament House to mark the festival of Diwali has been a great watermark for the acceptance of the local community by the state of NSW. The brainchild of local personality Raj Datta, Diwali finery at Parliament House is one of the highlights in the Indian social calendar. The same goes for Parliament’s observance of Baisakhi.

Another gesture aimed directly at the community that went down well was the free AR Rahman concert as part of the 2010 Sydney Festival initiated by then Premier Nathan Rees and followed through by Premier Kristina Keneally and Minister for Western Sydney David Borger. Brownie points came also from Parramasala, an annual performing arts festival for the South Asian community initiated last year.

On the negative side, perhaps a lot more could have been done when the international students’ crisis hit in 2009. While proactive steps were ultimately put

Photo: Drishya Sharma

in place, it seemed like a case of too little too late.

Months later, incoming student numbers have dropped drastically, and many of those directly affected are sill awaiting redressal.

Nonetheless, leading Labor figures such as Barbara Perry (another salwar kameez wearer), John Robertson, David Borger, Nathan Rees, Peter Primrose and others have always made themselves available to the local Indian community at the numerous functions that we organise, mingling freely.

While these efforts are appreciated, it remains to be seen whether they will convert to votes come March 26. How will Indian voters balance these special gestures, against more mainstream concerns such as transport, education, hospitals and law and order?

Pawan Luthra

Finally, a truly, madly, deeply cricket-loving Premier!

Up close and personal with Barry O’Farrell BY DARSHAK MEHTA

Barry O’ Farrell must have the shortest odds ever, on a politician standing for the office of Premier – of any Australian state.

Thanks to Labor’s chronic mismanagement of NSW, it is fair to say that most of us feel that the transport, infrastructure, health and education we deserve should be much better than what we have been getting under Labor for the past 10 to 15 years.

The unbelievable part is that successive state Treasurers have been intently focussed, nay, obsessed, just on how to retain the State’s AAA rating rather than building and modernising the state’s assets and infrastructure. What use is an AAA credit rating if we have the kind of woeful public transport system that we do?

The ALP has imploded spectacularly on its own and has repeatedly scored own goals with the stench of various scandals to keep it in the public eye (and, nose!). The Liberal party has had to do little so far except be Stephen Bradbury – last man standing.

Remember, I write as a former member of the Labor party and as an ideological believer in what it stood for (though not what it stands for, anymore!)

I have personally met Barry O’Farrell a few times (I hasten to add, at cricket matches and functions!) and had some conversations with him, over the past 18 months. At The LBW Trust*, we invited Barry to a couple of fund-raisers.

He hosted one in Parliament House and attended the other at the SCG. He is genuinely interested in what we do and how we operate. He told me that he would love to attend our functions and to keep him posted.

He was true to his word.

He comes across as a decent, articulate, extremely wellread bloke who has excellent family values. NSW will be in 10 <> FEBRUARY (2) 2011

Photo: Drishya Sharma

He even publicly referred to Her Excellency Smt Sujatha Singh, Indian High Commissioner to Australia, as “Jahanpana” (Your Majesty) – much to her embarrassment and the amusement of 165 people at a charity dinner in September last year. a trustworthy pair of hands. I have seen at close quarters his love for the game of cricket – which is more in the nature of a private passion than the fake show-casing and pretence that

some politicians indulge in. He is regularly at the cricket with his wife Rosemary and their sons but is always unobtrusive and absorbed. When he is at the SCG, he is often on the balcony watching – not staying inside to gossip.

And, he knows that a Chinaman is not necessarily one who lives in the Middle Kingdom!

For someone in public life, the ultimate proof of a true love of sport is when they turn up without cameras or reporters being present to telegraph their interest. I have seen Barry everywhere: at sculpture unveilings of top sportsmen, at football games, at commemorative luncheons, and I believe he regularly goes around cricket grounds in Sydney to watch his sons play on the weekend.

I have also observed closely his interaction with senior Indian diplomats including our High Commissioner. He is comfortable enough with them to rib them gently or tell stories against himself. I believe that they share my high opinion of him. He even publicly referred to Her Excellency Smt Sujatha Singh, Indian High Commissioner to Australia, as “Jahanpana” (Your Majesty) on my cheeky dare – much to her embarrassment and the amusement of 165 people at a charity dinner in September last year.

Barry is quite adept with his iPad and I was impressed at the ease and speed with which he was able to access information and keep in touch.

Journalist Peter FitzSimons suggested to Barry earlier this month that he must never have had more friends than now – alluding to people wanting to ingratiate themselves with the next Premier of the State? Barry agreed but humorously quoted his friend and colleague Brad Hazzard who said words to the effect that the friends you make in spring are your true friends only if they are still your friends in winter (i.e. when you are out of power).

I doubt that he will be affected by his new found popularity! * Darshak Mehta is Chairman of The LBW Trust (www.lbwtrust. com.au) - a charity that assists the tertiary education of over 260 underprivileged students in India, Pakistan, South Africa and Uganda.

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COVERSTORY

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Bold plans for NSW Liberal leader Barry O’Farrell on his visions for NSW and for the Indian community here

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

The pundits have all but given the elections to the Coalition in NSW. It is predicted that Barry O’Farrell’s coalition of the Liberal and Nationals will romp into power when the NSW State Elections are held on 26th March. While there is a lot of admiration for the style and spirit of the current NSW Premier Kristina Keneally, it seems that people have had enough of NSW Labor after 15 years and it is a safe bet that Barry O’Farrell will be the next Premier of the state.

Barry O’Farrell, on his part, is certainly not taking this for granted. Even as I prepare for our scheduled meeting, he is at Strathfield station in Sydney’s inner west, presenting his party’s credentials to morning rush-hour commuters. He rushes in to his Parliament House office, looking every bit like a man in a hurry. He settles in, amidst all the sporting memorabilia that decorates the room, but only briefly – he’s going to be out there again shortly, talking to more people.

Here are excerpts from our conversation.

Indian Link: The NSW State elections are only a few weeks away and the pre-polls are predicting a landslide victory for you. Have you booked the removalists for the 27th of March?

Barry O’Farrell: No, all we have booked are the TV, radio and print ads! What we see are the state-wide polls which do not reflect what is happening in marginal seats, and marginal seats win elections. So we are going to be working hard till “Value of education is the polls close at 6 pm on 26 something which the March. We are taking nothing Australians can learn for granted, and are taking from the local Indian every opportunity to outline our policies for the people of community.”

NSW. IL: Assuming the pundits are correct, what will your priorities be for the first few days in the office as the Premier of NSW? BO’F: Our first priority is to get the economy moving. We want it to be the first place in Australia for people to do business. We want to improve our state’s investments and trade relationships in the region as a place to do business and we want local businesses to get a fairer deal from the government so that they can grow their business. In order to do this, we need to get revenue and the best way to get revenue is not to put up taxes and charges, but by growing business investment, and that is why strong economic growth is our number one goal. We plan to lighten the tax burden, regulatory reform, introduce a jobs action plan, establish a small business commissioner so that we are working inside the bureaucracy, cut red tape and encourage small business.

IL: Over the past few months we’ve noticed your increased presence at local Indian gatherings. Tell us about your engagement with the Indian community.

BO’F: Well, I have always enjoyed attending Indian events. Over the past decade it’s usually been the annual Republic Day dinner. But in the past four years, being the Leader of the Opposition has meant that the number of invitations coming in have increased. I am happy to attend any community event, but I am conscious of the great contributions that the Indian Australians have made to our nation, state and city.

“I’d be very happy to The Indian community is review a proposal for help industrious and peaceful; they in starting an India House focus on issues similar to those the Liberals-Nationals now that it has been focus on, namely enterprise, brought to my attention. opportunity and ensuring a better future for all.

I also feel that value of education is something which Australians can learn from the local Indian community. We, who have been here for generations can lose sight of it. I think education is the key which can unlock the future and NATIONAL EDITION

Barry O’Farrell with his wife Rosemary.

Indian parents make all efforts to educate their children.

IL: In the last 18 months, Indian student numbers have been on the decline. While managing the student relationship is a Federal responsibility, the fact is that NSW businesses are feeling the crunch. Do you think the Rees-Keneally Government handled the students’ crisis of 2009 appropriately? What would you do to restart the flow of students to NSW? BO’F: First, the Rees-Keneally government failed to ensure that the state government agencies who were responsible for doing proper checks on the colleges, did their jobs. When these colleges failed, it sent a terrible message to those back in India about the quality of education here.

We know that we had incidents involving violence towards Indian students and though these were not as bad as those happening in Victoria they were nevertheless handled almost as badly. We need to send a strong message that overseas students are more than welcome in this city and we need to be out there in India highlighting the value which we place on multiculturalism in this state and in this nation.

IL: A big NSW, or a sustainable NSW? BO’F: Both. The Federal government controls the immigration intake. What the State government needs to do is to match the infrastructure requirements. We are committed to an infrastructure overhaul. We cannot stop people coming in. I do not want to stop people coming in, but what we can do is to highlight the advantages and opportunities which exist all over NSW, rather than just in Sydney alone. This way we would be seeking a balanced growth all over the State.

IL: The Indian community has grown substantially over the past few years. An ‘India House’ is desperately required. State government help in providing a subsidised building will go a long way to benefit the community. If you are voted in as the NSW Premier, will you assist in getting a venue?

BO’F: That issue has never been raised with me before and I am happy to have a look at it. But the Indian community has been incredibly industrious and successful without

government assistance. I do believe government assistance can be useful but I also worry that when government gets involved with any association, even community, it brings with it their rules and regulations that interferes with its core purpose. But, I’d be very happy to review a proposal for help in starting an India House now that it has been brought to my attention.

IL: Over the past four years, there have been a number of activities which the NSW Government has instigated for the Indian community, such as Diwali celebrations at Parliament House, Parramasala, and the Indian Sub-continent Community Awards. Will you continue with these? Would you initiate other such activities that involve the local community?

BO’F: We are very keen to keep the involvement between the government of this state and the local Indian community progressing. We have a bipartisan approach to this. I do believe that there are other ways in which we can engage the local Indian community but forgive me if I keep our powder dry during the election campaign. There are Indian events which can and should form part of our major events strategy.

There are ways in which we can better the interaction between the two countries – I believe the G’Day USA style of publicity is very good. I do not see why that cannot work with states of or with the nation of India.

IL: How can the local Indian community contribute better to NSW? BO’F: They do contribute through their efforts and enterprise and I encourage them to do so. One message I do have for them is that a sign of their maturity will be an increasing involvement with politics and I am not being partisan here. Party membership of various language groups is one way of ensuring that we end up with a Parliament that mirrors the community at large.

IL: An Indian personality that inspires you?

BO’F: I am inspired by the quotes of Gandhi. I am inspired by the energy, efforts and the words used by your local Consul General Amit Dasgupta who I think is doing a great job for the Indian community.

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SPECIALREPORT

Recognising the contributions of the subcontinent community

NSW Premier Kristina Keneally with Indian Subcontinent Community Award recipients (from left) Mohit Tolani, Pawan Luthra, Sid Orekondy, GS Sidhu, Kumud Merani and Chandru Tolani

The inaugural NSW Premier’s Indian Subcontinent Community Service Awards were announced on February 18 by Premier Kristina Keneally.

Six members of the community were felicitated as significant contributors, one each in the fields of Trade and Industry, Arts and Culture, Community Harmony and Community Service, while the award for Lifetime Achievement was shared by two individuals.

The awardees were picked - from among a whopping 63 nominations - by an independent judging panel made up of John Watkins (head of Alzheimers Australia and former Deputy Premier of NSW), Prof. Veena Sahajwalla of UNSW, Raj Datta (Chairman of the Deepavali Festival Committee of NSW) and Michael Christodoulou (CRC commissioner).

The awards were presented by the Premier at a simple ceremony at Government House, hosted by Stepan Kerkyasharian, chairman of the Community Relations Commission.

“I congratulate the nominees and recipients for their outstanding contributions, and hope they inspire new generations,” the Premier said on the occasion.

Dressed in a glamorous sari, the Premier claimed she had “never felt more beautiful or elegant” and happily posed for photograph after photograph.

The Indian Subcontinent Community Awards will be an annual affair, following in the tradition of Chinese, Lebanese, Filipino and Vietnamese community awards.

C hanging the face of the world Twenty-two-year-old Mohit Tolani won the NSW Indian Subcontinent Community Award for Community Service.

It was at high school that Mohit first became attracted to the idea of community service. As part of a Round Square initiative, Mohit had led his Gold Coast High School in a cancer fundraising programme. Round Square is an international organisation that believes that schools should have a greater purpose beyond preparing students for university, and fosters a philosophy of international understanding, democracy, environmental stewardship, adventure, leadership and service. As a young adult, Mohit has grown to inculcate these very values in his day-to-day life.

A dentistry student, Mohit is quite clear of what his ultimate goals are.

“I want to help people – that’s why I chose health care. I want to take dentistry to country NSW. I’m aware that rural areas have a severe shortage of specialists and people have to drive far to get even basic treatment. It’s shocking but it’s true,” says Mohit.

Mohit wants to become a face surgeon, specializing in facial tumours.

“There are only a few specialists in Australia and none in the rural areas,” he claims.

Yet he will continue to change the face

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of the world in many other ways.

He has been involved for many years with the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME), in which he mentored Aboriginal youth in high school and at uni. As a post-grad student, he will continue his work with AIME. “There’s a huge gap between Aboriginal and mainstream students in grammar and maths skills, which we’ve tried to fill. We also help them with extra curricular skills and instill a pride in being Aboriginal,” says Mohit.

“I’m also keen to start Dentists Without Borders, which does not exist to date in the southern hemisphere, with a few close friends. This will help us take our skills internationally,” he adds.

Mohit has won numerous community service and leadership awards at school, university and Rotary levels, and was a finalist last year in the Pride of Australia Awards.

It was pleasing to see the youth of the community represented at this prestigious forum, as well as the government’s recognition of the efforts of this section of society. Yet watchers of the trends in our community will tell you that there are many such youth who have been passionate about community service from an early age. Perhaps Mohit Tolani can help mentor them as well.

Rajni Anand Luthra

INDIAN LINK

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T owards a better understanding of India in the mainstream Pawan Luthra won the NSW Indian Subcontinent Community Award for Community Harmony.

“It is indeed exciting to be honoured by the NSW government and further reinforces my belief that there is so much one can do to bridge the gap between Australia and India, be it social, cultural, or political,” Pawan, a media commentator and proprietor of Indian Link newspaper, said.

Pawan firmly believes in presenting a fair and unbiased perspective on the various issues that affect the community, and in promoting better understanding of subcontinental values and traditions to the wider Australian society.

In his early days here since he arrived in 1985, much of Pawan’s commentary centred around removing stereotypes of India as an impoverished and mysterious land, and replacing that with more factual notions of India’s burgeoning middle-class and its potential as a modern market for Australian resources, as well as its deep-rooted traditions of family, value for education, and an abiding spirit of tolerance.

Having cut his teeth on India’s public television channel Doordarshan and public broadcaster All India Radio, Pawan set up Indian Link newspaper in Australia on 1994 and launched Indian Link Radio a few years later. Today the newspaper goes across the country with editions in Melbourne, Perth,

Brisbane and Adelaide, and the radio is heard in Sydney and Melbourne, besides streaming live on the internet.

Pawan’s crisp and meaningful editorials are widely read, not only by the Indian community but also by an increasing number of mainstream readers that the paper has been able to attract.

His comments are sought by mainstream media every time an India-related issue crops up, whether the Indian students’ crisis, international cricket, the Delhi Commonwealth Games controversy, India’s uranium issues with Australia - and yes, invariably, even the mystique behind the notion of arranged marriages! Over the years his opinions have been sought by BBC, ABC breakfast radio, ABC 24 television, ABC’s Lateline program, Compass, Channel 7’s Today Tonight, Channel 7’s Sunrise, 2GB, Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, and TIME magazine.

“As a commentator on matters that involve our community, my main objective is to offer a true and unbiased opinion on the issue in question, and to offer solutions through dialogue, discussion or simply, sensible action,” says Pawan.

“I try and advocate a rational assessment of the situation after looking at both points of view, and my perspective is usually that of finding solutions to any problems,” he adds.

This attitude also won him a position

on the Board of Advisers to the NSW government’s Migrant Heritage Council. At this forum, Pawan’s advice on various projects for the migrant community have been well appreciated.

A highlight for Pawan in recent months was his appearance on Foxtel’s telecast of

T he science behind food Dr Gurcharn Singh Sidhu won the NSW Indian Subcontinent Community Award for Lifetime Achievement.

“I feel great,” the soft-spoken scientist and humanitarian told Indian Link later.

“I’ve been working here for 45 years, and to be recognised by the government for this is a wonderful feeling.”

Dr Sidhu retired as senior principal research scientist from CSIRO in 1994, having joined way back in 1966. He first came to Australia in 1951 as a PhD student under the Colombo Plan, along with four other agriculture students who were sent here to gain skills needed to launch India’s Green Revolution. All five returned home to take up senior positions at the famed Punjab Agriculture University in Ludhiana, and helped make the state the food bowl of the country.

Having served ten years there, Dr Sidhu migrated to Australia.

Dr Sidhu found himself in the limelight in the early 1990s for having pioneered the process of extracting cholesterol from egg yolks. “The final product hit the supermarket shelves to much acclaim,” Dr Sidhu explained, “but soon medical opinion changed about dietary cholesterol not really exerting a negative influence.”

However Dr Sidhu’s work with the poultry industry continued, and he devised a formula to produce Omega-3 enriched eggs that did not taste like fish.

Dr Sidhu’s work with the Sikh community began almost immediately upon his arrival here. He helped establish the Australian Sikh Association and was the driving force behind the Glenwood gurudwara. He was also the President of the Indo-Australian Cultural Society and is widely known on the cultural scene in the Punjabi community.

Today Dr Sidhu looks back fondly at NATIONAL EDITION

his time with CSIRO. “Scientific research was at its peak during my time. We had the freedom to investigate as we chose.

Now there are lots of restrictions, such as having to report every six months on the status of your work. Science does not work that way: how can you anticipate when your experiments will succeed?

Administrators have no idea…” he says wistfully.

To scientists looking to make a future here, Dr Siudhu advises, “Agricultural research is on a downward trend, but medical research is on the way up. IT is also developing fast. But whatever you choose to do, remember, honest work is 95% perspiration.”

Dr Sidhu’s wife Natasha was at Government House to see her husband receive his award.

A good eye for

community issues Dr Siddhalingeshwara (Sid) Orekondy won the NSW Indian Subcontinent Community Award for Lifetime Achievement.

He was recognised for “37 years of outstanding volunteering in the community”.

“I am thrilled to have been chosen for recognition in the first ever Indian community awards in NSW, probably the first ever in Australia,” Dr Orekondy told Indian Link.

An ophthalmologist by profession, Dr Orekondy came to Australia in the 1970s after an eight-year stint in England. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists at first refused to give him specialist status, but acquiesced after seeing the quality of his work. Today he continues

the 2010 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in Delhi providing the Indian perspective, and offering insights on India’s culture, heritage and traditions. With this he became the first Indian Australian to take on a prominent role in a mainstream television telecast.

Sheryl Dixit

to practice at Campsie, having scaled down his practice considerably.

Dr Orekondy claims he has always enjoyed working with community groups, and has been volunteering within the Indian community here in various capacities. “I started off with the India League (which no longer exists), as Secretary, then President. The first India Fair was actually held under its auspices. I helped found the Sydney Kannada Sangha. Then the UIA came along and I’ve been with it since its inception. I have also been involved with the Veerashaiva Samaj and Chandana TV,” he says proudly.

In his professional capacity, Dr Orekondy was President of the Overseas Medical Graduates of Australia for two years. He launched the medical stall at the annual India Fair which has been disseminating information as well as gathering health-related data for research on the Indian community here.

Dr Orekondy has also provided voluntary medical services in Fiji and in India, and has led study groups to East Africa.

Last year, his home state in India, Karnataka, honoured him as a valued son of the state during its Foundation Day felicitations.

As the Indian community here grows in numbers, Dr Orekondy has the following advice to new Australians of Indian origin, “Don’t forget your roots, but equally, respect the land you live in now”.

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P rolific, yet low profiled Chandru Tolani won the NSW Indian Subcontinent Community Award for Trade and Industry.

Chandru is a highly successful hotelier, businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist. However, by choice, he remains a relatively private person in the community and his reaction to the award was one of mild surprise. “My first reaction was – at last! The extent of my contribution has finally been recognized and I have been considered as a worthy nominee. I am grateful to the people who voted for me, as it is an honour to be acknowledged for the work I have put in,” says Chandru.

And it certainly is a well-deserved award for this low-profile businessman with a string of three hotels, a golf course, and a highly successful importexport business among other ventures, which he has painstakingly built over the last 30 years of living in Australia.

“I have never sought the limelight; I believe that my actions speak louder than any need to ostentatiously display who I am and what I have done,” explains Chandru. “I am simply happy to receive recognition for my contribution to Australia’s trade and economy, and being the first Indian businessman to receive this acknowledgement is even better.”

Chandru’s various business interests employ over 300 people in Australia, and he is a well-respected, if lesser known entrepreneur, particularly for his integrity and business acumen. He

pioneered the highly-successful 2-dollar shopping concept in Australia, importing good quality, low priced, affordable products for sale in the market.

Chandru applies an attitude of understatement to his considerable charitable work as well, which is rare in these days when philanthropy is almost synonymous with publicity. His was the first organisation to bring Indian deities to the Hindu temple in Auburn, and he has been associated with the United India Organisation (UIA) and the Hindi Association as well. Chandru has held significant fundraising events at the golf course owned by him, as well as supporting other organisations like the Glen McGrath Cancer Foundation.

He has anonymously helped a raft of individuals who have suffered genuine loss or bereavement, through acts of unpublicized kindness.

Despite his success, Chandru refuses to get bogged down by the pressures of work and business. “To me, my family is very important and I spend as much time with them as I can. I work hard in managing my business interests, but in my leisure, I play golf as I am quite a fanatic, and of course, I am an out-andout family man. This is why I prefer to keep a low profile, so that I can spend my leisure hours in enjoyable activities,” says Chandru. With this appropriate balance between work, charity and leisure, Chandru seems set to continue his journey on the path of success.

Sheryl Dixit

S atyam, Shivam, Sundaram Kumud Merani won the NSW Indian Subcontinent Community Award for Arts and Culture.

As the only woman award winner, Kumud Merani is thrilled at being felicitated by the NSW government, and for a number of reasons. “Yes, of course, I am very very pleased,” says Kumud enthusiastically. “I think it’s great recognition and an acknowledgment of my contribution, and I also think the award also speaks for the empowerment of women. I am grateful to all the people who nominated me and who have shown marvellous support for my work”.

Kumud claims her work is done with passion and of her own free will, and “although tough at times, ultimately it is always rewarding”.

Kumud has been intensely involved in arts and culture since a young age; she completed her Masters in Ancient Indian Art and Culture, and was awarded a Gold Medal for topping the Uni in the subject. What followed was a job as the very first TV newsreader in Mumbai, and on coming to Australia, Kumud took up a contract job as a world newsreader in English on SBS TV. Currently, Kumud is Executive Producer for Hindi Programs on SBS; she is also a journalist/producer presenter, and a theatre producer, writer and actor.

Awards are not new to Kumud, but this one is very special, she says. “I have received at least 6 awards over the years from different Associations in NSW, as well as numerous ones from other states.

I have received international awards and recognition for my radio documentaries, which are a great source of pride for me.

However, this award is very rewarding, because it openly acknowledges the work that I have done since the past 25 years in bringing awareness of Indian art and culture to the subcontinent community as well introducing and sustaining the richness of our heritage to the people of Australia,” she says.

Theatre is the medium by which Kumud explores the realm of Indian classical art and brings it to the audience.

“My themes are usually Indo-Aussie, and I do have a yen for history, which comes through in my work. However, theatre is always the product of teamwork, and I am fortunate that to have so many willing and enthusiastic supporters, including my husband Suresh,” she says.

Her perception is that India is currently the flavour with Australians, but there is still a need to promote India’s rich classical heritage as being way beyond Bollywood. “I am keen to extend our culture to the wider mainstream and foster a deeper, richer understanding of India’s immense classical canopy – from history, to the arts, to music, poetry, dance…we have such a lot to offer!” she says.

This would be a challenge but an enjoyable one for Kumud, who describes herself as an aesthete. “I love anything that encompasses truth, goodness and beauty; Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram,” to quote this ardent fan of literature poetry.

Sheryl Dixit Photos: Warren Duncan, CRC; Drishya Sharma

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ARTS

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Reconciliation through art An exhibition by Australian and Indian artists in New Delhi aims at a message of friendship and camaraderie between the two countries Tracey Deep works with reusable and recycled material. “And she’s well aware that India is a haven for finding ample recycled material to make her works special,” says curator, Zaman. Deep’s Moonlight is made from recycled material, There was once a time when if you rescued from a landfill. mentioned the word ‘Australia’ to Indians, “It’s an example of how materials used it would bring fond memories of cricket in our everyday life can be reworked and some of the game’s biggest stars. and reinterpreted to create something Today though, the most instantaneous totally new and give the material a second reaction will be about the racial attacks life. Moonlight shimmers with an almost controversy. However since 2010, hypnotic appeal that could inspire those Australians are making much more sparring over petty ideas of racial, regional of an effort to bridge this gap – be it or even national differences to rise above Parramasala, more Indian representation the inessential and embrace the core of all in cultural events like the annual Sydney humanity,” explains Zaman.

Festival (free AR Rahman concert and the The two Indian artists featured in the Manganiyars), to exhibitions that focus show, Dhiraj Singh and Seema Kohli, have on the longstanding Indo-Australian no prior Australian connection, but after relationship (a light and fire show about the controversy, they travelled to Australia the earliest Indian immigrants to Australia between 2008-2010 to assess the situation at the last Vivid Sydney festival). and respond artistically.

Now, an Indian curator has taken the “Their works are a statement on lead in bringing the same message of understanding the grounds of differences, friendship to India. Sahar Zaman, a Delhi- clearing the misunderstanding and moving based arts journalist and independent on. My aim as the curator was to make curator, recently opened a show featuring sure the right message on Indo-Oz Indian and Australian artists in Delhi friendship is sent out using the language titled Racism & of art,” says Zaman.

Reconciliation. The Singh’s installation Since the ‘60s, Fogg has exhibition was on show titled Black Tide consists been creating lumino at Art Konsult Gallery of X-rays of skulls kinetic sculptures - light until mid-February captured in acrylic installations - inspired and received positive sheets, cut out in the political support from

by India’s colourful shape of surfboards, both countries. Meira while recycled blue Gods, mandalas and Kumar, Speaker of the plastic rope flows out the concept of karma Lok Sabha and Peter from the edges of the Verghese, Australian surfboards like water.

High Commissioner to India were chief “Dhiraj looks at the issue with his Time, guests at the opening of the exhibition. or as we say in Hindi ‘kaal’, which means The exhibition featured works by both time and the colour black, dissolving two Australian artists who have a long away the scars from human memory. The association and love for India, namely surfboards in this work act as totemic Roger Foley-Fogg and Tracey Deep. portals representing the Dreaming, the Since the ‘60s, Fogg has been creating Aboriginal idea used to describe the lumino kinetic sculptures - light journey, without beginning or end, of installations - inspired by India’s colourful things and beings,” says Zaman.

Gods, mandalas and the concept of karma.

Meanwhile, Kohli puts her observations “In the ‘60s it was as if India emerged in across in her signature style of tapestrythe collective unconscious globally,” he like canvases and several sketches. “She says. “In my young innocence and ‘60s realised that both Hindu mythology naiveté, I must confess that India seemed a and the Aboriginal Dreaming have particularly attractive society because Coca striking similarities in the way they see Cola and other suspect symbols of the the continuum of life. Especially, how corporate world were banned at that time.” the position of a woman is glorified as a Fogg’s major light-installation for significant player in nurturing the world the Racism & Reconciliation show, titled and harmonizing all existence. In one of Love Hate Love features the Swastika, her canvases, she has done a portrait of a powerful symbol which in Sanskrit an indigenous Australian face, blending it means auspicious, but was misused by with her own distinct palette,” says Zaman. the Nazis to portray Aryan superiority We hope the legacy of this initiative will and to assassinate millions of Jews. Fogg lead to a stronger and renewed friendship appropriates this symbol of positive between the two nations, based on a better energies, manipulated into a racial symbol understanding and appreciation of each to comment on the racial tensions between others’ cultures.

India and Australia.

BY SHIVANGI AMBANI-GANDHI

NATIONAL EDITION

1

2

3

4

1. Dhiraj Singh’s Black Tide 2. Tracey Deep’s Moonlight 3. Love Hate Love by Roger Foley-Fogg 4. Delhi-based art writer and curator Sahar Zaman with Australian High Commissioner to India Peter Varghese and Speaker of the Lok Sabha Meira Kumar

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Media’s hidden history revealed A lecture by Prof. Jane Chapman exposes the role of media in bringing to light pre-Independence issues and its influence on Indians during that era BY JYOTI SHANKAR

It has been over sixty years since India’s independence from British colonial rule, but there are still many historical aspects of this era that are waiting to be discovered. Visiting Professor Jane Chapman from the Lincoln University in UK seeks to uncover some of these hidden aspects.

The turnout at the public lecture by Prof. Chapman at Macquarie University titled “India’s Secret Heritage: A tale of two cities” was an indication of an increasing interest to know more about India. Prof. Chapman, who specialises in the communications history of disempowered groups in France and India, has widely studied and authored on this subject. She received a grant from the Economic and Social Science Research Council (ESRC) of UK to research ‘Women, Press & Protest in British and French India 1928The general 48’, the findings of which now philosophy of forms a touring exhibition newspapers, ‘If it showing at Macquarie University’s Art Gallery until bleeds, it leads’ ensured that bad news 4 March 2011, and was the subject of the lecture. like the economic Prof John Simons, Executive boycotts, burning of Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Macquarie University cloth, the actions of elaborated on ‘The Great India women, strikes and Project’ that the university riots were covered. embarked on last year. This included establishing the India Research Centre, the new Tagore Chair in Art and Culture endowed by the Government of India, hosting the 150th anniversary of Tagore’s birthday along with the Bengali Association, and exhibitions, lectures and cultural events. “There is a great appetite and interest to know about India. The most important task for Australia is to understand India better and forge cultural partnerships, as India is clearly a leading country of the future,” he said.

Rhonda Davis, senior curator of the art gallery who organised the ‘India - Past, Present and Abroad’ exhibition, introduced Prof. Chapman to the audience. Putting together a few of the historic visuals collected during her research, Prof. Chapman presented a sliver of Indian history and followed the researcher’s trail. Her research project’s aim was to demonstrate the power of newspapers as a vehicle of communication and the role of women in the independence struggle. The newspapers studied were The Pioneer from Allahabad and the Swadanthiram, a Tamil newspaper from Pondicherry, also

published as Soudandiram in French.

The reason Prof. Chapman chose The Pioneer was that this establishment-oriented paper started in 1865 in Allahabad, had a virtual monopoly for news, but interestingly fell into decline in the 1920s after the appointment of a liberal, F W Wilson, as its editor.

He supported the Indian freedom movement. Most of the press was metropolitan-based, reflecting the government policy towards India but not the history of the local people. When Wilson took over in 1928/29, which was also when British women were finally allowed to vote, he wrote about Indian women who were fighting for reforms and called the article, ‘The Awakening of Indian Women’. The general philosophy of newspapers, ‘If it bleeds, it leads’ ensured that bad news like the economic boycotts, burning of cloth, the actions of women, strikes and riots were covered. This helped the independence movement.

So why are newspapers hidden history? Prof.

Chapman explains, “Most historians find out the facts, get their narrative and then look at newspapers from the period for quotes to kind of illustrate what they have to say. They do not study newspapers consistently or in depth, when in fact the press is also a media institution and deserves to be studied in its own right. So what we uncovered is hidden history.”

Prof. Chapman and her team of researchers visited 50 libraries and archives in France, England and India to collect material. It was difficult doing research in India, especially at the regional archives, due to the lack of electricity for many parts of the day, the masses of records, difficulty of communicating in the local languages, different languages used in the documents, as well as lack of proper conservation.

French Indian history is also a lesser-known part of history, even among the French. Though France controlled two-thirds of Southern India at one point, they lost most of it to Britain and were down to five settlements – Pondicherry, Mahe, Karikal, Chandannagore and Yanam. They ran these settlements like full blown colonies, but in fact the French were dependent on the British to survive in India. Prof.

Chapman studied the Tamil newspaper, Swadanthiram that V S Subbaiah started in Pondicherry as a means of a voice for disenfranchised people. It published news about the textile workers strikes and terrible working conditions in textiles mills in Pondicherry - children and women were paid a pittance, the average work day was 11 hours, they had no right to form unions, to meet, no self-expression or civil rights. The newspaper became the voice of the people.

Prof. Chapman claimed that women’s history was always secret, like the history of peasants and the poor, and has not been given a fair deal by historians. Her team

of researchers wanted to look at the effect of women’s actions on print publication. They looked through masses of records of colonial administration like warrants for arrest, police statements and taxation records. “Women from all stratas of society were involved in rent strikes, boycotts and picketing of merchants selling British cloth and liquor, refusing to pay fines, and leading political movements while their men were in jail,” she claimed.

Through Prof. Chapman’s experiences of finding out and writing about women’s history and how disempowered people used newspapers to communicate, she tries to explain the wider issues about India, the lessons from the past and the importance of heritage and archive conservation. In fact, she will donate the money from the international touring exhibition to the Subbiah House in Pondicherry to help people rediscover their history.

In collaboration with Prof. Naren Chitty (International Communication) at Macquarie University, Prof. Chapman is now preparing to study the pre- and post-colonial Indian press as a hybrid democratic model. She is also helping to establish a three-way Masters programme in International Communications between Macquarie and Lincoln Universities, and India.

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Freedom and the Fourth Estate Little is known about the Indian media’s role in the fight for independence, but an enterprising team has brought little-known facts to light through an enthralling exhibition

India Past, Present and Abroad:

BY SHIVANGI AMBANI-GANDHI

Two little known episodes from the Indian media’s history have been celebrated as the core of a major exhibition in Sydney recently. Press and Protest (www.pressandprotest. com), a research project led by Prof Jane Chapman reveals how newspapers became the public voice for mass protest by ordinary people during India’s freedom movement. Images from her research, along with some poetic photographs by three contemporary Australian photographers came together for the India – Past, Present and Abroad exhibition, which ran at the Macquarie University Art Gallery until February 18, 2011.

Prof. Chapman’s section of the exhibition focuses on two little known episodes in Allahabad, United Provinces (Uttar Pradesh) in British India and in the French territory of Pondicherry (Tamil Nadu), when newspapers became the vehicles of protest for freedom, particularly by women.

These powerful images are accompanied by the works of Effy Alexakis, Nathalie Hartog-Gautier and Jon Rhodes, to convey the rich and varied communities throughout India and its global diaspora.

“Almost 4 years ago, when we first started the academic research element of this exhibition in the UK, I never imagined in my wildest dreams that it would culminate in this great exhibition event in Australia,” says Prof.

Chapman. “It all started because I was impressed with the success of India’s press today – they’re in profit and still increasing circulation at a time when, in most other parts of the world, newspapers are suffering.”

Impressed by the Indian media today, she began to trace this success historically, and the immediate pre-independence period seemed crucial.

A specialist in media representation of women, Prof. Chapman then began comparing India, France, Germany and “But the people were Britain. This resulted wonderful: even when they didn’t speak English, they really in a book called Gender, Citizenship and the Media: wanted to help, and were Historical and Transnational delighted with the interest from other countries in India’s Perspectives, to be published

by Palgrave in 2012, with heritage.” (Jane Chapman) co-author Dr. Kate Lacey.

With funding for a two-year project from the ESRC (Economic and Social Science Research Council) called ‘Women, Press and Protest in British and French India, 1928-48’, she began focusing on the two events in Allahabad and Pondicherry.

Working with a research team of three, Prof. Chapman looked at newspaper archives, memoirs, biographies, government records such as correspondence and unpublished reports, contemporary pamphlets and leaflets brought out by trade unions and political groups at the time. “We visited 15 different libraries and archive holders in India, with 3 separate visits, to Calcutta, Delhi (3 times), Chennai, Lucknow, Allahabad, and Pondicherry,” says Prof.

Chapman. “In fact we looked at everything we could lay our hands on, that was relevant to the influence of women, their public communications, newspapers, the freedom movement and the public sphere. It’s an under-researched subject, and there’s a shortage of information.”

The most interesting findings though, perhaps come from the interviews Prof. Chapman and her team undertook. “In the south, we interviewed people in Pondicherry (Tamil Nadu) who said that, because of censorship, their newspaper Swandanthiram (Liberty) was read out loud to groups of ordinary folk, who would then destroy it, in case it was seized. Some of their newspaper sellers were even murdered by hired gangs of thugs – NATIONAL EDITION

life was difficult for them, and women were particularly brave. Some went on to become ministers and political leaders, so our research says a lot about the roots of Indian citizenship,” reveals Prof. Chapman.

Besides such small readership papers, more established news media also bravely took on the fight with the British, reveals Prof. Chapman. “Even establishment newspapers such as The Pioneer were influenced by female-led boycotts and other forms of protest, as well as demands for educational and social reforms. We chose that paper because it is one of the longest established dailies, and for a short while in 1928-9, there was a liberal editor who wanted change,” she says.

Conducting research in India had its own set of rather predictable challenges for the team. “The detective process can be a bit like searching for a needle in a hay-stack, because not everything is listed in catalogues, and nothing is online. You have to be in India and talk to people,” says Prof. Chapman. “We found on occasions that even taxi-drivers didn’t know where the archive buildings were located although we had addresses, and when we finally got to some of the state and regional offices, they were neglected and under–resourced, with electricity cuts and no computers for public usage.”

“But the people were wonderful: even when they didn’t speak English, they really wanted to help, and were delighted with the interest from other countries in India’s heritage. They were also curious about us, and asked lots of questions,” she adds.

With the exhibition component, Prof. Chapman wanted to reflect India’s much touted diversity. “We have brought together a fusion of talents,” says Prof. Chapman. “Effy Alexakis’ social documentary approach to Sydney’s Indian community, focuses on six aspects: education, religion, food, tradition, diaspora, and identity. Nathalie HartogGautier’s video artistry develops drawings of the patterns of jali screens superimposed over colour images inspired by the concept of a journey. Jon Rhodes donated his now classic black and white photos to the MQ art collection in 1981, but they were taken in 1975-1979. He talks of his journey as, I quote, ‘that crazy, incomprehensible procession of events that to me, is India’.”

“It strikes me that what is presented here is a geographic range – Sydney, Allahabad (Uttah Pradesh), Pondicherry (Tamil Nadu), Rajasthan (Udaipur), Calcutta, West Bengal and South Orissa; a range of mediums and styles, a range of artists. But what unites us is our creative eye – that of Westerners who have made India the subject of international focus. What unites us also is our desire to better understand and celebrate the richness of the narratives of Indian people past, present and abroad,” avers Prof. Chapman.

A Professor of Communications at the UK’s Lincoln University as well as a Macquarie Visiting Professor, she has also previously worked on other Indian projects. Prof.

Chapman has written three articles on the Narmada Dam controversy – the longest running protest ever, and has been published several times on writer Arundhati Roy. “I’ve also written about the veteran Indian documentary maker, Anand Patwardhan. I can identify with him as I used to have my own production company making documentaries – I guess I’m attracted by visual expression as well as the history of print publications,” says Prof. Chapman. She also has two more Indian research projects in development with MQ as a partner, as well as plans to tour this exhibition around Australia and at a national venue.

So the most obvious question from the Indian community to Prof. Chapman: is this another attempt at reconciliation after souring of relations post the racial attacks controversy? “The racial attacks were bad news, but further public understanding of India is good news!

All the people I’m working with believe in furthering public understanding of India and in Macquarie’s efforts to disseminate that knowledge both nationally and internationally, through the Indian Research Centre and international partnerships. That also involves what the Indian Consul here – Amit Dasgupta – calls ‘public diplomacy’. I’m an optimist for the future in this respect!” says this enterprising lady.

Pondicherry Photo courtesy of the French Instiutute

Allahabad Photo: Nathalie Hartog-Gautier

Sikh kitchen in Sydney Photo: Effy Alexakis

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Call centre connections The sympathetic bonding between two very different people from opposite sides of the globe comes alive in this thought-provoking play

BY GAURAV PANDEY

Arjun Raina’s play A terrible beauty is born was staged at the Dancehouse in Melbourne recently, and its evocative theme found the audience enraptured.

The play oscillates between New York and Gurgaon, and traces an encounter between Elizabeth, an old American lady and Ashok Mathur, an Indian call centre worker whose job is to make credit collection calls to Americans under the pseudonym John Small.

Arjun, the voice of all the characters of the play, establishes his talent as an actor within the first few lines he utters: a moving, and at times heart breaking, portrayal of the distressed state of a mother concerned about her daughter who has gone missing after the World Trade Centre Tower Then there’s the attack. His interpretation hopeless dichotomy of Elizabeth is between the day expertly steered and night lives of between being Ashok, shown to us too clichéd or thorough juxtaposed too unusual.

Elizabeth is images of high-rises real, even with in New York and that booming dilapidated Old Delhi male voice on her. structures.

Ashok calls Elizabeth for a credit card payment but ends up finding himself morally bound to help her find her daughter who is a single mother and has been using an add-on card given to her by Elizabeth to make ends meet.

Elizabeth, who has had no news from her daughter since the attacks, pleads with Ashok to look out for purchases of baby products on her credit card, which

would tell her that her daughter is alive.

Ashok helps Elizabeth, perhaps to lend through an act of selflessness, a little meaning to the farce called John Small.

Arjun’s play perhaps tries to highlight the cruelty of dual identity in so many ways that the story almost becomes a mere glue to keep the message together.

The suicide of Ashok’s young colleague, who was perhaps unable to cope with the pressures of a job that required her to be able to ward off personal insults with her American cloak, is one such pointer.

Then there’s the hopeless dichotomy between the day and night lives of Ashok, shown to us thorough juxtaposed images of high-rises in New York and dilapidated Old Delhi structures. The contrast captures well the state of mind of an individual trying to survive both these worlds at the same time: a second-hand American dream dreamed under a stationary fan on hot summer days spent in one of the most chaotic parts of a city, plagued by a sprawling population and deep-seated superstitions.

At one point, Arjun breaks his Americanaccented monologue to switch to chaste Urdu: “Baat karni mujhe mushqil kabhi aisi to na thi, jaisi ab hai teri mehfil kabhi aisi to na thi.” The couplet translates as, “to talk (communicate) was never as hard for me as it’s now, the gathering (audience) was never what it’s now.” Any guesses whom he is talking about?

Arjun’s performance as Elizabeth stands out; in a way it is a grim reminder that these are the very qualities that Ashok must display everyday, day after day, to merely keep his job. There are no accolades reserved for him; he is just a pawn in a world where dollars and cents count more than human identities.

The play successfully touches us with the story of world-class actors whose best reward is anonymity.

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Should Australia keep growing?

Individual points of view tackle the merits and demerits of population growth from a scientific, sociological and environmental perspective BY ANUSHA MENON

“Should Australia keep growing?” This was the question of interest and the title of the Open Forum held at the University of Western Sydney’s Parramatta campus recently.

The Forum, held in one of Australia’s most culturally diverse tertiary institutions, addressed the fundamental issues of sustainability, immigration and multiculturalism in the country. On the panel were Dr. Andrew Jakubowicz (Professor of Sociology at the University of Technology), Ms. Sandra Kanck (President of Sustainable Population Australia) and Dr. Tanveer Ahmed, psychiatrist and opinion columnist at the Sydney Morning Herald.

Each speaker addressed an array of key issues that they thought were pertinent to the question of Australia’s growing population. Dr. Andrew Jakubowicz, an advocate for migration, focused on the “sustainability question” by linking the relationship between the Earth’s biosphere and its sociosphere. He accentuated the fact that it is not the mere existence of humans that impedes on the biosphere, but the culture of these people as human behaviour changes the environment. Jakubowicz posited the option of engaging in a differentiated way in order to have

24 <> FEBRUARY (2) 2011

healthier impacts on the biosphere, an example assumptions that underlie her debate. She of this being smaller family units, as this has justified her controversial views by asserting less of an environmental impact as compared that science is not concerned with the ethnicity to larger families. He then addressed what he of people, it is the mere adding of humans to determines to be the three main “Population the biosphere that destroys it. She said that if Crises.” The first crisis is that there are “too immigration did cease, women of childbearing many people for the ecosystem to survive.” age in Australia would continue giving birth, This entails the dilemma of having a population and this in itself would have negative impacts that is of the wrong age on the environment. She or are equipped with the also criticized the notion Tanveer Ahmed wrong skills, and it considers that there always exists a touched on the fact environmental degradation “technological solution” and pollution. The second that Australia has the to the problem. Using the population crisis is that of water supply, highest rate of mixed example there are “too few people.” she asserted that as water marriages, which Retirees are inadequately increased over time, there supported due to the lack of was a larger net overseas proves successful care workers, more skilled migration rate with larger migration and people are needed to fill unmitigated harms. integration. jobs, and rural towns are Examples of these harms becoming “shells” due to are the concentration of extensive movement to urban areas. The third immigrants in the Western Sydney region and crisis is that there is “too much competition the doubling of infrastructure to cope with the for the best migrants.” Jakubowicz claimed that increase. Kanck concluded that adding to the migration brings creativity and some of the best population is detrimental, as growth contributes people who produce this are refugees, therefore to destroying the planet and “if we trash the drawing the conclusion that a multicultural, land, we trash ourselves.” ecologically sensitive strategy is needed to tackle The final speaker of the panel, Tanveer the issue of Australia’s population growth.

Ahmed, eloquently wrapped up the debate An avid supporter of limiting Australia’s by first clarifying that Australia’s population population, Sandra Kanck began her talk by growth will be an ongoing issue that will persist addressing the common misconceptions and for a long time, and it would seem that every

conceivable urban fear is cluttered into this very subject. He claimed that infrastructure and property prices are a very easy scapegoat for rising immigration, and he commented on the ongoing allusions to science, which appear to be constituted by personal paranoia that are not grounded in authentic scientific detail.

Ahmed also discussed the topic of an aging population and said that there appears to be a fundamental trade off, as a bigger population means more housing and youth, where as a smaller one means less housing but significantly older people. He claimed that the government only has a certain amount of power over this and net migration cannot be controlled. Ahmed concluded his talk by touching on the fact that Australia has the highest rate of mixed marriages, which proves successful migration and integration. However, he argued that whilst many refugee groups are dynamic, large groups tend to be unskilled and it is through skilled workers that success tends to be achieved.

Ultimately, a fear of over population is nothing new; it is a complex issue that brings forth a variety of economic, environmental and social anxieties. Whilst many turn to the government to manage these concerns, others appeal for an independent body to tackle the “Population Crises.” Either way, population growth in Australia is an important subject and certainly should not remain in the periphery of the Australian psyche.

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A group of enterprising Bangladeshi girls raise a substantial amount for the Queensland Flood appeal, through their unique organisation The evening of January 30 saw members of the Bangladeshi community in Campbelltown gather for a good cause, despite the intense heat. More than 350 people came together at the request of Projonmo Bangladesh Sydney (Probasy).

A registered charity organisation run by a group of young Bangladeshi girls, Probasy has been catalysing social change through assisting those in need in Bangladesh and abroad.

Over the past 10 years, Probasy has been an active participant in organising cultural programs, Tree Plantation Day, Blood Donation programs, as well as festivals and fairs held in Sydney Their latest project was closer home, as the organisation felt it was important to rally local efforts to support the thousands of people affected by the floods in Queensland. A charity dinner and auction was held, and was attended by the Federal MP Laurie Ferguson and the Ambassador of Bangladesh Lieutenant General Mausud Uddin Chowdhury. Support and donations were also received from Mr Andrew McDonald, local state MP, Campbelltown.

The event raised $10,220 through the sale of tickets and an auction of items sponsored by the local business community. It was an enjoyable night for all who attended. The total expenses totalled to $1,199, which was fully sponsored by businesses in the local community.

A bank cheque of $10,220.00 payable to the Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal was accepted by Mr Laurie Ferguson on

February 11, on behalf of the Premier of Queensland.

(The final accounts of the event are available from Mr Nizam Uddin Ahmed, Mr Mahbubul Islam Chowdhury, Mr Mossaref Chowdhury, Mr Jacob Chowdhury, Mr Mustaq Khan and at the registered office of Probasy).

Probasy is overwhelmed by the help, co-operation and assistance from their community, sponsors, donors and media, and is grateful to all the members, participants and volunteers for their cooperative efforts in making the event a success. Probasy also thanks those who bought the tickets but could not make it on the night, and everyone for their support.

The team at Probasy are deeply aware of social and current issues and actively work to address them. Created in 2001, the organisation arose from a collective need to better the lives of the disadvantaged in Bangladesh, as well as in Australia. Its main focus was originally to raise funds for the acid victims of Bangladesh, and the organisation has now branched out to aid other causes in both countries. Over the past 10 years, Probasy has been an active participant in organising cultural programs, Tree Plantation Day, Blood Donation programs, as well as festivals and fairs held in Sydney. Stalls have raised funds for dedicated projects including charity functions for the Red Cross, Cancer Council breakfasts and Clean up Australia day, among other initiatives.

Probasy has raised funds for acid victims in Bangladesh, and these have been successfully deployed for their treatment, legal aid, rehabilitation, self-employment needs and social awareness campaigns. In the past, money was raised for a cancer patient named Prapti (a 3-year-old girl in Bangladesh) and a Bangladeshi cancer student in Australia. The team also raised funds for SIDR Flood affected people in

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Bangladesh, and held a Cadbury chocolate run, raising money for the 20 most affected families in Nilfamaria to the north of Bangladesh, providing them with incomegenerating items such as rickshaws, sewing machines, cows, van, wheelchair and tins for their shelter.

In September 2010 during the month of Ramadan, the Probasy team organised an Iftar party, raising $5,000 for fistula patients in Bangladesh. Fistula is an injury of obstructed labour without timely medical intervention, which may result in stillbirth and leave the mother with many complications. The team has successfully organised for 25 fistula patients to be operated on as they have

been suffering from this disease for 10 to 20 years. This was organised through Motaleb Community Hospital in Dhaka, and cost an average of $200 per patient. In Bangladesh there are 100,000 unfortunate poor mothers who still suffer from fistula disease today.

Probasy’s next project will be to put up a stall at the Bangladeshi Boi Mela (book fair) at Ashfield Park on February 20 from 10am to 6pm, to raise further funds for the acid victims of Bangladesh. Support from the community would be appreciated by Probasy and its members.

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T tennis iny tots

Some of our community’s youngest tennis players were thrilled to be part of the tennis euphoria associated with last month’s Australian Open season.

Select students from the Footwork Sports Academy (FSA) at Wentworthville won a chance to demonstrate their skills at Sydney’s Medibank International Tournament.

A lead up to the Australian Open, the Medibank International Tournament attracts top players from all around the world. This year the men’s singles’ title was won by Giles Simon who defeated world number 4 Viktor Troicki. The women’s singles saw the emergence of Chinese player Li Na, who defeated Kim Clijsters in the finals.

It was also camera, lights and action for children from the Footwork Sports Academy (FSA), an official deliverer of MLC Hotshot tennis program based in Wentworthville.

The children of the academy had a rare opportunity to play on the Ken Rosewall Arena centre court at Sydney Olympic Park tennis centre on January 14.

These talented youngsters showcased their playing ability and talent, and the next day, were rewarded with an opportunity to meet many of the international players, and even have a hit or two with them. A special highlight for them was to interact with Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna, and then to see him in action, fighting hard in the doubles with his partner Asim Qureshi from Pakistan. The duo, famously known as Indo-Pak Express, went down fighting in the semi-finals of the tournament, coincidentally on the same court where the children had played the day before. The Indo-Pak pair played extremely well but lost in supertie-breakers to Australian Paul Hanley and Czech Lukas Dlouhy.

The unique experience of playing on centre court and meeting champion players will remain a fond memory for the students of the Academy and will perhaps, inspire and motivate a few more to take up the game more seriously.

Participating children and their parents were offered an entry ticket into the grounds and a seat in a reserved section of Ken Rosewall Arena, to view the on-court demonstration by their kids, some of who

were as young as five.

FSA’s MLC Tennis Hotshot program is a fun and exciting way for children to get involved in the sport of tennis. Promoted

by Tennis Australia, the program is aimed at children aged between 5-12, and it uses modified courts, racquets and balls to keep the game fun and easy. The program is based on the ‘learning through play’ philosophy, where children serve, rally and score.

FSA with the help of Tennis NSW had organised an internal lead up tournament to choose the top 8 children for the Sydney International event. Parth Khanna, Dhanush Vijay Kumar, Tejash, Jash Patel, Jai Shah, Dave Sarang Dubey, Ayush Gupta, Sanjay Nambisan and Bhumika were the lucky kids who were selected. With Tennis Australia’s

Sanjiv Dubey of Footwork Sports Academy leads his wards on to centre court at Sydney Olympic Park.

ongoing efforts to promote the game within the young, this significant initiative has met with moderate success especially amongst the migrant population. The trend is changing and it might take a few years before we see a world number one coming out of Australia; perhaps someone of Indian origin will take the lead, bringing laurels to their adopted motherland in the

international tennis circuit.

FSA thanks the staff of Tennis NSW and particularly Matt Starr and Kathryn Schulz for reaching out to the kids from the migrant community and engaging them during this mega tournament. For further information on the sport visit www.tennis.com.au Sanjiv Dubey

Kids from Sydney’s Indian community greet subcontinent stars Rohan Bopanna and Asim Quereshi as they come out to play during the Medibank International Tennis Tournament

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An architecture exhibition entitled “Jugaad Urbanism” on the Indian conept of “making do” is currently on at a New York museum.

India to grow 9 percent in 201112: PM’s advisor

India’s economy is likely to grow by 9 percent in 2011-12 on the back of 10.3 percent growth in services and 9.2 percent expansion in industry sector, the chairman of the prime minister’s economic advisory council said recently.

“We hope that the economic growth in the next fiscal year will be about 9 percent.

Services as well as industry are expected to do better,” said C. Rangarajan, chairman of the economic advisory council to the prime minister, while releasing the Review of the Economy for 2010-11.

Rangarajan said the Indian economy was expected to expand 8.6 percent in the current fiscal, broadly in line with the council’s last year projection and budget estimates.

The central statistical organisation had also recently indicated in its advance growth estimates that the country’s gross domestic product could grow by 8.6 percent in 2010-11.

The services sector is expected to grow 10.3 percent in 2011-12 as against the estimated growth of 9.6 percent in the current fiscal and industry is likely to grow 9.2 percent next fiscal as against 8.1 percent projected growth next fiscal.

However, agricultural growth is likely to be slow next fiscal because of high base.

Agriculture sector growth is estimated to fall to 3 percent next fiscal from the projected 5.4 percent growth in the current fiscal.

“Agriculture has done well this year. But you will also recognise the fact that the strong growth rate in agriculture of 5 percent plus comes on top of somewhat poor agricultural performance in the two previous years,” he said.

Rangarajan, however, said that a dip in manufacturing output in November and December indicated that growth in the sector could be flat in the last quarter of the current 32 <> FEBRUARY (2) 2011

fiscal, resulting in a dampening effect on the economy.

The former Reserve Bank of India governor said industry as a whole could grow by 8.1 percent, and pegged manufacturing output at 8.8 percent for the current fiscal.

“The somewhat slower rate of growth in manufacturing in the last fewmonths, for which data are available, would indicate that the industry growth rate may be lower but it can be compensated to some extent by the better performance of the mining sector and services sector,” he added.

Growth in the services sector could be much stronger and was likely to grow by 9.6 percent, helped by a good performance in the first half of 2010-11.

Exports in the year, according to the balance of payment data, could touch $230 billion and the imports could be of the order of $362 billion, he added.

BP to buy 30 percent stake in RIL oil blocks for $7.2 bn

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries (RIL) said that London-based global energy major BP was buying a 30-percent stake in 23 of its oil and gas blocks for a whopping $7.2 billion.

The pact, which will constitute one of the largest single foreign direct investment proposals for India, was signed in London

by Ambani and Robert Dudley, the chief executive of BP Group, formerly called British Petroleum.

“The partnership across the full value chain comprises BP taking a 30 percent stake in 23 oil and gas production sharing contracts that Reliance operates in India, including the KG D6 block,” the $44.6 billion Indian oil to retail giant said in a statement.

BP will pay Reliance Industries an aggregate consideration of $7.2 billion for the interests to be acquired in the 23 production sharing contracts, RIL added.

The pact also includes a 50:50 joint venture for the two companies to source and market gas in India, which will seek to “accelerate the creation of infrastructure for receiving, transporting and marketing of natural gas in India.”

The deal was announced after the closing bell for Indian stock exchanges, where the shares of Reliance Industries had closed at Rs.956.50 with a gain of 2.04 percent or Rs.19.15 on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

London-based, India-born industrialist’s Vedanta Group had earlier proposed to acquire 51-percent stake in the Indian assets of Cairn Energy for $9.6 billion. This deal is expected to go to the cabinet for a final call.

RIL said it expects more payments from the deal in the future, based on explorations resulting in development of commercial discoveries. Together, these could amount to $20 billion, said RIL, India’s largest private company by market capitalisation.

“This partnership combines the skills of both companies and will be focused on finding more hydrocarbons blocks of India and significantly contribute to India’s energy security,” said Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries.

The 23 oil and gas blocks together cover approximately 270,000 sq km and RIL will continue to be the operator under the production sharing contracts. These blocks currently produce about 1.8 billion cubic feet of gas per day -- over 30 percent of India’s total consumption and 40 percent of production.

“India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. By allying ourselves with Reliance, we will access the most prolific gas basin in India and secure a place in the fast growing Indian gas markets, creating a genuinely distinctive BP position,” said Bob Dudley.

BP has been working with Reliance since

Photo: Sam Lahoz

December 2008 on the D-17 deepwater block in the Krishna Godavari (KG) basin on the east coast of India. BP, with a 50 percent interest operates the block and Reliance holds the remaining interest.

According to BP’s energy outlook 2030, energy consumption in India has grown by 190 percent over the past 20 years and is likely to grow by 115 percent over the next 20 years, a rate of over 4 percent per annum.

From Boston to Khajuraho to tie the knot

The setting for their wedding could not be more appropriate. The young girl and her beau flew all the way from Boston in the US to Khajuraho just to fulfill their dream of tying the knot the Indian way in the glory of the ancient temples famous for erotic sculptures.

Saint and Julia became husband and wife recently in a temple in Khajuraho, the renowned heritage town in Madhya Pradesh whose world famous temples were built over 200 years in 950-1150 A.D. A local priest chanted the Gayatri mantra and many of the town’s people were on hand to greet the newly-weds.

The entire ceremony was in accordance with Hindu Vedic marriage rituals, as both Saint and Julia always wanted it to be.

Instead of saying “I do..”, Saint and Julia chanted the mantra the priest recited to them.

The American couple took the “saat fere” (seven rounds) around the holy fire and Saint put sindoor on Julia’s forehead.

The two had help from the town’s people to make all the arrangements.

“India’s culture is very fascinating. We had heard about the Indian marriage system and wanted our marriage to be this way,” a beaming Julia said afterwards.

Jageshwar Shukla, the priest who solemnised the marriage, was also happy.

“Ninety percent of marriages conducted INDIAN LINK

student from Mumbai and an illustrator for comics, coming to the convention helped him see the world of comics “through a new prism”.

“I think such conventions are the hubs of business and creativity at the same time. As an illustrator, I am all set to face the challenge of internet and am willing to come out with my own comics,” Chalke said.

He is all set to release his comics in May at a cost of Rs.5 per issue.

Another new comic-book is “Uud Bilaw Manus: Back with a Vengeance”, released at the convention.

“It is about the adventures of the superhero UuBiMa, a Bhojpuri-speaking superhero from north India. I just thought why not have our own ‘desi’ superhero when we have Superman, Spiderman and others,” said Adhiraj Singh, the 22-year-old creator of the character.

“UuBiMa,” with a tint of pulp fiction and Bollywood, comes to fight enemies like Babu Ghadiyal, and Boa Contractor (a corrupt municipality contractor).

For young comic-lovers who had long left the world of comics behind after the kidsentertainment channels took over their couch hours, the convention was a trip down the memory lane.

“I remember hiding comics in my school bags. Somehow it’s not that popular now. But this convention was unique,” said 15-year-old Manish Choudhury, a school-goer.

The fair included over 50 publishers, such as Magna, Marvel, Archie and DC comics, along with the popular Indian brigade of Amar Chitra Katha, Vimanika, Diamond and National Book Trust among others.

A lifetime achievement award ceremony for Anant Pai, creator of Tinkle and Amar Chitra Katha, gave a fitting end to the convention.

Jugaad architecture: Plastic bottles and recycled cables make up a chandelier Photo: Rajesh Vora on an Indian city street

under Vedic system do not fail. I think that is why they chose it this way”, said the priest.

Haryana leader starts tractor ‘yatra’

At a time when most politicians use luxurious motorised raths (chariot) to conduct marches, Haryana Janhit Congress chief Kuldeep Bishnoi recently initiated his party’s ‘Janhit Yatra’ from Kalka in Haryana on tractors.

This 16-day yatra of Bishnoi will cover different parts of Haryana before culminating at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

“Our yatra will pass through various districts of Haryana and our main aim is to listen to the grievances of local people. This yatra would finish at Jantar Mantar and we would sit on one day hunger strike to protest against the wrong policies and corruption of Congress government,” Bishnoi told reporters.

“On reaching Delhi, we would also submit a memorandum to the president of India. We have deliberately used tractors as mode of transport, because they are used by the rural people, who are our main strength. We would go on slow speed and try to attend to as many people as we can,” said Bishnoi, who is the son of former chief minister Bhajan Lal. Bishnoi also himself drove a yellowcoloured tractor, which depicts the colour of the flag of his party.

Bishnoi and Bhajan Lal were suspended from the Congress after they floated their own political outfit in 2007.

The father-son duo were upset with the Congress leadership since Bhajan Lal was denied the chief minister’s post even though he led the party to one of its biggest victories in the 2005 assembly polls.

New-age fare at India’s first comics convention

The seemingly fading world of comics came alive in the capital, but with a difference - as NATIONAL EDITION

comics on tablets and on iPads to reach out to the widest possible audience.

The popular junction for expats and shoppers - Dilli Haat in south Delhi - was thronged by comics enthusiasts of all agegroups at the two-day comics convention that concluded in the capital recently.

The first ever convention in the country

by Comic Con India saw graphic designers, artistes, writers and publishers coming together to open the world of comics to young readers, and also to the old world that still cherishes the picture-story days of childhood.

“It is true that comics have now entered the internet age, but they have not really lost their identity. The world of comics had slowed down, but I think they are coming back again,” said Jatin Varma, organiser from Twenty Onwards Media.

“The response we have seen here is phenomenal. The market is witnessing a boom, and this will surely have an impact on the world of comics,” said Varma.

While there were colours galore from the comic world, what kept the comics-lovers busy was the idea of having comics on iPads and Androids.

“In the Internet age, comics on tablets and social platforms reach out to a wider-audience.

The cost of printing is not there, and the ideas spread faster,” Adhiraj Singh, a comics-writer associated with Twenty Onwards Media, said.

“You can’t really blame the tech-age, as you can’t forget that there’s a struggle to revive this lost form of art of story-telling through illustrations,” Singh admitted.

The two-day festival had on display stalls from nearly 35 publishers, interactive sessions and workshops by comic book creators, animators and publishers.

First timers set the ball rolling as the platform turned out to be the perfect hunt for publishers, illustrators and artists.

For Atish Chalke, the 30-year-old arts

Indian ‘jugaad’ has design lessons for Americans

A big window sign in Hindi saying ‘Jugaad’ is pulling in Indian cabbies to intrigued tourists and urban planners to a show in New York on how Indians are doing more with less.

“There is a very positive and enthusiastic response and a curiosity to know more,” says architect Kanu Agrawal, curator of “Jugaad Urbanism: Resourceful Strategies for Indian Cities,” exploring what architects, designers, and urban planners can learn from the ‘jugaad’ strategy of “making do”.

Besides people walking past a big window sign saying ‘jugaad’, tourists and taxi drivers who can read Hindi, architects, urban planners, product designers, have been drawn to the show.

“Firstly, they are intrigued coneptuslly and interested in how people are making do in a creative manner,” Agrawal, a Delhi native, said.

“The concept of ‘jugaad’ which is very common in India is somehow resonating with the people here,” he said noting there is lots of wastage of resources in the US be it water or electricity or other materials.

Organised by the Centre for Architecture, the first exhibition in US on contemporary Indian urbanism focuses on design by the people and for the people, of Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Pune.

The show “creates a more conscious and sensitive approach to how they use their resources more responsibly and also it gives them a window on how cities in India are coping with these things and look at the future more carefully when they are designing for density and all those issues,” said Agrawal.

Much research is taking place in the world and the US on design in stressful conditions.

Besides bringing about a general awareness of the issues centred around the shortage of resources and how people deal with them creatively, the show aims to show architects “how small scale creative design solutions by the people can influence big environmental and large scale conditions.”

For instance an improvement in the design

of a ‘chullah’ or cooking stove can have a huge impact on the environment as also the people who use it, Agrawal said. ‘Chullah’ research is going on in parts of Oregon and New York in US too.

“The idea is to motivate more people to think about these issues” as “solutions are not just localised; they are pretty global.”

The show adopts a two pronged approach.

Firstly, it documents the existing conditions and how people are responding to it, said Agrawal, citing a make-shift toilet or a ‘jugaad” chandelier made from plastic bottles or a strategy to cobble together material to deal with a situation.

The other is how ‘designs by people’ inspire designers to work within their constraints, he said.

For example, oil tin cans used for roofing by the people have been used for the people by designers, using the ‘jugaad’ strategy.

Sky walks have provided a quick ‘jugaad’ solution to a very pressing urban problem of dense packed street traffic on the roads in Mumbai, where Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has commissioned as many as 37 of such facilities for pedestrians.

Agrawal hoped “these ideas percolate into Indian design thinking” even as urban planners cope with the different forces that are at play including strong market forces, political forces and aspects of corruption.

Police honour man for saving 600 lives on highway

When most people look the other way and walk on when someone is involved in a road accident, Israr, “the saviour on the LucknowDelhi highway” remains a rare phenomenon.

He has helped save a staggering 600 lives over the last six years, police say.

The Uttar Pradesh traffic directorate recently honoured 40-year-old Israr, popularly known as “Bhura” in the Jyotiba Phulke Nagar area of Amroha district, at a traffic management seminar in Lucknow.

“Even the local police first informs Bhura, who makes it a point to reach the site of the accident and rush the injured to the nearest hospital. According to official records, he was responsible for saving at least 600 lives in six years,” state traffic director S.K. Shukla said.

Praising Bhura for his services, he said: “Today he is the most sought after man in Jyotiba Phule Nagar in case of a road accident”.

Talking to the media, Bhura recalled how he was led into taking up the cause of accident victims.

“What moved me for the first time was the sight of an unattended accident victim bleeding to death near Gajraula in the summer of 2005. That day I took a resolve to do my bit to save such victims,” Bhura said.

Bhura is a daily wager and has to toil to make both ends meet. But that does not stop him from going out of his way to ensure that any accident victim within his reach does not remain unattended.

“I would seek help of my neighbours and other people to at least help him rush the victim to a nearby hospital,” he said.

Bhura is all praise for a local doctor in Amroha, who provided him with an ambulance whenever needed to take accident victims to hospitals.

What followed was a chain reaction and over the years, Bhura’s support base has grown by leaps and bounds.

“Today, I have a network of at least 100 people stationed at different places along the national highway in UP, who are always ready to offer their services for the injured”, Bhura pointed out.

Significantly, most of these are the relatives of those whom Bhura had saved at some point of time.

Bhura also helps local police to perform the last rites of unclaimed bodies.

IANS

FEBRUARY (2) 2011 <> 33

Capturing India’ s colourful characters in charcoal The essence of India and its people come alive through a series of eye-catching portraits by a talented Aussie artist

BY SHIVANGI AMBANI-GANDHI

Australian artist Daniel Connell began his series of charcoal portraits of the Sikh community in Australia after meeting with driver Lakhvir Singh in his taxi in Adelaide. The series, titled Faith in Taxis has exhibited in Chandigarh and will soon travel to Ludhiana. Here we chat to Daniel about his new series, his other Indian projects and the joys of living in India.

Shivangi Ambani-Gandhi: Any artwork about any Indian community in Australia is immediately framed within the context of the racial attacks.

How did this affect your approach to the Sikh community, knowing that the portraits would be seen as a response to the attacks?

Daniel Connell: I don’t believe the attacks are racially motivated - they are opportunistic and criminal. It (the attacks) has surged lately due to the huge explosion in Indian students in Australia, most of who are working late and travelling late. However, any new arrivals should be made welcome. Having experienced tremendous hospitality in India, I felt I needed to return some of this to the Indian community by showing some respect and affection towards them. If my work can do this, I am happy.

SAG: How has the response to the Faith in Taxis series been in Australia and India?

DC: Faith was displayed in Adelaide in public windows etc., in the West end of the city. The response in Chandigarh has been amazing - I have had people weeping in front of the portraits, and many embraces and more invitations to homes, villages and dinners than I could handle. It has had the desired effect of making Indian people here feel proud of their exports, and proud of who they are.

SAG: Why did you choose the medium of charcoal for this series?

DC: Charcoal is an immediate material; it is urgent and elemental and I also feel comfortable with it. It can be used for large scale works relatively cheaply, and is very expressive. It complements the nature of the works being designed for public display rather than for a gallery.

SAG: How did the Dhanbad Forestry Department art camp come about, and what was the experience like for you?

DC: I went to Dhanbad twice for this camp. I was connected through a mutual artist friend. It was a tremendous experience to witness some of the Adivasi culture and see the Eastern end of India.

I was not allowed to go anywhere without a bodyguard, but I managed to escape in the evenings and go exploring the dhabas etc., to meet real characters. I chose the dhabas with the least lighting so I would not be obvious as a foreigner. I remember sitting on the eve of Republic Day last year and having a drink with a Sikh, a Muslim and a Hindu - they were hilarious characters! Another portrait is of a retired security guard I met in the chai shop outside the camp venue. I also drew the family of the chaiwalla.

It is such people I like to celebrate in my portraits. I like to bring ordinary or marginalised people into the centre of the community. It was good antidote to all the pomp of government officials who continued to visit the camp with flashing lights and ceremony.

SAG: What about the cricketers in the Rajasthan series - how did that come about?

DC: I met Greg Chappell while he was working with the Rajasthan Cricket Academy and we became good friends. He was working with young men from the village and underprivileged areas. The fellows were so enthusiastic, genuine and positive. I drew them from the sidelines of a practice session. I was very impressed by the way Greg gave them full respect and attention. He was really trying to boost their self-esteem.

There was one young man who was being praised - his face was so humble and awestruck. It was a pure moment, and I tried to capture this.

SAG: How did you meet the photographer Pranlal Patel and how did this portrait opportunity turn up?

DC: I met Pranlal Patel during his exhibition in Jaipur, he really is a national treasure. Now at 100 years old, he’s still taking beautiful photographs. I asked if I could paint him as he sat with his photographs, and gave him the portrait after. He was such an interesting man. He photographed Gandhi and many other great people and moments in Indian history.

SAG: You chose to use colours in the Gandhiji portraits - any particular reason? And what were your source images for this Gandhiji series?

DC: I have a huge affection for Gandhi. I know he is not fashionable with the youth of India these days and I feel sad about that, as he really gave the world something very special. I do not understand all the complexities of his legacy, but I refuse to give up on his memory. I wanted to paint him in fluro colours to give him a contemporary edge. I was also very horrified on learning about the communal violence in Gujarat - that is why he is in tears.

SAG: When approaching Indians about portraits, what has your general experience been - are they open to the idea, as compared to Australians?

DC: India is a very portrait savvy culture - people love having their portraits done much more than in Australia. All homes have portraits and the celebrity culture is very strong. Also portraits of various gods are everywhere.

SAG: What about your extensive travels in India? Can you share any funny or memorable moments with readers?

DC: I have lived mostly in Jaipur, and for 3 years, in the old city. It was a wonderful place - the biggest bazaar in the world with so much richness and colour, but the Japiur city council now are destroying it - they have recently bulldozed the entire old city market area.

There are more funny and memorable moments than I can begin to describe: staying with Naga babas in tents in Haridwar during the Kumbh, the Pushkar camel fair, acting the role of a British soldier as an extra in a Salman Khan movie, parties with millionaires in Goa on New Year, meeting hilarious characters in late night taverns behind liquor shops, drinking sweet chai as a guest in the real plastic sheet slums and doing classes with the kids there, catching Mumbai’s local trains at peak hour, Manali in the summer, snow in Shimla, seeing a Ganges river dolphin under the Howra bridge, Banana leaf food sensations in Kerala, staying in tree tops in Chikmangulur, Bangalore dance nightclubs, crazy chance meetings with amazing characters from all walks of life everywhere, everyday…..

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“Having experienced tremendous hospitality in India, I felt I needed to return some of this to the Indian community by showing some respect and affection towards them”.

Daniel Connell

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OPINION

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Mind your language!

Which languages should a child learn? This is a common question asked in Australia, with its plethora of migrant communities read text messages from their clients.

India is becoming a big market (incidentally BY larger than Britain or Australia!) for English NOEL G DE SOUZA books. The English author Ken Follett was recently in Delhi to launch his Indianpublished new trilogy, The Fall of Giants to India’s growing English-speaking population The answer to the question “Which languages that is now estimated to be 89 million. Several should a child learn?” depends on where Indian authors have become household names (country or state) the child lives. Basic in the English-speaking world. education requires that the child learn English Australia has a large number of migrant in Australia and the regional language in India. mother-tongues, some of which are likely Well-to-do parents in India often send their to fade within a few generations. Some children to English medium schools where Asian languages though, such as Mandarin, the state language is also taught, and they thus Cantonese, Korean, Japanese, Indonesian/ become bilingual. In Uttar Pradesh, the Chief Malaysian, Thai and Hindi, are expected to Minister, realising that disadvantaged children grow in importance. do not learn English, has made English Putting doctrines compulsory at all school aside, a child’s most levels.

Advani pointed out important language is In Australia there is that English “gives an that language in which no obligation to learn a the child can best express advantage which no second language. French himself or herself in and German were once other language gives. speech or writing. It is not popular and, for time, …” but cautioned necessarily the motherso were Japanese and tongue, unless that against “surrendering Indonesian. Indonesian language has also been to English mentality” has the attraction of using the child’s medium of the roman script and it instruction. was encouraged in the Northern Territory.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Some ethnic languages are now being taught at asked two types of questions regarding higher school level such as Italian, Greek and the language spoken at home. The census Hindi. question 1201 is restricted to persons who Protagonists of English in India were speak English at home. Those who speak recently given a boost when the BJP leader another home language are asked how well Lal Krishna Advani counselled that it was they speak English. Strangely, there is no “imperative that people have mastery over question which ascertains the proficiency of English.” He was speaking at the first World the home language or the “mother-tongue” Konkani Cultural Convention in Mangalore. which can range from a smattering of phrases Noting that India will to a read-and-write level. eventually emerge as the Putting doctrines aside, The English language world’s largest Englisha child’s most important still dominates in Australia. speaking nation, Advani According to the ABS, 95% pointed out that English language is that of women in Victoria speak “gives an advantage language in which the English at home. Within which no other language child can best express the remaining 5% ethnic gives. …” but cautioned languages, Italian tops the himself or herself in against “surrendering to list. Italian has a specific English mentality”. speech or writing. slot in the census form so Advani was at home that all those hailing from amongst the Konkani Italy mark that slot.

There is no self-declared people. In pre-partition times in Karachi, he level of proficiency.

The Italian spoken had studied at St Patrick High School, then may not be standard Italian, as several other a stronghold of Konkani-speaking Goans.

Konkani and Sindhi (Advani’s mother-tongue) languages and dialects exist within the country.

For example, Sicilian is a distinct language are very much home languages in India. and Calabria, from where Australia has a large Konkani is being kept alive in its small but widespread diaspora through the roman script. number of migrants, has several dialects.

The other languages that the ABS asked Perhaps other languages like Hindi could respondents to tick are Greek, Arabic, emulate this method.

Cantonese, Mandarin and Vietnamese. As “Love your mother-tongue!” was Advani’s no levels of proficiency are declared, an emotional message. Every Indian state has erroneous impression is given that Australia linguistic minorities. One school of thought has large numbers of competent speakers in believes that the mother-tongue is the best those languages. medium of education; this unproven doctrine A child should be taught those languages was used to push regional languages upto which best serve its practical requirements the university level, but this has caused to survive and to succeed in the society in considerable divisiveness. which it lives. The old three-language formula The importance of English is re-emerging in India often required a child to learn three in this age of globalisation in India, side-byside with the state languages. The Yashwantrao scripts. The ability to speak two and three languages is common in India. In Australia, Chavan Open University in Maharashtra runs the widespread ability to speak a second a basic course in English and in computing language well is still a dream. for the thousands of “dabbawallas” who carry meals for office workers. This enables them to

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OPINION

Where are the Indians?

It’s time for the Indian origin electorate to not just flex their voting muscles, but represent the community in politics participation by us in the political process of this country that we call home. Research BY shows that the Indian vote can affect the MARK SHARMA outcomes of as many as 14 seats in NSW, but despite that there are hardly any Indian candidates or organisations involved in It’s that time of the year again. Train securing better results for us. stations, schools, shopping centres have People of Indian origin, who are now turned into battlegrounds and the media is a part and parcel of Australian life, need all over the place like a rash. Our letterboxes to change their outlook about their role are clogged with daily pamphlets and the in this country. The stereotypical Indian repetitive TV ads are driving people insane. thinking of securing a house and a good I’m referring of course, to the most job needs to change. Without sounding discussed topic right now, i.e. the New like a self-serving advertisement, I have to South Wales state say that I’m probably elections. Come March Research shows that the only person who is 26, political pundits are actively doing my bit in the Indian vote can predicting, the 16-year affect the outcomes of representing the Indian Labor rule in the state voice in the wider as many as 14 seats in will finally come to an political arena. But that NSW, but despite that end. Not only will Labor is not enough. lose its majority but if there are hardly any Individuals and we were to go by recent Indian candidates or other groups of Indian polls, it is likely that it will organisations involved background should be completely wiped off play a more active in securing better the NSW political radar. role. Let me clarify results for us.

Most commentators that I’m not asking for have predicted that the formation of an Labor will win between 16-20 seats, a far “Indian Party”. There are a few people cry from the 50 members that it currently who are floating this nonsensical idea holds. On the other hand, Liberal/National without realising the consequences. Any coalition is a favourite to win as many as political party that caters to only one small 68 seats, a record of sorts for them. Barry group of people will never succeed, and it O’Farrell, who has steadily held the fort will be detrimental to the overall cause of for Liberals for the last four years, is all set Indians in Australia. The failure of Pauline to be rewarded with the Hanson’s One Nation Premiership. is a perfect example of The growing Indian All these are important what “not to do” when community needs political developments. running for office. new leaders and A new O’Farrell What we really need government will have representatives who today is to have more new policies and new people of Indian will work within the ways of looking at background joining the mainstream political different issues, including parties and articulate a two mainstream political those that affect us both parties i.e. Labor and different point of view. Liberals, and playing an directly and indirectly.

In the past the Indian active role in the party community has had to of their choice. But just joining a political deal with tough issues, from the students’ party and getting into a clique with its crisis to the ALP refusing to sell uranium leaders is far cry from playing an active role. to India. While there is only so much that The growing Indian community needs new the incoming government can do for the leaders and representatives who will work growing Indian-Australian community, within the mainstream political parties and nonetheless, it makes sense to have a articulate a different point of view. This is stronger engagement with it. not something sinister. It is already being But herein lays the problem. The fact of done by various ethnicities like the Jews, the matter is that there is almost next to nil Muslims, Italians, Tamils and others.

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FEBRUARY (2) 2011 <> 37

OPINION

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Critical

conundrum If the Australian Parliament had the ability to wield its power of judgement sensibly in regards to crucial national issues, the government would be forced to comply overseas? How would things be different?

One difference would be that a secretive BY group of ministers – the Cabinet – could not SUKRIT SABHLOK decide upon questions shielded from public scrutiny. With Iraq for example, the Howard Government would have had to justify the case for war to Parliament’s satisfaction. As Australian forces invaded Afghanistan in 2001, and entered Iraq in 2003. Although the it so happens, the Senate voted against going into Iraq. Had the Greens been successful Rudd Government has withdrawn troops in passing their proposed legislation, from Iraq, our involvement in Afghanistan Australians would have been spared the (allegedly to fight terrorism) is continuing terrible costs of that conflict. without end. It has become a perpetual war.

Several objections have been raised by The mainstream media gives the ongoing opponents of reform. Some suggest that financial and human costs far less coverage the Greens’ bill doesn’t define terms with than it deserves. But there are good reasons sufficient precision. Yet this objection is why we shouldn’t forget the conflict. hardly insurmountable, and can be resolved Consider this: Australia’s military through consultation involvement in World with stakeholders. If a War I lasted four years I would rather have compromise is struck and World War II was between defence chiefs, my tax money spent over and done within government departments seven years. The danger helping re-build and other interested posed by terrorism is Queensland after the parties, it is possible to miniscule compared to recent flood damage, devise a workable piece the threat from a Hitler than bombing villages of legislation. or Mussolini, so why has It’s said that the the war in Afghanistan in Afghanistan. bill ignores problems lasted for a longer period associated with releasing of time? classified information. This is a furphy.

It is time to re-think our involvement.

Most advocates of reform have never called Firstly, the war is very expensive. Taxpayers for the release of classified information. have been put on the hook for billions of The judgement about whether to wage dollars. Imagine if that money had been war against a particular country does not spent at home instead. I would rather require detailed operational information. It have my tax money spent helping re-build is fundamentally a strategic choice made at Queensland after the recent flood damage, a high and abstract level of policy. In the than bombing villages in Afghanistan. case of Iraq, the Australian Government Secondly, whatever the initial rationale for informed the public that Saddam Hussein invading, the Afghan war can no longer was a threat to national security at a be justified. Australia followed the US into theoretical level, and the public was asked Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban and to place trust in intelligence reports the hunt down Osama bin Laden, the man we accuracy of which they had no way of are told is behind the attacks on September 11. But the best intelligence no longer places verifying. The Greens are not proposing to do away with secrecy. bin Laden in Afghanistan, and many believe It’s also argued that war power reforms he is harbouring in Pakistan. could hamper the military’s ability to quickly Here’s what should happen the next time deploy combat personnel. But why is speed there’s talk of a major war: it should be a considered to be an unambiguously good legal requirement for the Prime Minister thing? Parliament’s slow to seek approval from deliberation can be Parliament before Transferring power viewed not a liability, but - or very soon after as a strength because it to make war from deploying troops abroad. leads to more considered There needs to be a the Executive to the decision-making. formal binding process, Parliament would Democracy is far from with failure to comply not be a cure-all, perfect. Even wars that declared unlawful by have been approved by but it would at least the courts upon review.

Parliament may end up That’s the only way reduce the ability of being unjust and evil. we’re going to see some a secretive group to Transferring power semblance of democratic thrust Australia into its to make war from accountability in foreign the Executive to the affairs. most vital moment.

Parliament would not be The Greens have a cure-all, but it would introduced proposed at least reduce the ability of a secretive legislation aiming to do precisely this. group to thrust Australia into its most vital Unfortunately, the major parties have moment. Parliament should declare war, quashed their attempts at reform. the Executive government should fight and What if we lived in a world where win it, and the nation should then exit the Parliament, and not the government of the conflict as soon as possible. day, possessed the power to commit troops 38 <> FEBRUARY (2) 2011

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Protect your privacy Safer Internet Day has been introduced to educate and safeguard youth against cyber bandits of various personas the importance of protecting privacy and digital reputation, as well as the need for BY good online etiquette. Though young people SUNIL RANADIVE think they can hide behind their keyboards, the impact of these online interactions leaves a very real, emotional imprint. The topic ‘virtual lives’ encompasses online gaming – As our children grow up in the presence of from simple games to MMOGs (Massively the internet, computer skills have become Multiplayer Online Game) – and social as fundamental as learning to swim or ride networking, i.e. the two online activities most a bike. In fact, a recent survey showed that popular with youth. As such, it will draw more small children know how to play a attention to all of them, and its key messages computer game than ride a bike, and more will encapsulate opportunities and protection small children can use an application on a against risks. smartphone than can tie their own shoelaces.

We should all participate in forthcoming While it’s cute to see our little ones master Safer Internet events. technology, the internet You should ask if your has opened up a whole Once they’re old local school is part of new set of life skills with enough for their own the programme or even which we must also equip just make a point to sit Facebook account them. Once they’re old down with your child and enough for their own or instant messaging talk to them about the Facebook account or ID, children need to internet. And as we’ve instant messaging ID, know the boundaries seen adults fall prey children need to know the to email scams, online for keeping their boundaries for keeping and fraud, their information private information private and harassment children aren’t the only and what to do if they are what to do if they are ones who may have little being harassed online. internet experience.

All being harassed online.

The European Union could benefit from some has made an investment cyber safety tips. in its children by coSafer Internet Day 2011 had five top tips founding the INSAFE co-operation network for youth: (http://www.saferinternet.org), which exists

to empower citizens to use the internet, as 1. Own your digital reputation. Stop and well as other online technologies, positively, think before you share a thought or forward safely and effectively. a photo. The internet is a public space, so On the second day of the second week of before you share photos or personal details, the second month of the year, participating make sure it’s information that you’d share INSAFE countries observe ‘Safer Internet with teachers, colleges, or job prospects.

Day’, and in 2011, this date was on February 2. Think about what you text: Texting is core 8. In Australia, the day is supported by to staying connected with your friends. What Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA) via its ACMA Cybersmart you text is a reflection of you, so be thoughtful about what programme (http:// you text and be confident www.cybersmart.gov.

The theme aims that your texts portray you au). This day highlights the right way. at safer and more programs and events responsible use of to promote safer and 3. Have a family chat. more responsible use of Talking with your parents social networking online technology and or guardians doesn’t mean sites by children and mobile phones, especially giving up your privacy. teens, and highlights Everyone benefits when amongst children and young people across the the importance of you’re on the same page world. protecting privacy and about online activities, Safer Internet Day was including when you can digital reputation, as launched in 2007 and in go online, how long well as the need for 2010, 500 events were you can stay, and what held across 65 countries. good online etiquette. activities you can do Events include schools online. running age-appropriate 4. Know your rights. You have the right to not internet safety lessons, webinars, radio respond to email or other messages that are broadcasts and Young People’s Symposiums inappropriate or make you feel uncomfortable.

Each year the INSAFE network chooses If you get a message that doesn’t feel right, a different theme around which most of the show it to your parents, guardians, or another activities proposed on Safer Internet Day trusted adult and report the incident to your are focused, even though some countries internet service provider. may choose to “localise” their initiatives.

This year’s theme, “Virtual Lives” with the 5. Protect your personal information. When slogan “It’s more than a game, it’s your life”, aims you send email, texts, photos or instant to address how the virtual world of gaming messages to people who are not trusted and social networking impacts real lives of friends or family, don’t give out personal our youth. The theme aims at safer and information they could use to find your more responsible use of social networking physical location or exploit you. Guard your sites by children and teens, and highlights password like a hawk.

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WELLNESS

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Simple ways

to deal with

all have tried the stress-busting technique of clenching and releasing our fists. To take these benefits further start by tensing all your facial muscles into a scowl, hold this contorted expression for ten seconds and then relax completely for ten seconds.

Repeat with the neck, shoulder and arm muscles, etc. As you practice PMR regularly it becomes easier to de-stress more quickly.

the street if you’re keen on the outdoors, otherwise a treadmill is a good option as well. These exercises increase the amounts of ‘feel good’ hormones like endorphins

It’s a proven fact that any activity that uses your physical energy results in relaxing the muscles and reducing stress. and serotonin in the brain, making you feel better instantly. They relieve muscle strain and lower anxiety by metabolizing adrenaline. Maintaining a good posture and aiming to exercise at least four times a week gives the best results and keeps stress at bay.

stress Meditation Stress is a modern malady that’s impossible to avoid, but simple steps can help control it, notes FARZANA SHAKIR With the holiday season well and truly behind us, many have gone back to the familiar grind of family and work routines.

Unfortunately, as responsibilities return, so do the stresses and anxieties of everyday life. In today’s frenzied lifestyles that we live, everyone is under some kind of nervous tension. Whether you’re a housewife, a corporate worker, a student, a business owner or a carer, stress is omnipresent in whatever you do. So in order to manage this common affliction of our times, it is essential to begin preventive measures before stress reaches a stage where self help is no longer an option.

If we can integrate a few healthy habits and basic social attitudes in our daily lives, there’s a good chance the stress demons will leave us well nigh alone. To start with, let’s try getting enough sleep, making a little time to pamper ourselves like indulging in a relaxing soak (think aromatherapy oils!), maintaining a social network of friends who will listen when we need venting (nothing de-stresses like letting it off your chest!), exercising moderately, sustaining a healthy physical relationship which allows for lots of hugs and cuddles, and eating a balanced diet.

If however, you do feel strained under certain situations, there are several things you can do to relax.

stressful situation like when you’re driving or are in an important meeting, breathing exercises can be your saving grace. They can make you feel better straight away by oxygenating your blood to help wake up the brain and relaxing the muscles. There are many different breathing exercises you can try, but a quick and easy one involves slowly inhaling through your nose and counting till five in your head while sitting or standing

If you’re unable to remove yourself from a stressful situation like when you’re driving or are in an important meeting, breathing exercises can be your saving grace.

If you are feeling emotionally stretched in a situation, it is liberating to give yourself a mental break. Snatch a few moments of peace and quiet, and treat yourself to visualization and guided imagery to restore your mind to its optimal level.

Meditation is an extension of breathing exercises in which the brain enters a state similar to sleep, but with added benefits like the release of certain hormones. The mental focus remains on nothingness to discourage the mind from working overtime, thus decreasing stress levels. One basic meditation technique involves sitting in a comfortable position and thinking of nothing. This could be easier said than done, but practice will get you there. The idea is to quiet the mind. You can begin with considering yourself as an observer of your thoughts which will invariably creep in, particularly at the start of the session.

Listen to the thoughts but don’t delve on them, let them go. Think of yourself as an outsider watching the thoughts materialize and fade away. As you master the technique of quieting your mind, stress-busting will become much easier.

in a relaxed position. Then, exhale from your mouth and count to eight as the air leaves your body. Remember to engage in a more relaxed way of breathing by letting your abdomen expand outward rather than raising your shoulders as you breathe in, allowing the lungs to be filled more fully with fresh air. Repeat this exercise several times to release tension.

Breathing exercises This basic bodily function works wonders in releasing tension and calming the mind.

If you’re unable to remove yourself from a

PMR works by tensing and relaxing the muscle groups in the body to relieve tension and leaves you feeling calm in no time. We

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These gentle techniques combine the benefits of exercise and meditation to restore peace and calm to the mind, and get rid of tensions by letting go of negative energies.

Initially, you would require some training to properly practice and benefit from these, but there are DVDs and books to help even if you’re unable to join training sessions.

Foods to stave off stress

Exercise

Progressive muscle relaxation

Yoga, tai chi and qi gong

Exercise is by far the best way to combat stress. It’s a proven fact that any activity that uses your physical energy results in relaxing the muscles and reducing stress.

It can provide an outlet for wrestling with frustrations and worries. There are a variety of different exercises you can engage in depending on your physical fitness and the availability of time and means. The easiest would be a quick walk in the park, a run around the block or a jog down

Include some of the foods listed below in your diet to remain stress free.

• Fresh fruits like blueberries, oranges, bananas and avocados are rich in vitamin C, potassium and fibre, which are known to reduce stress levels.

• Vegetables like spinach, broccoli, kale and sweet potato are loaded with vitamins that helps reduce stress • Dried fruit and nuts like almonds, apricots, pistachios and walnuts contain vitamin B and E, plus magnesium, which is a muscle relaxant.

• Meats like turkey and fish like mackerel, tuna and salmon combat stress.

• Low fat milk and yoghurt provide calcium for proper nerve impulses.

• Wholegrain and brown rice are serotonin producers FEBRUARY (2) 2011 <> 43

CRICKETWORLDCUP

Leading lights to watch out for

As excitement builds towards the Cricket World Cup, here’s a look at the strength and weaknesses of key players

BY RITAM MITRA

It’s finally upon us. The most open Cricket World Cup in memory has just taken off and unlike previous years, it is nearly impossible to pick a winner. While the Australians enter the tournament undergoing mass transition and with two disappointing defeats in the warm-up matches,

SRI LANKA

it would be foolish to discount a team with three consecutive World Cups behind them and the number one ranking. However, much of the hype surrounding this World Cup has to do with the main host nation. As outright favourites for the bookies, India find themselves under immense pressure to put an end to the 28-year drought since they last won the tournament.

As the competition begins to unfold, let’s take a look at the players not to miss, and the teams to watch out for from the 14 competing nations.

Group A Sri Lanka won the tournament the last time it was hosted in the subcontinent, and with only Muralitharan left from that victorious 1996 squad, it would be fitting for Sri Lanka to farewell the legend with another win. Sri Lanka are equal on rankings points with secondplaced India going into the tournament, and although they haven’t faced much in terms of strong competition of late, no one can deny them their status as the world’s number 3 ODI side.

They have a classy top order, with Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Samaraweera making for some great viewing from the outset. Add to that the explosive Dilshan, talented Mathews and fiery Silva, and Sri Lanka pose a very real threat to bowlers on the flat tracks in the subcontinent. The key player to watch, though, is slinger Lasith Malinga. Many will remember his double hat-trick during the previous World Cup, and it was no fluke; Malinga is quite possibly the best exponent of death-over bowling in the game today. With the smaller boundaries and spin-reliant bowling attacks predicted in this tournament, Malinga is someone the batsmen will have earmarked as dangerous, to avoid at all costs.

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AUSTRALIA

Group A Australia have been in the final of six of the nine ICC World Cup that have taken place since the inaugural 1975 tournament in England. If that’s not enough, they’ve managed to convert 4 of those appearances into wins. However, this is a vastly different Australia to that of 4 years ago. The highest wicket-taker in World Cups, Glenn McGrath, is gone, and with him so have a host of legends. In fact, only 6 players remain from the Australian side that went through the tournament undefeated in the Caribbean.

As a rough comparison, even the controversyplagued Pakistan outfit features 6 players that were initially in their 15-man squad for 2007. Although young talents like Callum Ferguson and Tim Paine are certainly stars of the future, much of Australia’s chances depend on how much big names like Ponting, Clarke and Watson can deliver; Australia, on paper, has a fairly inexperienced and volatile batting order. Keep an eye

out, though (and maybe two) for fast bowler Brett Lee, who was bowling 160.1 kilometre/hour toecrushing missiles at his last World Cup. After a fantastic home series against England, Lee is terrorising batting line ups once again. If he leads the Australian attack with as much zeal as he has over the years, he will be an extremely potent force in Australia’s title defence.

PAKISTAN

Group A It is really tough to picture Pakistan, with all their off-field controversies and inconsistencies, standing with the trophy on April 2. And that is precisely why they should be feared.

Pakistan are at their most dangerous when no one gives them a chance, and even though they have had a tumultuous few months even by their standards, stranger things have happened on the cricket field. Stripped of the right to host the tournament they will be baying for blood, and captain Shahid Afridi himself is assured that his Pakistan outfit are good enough to make the semifinals. While Afridi may have another World Cup left in him (the devastating batsman made his debut at the tender age of 16), this is almost definitely the swansong for Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan and Misbah-Ul-Haq. After his sensational, absurd century against South Africa to bring Pakistan back from the dead

and guide them to a one wicket win, Abdul Razzaq is a clear threat. Including his added ability with the ball (Razzaq has over 250 ODI wickets), and the fact that he is the only member of the squad with a World Cup fifty to his name, Pakistan, with their backs to the wall, are anything but a walkover.

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SOUTH AFRICA

ENGLAND

Group B South Africa, who tied with Australia in the 1999 semi-final only to lose out on net run rate, have never come closer to making a final. It’s hard to speak about South Africa without using the c-word, because the Proteas have only themselves to blame for their reputation as ‘chokers’. However, this time they enter the tournament with a much more varied attack and thus lesser reliance on their seamers – crucial in the subcontinent. On paper, their batting line-up is second perhaps only to India, while their fielding has traditionally been brilliant. A lot will thus depend on how Graeme Smith leads his side and carries them through the big moments. Having been captain from a young age, this is Smith’s swansong as ODI captain, and he will be desperate to prove a point to the world, and to himself.

Opening the batting alongside him is Hashim Amla, who will have a huge role to play. The first Indian-South African to play for the Proteas, Amla was initially considered a Test-match specialist.

He responded by scoring mountains and mountains of runs, and is in as rich a vein of form as imaginable. On docile pitches, he will be, however serenely, a force to reckon with.

Group B Although they are only ranked 5th in the ICC ODI rankings, England have been strong performers in the format over the last couple of years. Add to that their recent victory over Australia in the World T20 finals, and England starts looking like a real contender for the title.

While the Poms were quick to celebrate retaining the Ashes, the 6-1 drubbing they received at the hands of the Australians, however much they deny it, will definitely have given them a stern wake-up call.

Add to that their inability to play spin bowling down under and – there is definite cause for concern – on subcontinental pitches, their task will not be any easier.

While their bowling attack seems to be well balanced with Anderson and Swann to lead the fast and slow bowling departments respectively, they suffered a major setback through the injury sustained by Eoin Morgan, the talented middle-order batsman; without him, the English batting relies even more heavily on the enigmatic but erratic Kevin Pietersen, who is without a doubt a larger-than-life figure in cricket today. If he fires, he can be one of

the most destructive batsman going around. The problem for England, as they aim to win their first ever ODI World Cup, is that it is a very big if.

INDIA

Group B India’s batting has perennially been its strong suit, but the aura surrounding their line-up going in to this World Cup has been something else altogether. Three of their batsmen feature in the top 10 ODI rankings, and the terrifying fact for opposition bowlers is that neither of those three is Sehwag, Tendulkar, Pathan or Raina. In fact, India’s powerhouse batting line up, backed up by wily spinners and handy part-timers gives them their best-ever shot at winning the World Cup. The only concern (as usual) is the seam-bowling department. In both warm-ups, the seamers failed to fire, conceding a great start to both Australia and New Zealand. Dhoni will be hoping that this had to do purely with the absence of Zaheer Khan from these matches, although he suggested that the reason was that he had told the seamers to “save up” (try telling a fast bowler not to try too hard!) their resources for the actual competition matches. It is a worrying fact, though, that the top-ranked bowler in the squad is Harbhajan Singh, who, at number 20, lags behind the wayward Mitchell Johnson and injury-prone Jacob Oram. India though, is capable of both setting big scores and chasing them down, and in home conditions with delirious

NATIONAL EDITION

crowds they are most definitely the favourites.

With so many big names, it is hard to pick just one defining factor that could set the cup alight for the host nation. However, even with the supremely violent Yusuf Pathan favoured to blast allcomers, and the evergreen Tendulkar set to take the record for most World Cup runs even further away from reach, India’s hopes could rest with a very underappreciated batsman. MS Dhoni often goes under the radar when considering some of the massive names in India’s batting line-up. However, it is easy to forget that Dhoni has quite recently been the number one ODI batsman and as a dangerous floater in the order, at his brutal best, Dhoni hits the ball harder than anyone in world cricket. Many have been calling to see the Dhoni of old, and if his whirlwind century against New Zealand in the warm-ups is anything to go by, the spectators had better start wearing helmets too.

These 6 teams might be the most favoured to win, but it is never safe to discount the courageous New Zealand, improving Bangladesh, as well as the flamboyant West Indians. The Associates could provide some upsets, and Zimbabwe are always strong World Cup performers. Whatever does eventuate, and there is no doubting the fact that, as the third most-televised sporting event behind the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympics, if this 10th ICC World Cup even slightly lives up to its anticipation, it will be a superb advertisement for the game. So, who are you backing?

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TRAVEL

Bridge on the

River Kwai A historical site and its surrounds made more relevant by the book and movie, conceals a deep and brutal past

BY SANDIP HOR

When French novelist Pierre Boulle, formerly a World War II secret agent based in Indo-China, wrote Le Pont de la Rivière Kwai in 1952, he didn’t know that the actual railway bridge built by the allied prisoners was not on River Kwai, but on the nearby River Khlung, both rivers originating from the mountainous ranges of scenic Kanchanaburi in Central Thailand.

This later created a problem for the Thais when hordes of tourists, after seeing David Lean’s award-winning 1957 film Bridge on the River Kwai based on Boulle’s novel, rushed to Thailand to see the famous structure and asked, “Where is the bridge on the river Kwai?” To avoid the fallacy, the Thais with admirable lateral thinking renamed Khlung as Big Kwai while other became known as Little Kwai.

The bridge, which remains a major drawcard for visitors to Thailand, was built in 1942 by the Japanese during their occupation of Siamese land.

It is part of a 415km long strategic railway connecting Thailand with Burma through the legendary Three Pagoda Pass, an overland route from India through which Buddhism is said to have reached Thailand.

For its construction, the Japanese deployed a multinational workforce of 60,000 Australian, British, Dutch and American prisoners of war and over 270,000 forced Asian labour, most of whom died because of malnutrition, disease and hard labour, thus giving it the name, the Death Railway.

Standing in front of the bridge, I found it hard to believe that this engineering marvel was built in a record time of eighteen months by unskilled labour without proper training, tools, machinery and technology. Pratap Mathur from Melbourne, holidaying with his 46 <> FEBRUARY (2) 2011

family for a few days in Thailand en route to India shared similar feelings.

“Though I have seen the film several times, nothing beats viewing the real thing first-hand,” he says, while taking snaps from all possible angles.

I assume Pratap knew the movie was filmed at a similar location in Sri Lanka.

In technical terms, the 378m long steel bridge is supported on concrete piers, and consists of nine semicircular spans which are original from 1942, with two straight-sided spans installed later after allied bombing damaged the bridge in 1945.

You can walk across the bridge on the wooden planks, but carefully as the State Railways of Thailand still run passenger trains from Bangkok along this route.

I love train journeys so I jumped into one of them at Nam Tok station, and traversed back through picturesque terrain to Kanchanaburi, certainly feeling a sense of sadness at times when thinking about the lives of thousands claimed by this railway.

The historically-minded, after seeing the bridge from both sides of the river, generally dash to the adjacent Thai-Burma Railway centre to find details associated with the fatal railway and then visit the War Museum to glance at some of the World War II paraphernalia such as weapons and army uniforms.

I followed a group of visitors from England to the neatly maintained War Cemetery, the final resting place for 6,982 allied army personnel who perished while building the railway.

With neatly arranged tombstones, poignant messages and shrouded by a deep sense of solemnity, this appears perhaps as one of the most moving tableaux in South East Asia.

“A foundation in London keeps this memorial park supplied with fresh flowers,” said Richard from Hampshire, anxiously scanning the graves to locate one of his ancestors.

Later he mentioned that many in Europe were outraged by the David

1. Bridge on the river kwai 2. The death railway 3. Floating market 4. The train at Nam Tok station 5. The poignant war memorial 6. Indian saree shop at Pahurat Market

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Lean film, as it wrongly portrayed the main character of Lt-Col. Nicholson, played by Alec Guinness, who teamed up with the enemy, unlike Philip Toosey, the actual allied army officer in charge who did not collaborate with the Japanese.

The above iconic sites, which are now surrounded by hotels, resorts, cafes, restaurants and shops for tourists, are not the only appeal of Kanchanaburi district located 150 km west of bustling Bangkok. You can make a day visit, but it’s hardly enough to do justice to the region with its magnificent landscape dotted with pristine national parks, virgin forests, tranquil rivers and charming waterfalls, offering excellent opportunities for fishing, rafting, canoeing, mountain-biking, bird-watching, star-gazing, golfing, elephant and jungle trekking, thus complimenting the lures of history and culture.

On the way to Kanchanaburi, I visit the Damnern Saduak Floating Market, said to be the nation’s most vibrant and picturesque where mostly women in straw hats paddled through narrow waterways, their sampans piled with fruits, vegetables and other goods. By mid-morning I found the precinct packed with tourists, but the crowd by no means took away the authenticity of a different kind of shopping experience, unique to Thailand.

There I bumped into a group of giggling youngsters from India, who were in Bangkok to attend a wedding.

They told me that of late, the Siamese capital has become a great venue for Indian weddings.

Gaurav Sehgal from Look East Travels (www.lookeasttravels.com) in Bangkok confirms this.

“Nonstop fun, fiesta and feast are

Standing in front of the bridge, I found it hard to believe that this engineering marvel was built in a record time of eighteen months by unskilled labour without proper training, tools, machinery and technology. key elements in an Indian wedding, and you cannot beat Bangkok as a great source for providing all of them,” he said after successfully organising some big budget weddings recently. “We conveniently package them for our clients, who find it economical and more glamorous to have the event here, instead of at Goa, Udaipur or Male,” he added.

Thailand’s amazing attractions are endless, ranging from exploring a myriad of glittering golden temples and ancient palaces to sunbathing at pristine beaches; from tasting exotic cuisine to shopping till your bags overflow; from venturing into go-go bars to rejuvenating with spa treatments…. and the list goes on.

Extravagant Indian weddings are a new addition to this list.

And why not! The destination offers convenience, facilities and a party-like atmosphere, as intoxicating as its Singha beer, for an Indian-style wedding where the gaiety never ends.

Furthermore, the Chao Praya River is as holy as the Ganges, and there is a Hindu temple, Sikh gurudwara and Islamic mosque for religious matters.

Pahurat Market in Little India is great for last minute shopping for sarees and jewellery. Think of it, a “Monsoon Wedding” in Bangkok!

Travel notebook KANCHANABURI

GETTING THERE

Thai Airways (www.thaiairways.com.au) have 44 flights weekly from Australia to Bangkok with great connections to India. Stopover in Bangkok is allowed. Call 1300 651 960 for details.

GETTING AROUND

Bangkok’s roads are filled with buses, taxis, tuk-tuks and motorbike taxis to move you around; however to avoid delays due to traffic jams use the very efficient BTS Skytrain and MRT Subway.

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TOURS

World Travel Service (www.wts-thailand.com) offers several package tours when visiting destinations outside Bangkok, including a trip to Kanchanaburi.

ACCOMMODATION

In Bangkok stay at the Siam City Hotel (www.siamhotels.com/siamcity) conveniently located next to Phayathai sky station and at Kanchanburi at the River Kwai Resotel (www.riverkwairesotel.net) nestLed on the banks of River Kwai.

FOOD

For the best Thai cuisine visit Methavalai Sorndaeng Restaurant; however if Indian cuisine is your choice, the food, service and ambiance at Indus (www.indusbangkok.com) and Rang Mahal (www.rembrandtbkk. com) restaurants are unbeatable.

SHOWS

If you have free time in the evening it’s worth seeing a Thai Cultural show at Siam Niramit Theatre (www.siamniramit.com) and Calypso Cabaret (www.calypsocabaret.com) at Asia Hotel.

MORE INFORMATION

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Tourism Authority of Thailand (www.tourismthailand.org)

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TRAVEL 1

Relaxing on the

Rajang A journey upstream on Malaysia’s longest river is a cruise worth taking BY PETRA O’NEILL

“Right step, right step, right step, back, now forward and turn. You have it!” With considerable patience, Rosa had been teaching me and my fellow passengers how to do the Poco Poco dance, a traditional dance performed by the Iban tribes people of Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. Earlier that day I had also honed my skills in using a blowpipe, and although Rosa is an accomplished dancer, you could tell from the look in her eyes that she knew she would impress us by demonstrating her skill at hunting by using the blowpipe. She had walked slowly, then turned quickly, put the blowpipe to her pursed lips, took aim at the balloons bobbing about in the breeze and popped them all in rapid succession. None of the passengers, except “Stoney” from My journey began in Alaska, had ever Sibu, a port city much hunted before, let alone used a as I remembered it; blowpipe. Rosa predominantly Chinese Minggu was the with a busy produce Administrator on the Orient Pandaw market, historic shop and she, like many houses and a bit edgy, of the crew, is local Iban. as a city with attitude I was travelling should be. upstream on an 8 48 <> FEBRUARY (2) 2011

night journey from Sibu to Kapit and back down to Sarikei on the Rajang River, which at 563 kilometres, is the longest river in Malaysia. Borneo has one of the world’s most diverse eco systems and its rainforest is home to a multitude of species of flora and fauna.

Twenty years ago I did the same journey, expecting to find an old colonial paddle steamer such as Joseph Conrad might have found. Instead, I experienced hellraising journeys in express boats built like space capsules that go at breakneck speed, with Tommy Lee Jones action movies blaring in the background. In Kapit, I has found an old cafe with antique Chinese marble top tables and sat near an Iban elder. He said one day I would come back. Since then, I’ve often thought about that cafe and the old man.

The Orient Pandaw commenced journeys on the Rajang River last year. Beautifully hand-finished in brass and teak, with rattan furnishings and an informal colonial ambience, it cruises at a leisurely pace. The Rajang is muddy brown with a swift current and the 360 degree Observation Deck on board allows you to view the lush tropical rainforest up close. You can view Iban longhouses that comprise a row of attached dwellings under one roof, small riverside towns and piers with boats moored. And this is exactly how I had imagined the trip should be all those years ago. Finally, I was living the dream.

The Irrawaddy Flotilla Company established in Myanmar (Burma) in 1865 by Scottish merchants was once the largest privately owned river fleet in the world.

Tragically, all the steamers were destroyed during WWII, but in 1995, Paul Strachan, a Scottish historian set about rebuilding one of the original paddle steamers and

established Pandaw Cruises. Since then, several Pandaw ships have been built based on the plans of the original paddle steamers.

My journey began in Sibu, a port city much as I remembered it; predominantly Chinese with a busy produce market, historic shop houses and a bit edgy, as a city with attitude should be. I caught the public bus from the long distance bus station to the wharf, dropped off my bag and set off for the market. Here I found a woman selling the largest banana I have ever seen. On returning to the Orient Pandaw, I met my fellow passengers from Australia, United States, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Their ages ranged from 35 to the very determined Frances Higgins, who celebrated her 80th birthday onboard and outpaced most of us.

All the excursions were interesting, but some were exceptional. One morning, very early, we went by longboat to a creek very close to the shore and were able to observe daily life, people taking their produce to market by boat, hanging up washing, chatting together.

Another highlight was our visit to Melanau village famous for its Songket weaving workshop, that counts the Sultan of Brunei among its clients. The women here were friendly and demonstrated how Songket is woven from gold and silver thread.

I also enjoyed our visits to longhouses, Jandok and Nyuka. At Jandok we were welcomed by the Iban headman and given a traditional welcome of music, dance and rice wine. I was invited to dance, but do not think I did so well, as the children all laughed. At Nyuka, our visit coincided with a visit by the Minister for Social Development and other important guests, who had INDIAN LINK

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1. Traditional Iban longhouse 2. Traditional Iban bamboo pot cooking 3. Observation deck 4. Sibu market - large banana for sale 5. Cafe, Kapit 6. Girls Melanau village 7. Traditional Iban hand woven cloth 8. RV Orient Pandaw and the mighty Rejang river

arrived to present awards to those the shoreline have long since gone who had excelled in community to make way for a pier for the many We wandered through service. The Minister took time boats that are now found river towns with historic express out to meet with us too. here. colonial buildings, On another day we had a We went on walks through beach picnic, with the Pandaw rainforests, crossing small wooden including Fort Silvia in crew excelling at traditional Iban bridges over creeks to view Kapit built in 1880 to bamboo pot cooking (cooking waterfalls. We wandered through prevent tribal conflict fish or rice in hollowed out river towns with historic colonial bamboo). buildings, including Fort Silvia in between the Iban and Near the Pelagus rapids as far Kapit built in 1880 to prevent tribal Orang Ulu. upstream as the Orient Pandaw conflict between the Iban and Orang could go, we were transferred Ulu. At Fort Silvia, as our guide to a flat bottomed cargo boat Louis Jap provided informative and through turbulent swirling waters. The sky turned commentary, I began browsing through the visitors’ black and a tropical downpour left us all drenched. book. Under occupation, a previous Pandaw passenger That was the only time I saw Frances Higgins looking had written “Gentleman, scholar and wit.” Another less than elegance personified. Otherwise she managed wrote “Professor Guru.” four outfit changes per day, each perfectly suited to the This journey along the Rajang River was one that was occasion. both, relaxing and enjoyable, a heady mix of the tropics, While I enjoyed the company of my fellow good food and company, travelling at a leisurely pace. passengers, it wasn’t long before all of them soon I was the only one who declined the exotic cocktails slipped into a tropical torpor, falling asleep on the served each evening, mixed using several local spirits deckchairs with novels opened on their laps. combined together and shaken with great fervour by At Kapit, I went into the cafe I had visited 20 years our barman Aung Kyaw Myint from Myanmar. ago. Neville Josef, the extremely obliging purser, We were a long, long way from express boats and arranged for a small boat to take me there. The cafe Tommy Lee Jones…. was unchanged but the rainforest trees that stood along NATIONAL EDITION

Travel notebook The Rajang River is in Sarawak, Malaysia

GETTING THERE

Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia both offer flights from Kuala Lumpur to Sibu and Kuching. Singapore Airlines flies to Kuching from Singapore.

WHERE TO STAY

One of the most delightful cities in South-East Asia, Kuching offers a glimpse of what other Asian cities were once like. Laid back, with Chinese shops, houses and historic colonial architecture, including the splendid Kuching Museum and the palace or Astana. The Esplanade along the Sarawak River is pleasant for an evening stroll. If coming from Australia, it is wise to spend several days in Kuching initially, to become acclimatised. The Hilton Kuching is the place to stay.

GETTING AROUND

Sibu is 8 hours from Kuching by bus, just over 4 by Express boat, or a short flight away. The cruise onboard the Orient Pandaw commences and ends here.

INFORMATION

Sarawak Tourism: Email: vic-kuching@sarawaktourism.com Website: www.sarawaktourism.com Tourism Malaysia: Level 2, 171 Clarence Street, Sydney. Email: malaysia@malaysiatourism.com.au or 355 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. Email: tmmelbourne@malaysiatourism.com.au Website: www.tourismmalaysia.com.au For more information on the Orient Pandaw go to the website at www. pandaw.com

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PSYCHE

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Duties and rights It is the reciprocal relationship between these characteristics of human life that harmonise our existence BY SAROJA SRINIVASAN

We often hear the term ‘right’, but very rarely the term ‘duty’ these days. Even young children seem to have somehow learnt that they can demand anything as a right, and it will be met. As young children grow up, quite often the topic of discussion with their peers seems to be about their rights. A few years ago, there was a case in the US where a child of 11 was told he had a ‘right’ to divorce his parents! It stands to reason that the parent-child relationship is one of the basic cementing factors in the fabric of any society. Yet this logic of ‘rightful severance’ of this relationship seems to be accepted as one’s right.

So what has gone so wrong that one of the most fundamental of characteristics of human life, interrelatedness and filial loyalty, seems to be removed from our thought? The trait of independence is regarded as the highest, the most vital trait of all to possess. In our eagerness to show our “independence” we seem to be falling into the trap of total alienation. Again and again, human society in the last fifty years or so has elevated the ideal of independence in everything. Many people are convinced that they really don’t need anyone else in their life. The decreasing rate of marriages, long term commitments and childbirth all attest to the idea that there is no ‘need’ for “any one else” anymore.

Yet one of the most beautiful concepts that remains enshrined in Vedantic philosophy is the interrelatedness between duties and rights. Our stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata abound in countless instances

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DUTIES

RIGHTS

that highlight the reciprocity between privileges and responsibility. We hear of the duties of a monarch to his subjects, the duties of a son to his father, the duties of siblings towards each other. The fact that every privilege carries with it some responsibility is beautifully illustrated in these instances.

Almost every action of a human being can be defined as a duty or a right. What is seen as duty by one is invariably a right of another. Whether it is that of parent-child, employer-employee, government-public, friend-friend, teacher-student, husband-wife. Every one of these relationships has a reciprocal quality to it that binds it in a certain way.

Even more appealing is the fact that if one could understand the dynamic of this relatedness, there need be no conflict in any interaction. For always what is one’s right is another’s duty. If each of us fulfilled our duties there would be no need for demanding our rights! The reciprocity goes without saying. The wisdom is to know that each time a right is demanded it also carries with it a duty to be fulfilled. Quite often we find that people are quick to demand their rights without giving much thought as to whether they are able to fulfill the accompanying reciprocal duty.

Surprisingly the assertion of rights has almost completely wiped out the existence of duty. Self-centeredness has so overtaken our psyche that we feel no obligation to anyone. Yet, the feeling of care and compassion we show across species is probably more evident now than it was even as recently as 200 years ago. The compassion we show towards animals is perhaps at its peak now than ever before. Yet towards our fellow human beings we still have a hierarchy and some are treated more equal than others and the distinct lack of tolerance is clearly manifested constantly.

A social welfare state is one in which the most vulnerable of individuals are cared for by their more prosperous compatriots. It is the right of each individual to share in the wealth of the natural world. And it is the duty of the more affluent ones to share this wealth. Yet the inequities of the world illustrate the situation to be far from satisfactory.

Could the human race ever attain the stage where everyone realizes that duties and rights compliment each other and every privilege is accompanied by responsibility?

Then, if we can act in a responsible way, conflict in any relationship will be a thing of the past both at the individual as well as societal levels.

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Can you die of a

broken heart?

The emotional and mental stress of a traumatic situation can determine a person’s will to recover and live, or simply give up and die

BY MALLI IYER

Lakshmi and Nathan had been married 42 years. They were childless and had grown to depend on each other for emotional support. Nathan was a diabetic with cardiovascular complications and Lakshmi was very susceptible to respiratory infections, caused by a partial collapse of her left lung. Their conversation often bordered on which one of the two would go first and how the other would cope with life after a permanent separation. When Nathan eventually succumbed to a massive heart attack, Lakshmi was inconsolable as her mind constantly drifted towards joining her partner. This was despite her family doing their best to provide succour and support for a few months, to help her get over the

It appears that the negativity caused by the trauma of losing a loved one can often lead to an increased flow of adrenaline and create a massive amount of stress hormones. grief. Lakshmi found herself at a loss to express her feelings in words and felt that her pain was impossible to share. She seemed to have lost her will to live and within two years she developed cancer to which she succumbed within a couple of months.

This would be an ideal case study for death occasioned by a broken heart following an emotionally charged relationship lasting several years. It appears that the negativity caused by the trauma of losing a loved one can often lead to an increased flow of adrenaline and create a massive amount of stress hormones. It is not uncommon to see many people ill prepared when faced with the break up of a marriage, shock, depression or death. These are

NATIONAL EDITION

pointers to a “broken heart syndrome”, which can be fatal in extreme cases in which some people feel personally responsible and suffer a sense of remorse for what they ought to have done to prevent the loss of their loved one.

In most cases, people respond to moderation and family support, although the symptoms of a broken heart persist.

This can manifest itself in developing sleeplessness, alcoholism, suicidal tendencies and loneliness, bordering on depression. As the physical and emotional balance is disturbed, it can often lead to numbness of the heart muscles and a temporary dysfunction which could lead to chest pain and appear like a heart attack.

Statistics suggest that this “widowhood effect”, shortens the life expectancy of men in 46% of the cases, whilst 26% of women died within 3 years. It is therefore more than an exception, although it might not be the norm. Obviously older people have a greater risk occasioned by their deteriorating physical faculties, but several young people who might be members of the ‘lonely hearts club’ are equally vulnerable, and their long standing trauma may be due to an extramarital relationship. The human mind and the extremes of its thought processes creates personalities who may be described as ‘worry warts’, ‘never say die’ types or the self-centred ‘loving oneself above all’ kinds.

Most people will recover quickly from the ‘broken heart syndrome’ once they realise the value of looking after themselves emotionally and physically. This can happen by developing regular sleep patterns, some exercise or physical activity and developing the mindset to mingle socially and get on with life.

Deaths caused by broken hearts are well-known to the Indian psyche, what with the love tales like Salim-Anarkali, Heer-Ranjha, Sohni-Mahiwal, Laila-Majnu and several others originating from Indian folklore. The traditional Indian way of life has some interesting aspects of how one can cope with life after the loss of a loved one. It is worth noting that a loved one is not necessarily a life partner, but could be a child or a family sibling, or even a grandparent/ child. It is relevant in the Indian context due to the closeness of family ties and opportunities for bonding within or outside the immediate family. It would seem that

the link between mind and body works differently in men, as opposed to women.

Women have hormones that may cause them to be wired differently from their brains to their hearts, thus causing stronger emotional responses. This may be the reason why women feel weaker and more helpless when they suffer permanent separation. The ‘sati’ tradition is well-known and documented in Indian history, and is probably the oldest known example of what must have originated with a broken heart and the uncertainty of life after losing a loved one.

“Sanyas” and renunciation of family ties is still fairly common and “widows” follow a social norm of shedding their hair, wearing white and being gently pushed towards a complete withdrawal from family and society.

“Brahmachari” and ‘Brahmacharinis” created in some families may sometimes be the result of a broken heart syndrome.

Quite often a new chapter is unveiled by turning oneself to God, thereby creating a different level of emotional

The ‘sati’ tradition is well-known and documented in Indian history, and is probably the oldest known example of what must have originated with a broken heart and the uncertainty of life after losing a loved one. attachment. A tradition amongst Hindus in Punjab still induces families to create a child in the family who will be a Sikh by a family pledge. This dates back to the early years of developing Sikhism by the Gurus in the 16th century.

Slow disintegration of the traditional family structure due to increasing materialism may make inroads into known emotional attachments, but for many decades to come there will always be a grain of truth in the old Mirza Ghalib verse: Love(Ishq) is like a spark. It does not happen if/when you want, but when you are in love you cannot extinguish or switch it off at will.

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FOOD

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Lunchbox treats BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

Pita Bread Chips Pita bread Oil spray Seasoning of choice (try lemon pepper, or chicken salt, or an Indian spice mix or just plain salt) Cut up pita bread into neat rectangles.

Spray well with oil. Sprinkle the seasoning on top and toss well with fingers. Lay out on a baking tray and cook in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 5-8 minutes.

(Try parmesan cheese as an additional topping just before putting into oven).

The daily grind of school routine has hit us all again, and the summer holidays are but a distant memory. Stuck for lunchbox ideas? Read on for some easy-to-make delights.

Perhaps you could get the kids to help you make them! These are great as lunchbox treats, after-school snacks, or even - we’ve all done it - breakfast in the car.

MUFFINS Cheesy Savoury Muffins 1 cup self-raising flour 1 cup milk 1 cup grated cheese 1 cup chopped ham (or ½ cup sundried tomatoes) Salt and pepper to taste Mix all ingredients and spoon into greased muffin trays. Cook in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes.

(If your child likes them, try adding sliced olives or pesto sauce).

Corn and Cheese Muffins 2 cups plain flour 1 egg ½ tsp salt 1 tbsp baking powder 1 cup creamed corn 1 cup grated cheese (try a combination of cheddar and mozzarella) ½ cup chopped ham (optional) Sift flour in a deep bowl and add salt and baking powder. Add the corn, cheese and ham (if using). Break egg into a cup and lightly whisk with fork. Add enough water to reach the ¾ cup mark. Pour this into mixing bowl and mix to combine all ingredients well.

Spoon into greased muffin trays. Cook in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for about 20 minutes. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Vegetable Muffins 2 cups self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder Salt to taste 1 small zucchini, grated 1 small carrot, grated ¾ cup sliced ham or salami (optional)

SCROLLS Pizza Scrolls 2 cups self-raising flour Pinch salt 90g butter 2/3 cup milk 1/4 cup pizza sauce 1 cup grated cheese (try cheddar) Pizza toppings of choice such as ham, salami, capsicum, sundried tomatoes, olives, pineapple.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add milk. Mix into a dough.

Gently knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth, then roll out thickly.

Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 2cm

NATIONAL EDITION

1 cup grated cheddar cheese 2 eggs 3/4 cup milk 125g butter, melted Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Squeeze out excess water from grated zucchini and carrot. Add to flour along with ham/salami (if using)and 1/2 cup cheese. Mix well to combine.

Whisk eggs, milk and butter in a jug. Add to dry ingredients. Stir till just combined.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Grease a muffin tray and spoon mixture into it upto 2/3rd mark. Top with remaining cheese. Bake until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 20 minutes. . Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Spinach and Cheese Muffins 1 cup self-raising flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tbsp caster sugar 1/2 cup baby spinach, roughly torn 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly torn 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup extra-light olive oil 1 egg Preheat oven to 200°C. Sift flour into a bowl, add caster sugar and baking powder. Stir to combine.

Then add spinach, basil and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Make a well in centre.

Whisk buttermilk, oil and egg together in a jug and pour into well.

Gently stir until just combined. Grease a mini muffin pan and spoon mixture in. Bake until a skewer inserted comes out clean, about 12 minutes. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

border around the edge. Sprinkle with the cheese and toppings.

Roll up firmly into a log. Brush the edge with a little extra milk and press down firmly to seal. Cut crossways into equal portions, about 3cm thick. Place scrolls on the prepared tray.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Scrolls, Cheat’s Version Puff pastry sheets Vegemite Grated cheese Lay out puff pastry sheet on work surface and spread with vegemite. Top with cheese. Roll up tightly and cut into1cm rounds. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees until golden.

To make pizza scrolls, replace vegemite with pizza sauce, pineapple pieces, ham, salami, capsicum, or whatever else your child likes on pizza.

How about pesto scrolls with store-bought pesto and cheese?

FEBRUARY (2) 2011 <> 53

BEAUTY

www.indianlink.com.au

De-stress your skin Stress can affect your skin and make it look dull. Add to that the damaging effects of the sun and you have dry, leathery skin in the making. Besides external application of various creams and lotions, here are tips on how you can stop stress from damaging your skin from within.

BY MINNAL KHONA

What you eat, your lifestyle and mental health, all these factors affect the skin’s appearance and can cause ageing if one is not careful. The sun’s UV rays can be combated with sun protection creams which I believe are vital to the skin. The UV rays can damage your DNA, and free radicals that are generated by pollution and the sun destroy the skin’s weaker cells resulting in increased wrinkles, lines and loss of firmness. In fact, a sun block is important even on not-so-sunny days to prevent the damage from the environment.

As for the weather, be it summer or winter, you must drink lots of water to keep the skin plumped up and moist from within. We tend not to drink enough water in winter and this dehydrates the skin from within and outside as well. You also need a rich moisturiser in winter to compensate for the dryness in the air.

Errors of skin care

We don’t realise that some of our daily habits can damage the skin in the long run. Too hot water during a shower for example is one of the biggest culprits. Soaps or washing agents with lots of lather are as bad as water and these high foam cleansers dissolve the skin’s oils from the top protective layer.

Not only do these dry the skin out, they also make the skin sensitive and it reacts badly Your skin revives to the sun, dust, pollution and some cosmetics. itself while you You know your skin is getting dry sleep which is if it itches soon after your shower.

That is an indication that your why the night cleanser is not the right one for you. cream industry is Switch to a cleanser with less foam or booming as well. a soap with moisturising properties.

Avoid very hot water as well.

When you stress, worry, drink too much alcohol or smoke too much, or have too many late nights, these habits affect the skin straightaway. Adequate sleep is one of the best things you can do to rejuvenate your skin. Your skin revives itself while you sleep which is why the night cream industry is booming as well.

Avoid too much alcohol and cigarettes as these hasten the signs of ageing as well.

What you eat impacts your skin so go easy on

the pickles, the chilli and food with preservatives. Here people are healthconscious so everyone is into low fat and cholesterol free and low oil content foods which is good.

Oily or spicy food can cause the skin to break out. If you have binged on too many nights out, you can detox your skin by going on a fruit and yoghurt diet once a week.

Actually, doing that on a regular basis is a good idea, whether you binge or not. Fruits and yoghurt have anti-oxidants which cleanse the skin and the stomach so your skin stays clear and spotless.

Stress: The big culprit

Stress is one of the main causes of early ageing signs and dull skin. Still for every problem there is a solution so what you can do is find ways to combat the stress in your life.

Exercise

Not only does exercise improve your blood circulation, it gives the skin a healthy glow. Exercise also produces endorphins in the brain which are the chemicals that keep you feeling positive and happy and thus able to deal with your problems. If nothing else, go for a brisk walk now and then and you will feel better.

If you are a believer in meditative techniques follow one that suits you best. There are several to choose from and you can learn to meditate the right way by attending courses on meditation, yoga, the Art of Living, Transcendental Meditation, Reiki etc.

Choose what works for you and just 20 minutes a

day of meditation will calm you down and help you clear your thoughts. Positive thinking helps, and happiness is really the best cosmetic!

So besides using the regular skincare products to protect and moisturise your skin, use these techniques and cultivate healthy habits for great looking skin. You’ll stay young forever.

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NATIONAL EDITION

FEBRUARY (2) 2011 <> 55

Did You Know...

1. Cows stand up and sit down on average 14 times a day.

2. Cows weigh around 635 kilograms.

3. Cows can smell something 9 kilometres away.

Laugh Out Loud

4. People would have to eat 360 cheeseburgers and drink around 400 to 800 glasses of water a day to eat like cows.

Where do Russian cows come from?

Moscow!

5. A cow has 207 bones in its body.

A summer visitor asked the farmer how long cows should be milked.

“Oh, I reckon about the same as short ones!” the farmer answered.

6. If the gas of 10 cows got captured, it could heat a small house for a year.

What did the farmer call the cow that would not give him any milk?

An udder failure!

7. Dairying has improved through the years. Today, one cow can produce the milk that it once took 10 cows to produce.

Why do cows wear bells around their necks?

Because their horns don’t work.

What do you call cattle with a sense of humor?

Laughing stock.

8. The best dairy cows produce 400 glasses of milk a day

Why did the cow jump over the moon?

To get to the Milky Way. What do you call a cow that’s just had a baby?

De-calfinated.

9. Cows do not have 4 stomachs; they have 4 digestive compartments: • The rumen (which holds partially digested food) • The reticulum (the ‘hardware stomach’, which holds accidentally eaten items like a piece of fencing scrap, so that it can cause no further damage).

• The omasum (which is like a filter).

• The abomasum (which is like our stomach).

10. There are many breeds of cows like Holstein Friesian, Jersey, Illawarra, Red, Ayrshire and Brahman or Brahma. This last one originated form India and has a hump behind its head. Its sub-species are names Kankrej, Guzerat, Nelore, Gir and Krishna Valley.

Translation Station

What do cows do for entertainment?

They go to the mooooovies.

How to win friends and impress your family…

What happens when the cows refuse to be milked?

Udder chaos!

…with your knowledge of French!

… with your knowledge of fancy idioms!

Mon frère mange comme une vache (Say, Mon fre manj com oon vasch)

Till the cows come home: A phrase which means “For a long and indefinite time”, as in:

Holy Cow!

And that means, “My brother eats like a cow”.

(Sorry, Manan!)

DL

I can teach my sister how to download apps on her iPhone till the cows come home, but she will never learn.

(Ha ha, Devna) ML

Hindus do not ‘worship’ cows. They treat all living forms - including cows - with reverence, because they believe all life is sacred. Man’s identity is connected to all that lives.

Hindus give respect to all those things that help people to live their life better. This includes forces of nature like the sun, moon, earth, wind, water, fire, rain, and also human beings such as parents, family, teachers and friends. These are the ‘gods’ in Hinduism.

All animals are treated with respect, particularly cows, because they are constant ‘givers’. They provides humans with milk (and from it, many related foods), leather, fuel, and in ancient times, a form of transport as well as help to plough the fields. (They gave meat too, but Hindus figured out that their meat only lasts a few days, whereas their other benefits continue as long as they live). So cows are like “second mothers”.

Like many things in Hinduism, the respect of cows is also symbolic. By protecting cows, Hindus are really protecting all animals.

Arty Farty

ML

ere’s n PEARL OF WISDOM: “Th 56 <> FEBRUARY (2) 2011

sit g like n i h t o

ting back

and talking to you

r co

ws”.

~Russ

ell Crowe, actor.

INDIAN LINK

NATIONAL EDITION

FEBRUARY (2) 2011 <> 57

BUZZ

ENTERTAINMENT

The

She’s as Punjabi as… … sarson ka saag and makki di roti.

Poor Priyanka Chopra. She got into a heated verbal argument with a man in Delhi while promoting her just released film 7 Khoon Maaf. Apparently he accused her of not being Punjabi enough. Of course the cool-as-lassi Priyanka laughed it off at first, but he kept rattling her. He kept interjecting, insinuating that she had done nothing for Punjab and Punjabis. Finally, Piggy Chops, who can be as spicy as the most masaledar amritsari wari you can find (ask Kareena Kapoor) blew her top and told him to shut up and piss off. Oye pappe, her minders screamed after him when he was out of sight and they had they had cooled off with some aam-kapanna, how dare you chhed-chhad our darling Punjabi kudi…

For those of you who don’t know (like the bewakuf who scuttled off from the press conference), Priyanka’s father is Punjabi and her mother is from Jharkhand.

Superstitious Madhavan

He had a super-duper hit with his 3 Idiots.

And now Madhavan wants to repeat that feat.

So for his upcoming release Tanu Weds Manu, the superstitious Madhavan went to great lengths to do exactly the same things as he did on the earlier film. You mean, arriving at the same time, wearing the same chuddies, that kind of thing? Um, no. Actually, he got the director Aanand L Rai to keep his entry in the film similar to that of 3 Idiots, because he feels it could be lucky for him.

The film, co-starring Kangana Ranaut, is a tale of attraction among opposites. He’s the nerdy NRI, and she’s the spirited urban extrovert. The film opens this week, and we

can’t wait to see if superstitious Madhavan will break into a jig, once again, and sing Aaaal iiiis weeellll!

Comedy and me!

He has always played intense and serious roles, but not many know that Bollywood actor Neil Nitin Mukesh has a humorous side which he would like to explore in films.

The actor is keen to do situational comedies.

“I would love to be a part of a situational comedy like Hera Pheri,” said Neil. The fivefilm-old Neil has garnered plenty of critical acclaim with serious roles in his films Johnny Gaddaar, Aa Dekhen Zara, Jail, New York and Lafangey Parindey, but off-screen the actor

GUESS WHO

admits he is a clown.

“I keep making people laugh with my acts.

I have a great sense of humour. I am a good mimicry artiste also, a glimpse of which you would have seen in Johnny Gaddaar,” the actor proudly said.

Last seen in Lafange Parindey with Deepika Padukone, Neil returns with yet another dark role in Vishal Bharadwaj’s 7 Khoon Maaf, which is an adaptation of Ruskin Bond’s short story Susanne’s Seven Husbands. He plays the role of the “lucky first husband” to get married to Susanna, played by Priyanka Chopra.

“I was a bit nervous at first about working with Vishal but in course of time I realised he is a very humble human being and a great

director. He has a different vision and explains everything beautifully to us as actors,” he said.

Neil sports a moustache for his role as army man Major Edwin Rodrigues, and says the character is inspired by his uncle Mohnish Mukesh.

So, does he plan to sport a moustache in future?

“Let’s see how the audience responds to it,” he said.

Apart from Neil, the film also stars John Abraham, Irrfan Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Annu Kapoor and Russian actor Aleksandr Dyachenko.

Asked if he was ever apprehensive about being a part of the multi-starrer 7 Khoon Maaf, Neil said, “I don’t understand why everybody is asking the same question. If I had been apprehensive, I would not have taken the film in the first place.”

“Such things sometimes create a doubt in the minds of actors like us - whether we made the right decision or not,” he added.

Meanwhile, Neil is busy shooting for Abbas Mustan’s Players with Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu and Sonam Kapoor and reveals that he has signed another film.

So is Neil preparing us for his new comedy avatar? Let’s wait and see.

Mahesh makes a mean point!

The Shiv Sena has warned the Indian film industry against hiring Pakistani artistes, saying it will teach a lesson to those who do so, leading film-maker Mahesh Bhatt said recently, reading out a letter received making this statement.

Maharashtra Cinema Television Sena (MCTS), a frontal organisation of the Shiv Sena, has threatened those using the services of Pakistani artists, he said, adding he received a letter addressed to all production houses, organisers, event managers and media houses.

The warning by Sena comes in the wake of the detention of Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan at Delhi airport recently, for carrying undeclared foreign currency.

“We at MCTS would like to inform you that henceforth if any of the above mentioned fraternities indulge in such an act wherein the Indian soil is used for Pakistani performers we are determined to teach them a lesson in our Shiv Sena style,” said the letter.

?

She rose to fame as a hockey chick (Find the answer under Caption Contest)

NEIL NITIN M

58 <> FEBRUARY (2) 2011

MADHAVAN

UKESH

INDIAN LINK

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contenders from the Karnataka BJP for the seat. Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa denied a rift in the state BJP unit over Hema Malini’s selection.

“There is no rift. The party high command has taken the decision and we are all bound by it,” he told reporters.

Hema Malini’s victory is assured as the ruling BJP has 107 members, including the speaker, in the 225-seat assembly. The veteran actress is likely to file her papers on the last day for doing so. Hema joins the bandwagon of veteran actors enjoying the limelight in politics, instead of the big screen. Good luck to her!

CAPTION CONTEST

Big B learns a lesson

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s hectic shooting schedule in Bhopal for Aarakshan is proving to be quite a learning experience.

“Saif (Ali Khan) introduces me to a cool application on iPad - ‘Rehearsal’. Particularly useful for us (artists) in reading scripts, making comment,” Amitabh wrote on microblogging site Twitter.

The film based on the sensitive issue of reservations is being directed by Prakash Jha and stars Deepika Padukone, apart from Saif.

Well, at least the Big B has proven that an old dog can indeed learn new tricks!

Marriage matters

MAHESH BHUPATHI AND LARA DUTTA

“We also very strongly condemn the manner in which some of you are entertaining few Pakistani artistes time and again by conducting events and television programs, serials etc thus making our Indian artistes helpless, jobless causing grave injustice to their hard-earned talent,” it said.

Bhatt said the threat was a method to continue the war in the field of arts and culture. He said it was the responsibility of the governments at the centre and in Maharashtra to take action in this regard.

“They have to decide whether they allow trampling of individual liberty and can any political group dictate you to do this and not this,” said the filmmaker.

He said while Rahat should be punished and jailed if he had violated the law, the process of cultural exchanges should not be stopped in the larger interest of the people of the entire region.

Bhatt recalled that it was he who brought Rahat to the film industry, singing playback for Paap and later for Kalyug. “We made many films since then and a Bangladeshi and a Nepalese singer also sang for us,” he said.

“A thousand songs are recorded in India and hardly 10 or 12 of them are sung by Pakistanis. It is wrong to say that others are not getting work because of this,” he added.

Bhatt feels threats like these could demolish

the bridge he and some others built a few years ago for cultural exchange to remove the bitterness between the two countries.

“We achieved what others could not achieve for 60 years. Before 2006, no Indian films were screened in Pakistan. Today all Indian films are being screened in Pakistan and Indian cinema is making money from this.

In return, only two or three of their singers come here,” he said.

The filmmaker emphasised that people of Pakistan are not the government of Pakistan.

“Our Pakistani brothers are also fighting against those people who are involved in bloodshed. They are also victims. It is not proper to put the people of Pakistan in dock, stop the composite dialogue process and hope that the region will be fine,” he added.

It’s time the government takes Bhatt’s lead and puts the Sena firmly in its place.

Hema for Parliament again

Yesteryears Bollywood actress and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Hema Malini is set to reenter the Rajya Sabha - this time from Karnataka. She was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2003 by the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Her choice as the BJP candidate for the forthcoming election was announced in New Delhi recently, though there were several

Bollywood actress Lara Dutta and tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi ditched the paparazzi and got married in a civil ceremony at his residence in Mumbai recently, before heading to Goa where their wedding celebrations began on a grand scale.

An hour before the wedding, Mahesh posted online that there would be no media during the civil ceremony and he would post pictures of the marriage on his online profile, which he did after the ceremony was over.

Mahesh wrote online, “Mr and Mrs Bhupathi folks...” and also posted a picture.

While Lara was dressed in a cream coloured ensemble by designer Ritu Kumar, Mahesh was in formal attire.

Post the ceremony, the newly-weds flew to Goa to join friends and begin the celebrations. They also had a Victorian-style wedding and exchanged wedding vows, with former Miss Universe Lara wearing a white gown, while Mahesh sported a black suit.

“We had a memorable time at the wedding.

Looking forward to the rest of our lives together,” stated the celebrity couple in a message after the wedding.

Bollywood actors Ritesh Deshmukh, Raveena Tandon, Dia Mirza, Priyanka Chopra, Celina Jaitley and Boman Irani and designers Wendell Rodricks and fashion model Sheetal Malhar were among 200 invitees who attended the wedding.

From the sporting field, Rohan Bopanna and Leander Paes, along with his wife Ria Pillai, were among the invitees.

Here’s wishing the newly weds a happy married life.

What’s the chitchat between Jagjit Singh and Talat Aziz?

Send in your responses to info@indianlink.com.au and win a surprise prize

Last issue Caption Contest winning entry

What’s the chitchat between Priyanka and Shahid?

Shahid: Mujhse shaadi karogi?

Priyanka: Haan kyun nahi, agar aathva khoon maaf ho to…

Sonia Kher Sonia wins an original audio CD of new release 7 Khoon Maaf Another good one Whatever the chitchat is, it’s not about Kareena, that’s for sure!

Gamini Kawiratne

GUESS WHO ANSWER: Vidya Malvade

NATIONAL EDITION NI HEMA MALI

MAHESH BH

FEBRUARY (2) 2011 <> 59

ATT

ENTERTAINMENT

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The King and I Bollywood script writer Mushtaq Shiekh (of Ra.One, Billu and Om Shanti Om fame) talks about his friendship with actor Shah Rukh Khan which has survived the filmy gossip of Bollywood.

I first met SRK when he came to Mumbai after his Fauji became a big hit on TV. I found he had a certain spark and I instinctively felt he was going to be a big star.

At that time I was working with G magazine and my story with him got rejected as he was still known as a TV star.

In order to feature him, I went around interviewing 36 other Khans who were hopefuls at that time. We kept in touch after that and would run into each other at filmy parties.

Our bonding was gradual and symbiotic in a way. He never interfered with my work. I was the bitchiest reporter on my team and often I did write items about him or his movies that did not show him in a good light. But he never told me off because he respected the fact that I was doing my job. That’s typical of Shah Rukh - he lets people grow and doesn’t expect his friends to be sycophants because he doesn’t take himself too seriously.

60 <> FEBRUARY (2) 2011

Given his vast knowledge, he is like an information highway and makes no bones about being opinionated. He is one actor who could hold an intelligent conversation on anything from Osho to the solar system to the latest software. We both are bookworms so there is always some interesting book to talk about.

We have other things in common too. I don’t drink and SRK is not into booze parties either. We are both insomniacs and we both love watching movies.

But there are things we don’t agree on.

He is a fitness freak and I am not. He has the weirdest gym regimen - he can be in the gym at 2 in the morning if he feels like exercising. He is forever giving me gaalis about my paunch and trying to get me into the gym but I am allergic to exercise.

The man is so obsessive about his work that he will go through any kind of pain if it is to deliver. He has had surgeries, broken bones and immense pain, but will

continue to shoot through it all. I also think that he smokes way too much and takes his health very lightly. I know he has tried to quit smoking several times but has not succeeded. I have tried telling him to quit, as it is obvious that smoking is taking its toll on him.

There have been stories of us having a falling out over something or the other.

I have been a journalist so I know how it works. The same people who will write in the morning that SRK and I have had a fight, will see us partying together in the evening and will say we have patched up. Both variants are a figment of their imagination.

As a superstar with his kind of charisma, it is very easy for a lot of people to be in awe of him. But I have known him for long and I think, in a way I take him for granted, it’s not the other way round. It only hits me that I am friends with a superstar when we are at a hotel on location somewhere and

I step out to see 10,000 people waiting to catch a glimpse of him.

He is a generous friend but not in the ‘gifty’ sort of way. He is not exuberant with his affection or flamboyant, but he is dildaar.

And as a friend he is also very loyal and he commands the same kind of loyalty from his friends.

Hanging out with SRK means we often do kiddie stuff. He is a very devoted father and if he gets 12 hours of free time, he will spend eight hours with his kids. So we have done things like play football with Aryan in Hyde Park, build him a tree house, read stories to Suhana and her friends, and shop at stores in London for her birthday party.

Being friends with Shah Rukh has been an emotionally rewarding experience as he goes out of his way to make his friends comfortable in every way.

Mushtaq Shiekh spoke to MINNAL KHONA in Mumbai INDIAN LINK

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Cine Talk

ENTERTAINMENT

Another winner from Vishal Bhardwaj Film: 7 Khoon Maaf Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Naseeruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan, Anu Kapoor, Alexandr Dyachenko, John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Vivaan Shah Director: Vishal Bhardwaj

Vishal Bhardwaj and Priyanka Chopra chalk up an absolute winner with this one.

How do you make sense of a woman, an incorrigible, loathsome serial spouse-killer who when challenged about her weird passion for changing husbands by divine decree rather than the law of the land, turns around and says, “This heart of mine, it’s to blame.” How does one make head or tail of such a woman? Well, the first thing a director with a canny sensibility does, is sign Priyanka Chopra to play the wretchedly unfulfilled, genetically incomplete woman, a living, throbbing warning against the institution of marriage!

Priyanka, not for the first time, proves she is leagues ahead of all competition. She approaches this strange and sensual creature of the night from the outside and then quietly makes inroads into the woman’s heart and soul. We can actually see the character’s snarled

inner-world on Priyanka’s face!

Vishal Bharadwaj has made films about gangs and gangsterism. Every time, the dark brooding atmospheric surface seemed to suggest a life of sinister suppressions. Those unspoken, intangible thoughts and visions that often guide a human being to his or her doom, are outlined here with supreme poetic elegance.

This is Bhardwaj’s most fluidly-narrated film to date. Of course, having Gulzar on board helps. He pens Urdu poetry for Irrfan Khan and rock poetry for John Abraham. For Priyanka poetry is not needed. She creates a kind of indecipherable poetic statement for her deeply dysfunctional character who kills 6 husbands and moves to the 7th at the end of the film with the profound satirical grief of a woman who has discovered that this world has no true love to offer her.

True love... now that’s an idea. At heart Vishal’s dark elegiac film is about the search for true love. The relationship that Sussanna (Priyanka) forms with a young boy (Vivaan Shah) as she goes from one husband to another remains at the core of the film. In a macabre subversion of the almost-pure love that Susanna shares with Vivaan’s character, at one point in the narration she tries to seduce the boy who’s almost like a son. It’s a dark ugly moment, almost repugnant in its incestuous resonance but in keeping with the character’s insatiable appetite for destruction.

Vishal Bhardwaj brings to the story a deep sense of tragic grandeur even as Susanna slips from self-gratification to delusional spirituality.

Priyanka Chopra has already proved herself in earlier works notably Fashion and What’s Your Raashee. In 7 Khoon Maaf she moves to another level, displaying a range of emotions and agechanges (minus prosthetics) that one last saw in Shabana Azmi’s performances.

Priyanka’s sequences with Irrfan Khan (playing a gentle poet who transforms into a sexual pervert in bed) are stuff poetic nightmares are made of. We can clearly see the cinematographer (Ranjan Palit) is not in love with the actress, but the character.

A. Sreekar Prasad edits the life of Susanna with a surety that, alas, the character never comes close to achieving in her dealings with the opposite sex. Sreekar creates a seamless movement from one husband to another, sometimes joining segments in Susanna’s life with visuals that would otherwise seem incompatible.

The husbands are all played by actors who strip away their vanity to become the suave but duplicitous untrustworthy spouses who cheat and betray for the sake of the opposite emotion to love. Irrfan Khan as a wolf in poet’s clothing, Naseeruddin Shah as the affable old Bengali dietician (his Bengali accent is more dead-on than any true-blue Bengalis) and John Abraham as a stereotypical rock

musician gone to poppy-seed, are pitch-perfect in creating a drama of the callous for Priyanka’s character.

But it’s Neil Nitin Mukesh as her first legless army-man husband whose display of clenched menace jolts you.

As a storyteller Vishal Bhardwaj has never been more in command of his language. He punctuates Susanna’s story with bouts of unexpected humour and poetry. Providentially the murders are committed in ways that appear more humorous than savage. And that’s both a good and a bad thing.

The narrative shows a rare understanding of the gender dynamics and the sexual tensions between men and women. Priyanka Chopra’s interaction with the unctuous and closet-horny police officer Anu Kapoor delectably illustrates the fable of the Temptress & The Besotted.

And by the way, Viagara never seemed funnier.

Priyanka Chopra goes from husband to husband with a mocking sigh of resigned surrender. She is not a victim. But neither is she the hero of the bizarre web of destruction and delusion that her character weaves around her.

Subhash K. Jha

A father-son story at heart

Film: Patiala House Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Dimple Kapadia, Anushka Sharma Director: Nikhil Advani

It takes us just five minutes to get the hang of this film’s narrative structure. It is as nimblypaced as a fast-bowler playing cricket in a wide-open field trying to avoid the roar and din of the cheering crowds.

For a film that has a surprisingly large number of characters (after the 23rd SikhBriton running up and down the wooden staircase I stopped counting) the noise decibel is surprising low. The clamour of a crowded Sikh household in London never overpowers the emotional kernel of this film.

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The delicate bonds that grow among people - not just mal-adjusted in a foreign land but also spiritual and emotional misfits in their own household - are brought out brilliantly by a confident storyteller.

This time Nikhil Advani takes no chances with inordinate length after his episodic structure in Salaam-e-Ishq failed. Economy of expression is paramount here. Not that Advani shies away from taking risks. The selfassured manner in which he aggregates the characters in a house run by a patriarchal Sikh in Britain (Rishi Kapoor, firmly in command) without crowding and asphyxiating the canvas, shows a deep empathy with the characters who drift into his range of vision.

At heart, Patiala House is a father-son story.

Akshay has done them before, eg Suneel Darshan’s Ek Rishta where the father Amitabh Bachchan drove son Akshay to a state of

smothered silences. In Patiala House Akshay’s silences scream in wounded protest every time papa Rishi Kapoor’s iron hand falls on his dreams.

In many ways the screenplay (Advani, Anvita Dutt Guptan) is a compendium of cliches -- despotic dad, timid mother (Dimple Kapadia), unfulfilled son, encouraging girlfriend, her precocious surrogate-son.

Advani converts familiar characters into believable warm endearing ones whose lives begin to matter to us as we watch them in their Southall setting.

The historic data about the Sikh community in Britain is kept at a bare and bearable minimum. The narrative never feels the burdens of the cross-cultural migratory journey. And that’s the film’s USP. Even as the peripheral characters make a fleeting but coherent impact (Rishi Kapoor’s pregnant daughter-in-law’s anguish at watching her husband being treated like a doormat is as apparent to us as daughter Hard Kaur’s tattoo), we are constantly seeking out the next chapter in the repressed Gattu’s wretched-going-on-glorious life.

Akshay plays Gattu with a restrain that never shies away from tears. Every time he thinks of his ruined dreams a trickle of a tear flows down his cheek. It isn’t done for effect.

Akshay embraces Gattu’s shattering dreams and makes them his own.

Is this Akshay’s finest performance to date?

Yes, for the sheer mastery over the heart and soul of his character and the dignity he brings to it.

Akshay and Rishi don’t look like father and

son. And that’s the best compliment one can pay to the film’s theme. How can they look like a family, when the father has constantly denied the boy’s sense of self? Oh, Rishi is a bellowing volcano of arrogant prejudices.

With brilliant bravura, he almost echoes the tyranny of Prithviraj Kapoor.

His sudden reformation at the end is unconvincing. The unhurried grace of the film gives way to an urgently-claimed culmination. One can’t blame Advani for abandoning the pace - he knows the audience wants a hurried send-off.

Anusha Sharma remains effervescent in her volubility, but perhaps she could have been less talkative.

Though scarce, the moments between Akshay and Dimple are very precious. There is a specially evocative sequence at the hospital when the invalidated Rishi Kapoor tells his wife Dimple Kapadia to shut the door on their son Akshay’s face.

The emotional moments are bolstered

by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s resplendent background score. But Santosh Thundiyil’s cinematography adds precious little to the proceedings. London doesn’t seem to come alive beyond the cricket field.

The editing (Manan Sagar) could have been less generous. Portions of the narrative lose their energy. Before it sags, the director swoops up his characters’ dreams into curvy shapes.

The narrative never loses its way in the maze and clutter of the characters and ambitions.

Gattu finally finds his groove. The film, though, never loses it.

Subhash K. Jha

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Matrimonials SEEKING BRIDES

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atch required for India-born Jat Sikh boy, temporary residence going to apply for permanent residence, 25 year old, 5’10”, fair complexion, BSc (medical), diploma in horticulture, father Govt employee, brother in Italy. Looking for a girl from an Australiasettled family. Call 0430 472 878, or email bali_heer@yahoo.co.in

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eeking well-educated Hindu girl in Australia for 31-year-old, well settled Hindu Punjabi boy in Sydney. The boy has finished Masters in IT from Deakin University Melbourne. For further enquiries contact Nitin Gera (brother) 0401 279 200 or nitingera.work@gmail.com

holder, Reigistered Nurse, Australian citizen living in Sydney, seeks suitable match of honest girl with good family values. Caste no bar. Please reply with photo and details amit4012@hotmail.com or call 0431647402.

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eeking 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 at valmikiboy@hotmail.com or call 0431 159 221.

SEEKING GROOMS

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eeking 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. iji Hindu, 52, dual Australian / New Zealand citizenship, living in Liverpool, Sydney, seeks Hindu wife from India or Fiji, age 30-45. Please email details / pics to ron_87singh@hotmail.com

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atel Family invites all upper cast Gujarat family. Correspondence for sister 1979 born, height 5’4’’, government job in India,visiting Australia in March, Mcom, good looking, brother settled in Australia, interested family email bio-data with picture on amin_mitesh@yahoo.co.in lliance invited for a good looking Malaysian Hindu Tamil girl, 30 years, 5’ 4” IT degree working for a bank in Sydney. Seeks Hindu Tamil professional or degree holder of good family background.

Family members are Australian PR holders.

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eeking a 27-31-year-old male of FijiIndian background with strong social, cultural and religious values, preferably a non-drinker, residing in Australia or New Zealand, must be a University graduate, vegetarian and a non-smoker.

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r. G. L Gupta settled in Australia since 1970 seeks match for Hyderabad-based grand daughter, DOB 7 Nov 1986, 5’ 4” fair with sharp features. Graduate in Commerce, PG Diploma in Banking and Finance from IFBI and working in ICICI Bank. Coming to Sydney. Seeking Hindu preferably Agarwal professional match.

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3-year-old Fijian Indian female seeks Hindu male 33-35, never married, Australian citizen, graduate, vegetarian and tall. She is tall, slim, vegetarian, never married, and has an Australian degree.

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ell 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.

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unjabi Hindu Khatri good looking smart homely girl never married, 34 5‘11”, looks very young, seeking tall Indian boy settled in Australia, two brothers well settled in Sydney, Caste no bar. Contact with photo and details on 0425910007 or ricky.bhalla@gmail.com

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eeking match for 39/165, unmarried, fair, slim, beautiful, Indian Punjabi girl, family oriented and responsible, traditional values, IT professional, brought up in India.

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anted 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 a 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 wellrespected, 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

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FICTION

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The theft of trust

Sometimes even loved and trusted ones can betray for monetary gain through bizarre and unethical means

BY RANI JHALA

The newspapers were rife with stories of the sad state of affairs in hospitals here. Every day someone we knew brought up another episode of abuse or medical negligence and with each episode, one grew more fearful.

Amidst this unhealthy atmosphere, my mother who had long waited for elective surgery decided that having the surgery overseas would be a good alternative.

Financially it would be cheaper; her nephew had opened his home to her for post operative recovery, and had even offered to book her into his hospital. As an added bonus, he knew the doctors on a personal basis and offered to get mum a family discount on the private room charges. It even had its own research section.

With both my wife and I working full time, this offer and suggestion was most welcome.

It solved all our problems. We would A few sentences not have to take extra time off, my into the mother would be with people she conversation left loved and we would not have to worry about leaving her alone at me in no doubt home after surgery. that at least the We took all the medical records doctor, if not the with us and flew out before my hospital, was mother’s health issue worsened.

My cousin and his wife were at involved in highly the airport to warmly receive us unethical activity and we drove to their luxurious waterfront home. The ground floor room had been lovingly prepared for my mother.

The week that followed rotated around meeting doctors and having medical tests repeated. The ground work had already been done, so a week later my mother was admitted into the hospital. This state-of-the-art feature was jam packed with the latest equipment. JACS Hospital could compete with the best in the world and win. It was a medical marvel that lived up to all that was promised on its website.

After admitting my mother to the hospital we returned to my aunt’s home. That night when getting myself a glass of water, I overheard a conversation between my cousin and his wife. It did not make sense to me at all, but something must have triggered an alarm bell because I could not sleep after that. Her words resounded in my mind, over and over again: “You aunt has all her organs. We should do quite well out of this.”

On the morning of the operation, my wife and I took a taxi and went over so that we could be with

my mother before they took her into the theatre.

My mother was most relaxed and actually loving the attention she was getting there. Leaving my wife with her, I tried to find the surgeon hoping to touch base before the operation. I was directed to his room.

Sheer luck, coincidence, a protective angel - call it what you will, but I became privy to another conversation - a conversation between the surgeon and a man.

A few sentences into the conversation left me in no doubt that at least the doctor, if not the hospital, was involved in highly unethical activity. I switched on the recorder on my mobile. The two were discussing the sale of a patient’s organs to the research department of the hospital. Not organ donation which is done at the patient’s desire and their family’s consent; this was taking organs from dead and dying patients! The man was happy with the price. He arranged that no family member was to be allowed near the patient after the operation. He could not afford an investigation or inquiry, especially as he was the related to the patient.

It was obvious that this kind of transaction had been done before.

The voice had sounded familiar and then I heard the name of the person who was to supply these organs my mother!

My first instinct was to confront my cousin. But then I realized that I had a bigger problem to deal with first - the task of removing my mother from their hospital without raising suspicions. A task complicated by the fact that she was already in pre-op.

I rushed out of the room and blended into the crowd of visitors. I had to ensure that the person speaking was indeed my cousin. Ten minutes later my cousin walked out. Along with him, matching his stride was his wife. They headed towards the florist.

I gave them a few minutes and rushed to my mother’s room. I told my wife everything and asked her to collect our belongings and meet me at the airport with our documentation.

I then faked a heart attack and diverted the attention to myself. My mother stressed over my condition and refused to proceed with the surgery.

When my cousin walked into the room, it was to find all his well-laid plans ripped asunder.

He could not disguise his anger at his monetary loss. The flowers in his wife’s hand were the victims of hers, as they lay crushed between her fingers.

I waited until my wife rang to confirm that she had left their home and then checked my mother and myself out, saying that we would return the next day. Instead of journeying with my cousin we took a separate taxi and headed to the airport. Once I had my mother and wife on the aircraft out of the city, I drove back to the main police station and gave my evidence. There I learnt that an investigation into this malpractice was already underway. And my own cousin’s activities were being investigated. They believed he had sold his own mother’s organs after her death. The cleverly performed second incision along the line of the original surgery has not been missed by his sibling, and a report had been lodged by her.

The police assured me that the Minister for Health had himself called for the investigation, owing to the many complaints they had already received. For a country that hoped to generate considerable income from overseas visitors travelling there for medical procedures, this kind of malpractice was unacceptable and criminal. And they wanted a morally irrepressible crime to be stamped out before it became an epidemic.

My cousin was not the first to sell, nor was this hospital the first to buy.

The minister was going to recommend that all patients have full body scans after surgery and was calling for this practice to be compulsory for postsurgery deaths. Medical theft of organs and their illegal sale were going to attract mandatory sentencing.

Equally culpable would be the medical institutions that permit harvesting of organs for their research departments without the consent of the patient.

While this is the step one country is going to take, maybe it should be the norm everywhere. Crimes have a way of becoming global and as they say, it is best to nip things in the bud.

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BACKCHAT

www.indianlink.com.au

13 or 30?

Ask Auntyji Rude and discourteous Dear Auntyji I have a problem at work and I need your help with it. My co workers have complained that I am discourteous and abrupt to them - to the point of being outright rude.

I was quite surprised by this - and was too shocked to even say anything.

They have brought this up on three occasions, and each time, I get too surprised to defend myself. In fact, I don’t think I am rude at all. I have worked with these people for over three years and things are pretty busy at work and we all get stressed, but I don’t recall being outright rude to anyone. Can you please help me address this issue - as I would like to be a better colleague.

Auntyji says According to the Talmud, my dear Koyal, when a man calls you a donkey, do not heed his words, but if two men call you a donkey, it is time to buy a saddle.

In other words, it’s quite likely that you are indeed rude and discourteous, and you don’t even know when you are doing it.

But the most important thing here is that you would like to address this issue - and here is how you can do it. I would recommend that you take one colleague at a time out to coffee, and sit and explain to them that you are quite upset about the fact that they think you are rude and discourteous to them, and would like to change this behaviour. Then ask for their help in helping you address this issue. Ask them to point it out to you the next time you are rude to them - and explain that you will deal with that issue on the spot. Then, the most important part, don’t forget to thank your colleagues for bringing this to your attention - in fact, they have done you a favour by telling you all this - so you owe it to them to make sure that this issue is addressed. So, then, the next time they point out that you are being rude or discourteous, take a deep breath and review your behaviour. Could it be remotely possible that you were being rude? For Kali Mata’s sake, don’t start arguing with your colleagues like a demented churail. But be calm, and apologise. Then, take another deep breath and say what you have to say in a calm, modulated tone. Oftentimes, it is our tone that makes people think we are being rude. Good luck, and please keep me posted. The last thing we need is for your colleagues running around saying people of the subcontinent are rude and discourteous. Nay, we want to be known as the gentle people of the East.

Do you have a question for Auntyji?

Send it in to GPO Box 108 Sydney 2001 or email it to info@indianlink.com.au

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Dear Auntyji Yesterday we went shopping at Marrickville Metro and there my wife and I saw a girl who was probably only 13 years old. She looked like she had not undergone puberty yet, but she was wearing very short denim shorts, and a midriff teeshirt showing off her stomach, and her navel was pierced. She was wearing eye makeup and had a bandana on. Now, I took one look at this girl and wondered what had gone wrong in her life that made her dress like that at that age. And by that, I meant she was provocatively dressed.

I looked at her and continued with my shopping in a state of zen-like bliss, until I realised with horror that my wife, who is the most liberal person I know, had marched up to the girl and had engaged her in conversation. My wife asked the girl how old she was - and the girl said 13.

My wife did not say anything else after that to the girl - but I could just sense her disapproval. My wife then asked my opinion on why the girl dressed like that, and then spent the next 15 minutes talking about the girl. I am amazed that one girl had such an influence on my wife. I asked

my wife why she was so interested in the girl, and she said that she was amazed that no one had told the girl that what she was wearing was inappropriate for her age. In any case, I don’t really have a problem, but I just wanted to share this with you Auntyji.

Damn it, I’m (not) lost

Auntyji says Oh dear, what to do, vindaloo, what to do? Well, I can understand your predicament, I too would look down upon Uncleji if he could not read a map. So here are your solutions. First, each time you go somewhere new, you can do the driving.

If you think you know the way there and you are better than your husband at driving, then you be the driver. Second, if this does not work, then you be the navigator. You read the map and tell your husband which way to go. Third, if all these measures fail, then you need to get out the big guns. Get a couple of mutual friends and go somewhere new with your husband doing the driving. When he gets lost, your friends, especially if they have had their tongues loosened with Stella Artois, will waste no time in telling your husband he cannot navigate to save his life. Maybe he will pay attention to what his friends are saying. I find it hard to believe that your husband refuses to address this issue unless of course, you have not told him that this is an issue. But don’t love him less for this lack - this is an issue which can be addressed. With your help, mind you! There, see, I did not call you a wench once.

Dear Auntyji I have been married for one and a half years, and my husband who is an engineer is a wonderful man, and very bright, but he has an issue that grates on me.

Now Auntyji, I know you can be harsh sometimes, but there is usually truth to what you say. I am a good wife and I love my husband, but every time we have to go somewhere, he gets lost and we drive around aimlessly trying to find where we are going. He won’t accept any help from me because he thinks there isn’t a problem.

Auntyji, my otherwise brilliant husband cannot read a road map, and I love him less for it! There, I have said it. You will probably call me a wench of a wife, but if so, so be it. But Auntyji, can you at least try to help me out? How do I change my feelings for my husband when he drives me around the bend, literally, for the nth time because he cannot read a road map?

Auntyji says I am so pleased that you don’t consider all this an issue, and you simply wanted to share your experience with me. How kind you are. What can I say - I too am most flummoxed by what girls wear nowadays.

It is very sad to think that society accepts this. But what to do? The girl was not your daughter, and even though she is someone else’s daughter, it is not our place to say anything - especially if she was a stranger.

But what you can do is write to teenage magazines expressing your outrage at the liberalisation of society - someone needs to make a stand. Maybe you can convince your wife to do this. Please do let me know what stand you intend to take against this issue - or like the millions of other apathetic people, you too will say nothing on this important issue.

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