What’s On

Spiritual

Chinmaya Mission events

Sun 17 April to 25 April Talks by Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji entitled Sampoorna Ramayana: The complete essence of the Ramayana. 6.30pm to 9.00pm each night. (Please note: 6.30pm - 7.00pm each night will be presentations and drama on the Ramayana by CHYK (youth group). Children will simultaneously have their special talks on “Human to Hanuman” by Br Gopalji).

18 to 25 April Talks by Pujya Swami Swaroopanandaji entitled Yoga Vasishta Sara: Freedom from daily problems. 6.30am to 7.45am each morning.

Fri 22 April CHYK program for youth aged 18-30 years: Chat with Guruji. Write down your questions and bring them to be answered. 10.00am to 12 noon.

Sat 23 April Junior CHYK program for youth aged 13-17 years: Chat with Guruji. Write down your questions and bring them to be answered. 10.30am to 12 noon

Sun 24 April Balavihar program for young children: Chat with Guruji Write down your questions and bring them to be answered. 10.30am to 11.30am.

18 to 25 April Adults meet Guruji from 10.30am to 12.30am (Satsang and Paduka pooja with Guruji)

Sun 1 May Chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa x 100.

Details contact Chinmaya Sannidhi Ashram 02 8850 7400 / 0416 482 149 or visit www.chinmaya.com.au

Ramakrishna Sarada Vedanta Society activities

Sun 8 May 10.40am to 12noon

Sankaracharya’s Birthday Celebration

- Commences with Hari Om Ramakrishna Chant, Silent Meditation, Talks by Pravrajika Gayatriprana and Mrs.Betty Yeoh, followed by distribution of offered food.

Sun 15 May 9.30am to 4.00pm One Day

Retreat on Bhagavad Gita Ch.12 Yoga of Devotion - Directed by Pravrajikas Ajayaprana & Gayatriprana. Programme includes: Study Class, Silent Meditation, Group Discussion, Q & A. Lunch, morning & afternoon tea included. $15.00 donation per person.

Sun 22 May 10.40am to 12noon

Buddha’s Birthday Celebration - Hari Om Ramakrishna Chant, Silent Meditation, Talks by Pravrajika Gayatriprana and Mr.Stafford Watts, followed by distribution of offered food.

Venue for all activities Vedanta Hall, 15 Liverpool Road, Croydon. Details 9745 4320 or email vedantasyd@idx.com.au

Gayatri Mahayagya

Sun 12 June 9am to 2pm Collective prayers for global peace and harmony. All World Gayatri Pariwar Australia invites you for 9 - Kundi Yagya on the auspicious occasion of Gayatri Jayanti. Also features book stall, exhibition, presentations followed by Mahaprasad Address: Australian Hindu Multicultural Association, Cultural Centre 1050 Richmond Road, Marsden Park

Details Neeraj Ram 0405 777 539

Stage

Call for theatre actors

Theatre writer Sala Abrahim’s new play Daughters which deals with the issue of clash of cultures (Indian vs Western) enjoyed a successful reading at the recent National Theatre Festival sponsored by Playwriting Australia and held at Parramatta Riverside theatres. Interested actors who might be willing to participate in the full production are encouraged to call Sala at the Bankstown Youth Development Service (part of Bankstown Arts Centre) or at 0401 851 571.

MISC

Rabindranath Tagore anniversary

Sat 7 and Sun 8 May The Bengali Association of NSW is celebrating Rabindranath Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary in association with the Faculty of Arts Macquarie University, Consulate General of India, Sydney, United Indian Association and other cultural organisations. A cultural program will showcase Tagore’s magical poetry, elegant prose and his unique genre of music. Venue Macquarie Theatre (Bldg. W5B) and Price Theatre (Bldg. W5A), Macquarie University, North Ryde. Times 7 May 4.00pm-10.00pm and 8 May (11.00am-7.00pm) Details Bengali Association of NSW website www.bansw.org.au.

CAWS

CAWS is a not for profit organisation whose mission is to introduce people with intellectual disability to unpaid community members. Individuals are sought to take an ongoing personal interest in a person with intellectual disability (residing in Parramatta, Blacktown & Baulkham Hills council areas). Training and ongoing support are provided by experienced professional staff. For further information contact

Kaye 9893 8210 or email: office@caws.com.au

Fundraiser

I-India Project Australia has on offer the new 2011 | 2012 Entertainment™ Books. Proceeds from the sale will go towards its charitable activities in Rajasthan, India. Entertainment™ Books are filled with 50% off, 25% off and 2-for-1 offers from the best restaurants, hotel accommodation, attractions, and leisure activities. Choose from fourteen editions around Australia:

Adelaide $65

Brisbane and Sunshine Coast $65

Canberra $55

Geelong, Surf Coast and Ballarat $55 Gold Coast and Northern New South Wales $55

Greater Melbourne $65

Newcastle, Central Coast & Hunter $60

Parramatta - Sydney Greater West $60

Perth $65

Sydney $65

Sydney North $65

Sydney Greater West $60 (including Parramatta, The Hills, Blue Mountains and Macarthur)

Tasmania $55

Townsville Cairns & Far North Queensland $50

Details Renate Barnett 0402 958 582, mail@i-indiaproject.org

Divine Life Society Fundraiser

Sat 30 April Divine Life Society presents Guru Sharnam, a cultural program of music and dance at Strathfield Town Hall, 65 Homebush Rd, Strathfield. Details Vijay Raman 02 9763 7705.

On the professional settlement of immigrant doctors

The Australian Indian Medical Graduates Association (AIMGA) is an organisation of Indian doctors which for the past 30 years has been working to help doctors trained in India and registered in NSW. It also helps those who arrive here through appropriate immigration channels to work as medical practitioners, but never get to accomplish their dream.

Though AIMGA is based in NSW and has been representing issues related to NSW Indian doctors, there are indeed many common issues shared by all foreign trained doctors.

In this letter I would like to highlight on behalf of our membership, the emotional, financial and social hardship some immigrant doctors have to endure. There have been heart-wrenching stories and wide ranging impact on the life these doctors which have led them on the altered path of disappointment.

Australia, with its progressive and democratic policies, its prosperity, its humanitarian record, abundance of opportunities for professional growth and its ease of language, has become a popular country for doctors to immigrate here. At the same time Australia has also taken advantage of the situation in building its world class medical services both in quality and coverage of

Sthe land. According to WHO estimates, it has the highest number of psychiatrists per 10,000 of population in the world, ahead of USA which also claims to have more practicing Indian psychiatrists than in India. In other specialities of medicine the statistics is not dissimilar, despite the projected shortage of doctors in Australia. Australia actively recruits doctors from India on limited registration to provide adequate services in rural and remote areas. This practice often removes highly skilled doctors from the prime Indian hospitals to fill up the position of Area of Need in Australia. Unfortunately these recruited doctors have limited privileges and freedom in availing the services such as of Medicare, free public education etc which rest of us enjoy. More serious than this is the plight of doctors who migrate here as spouses, relatives or for medical training.

Although Immigration authorities are well aware of their status, they do not follow up their course of settlement. These doctors are confronted with a series of examinations to test their language and technical competency. There is no guarantee that even after successful completion of the examinations conducted by Australian Medical Council they will be gainfully employed, which puts them in the same category with those who do not qualify the examination.

AIMGA currently has contact with many foreign doctors who are not registered to practice, irrespective of their examination outcome. These are the doctors who seek out non medical fields for their survival with an immense sense of failure and shattered dreams and spirits. Many of them work as taxi drivers, shop assistants, child carers, salesmen, security guards etc.

It is most unfortunate that in addition to the impact it has on the doctor’s and his/her family’s life, he/she is lost to his/her country of origin and not of much use in Australia either.

AIMGA has submissions that Australia must acknowledge the valuable assets these doctors are to any community and the investment their country has made in their training. As a moral obligation, the Australian Government must be accountable to the countries of brain drain. The import of doctors from less privileged countries must be taken seriously to ensure that they work here as doctors and not otherwise. A study should be commissioned by the Immigration Department to follow the course of professional settlement of immigrant doctors. The examination for registration in Australia must be concluded before their arrival to ensure their employment as a doctor. A similar scheme has successfully existed in the US for decades.

AIMGA strongly objects to the current trend of wastage of foreign-trained doctors in Australia who remain unemployed or underemployed. To drain the less privileged countries of their valuable medical resources in order to boost the Australian medical workforce, without mindful planning of doctors’ professional future, is considered unethical on humanitarian grounds.

Dr Shailja Chaturvedi President Australian Indian Medical Graduates Association

US hypocrisy about “pro” democracy movements

The American “Defence” department is the sole intermediary via which its despotic tyrant allies in the Arab world can acquire the most advanced weapons that are regularly turned on their own citizens. This way, the US government can ensure that American weapons manufacturers continue to be financially stable with continuous profits during recessionary times. Hence, they worry when pro-democratic revolution sweeps the region as future multi-million dollar contracts cannot be assured. The future of many well-entrenched bases will also be in jeopardy, as would an uninterrupted flow of oil. Despite the hypocritical rhetoric, US arms in the dictators’ hands are almost always used against pro-democracy movements!

Lasantha Pethiyagoda Dandenong North, Vic