2011-07 Melbourne

INDIAN LINK PUBLISHER

Pawan Luthra

EDITOR

Rajni Anand Luthra

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MELBOURNE

Preeti Jabbal

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The hypocrisy of the carbon tax

The tax which Australia has to have, to keep the current government in power with the support of the Greens, seems to have more holes than the proverbial Swiss cheese. The tax which was conceived with a lie seems to be dividing the community. The debate on the pros and cons of this tax has been ongoing for the past six months and now to quote Greens’ Senator Christine Milne, it is on the home stretch. Unless there is a dramatic reason for another election in Australia, it seems the die is cast and carbon tax will be imposed on all of Australia.

Yet with the current information available, petrol will be exempted from this tax and those with SUVs and four wheel drives can breathe again knowing their polluting behaviour will continue unchecked. Motorists cause up to 17% of carbon pollution in Australia, and it is indeed strange that there is no punishment for them to continue polluting the environment.

The pressure which the Opposition leader Tony Abbot had exerted on Prime Minister Gillard on this issue seems to have had its desired effect of no tax on petrol. However, the Greens have asked for an inquiry into this exemption and chances are that some time in the next decade there will also

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

be a carbon tax on petrol.

The other hypocritical issue is that of compensation being offered to millions of households who are partly responsible for carbon emissions. When a tax is being imposed to change behaviour, it is strange that money is being paid back to the same people it is meant to punish. Perhaps an option could be to use the tax to help build better infrastructure such as railways etc., which can assist in less use of carbon and by default, allow for better use of resources. That there is no discussion of this trade-off is an indication of the sensitivity of the voters to pay the carbon tax, and the “need” to pay them back.

What is also hypocritical of the government is their reluctance to sell uranium to India in spite of the country’s dependence on coal to meet its energy needs. India needs coal and with over 500 million people without electricity, coal is the cheapest and easiest energy resource around. India’s GDP growth is expected to increase

beyond 8% over the next few years, and more than 80% of the country’s current energy needs are met with coal. This is in contrast to France where the bulk of its energy needs (over 70%) are met from nuclear sources. In this context it is strange that the Gillard Labor government can stand with its hand over its heart, proclaiming to be a saviour of the planet, while subsequently denying India the use of uranium for its domestic energy needs, and helping towards saving on emissions.

Now with the Greens in power with Labor and their ability to block the government’s moves in the senate which do not meet their agenda, it will be difficult for Australia to sell uranium to India, which could go a long way in helping ease world pollution.

The carbon tax is poised to bring in another layer of administration – public bureaucracy which administers the collection and dispersal of these carbon tax monies. It will add few more public servants to the already swelling numbers in Canberra. To save carbon, I assume not many will keep the midnight oil burning. But the families who need to cope with this new tax, will do it for them, as they struggle to balance their books long into the night.

Warm welcome for new Consul General

It’s early days now, but one thing we are assured of from the new Consul General of India to Melbourne, is that the Indian Consulate under his supervision, will certainly not run like the stereotypical Indian government office.

“We are changing and rectifying so that we reach out to society more effectively,” said Mr. Subhakanta Behera at a reception held by FIAV to welcome him to Melbourne. The event followed by dinner, was held recently at the function hall in Tandoori Junction, Glen Waverley.

Mr. Behera said that he was amazed at the wide spectrum of guests that attended the event to welcome him.

“I am honoured and privileged to come across such a broad spectrum of Indians in Australia. I knew that the variety existed in the US and the UK but it is wonderful to see it here in Melbourne,” he said.

“You really represent the best of India and that makes me proud,” he added, endearing himself instantly to the audience that comprised of the ‘cream’ of the Indian community.

Turning a bit philosophical in his speech, Mr. Behera asked those present how they intended to reconcile their affection to the country of their past and the country of their choice.

“Australia is the country of your choice and adaptation, but India is your motherland and the country of your origin or birth. I would like to know how you will fulfill your obligation to the two countries,” he stated, addressing those present.

Mr. Behera, who attended the function with his wife Rajshree and children Ananya and Amruta, also took the opportunity to take his outreach plan further by welcoming the community to utilize the consulate hall more frequently. He said that he hoped to have at least one event every month in the consul hall, with support from the community. He

extended an open invitation to everyone to contact him directly when required, and said he would endeavour to solve their issues with the support of his staff, especially the wellrespected Vice Consul Mr. Rakesh Kawra.

Mr. Vasan Srinivasan, President of FIAV conducted the event with ease and familiarity, introducing all those present individually

to Mr. Behera. He also requested Mr. Jude Perera, Member for Cranbourne, Mr. Charles Pick, former Councillor Manningham, and Mr. Michael Gidley, MP Mount Waverley to address the audience. Mr. Gidley attended representing Premier Ted Baillieu, while Mr. Perera represented Opposition Leader Mr. Daniel Andrews.

The Federation of Indian Associations Victoria Inc (FIAV) is the umbrella representative body for 20 Indian community organizations in Victoria. “As the peak representative body of Indian nationals and expats in Victoria, we take our role in promoting peace, harmony and multiculturalism very seriously. We welcome you and your family to Melbourne, and hope that you have a pleasant stay here,” said Mr. Srinivasan in his opening comments.

Mr. Gidley commended Vasan Srinivasan and FIAV for bringing together such a diverse group of the Indian community, and congratulated it on its contribution to Australian Indian society. Mr. Jude Perera recalled his experience with former Consul General Miss Anita Nayar, and hoped to continue his friendship with the new Consul and the Indian community. In his brief speech Mr. Pick from Manningham Council spoke of his continued interest in supporting the Indian community and the entire migrant community that made Melbourne a strong and successful multicultural society. The formal proceedings concluded with a presentation from FIAV to various members of the community who contributed towards its success. A special mention was made commending Mr. Goldy Brar, Chairman of the Youth and Sport Society; popular senior Mrs. Krishna Arora; FIAV Secretary Mr. Subra Ramachandran; FIAV Vice-President Mr. Thomas Joseph; Mr. Ravi Kamashetty; Sangam’s Mr. Gurpreet Singh Tuteja; President of Hindi Niketan, Mr. Sharad Gupta; Tandoori Junction’s proprietor Mr. Karan Gandhok and President of AISV Dr. Gurdeep Aurora. The event was sponsored by Mr. Ali Mohammed of Planet Insurance and Financial Planning.

Preeti Jabbal

Mr and Mrs Behera meet with members of Melbourne's Indian community

First-ever Indian presented Young Victorian award

Despite personal issues, Amit Menghani has strived to help his fellow students and has been justly rewarded for his efforts

BY DEVRAJ BHATTACHARYA

Meet Amit Menghani, a 24-year-old Aerospace Engineering graduate, who like many, came to Australia to study and seek a better life. Amit, who was born in Jaipur in Rajasthan, moved to Australia from Dubai in 2005. He appears to be a humble, downto-earth, hard-working person with a loving partner and a strong, supportive family back home. Despite all this, Amit is fighting quite a few battles of his own, and winning.

On July 1, Victoria Day, Amit was awarded the prestigious “Young Victorian of the Year” award by the Victoria Day Council, making him the first person of Indian origin to win the award in its history. The award is given to recognize those who have made the greatest of contributions towards the interest of the public.

Amit is currently President of the Federation of Indian Students Australia (FISA), an organisation which has an official aim to integrate, represent and empower Indian students living in Australia. The organisation, conceived in 2002 by Gautam Gupta, was initially created to bridge the gap between Indian and Australian cultures, and help migrants coming to Australia to integrate into society.

The spate of attacks on Indian students in the last few years has called for more solidarity within the Indian student community, resulting in Amit and his team working hard to channel these devastating events into something that can help current and future Indian migrants.

FISA is perhaps best known for its 2000-strong collective protest on the steps of Parliament House back in 2009, calling for stronger action against violence, particularly against Indians, which then seemed to be on an unchecked increase. Since that time, violence against Indian students does seem to have reduced significantly, but FISA still maintains an active role in assisting to bridge the gap between what seems to be two very different cultures.

Amit describes the group as “striving for equality among all students” and “helping to integrate Indian students” into Australian society and culture.

Speaking to Indian Link, he said, “We have followed many initiatives: we have tried to bring out issues and have tried to spread awareness of what students are facing. We have gone to the levels of integrating a lot of communities throughout Australia and Victoria, by hosting social events such as encouraging Indians to play AFL, and we have gone through senate enquiry to further put our cause across”.

Amongst other services, the group provides education information, guides to local areas, information about community events, and even emergency short-term accommodation assistance to students in dire need of help.

So what would be his recommendations to new migrants? Amit offers wise words of advice: “Students should keep an open mind and learn how different cultures work, take a step forward in building their careers, and socialize with others. Also, the most important

thing for them is to contribute to society”.

FISA has no doubt been a success, and has certainly been thriving, a fact that has made Amit and his family very proud. “When my mother heard of the organisation and its work, she was moved to tears of joy,” he reveals.

In addition to the FISA committee, Amit says that those who have been personally affected by the past violent attacks have been a strong motivation and inspiration to fight for the cause.

Despite Amit’s success with promoting FISA, it has not been easygoing for him or his family. Back in India, they took a $100,000 loan to pay for Amit’s education and living expenses in Australia, despite their own financial difficulties, and they continue to pay it off at present.

Said Amit, “My family has sacrificed so much for me, and without them I would not be here. At one stage they took a large loan despite financial difficulties, God bless them. My parents have struggled, and my sister has been supporting my family whilst I cannot be there.”

A grateful Amit expanded on the sacrifices his family, recounting many episodes like how his mother has never eaten lunch outside home to save the extra dollar here or there, as every bit adds in paying off the heavy loan.

“My mother was literally in tears and did not want people to know of the sacrifices she went through, but I think they must be heard,” he states vehemently.

Amit’s journey has been and continues to be a struggle, but he is persevering. Despite his award and success at FISA, he remains incredibly modest and thankful to everyone who has helped him on his own journey and that with FISA.

He is also grateful to his partner, Swathi, whom he met after coming to Melbourne.

“She has been very supporting, helping me with my career and is responsible for what I’ve done today. She is one of the reasons I have been able to move forward,” he says.

Although Amit received recognition for

A grateful Amit expanded on the sacrifices his family, recounting many episodes like how his mother has never eaten lunch outside home to save the extra dollar here or there, as every bit adds in paying off the heavy loan.

his involvement within FISA, he is quick to admit that the organisation is definitely not a one-man army. “I would like to thank the entire FISA team: Deven Pravin Tanna,

Raman Vaid, Gautam Gupta, Anu Bhardwaj, Ajay Unni and Hari Yellina for constantly supporting me and guiding me throughout my time as President. I would also like to thank former Consul General of India for Melbourne Ms. Anita Nayar for her constant guidance,” he says gratefully.

In addition to the FISA committee, Amit says that those who have been personally affected by the past violent attacks have been a strong motivation and inspiration to fight for the cause. “It was due to the blessings of all the victims and their families that I was able to continue doing the work of bring communities together. Due to them, FISA was able to promote peace and harmony and make Victoria safer, and Australia too,” he says in conclusion.

The Federation of Indian Students Australia is open to any Indian students living in Australia, planning to move to Australia, or the wider Indian community. For more information please visit http://www.fisa.org.au

Reward for selfless service

Ian Tudor de Mellow, Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to aged welfare.

BY NOEL G DE SOUZA

Ian Tudor de Mellow was born in Indore of Anglo-Indian parentage; hence the Portuguese name de Mellow (the added “w” was an innovation). His parents were both active in defence during the Second World War. His father Arthur was a high-ranking engineer who was posted to several places (Indore, Dehra Dun, Ajmer, Karachi and Bengal amongst others) to build structures such as the Doon School, prisoner of war camps and airfields. His mother was a Lt-Col in the Women’s Auxiliary Corps.

Prior to coming to Australia, Mr. de Mellow’s entire family history took place in India. His father initially worked with an Indian overseer. Mr. de Mellow recalls that the overseer was also a pundit and drew up an Indian horoscope, which he still possesses.

Mr. de Mellow spent his early school years in diverse places. He was a boarder at the Victoria School, Kurseong and spent his holidays in Kolkata but then when the Japanese began bombing the city, he was moved to the Bishop Cotton School in Simla where Anglican clergymen aimed to mould their pupils in Anglo-Saxon traditions. He still remembers “magical places” in Simla’s surrounds. In 1947 a company of Gurkhas guarded the school during the communal disturbances, in the wake of India’s partition.

Mr. de Mellow’s nostalgic memories of India include cycling around Delhi in 1945. At that time, his uncle Rear Admiral Douglas Cameron was also in Delhi. It would be just over a year later that Delhi would become tormented by communal riots.

Melville de Mellow, the renowned and decorated news broadcaster, was Mr. de Mellow’s uncle. He provided minders to protect his family members during the horrendous riots in Delhi. Mr. de Mellow was sent to his parents in Calcutta. He says that the “die was cast” for his mother, his sister and himself to migrate to Australia. They arrived here in 1948. His father joined them four years later. His parents’ military background enabled them to migrate to Australia under the British Ex-Servicemen’s scheme. Mr. de Mellow attended school at Ballarat College and subsequently in Knox Grammar, Sydney.

The most productive work in which Mr. de Mellow has been involved in recent times has been with SEVA, which is an Indian seniors group

At the age of seventeen Mr. de Mellow volunteered for National Service. This provided him with a varied and tough experience. His commanding officer was a veteran of the British Airborne Division and the Battle of Arnhem. There were other war experienced teachers such as a German who had been in a Hitler Jugend battalion. In the National Service, sports were given top priority; and Mr. de Mellow played rugby, soccer, tennis and squash.

Mr. de Mellow has been very active in retirement. He has been heading the Hornsby Senior’s Advocacy Group. It organised the Live Life Program. For this, the Hornsby Senior Advisory Committee and Hornsby Community Services were awarded the Premier’s Award during Morris Iemma’s tenure.

Mr. de Mellow organises U3A (University of the Third Age) courses for Senior Citizens. He runs courses on military matters for which he brings in his own military experiences and knowledge.

The most productive work in which Mr. de Mellow has been involved in recent times has been with SEVA, which is an Indian seniors group. SEVA’s initial focus was retirement for South Asians. It then moved to organising seminars on health for various Indian groups.

SEVA’s current focus, at the initiative of Mr. de Mellow, is research and development. He is of the belief that good data is needed before suggestions are made and projects launched. It was noted that a good demographic study of South Asians in Australia is lacking. Accordingly, SEVA put up a proposal to undertake this study, in collaboration with Macquarie University with his participation. A research assistant of Nepalese origin has now been appointed to conduct the study. Mr. de Mellow is well qualified for this task. He has a Master’s degree in Transport Economics from Macquarie University and a Doctorate of Management (Economics) from Sydney University.

He is also working on a proposal concerning the under-utilisation and under-employment of technically skilled and professional migrants from South Asia

Another proposal being formulated by Mr. de Mellow concerns the under-utilisation and under-employment of technically skilled and professional migrants from South Asia. Such a study would provide the framework for making concrete proposals and suggestions with regard to tapping the human resources from South Asians countries which already exist in Australia.

Indians and Australians can both be proud that in Mr. de Mellow we have a countryman whose vast and varied experience has now been recognised.

Anicon of Australia’s

Jayant Bhalchandra Bapat, Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the Hindu community in Australia and to education

BY PREETI JABBAL

Forty-five years ago a young academic from India arrived in Australia to join the Monash University for his PhD. Before he left India people advised him he may need to learn German, so little was known about this county. The bright young man hailing from Wai in the Indian state of Maharashtra was offered a job as a tutor in Utah in the US, and at Monash University Australia. He chose the latter simply because they were prepared to pay his return

Thus began the migrant story of Jayant Bhalachandra Bapat, a retired academic and an authorised Hindu priest

“Australia has come a long way from just being a roast

beef and Yorkshire pudding Anglo Saxon society,” said Mr. Bapat. He recollected his early days when he could not buy atta (Indian whole meal flour used to make chapattis) anywhere. In 1965 not many Indians migrated to Australia, a country still influenced by the ‘white intake’ policy. There were a small number of people from the Indian community in Melbourne and together they launched the first Indian organisation AISV (Australian Indian Society of Victoria).

“AISV served a very good function of linking Indians with Australians. In those days our community was united and there were hardly any regional divides. Today nearly half a century later things have changed. There are far more organisations and groups, however the community is fragmented. What’s missing in today’s society is the willingness to assimilate. On one hand we are a multicultural society, however at the same time we tend to live with ghetto mentality. I feel Indians here should make an extra effort to mix with the locals,” said Mr. Bapat.

Ian de Mellow with his wife Marie

BY USHA RAMANUJAM ARVIND

Brain and ageing expert gets his due

Perminder Singh Sachdev, Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to medical research in the field of neuropsychiatry

front. Dr Sachdev’s team developed a neural stem cell three years ago to trial treatments for neurodegenerative disorders. The group is currently experimenting with stem cells from embryonic tissue, adult dogs and adult humans to develop cell lines targeting Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers. After extensive research on drug-induced movement disorders like akathisia, tardive dyskinesia and neuroleptic malignant syndrome, Dr Sachdev soon branched out to dementia, in particular its risk factors, biomarkers as well as neuro-imaging and neuropsychology.

Hindu community

Mr. Bapat developed an interest in Hinduism in the early 1980s. His friend’s wife was diagnosed with cancer and he needed someone to perform her last rites. As Mr. Bapat had the knowledge of Sanskrit, he agreed to perform the rituals for his friend. He then went on to learn the basics of priesthood from Mr. Datar who is currently based in Brisbane. Since then Mr. Bapat has performed more than 700 rituals for the Indian community in Melbourne. Mr. Bapat was one of the founding members of the Hindu Society in Victoria. “We used to meet in a small place in Prahran and perform poojas but there was no official priest to conduct religious ceremonies. A few of us have since volunteered to serve the community in that capacity, however given the burgeoning community there is a real need to have a person dedicated solely to conduct rituals for the community. There is so much demand that if I agreed I would be doing poojas all day, every day. It’s time for the community to get together and get a priest from India and pay him a salary,” he suggested.

Mr. Bapat retired in 1997 as senior lecturer in Organic Chemistry from the Monash University in Melbourne. Since then he has been busy with his research work and writing books. He is also an active and sought out representative on various committees including the Monash Asia Institute

and Australian Indian Business and Community Welfare Trust. His first book on Goddesses of India, Nepal and Tibet was published with the support of Marica Vicziany, former director of Monash Asia Institute. It was the first book on Hinduism produced by Monash University. He is currently working on another book that is based on the Koli Fishermen community of Mumbai. He has edited another book on Indian migration to Australia that has been recently submitted for publication and approval. Mr. Bapat also writes Marathi fiction for Indian publications and is hoping to compile a book of all his published work soon.

Speaking of his nomination on this year’s Queen’s honours list and its relevance, Mr. Bapat said that he has respect for the House of Windsor. The Queen’s honour is a fitting and very public tribute and he is delighted to be recognised for his efforts. In terms of loyalty to the Royals and their debatable influence, he said he has no strong feelings either way. “I do however have strong reservations against Australian policy makers. As a scientist I feel that Australian politicians have not capitalised on Australia’s abundant resources. Given the favourable environment we have in Australia we should be world leaders in solar energy, wind energy and technology. I feel that our politicians are not far sighted enough and their laid back attitude has caused many

“We initially examined the clinical features and showed that memory impairment is not the early feature of this disorder. Rather it is the small vessel disease, even in patients with stroke. Likewise, we also showed that high homocysteine may be a risk factor in brain atrophy and small

Dr Sachdev has been heading an international effort to define the criteria for the diagnosis of vascular dementia. In this context, his team has been conducting a number of longitudinal studies to examine the development of cognitive impairment, including memory and ageing study, older Australian twins study and Sydney centenarian study.

Additionally, NPI is also working with researchers at ANU on the PATH (Personality and Total Health) through Life

Besides publishing numerous research papers and scientific texts, Sachdev has also forayed into the fascinating grey area between fact and fiction. A talented and empathetic wordsmith, his maiden literary effort, The Yipping Tiger and other Tales, won the Rotary Knowledge Dissemination award. Dr Sachdev was a special invitee at 2010 Melbourne

“On one hand we are a multicultural society, however at the same time we tend to live with ghetto mentality. I feel Indians here should make an extra effort to mix with the locals”

missed opportunities,” he lamented.

Mr. Bapat will be presented with the official medal in the Government House by the Governor in the month of September. He thanked his colleagues, friends, Sanjay Bhide and his family for their ongoing support especially his wife who he has known since the time he studied with her in primary school.

“My three daughters are married to Anglo Saxons and I have two lovely granddaughters,” he said.

“I think these nominations are made for those who have mixed well and contributed to the Australian society. Something may have weighed in my favour in that sense. Besides my education and religious work I have also been involved with Toastmasters for 20 years and have taught public speaking at The Presbyterian Ladies College (PLC) and other schools. I feel by and large we Indians have been accepted by Australians despite the fact that we may have disturbed their equilibrium. They are a friendly lot and I am happy I chose Australia as my home” he said.

“The AM is indeed a great honour as it is a recognition of the fact that my work has been recognised to be of benefit to the Australian community”

The senior scene

Classical music, Bollywood fare, devotional music, and

an intriguing air show are the month’s highlights

from his grave!” Gurmeet sang many Rafi songs, even accepted requests. Any day surely refuses to drown into dullness in Gurmeet’s presence. A Diabetes Awareness representative, Gurmeet distributed a questionnaire that emphasised that we Indians are more susceptible to diabetes.

Next, Dr. Phakey introduced Khalid Arslan Ally, ex-Wing Commander, who factually needed no introduction thanks to his emphatic greeting of “Jai Hind!”, which is widely appreciated in ISCA circles. Khalid, right from a tender age, had a passion to draw, create paper and later wooden aircraft and gliders and fly them, a passion he has nurtured even in adulthood. In the National Cadet Corps Air Branch, from 1963-91 Khalid was with Indian Air Force. In 1977, Khalid visited Australia and carried back a mechanism that helped him fly his models. At the event, Khalid and Aaliya, his evidently competent five year old granddaughter, enthralled members with acrobatics and maneuvering of several model aircraft inside the massive hall. Khalid even owns a working model of unmanned aircraft called ‘Drones’, demonstrating its capabilites to a spellbound audience via his iPod. Curious members crowded around Khalid after the show and sought information. On behalf of Mr. Wayne Newman, owner Addies Hobbies in Carrum, Khalid presented Dr. Phakey with a model helicopter.

For more information on ISCA, please contact Dr. Phakey on 9560 9607.

Kingston Indian Senior Citizens Association

BY GEORGE THAKUR

Indian Senior Citizens’ Forum

This month, some forty-odd members of the Indian Senior Citizens Forum greeted each other briefly as the Forum was allotted just two hours for meetings. MC Andy Shome began the day by wishing Mrs. Auplish and Mr. Sandhu a happy birthday, presenting them with token gifts. He requested Coomi Patel to sing a bhajan, to which knowledgeable members sang along. Andy then introduced young Navnit Lal who, in a rich and well-controlled voice, praised the gods with Sanskrit shlokas. Before singing a gokul bhajan, Navnit professionally bowed his head to guru Deepika Shome and entered into an elongated alaap and the bhajan. He impressed all with his control over murkis while singing the sur in varied 21st century mannerisms and by imaginatively reexploring raga disciplines, to the tune of his papa Navin Lal on the khanjari and the prerecorded tanpura in the background. Next was Rang de chunariya, its lyrics philosophical

What’s On

Kannada hit movie

10 July 2:30pm at India Talkies (China Town), 200, Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD. Kannada super hit movie Naanu Nanna Kanasu, starring Prakash Raj, Ramesh Aravind, Amoolya, Sitara and others. Tickets: $12 only for adults. Call 0435 161 571, 0413 489 548 for tickets. www.kannada.net.au

Mehfil Night

16 July 8-10pm at Coburg Library Hall, Cnr of Victoria & Luisa Sts, Coburg. Open

as he sang Jal se patla kaun hai, kaun hai bhoomi se bhari. Navnit embellished his performance with classical interludes, even with jazz for one brief moment. And he offered a ghazal, before the audience could demand one, singing, Hosh walon ko khabar kya bekhoodi kya cheez hai. Ishq kijiye phir samajhiye zindgi kya cheez hai. An absolutely delightful performance!

Of Fijian origin, Navnit has a strong Hindi influence with his grandfather being a priest with knowledge of Sanskrit, who insisted that his family conversed in Hindi as spoken in Bharat. Aussie-born Navnit began to portray his talent at singing at the tender age of two, and when four, he was introduced to the harmonium and piano in which he now excels. When eight, he began formal training in Indian classical music at Guru Shome’s School of Music. Navnit has been trained by Julia Sandel in contemporary and classical western music as well. He is the lead singer of pop-rock band The Flaming Suns, which won the ‘FREEZA Battle Of The Bands’ competition in August 2010. This talented musician has sung along with Bollywood superstars such as Sonu Nigam, music director Annu Kapoor and many more. In early 2012, Navnit will collaborate with bhajan ustaad Anup Jalota in India.

night of Bollywood singing. Contact Dr Saratchandran on 03 9366 5444 for more details.

Kannada Sangha AGM

17 July 9:30am – 1pm, at Fregon hall, Fregon road, Clayton 3168. Mel. Ref. 70 D12. Annual General Meeting (AGM) to Financial Members of Melbourne Kannada Sangha.

33rd Spirit of India 2011

24 July 7:30pm onwards at The Playhouse, the Arts Centre. Dr L Subramaniam, Ambi Subramaniam and Kalapini Komkali will perform. Tickets: adult $50; concession $40; child $25; family (2+1) $105 Booking:

Accompanying Navnit on the tabla was young Aman of Dhol Entertainment fame. A lefty, Aman played a ‘sweeter’ tabla as both youngsters remained in constant consonance with each other.

The Forum first began serving the community in Dandenong, but on public demand moved to Camberwell. As they were repeatedly requested to return, the community will be pleased to know that the Forum is in active negotiations with Dandenong City to hold meetings in Dandenong as well. Nibbles were donated by members and were enjoyed by all. Forum meetings are held at Shirdi Sai Sansthan, 32 Halley Road, Camberwell, from 2 to 4 pm on the last Saturday of the month. For more information on the Forum, please contact Shri Sri Krishan Auplish on 03 9543 6615.

Indian Senior Citizens Association

This month, Indian Senior Citizens Association (ISCA) entertained a hundred fifty members by inviting Gurmeet Sahni, called the ‘Mohammed Rafi of Melbourne’ to perform. President Prem Phakey jokingly, but superfluously introduced Gurmeet saying, “If he is covered under a sheet so that his beard is not visible, when he sings people may conclude that Rafi has arisen

1300 182 183; www.theartscentre.com.au

Shri Sankat Mochan Mahotsava 2011 30 July 2:30pm onwards at CCTC Auditorium, 44-60 Jacksons Rd, Mulgrave, Mel way Ref: 80 K-3. Puja and Path recitation upto 7pm, followed by Prasad upto 7:30pm.

Balagokulam 2011

31 July 1-3pm at Mt Waverley North Primary School Hall, Marcus Avenue, Mt Waverley, 3149, Melway ref: 61 H11. Theme for July: Guru and Respect Guru dakshina: $2, refreshments provided. Please contact Abhijit Bhide on 0402 081 193 for more details.

The Kingston Indian Senior Citizens Association (KISCA) this month was equally enthusiastic in organising an entertainment programme. Members of the Ram Mandir Society were invited to chant the Hanuman Chalisa three times to complement the programme. The chanting was followed by an interactive yoga session, conducted by a representative from “Yoga In Daily Life” organisation. Lunch followed. For more information on KISCA, please contact President Mona Raju on 03 8558 1610.

The need for inclusiveness

Sixty-five thousand a few short years ago, the Indian community in Victoria now stands at a hundred thousand. Although associations to assist and entertain the community are manifold today, history is testimony that foreign forces who repeatedly invaded and looted India, even ruling us for centuries, would not have succeeded in their illintent, had India adhered to togetherness. Regretfully, in the recent past, I asked an executive of a ‘state’ association if they would accept residents from other Indian states into their fold, the answer to which was “Up to ten percent!” They did not want outsiders to “contaminate” their culture. An executive from another association suggested that the executive should “get rid of” members who are “not the well wishers of…”. Without naming names, I would make the point that complacency can be fatal.

2011 Volunteer Call Out

Volunteers wanted in a variety of roles for the The Melbourne Writers Festival, a not-for-profit organization. We provide a friendly and supportive environment, where you can learn new and valuable skills, meet people who share your interests and, above all, have an enjoyable and rewarding experience. All volunteers will receive a Festival Pass and a festival T-shirt. Visit www.mwf. com.au/2011/?name=Volunteer to enrol or contact Volunteer Coordinator, Daria Wray on daria@mwf.com.au / 03 9904 7563

Senior girls perform a dance at KISCA function

A region synonymous with turmoil

The University of Melbourne brings leading thinkers together to discuss South Asia: a complex puzzle of two besieged governments; a rising economy ridden with internal conflicts; misguided aggression; and a latent conflict ready to explode

BY TIM BLIGHT

The 2011 Festival of Ideas, held at the University of Melbourne between 13th June and 18th June, saw several leading thinkers and writers discussing South Asia’s identity, history and future. The afternoon was organised in conjunction with the Australia India Institute, a research, policy and training program established by the University of Melbourne in 2008.

The panel was chaired by Director of the Australia India Institute Professor Amitabh Matto. Speaking in the opening address, Prof. Mattoo related that “there are few regions in the world where violence, identity and conflict coalesce together with the same starkness or intensity… as they have in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan in the past sixty-five years or so.” He went on to explain that the complex puzzle of South Asian geopolitics have been subject to an almost exclusively Western view of history, necessitating more thought from South Asian thinkers.

Dr. Christopher Snedden of Deakin University spoke candidly of Pakistan’s confused national identity, related to being the youngest sovereign nation in South Asia, which he thinks is the cause of much distress. Discussing history, the military, Islam and resources, he explained the complicated and intertwined relationships of the region which provide unity and identity, as well as volatility and conflict. To the long list of defining identifiers, Prof. Mattoo added the growing issue of a massive youth population, which he suggested will be an asset or a liability depending on how it is managed.

On the point of nuclear weapons, Dr. Snedden described the potential consequences of a nuclear conflict as “horrendous”. He pointed the finger at the Kashmir dispute as being what he called “the seat of the problem”. Analysing the basis of Pakistan’s role in the region, Dr. Snedden pointed out that even the name Pakistan is part acronym for Punjab, Afghania and Kashmir, highlighting the Islamic republic’s strategic conundrum. He speculated on how peace can be assured in the ‘west South Asia’ region, saying that western meddling often seeks to provide an “occidental solution to an oriental problem”. Harking back to the Cold War nuclear deterrence will be what keeps the peace in the subcontinent.

Prof. Robin Jeffrey of the National

University of Singapore offered a balanced view of the identity of India and why Kashmir forms an integral part of both India and Pakistan. Prof. Jeffrey highlighted the complexity of the issue of Kashmir with an anecdote from his childhood where he concluded that Kashmir was mostly Muslim and therefore belonged to Pakistan. He then discovered, by way of

other solutions”.

Prof. Samina Yasmeen of the University of Western Australia explored the Pakistani view of South Asia. She talked of the long-held Pakistani view that because both countries come from the same source, a sense of equality pervades the Pakistani psyche. However she also spoke of a rising Islamic awareness in Pakistan; she warned

that dialogue on Afghanistan has been so fruitless in the past. “We persist in examining Afghanistan in isolation, as if it exists in isolation. So I think we’re on the right track today in seeing Afghanistan as part of a larger and much more complex puzzle”. She blamed Afghanistan’s multitude of political, linguistic, tribal, religious and geographic identities and fluid

conversation with a relative, that India had a legal and emotional claim over Kashmir.

“Kashmir forms part of an identity of the Indian state – an Indian state which, at best… is secular, it recognises no distinction between religions, it treats all its citizens equally”.

Elaborating “The tragedy is that Kashmir is an integral part too of Pakistan’s identity”, he recalled Dr. Snedden’s point about the acronym ‘PAK’.

He suggested that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, or SCO, an organisation of Central Asian states, plus China and Russia could bring new regional solutions to the table for South Asia.

The growing political power of Central Asia, plus rising superpowers China and Russia, are interested in the potential of India, and equally India has aspirations for SCO membership, said Prof. Jeffrey. “The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation may provide a vehicle that allows a Pakistan, Afghanistan, India resolution… simply because it comes at the problem from a rather different perspective,” he theorised.

“Having China and Russia as major players may offer just a few more opportunities for

of the dangers of a sense of assertiveness augmented by a superiority complex among some Muslim groups in Pakistan. She concluded that to move forward, the realities of Pakistan’s situation need to be accepted by both Pakistanis themselves and the wider world community. “The state and its view of itself and the relationship with the people will have to change” she affirmed.

political environment for what she labelled a quagmire.

Samina Yasmeen

Regarding the Indian view of Pakistan, Prof. Yasmeen said that Pakistan often feels that its identity is not accepted by India. “You could argue that a lot of Indians have accepted Pakistan’s existence… but it’s always mixed with this sense of glee… and sometimes arrogance.” When this is interpreted in Pakistan, it turns into ‘Indian commitment to undo Pakistan’. She blamed this cycle of misinterpretation for continuing conflict, saying that “India needs to move in to a space where it accepts the need for respect for Pakistan, irrespective of Pakistan’s weaknesses and their problems”.

Award winning journalist and author Sally Neighbour opened her speech with an explanation of why she thought

However she identified some common goals for Afghans, regardless of their position: sovereignty, respect for the state, an Islamic-based legal and political system, peaceful relations with neighbours, particularly Pakistan, shared power and international assistance. Ms Neighbour claimed that while the idea may disgust some, no peace settlement in Afghanistan can be reached without Taliban involvement. She drew the distinction between the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Taliban in Pakistan and Al-Qaeda, pointing out that to engage the Afghan Taliban does not equate to dealing with terrorists.

The afternoon wound up with a panel discussion, a question and answer session and an afternoon tea. To watch the discussion online, or to view other events in the Festival of Ideas, log on to ideas. unimelb.edu.au.

“Western meddling in the region often seeks to provide an ‘occidental solution’ to an oriental problem”

Christopher Snedden

“India needs to move in to a space where it accepts the need for respect for Pakistan, irrespective of Pakistan’s weaknesses and their problems”

(From left) Dr Christopher Snedden, Prof. Samina Yasmeen, Prof. Amitabh Mattoo and Prof. Robin Jeffrey

The lure of

GAURAV PANDEY and KUDRAT SINGH report

Excitement is a great warmer. Every year thousands flock to Australia’s Snowy Mountains for the rush of being free in a breathtaking setting of snow, risk and wonder – a feeling almost impossible to describe, but entirely fathomable. For converts, the tryst with skiing – a challenging, yet thoroughly enjoyable sport – is the highlight of their year.

In a welcome trend, we are seeing an increasing number of Indian-Australians open up to the idea of adventure sports, especially snow sports considering the snow in Australia is admittedly more icy and wet when compared to other countries. Countries such as Japan or Canada tend to have the really dry snow – aptly termed “powder” – which acts as a cushion, implying that falling into a thick layer of snow does not necessarily mean bruising or other physical injuries. Dealing with icy, moist snow requires an added measure of courage and skill.

Regardless of this fine print, many first generation migrants have lapped up the opportunity brought to them by their adopted country, and they are not only making the most of it, but passing on the enthusiasm to their children too. Some of these skiing enthusiasts shared their experiences in Australia’s snowy wilderness with Indian Link.

Ski veteran

Sydneysider Avi Joshi got into skiing at the behest of a friend in 1973, and hasn’t missed a single season since; interestingly the first ski lessons he took were on “the dry slopes in Mosman” – yes, Mosman!

The septuagenarian continues to ski with the same passion, and more often given that he now gets seniors discount tickets.

“I ski at Perisher Valley or Thredbo during the Australian winter. In the northern hemisphere winter, I ski mostly in

Japan, Canada or the US. The snow in Japan is excellent and so are the people and the food,” says Avi.

But skiing can be a dangerous sport, even for the best equipped. Sometimes just an awareness of this fact can go a long way in avoiding panic or at least any outward manifestation of it – which in many cases can be the difference between life and death.

Avi too has had his share of scares, as he recalls, “Once during a cross country day ski trip, my friend and I were trapped in a ‘total whiteout’ near the village of Charlotte’s Pass. We were out in the wilderness as the weather closed and heavy snow forced us panicky skiiers to return to the village.” Unable to see any landmarks, the duo had

to depend on maps and the compass. After a quick calculation, they realised they had strayed. “We should have been on a flat surface on the face of a steep hill on the summit road to Mount Kosciusko, but we just couldn’t locate this flat area. Suddenly there was two-second break in the cloud and we realised that there was a sheer 200-metre drop on our side. One slip would have meant certain death,” he says.

“I have never prayed that hard in my life.

While to most, winter sports still remain shrouded in an aura of daring and thrill, the actual experience is exhilarating.

“We walked very, very slowly with our skis to the extent that what should have taken an hour, took us four and a half hours to get to the flat area and safety”

Avi Joshi

Divya and Tali Gordon

Divya Gordon

Romeet Gandhi learns the ropes

Rishi and Hritik Chaubal

the snow

We walked very, very slowly with our skis to the extent that what should have taken an hour, took us four and a half hours to get to the flat area and safety. Later we found out that we were actually on the road, but heavy snow had obliterated the road, and it had all become one steep face of the mountain,” he adds.

Perhaps it’s the risk that’s the rush, and with the more enterprising younger generation of Indians eager for a taste of adventure, surely a lot has changed since from the days when one hardly saw an Indian face on the ski slopes. Avi’s three daughters, their husbands and his grandchildren are all avid skiers. “It’s a fantastic feeling when us three generations ski together,” he concludes with a smile.

An affair of a lifetime

Neil Gordon, a passionate skiier, was planning a family snow trip in two weeks when we spoke to him. He first got into the sport 25 years ago when living in London, and he has skiied at various European locations. Neil continues to ski every year, and got his family into it as well. Wife Maina skied until very recently, but gave up for health reasons. But their teenage daughters Divya and Tali are keen skiers.

The Gordon family goes to the snow at least twice a year, picking a venue from Thredbo, Perisher, Falls Creek and Mt Hotham in the Snowy Mountains. New Zealand is another favourite destination.

“We are all advanced skiers, the kids having started early,” Neil says. “They took to it from the very first go, just like I had done! Now it is a great bonding thing in our family. We ski all day and then cook a hearty dinner together at the end of the day!”

How much can they ski? “Every day out in the snow, we could do about 20 runs a day. In Australia the runs are only about 1.5 km each, so it’s easy. It takes 4-5 minutes to come down the slope, and about 25 minutes to go back up,” says Neil.

Nearly every skiier has some story to tell about a fall, or several. For Neil, his worst fall was in New Zealand. On another occasion, he recounts being forced to crouch under a rock for two hours to wait out a blizzard.

But such incidents are mere tailnotes in what’s been an affair of a lifetime, peppered with beautiful memories, such as when the family, skiing together, stopped to take a picture of a rainbow that burst into view!

Like father, like daughter

For Baljit Chugh and daughter Baneesha Narang, it all started with a simple trip to the snow in their early days in Australia in 1985.

“The kids Baneesha and Kanish were fascinated with the skiing we saw at Perisher. Baneesha was only about five, and insisted we buy her the gear. She kitted up in her boots and all, and I had to carry her up the slope,” Baljit recalls.

Now the family hits the slopes every year; a friend owns a chalet in Perisher, and that helps!

“I think everybody who can, should try skiing. Yes it’s expensive, with accommodation and equipment hire, but it’s all worth it,” adds Baljit, who, over the years has made quite a few heads turn on the slopes – as much for his skills as for his headgear, the pagdi.

His daughter’s early enthusiasm should have given him a hint of the future, as Baneesha ended up as part of the ski team at her school, MLC Burwood.

“I got into competitive skiing as a 13-year-old in Year 8,” she says.

“I kept going till Year 12. We would train at the ice-rink, doing plenty of skating and all the related exercises. The competitions were held at Perisher, or Blue Cow as it was known then. Schools from all over NSW participated.”

Now Baneesha enjoys skiing for leisure, and goes out every snow season. “Last year I couldn’t go, because I was having my first baby! Now she is 14 months old, and yes she’s going with us this time. I’ll try and get her onto skis!” she says enthusiastically.

Baneesha thanks her parents for introducing her to skiing, a sport she is clearly passionate about. She fondly recalls many memorable moments spent on the icy slopes. “Once when I was out there with my school team, I got coerced into snow-boarding. The snow-boarding team was one member short, so they forced me to fill in. I had never snowboarded before, and the whole thing became the most embarrassing incident of my life as I was on my bum the whole way down!” she says with a laugh.

However, such incidents have only added to her love for the sport. “But the best experience has to be when you get on top of that highest peak and feel that freshness – it’s like you’ve never breathed before,” she adds.

Continued on page 14

Neil Gordon with daughter Tali

Beginner Dipika Gandhi

The Gandhi family is introduced to skiing by a friend

Continued from page 13

An exciting obsession

At 24, Roshan Sidhu already has about 16 years of skiing experience under his belt, so manoeuvring curves and navigating his way down blue and black runs is a cakewalk. “I was lucky that my parents were active with us when we were younger, and encouraged a balance between studies and our hobbies. We were always doing something in the school holidays, and skiing was one of those activities,” he says.

A hobby gradually turning into an obsession is not unheard of, and Roshan has experienced this first-hand. “At one stage, going to the mountains was all I cared for once the weather started getting cold. Often, at my persistence, our family would take a winter holiday during our summer holidays, and we would go skiing in Europe,” he recounts.

A youthful passion

Brothers Rishi and Hritik Chaubal are at a stage of life where talent and motivation can be harnessed to achieve bigger, more spectacular things. Although their mum Manisha is not much of a skier herself, she does understand the passion her children have for the sport, especially Rishi. “I find the whole thing very cumbersome, however my kids Rishi and Hritik love it,” she says candidly.

The brothers plan to attend 4 full-day lessons this winter. Rishi, the older brother is already a very proficient skier and is getting better by the day. He plans to ski in New Zealand, Switzerland and Canada. And, when he is ready to compete, in Japan. Manisha recalls the first time Rishi went to ski saying, “He sounded homesick on the phone, so I packed my bags to be with him. By the second trip he had come into his own.”

Like all skiers, the boys have seen some falls and blizzards, but their spirits have not been dampened a bit. “Once Rishi was caught in a blizzard and he was happily

“The general safety standards across the ski ranges, particularly for children, are very good, which means parents need not overtly worry about their children in the snow”

Manisha Chaubal

singing away on the phone. At this age, you have little fear. And he came out safe and sound, albeit without his phone!” recounts Manisha.

The general safety standards across the ski ranges, particularly for children, are very good, Manisha adds, which means parents need not overtly worry about their children in the snow.

The affable Rishi has been a strong motivation for his younger brother Hritik, who’s beginning to show a keen interest in the sport. “I am only too happy to accompany them to Mt. Bulla, their favourite ski playground,” says Manisha.

Learning the hard way

Payal Sharma, a 26-year old snowboarder can’t stop raving about her “seasonal hobby” despite having initial reservations about the sport. “The first time I tried it was with my friends. They had all been skiing or boarding since they were in high school. I had never done anything to do with winter sports before, never done anything so thrilling,” she says with palpable enthusiasm. “We go all the way to Perisher just to ski. The weather is beautiful, the skiing is fantastic; it’s paradise, just unbelievable!” she adds.

Like most other novice snowboarders, she “jumped into the sport” thinking it would be an easy learn. It took the first half day on a green run and a bruised body before she decided to heed to the advice of friends and get a private lesson for a “better sense of balance.”

All in it together

Like many first generation migrants from the subcontinent, it was in Australia that Kalpesh Gandhi saw snow for the first time, and there was no looking back from there. It didn’t take him long to get into skiing, initially relying upon the advice of friends, but gradually picking up the nuances of the sport by himself.

Kalpesh and his family have been regular visitors to Thredbo. “The first time our kids went there, they had a mountain of an experience!” he says.

Kalpesh stresses the importance of formal training. “It’s easier for children to adapt and learn, and they can improvise better than us. But still, some basic training is very important and these lessons help correct your ways. Things such as control and spin only come after a lot of practice,” he adds.

He points out that Indians tend to come and play in the snow and go back home, but not too many hang around to try skiing. “I understand those used to temperate climate may have some reservations about the sport, but the ski suit keeps you warm and there is no reason why one should not give skiing a shot,” says Kalpesh.

The family enjoy skiing in a group. “We fall, giggle and laugh at one another all the time,” he says. “You tend to lose confidence if you keep falling again and again, perhaps the only flip side of ski falls which otherwise make for great dinnertime stories!”

Over the years Kalpesh and his family have had great moments on the snow. He recalls one such incident: “My wife, gliding down on the snow followed by her guide, tried to make a V-shaped snowplough to stop, but lost control and slammed straight into another skiier on the slope, triggering a comedy of errors in the form of a chain collision.”

Skiing for pleasure

Badal Bhatt saw snow for the first time when he went to New Zealand three years

ago. He returned to Australia to visit the winter wonderland called Lake Mountain, and fell for the toboggan slopes. Now Badal is a regular skiier at Mt Hotham and Falls Creek.

“The costs are low at the beginning of the season, so we try to take advantage of this as skiing can be expensive, especially the sporting gear you hire and the accommodation,” he says.

One can manage by not staying on the resort, but somewhere in the valley. Badal is a beginner, but a resolute one – something that’s made him return to the sport despite spraining his ankle in his first season. However, he’s quick to point out that for someone like him, who skies for pleasure, not taking too many risks is probably the safer option.

Indulging in winter sports brings with it a myriad of issues like how to get to the snow, hire or buying the gear, the lessons and of course, the cost of the entire experience. However, if planned well and with enough forethought, it can be an incredibly rewarding experience. This is a beautiful way of imparting life skills which expand knowledge and create stronger, more resilient children.

Ask any regular snow enthusiast and you will find that a fortnight on the slopes is more than enough for anyone regardless of competency and motor skills, to become reasonably good at gliding down the mountain. And, most importantly, it’s not only about advanced skiers lured in by the challenge of confronting an atypical terrain and threatening chasms, many come here simply for the slow smooth glides. So next year, hit the straps as soon as you adjust your clock for the onset of winter. Go, smell the snow!

With inputs from Rajni Anand Luthra

Siblings Baneesha and Kanish in the snow as kids (inset) and as young adults with friends

Chak de tu saare gham…

The audience at singer Imran Khan’s concert had every intention of having a party, and they certainly did!

BY PALLAVI SINGHAL

Bright lights and loud, carnival music at Luna Park set the mood for the huge crowd that turned out for singer Imran Khan’s first show in Sydney recently. The excitement was palpable as they waited for the singer to come on stage, singing their favourite songs from his debut album Unforgettable, and even dancing a little.

They were willing to do exactly as he says in his aptlytitled track Ni Nachleh: Chak de tu saare gham, mehbooba meri ban, saara kuch bhul ke to saade nal nachle

And nach they did, you can be sure of that!

The discernible bhangra vibe with two dhols ushering in Imran Khan’s own rhythmic, heavy beat, made sure that they would, indeed, ‘nach all night’.

The electrifying music created a throbbing heartbeat that shook Luna Park’s Big Top arena, and created a mass of energy that had the crowd shouting out the lyrics of his hit songs, while dancing to his upbeat, pulsating music. Countless fists pumped the air in rhythm withhis fastpaced tracks like Chak Glass, Hey Girl and Aaja We Mahiya, and couldn’t seem to get enough of his strong voice and infectious energy.

And he seemed to be returning the favour to the crowd, as he wooed them with lyrics such as Ik thumka tera saare

The charismatic singer owned both the stage and his audience from the moment he made an appearance, a vibe that carried throughout his performance.

Imran embodied his hit Superstar, arriving at the venue in a classic red convertible, and completely dressed in black with dark sunglasses and plenty of bling.

Despite his personal style and extraordinary fame, he displayed no starry attitude and humbly cited the date on which Ni Nachleh was first released, expressing gratitude to everyone who helped him get to this point. He talked about his wonderful journey to fame and his undying passion for music. Imran seemed overwhelmed by the audience’s response as he repeatedly thanked his fans for their enormous show of support. In an endearing act, he even pulled out his mobile phone to film them singing Bewafaa at the top of their lungs.

At this point, Imran laughed as the audience sang the chorus louder than him, pulling up a few lucky fans up on stage to bounce to Bounce Billo, and even did an encore of Amplifier in a self-confessed effort to “reach his fans”. And it worked – the crowd danced their hardest and sang their loudest, even as the versatile singer stepped off the stage to shake hands and sign a few autographs. His worry about “coming all this way” and still not being able to connect with his fans proved to be absurd, as they responded with enthusiasm to his presence and begged him to keep singing.

The singing star didn’t even forget his sponsors, personally thanking Tantra Nights in association with

Imran’s songs gain their notable uniqueness through his incorporation of techno beats, revamping the classic genre to create a more alternative sound

Vision Asia, Mixtabishi, Ash-G and Cinestarr for bringing him down under. The 45-minute performance wasn’t enough to satisfy his fans, and he finally left the audience still chanting his songs and calling for an encore. Imran now promises to be back with a new album in 2012.

The singer of Pakistani origin was born in Holland, emerged as a promising artist on the British Asian music scene in 2007, with the release of his chart-topping single Ni Nachleh. He started singing at the age of 12 and signed his first deal at 19, and his music is a product of the early influences of classic Punjabi music, western R&B and hip-hop. His songs are all highly energised and use the classic underlying drumbeat accompanied by fast-paced lyrics, which characterise the Punjabi bhangra genre. Imran’s songs gain their notable uniqueness through his incorporation of techno beats, revamping the classic genre to create a more alternative sound. The incredible reception of his debut album Unforgettable in 2009 instantly catapulted him into success and took him all over the world on his first international tour. After weeks on the road, it was understandable why Imran wasn’t quite the energetic singer that fans saw at his concerts in India and Africa, but he was lucky to have a wonderful audience that was willing to participate throughout the entire show in Sydney. They made the best of the concert through their enormous enthusiasm and visible love for music.

Just like Imran’s album, the entire concert showcased a new style of bhangra, strongly influenced by both eastern and western music styles. The show appealed to the diversity of ages present in the audience, with classic Bollywood songs blending seamlessly with MTV hits to create a wonderful atmosphere that had even the most reluctant of dancers bobbing to the beat.

The opening acts preceding Imran’s appearance on stage set the atmosphere for a rocking evening. The whole stadium turned into a dance floor with impromptu bhangra circles dancing with Path Preet Singh of So You Think You Can Dance fame, the Nupur Dance Group, MOB and Bollywood Down Under, while singing with amazing local talents, JP, Zora and Jesta. Although Imran Khan kept his fans waiting, they wasted no time in getting the dancing started as they enjoyed a huge variety of talented singers, dancers, even a fashion show!

The entire event was a brilliant montage of the best that the Indian music scene has to offer, with everything from the stunning dances to Imran’s own spectacular performance forming a truly entertaining concert – but it was the crowd’s undying energy that was the real heart and soul of the night.

club nu hilla de, and Tere husan da koi na jawab

The medicine of magic

This talented young man’s career choices are both interesting and intriguing, as he pursues his dream in excelling at both

BY PREETI JABBAL

He has been reviewed on Chortle as a ‘Ladies man’ who emanates rock star vibes. It’s this conjunction of talent, brains and good looks that sets young Indian doctor Vyom Sharma apart, getting him critical acclaim at the recent Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF). He is also scheduled to perform live in this year’s Melbourne Magic Festival from July 7-10, in Northcote Town Hall.

Vyom has twice won the second place at the Australian Society of Magician’s Competition. His sell-out show A Modern Deception won him kudos and recognition at the recent MICF and he has also been invited to perform at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Since graduating in 2008, this young medic from Monash University has leapt

As our conversation unfolded, I observed the determination and focus that has helped Vyom through the challenging years of learning medicine and lately, magic

into a new trajectory, exploring the diverse world of magic. Quite similar to the protagonist in The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho’s magical fable, Vyom is listening to his heart and exploring what’s strewn in life’s path for him, by following his dream.

When I called him for an interview he was helping his friends unload a van and was very polite and approachable. As our conversation unfolded, I observed the determination and focus that has helped Vyom through the challenging years of learning medicine and lately, magic. At the outset I felt that it was going to be interesting to speak to this doctor-cummagician, sometimes comedian and ‘handyman’. And true to my instinct, Vyom’s story gave me hope and put a smile on my face.

Conformity isn’t creativity, and neither is routine. Creative expression gives our brain a workout, activating new circuits in our grey matter, and Vyom agrees with this view. “When I was doing medicine I was fascinated by magic, and now that I have taken a year off to actually do magic, I find medicine intriguingly interesting. I was forced to ask myself which one is my true calling but honestly, I cannot imagine life without either. Both challenge me in a

very unique way,” he reveals. “I wouldn’t, however, call myself a comedian. One of the primary ways in which we can engage with an audience is through telling them a story and that’s what I am good at,” adds Vyom.

Is that why his upcoming show is called Seven Stories, I ask. “Every magician has a lot of tricks, but they don’t always have a theme. I like to base my magic on this most powerful tool in any magician’s kit, the ability to tell a good story,” says Vyom. “A story always makes a performance more fascinating and interesting, and evokes more reaction. With Seven Stories I have a collection of seven stories from personal life, urban legends, classics, fiction and one that I am expected to create on the spot,” he said.

Vyom puts a lot of emphasis on effect in his shows. Personally, I thought that the pause and pursuit of effect sometimes tended to dominate his performance. Was this sustainable in the long run? “Yes, definitely,” claims Vyom. “In the long run people do not remember what they saw, what they heard or read, but they always remember what they felt. If you create that connection with your audience and find stories that make them feel in some way, that is a very reliable tool to have in your performance kit. There is something timeless about a good story,” he adds.

Vyom’s upbringing as he terms it, was ‘very relaxed’. He was born in Delhi and his family migrated to Australia when he was 9. His father is an engineer and mother is a General Practitioner. He has a brother 18 months younger than him who is also a doctor. Initially they lived in Melbourne for three years, and then moved to Brisbane for five years. Vyom then returned to Melbourne to practice medicine, and is now based here with his family. “Nothing disgusts me more than the weather here, but I am sure there is no other place in the world where I would have been able to do what I have done. It is a great place to live in,” says this young Melbournian.

Vyom learnt his first magic trick when he was 17, and since then he was hooked. He has been performing magic in shows for the last three years and he intends to travel to Scotland and the US soon. At the Edinburgh Fringe Festival later this year he will perform with a friend in a show called Manipulated. He is aiming to also perform in New York in a regular Monday night show.

Like the young shepherd in The Alchemist, Vyom also yearns to travel on his magical journey, and he is obviously and passionately committed to claiming and living the life of his dreams - but today! At 24, this young magician has endless possibilities ahead of him, and he intends making the most of them.

“If you create that connection with your audience and find stories that make them feel in some way, that is a very reliable tool to have in your performance kit”

Vyom Sharma

Vyom Sharma: A career in magic?

Unity promoted in June Balagokulam

Balagokulam has become a way of life for children who are a part of it, helping them with unity in thought, word and deed, and thus shaping their character. Balagokulam conducted in June saw the presence of children from diverse backgrounds and religions, speaking different languages, following manners and customs of utmost diversity. Surprisingly, this diversity melted away before the unifying power of the Hindu culture and religion.

“Anekta mein ekta Bharat ki visheshta rahi hai” or ‘Unity in diversity’ has been the distinctive feature of the Indian culture. As Indians, we understand the power of unity well, as in our struggle for freedom people from different communities came together. If they had fought against each other in the name of caste, religion or culture, freedom for us would have only been an illusion.

In Balagokulam, children do not gather as Hindus, Muslims or Christians but as Bhartiyas with one big motive: to inculcate our prestigious Indian culture in our children. Balagokulam in June endeavoured to pass on the message of unity.

Children of the 3-5 year group enjoyed learning through stories that unity is important, and the games they played like Sher Bakri, Hathi ki Sund and Murti further reinforced this message.

Children of the 6-9 year age group did some artwork and played games which were based on team work and togetherness. The Balgokulam booklet had a story on unity of Krishna and Balram who fought against Dhenukasura to save their cowherd friends.

The older children of 10-15 played an individual-based game called ‘Every man is for himself’. However, to contrast this thought, they played as a team, learning and comparing the essence of uniting forces to become a stronger team. On the intellectual front, they competed as teams in a quiz round testing their all-round knowledge of science, geography, mathematics, biology,

social science, code-breaking and Hindu dharma. Their diverse skills proved to be very useful in this activity, which further strengthened the teaching of unity. The groups enjoyed games and stimulating

quizzes after which they celebrated with jalebis and a chocolate drink.

The way society is structured today, we mostly focus on individual advancement and progress; from early tests in a classroom situation, extending to the professional arena. Balagokulam was dedicated to the empowering bond of unity, exemplified through games and team quizzes.

Balagokulam has set a tradition of celebrating children’s birthdays in a traditional Hindu way, also distributing sweets brought by the parents. For our spiritual nourishment, the chanting of the aum mantra and singing the Balagokulam geet was done in unison with parents to further enhance the strength of joining people

Melbourne tourism presses ‘Play’

together.

Balagokulam is a globally well-established activity with its success stretching from the US, the UK, Sydney and now finally Melbourne, where it has grown into a fruitful, enjoyable and meaningful cause to teach Hindu dharmic values. For the information of parents, Balagokulam is a community platform for community-based activities and is held on the last Sunday of every month at Clayton North Primary School from 4 to 6 pm. The session is free for children, with no joining or monthly fees. If interested, please write to balagokulam.melbourne@hotmail.com

Neeru Thakur

Melbourne’s cultural vibe is set to feature in a new marketing campaign to promote the Victorian capital to interstate and transTasman travellers. Named Play Melbourne, the new tourism campaign encourages travellers to the southern city to discover its hidden gems for themselves and seek out edgy experiences by getting “off the beaten track”.

Speaking at a launch of the new campaign on June 20, Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events Louise Asher said, “The Play Melbourne campaign aims to deepen consumers’ appreciation of Melbourne’s creative sub-culture and

reinforce its reputation as Australia’s most culturally diverse city.” The one and a quarter minute television advertisement features a group of young travellers racing around several noteworthy, but perhaps lesser-known Melbourne landmarks. Set to Texan folk singer Sarah Jaffe’s Perfect Plan, the commercials and accompanying website cost over $1.5m for Melbourne-based agency Publicis Mojo to produce.

From stumbling out of the state library, past a latte-swilling local, into the city’s grungy laneways, urban rooftops and outdoor dance parties, our troupe of explorers take their chances on directions

given out by magicians throughout the city.

“With so much to see and do throughout the year, there’s no need to plan, just come and play!” quipped Ms Asher at the launch event in Sydney. “From our world class theatre productions, exclusive exhibitions and major sporting events, our boutique shopping, quirky galleries, hole-in-thewall cafes and hidden bars, Melbourne offers something to excite everyone, all year around.” Referencing the television commercial, Ms Asher encouraged travellers to “just roll the dice!”

Victoria has long led the pack in terms of domestic tourism marketing with its

well-viewed Jigsaw being the world’s longest running destination marketing campaign. Known to most Australians by its tagline “You’ll love every piece of Victoria”, the Jigsaw campaign has been highly successful in luring visitors to the state since its inception in 1993. Play Melbourne does not abandon the Jigsaw theme, but rather represents a new phase of the campaign to attract 20 to 30 year old travellers. “The ad is about spontaneity,” explained Ms Asher, saying that Melbourne had enticed many older visitors to come and visit, and “now we’re marketing to the younger generation”. Highlighting the youthful vision of the campaign, the Play Melbourne website anchors the tourism strategy with interactive items whereby visitors can share their favourite experiences on Facebook. Other playful aspects of the website include a catchy weather forecast (“9 degrees, or hiding in a booth at a wine bar weather!”) and a daily counter keeping track of Melbourne’s renowned coffee addiction. The website also offers punters a chance to win one of 52 weekends for two to Melbourne, claiming that “All you have to do is play!”

Lacking Sydney’s iconic harbour landmarks and trademark warm weather, Melbourne struggled for many years to develop an effective marketing campaign. The Jigsaw campaign, of which Play Melbourne forms a part, promotes Melbourne’s cultural, independent and refined European-inspired soul. Victoria has budgeted $14m for the new campaign over the next two to three years.

Tim Blight

JP International College Canberra

Takes pride in providing its students in a caring, high quality and professional environment career-based training in the hospitality industry.

We offer the following qualifications:

• Certificate III in Hospitality (Commercial Cookery)

• Certificate III in Hospitality (Asian Cookery), and

• Diploma of Hospitality.

• ELICOS (English Language)

JP International College is situated in Canberra that offers a safe, clean and relaxed place to live and work. Canberra apart from being the Australian Capital has the added advantage of being a regional area, that provides more opportunities for jobs, employer sponsorships with lower English proficiency and greater chances to seek Permanent Migration with lower standards as compared with other Capital Cities that are not regional. Canberra is located in between Sydney and Melbourne and has world class facilities, including health, retail and entertainment.

Contact JP International College at:

Unit 5, 118-128 Mawson Place, Mawson, ACT 2607 Provider No 88129 • CRICOS No 02811D

Ph: 02 6286 8328, Fax: 02 6286 8330

Worshipping cinema

Film-maker Anupam Sharma is one of the 50 most powerful people in Australia’s screen production industry

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

Anupam Sharma was only in high school when he decided his life would be devoted to films.

In fact, he can still remember the exact moment when this realisation dawned on him.

“I was walking out of the cinema having just seen Mahesh Bhatt’s Saaraansh, and I knew where my destiny lay. I was certain I would grow up to make movies”.

The iconic film changed Sharma’s life, just as it did for his namesake, the lead actor of the film Anupam Kher.

A little-known theatre actor, Kher has since grown to become one of the Hindi film industry’s most accomplished actors, having purveyed an enviable variety of roles in every possible genre. One non-film role however, was to mentor the young film buff Anupam Sharma, who has himself now carved a niche for himself in the world of cinema, in a land far from home.

In many ways, the guru and shishya are both true to their name Anupam – the Hindi word for ‘incomparable’.

Last month, Encore magazine, a monthly publication covering the Australian screen production industry, listed Sharma as one of the top 50 movers and shakers of the industry in Australia.

“Yes I’m quite proud,” Anupam said when congratulated. “Particularly because not too many Indians have been on such industry lists”.

And yet he was quite pragmatic about it all.

“Being on Encore ’s Power 50 is not necessarily going to fund my next film, but you know, it energises my efforts. It’s a great morale boost, a good adrenaline rush”.

He added, “I know it sounds clichéd, but I do sincerely hope it will encourage more multicultural participation in the entertainment industry here. There’s certainly plenty of talent – and passion –out there”.

The Australian link to contemporary Indian cinema

Anupam Sharma worships cinema. He says so, loud and clear, on his company stationery. Which is probably why he was miffed when I referred to him once, nearly ten years ago, as a ‘film

buff’.

“Surely after all that I’ve done, I would be more than just a ‘film buff’,” he chided me gently.

It’s true. Not only had he completed by then a Masters degree in film making (with a thesis on Indian cinema), he had also founded a film

production company, and had begun to market Australia as a suitable filming locale to high profile film-makers in the Mumbai industry.

Starting with the legendary Feroz Khan, whose made-in-Australia film Janasheen launched his dashing son Fardeen, Anupam has brought to

The AFI team in Mumbai

Australia Rakesh Roshan’s Filmkraft (for Hrithik’s launch vehicle Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai ), Dharma Productions, Yash Raj Films, Harry Baweja’s SP Creations, and a whole host of ad companies, southern films and TV shows, including the Reality TV show MTV Roadies

These projects took to Indian viewers stunning images of Australia – and probably played a part in turning this country into a favoured travel destination among upwardly mobile Indians, as well as an education destination for students of India’s bulging middle-class. Additionally, these projects brought in to the country tidy sums of money in business investments. Government ministers (such as the previous NSW government’s Minister for the Arts Virgina Judge) put out happy press releases every time a Bollywood unit dropped in to film here, citing impressive dollar values that would accrue, and often even making a visit to the film sets. (Some of these netas even became abhinetas themselves, bagging small roles in the films, such as Judge and SA Premier Mike Rann).

For opening up this ‘entertainment corridor’, Anupam began to attract a fair deal of media attention here, and became known as the person to contact for Indian-Australian productions. When he wrote the first-of-its-kind Guide to Filming in Australia, film bodies in every state endorsed it, and it was so successful that an updated version was produced a few years later.

In the Indian industry, meanwhile, word spread

about his company Films and Casting Temple as the choice production services supplier, and repeat clients became the norm.

And in the Indian-Australian community, he became sought after too: not just by star-struck females who pestered him every time a Bollywood actor was in town, but by many wannabe-actors (of all ages), script-writers, and hundreds of others who wanted to work on film sets.

AFI: Beyond Bollywood

Yet it was not only his pioneering and substantial work in developing Australian film links with India that found Anupam in the annual list of film professionals “who have achieved new heights in 2010/11, whose decisions influence and shape Australia’s (film industry), and whose work has stood out from the crown”. An interesting new initiative launched earlier this year impressed Encore just as much.

Working with veteran Australian film critic Peter Castaldi (with whom he shares his spot in Encore’s Power 50), Anupam founded the Australian Film Initiative (AFI), “to market, promote, and distribute Australian films in non traditional and emerging markets” such as India.

“Australians are pretty modest when it comes to marketing their own films,” Anupam observed. “We have German, French and plenty of other

film festivals in Australia, but we don’t have such festivals of our own films in other countries. There are embassy road shows and sporadic delegations, but no major platform to promote our films”.

And so AFI was born.

Its first event, a festival of Australian films in India, was held in late March over five days in collaboration with FRAMES 2011, India’s most prestigious annual convention for media and entertainment. Current titles such as Samson and Delilah, Blame, Bran Nue Dae, Red Hill and Kings of Mykonos were screened, as well as a retrospective of director, producer and screenwriter Bill Bennett’s films, such as Spider and Rose, Two if By Sea, Kiss or Kill, In a Savage Land, Nugget and Tempted. The films were picked to showcase a rich sample of Australian culture to Indian audiences.

As well, the festival saw invitation-only roundtables on

investment and distribution; Australian speakers, and a selection of best graduate short films from AFTRS and VCA.

“The festival received widespread support from government as well as the private sector,” Anupam revealed. “We stated off with the social media to reach out to the younger audiences, and then the momentum began. FICCI of course had said we would love to have you. DFAT and the Australian High Commission in Delhi came on board.

They were thrilled at the kind of media all this was generating, after months of negative reportage thanks to the students’ issue. Then support began to pour in from the private sector – Cinemax, Viacom, Marriott hotels – we were pinching ourselves to see if it was all true! The Australian Consulate in Mumbai offered to host a cocktail, and the who’s who of the entertainment industry in India turned up. And

by coincidence Hugh Jackman was in Mumbai, and when he heard of us he said I’d love to support you. He was only there for a short while, but agreed to a photo session and to be a chief guest at a screening – an early film of his, Paperback Hero was part of the line-up. The snowball effect was simply astounding, and Peter and I were absolutely thrilled!”

With the inaugural event so successful, next year’s event is already planned out. All Anupam will reveal for now is that Baz Luhrmann has agreed to a retrospective of his films in 2012.

“Also, the AFI is not restricted to India alone. We’re looking at South America, South Africa, the Middle East and northern Europe”.

Worshipping cinema

Besides planning more AFI events, Anupam is getting on with his own film-making too.

“There are three projects in the pipeline,” Anupam revealed. “One is on honour killings; a second script has just been read by two top actresses from Bollywood, and a third involves a leading Aussie actress”.

His plate is quite full, but there is no other way he’ll have it.

“Films are a passion. You know, the only thing I pray for my kids – and I’ve just become a father second time around – is that they find a passion in life. A life lived with passion, is a good life”.

And no, the passion hasn’t waned a bit, ever

since that day he saw Anupam Kher’s first film in Dehradun, India.

“When I finished school all my mates were scrambling for IIT and AIIMS. My dad was like, so, will it be engineering or medicine for you? But all I wanted to do was make films. My grandparents were in Australia, so I came out here, to study computer engineering, but moved to a Bachelor in Films degree. My folks said go for media studies, because at least you can become a media analyst. And when I enrolled in a Masters degree, they were happy because, they said, at least you can teach!”

So what is he most proud of, when he looks back at his career?

He ponders for a while before answering, “I think the fact that I chose to study films rather than just jump into it all. People said to me, ‘Paagal hai (are you mad) you’ve spent five years studying films’. But I am glad I did, and thankful that my parents supported me”.

“I’m also proud of the fact that the first few people I worked with, were all A-level legends. Feroz Khan, Yash Johar, Rakesh Roshan, Anupam Kher, all mentored me”.

He added confidently, “And very soon, I’ll be proud of the fact that I’ll have produced the first feature film in an Indo-Australian collaboration!”

Working with veteran Australian film critic Peter Castaldi (with whom he shares his spot in Encore’s Power 50), Anupam founded the Australian Film Initiative (AFI), “to market, promote, and distribute Australian films in non traditional and emerging markets” such as India

Anupam Sharma with Hugh Jackman at the first Australian film festival in India

Hugh Jackman and wife Deborah Lee Furness with Anupam Sharma

Skiing in India

If you long to feel chilly wind whistle past when gliding down acres of pristine white, in a landscape that showcases the beauty of the Himalayas, here’s a peek into a few wonderful skiing locations in India. So why not combine that trip back home with a holiday and enjoy some fun on slopes where the beauty of the surrounds compliments this exciting and somewhat exhausting sport. These resorts may lack the sophisticated modernity of the Alps, but this is an essential part of their charm. And the skiing experience is simply heavenly, whether you’re an afficionado or simply aspiring to be one.

Glorious Gulmarg

Set in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, Gulmarg has been popular since the days of the British Raj, and not just as a cool getaway from the summers of the south. Skiing in Gulmarg is a heady experience thanks to its pristine slopes, very reasonable costs and of course, now that the French firm of Pomagalski has just completed the world’s highest Gondola lift, its charm is irresistible to the serious skier.

The main ski season starts in January and ends in mid-April but it is possible to ski from the beginning of December to the end of May in certain sections. There are no manmade runs, no trees have been cut or pistes gouged out of rock. It is simply nature at its undressed best, with man challenging the elements. However, Gulmarg’s twenty strong ski patrol is trained to be adept at powder skiing, first aid and avalanche rescue.

Amazing Auli

Set in Uttarakhand at an altitude of 2915 mts-3049 mts, this pristine locale is no longer a well-hidden secret from the skiing

fraternity. International skiers have been known to find it irresistible, as its untamed slopes and chilly beauty pose a challenge to their skills. Auli has recently come into the spotlight as a tourist destination, after the creation of Uttarakhand as a separate state. A journey to Auli’s slopes has something for everyone, from novice skiers to professionals, and for those simply sightseeing or trekking, the panoramic view of the Himalayas is

unpredictable at times.

Auli can be reached by flying into Dehradun, and driving up to the resort. The nearest international airport is in Delhi.

Natural Narkanda

Narkanda enjoys the honour as one of India’s oldest ski resorts, being located at an altitude of about 2,708 meters (9,000

trekking can take you exploring a range of lakes and temples, in this spectacular gem hidden in the heart of the Himachal. Narkhanda offers a fascinating view of the Himalayan snow ranges and its verdant green forests are stunningly beautiful.

Kufri hideaway

Located about 92 kms from Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, this enchanting little hillstation was discovered in 1854. It has a Himalayan nature park and offers a range of skiing, hiking and trekking activities. Kufri’s slopes attract tobogganing and skiing enthusiasts, as the range includes a beginner’s run, an advanced slope and slalom run. Himachal Tourism offers ski courses, instruction and has equipment on hire at Kufri. Just above Kufri sits the Mahasu ridge, which also has some good slopes. The skiing season is between November to February, which is also peak tourist season.

Kufri is just 19 kms away from Shimla, which has rail and airport access as well. To get to Kufri, one has to hire taxis or take a bus.

The secret of Solang Nala

absolutely breathtaking.

The Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited (GMVNL) run by the government is responsible for maintaining this resort and they do a good job. Auli also has Asia’s longest cable car running a span of 4 kms, in addition to a chair lift and skil lift.

The best time to ski at Auli is from the end of January till the beginning of March, although the weather can be quite

capped corner is via the National Highway 22, as it sits 64 kms from Shimla. Buses and taxis can get you there too, but the nearest railway station or airport is at Shimla.

In the winter months from January to early March the ski slopes offer enticing sport, but this location isn’t as popular with international skiers, simply because it still remains largely unknown within the international skiing fraternity. However,

This valley sits at the top of the Kulu Valley in Himachal Pradesh, 14 km northwest of the resort town of Manali on the way to Rohtang Pass. It is wellknown for this summer and winter sports, including parachuting, paragliding, skating and zorbing. Ski agencies offering courses and equipment operate only during the winter season, and the slopes are a skier’s delight. The best time to visit Solang Nala is from early-December to end-March.

Sheryl Dixit

Narkanda Auli

Gulmarg

Kufri Solang Nala

Ten new PhD scholarships for Indian candidates at Victorian universities

Ten top scholars from India will be awarded $90,000 each to pursue PhD programs at nine universities in the state of Victoria, starting in 2012 under the new Victoria India Doctoral Scholarships Program launched today by the State Government of Victoria and the Australia India Institute recently.

The initiative is one of a number of strategic engagement opportunities launched by the Victorian Government to strengthen relations between Victoria and India.

Victoria’s nine universities have all agreed to provide a full tuition waiver. The ten new scholarships, providing $90,000 over the duration of doctoral studies for each PhD scholar, will support living costs and education-related travel.

The new scholarships were launched in June at Australia’s High Commission in New Delhi by the Australian High Commissioner Peter Varghese AO and Prof. Amitabh Mattoo, Director of the Australia India Institute, Melbourne, together with Victoria’s Commissioner to India, Geoffrey Conaghan.

“The scholarships will contribute to global knowledge and help build a closer partnership between India and Australia,” said Louise Asher the State of Victoria’s Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business and Minister for Tourism and Major Events.

“Victoria attracts quality students from around the world because of its strong infrastructure and internationally-known researchers and teachers. We believe the Victoria India Doctoral Scholarships will generate a huge amount of interest because Victoria offers a premium international education experience,” said Minister Asher.

“This generous scholarship is a great opportunity for some of India’s smartest researchers to pursue their doctoral studies at Victoria’s universities,” said Peter Varghese, Australia’s High Commissioner to India.

“The academic communities of India and

Australia are working more closely together than ever before and I congratulate the Victorian Government and the Australia India Institute on this important new initiative”, said Mr Varghese.

Speaking at the launch in New Delhi, Prof. Amitabh Mattoo said, “This is a singularly important step by the Victorian Government to build a real partnership with India. Research students from India will not just get access to some of the finest institutions in the world but also the opportunity to stay in one of the world’s most liveable, multicultural communities”.

Students from India can apply to Victoria’s universities to do their PhD at: Deakin University, La Trobe University, Monash University, RMIT University, Swinburne University, Australian Catholic University, The University of Melbourne, University of Ballarat and Victoria University

The doctoral opportunities exist across science, engineering, medicine, the social sciences and humanities, business studies, education and the arts.

The educational institutions in the state of Victoria already have mutually beneficial, collaborative research links with Indian institutions and industry, and the new scholarships program will continue to build on these links.

More information on the Victorian Government’s Victoria India Doctoral Scholarships Program can be found at www. studymelbourne.vic.gov.au/scholarships

100,000th visitor visa for the year processed at Australian High Commission New Delhi

For the first time ever, the Australian High Commission in New Delhi has passed 100,000 visitor and temporary entry visas in a program year. The 100,000th visa for the 2010-2011 program year was issued in late May in New Delhi.

This milestone underlines the fast expanding linkages between India and Australia in tourism and business.

The figure includes 19 different types of visa, including tourist and business visas.

Australia’s High Commissioner to India, Peter Varghese, said, “One hundred thousand visitor visas shows how fast the bilateral relationship between Australia and India is growing. More Indians are travelling to Australia for business, tourism and to study at our universities. And a growing number of travellers are reconnecting with family members in Australia.”

The visitor visa application rate has increased by 17% this year and over 50% of visitor visa applicants were family members of Indian permanent residents or Australian citizens of Indian origin.

The business short stay visa application rate has increased by 15% this year, and will continue to grow as India-Australia economic and trade relations also grow.

Two-way trade between India and Australia has been growing at about 20% year on year for the past five years. In 2010 two-way trade was approximately A$22 billion driven by the strong complementarities between the two economies. Reflecting this dynamism on 12 May Australia and India agreed to launch negotiations towards a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (or FTA).

High Commissioner Varghese said, “All these are very healthy signs of the growing partnership between our countries and people. Quite simply, Australia and India are rapidly becoming more important to each other.”

Australia provides $5 million boost for research with India

Top scientists will benefit from a multimillion dollar program that could lead to better vaccines, more temperature tolerant crops, healthier foods and greater protection for our marine systems.

18 collaborative projects involving Australian and Indian scientists have been awarded AU$5 million under the AustraliaIndia Strategic Research Fund, with matching funding provided by the Government of

India.

The fund is a joint initiative of the Australian and Indian governments. It is Australia’s largest bilateral research fund, providing AU$65 million over eight years.

Australian Innovation Minister, Senator Kim Carr said, “India is a strong research nation in its own right and a rising scientific power. Both countries have much to gain from collaboration in science and technology.”

“This funding will enable leading Australian and Indian scientists to combine their unique strengths and tackle big issues facing communities in Australia and India –such as growing healthy crops and protecting precious groundwater environments.”

Grants have been awarded to a total of 12 different Australian universities and research institutions including James Cook University, CSIRO, the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, the Australian National University, Melbourne University, the University of Western Australia and the University of Queensland.

Grants have also been awarded to a total of 14 Indian collaborating partner institutions including the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, Raman Research Institute and the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.

Projects to be supported under Round 5 of the fund include:

• development of a novel class of anticancer agents targeting the immune system;

• design of malaria vaccines;

• developing methods for the production of omega-3 concentrates for functional foods, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals;

• improving high-temperature tolerance in crop plants; and

• advancing our ability to predict plant distributions under changed climates. Other projects supported by the fund are in nanotechnology, marine and earth sciences, biomedical devices and implants, and stem cells.

Aussie Nobbs lands 5-year deal as India’s hockey coach

Says his immediate priority is to see that India qualifies for the London Olympics

Australian Michael Nobbs has been named the coach of the Indian men’s hockey team, warding off the challenge from Dutch contenders Roelant Oltmans, who coached the Netherlands to the gold in the 1996 Olympics and Jacques Brinkman, two-time Olympic gold medal winner in 1996 and 2000. His tenure will run till the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Spelling out his priorities, Nobbs said that though his immediate priority is to see the eight-time Olympic

In his first assignment after taking over the charge of the team, Nobbs and his assistant SS Grewal launched the two-month long National camp at Sports Authority of India’s South Centre in Bangalore

champions qualify for the London Games, his ultimate goal is to get India back as a major hockey power.

In his first assignment after taking over the charge of the team, Nobbs and his assistant SS Grewal launched the twomonth long National camp at Sports Authority of India’s South Centre in Bangalore.

The Australian will be racing against time to get the team ready for the Champions Trophy in December and then the Olympic qualifiers in February, both in Delhi.

The Indian team has been without a foreign coach since Spaniard Jose Brasa left at the end of the Guangzhou Asian Games in November. His assistant Harendra Singh took the team to Azlan Shah Cup last month and could not retain the title.

That pressed the panic button among hockey administrators and spurred their hunt for a foreign coach. In January, the candidates were shortlisted.

A frenetic activity in the last 15 days led the administrators to Nobbs, who vouches by the style of Indian hockey, similar to the Australian way.

“Indian hockey has an attractive style. I have grown up on Indian hockey and now I want to give something back to India. Australian hockey is hugely influenced by India. We still play the Indian style. There are many Anglo-Indian coaches in Australia. I have many Indian friends. Australian team has been successful and so can India,” the soft-spoken Nobbs said in his first interaction with the media.

Asked about how he will get about his task, Nobbs said: “The first thing would be to identify where Indian hockey stands at present, talk to the players and analyse where we actually are. There are lot of processes involved. I know that qualifying for the Olympics is important, but we have to think of the long term development.”

Nobbs will be assisted by David John, an exercise physiologist, to analyse the players.

Asked about the reasons for decline of Indian hockey, Nobbs said: “It is sad to see the decline of Indian hockey. We are all here to think in one direction and that is to improve. I am not standing alone in this process. If Indian hockey has to succeed, it has to revolve around

administrators, players and fan support.”

Nobbs said he is not thinking about the bitter experiences foreign coaches like Ric Charlesworth and Spainard Jose Brasa had in the past here.

“I have come here with no reservations. It is a privilege for me.”

On whether he would like to have complete say in selection matter, something which Brasa had raised and which is followed by international teams like Australia, Nobbs said: “I do not want a complete free hand, but I want

“Indian hockey has an attractive style. I have grown up on Indian hockey and now I want to give something back to India”

to have the final say. It is important for me to take inputs from others.”

Hockey India secretary general Narinder Batra added that they have decided that the new coach will play an important part in team selection.

Nobbs, who played as centre half for Australia, served as assistant coach of the Japan women’s team (1993-1999) and then as their chief coach (2007-08). He is also a club coach in Western Australia and has the experience of working at the grassroots level.

Michael Nobbs

Kerala temple treasure trove continues to astound

A legend temporarily halted the stocktaking at the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala where treasures said to be worth Rs.1 lakh crore have been found.

Monday, July 4 was the seventh day of knowing how many valuables were packed in the six chambers, two of them not opened for nearly 150 years. The Supreme Court had ordered the exercise. Retired judge M.N. Krishnan told reporters that “some sort of expertise” would be needed to open chamber B.

Krishnan said a seven-member committee appointed by the Supreme Court and headed by him will meet soon. “I have nothing more to say.”

The committee is making an inventory of the six chambers in the temple premise.

The estimated worth of the gems and jewellery found in five of the six chambers is unofficially put at a whopping Rs.1 lakh crore ($22 billion). The committee has not confirmed this figure.

The erstwhile royal family of Travanacore, which maintains the temple, believes that opening chamber B would be a bad omen.

A royal family source revealed that many legends were attached to the temple and that chamber B has a model of a snake on the main door.

“This is a clear indication that the door should not be opened because opening it might be a bad omen. I don’t think the team can open it because there is a lot of faith attached to the temple,” said the source.

Another legend says that there is a tunnel at the bottom of the chamber that leads to the sea.

The stocktaking was ordered by the Supreme Court following a petition by advocate T.P. Sundararajan over alleged mismanagement of the temple affairs.

The team is expected to present an interim report to the Supreme Court.

Tight security arrangements are in place in the temple premises. A 24-hour police control room has been opened and round-the-clock mobile patrolling is on.

“A 24-hour special police control room has been opened at the Fort Police station. Round-the-clock mobile patrolling would be started and permanent security arrangements would also be provided,” Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said recently. “This temple is our state’s pride...and is part of our culture. Hence it is the government’s right and duty to provide the needed security to the temple,” the chief minister added. He also emphasised that the treasure is the property of the temple.

Chandy added that when a permanent security cover is set up, it would be done by taking into confidence the head of the erstwhile royal family of Travancore.

The Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala could well be the richest in the country as on the sixth day of preparing an inventory of treasures in its six chambers, it is suggested the value of its gold, diamond and other precious metals at close to Rs. 1 lakh crore.

Two more chambers are left unopened and it is expected that the inventory process may continue for a few more days.

The committee, which includes a gemmologist, stumbled upon a nearly fourfoot-tall statue of Lord Vishnu in gold and studded with emeralds. Other precious items that were accounted for included several golden statues, almost all weighing two kg each. Among other things are a gold necklace as long as 15 feet, and crowns studded with emeralds, rubies and diamonds.

The chamber is situated around 20 feet under the ground. The committee conducted the examination using artificial lights. Cylinders were used to pump in oxygen to the chamber to guard against breathing problems for committee members.

Gopalakrishnan said that according to the legend the gold got accumulated in the temple because in the olden days people used to offer gold to seek pardon from the royal family.

The main temple deity, Padmanabhaswamy, is a form of Hindu god Vishnu in Anananthasayanam posture or in eternal sleep of ‘yognidra’.

The foundation of the present entrance gateway was laid in 1566 and the temple has a 100-foot, seven-tier tower besides a corridor with 365 and one-quarter sculptured granite stone pillars with elaborate carvings.

As of now, the Balaji temple in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh is believed to be the richest temple in the country, followed by Shirdi Sai Baba shrine in Maharashtra.

The erstwhile royal family of Travancore in Kerala is thrilled that valuables worth thousands of crores have been discovered in the chambers of a temple it manages.

The head of the royal family of Travancore, Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma, was tight lipped on the discovery and said: “I have nothing to say on this because one has to abide by the ruling of the apex court.”

Varma is the managing trustee of the trust that runs the temple.

One of the members of the royal family said: “How many royal families in the country can be proud of keeping things like this? You should understand that two chambers out of the six have not been opened for more than 150 years and it there that the treasure trove has been kept safely”.

A journey from Indian slums to Germany - for football

Khushali Darbeshwar, 19, pinched herself several times as she watched the opening ceremony of the women’s football World Cup in a jam-packed Olympic Stadium in Berlin on June 29. From an Indian slum to Germany - it was like a fairytale dream for her to witness

tournament - Discover Football, a global initiative to help disadvantaged girls, challenge societal norms and make a mark.

“I have never ever in my dreams thought about watching the women’s World Cup opening ceremony and the first match of Germany against Canada. I pinched myself several times to feel if this was a reality or not,” an excited Khushali said with a wide smile.

Being held on the sidelines of FIFA Women’s World Cup, Discover Football has brought together eight teams from across the world for an international women’s football tournament in the centre of Berlin.

The June 27-July 3 tournament is seeing the participation of women’s teams from India, France, Brazil, Israel, Togo, Cameroon and Rwanda, as also a team from Berlin. The teams have been selected by Streetfootballworld from a list of 38 applicants.

The tournament is accompanied by a diverse cultural festival.

Slum Soccer - the Indian team -- lost their first match against Berlin, but there is no dearth of confidence among the players as they are looking forward to other matches and a global exposure.

“The Berlin team has practised for a month with football experts of the national team. It was a learning experience, but I am more excited after watching the World Cup opening ceremony ... it was breathtaking,” said Priyanka Arun Ragit, daughter of a daily wage labourer in Nagpur, who plays as a forward.

Slum Soccer was founded by a Nagpurbased NGO that trains underprivileged children and youth from across India in football.

For most of the girls, the journey from slums to football was a challenging task, but

they fought back to follow their dreams. Shehnaz Kureshi, 19, took to football as the boys in her class challenged her that girls can never play the game.

“I was interested in football but it is said to be a masculine game. I never tried it till I was challenged by the boys. When I started, I used to play with boys as none of the girls played the game, but now things have improved,” said Shehnaz, with the Indian tricolour painted on her cheeks.

This second year humanities student, who was abandoned by her father for being a girl child, had to fight both family and society to play football.

But now she is a star in her slum near Nagpur.

“People in my slum now look with respect and pride at me and even my mother is happy as I have also started earning by coaching children in football. Most of the girls in my locality now play football,” Shehnaz said confidently.

Slum Soccer was launched in 2001 with a vision to equip the underprivileged to deal with and emerge from the disadvantages riding on their homelessness using the medium of football.

“It was started by my father, but we started focussing on football in 2007 and decided to use it as a tool to bring a change in society,” Slum Soccer CEO Abhijeet Barse said.

Barse left his doctorate in environment studies in the US in 2007 to concentrate on Slum Soccer. Since then he has never looked back and Slum Soccer is making a mark everywhere.

“We have training centres in several parts of central India and will soon start one in Chennai. We have 12 volunteers and a fund-raising team. We are also developing a curriculum using football as medium for development and making the whole process more self-sustainable for players,” he said.

In 2010, Slum Soccer participated in the Homeless World Cup in Brazil and India won the Fairplay Award.

In exile, Husain wanted to destroy his paintings

Forced to live away from India, M.F. Husain at one time wanted to destroy all his paintings, says his son Owais Husain who is hungering to conquer the wasteland of possibilities left behind by his illustrious father.

“I feel suddenly in life there is a wasteland in front of me, but the wasteland is rich, inspiring a hunger in me to devour the wasteland. I am ready, actually I am doing that,” Owais Husain, who is making a documentary on his father, said recently in New Delhi.

Recalling one of his father’s bouts of despair after his self-imposed exile from India, Owais, the youngest son of artist M.F. Husain, said, “There was a time he wanted to destroy all his paintings. What was the use, he said.” Owais, an artist and filmmaker, was in Delhi with brothers Shafqat, Shamshad and Mustaq to pay tribute to their father at a commemorative celebration by the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust.

M.F. Husain passed away June 9 in London after a cardiac failure at 95. He had left India in 2006 after being threatened by Hindu radicals over his paintings.

Owais’ movie, Letters to My Son about My Father, is a generational father-to-son narrative about the family’s illustrious brush with art and fame - from the obscure areas of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh to the bright lights of Mumbai and the world - riding on the patriarch, M.F. Husain.

“It will be a document of his life - capturing his journey as an artist and a man. I want to tell the story to my son - from a father to the son and address the posterity through him. I still have a few more interviews to do before I put it all together. I am also using family footage. But I am yet to find a close (end) to

Continued on page 26

Police officials arrive to check the security measurements at Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

Photo: AP

the movie - don’t yet know how I will end it,” Owais said.

The documentary will use “classical music, photographs and several genres of art that Husain loved”, his son said.

M.F. Husain, who experimented with filmmaking between his vocation and commissions - public art, historical series and installations - made three major filmsThrough the Eyes of a Painter, Gajagamini, Meenaxi: Tale of Three Cities - that combined art, narratives, characters and music.

One of the movies, Through the Eyes of a Painter, which had won a Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 1967, was screened in the capital recently.

A 16-minute documentary, it was shot by the painter during his journey through Rajasthan. “The documentary, Through the Eyes… is inspiring,” said Owais, who is in his mid thirties.

The younger Husain said his father had completed two mega series of paintings - History of Arab Civilisation, History of Indian Civilisation before his demise.

“He kept painting till his death,” he said. Owais’ roster is crammed. “I have three films on the floor. There is a solo exhibition of my art works at Gallery Espace in the capital in October. It will be a bit of a ‘dhamaka’ - I have tried new formats and language,” he said.

Supreme Court says government evasive on black money

The Supreme Court, while appointing a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the black money parked by Indian citizens in tax havens abroad, pulled no punches in chiding the government for being evasive and in the denial mode.

While constituting an SIT headed by former Supreme Court judge B.P. Jeevan Reddy, the court said lack of seriousness in the government’s efforts was contrary to the requirements of law and its constitutional obligations.

The apex court bench of Justice B. Sudershan Reddy and Justice S.S. Nijjar, which ordered the setting up of the SIT, said: “We must express our serious reservations about the responses of the Union of India. In the first instance, during the earlier phases of hearing before us, the attempts were clearly evasive, confused or originating in the denial mode.”

Speaking for the bench, Justice Sudershan Reddy said: “It was only upon being repeatedly pressed by us did the Union of India begin to admit that indeed the investigation was proceeding very slowly.”

“It also became clear to us that, in fact, the investigation had completely stalled, in as much as custodial interrogation of Hasan Ali Khan had not even been sought for, even

he said.

Stashing away of huge unaccounted money in tax havens and the connections of suspected tax evader Hasan Ali Khan with arms dealers have raised questions regarding the sources of the money being unlawful activities.

The court said there was still no evidence of a really serious investigation into these from the national security perspective.

The court noted with concern that during interrogation of Hasan Ali Khan and Kolkata based-businessman Kashinath Tapuria, names of many people, including officials of corporate giants, politically powerful people and international arms dealers, cropped up. So far, no significant attempt has been made to investigate and verify these.

Both Hasan Ali and Tapuria are accused of laundering black money and stashing it away in tax havens abroad.

It appeared that even though his passport was impounded, Hasan Ali was able to secure another passport from Patna, possibly with the help or aid of a politician, the order said.

The order said that the government’s explanation was both unsatisfactory and lacked credibility on the “slowness of the pace of investigation” and why it did not take action that was “feasible and within the ambit of powers of the Enforcement Directorate itself, such as custodial investigation...”

The court also mocked at the government’s repeated insistence that the “matter involves many jurisdictions, across the globe, and a proper investigation could be accomplished only through the concerted efforts by different law enforcement agencies, both within the central government and various state governments”.

“What is important is that the Union of India had obtained knowledge, documents and information that indicated possible connections between Hasan Ali Khan and his alleged co-conspirators and known international arms dealers,” the court said.

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serious investigation into these other matters from the national security perspective,” the court said.

A university to manage a rapidly urbanising India

With over 625,000 villages, rural India still dominates the country’s landscape even as rapid urbanising is throwing up challenges for planners. To train people manage this massive social transformation and fill the critical human resource and knowledge gap, a group of eminent Indians is setting up a university.

One of them, Nandan Nilekani, a cofounder of India’s IT bellwether Infosys who now spearheads the massive exercise of providing billion Indians a unique identification number, and his wife Rohini, have just gifted Rs. 50 crore to the proposed varsity.

Called the Indian Institute of Human Settlement, the institute is coming up near Bangalore and the people behind it are in talks with the government for recognition of its courses.

Besides Nilekani, other leading figures forming the board of directors of the venture are renowned industrialists and academicians like Xerxes Desai, Jamshyd Godrej, Cyrus Guzder, Renana Jhabvala, Vijay Kelkar, Keshub Mahindra, Kishore Mariwala, Rahul Mehrotra, Rakesh Mohan, Nasser Munjee, Deepak Parekh, Shirish Patel, Aromar Revi and Deepak Satwalekar.

The IIHS will offer “globally benchmarked bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in urban practice based on a wide set of disciplines and practice areas central to India’s urban transformation,” Aromar Revi, its director, said in an interview.

The Bachelors in Urban Practice (BUP) programme “will be a four-year course, after the plus-2 level of schooling. The MUP programme will be a two year course,” said Revi, an alumnus of IIT-Delhi and the law and management schools of Delhi University.

The IIHS will begin by offering the masters programme first from July next year, provided the government gives regulatory clearances by that time, he said.

“Discussions are active with the government on getting the appropriate regulatory clearances,” Revi said.

The “tentative fee structure for the MUP is in the range of Rs.300,000 and Rs.400,000 per annum,” he said. The IIHS “is planning to offer up to 50 percent of its students’ scholarships and financial assistance of varying degrees depending on need,” he added.

Revi was confident that students passing out of this institute will have job opportunities since the “most serious constraint facing Indian cities today is not capital but the availability of suitably educated professionals, entrepreneurs and change makers who can act in the common good”.

“We anticipate career opportunities across

the public and private sectors as well as civil society and universities and knowledge enterprises. There is a large gap in the supply of urban practitioners and inter-disciplinary professionals as India and its urban areas grow,” he said.

On the gift by the Nilekanis, he said “this is in keeping with their vision of building quality transformative institutions for India and a reinforcement of their past philanthropic commitments. Nandan Nilekani has been deeply involved with the IIHS from its conceptualisation”.

Announcing the gift recently, the Nilekanis said: “IIHS is at the convergence of both our interests in education, urbanisation and sustainability.”

The IIHS is coming up on a 54-acre site in Kengeri, on the outskirts of Bangalore.

“Work on planning the first phase of the 42,000-sq metre campus has started. It will be executed in a phased manner over the next five to seven years,” said Revi.

On what prompted the setting up of this institute, he said there was a need to fill “a critical human resource and knowledge gap in addressing multiple challenges of urbanisation”.

“The IIHS is conceived as an interdisciplinary university born out of the realisation that a single academic programme within a university would not be able to offer the breadth and depth of inter-disciplinary academics and practice that are urgently required to solve the multiple dimensions of urbanisation challenges that the country is confronted with,” he said.

The IIHS has tie-ups with several well-known institutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University College London (UCL), and The African Centre for Cities (ACC) of the University of Cape Town (UCT), Revi said.

Pakistani state-terror links have to be broken: Rao

Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao says the terror links of the Pakistani state and military have to be broken, even as she felt Islamabad’s attitude towards the issue had “altered”.

In an interview with CNN-IBN’s Karan Thapar, Rao said that India did raise the issue of “linkages” between the Pakistani spy agency and terror groups, which were revealed in a Chicago trial by Lashkar-e-Taiba operative David Coleman Headley.

“I did raise that and I said we need to get satisfactory answers on these linkages,” she said.

Rao, whose two-year term ends this month, asserted that it was necessary to break the links between Pakistani state and terror.

“Let me tell you, the aim here, and it is not just the aim of India, I think it applies to the whole global community, the strategic link between the Pakistani state and militancy and terror needs to be broken,” she said, Rao also defended at the resumption of talks with Pakistan, despite the slow progress in the trial of mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

“From one angle certainly it has not moved an inch. I am not denying that. There has been a very glacial pace to this whole process as far as the 26/11 trials are concerned. But let me tell you what kind of feedback we got from the Pakistanis at this round. And they spoke of the need to discuss all the serious and substantive issues between the two countries and that terrorism was at the forefront of this,” she said.

Rao had met her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir in Islamabad June 23-24, following the end of the first round of resumed dialogue, which had been stalled following the 26/11 attack.

The foreign secretary also fended off criticism over the inclusion of Kashmir in the talks.

An Indian girls team participates in the international meet Discover Football, a global initiative to help disadvantaged girls.

Photo: IANS

“Somehow the impression is being created that we have given away the store by discussing Kashmir. I completely refute that allegation,” she said.

The foreign ministers of the two South Asian neighbours are scheduled to meet in New Delhi in July.

India’s first green tribunal gets scores of environment cases

The National Green Tribunal (NGT), a judicial body aimed at expediting environment-related cases and the first in the country, has got scores of cases to be dealt with, an official said. India is only the third country after Australia and New Zealand to have a dedicated green court.

It resumed hearings recently after the summer break.

Launched last October, NGT is headed by L.S. Panta, a retired judge of the Supreme Court.

“The tribunal started functioning in midMay. Cases have been heard earlier. July 4 was the first hearing after the vacation,” Panta said.

According to an environment ministry official, the NGT is an independent body which was launched with the “initial support” of the ministry.

The bench is hearing cases transferred from the National Environment Appellate Authority and from the various courts including the Supreme Court of India. With the launch of the NGT, the appellate authority has ceased to exist.

“Twenty-six cases have been transferred from the appellate authority to the NGT. There are various other cases from courts as well. We don’t have the exact figure,” Panta said, adding that fresh cases are being heard too.

The tribunal deals with cases relating to water pollution, forest conservation, air pollution, environment protection, public liability and biological diversity.

Headquartered in New Delhi, the NGT will have circuit benches in the four regions of the country.

The eastern bench will be at Kolkata, the western at Pune, the central at Bhopal and the southern at Chennai. The Delhi bench then would be called as the principal bench.

The other four benches are yet to begin functioning.

“For now, these benches are not working. It will take a couple of months more for them to start functioning. We need more members and the procedure for their appointment is going on. Till the time, all the cases would be heard here,” said Panta.

He added that the cases of different regions would be transferred as soon as the other benches start operating.

The NGT, apart from Panta, comprises retired high court judges A. Suryanarayana Naidu and C.V. Ramulu. Eaach of them is assisted by an environmental expert.

“Anybody and everybody can approach the NGT for civil damages arising out of nonimplementation of various laws relating to the environment,” Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had said during the launch of the NGT last year.

Tweeting the lighter side, the Omar Abdullah way

As Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah continues to post his feelings on various issues on the micro-blogging site Twitter, thousands of his followers are getting to know the lighter side of the country’s youngest chief minister.

Abdullah recently flew to the state’s winter capital Jammu. A tennis fan, the chief minister was disappointed to find that his DTH TV connection had not been recharged.

“I can’t believe NO ONE at home in Jammu remembered to recharge my Tata Sky account. I can’t watch the tennis,” the chief minister posted on Twitter, obviously

referring to the Wimbledon finals.

In one of his latest posts, Abdullah said: “My life is jhingalala again.”

Another of his recent posts read: “Unusually for me I don’t have much to say these days.”

Abdullah’s Twitter followers have swelled. He has over 27,000 followers and many locals have started tweeting their problems to the chief minister via the social networking site. Some months back, a student preparing for exams in summer capital Srinagar approached Abdullah complaining of a faulty electric transformer in the area. The chief minister got electricity restored in the area immediately. However, Abdullah has detractors as well.

“He posts his feelings, the pictures of the places he visits, the articles he comes across in newspapers, magazines, etc., and other things. How can he be serious about governance when one finds the chief minister on Twitter every now and then?” asked Ghulam Jeelani, 34, a student.

But Abdullah defended his tweeting right by posting last month: “How much time does it take to post 140 characters on the site? Besides, my following on the site might not be very huge, but it is an important interactive forum.”

Abdullah has often posted his feelings about official matters as well. It was because of this that one of the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders last month asked him to continue tweeting - as Omar Abdullah, not as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

“But that would be ridiculous. As long as Omar Abdullah is chief minister, his Twitter post would always be seen as that of the chief minister. Let the detractors say anything. Omar Abdullah is a modern chief minister who cannot be compared to his father or grandfather. If people have no problem with Barack Obama deciding to join the social networking site, why are there any issues with Omar Abdullah?” asked Saba Bhat, 24, a college student here.

Movement for Telangana gathers momentum; cabinet meets

The movement for separate statehood to Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh entered a crucial phase recently with the mass resignations of MPs, state ministers and legislators of the Congress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP). As a new crisis loomed, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) held a another meeting over the issue.

Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) spearheading the statehood movement called for a 48-hour shutdown in Andhra Pradesh on July 5-6.

On a day of fast-paced developments, seven MPs of the Congress party from the region submitted their resignations to Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar while Rajya Sabha member K. Keshava Rao gave his resignation to house Chairman Hamid Ansari. Two other MPs faxed their quit letters.

The CCPA meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, was held at his 7, Race Course Road official residence in New Delhi, government sources said.

The confabulation of the senior government functionaries came shortly after 10 Congress members of parliament and 40 Congress legislators, including 11 ministers, 33 TDP and two Praja Rajyam Party legislators from the Telangana region resigned to bring pressure on the central government to announce statehood.

Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar told reporters that two Lok Sabha members, Madhu Goud Yaskhi and Suresh Shetkar, have faxed their resignations.

Another MP, Sarvey Satyanarayana, has refused to resign saying he would do so only after Union Petroleum Minister S. Jaipal Reddy quits. MP from Secunderabad Anjan Kumar Yadav is also reluctant to resign.

In Hyderabad, 79 members of the assembly, including 11 ministers, submitted their resignations, plunging the state into a crisis.

Four rebel TDP legislators had quit too.

Those who resigned Monday include all 33 of TDP, 40 of Congress and two of Praja Rajyam Party (PRP).

Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha and three other ministers have not resigned. The ministers who submitted their resignations include Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy.

While five ministers personally submitted their resignations to deputy speaker Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, six others, including the home minister, sent their papers.

In all, 10 legislators of the Congress party from Telangana are yet to submit their resignations.

Speaker N. Manohar, who is in the US, will take a decision on the resignations after his return. The resignations, if accepted, may reduce the Congress government to minority.

In the 294-member assembly, the Congress has 174 members, including 18 from the PRP, which merged with the ruling party recently.

Telangana accounts for 119 legislators in the 294-member assembly. The Congress has 52 members (including two of PRP), TDP 37 and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) 11.

Senior Minister K. Jana Reddy told reporters that their resignations were not aimed at creating a constitutional or political crisis but to achieve a separate state in tune with the aspirations of the people.

“Today (July 4) is United States’ Independence Day and we hope today will

also become Telangana’s Independence Day,” the minister said outside the assembly building.

Jana Reddy, who later left for Delhi for talks with the central leadership, claimed that their fight was for self-rule and self-respect of the Telangana region.

Twelve Congress members of the legislative council and three of TDP have also submitted their resignations to council chairperson K. Chakrapani.

The legislators said the resignations were aimed at pressurising the central government to carve out a separate Telangana state as promised by it on Dec 9, 2009.

The Congress leaders resigned despite the efforts of the central and state leadership of the party over last three days to dissuade them.

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters in New Delhi that a final decision on the “extremely sensitive and complex” issue was yet to be taken.

“The central government’s view will be made known after the consultation process is over. We have to bring everyone on board. There is a strong view of a large number of people. We are yet to take a final decision,” Chidambaram told reporters.

“This is an extremely sensitive and complex issue. We will try to expedite... One should have understanding and patience. Especially, the media should have understanding and patience,” Chidambaram said.

Chidambaram said the government would convene an all-party meeting immediately after the views of all parties are known.

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Photo: IANS

Sipadan: A scuba

Diving in Sipadan, a pristine oceanic island in Malaysia, is an unparalleled pleasure of adventure and discovery

BY HARIHARAN VISWANATHAN

My second diving trip since getting a diving certification took me to Sipadan, Malaysia’s only oceanic island, which is considered to be among the best diving destinations in the world. It is located in the Celebes Sea in Sabah (Malaysian Borneo).

In an effort to preserve its waters and ecosystem, diving in Sipadan has been restricted to approximately 150-odd divers a day and the access to the island itself is only limited to the beach area. There are no resorts in the island and the visitors arrive in boats at an army outpost at the beach.

The marquee dive

Sipadan is particularly famous for the ‘Drop Off’

which is a rock face wall just metres from the beach. A vertical drop from here is more than 650 metres down, and the dramatic change in colour of the water at this point from turquoise green to dark blue is breathtaking, making Sipadan one of the best shore diving experiences in the world.

The dive sites at Sipadan Island I dived at were Turtle Patch, Coral Garden, Barracuda Point, South Point and, of course, the Drop Off. Although April to September is the best time of the year to dive in Sipadan, the visibility was not the greatest. However, the sheer excitement of experiencing diving along the wall for the first time was simply unfathomable.

The best dive for me was the Drop Off which I did on my third and final day at Sipadan. We descended into the water to a depth of about 25+ metres and moved towards the ‘Turtle Cave’. This is a huge cave under the island which has the skeletons of turtles that had died after entering the caves, unable to find their way out.

The Turtle Cave is a speciality dive, which is only for advanced divers. It requires 2 air tanks as compared to the normal single tank and lasts for about 75 minutes. Though we didn’t do the Turtle Cave dive, we did venture a few metres into the entrance of the cave. Looking up we saw the awesome sight of a huge school of jacks circling on the roof of the cave. However, this can be a claustrophobic experience for some as one of our group members discovered.

Life in the sea

Sipadan is also popular for big fish such as white tip and grey reef sharks, barracuda, gian trevally, napoleons and circling jacks. Although there have been the occasional sightings of hammerheads, they are usually found at greater depths.

As we continued on the dive with the wall on our right, we saw a couple of reef sharks, more turtles resting on the rocks, some swimming to the surface

In an effort to preserve its waters and ecosystem, diving in Sipadan has been restricted to approximately 150-odd divers a day and the access to the island itself is only limited to the beach area

Napoleon Wrasse Turtles

Gearing up on dive boats

paradise

for air. Looking down, one could only see the blue of the ocean which is scary considering you don’t know what is lurking underneath. We were drifting along with the slight current with our dive master leading us.

Towards the end of the dive as we began to surface for our 5-metre safety stop, we saw about 6 or 7 turtles clustered together, a couple of them doing their mating ritual, completely oblivious to the divers present around them.

Sipadan is also known for the green turtle and we did see quite a few hawksbills as well. The differentiating feature of hawksbills is their trademark beak-like shaped mouth. Compared to green turtles they are smaller in size. The biggest turtle that I saw on my dives was almost 4 feet long.

And then, out of the blue, we saw a huge napoleon wrasse swim by. The fish sells for as much as $200 a kilo owing to a huge demand for it. Apparently the males can grow to be as long as 2 metres, though this one wasn’t as big, however it was still great to be able to see one.

In all, I did about 4 days of diving with typically around 3 dives a day. The water was warm at a toasty 30 degrees centigrade although you do tend to experience a few thermo clines during dives. A 3mm diving full body wet suit is more than adequate for diving here.

in the state of Sabah, followed by a 70km drive to Semporna. Sipadan is about an hour’s boat ride from Semporna. For those on a budget, there are quite a few reasonably priced accommodation options in Semporna. There are also dive operators who make day trips from Semporna to Sipdan, Mabul & Kapalai dive sites. For others who prefer a bit more extravagance, there are some excellent dive resorts on Mabul Island and on Kapalai Island.

Wherever you stay, the experience of diving in Sipadan is something you will always cherish as a diver.

“The dramatic change in colour of the water from turquoise green to dark blue is breathtaking, making Sipadan one of the best shore diving experiences in the world”

Nudibranch

Mating Turtles

Moray Eel

Sipadan Island

A revolution nonetheless

Despite the quirky demands, the intense media treatment and the sheer irony of a billionaire sanyasi at helm, there may

be hope for India in Baba Ramdev’s crusade

BY ROY LANGE

The last few days saw the surging anticorruption movement in India suffer an affront with Baba Ramdev’s supporters being lathi charged in Delhi. This has prompted Ramdev to declare he will form a militia of 11,000 armed soldiers. Is Baba Ramdev a guiding light to the movement or will he potentially derail this rare chance for Indians to wipe the window to the gears of Government clean?

Baba Ramdev’s wide influence in India cannot be overstated. He has for many years been a televised Yogi with an audience of millions of people. I cannot tell you how surreal it was to be sitting in Arunachal Pradesh, the remotest state of India, to be lectured on the benefits of Ramdev’s signature explosive breathing. The late tribal Minister, who was enthusiastically telling me this, was convinced this would cure his hypertension. As indeed Ramdev’s drug company insists that his herbal remedies cure HIV and cancer.

This creative entrepreneurship has spawned an empire worth many millions.

This is a break from the Swami tradition of austerity. Gandhiji on being asked why on earth he travelled third class replied because there is no fourth class. If Ramdev was asked why he was travelling in an aircraft’s first class he would reply because I couldn’t charter the whole blessed aircraft, which is exactly what he does.

But India has changed. This hedonistic behaviour inspires awe not disdain. Ramdev’s eccentricities are swallowed whole by millions of followers, including his fivepoint plan: 100% voting; 100% Nationalistic thought; 100% boycott of foreign companies; 100% unification of the country; and 100% yoga oriented nation.

These tickle me but his points that address corruption make me sit up and pay attention. The death penalty for graft convictions amongst them. This would be a sound move if it didn’t involve the impracticality of liquidating the entire political class but it is academically deeply satisfying.

The repatriation of the estimated trillion dollars in Swiss bank accounts. I have met industrialists who openly admit to having offshore accounts. It seems there is a finite amount of black money you can blow up in 5 stars and weddings attended by a populace that would qualify as a New Zealand city.

He has tempered these Swadeshi instincts with a reported purchase of a Scottish Island for several million pounds. Which is a just spare change for a man worth 1,100 crore. But can we be too precious about the individuals who are leading the people to what we pray is a historical change? Who gives a monkey’s uncle if the diseased limb of corruption is severed by a scalpel or a garden spade?

Yes, Ramdev is the polar opposite of Hazare. Hazare is the cleaner than clean Gandhian. Not the MLA Gandhian who habitually sports a gold Mount Blanc pen in his kardi kurta pocket but the real deal. Hazare would sooner starve to death than charter an aircraft. Yes, this has gained a deep respect but not a universal respect.

No contemporary politician has understood this modern voter burnout to Gandhian austerity like Mayawati.

Mayawati, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, understands down to her chopals that Gandhism isn’t moving off the shelves like it used to. She sells bling. She shamelessly flaunts her massive personal wealth like a West Coast rapper and commissions pharaoh like memorials to her living self. The dalits love it. She’s one of them and they want to be like her.

They no longer respect Gandhian ideals because the lifestyle they aspire to rid themselves of is in fact Gandhian and is practiced out of simply having no choice. They are now revolted by the hypocrisy of money grabbing gangsters shouting twisted versions of the Gandhian gospel. Ramdev is unashamedly capitalist, much like the electorate.

He still has a long journey to be an enduring national leader. For India’s villagers are uneducated and because of this they rely on a steel strong instinct for a person’s character. Will he stand up to this aggressive litmus test? Will the result be saffron or a cowardly yellow?

What is indisputable is that Ramdev is a marketable hybrid of emerging India’s worlds. The jet setting sadhu. A living metaphor of India’s half complete metamorphosis from spiritual socialism to globalisation.

He has my reluctant vote because I think he can learn to not talk of armed revolution when having fasted for three days. He has the vote too of 85 year old K.L. Gupta who made his way from Indore to Rajghat, alone and in 40 degree weather. Even with his catheter bag he slept outside on Delhi’s pavements so he could pray with Hazare and Ramdev for his beloved India.

Asia’s economic miracle

The East is where wild dreams meet bold actions, and where inflation and exchange rates are but slaves of more growth

BY DILIP JADEJA

wanted to work in Asia. Today, few would refuse a good opportunity there. Today’s Asia is the place to be; it’s ‘the happening challenges where ‘more and more’ is the Missing out on Asia sounds like missing comparison, the West feels like a retiree’s

It is widely accepted that economics is an imperfect science. Nowhere is this truer than in Asia. Some measure of inflation spoils some things but improves others. For example, high growth rate without high inflation is almost impossible. Also impossible is to satisfy 70 years of pentup demand across the economy without incurring non-core inflation rises. The emerging Asian giants not only understand that inflation and foreign exchange rates are actually double edged swords, they’ve also learnt to use these to their advantage.

An increase in GDP raises export earnings, which is not possible without surplus production of goods and services beyond the pent-up domestic demand. Therefore inflation is but one factor, not the key factor.

Across India and China, anyone who wants and can do half decent work for half decent pay has multiple job offers - a stark contrast to just four years ago when folks queued up for almost any job

more so by the shortage of workers. Salaries in India are rising fast and moving overseas is not an appealing option anymore to many. Across India and China, anyone who wants and can do half decent work for half decent pay has multiple job offers - a stark contrast to just four years ago when folks queued up for almost any job!

Recently, most people I met had jumped jobs or were in the process of doing so. Cleaners, plumbers, brick-layers, plasterers, security workers, housemaids, servants, drivers, assistants, accountants, managers, engineers, sales staff, handymen, and their ilk are in perennial short supply. This is a new dawn for Asia, where work exceeds workers despite billions of people already working vigorously.

That India had to allow African workers on some projects is a case in point. A number of high profile Indians have returned to work in India, and they are telling others why Asia offers a better deal.

The inflation of rising Asian markets, it is often argued, is eroding the value of their earnings and the buying power of citizens. The rise in food price, or core inflation, is driving a lot of non-core inflation and mismanagement of food grains in India is the sole reason for that.

However, relative to inflation, India and China have kept their interest rate rises quite modest, and that has been the secret of their economic miracle. The stronger China and India become materially, the stronger their economic engines get. Inflation, deemed a huge economic issue in the west, is just one of the many urgent economic issues in the East.

Inflation saw many Indian salaries double in 24 months and Chinese salaries are also rising fast – a trend that has led to more buying power despite the inflation. This, coupled with pent-up demand and economy of scale benefits, has allowed for an increased production, some of which is clearly exportable, especially in view of the low exchange rates.

One can call it a new economic experiment in using the inside edge of the inflation sword to promote growth. If I was an economist, I would theorise this new understanding like this: the Western economic model that advocates controlling inflation so that workers’ money buys more goods works on the assumption that there are enough goods. On the other hand if there are not enough goods, pent-up demand leads to inflation anyway. In this case giving more money to workers not only motivates them to work more efficiently, it also results in increased production. This in turn helps in satiating pent-up demand, and creates an export surplus, too. The resulting rise in inflation is more than countered by the increased salaries owing to a better net GDP growth. This system, which could be termed Eastern economic model, actually puts more nonworking people to work!

This ‘growth-despitethe-inflation’ phenomenon has created a huge market for more than a billion workers across India and China. If the world needs more workers, it has to train the rest because the juggernauts of Asian markets will not be halted by inflation. More production and more purchasing power is their quickest path to ultimately controlling inflation. And the world will feel the squeeze of skilled worker scarcity like never before.

The emerging Asian giants not only understand that inflation and foreign exchange rates are actually double edged swords, they’ve also learnt to use these to their advantage

still

Can we be too precious about the individuals who are leading the people to what we pray is a historical change?

What is indisputable is that Ramdev is a marketable hybrid of emerging India’s worlds – living metaphor of India’s half complete metamorphosis from spiritual socialism to globalisation

A system that breeds tragedies

The insanely high cut off marks set by some of the colleges in India reveal a disturbing lack of opportunity for even bright students

BY ROY LANGE

The last few days have seen Delhi University colleges reach new heights for cut off marks. SRCC announced a stratospheric 100% cut off, with St. Stephens a close second for absurdity, with 97%.

Things have changed since my days in Sri Venkateswara College, or Venky for the English medium types. Even then getting admission was not simply a matter of turning up and bribing your way into the sports quota. (Many Venkyites were track and field champions who didn’t have the stamina to run after the Mudrika Ring Road bus for more than the length of a bus stop).

Many readers will be very upset that I gained admission by quota. Not as a scheduled tribe person or a backward caste member, despite those groups being a more apt description of my character, but as a bloody gora. This was something I didn’t advertise, as my very first day in college was a full blown riot in the dark days of the Mandal Commission that saw volatile nationwide protests against quotas for education and jobs.

loved children ill equipped in a society that has no Centrelink, end up strongly projecting those intense fears on already stressed kids. Frustratingly, these tragedies are not only driven by justifiably neurotic parents and elite colleges conducting ‘branding exercises’ but by the reality of sheer numbers mismatched by finite seats.

Delhi University has 54,000 seats with over 125,000 applicants. “It is a grave crisis that we need to look into. At least six more DUs are needed in the national capital region to meet the skewed ratio of demand and supply,” Prof VN Rajasekharan Pillai, the vice-chancellor of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi National Open University said recently.

Frustratingly, these tragedies are not only driven by justifiably neurotic parents and elite colleges conducting ‘branding exercises’ but by the reality of sheer numbers mismatched by finite seats

Other solutions have been put forward including a much wider program of evening classes in DU’s 70 colleges. This would have been a policy from heaven in my day as our Doordarshan era dance parties were stifled by girls having 4 pm curfews; however, I think, it will leave students with little incentive to graduate within 8 years and there’ll be a need for abnormally large crèches.

I spent that first day with my eyes wide open like a possum caught in a car’s headlights. I saw future friends, through a light haze of tear gas, address the students with a frenzy that you don’t see in New Zealand unless you are a mental health nurse. That has never left me: the raging passion for a fair chance from having studied madly for the larger part of their lives, often at the cost of a childhood.

Australasians have it so very easy. For me to have qualified for a seat in DU on a level playing field is a comical concept. I certainly wouldn’t have got in the sports quota as sumo wrestling in India is still in its infancy and my Kiwi exam marks were an almost perfect inverse of the now ridiculous cut off marks.

Not everyone is disadvantaged enough to have an unfair advantage, such as being a Kiwi. This lack of opportunity, despite securing an average of 80% plus, is a matter of life and death to many students.

All this injustice is good news for Australasian education institutions. In fact it might give impetus to phenomena where the intellectually less fortunate Indian students are the foreign students rather than the cream.

As when Malaysia exercised its prejudice against ethnically Chinese aspiring students, Australian and New Zealand universities enjoyed, and still do, a windfall. The continued and strongly increasing prejudice of the Indian Government against her own aspiring students, albeit a universal prejudice, will ensure greater numbers will look abroad.

for Australasian education institutions. In fact it might give impetus to phenomena where the intellectually less fortunate Indian students are the foreign students rather than the cream

But what about students who do not come from business families who can afford foreign fees? What about students who don’t come from families that can support perfectly good students that don’t have impossibly perfect scores?

They will have to live in a society that has very little opportunity for a ‘respectable’ position without a graduate qualification. It can be a nightmarish reality to exist in vacuum of opportunity.

The tragedy of the annual suicides that darkly come with the admission season is proof to that.

Young boys and girls in India have pressures that many western children would simply not withstand for a mere morning. Parents, petrified at the thought of their

Young seventeen year old innocents know this. I feel deeply sad remembering the tears when friends saw their posted results. I remember how the student sitting next to me in an exam who was caught cheating wept and begged with pressed hands to be excused. It was like he was begging for his life. He was.

All this injustice is good news

Australia: Big or small?

Two recently released books present interesting, albeit contrasting, views on the complex relation between environment and population

BY NOEL G DE SOUZA

Two concurrent debates are taking place in Australia: one on population, the other on climate. In 2009, the Federal Government was espousing the reduction in carbon emissions through a Carbon Emissions Trading Scheme while simultaneously promoting a ‘big’ Australia, mainly through high immigration. That these two policies are contradictory does not appear to have been realised.

Two books released almost simultaneously in June this year, present the case for either a ‘big’ or a ‘small’ Australia. The case for a small Australia is made by the well-known Australian entrepreneur and geographer Dick Smith in his new book Population Crisis (Allen & Unwin, Sydney).

The argument for a ‘big’ Australia is presented by Bernard Salt in The Big Tilt (Hardie Grant Books, Prahran, Victoria). Salt is known for his prolific output of articles and books on historic and demographic change in Australia such as The Big Shift and The Big Picture . He is a partner in the financial firm KPMG and his writings are often taken as reflecting business viewpoints.

Dick Smith points out that the policy of reducing greenhouse gases while allowing the population to grow is paradoxical, arguing that higher population inevitably leads to higher carbon emissions. This is particularly the case with Australia owing to its pattern of high energy consumption. Australia’s per capita carbon emission of 26.9 tonnes per annum is the highest in the world; the USA comes next with 23.5. At 5.5 tonnes and 1.7 tonnes respectively the per capita emissions for China and India may seem low but they amount to a staggering number given the huge populations of the two countries.

Smith underscores that in 2009 Australia recorded 300,000 births, which is its highest ever. Salt’s World Demographic Report 2010 shows there were several European countries, including Russia, with a negative natural population growth while Australia grew by 0.7%, which is the highest growth for any developed country.

Smith links the world’s phenomenal population

Indians and those in the poorer world switched to consumption levels similar to those of the West, the world’s carbon consumption would balloon out to that of a population of 72 billion.

Smith highlights that several studies that favour a smaller Australia, including that of Kelvin Thompson, a labour backbencher, have been either suppressed or ignored. Thompson’s paper counsels a moderate population increase (70,000 per annum), which Smith is satisfied with. That figure is the basis for a “small Australia” while an immigration of 180,000 per annum would usher in a “big Australia”.

generations, makes for fascinating reading.

The information in The Big Tilt is both enlightening and alarming. The book signals the need for health care for an increased aged population and notes that the younger generation does not marry enough, or does not reproduce enough.

growth to issues of climatic change, food shortages and resource consumption. He writes that if the Chinese,

The book points out that Australia, contrary to its image of food self-sufficiency, imports a lot of food. Besides, Australian prime farmland is being bought by overseas interests. China buying Tasmanian diary farms, Canada the Wheat Board and Japan the Queensland feedlots are some examples. Small farmers are becoming a vanishing lot and that endangers Australia’s food security. Smith sees water shortage and droughts as major limiting factors for agriculture, warning that Australia, by escalating immigration, could jeopardise its food security.

Smith notes that most of the wealth created by miners and farmers once remained in Australia but today much of this gets spread globally through foreign ownership.

In The Big Tilt , Salt details the minutiae of current Australian demographic changes. He traces the Australian iconic types from the men of the bush to the Baby Boomers to the current X and Z generations. This tracing of trends, such as the ageing of the Baby Boomers and the rise of the new digital savvy

Salt perceives the inevitability of population growth, particularly through immigration. He makes the case for a larger population, firstly, on the ground that a larger population is needed to provide the means for looking after an ageing population such as that of the Baby Boomers; and secondly, that Australia has a shortage of skills.

Smith counters these arguments by suggesting that the skills available within an ageing population need to be tapped and, quite importantly, that young people who are currently finding it difficult to get jobs should be adequately trained to fill the skills gap.

The high immigration lobby is typically a business one. One well-known developer of units has in the past advocated a 100 million population for Australia. This would require a large number of desalination plants along the coastline, Smith counters.

Both the books are essential reading for those who want to understand the Australia of today and where it is likely to be heading. More importantly, they will help readers to reflect on what decisions governments should take in matters such as immigration, skills development, food production and energy use.

Salt’s book TheBigTilt signals the need for health care for an increased aged population, and notes that the younger generation does not marry enough or does not reproduce enough

Smith, in his book PopulationCrisis, notes that most of the wealth created by miners and farmers once remained in Australia but today much of this gets spread globally through foreign ownership

Candid and compelling

This month we look at two very different books – one on a political heavyweight from India, and another by a cricket administrator in Australia

BY CHITRA SUDARSHAN

Jayalalithaa Jayaram, the erstwhile movie star and current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu is the ultimate political survivor who has overcome almost all her disadvantages – whether as a single woman in a conservative society or being a Brahmin in a Dravidian party – and has been elected for a third time: in the recent elections her party romped home with a thumping majority, decimating the Dravida Munnetra Kazahagam (DMK). She has survived the rough and tumble of Tamil Nadu politics for 3 decades, putting paid to predictions of her imminent demise time and time again. Vaasanthi’s recently published book Jayalalithaa: A Portrait (Viking/Penguin, 2011), is therefore a timely biography which traces Jayalalitha’s rise to ‘Ammahood’ – a sort of political deification –through movies and stardom, especially her association with MG Ramachandran, (MGR) the mega star who was a demi-god in his time.

Vaasanthi’s book paints a fairly sympathetic portrait of Jayalalithaa. It traces her difficult and lonely childhood after her father died when she was two years old, when she was forced into films despite being a diligent and intelligent student in school, and her genuine desire to go to University. Her tragic love affairs, including her liaison with Shoban Babu and her tumultuous relationship with MGR, who drew her into politics, are also described with both empathy and candour; so is her epic struggle to wrest the mantle of the AIADMK after it was left rudderless on the passing of her mentor MGR. She led the party to three successful election victories. Vaasanthi does not gloss over any of the twists and turns in Jayalalithaa’s political life, examining her chronic enmity with Karunanidhi, her rift with DMK’s old guard R.M. Veerappan, and her unconcealed pursuit of support from Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi when fighting

Sticky Wicket is a book that will be savoured by sports historians, sports lovers or anyone just interested in cricket, for there is hardly a page on which there is not something to be learnt about the state of the game, its governance and politics

from the press, whose freedom she has repeatedly attacked; her ruthless stamping out of dissent among party workers; her extravagance and alleged accumulation of disproportionate assets, and the way she encourages her supporters, especially women, who worship her as their Amma or redeemer.

Vaasanthi does not gloss over any of the twists and turns in Jayalalithaa’s political life, examining her chronic enmity with Karunanidhi and her unconcealed pursuit of support from Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi when fighting for political survival in Tamil Nadu

for political survival in Tamil Nadu. Also graphically highlighted are the contrary sides of Jayalalithaa: her extreme dependence on her aide Sasikala; her intolerance of criticism from any quarter, especially

There are some striking facets of Jayalalithaa’s life that Vaasanthi describes in her book: her phenomenal ability to commit to memory almost anything. In one instance, MGR’s speechwriter “Mr. Sholai” recalls how he went to meet her for the first time, with a speech all written up. She asked him to read it to her three times: at the end of it she repeated it verbatim, not missing a single word! Sholai was simply astonished. There is another well known anecdote about her: when a national politician quoted Shakespeare to poke fun at her, he was taken aback at her repartee: she completed the long quote from exactly where he had left off!

Writer and journalist Vaasanthi has written a most riveting account of a powerful and interesting woman. She is a well-known fiction writer in Tamil and exeditor of India Today (Tamil). Vaasanthi’s early novels, in Tamil, were about women. She spent several years in the Northeast, and then when she came to Delhi, the women writers she met were all so politically motivated that she started writing political novels. She is the author of another book in English on the politics of Tamil Nadu, called Cut-outs, Caste and Cine star: the World of Tamil Politics (2008).

Malcolm Speed’s recently published book Sticky Wicket (Sydney, Harper Collins, 2011) is a must-read for the cricket cognoscenti and cricket lovers out there. Speed was the CEO of the International Cricket Council from 2001 to 2008, and, needless to say,

oversaw some of the most earth-shaking changes that took place in the world of cricket in recent times. He began his career as a lawyer and a barrister, became a sports consultant before assuming his role as the CEO of the Australian Cricket Board in 1997, which he served for 4 years. During that time, he was embroiled in a bitter pay dispute, player misbehaviour, corruption and such like. Later, as the boss of the ICC, he witnessed many momentous events first hand such as the emergence of the new Twenty20 format; the death of the Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer, etc. For the fans of Indian cricket, two things stand out in this book: the emergence of India as the game’s superpower; Bhajigate – the series of confrontations between Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds a few years ago; and the chapters that describe the easing out of Speed from the ICC in a joint putsch by India and South Africa.

It is a book that will be savoured by sports historians, sports lovers or anyone just interested in cricket, for there is hardly a page on which there is not something to be learnt about the state of the game, its governance and politics. Cricket is big – in terms of the money involved, the millions of people it touches, the passions it evokes. A book on the administration of this mega sport – especially from one who has been in the driver’s seat, so to speak – is long overdue and welcome. Some readers may have reservations about his views on cricket and politics – or at best find it a tad naive: given that most sports administrators in India are either high profile politicians or businessmen.

My mathematical pilgrimage

BY SYDNEY SRINIVAS

In the past few years, I have found myself increasingly engrossed in the life and works of Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887 – 1920), the great Indian mathematician and scholar. After a lot of research and reading, I was inclined to write about the man whose life, regrettably cut short at 32 of ill health, was the story of abject penury and that supreme gift that only he had – a truly brilliant mind.

houses a small school and the museum itself is on the first floor. The manager of the school opened the door to the museum, switched on the lights and the air conditioner, and said in that inimitable South Indian deference, “Feel free, sir.”

Once inside the room, I was transported to a world cut off from all the noise and chaos of the sprawling metropolis outside the four walls which displayed photographs after photographs of the legend. I had seen copies of some of these in the most authoritative book on him, The man who knew infinity by Robert Kannegal, but to see the preserved original, bigger sized pictures was even more intriguing. In the centre of the room are the books he has given for the posterity, collectively called the Notebooks of Ramanujan. A large portrait of Ramanujan in colour oversees the museum. I also found photo copies of his original manuscripts there.

from the museum: a copy of Kannegal’s masterpiece. I learnt that just a day before, Professor Berndt from the University of Illinois who has been following Ramanujan’s work for many years visited the museum and gave a series of talks. I wish I could leave Sydney for Chennai earlier! “Western people and the ones like you are taking so much interest in Ramanujan, but our own people show no interest whatsoever,” Meena says with a hint of regret in her voice.

I was inclined to write about the man whose life, regrettably cut short at 32 of ill health, was the story of abject penury and that supreme gift that only he had – a truly brilliant mind

Meena gave me two significant contacts: first was Narayanan, the adopted son of Ramanujan’s wife Janaki, and second, Viswnathan, the grandson of Ramanujan’s mentor Narayana Ayyar.

University and later, from Cambridge. He took me inside the house and showed a bust of Ramanujan that was presented to Janaki during his centenary celebrations. There is also a colour picture of Janaki taken a few days before her death. We walked along the lane and stood at the house where Ramanujan stayed when unemployed and produced many of his famous ‘notebooks’. That place has been demolished. It’s a pity that the house where greatest breakthroughs in mathematics took place has not been preserved. The real Ramanujan, however, continues to live in the ‘notebooks.’

The formative years

I was almost compelled to experience first hand many places connected with the great man. My first destination was the Ramanujan Museum in Royapuram, Chennai. Unfortunately, my driver had a hard time taking me there as no one seemed to know of the place.

Finally, we managed to meander our way to 15/9 Soma Chetty Street, 4th lane. It’s ironical that the number that houses the memories of the most brilliant numerical mind is unheard of, particularly in the city he was so closely associated with. The street itself is unremarkable and – as we discovered after being held up for more than 15 minutes by a municipality garbage van –almost repulsively congested.

But once we were greeted by the board ‘Ramanujan Museum’, all the trouble seemed to fade away. Surprisingly, the building

I stood in front of every picture and looked at it from every angle! I was now in the company of Hardy, Neville, Littlewood, Narayana Ayyar, Seshu Ayyar and Ramachandra Rao, among others. These are the people connected with Ramanujan. The first three are from Cambridge; Hardy was the man who recognised Ramanujan’s merit which most of the Indian professors of those days could not!

There is also an imposing picture of Ramanujan’s mother Komalatammal. I shed a tear or two on seeing the many pictures of his wife Janaki who died in 1994. She was married to him at the age of 9 and lived a life of misery and hardship, which was only alleviated to some extent late in her life by the sympathy and recognition she got during Ramanujan’s centenary celebrations in 1987.

A picture of the slate Ramanujan used to perform his calculations on is in the museum.

The slate itself is preserved at the University of Illinois. The principal of a nearby school Meena Suresh has volunteered to look after the museum. She came down to the museum at my insistence and showed me around, often going into the history behind the pictures and the other memorabilia.

Trickled tales

I was surprised when Meena gave me a gift

I spent a profitable hour with Viswnathan who had many interesting stories to tell me, including how he first met Robert Kannegal: Viswnathan had arrived from London on a day Chennai was paralysed by a bandh, but he somehow managed to catch an autorickshaw. On his way he saw a westerner waiting for transport, Viswnathan asked him to hop in and only upon talking to the each other did they realise their Ramanujan connection, thus setting the foundation to a great friendship!

Viswanathan gave me a first hand account of Ramanujan’s life. His grand father had narrated to him many important events connected with the great man. One striking fact was how Ramanujan’s mother never allowed his wife Janaki to meet him, believing that it would distract him from mathematics. It was, as I learnt, Viswanathan’s grandmother who would often facilitate the meeting of the couple by calling for Janaki to help her with household chores, but asking her to use the time to meet her husband instead.

The other fact that came out was that Ayyar drafted many of the letters that Ramanujan wrote to Hardy. Viswnathan also revealed that following Ramanujan’s success in Cambridge many of the people closer to him had claimed credit for it.

This was only the first meeting and I look forward to many more such conversations with Viswanathan in future.

The next person I met was Sri Narayanan. We spoke about Janaki and Ramanujan. He revealed that she did tailoring jobs for relatives, although she did receive some financial assistance from the Madras

My next destination was Kumbakonam, the place where Ramanujan spent his pre-college days. The first morning in Kumbakonam was one of the most memorable mornings in my life. Narayanan had told me that Ramanujan’s house is the fourth to the right of the Sarangapani Temple. I was driven straight to the temple, and then I saw the house and recognised it at once as I had seen many pictures of it.

When I entered the house, the caretaker took me inside a hallway which led to a small lounge. A bust of Ramanujan greeted us. To the left was a room with a cot in it. The room’s large window stood out. It was the room where Ramanujan spent much of his childhood, often sitting by the window and talking to children passing by. We continue to find the mention of this window in writings to this day. Very few realise that this is the place where a great mathematician took shape.

We went into the temple and were drawn in by broad halls and pillars. There were not many visitors that day and I was gripped by the realisation that this is the place where Ramanujan found peace and this is where he spent his days thinking of mathematical theorems! The place for sure was heaven on earth!

After this, we proceeded to the Town High School where Ramanujan did his schooling and stood first for the entire district. A big hall here has been named after him. Our next stop was the Government Arts College where Ramanujan studied for his FA and failed in English composition which led to his discontinuation of studies altogether.

The Goddess of Namakkal Divine intervention, it is said, played an important part in Ramanujan’s life. His family believed in Goddess Namagiri of Namakkal. Ramanujan is believed to have mentioned that the Goddess came in his dreams and wrote down some of the results for his theorems. In fact, the legend goes that Nagamigiri in a dream urged him to go to Cambridge.

So, the temple of goddess Namagiri at Namakkal became my next destination. The priests at the temple showed me a big picture of Namagiri. I then saw the main idol which is said to have inspired Ramanujan and thanked the Goddess who gave us the Partition Theorem, Continued Fractions, Mock Theta Function and what not!

Thus ended my mathematical pilgrimage of Chennai, Kumbakonam and Namakkal. But, I still have to see the places in Cambridge where Ramanujan lived and worked.

A disciple endeavours to understand the enigma called Srinivasa Ramanujan, a man who despite all odds went on to become one of the greatest mathematicians the world has known

The house in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, where Srinivasa Ramanujan spent his childhood

The temple of Ramanujan’s family deity, the goddess Namagiri of Namakkal

Living a game of hopscotch

BY SREEDHEVI IYER

understand the complications, and whether I’m bothered enough to make the effort. See, here’s the thing. I am Indian. I was also born and educated in Malaysia. And I now live in Australia. I am all these things, yet I am none of them.

I earn my bread and butter, it is invariably English. In Malaysia, it is a mix of Tamil and Malay. And in India, it is occasionally in Hindi. Which language would I ally myself with? None of them. They are like a brood of children whom you cannot pick a favourite from, but can only observe as they find their own skills to shine in growing up. I crave biryani when in Brisbane, I crave Shiraz when in Kuala Lumpur, I crave roti canai when in Chennai. Wherever I am, I get drawn to the other. And it goes beyond food. Sometimes it’s over something trivial, like missing dry winters when walking in the putrid heat of Mumbai. And sometimes it is something I have to hold in my heart in silence before I can figure out what it means - like the time I caught my own reflection in the Myer display window last Christmas, and

I resemble everyone but myself, and sometimes see in shop-windows, despite the well-known laws of optics, the portrait of a stranger...

I am Indian. I was also born and educated in Malaysia. And I now live in Australia. I am all these things, yet I am none of them

When my identity seems suspended like this, despite whichever culture I choose to take shelter in, the idea of home also inevitably becomes questionable. Is my home the one my parents live in, the one they built in the state of Kedah in Malaysia? Is it the limestone walls of the house in my father’s ancestral village in Kadayam, Tamil Nadu, a place that requires two trains and a bumpy taxi ride to get to? Or is it the brick apartment in Paddington that I bought for myself, cursing the mortgage but loving the jealous looks of my mates as I tell them my address over a couple of beers?

Perhaps some questions are yet to have answers. Given time, I can be comfortable in any of the settings above. If I had a choice, though, I would say that I can give up each of these places quite easily, and keep travelling, looking for new places, new shelters and new identities. Yes, there is a sense of loss in not being able to call one geographical location ‘home’. But the concept can be shifted. In a world where lowcost air travel has meant a greater fragmentation in the understanding of the world due to the increasingly myriad cultural perspectives, ‘home’ as a static entity may not really be relevant anymore.

What happens when someone goes from already being a hyphenated identity, to becoming one that is a double-hyphen?

What happens when you’re born with problems of home and identity, and then you choose (just for fun) to exacerbate it by moving again to a place that has no interest or claim on you?

I have very long answers to the very simple question, “Where are you from?” The answer also changes according to the person doing the asking, whether they have the patience for the convoluted truth, whether they have the capacity to

I speak three and a half languages and if you ask me which one I dream in (as a self-satisfying way of determining my real mother tongue) unfortunately the answer is, it changes according to the coordinates I find myself in. In Brisbane, where

failed to recognise the brown-skinned girl looking back at me. In times like this, literature helps. An Indian writer, A.K. Ramanujan, a Fulbright scholar who lived in the United States in the ‘50s and ‘60s, seems to have had the exact same experience:

So perhaps ‘home’ is now an idea, a state of mind, rather than a place. Perhaps it is the sandalwood incense I always carry with me in my travels, making airline groundstaff nervous about combustible elements in my luggage. Perhaps it is in the books I read, about people who know how to cherry-pick from one culture to another and mesh them together to produce something new and unique. And perhaps it is in that space that Ramanujan himself had already figured out - that space situated just above the hyphen in ‘Indian - American’, the politically correct, linguistically awkward term that seemed closest in labelling, and thereby attempting to calcify something that is susceptible to mutation at any given moment. By that account, I actually have two spaces to inhabit, since I would have two hyphens to contend with. Indian - Malaysian - Australian. I’m probably hopscotching between the two, as and when I am among Aussies, or Indians, or Malays, or Chinese, or Filipinos, or...you get the idea.

I keep the hopscotch game going because this is now how I am, how I operate, how I interface with the world. And I am not alone, and whenever I meet other hopscotchers, it’s an instant feeling of recognition, knowing there are compatriots in this new, more offbeat journey. There is now far more to be said of the world, and thankfully, a double (or triple?) perspective on everything is both more complex, but also more fulfilling. Here’s to more of the world from unique vantage points.

In a world where low-cost air travel has meant a greater fragmentation in the understanding of the world due to the increasingly myriad cultural perspectives, ‘home’ as a static entity may not really be relevant anymore

Our most ingrained notions about home and identity may not be anything more than a state of mind

BY SANDIP HOR

Travellers to hot and dusty east African wilderness often finish off their exhaustive, but mind-blowing safari experience by taking it easy for a few days in Zanzibar, the exotic Indian Ocean Island. I was no exception to this practiced routine.

Located almost 35 km off the shores of mainland Tanzania, Zanzibar boasts to be Africa’s most enticing destination, described by the 19th century Scottish explorer David Livingstone as the finest place he had ever

A zest for Zanzibar

known in the entire continent.

Like its neighbours Mauritius and Seychelles, Zanzibar depict images of an exotic paradise-land, soaked in a tropical languor and stippled with lush plantations, coconut palms, multicoloured coral reefs and miles and miles of white sands splashed by the warm turquoise waters of the Indian ocean.

However Zanzibar offers more to its modern day visitors; its legendary history emanates from centuries of interaction with different races and cultures and is a dividend for visitors like me, who are enthused by episodes of the past.

Recorded account says that the Assyrians, Sumerians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Indians, Chinese, Persians, Portuguese, Omani Arabs, Dutch and English have all marked their footprints on Zanzibar’s soil at one time or another.

As early as the 8th century AD, came the Arabs from around present day Oman and Yemen, and the Persians from Iran.

The land was then like a gold mine to grow spices, obtain ivory by killing elephants found in abundance in the mainland forests, and collect humans as slaves from neighbouring countries. The Arabs got

straight into this and began a lucrative business of exporting spices, ivory and slaves to the Arab world. They spread their control from Zanzibar to over 1000 miles of the mainland coast, from Mozambique to Somalia. Later they were joined by traders from India, most of whom eventually made Zanzibar their home. The Arabs and Indians maintained their religion, culture and traditions, though being far away from home. Zanzibar became the Orient of Africa and gained name both, as ‘Spice Island’ and ‘Slave Capital’ of the world.

On the other hand, the Persians who were more into fishing and agriculture, did not hesitate to blend themselves with the local Africans through inter-marriages, giving rise to a new Afro-Asian race and a language called Swahili, which subsequently became and still remains the main spoken medium in Kenya and Tanzania.

European flavour swept the island when Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, on his way to India in 1499, stopped at Zanzibar and consequently established a colony which lasted for next the next 200 years, till it was taken over the Omani Sultans.

Becoming extremely prosperous and powerful, particularly with the slave business, the Sultans shifted their capital from the Persian Gulf to Zanzibar. A majority of land ownership came under them while trading, which was shared with Indians. Their regime continued, later under a British protectorate, till 1963, when Zanzibar became fully independent as a constitutional monarchy.

However the local Africans didn’t favour this and a bloody insurgency followed. In one fateful night the rebels killed over 10,000 Arabs and Indians, and formed new

republic which a year later joined mainland Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanzania.

Consisting of two main islands - Unguja and Pemba and myriad islets, Zanzibar today exists as a partner state of Tanzania, but with distinct individuality. They have their own flag, government and president and require filling embarkation forms, even if you are arriving from or are departing to mainland Tanzania, for which you already have a valid visa.

The Unguja Island is Zanzibar’s main population centre and entry point for most visitors, either by sea or air. It has enough of interest to merit a few days stay and is also good base for visiting the archipelago’s other attractions.

At the heart of Unguja, lies the old Stone Town, the nation’s cultural and historical epicenter of Zanzibar. Edged on an old-world waterfront and crammed with sites of great historical significance, this fabled quarter of winding alleyways, bustling bazaars, mosques and temples and impressive architecture reveals a mystical journey into a world of another time, more Arabic in character and identity than African. Leftovers from early settlers and foreign invaders are noticeable in every corner.

Looking at the quarter’s urban texture and architectural setting, it appears that little has changed in the setup since it was developed by Omani Sultans and wealthy Indian merchants, almost 300 years ago. Every building and townscape infrastructure I notice is decrepit and needs more than “tender loving care”. The surrounding ambiance is laidback and slow, as if no one

With a history of diverse heritage and compelling natural wonders, this country induces a sense of indolent enthusiasm that is hard to resist

Locals tout its sloppy mood, quaint lifestyle and frail architecture as an appealing feature of the destination which perhaps, sets the mood to relax and unwind

has anything to do. Locals tout its sloppy mood, quaint lifestyle and frail architecture as an appealing feature of the destination which perhaps, sets the mood to relax and unwind.

Time rewinds when you glimpse an array of rundown mansions, whose original owners appear to have vied with each other over the profligacy of their dwellings. This one-upmanship is particularly reflected in the brass studded, carved wooden doors that proclaim the past opulence and grandeur of the mansions they guard.

Several memoirs of historical significance draw tourist attention: the Sultan’s Palace, now a museum exhibiting memorabilia of the Omani rulers; House of Wonders, the National Museum portraying the island nation’s history and culture; an ancient Omani fort with an amphitheatre; an Anglican Cathedral built on the site of the former slave market; the four-story Old Dispensary building reminiscent of British-India colonial architecture, Mnara Mosque, decorated with a double chevron pattern; and Tippu Tip’s house, Tippu being East Africa’s most notorious slave trader are the ones that always come up in the itinerary of most visitors.

Beyond history, the tropical haven offers visitors a diverse range of enticing activities to fill your time. Tour nearby spice plantations; cruise to an unknown island in a traditional wooden boat called a dhow; view ruined forts and palaces just beyond, but within reach; get lost in exotic and colorful markets or hide in one of the isolated beaches where the sand is powdery white, and the sea is ethereal shades of turquoise.

Others truly take it very easy and do nothing. They stay at a hotel overlooking the sea, walk along seaside promenades with friendly locals; cheer on kids playing football at the beach, watch the sunset from the balcony of their hotel room, or simply have a drink at the bar followed by a long dinner at a vibrant café or a quiet restaurant .

Whatever one does, they all enjoy time in Zanzibar.

Travel notebook Zanzibar

GETTING THERE

The best way to reach Zanzibar is by flying South African Airways (www.flysaa.com) from Sydney or Perth to Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania, and then either taking a short flight or a two-hour journey by air conditioned catamarans to the island.

ACCOMMODATION

There are no shortages of hotels to suit budget, however Serena Hotel (www.serenahotels.com), which occupies the former cable and wireless office and the adjacent Chinese doctor’s residence present standards of five-star international level. All rooms are sea facing and the service is friendly and faultless. If required to spend a night in Dar Es Salaam for connections, stay at the New Africa Hotel (www. newafricahotel.com), an excellent property at a convenient city location, owned and run by the elite Indian hotel group Sarovar.

EATING

Fresh spices and abundant seafood makes Zanzibar a sanctuary for foodies. A great place to sample is at the open-air street food market, held in the waterfront Forodhani Gardens in Stone Town. Soaked in a magical twilight atmosphere, the precinct comes alive after sunset with food stalls serving an array of dishes from grilled seafood, goat meat curry and parathas, to sugarcane juice and roasted bananas topped with melted chocolate. Among several Indian restaurants, Radha is recommended for high quality vegetarian snacks and meals. Serena Hotel’s roof-top Terrace Restaurant is an exquisite venue for a romantic, candle-lit dinner, where the taste of lobster thermidor will stay with you for ever.

VISA

Check with the Honorary Tanzanian Consulate office in Melbourne and Perth for visa requirements (www. tanzaniaconsul.com)

CURRENCY

The local currency is Tanzanian Shilling (TZS), with 1AUD =1600 TZS. However, US dollars are widely accepted

IMMUNISATION

Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for entry to Tanzania and Zanzibar

TOUR OPERATOR

Contact Wildlife Safari Consultants in Sydney (Tel: 0418443494)

MORE INFORMATION

Visit Zanzibar Tourism Board (www.zanzibartourism.net)

The land was then like a gold mine to grow spices, obtain ivory by killing elephants found in abundance in the mainland forests, and collect humans as slaves from neighbouring countries

1. Zanzibar Door

2. An Old Mosque

3. Stone Town House

4. Omani Fort 5. Catch of the Day 6. Zanzibari Chillies 7. Picturesque Zanzibar

8. Cathedral

Buying property in India

Buying property in India

India is a vast country with diversity in culture, people and attitude towards almost everything. Every part of the nation has a specific trend towards property. Some places consider property as religious and God gifted, while many others look at it with an investment point of view.

The main idea to ‘buy property in India’ is not at all a bad one. In fact, due to this boom in the property market in the country, new people and new cultures are establishing in various areas. When more and more people are investing in property, a large amount of money is constantly rotating in the name of property. And this is a positive trend.

Not every piece of land is meant is meant for construction of a house, or a shop, or any other structure, for that matter. Not every bungalow or house is meant to be lived in. There is one range of property that is purely purchased or invested into for future benefits.

However, whether one lives or uses the property, every purchase is an investment. After all it is a fixed asset that would give you returns in case you ever need to sell it. Just like gold, property is also a wise investment; and any kind of property is not a waste. If used properly, it will give far more than your expenditure on it.

The trend of property investment seems to be increasing, as according to the experts for at least the next twenty years, the country will continue to experience appreciation, with maybe

a few corrective phases of an on when prices maybe on a downslide. Otherwise it’s all on an upward swing.

The numbers of options for investing in the Indian property market are virtually countless today. As per current estimates, the Indian property market will grow at a steady speed of thirty percent per annum. This growth will be more due to the residential properties as compared to commercial estates. The Indian property market today boasts of a very wide range of products and has something for every income group and every utility, irrespective of whether it is commercial or residential.

Speaking of metros and satellite townships, though high end properties like NCR in Delhi, Unitech’s ‘Nirvana country’, Indian bulls ‘enigma’ Hirco’sPanvel in Maharashtra have dominated the scene, it is only fair to give some attention to the development happening within the cities. So has Greater Noida in Delhi Jaypee’s Sports city, with F1 race track, is an infrastructural marvel as is Bangalore’s Palace Gardens Hirco.

Properties with leading builders are recognised for high end construction quality and world class facilities like, heated Swimming pool, health club, meditation huts, Jogging tracks, sports club, café, restaurants, event centers, etc. All in all, investing in the Indian property market is one of the safest bets today. Even when the economic recession had struck the entire world and almost shattered the real estate markets in many developed nations the Indian market was still going strong.

In this age of property investment in India, “INDIA EVENTS”, is presenting largest property show in Sydney, to offer the opportunity to grow with growing Indian

Real Estate. With the presence of all the major builders and developers like, Indian Bulls, JAPEE, IREO, HIRCO (Hiranandani), Unitech and many more, would be a seamless opportunity to find a suitable investment for everyone with more than 100 projects in PAN India to offer. This show is coming with complete solution to invest in property market under one roof, from excellent projects, banking requirements, home loans to property management options.

Strong dollar value against Indian rupee, equity funds and self-managed super funds have encouraged many NRIs and people of Indian origin to look for investment options in India specifically in property. This show will provide the gate way to step into risk free Indian property market without hassles of lengthy and complex procedures.

The Indian Property Show is hosted in Sydney – 20th and 21st August 2011; Venue – Southee Complex, Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park; Time – 11am to 7pm.

And in Melbourne – 12th and 13th August 2011; Venue – Novotel, Glen Waverley; Time –11am to 7pm.

The increasing demand for the properties in India due to its commercial activities and increasing working population, the prices of property market is bound to rise to the heights never imagined before. This time as considered as the right time to invest because of the recent development & developing project in India, still hold the affordability to a common man. As many consider investing in properties is the safest way to multiply money and ensuring the financial future.

BY AZAL KHAN

Baby, it’s cold outside. The mercury is dropping and so our quest begins for the perfect winter coat or the perfect leather boots. However, winter doesn’t always mean going out and buying a whole new wardrobe (as fun as that can be!) but investing in key pieces and accessories for a chic and on-trend look. Dark days have never looked so good.

Hot hues

Colour is such a refreshing way to revitalise your winter wardrobe, so if you’re game, go bright.

Be inspired by Australian couture king Alex Perry’s glamorous gowns in stunning colours and work these hues in your everyday wear. An emerald green shift dress or red cropped jeans from Camilla & Marc will instantly lift your outfit while floral chiffon prints in Zimmerman will have you yearning for warm summer days. Colour blocking is also a popular trend where the loud colour combinations make for a dynamic and confident look, as seen at Arthur Galan. Keep the look slick and modern with boots and minimal accessories such as a simple gold or silver cuff. For something more ladylike, Jayson Brunsdon’s autumn/winter collection features rich jewel tones in pink and orange creating strong silhouettes with an emphasis on grace and cinematic femininity. Accessorise with Audrey Hepburn-inspired feline sunglasses as seen at Prada or a wide-brimmed felt hat for a relaxed 1970s vibe.

If you’re too intimidated to embrace colour in all its glory, choose bold accessories to brighten up your outfit. A scarlet red tote, a playful pink lipstick or a colourful chunky scarf will add a dash of colour to winter neutrals.

The perfect accessories – a touch of sequins and a bold red lip as seen in Portmans – will take your winter look from day to night.

Hot winter chic!

Whether your style is subtle or bold, these tips will add richness to your wardrobe and raise your fashion quotient a notch or two this winter

If you’re too intimidated to embrace colour in all its glory, choose bold accessories to brighten up your outfit. A scarlet red tote, a playful pink lipstick or a colourful chunky scarf will add a dash of colour to winter neutrals

Digital age

Inject your wardrobe with an eclectic mix of techno prints which have come to the fore this winter season to update your look. Printed silk pants, shift dresses and blouses are also big for winter. Take a leaf from the girls at Sass and Bide – be brave and layer and clash printed pieces and ground your look with a pair of fierce heels or tough biker boots. Accessorise your look with an oversized Swarovski ring or tribal-inspired jewellery and exotic accessories for added drama.

Every wardrobe should have a statement dress and this winter you can’t go wrong with a Country Road or Cue dress in a contemporary digital print.

Amazing lace

Delicate lacework has an instant appeal, which is why the delicate fabric is reinvented season after season. Whether it is blush pink, cream or black, feminine lace is an understated classic. Everywhere you look this winter will be a little bit of lace, including at Collette Dinnigan and a younger take at Forever New. A long sleeve lace blouse looks elegant with tapered trousers and

The pea coat is also a flattering look for this season as the doublebreasted coat is cut precisely to flare out at the hips delivering instant grown-up glamour

kitten heels. Want to stand out in the crowd? Take a look at the sexy but demure cobweb lace dresses at Kookai.

Work the coat

Nude is the new black. Embrace the delicious tones of butterscotch, caramel, oat or toffee this winter season. This season – a season of proper, grown up dressing – camel is everywhere and it looks best on a coat.

With a unique masculine edge, the perfectly cut overcoat in camel is a classic piece which is a winter wardrobe essential. Camel tones offset black nicely so a camel cape flung over a Zara leather t-shirt will add softness to your outfit. Or add a printed scarf in place of a necklace to peek out of your coat to create an outfit far from bland. Team your overcoat with flowing feminine layers like a chiffon dress or a silk slip for the evenings to create an element of the unexpected.

Can’t bear to emerge from the covers this winter? Then the winter cape is for you. Twirl on a fine wool cape buttoned at the neck that falls to the shoulders for sweeping elegance to add polish and poise to any look. Capes in rich tones such as navy or deep ruby red are perfect to winter and don’t be afraid to experiment with shape; wear with wide leg pants or your favourite skinny jeans and anchor the look with a chunky heel.

The pea coat is also a flattering look for this season as the double-breasted coat is cut precisely to flare out at the hips delivering instant grown-up glamour.

Winter is the time to invest in a reliable trench coat. A trench should always be clean and simple with a classic silhouette.

Black, navy, charcoal and chocolate brown are the traditional hues for winter coats and suit all women but don’t be afraid to experiment with silhouettes and colours which match your style and personality, whether it’s girlie or sexy or classic, or belted trench or a faux fur chubby. Stand out from the crowd and venture into animal prints, bright plaids and bold colours with luxe details for a winter look that will pop.

KNOW THYSELF AS SOUL

Sant Mat is a practical spiritual path based on meditation, ethical living, service to others & love for all creation. Its goal is to enable the soul to return & merge into its source; the purpose of human life described by mystics of all traditions. Discipline & dedication are essential, as is the help of a competent living master. Entry is via a preparation program. There is no charge at any stage.

Where east meets west meets Indian

An exemplary dining experience that caters to a variety of palates, including the juvenile fussy ones

BY PREETI JABBAL

The first time I heard of a Chinese restaurant in Melbourne that also makes pizzas, it seemed like an answer to my prayers. With a fussy child whose food intake is restricted to pizza, pasta, rice and dosa (all plain), I was unable to unreservedly explore the amazing array of cuisines that comes with living in a melting pot like Melbourne. My first visit to the Great Eastern Hakka restaurant in Mount Waverley was merely out of curiosity to see how one could possibly have pizzas and Chinese under the same restaurant roof. Mr. Fussy Eater also accompanied me, determined to continue kicking a fuss if the pizza wasn’t as good as the one he was used to.

And most importantly, it is the only place in town where you can eat the most amazing Manchurian and Chow Mein that reminds you of the ‘Indian Chinese’ from back home.

Between that day three years ago and today, I have lost count of the number of times we have eaten at the Great Eastern Hakka restaurant and sampled their eclectic mix of cuisine. The creative menu that consists of a variety of dishes like Cantonese, Hakka, Swedish desserts and pizza, is as delicious as it is unique. To those who haven’t been here I can strongly advise, with no reservations, it is a dining experience to fondly remember. From the moment you enter the restaurant to the time you depart with a full belly, the service is friendly and welcoming. The spice palate offered is more vibrant and colourful than other Chinese eateries. And most importantly, it is the only place in town where you can eat the most amazing Manchurian and Chow Mein that reminds you of the ‘Indian Chinese’ from back home.

Run by brother and sister duo Steve Liu and Jenny Lee, GEH was launched to the delight of Melbourne’s food lovers on September 8, 2006. Located on the main shopping strip on Stephenson’s Road in Mount Waverley, the restaurant offers a menu brought with much love and dedication to gastronomy from the huge Hakka Chinese community that once lived in India. Hakka people are primarily found in South Eastern China (Guangdong and Fujian) but they are also found in other parts of China and the world. Steve and Jenny were born in Calcutta, India and then their family migrated to Sweden in the ‘80s. Jenny and Steve helped out at their uncle’s restaurant in Sweden while studying. There they learnt the art of making Swedish pizzas and a pizza base that literally melts in the mouth, a closely guarded recipe that is much sought after by fellow professionals.

It was destiny that bought Jenny to

Australia on a holiday in 2003. At that time the family was debating on whether they should migrate to Canada. Jenny fell in love with the weather here and decided to settle here instead. They decided to start a small restaurant as a trial to see how Melbournians would accept their quirky combination of Asian and Nordic selection. The GEH was originally an Indian restaurant called Indian Inn but it was converted, remodelled and renovated entirely to its present Oriental ambience. With its high-backed dark leather chairs, crisp white linen and warm red interior, the GEH is a restaurant suitable for everything from date nights to young families to special event get-togethers. I would however draw the line at having a big fat Indian/Greek wedding there as the restaurant can only stretch to accommodate 80 at best.

The menu at GEH is strictly divided into east and west and there is no fusion of cuisines. From my innumerable visits,

Another favoured dish is a special concoction that Steve calls the Bengal Masala fish served to us with great affection and a smattering of Hindi that he remembers from his childhood in India.

my hot favourite is the Chilli chicken, the Manchurian fish and Hakka noodles. Another favoured dish is a special concoction that Steve calls the Bengal Masala fish served to us with great affection and a smattering of Hindi that he remembers from his childhood in India. I find it impossible to exercise much chopsticks restraint when confronted with

this engaging and appetizing dish. Even vegetarians have a lot to choose from and you cannot go wrong with any of the exciting pizzas on offer, or the delectable soups that start off an excellent meal. For something a bit different, I suggest Har Q - the Hakka specialty dish of stir-fry king prawns and vegetables in a white wine and egg flower sauce.

For dessert, a must have is the Daim cake, a Swedish cake that comes in flavours of dark chocolate and milk chocolate with almonds. The perfectly portioned, elegantly decorated cake is clearly the highlight here - so save room. The wine list at GEH is

sufficient with a selection ranging from $13.95 to $74.95 per bottle, while the mains range from $15 to $32. The extensive pizza menu ranges from $11 to $25 for the gourmet variety. Takeaway is also available. For best results I would suggest that you shy away from a mix-and-match strategy in favor of sampling one cuisine per visit, unless you have your own little fusspots (like my son) to tag along. In that case, happily order the plainest pizza for them and feel free to nod your head regretfully at what they are missing out on as you tuck into your own enormously satisfying and sumptuous meal.

The chef and the cricketer: The Kolkata-born Steve Liu, co-owner and chef of the Great Eastern Hakkam is proud to welcome Indian cricket great Kapil Dev

Brother-sister duo Steve Liu and Jenny Lee introduce their staff to Kapil Dev

The domain of seniors

Call it changed priorities or different appetite for life, all our seniors want is some empathy and freedom to live at their own pace

BY RANI JHALA

Sixty-five, that magical number that I had so long dreaded, just flew by last week. It greeted me as a mature woman and left me an old lady. Suddenly I qualified for the age pension, and inherited two pairs of reading glasses instead of one. Sadly, it also meant that my memory now refused to remember where I had placed them.

My children had ventured out on their own and while we met often, the weekends were free and my husband and I spent those alone. You would think that a lifetime of living happily together would mean being content with just each other’s company. But when you get to our age, you’d want to socialise, to meet others who’ve shared a common past.

There is nothing more annoying than relating in detail the problems my flatulence has been causing me and to be told by a younger generation “Oh grandma, that is disgusting”. I needed a sympathetic ear that would hear and understand my age related dilemmas without comment or judgement. Only another of our own age group can truly empathise with our problems.

Our children invited us to their parties but we soon found that what their generation found exciting to talk about, was old news for us: Which nappies are the best?

just giving birth to productive citizens.

But what brought back memories of the places and people we had left behind were the social functions which showcased the best of local talent. The melodies of the golden era would remind us of the saffron fields that we ran through as children or the simple mountain folks that would welcome us into their hills.

The dances done by a member’s granddaughter or niece would remind us of the shows we had watched in India many, many, years ago. Senior members of the society came and gave talks helpful for us. Mayors, Consul-Generals, and government officials enlightened us with their knowledge and guidance.

Our little group has become our lifeline. We find mutual happiness, laughter and encouragement in one another. It has become the fountain that energises us and encourages us to look forward to the end of each month.

I want to walk at the pace that lets me look at each flower when I pass them. I want to chew my food slowly savouring its taste as if it is the last time I will eat that dish

What school has a better standing? Where the best sales were taking place?

We had already been there and done that and our interest was now in a different things: dentures, walking sticks, cholesterol, arthritis, reading glasses, mammography and prostrate tests. At our age, nappies are the last things we want to discuss, nor does a sale of five inch stiletto heels interest us. What we needed was a place to go and meet other of our age group and discuss issues that relate to our generation.

And that is how we found ourselves as members of a seniors’ group. We met on a regular basis and we enjoyed the socialising that came about. Ah! To finally find someone who understood what we meant when we said “the good old days” without the unwanted debate that inevitably followed. And more importantly to find another who had the patience to sit with me and hear about my “in grown toe-nail” and the multifaceted problems it had created in my life. And finally to meet people who not only understood the need for me to write down everything worthy of remembering but assisted by supplying the pen and paper.

We listened to the soft soul searching songs and hymns, and now we are made to listen to heart-thumping Bollywood tunes. Stand up and dance they say, it will make you feel young. Young!

Do they know how easy it is for us to slip a disc or lose a toupee?

In this group we made new friends and met up with the old ones. People who we had lost contact with, having immersed ourselves in our busy working lives and in bringing up our children. Here in this group we found information that mattered to us. Through this association we were introduced to the Government representatives who had been assigned roles to specifically help the aged. How wonderful was a country that gave the elderly the recognition they deserved and acknowledged their contribution to the community! For some this contribution meant an award-worthy feat; for others it was

But now a new problem has arisen. Not happy with taking over our jobs, our livelihood and our sports- golf and lawn bowls, the next generation is stepping into this arena as well. We were not yet ready to give up the microphone, yet they have come and monopolised it. We liked non-spicy food that suits our digestion. Now under the name of authenticity the snacks offered at the meetings are either burning with heat or dripping in sugar. We listened to the soft soul searching songs and hymns and now we are made to listen to heart thumping Bollywood tunes. Stand up and dance they say, it will make you feel young. Young! Do they know how easy it is for us to slip a disc or lose a toupee?

They tell us ‘Auntyji, you are only as young as you feel’. Well, I am old and I feel old –my aching back and arthritic knee tell me so. More importantly, I want to feel my age. I want to walk at the pace that lets me look at each flower when I pass them. I want to chew my food slowly savouring its taste as if it is the last time I will eat that dish. I want to stand at the microphone and tell the people of my vintage a humorous story, without the microphone being taken from me because a younger person feels they can economise better – both the words and the time.

We the elderly are losing everything either in accordance with Nature’s rules or by social intervention. These seniors’ forums and clubs are the last of the ‘our’ domains, where we can still be ourselves and where we can enjoy our independence and entertainment. Come and enjoy our meetings but please don’t take over. This is our stage, our drama and we are the actors. Let us show you what we are about. We don’t want to be who you think we should be.

Our time on this earth is limited – a year, five years, maybe even ten. Come sing our lives with us, but don’t change its tune or alter the words. We have memorised the original versions and have stored that knowledge amidst memories and associations. Let us walk into your world, don’t drag us out of ours. All we ask of everyone is to let us be ourselves. Love us! Cherish us! Tomorrow will come soon enough, when we will depart and the stage will be all yours.

A boost of black

Dark foods are currently the rage, as their immensely useful health properties come to light

Black is the ‘in’ colour these days not only in evening gowns and elegant dresses, but also in food. The different green, red, yellow, black and white foods have an important role in our nutrition. The lesser-known black foods have been around for centuries, but it is only recently that their importance has been discovered and recognised. Japanese scientists discovered the health and medicinal benefits of black foods, which are said to contain an even higher amount of antioxidants than lighter coloured ones. The black colouring is a result of the presence of anthocyanins, which are thought to prevent the occurrence of certain health conditions. There are many different black foods that can easily be added into your diet, which can help give your health a big boost.

BY GEETA KHURANA

Black Olives

Black olives are those that have been allowed to ripen on the tree before harvesting. They are somewhat superior to green olives due to their increased mineral content. Black olives are a good source of monounsaturated fatty acids or the good fats that help lower bad cholesterol. They are also a good source of Vitamin E which is a powerful antioxidant that helps our body from free radicals. The combination of Vitamin E and monounsaturated fats allow black olives to provide great antioxidant benefits to the human body.

Black Pepper

Black pepper or kali mirch has long been used as a carminative i.e. a substance that helps prevent the formation of intestinal gas. Thus it helps in better digestion of food. Black pepper stimulates the taste buds in such a way that an alert is sent to the stomach to increase hydrochloric acid secretion, thereby improving digestion. Hydrochloric acid is necessary for the digestion of proteins and other food components in the stomach. When the body’s production of hydrochloric acid is insufficient, food may sit in the stomach for an extended period of time, leading to heartburn or indigestion

Black Tea

Black tea contains more complex flavonoids then green teas; specifically thearubigins and theaflavins. Antioxidant theaflavins present in black tea may well bring about improvement in muscular tenderness following a workout and even in lowering heart attack risk.

Black Rice

Rice is the staple food of half the world’s population. Most people enjoy white and brown rice, but there is also the unappealing black rice that turns purple on cooking. The bran hull in black rice contains considerable Vitamin E that helps boost immunity and shield our cells from free radicals.

Black Sesame Seeds

Black sesame seeds are very popular and considered a health food in Japan. Research has shown that they are richer in antioxidants than white sesame

as they are also rich in Vitamins C and E, which may provide immunity to the body. Like all berries, blackberries contain ellagic acid, an antioxidant that has been shown to protect the skin from ultraviolet damage. New research is finding that ellagic acid may not only protect the skin from damage, but also repair skin damaged by the sun.

Black Soybeans

It is believed that consuming black soybeans could reduce the risk of thrombosis - a deadly form of blood clot. Thrombosis prevents blood circulation, and can even lead to death if not treated promptly. Black soybean oil as well as all other soybean oils contain omega-3 fatty acids that help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Japanese scientists discovered the health and medicinal benefits of black foods, which are said to contain an even higher amount of antioxidants than lighter coloured ones

seeds. Black sesame seeds are high in many minerals including calcium, iron, copper and magnesium. These seeds are also used to prevent constipation and promote regular bowel movement. They contain two unique substances known as sesamin and sesamolin, which belong to a group of fibers called lignans. Lignans are rich in dietary fibre and have a cholesterol-lowering effect.

Blackberries

Packed with antioxidants and rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre, black berries are a nutritious addition to any fruit salad or dessert. Blackberries are rich in antioxidants such as anthocyanin pigments which gives them their purplish-black colour. Their antioxidant properties may impart health benefits,

Black Currants

Black currants are very rich in many phyto nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, essential fatty acids and minerals. In particular, black currants are known for their content of Vitamin C, GLA (gamma-linoleic acid, a very rare omega-6 essential fatty acid) and potassium. Black currants also contain potent anti-oxidants anthocynanins. So the next time you have blackcurrant ice cream, don’t feel too guilty!

Aussie winter warmers

Traditional Aussie food is simple, but charming and sure to chase away winter chills

BY SHERYL DIXIT

walked into my neighbour’s comforting kitchen and felt my mouth water.

“What’s cooking?” I asked Pam, a superefficient grandmum who finds her four grandkids mostly funny, a feeling that is

Pea soup

Pam’s mum used to make this really well, she says, and adding ham can make it even more delicious, if you prefer a non-vegetarian version.

¾ cup split peas

1 large carrot

1 large turnip

1 medium onion

½ head celery

8 cups water

4 level tbsp flour

½ tsp dried mint leaves

9 cloves

1/3 tsp ground mace (javantri)

½ cup roughly cut ham (optional)

Soak the split peas overnight in cold water. Drain and place them in a large vessel, covering with the water. Add salt (and ham) and bring to a boil. Thinly slice the vegetables evenly, add to the mix and continue to boil until the peas and vegetables are soft and fully cooked. Stir through so that the vegetables and peas blend into a semi-smooth mix. Add dried mint and mace. In a separate cup, blend the flour with cold water until smooth. Add to soup and stir until boiling. Serve hot with small croutons of toast.

You can make croutons by cutting up slices of bread into small cubes and roasting them in an oven or pan until crisp, tossing them in a little butter when done.

This used to be a traditional weekend breakfast food, but it can be eaten any time of the day, hot or cold.

4 eggs

1 large potato, peeled, boiled and sliced

8 rashers of smoked bacon, fried until crispy

1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese

4 cherry tomatoes, halved

½ white onion, thinly sliced

Pie pastry, readymade

1 beaten egg or a little milk to brown the pastry

1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees (fan-forced). Lightly grease the pie tins with olive oil. Fry the bacon rashers until slightly crispy and keep aside to drain on a paper towel. In the same pan, fry the onions for a few minutes and keep aside. Place a pie tin on the pastry dough and cut a slightly larger circle around it as the base. Cut another circle the same size as the tin, for the pie top. Repeat the process for the second pie. Gently fit the larger pastry circle into the pie tin, fitting the dough along the sides and slightly over the rim. Line the pie with potato slices, then layer with bacon and onion. Sprinkle on the cheese and add some cut tomato pieces. Crack one or two eggs into the pie depending on your preference. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush the outer rim of the pastry with a little beaten egg or milk. Gently cover the pie with the pastry top, pressing down the edges until they stick together. Use the back of a fork to seal the pie edges. Make a small incision on the top of the pie to help steam escape. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on the top. Repeat process for second pie. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Serve hot or cold with tomato sauce.

“Sausages and vegetable slow cooked,” she said, “The kids love it!”

I was impressed, and when she shared some traditional Aussie recipes at which her mother was adept, I thought it would be a good idea to spread the word.

“My mum was a great cook, my grandmum an even better one and I’m not bad, but we get progressively worse with every generation,” says Pam, tongue-in-cheek, as we silently hope her daughter won’t ever read this!

A yummy traditional treat, but one confined to special occasions as apparently it was too much trouble – specially separating the white and yolk in the egg

450 mls milk

1 egg

2 thin slices of buttered bread or stale sponge cake

1 level tbsp sugar

1 heaped tsp icing sugar

1 heaped tsp jam

Few drops vanilla essence

Coloured sprinkles or 100s & 1000s

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees (fan-forced). Spread half the jam over the buttered bread or sponge cake and cut into thin strips. Place crosswise in a pie dish till the bottom is wellcovered, then layer the rest. In a bowl, separate the egg white and yolk. Beat the yolk of the egg with the sugar. Warm the milk, but do not boil. Pour the warm milk over the egg yolk and sugar, and mix thoroughly. Stir in vanilla essence, and pour the mixture into the pie dish. Place this in larger baking dish of cold water, taking care that the water doesn’t overlap into the pie dish. The water prevents the custard from boiling whilst cooking. Cook in oven for about half an hour. Remove and cool. Spread the remaining jam on the surface of the dish. Beat the egg white into a stiff froth, after adding the icing sugar. Pile lightly on top of the pudding, and stand in the oven till the froth turns light brown. Remove and sprinkle with 100s & 1000s. Serve as a teatime treat or a dessert.

Lamb shanks

Try to cook this dish in a slow cooker, as the meat becomes tender, succulent and absorbs the rest of the ingredients to make a delicious blend.

1 cup plain flour

8 medium lamb shanks

2 tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, roughly cut into cubes

2 crushed garlic cloves

2 cups beef stock

¾ cup red wine

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsp cold water

½ tsp pepper powder

Salt to taste

Mix flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish and lightly coat the lamb shanks with this mix. Heat oil in a shallow pan, add the meat and brown for three to four minutes. Remove and add the onions and garlic to the pan, cooking for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add beef stock, maple syrup and wine, and cook, stirring gently. Bring to boil. Mix the cornflour with water until smooth and stir into the liquid to thicken.

If you have a slow cooker, place the meat into it, and cover with the gravy. Cook for approx. 4 hours or until the meat is tender and fully cooked. To cook the traditional way, place the meat into a roasting pan, add the gravy and cover the pan securely with foil. Roast for 11/2 hour in a pre-heated oven. Next, remove foil, turn over and roast for an hour more or until the meat is tender. Serve with mashed potato and steamed vegetables.

Wicked voice of new India Wicked voice of new India

Film: Delhi Belly

Cast: Imran Khan, Vir Das, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Vijay Raaz

Director: Abhinay Deo

Rating: HHHH

It is a cliche as old as this nation - of the many Indias that breathe under one India, Indian cinema has hardly been representative of even a few of these. Yet, one would have expected, after globalisation and the emergence of a new bold, urban India, that at least this class would get representation in commercial cinema.

Though there have been successful attempts in the past, it is with Delhi Belly that the urban, money-is-everything, foulmouthed India has been captured with aplomb. And that, depending upon your morality, is good or bad.

Tashi (Imran Khan), a Delhi-based journalist living filthily with two roommates, winds up with a bunch of desi goons chasing him and his mates after a mix-up. The three are forced to navigate the dark underbelly to survive, while encountering one situation after another and one idiosyncratic Indian after another.

The beauty of Abhinav Deo’s film is not its smooth story, loosely inspired by the type of films made famous by Guy Ritchie, Lock Stock.. and Snatch among others, neither is it Ram Sampath’s catchy music that beats to the rhythm of the film, or the slick, seamless direction, or its immaculate casting and performance or even its wickedly witty dialogues. The true beauty of the film is in all these elements together creating a madcap image of a new, unabashed, even shameless section

of India.

Though Delhi is referred to in its title, it is not the real Delhi that Dibakar Banerjee captures with satirical reality in his films. Instead, it is the image of a Delhi populated by young, educated, newly ‘liberated’ urbanites. In that it is the splitting image of that young urban India anywhere perpetually churning like the stomach of a

character in the film, a showcasing of this nation’s new neo-liberal underbelly. However, the other Indias might not take kindly to the film. Hypocritical Indians okay with female infanticide and dowry would be aghast at how almost every ‘bad’ word that they know is spoken everywhere on the streets and in homes, finds a place in the usually moralistic Bollywood. Cinema

purists too may cry foul that the film does not really have a soul and is not really trying to say anything. Though a legitimate accusation, in not having a soul and not really being concerned or serious about anything, the film holds a mirror to a large section of the country. And that is a big statement in itself.

For decades Indian cinema has been shackled with a morality that has not kept pace with the changing morality of life around. Though the morality of the film is strictly of urban, young, middle-class India, and isn’t representative, it is welcome as this is the farthest Bollywood has gone to truly representing urban life. And just for that, hats off to Aamir Khan for yet again, after Peepli Live and Dhobi Ghat, believing in a different kind of cinema, even while he doles out a Ghajini in the same breath.

The last scene of Delly Belly is bound to become as iconic as the one in Mahesh Bhatt’s 1990 musical Aashiqui. If there the lovers were so embarrassed of their surroundings that they had to kiss under a coat, here the lovers who are not even girlfriend-boyfriend are so brazen and caught in the heat of the moment that the guy kisses the girl in full view, half his body hanging out a slowly moving Maruti car symbolic of old India, unconcerned whether others are looking (which they are not). If that isn’t the urban, chic, and unconcerned-about-others India that has moved away from the morality of an unliberalised India in Aashiqui, then what is?

Satyen K. Bordoloi

It’s the Big B through and through

Film: Bbuddah…Hoga Tera Baap

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Sonu Sood, Hema Malini, Raveena Tandon, Prakash Raj, Makarand Deshpande, Charmee Kaur

Written & directed by: Puri Jagannath

Rating: HHH

Folklore has it that wherever the Big B stands, the queue begins. It’s time to queue up for a film that reads like a running commentary on the Bachchan legend. Here, we get to see India’s most iconic and enduring screen-hero play a variation on all his most cherished roles.

And then some more. To the angry Vijay persona that the Big B created through those brilliantly-written films of SalimJaved in the 1970 and ‘80s, the actor, still sprightly enough to make all the bachcha-log of Bollywood look like performing midgets, adds dollops of wry cynicism that goes well with our times.

Make no mistake, Telugu cinema’s most successful director Puri Jagannath is not just a Bachchan fan. He’s also a master storyteller. To the mix ‘n’ match tale of an Angry Young Man’s journey into his advancing years of unrelenting lividness and self-mockery, Puri brings a crackling contemporary commitment to telling a story that has no room for humbug… only space for hectic hijinks.

The screenplay races through numbered days in the life of a Paris-returned gangster who is called back to Mumbai by another gangster with a serious concentration problem (Prakash Raj) to finish off a particularly troublesome cop (Sonu Sood).

It’s a skillfully written yarn that doesn’t

stray into the yawn zone for even a second. Every character, even the relatively minor ones like Bachchan’s landlady who keeps jabbering to an unseen husband in Dubai, adds a sheen of zing to the shindig. The director actually manages to create a controlled atmosphere of plot development within the chaos of Mumbai’s streets.

Jagannath Puri displays a fabulous flair for the funny and the ferocious. The comic scenes contour the mega-star’s proclivity to laugh at himself and the self-important world around him comprising gangsters, collegians, cops and other on-the-move

Rathod) moves to the rhythm of the Big B’s super-controlled body language, creating for the assorted villains a kind of disembodied dynamism that we see in a far cruder avatar in the South, in the cinema of Rajnikanth.

Here, it is the Big B at work. The iconic super-hero manouvers through his tailormade role with devastating dexterity, leaving behind a trail of smoking guns, screaming tyres and satiated expectations that audiences had felt in the heydays of the Bachchan Raj.

The reign never ends. Buddah… offers a pleasurable romp into the star-power of the

the subtle foxy flirtatiousness comes from the star and how much of it was there in the screenplay.

Undoubtedly well-written and directed with sure-handedness that cannot hide Puri Jagannath’s boundless admiration for the Bachchan phenomenon, Bbuddah… is one of those garam-masala products that’s far cleverer than the outward flamboyance of the main character and execution suggest.

Cut through the blizzard of bravura that the Big B projects so insouciantly, and at heart this is an emotional father-son story. See how cleverly the director moves from a kind of italicised derringdo to a clamped emotional finale…. See how skillfully the other actors support the Big B’s towering presence. Prakash Raj as the arch-villain brings a sense of madness to the proceedings while Makarand Deshpande as a quiet gangster is glorious foil to the Big B’s repartees and rejoinders. Sonu Sood as the cop who keeps running into the old-young super-hero manages to hold his own in front of the Big B. And Raveena as the Big B’s besotted bombshell beloved from the past has herself a blast.

So do we. Right to the last frenetic shootout, we are with the director laughing cheering and saluting the star-power of this super-phenomenon named Amitabh Bachchan.

And when the Big B does a medley of all his old songs it’s time to forget that the ‘Bbuddah’ has just become a grand-baap all over again. Just get up and dance to the rhythm of the Big B’s star power. Don’t waste time watching the smut. Bbuddah is the past present and future of mainstream entertainment.

urbanites. Vishal-Shekhar’s austerely-used music creates evolved rhythms for the Bachchan persona. You can’t miss the insistent beat.

As for the action, the camera (Amol

Big B. The rapport that his character builds up through some lovely actresses of several generations (Hema Malini, Raveena Tandon, Sonal Chauhan, Charmee) is so robust and funny, you are left wondering how much of

Subhash K. Jha

BUZZThe

She’s Sushmita Sen

It’s a project that’s right up her street, and Sushmita Sen’s making sure her stride’s firmly in check. The former beauty queen and actress is actively involved in the Wadhawan Lifestyle ‘I Am She’ contest, which will choose India’s official entry for the Miss Universe contest.

But the criteria for the candidates is much more than good height and an attractive face, claims Sush. The most important criterion for selection is a person with “good character”.

“When I say ‘character’, I mean that a lot of women who come to the contest are very beautiful, and some of them can do anything to achieve what they want. Such girls don’t belong to I Am She,” said Sushmita in an interview.

This year, 20 candidates have been shortlisted, and before the names are finalised, the candidates are

interviewed and go through a thorough background check, she revealed, to ensure that the finalist is not disqualified on any grounds in the final competition.

Sushmita became the first Indian woman to win the Miss Universe crown in 1994. The still-stunning 35 year old said candidates were learning and getting better, and she has big plans for the future. Next year, Sushmita plans to take the finalists abroad for grooming sessions and to give them more global exposure.

“Next year onwards a new chapter begins - the host countries will change. Only the main show will be held in India. The girls will be groomed in other countries. This way they will get basic international exposure even before going to the Miss Universe platform... it will help them not to get off balance when they reach the main pageant,” she said.

In 2000, Lara Dutta became the second Indian to win the prestigious title, but there has been no winner after that.

So will Sush pick a winner? Let’s wait and see…

Aamir has the last belly-laugh

Aamir Khan’s laughing all the way to the bank and back. His hit adult comedy Delhi Belly has floored the box office, earning a whopping Rs. 15.65 crore on its first two days, and putting the much-hyped Big B starrer Bbuddah...Hoga Teraa Baap at what seems like a meager Rs. 4.26 crore. Perhaps it’s because Delhi Belly has a more interesting concept and is targetted at a much wider audience including the Indian young turks, while Bbudha… is, like the Big B now, more for the family. Also, it’s likely that had Bbudha’s marketing team a bit more savvy, they would have ensured its release with some non-entity movies, rather than one rolling the Aamir Khan banner. Well, whatever the reason, it seems like the more realistic urban, money-is-everything, foul-mouthed India with Imran Khan, Vir Das and Kunal Roy Kapoor have stolen the lead from Amitabh Bachchan, the flamboyant Paris-returned gangster. Seems like a sign of things to come….

Bips, break ke baad

It’s been nine long months since Bipasha Basu and John Abraham broke up, and though they may put on a cordial front, the truth is that they’re not even talking to each other.

Revealed an insider, “Bipasha gave nine years of her life to the relationship, even putting her career on hold whenever John needed her. She felt that everyone else was giving her so much love and respect, except John; that’s when she decided to end the relationship. Naturally, when their relationship ended, she chooses not to keep in touch with him. She made up her mind to move on and cut herself away from her past.”

Being single is giving the sexy star not just time to mingle, but to bask in the abundance of male attention that seems to

GUESS WHO

Model turned wannabe-actress best known for item numbers Khallas and IshqSamunder

be coming her way. But after a nine-year relationship, the Bengali babe isn’t keen to get into a committment just yet. Work, apparently, is what she’s focussing on, with a bit of play on the side.

And one of those ‘side’ issues was with Hollywood heartthrob Josh Hartnett, who is starring with her in the upcoming film, Singularity? “Josh is wonderful, but in another country, so it’s impractical! Right now, I don’t think I have the energy to be in a relationship. Josh and I are very fond of each other and try to keep in touch, but I am not romantically attached to anyone currently. There is more to life than just men. I am doing a romantic comedy with R Madhavan soon. It’s a mad film and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s only work for me for now,” said Bips with disarming candidness.

Well, I guess it’s time Bips took a break to have some fun. She’s certainly earned it!

Sikh humour!

With an enviable cultural diversity, India has always had plenty of humourous material on its denizens, and for some strange reason, our Sikh bretheren have always topped the list. Now writer-director Sartaj Singh Pannu, who made his debut as an actor-filmmaker in his internationally acclaimed film Soch Lo, is now set to enthrall audiences with a full-fledged family entertainment movie on Sikhs.

“It’s about four brothers who go to the wild west of UP (Uttar Pradesh) to retrieve their ancestral belongings. It’s a film on the sense of humour and pride attached to the Sardars,” said Sartaj excitedly.

Unlike his first film, which he made with funds contributed by his friends, for this film the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) graduate is receiving corporate funding. Sartaj is also going a step forward and casting known names, with the likes of Bobby Deol and Akshay Khanna in mind. Not a bad choice, considering that both have proved their worth in comedy roles. It’s been a long, hard journey for this talented writer-director, so good luck to him with this latest venture.

Romance for Riteish?

As we all know, relationships are rife in Bollywood, but pairing together Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza was a surprise. To date the couple have been particularly reticent about themselves, but it seems like the cat’s finally out of the bag. At a recent awards function in Toronto, Riteish and Genelia surprised Bollywood by walking around hand-in-hand, sitting together and even cooing what seemed like sweet nothings in each other’s ears. The couple, who have always claimed to be nothing more than co-stars are closer than we think, and a sign of things to come is apparent as Riteish was even seen chatting up Genelia’s mother, who seemed quite aware of her daughter’s affection for

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

this versatile actor. Naturally, rumour is now rife on whether the relationship will blossom into matrimony. Yes, say insiders, very likely in early 2012. Well, good luck to the couple, hope all goes well for them.

Zombies ready for battle

For some reason, Indian moviegoers have taken a shine for zombie-flicks. And they won’t be disappointed, if Go Goa Gone and Shaadi of the Dead are anything to go by. Saif Ali Khan will produce Go Goa Gone, a story about a bunch of fun-loving youngsters who are assailed by zombies. On the other hand, Abhay Deol will star in Shaadi of the Dead, which is about an attack by zombies during a Punjabi wedding. Both movies are cited to take a lighter look at zombies, which is an interesting concept, considering that they’re talking about a horror-genre theme. And what’s more interesting is the race by both films to get to cinemas, showcasing themselves as the first of the zombie cult to hit the silver screen.

So who’s pegged to win the battle of the zombies? Any takers? Didn’t think so!

Anjuna Beach reveals Scarlett’s story

The seamier side of Goa will unravel on the silver screen with in a depiction set on the 2008 murder and sexual assault of British teen Scarlett Keeling.

More than three years after Scarlett was left to die at story is retold by Bollywood producer Sikandar Khan. The vivacious teenager who rode elephants, hung out at beach shacks and is said to have occasionally done drugs, will be played by ItalianUkranian model-cum-actress Nataliya Kozhenova. Nataliya, who has been working in Bollywood in a range of unremarkable roles since the past two years, says that the film projects the deceased Scarlett as a young girl who loved life and lived it to the hilt. “It was fantastic to get a chance to play Scarlett. It just happened by chance one day that director Shakeel Saifee asked me if I could play the role... My Hindi was zero at the time, but later I managed to even deliver my dialogues in Hindi,” said the 24-year-old, one of the many international actors who are succumbing to Bollywood’s appeal.

Scarlett’s sexual assault and death in 2008 marks a watershed period in Goa’s image as a safe holiday tourism destination, with the gory episode exposing Goa’s seedy underbelly as a destination for drugs. After the Scarlett case, Goa has seen a string of events that led to the state gaining infamy as a drug haven and as an unsafe tourist destination, especially for foreign women

Anjuna Beach by Sikander Khan and directed by Shakeel S. Sai, also stars Kiran Kumar and Iranian actress Farhanaaz, and is scheduled for release in end-July.

So does Goa hide something deeper and more sinister behind its beautiful beaches? We’ll soon know.

Where’s Anil Kapoor in Mission Impossible 4 trailer?

A lot has been written about Anil Kapoor’s presence in one of the biggest Hollywood franchises, Mission Impossible 4, but his absence from the movie’s first trailer, released recently, has raised questions among his fans.

Fans took to Twitter to express their resentment with Anil’s no-show in the trailer Mission: Impossible Protocol, which is otherwise high on action from Hollywood star Tom Cruise, who plays the role of spy Ethan Hunt. 4: Ghost Protocol ...Ethan Hunt. Eminem’s rap. But where’s Anil Kapoor & India,” posted Vivek Ranjit, while Manish Mission Impossible trailer out, and its 2 mins long, and still no sight of Anil Kapoor, is this why the film is called MI: Ghost

Another fan, Raghav Modi posted: “Ah! Typical that the Indian actor Anil Kapoor is nowhere to be Ghost Protocol trailer.

Some fans even mocked at the trailer and made fun that the actor, who made a mark internationally with Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire and a TV series 24, has not got any footage in the debut trailer of the much-awaited installment of the movie.

“I spotted Anil Kapoor in the Mission Impossible 4 trailer. He is in thin air!” posted someone under the name of sarfrazhaan, while another fan by the name of helloanand wrote: “Anil Kapoor is playing the role of Mr.India in MI4 That’s why you can’t see him.”

Apart from Tom Cruise, the movie features Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg. According to imdb.com, Anil plays the role of a man called Brij Nath.

Of what Indian editor and director Shirish Kunder posted on Twitter, it seems other Bollywood actors were quite jealous of Anil’s role in the international “So many people in Bollywood happy that Anil Kapoor does not feature in the trailer. The Great Indian Crab Mentality!” wrote Kunder, who is married to choreographer-director Farah

But all said and done, Anil recently shared how he had a “great” time shooting for the movie. In fact, he has also signed up to feature in Cities, co-starring Clive Owen. He will start shooting for the movie in November.

What’s the chitchat here between Salman and Karisma?

Send in your responses to info@indianlink.com.au

Last

Finish Neetu Kapoor’s sentence: “Rishi Kapoor, I present you with the award for….”

“… keeping up the Kapoor family tradition of adopting obesity as a religion post middle-age…. no, I mean, excellence in cinema”.

Kala Swaminathan, Dunlop ACT

Kala wins a CD of new Hindi film DelhiBelly

ANIL KAPOOR

GENELIA D’SOUZA

BIPASHA BASU

IMRAN KHAN

BY SAROJA SRINIVASAN

Our sense of who we are is conditioned, though in a cosmic sense quite wrongly, often to where we live, and the profession we work in. Whilst these outward facts do influence our thinking, we have somehow allowed them to so overwhelm us that we may have lost our true sense of who we are deep inside in the very core of our being. Most of us realize we are more than what we look like, what we wear or what jobs we do. Yet we also seem to be swayed by others’ opinion and sometimes our own irrational beliefs.

Either one of the ways of dealing with the discomfort of migration, by denying the discomfort or by dwelling on it, only postpones the time of adjustment and acceptance of the choice that has been made. It is a voluntary choice for most people, and as such one has to accept the consequences of the decision. Only then will one be able to live contently, and enjoy the happiness which we all seek.

However, when expatriates decide to

return home, the initial excitement is around the knowledge that they will no longer be a ‘foreigner’. ‘Home’ is where they don’t have to think about being different, where they no longer have to apologise for every act of their fellow countryman’s eccentricities and need never think about navigating strange and unknown ways of behaving. That is in theory. In reality, what the expat doesn’t expect is that ‘home’ now demands more getting used to than abroad. Time has not stood still at ‘home’. The shock and horror at having to do things differently in one’s own country! Surely living in a different country meant adjusting to strange and unknown ways, but to have to confront the same thing in one’s own country is unthinkable. Up to a point this is true. We know how to behave at home (if we haven’t forgotten) and usually we know what to expect (even though we may be a bit rusty on this point).

We all expect ‘home’ to be a place where everything will be familiar and we just slot in. But what we forget is that ‘home’ also means a certain way of behaving with certain people at the time, and routines that were present at the time. And now suddenly after a period of absence, things have changed at ‘home’, things that we didn’t expect to change.

While we have been away, relationships have been formed, some have been broken and yet others are waiting in the wings to be made. Children of relatives have become young men and women who are very self-assured with their own ideas. Older relatives who were selfreliant have now become more dependent. Living away from one’s culture allows a certain flexibility in behaving, which may not be allowed back in one’s own culture. Everything that made you different and an object of curiosity also brought you a lot of attention in an alien culture, but now suddenly you are one in a million similar people and you are not special any more! “You are one of the crowd,” V.S. Naipaul wrote of his first visit to India. And this merging with the rest may initially be a shock to many.

Some on the other hand, go out of their way to merge and be a ‘local’. Some may insist on doing without the conveniences they have become used to in an effort to be at ‘home’ in their own ‘home’. There are also those who actively resist ‘fitting back in’. The new anonymity is too harsh to digest.

And so we often see the expatriate return to the status of being an ex-patriot. The difficulty in engaging the interest of one’s family and friends about their ‘overseas experience’ is truly vexing for some. The novelty of ‘slide shows’ is not there anymore, as many have been overseas themselves. It seems no one is particularly welcoming, nor have the time to rejoice at this mammoth decision of the expatriot to return home.

Soon it becomes obvious that much readjustment is required to be able to live back in one’s own culture. Another fundamental cultural adjustment, quite different to the first one is now needed. Being so acclimatised to foreign culture for so long, one may expect the ‘known’ culture to be the same as what it was overseas. The fact is, re-entry in to one’s own culture can be as unsettling as the culture shock one experienced on the first overseas trip. The sting hurts.

Matrimonials

SEEKING GROOMS

Match for Indian lady, early 50s, slim and good looking, 5’3”, no liabilities, Australian citizen, brought up in India with strong family values, loving and easy going, seeking honest and well settled man in view of marriage. Contact 0404 616 463 Email: k.rani134@gmail.com

Parents seeking suitable match for divorced girl (married for few days only), Hindu Punjabi Khatri, vegetarian, slim, beautiful, fair, 5’6”, B.Sc, B.Ed, PR status, Sydney, 08/12/1985, profile in SH82540957. Boy preferably settled in Australia. Contact 0450 761 716 or vkm5556@gmail.com

Seeking a suitable match for young looking, very fair Hindu lady, 53, 5’2, living in Australia for 25 years, works in government department. Groom must be between 47-55, well qualified, non-smoker, occasional drinker and vegetarian. Contact sydaus@hotmail.com.au

Seeking match for 39/165, unmarried, fair, slim, beautiful Indian Punjabi girl, family oriented and responsible, traditional values, IT professional, brought up in India. Australian citizen. Early marriage. Can relocate. Serious enquiries only. Caste no bar. Email with photo: sydgirl09@gmail.com

Punjabi Hindu Khatri, good looking, smart, homely girl, never married, 33, 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 0425 910 007 or ricky.bhalla@ gmail.com

Match for 30-year-old Manglik Hindu Khatri girl, 5’5”, fair, slim, well educated with moderate values. Innocent divorcee, has a son (no legal issues). Brother settled in Sydney.

Looking for a well settled and educated boy, 32-38 years old. Min 5’ 6”. Caste no bar. Interested contact with bio-data and photo. Email: matrisyd@gmail.com or call 0418 770 827.

SEEKING BRIDES

Well settled family in Australia invite alliance for 27-year-old, 5”11, Sood Punjabi boy, B.Software Engineer (honors), working as a senior IT consultant for the Australian govt on high income. Seeking Indian girl, caste no bar. Please call 0414 518 312, email aumohindra@gmail.com

Aussie ocker Christian seeks Christian bride. I am in the fifties, 5’10”, 115 kg, own home, a full head of hair, pensioner. Contact 0459 919 717 or nottattached@aol.com

Hindu Punjabi business parents invite alliance for a beautiful educated girl for their highly qualified son 30/6’3”, a very well placed financial consultant with a leading MNC in UK. Will be in Australia in July. Caste no bar. Send bhp to ukshaadi@hotmail.com

Match required for an Australian citizen, Sydney resident, north Indian, 26 years old, 5’7”, slim, handsome and very fair engineer boy from Kayastha family. Looking for a suitable well educated Indian girl with family values. Caste no bar. Please send details to akhilsns@gmail.com or contact 0412 487 801.

Alliance invited for clean shaven Sikh/1972/5’11”/ very decent, responsible, handsome/BE/MBA boy, working as head of marketing in a software company in India, issueless divorcee. Kindly contact Manisha Bakshi on 0401 542 550 / manishabak@gmail.com

Surely living in a different country meant adjusting to strange and unknown ways, but to have to confront the same thing in one’s own country is unthinkable

The return of the prodigal isn’t heralded with joy and celebration, which can be a disappointing and unexpected experience

ARIES March 21 - April 19

Tarot

Tarot ‘n’ You Tarot ‘n’ You

Tarot predictions for February 2010

Tarot predictions for February 2011

LIBRA September 23 - October 22

This month is going to be a month of being very careful of how you deal with people. You may have the tendency to be slightly blunt and diplomacy is called for this month. Towards the middle of the month the cards indicate that long term relationships are going to be tense and you are likely to encounter delays and obstacles. There may be new opportunities around work and career. However, you should make sure you take time out to relax too.

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

The cards indicate that you will be in a very romantic and sexy mood this month. All your relationships are going well and you are in the mood to please. Financially there are indications of growth and you being sensible and trying your best to keep a check on what’s going out of your pocket. You have an abundance of energy and ideas this month. If you have not started already, there could be a new exercise agenda on your mind.

GEMINI May 21 - June 20

The cards indicate that you will want time out for yourself this month to assess where you want to be in life. With the Hermit card here you will be doing a lot of soul searching. Your focus is likely to be on obtaining results this month and getting to where you want to go. Try not to be too critical of yourself as there are some excellent times in store for you. There’s good news on the cards about someone close to you.

CANCER June 21 - July 22

The cards indicate that you need to take a break from things to relax. Recently you have been under a lot of pressure because of work and personal issues. You need to look after yourself and put yourself and your needs first. Unfortunately, you seem to be worried about finances and are looking at new ways to bring in extra money. Be patient and things will get better soon. You should try to remain positive and take things in your stride.

LEO July 23 - August 22

The cards indicate some problems in your relationships and you are feeling extremely confused about the state of affairs and lack of harmony. The 3 of Swords here indicates that there could be a scenario where difficult situation involving a trio may come to a head. You are however going to do very well at work and you could decide to get involved in some charity work to keep your mind occupied. You are also likely to consider investing in property.

VIRGO August 23 - September 22

The cards indicate that you are likely to invest time in getting to know yourself and developing a deeper interest in spirituality. This month you will find yourself falling for a friend so be warned as there could be heartbreak in store. There is an increased vitality around you and you are pushing ahead with many ideas and plans. There could be some decisions to sell items that no longer suit your purpose at home to bring in some extra cash.

The cards indicate that this is a time when you can do anything you desire, so take a leap and go for it. The Fool card here means that now is not the time to worry about things but to really go for what you want. You have been holding yourself back for far too long. You will also be very popular amongst colleagues and friends. There is also a celebration coming up which is going to go extremely well, bringing you lots of joy.

SCORPIO October 23 - November 21

This month, the cards indicate, you need to be careful about your spending. You will be tempted to borrow money but the universe will help you in other ways. However, if it comes to that, think carefully before borrowing. There is also a strong indication here that you have been neglecting your dental issues, which means you could find yourself in great pain and may require some urgent help. Work is going fine, although you may have to deal with boredom.

SAGITTARIUS November 22 - December 21

What a month you have in store for you! The cards indicate it’s a time when you may see a positive change in your partner and they may become a little more adventurous. You need to get your eyes checked as your headaches are becoming more frequent now. You may have to do some traveling for the purpose of work and study. There is also a need to monitor your stress levels this month as they seem to be on an overdrive.

CAPRICORN December 22 - January 19

This month a refreshing change in your relationships awaits you and if you were on the verge of walking away from someone you may find that a solution to your problems is in sight. The cards also indicate a very strong sense of stability and balance around you this month. Ideas around your work life will be oozing from every pore in your body. Success is on the cards and you are ready for anything. A good balance between work and personal life will bring make things even better.

AQUARIUS January 20 - February 18

The cards indicate a very busy month ahead for you with travel, deadlines, bills and documents taking up a lot of your time. Be careful when signing on the dotted line and make sure you read everything carefully. There is also an indication here that you may need to take extra care of your children’s health. You are also thinking of a new exercise plan. You are also thinking of getting involved in activities which will help you unwind and make a positive difference to your life..

PISCES February 19 - March 20

The cards indicate a flirtatious month ahead for you. Be careful if you are married or attached as your sex appeal is at its highest. There is a possibility that you will decide to take up writing as you have several ideas that you want to put down on paper. Go for it! You may find it difficult to take out time for relaxation this month as there will be many demands made of you, including from the family to help solve their problems. Financially you are stable this month.

Dr. Ina Takkar (Speaks Hindi/Punjabi) Dr. Judith Riseley Dr. Pramita Banerjee Dr. Harpreet Singh Dr. Jan Parker Dr. Praveen Jayarajan

Posterior ponderings

BY LP AYER

I have been r(e)aring to contribute once again to Back Chat from the moment I read a centrespread article in a Sunday paper, a couple of weeks ago. Two full pages were dedicated to the rear of someone who is now hitting the front pages of women’s magazines. I don’t look out for them, folks, but these glossies glare at even geriatrics like me at grocery store check-outs. I wonder what is it with the western media’s raving about the rump? Their standards and tastes seem to have reached rockbottom. The spread is not about the bottom that may one day sit on the British throne, but of the one who brought up the rear at the recent royal wedding. Yes, it is all about Pippa’s figure-hugging hindquarter.

In those parts of the world where most of us have originated, people admire women first for their facial and other upfront features. But it seems that these beauty benchmarks of the Orient take a backseat in the Occidental world, where it is so common for girls to ask, “Does my bum look big in this?” while trying on tightfitting trousers.

Ruling from the rear

prominent talk-show hosts are having a bun(m) fight to get this girl from the home country on their sets. Some magazines from Down Under are also up and running in the race to cover her. A brand name British bagmaker has re-christened one of their bags ‘Pippa’ and of course, pitched up its price. With the Indian presence becoming universal, naturally, they can’t be left behind. Fancy footwear-maker Aruna Seth who designed Pippa’s silver sandals for a party on the big day joined the queue, but her offer could not get a foot in the door; she was

In spite of all the hoo-ha about Pippa’s posterior, the 29-year-old was recently pipped at the post for the coveted crown of (RoY) “Rear of the Year” by 50-year old TV presenter, Carol Vordeman

politely turned down. Buckingham Palace seemed to have stepped in to stem the flow, having learned a lesson from Fergie’s frivolous foray in grabbing promotional offers. Beth, the boss at Bucks, has signalled that the buck stops with her.

Boosting the bottom

Party goodies peddler Pippa is now having a perennial no-holds-barred party, popping up at events such as the French Open

So it is no accident that the British press promoted this MoH (Maid of Honour) to HRH (Her Royal Hotness) in a matter of days after she walked behind her big sister holding the train of the wedding gown at the wedding ceremony in Westminster Abbey. Commentators swooned over the tightly sewn gown gracing her slim figure, with cameras constantly concentrating on her bell-jar bottom. Print media has now taken over from where the lensmen left off. Party goodies peddler Pippa is now having a perennial no-holds-barred party, popping up at events such as the French Open. Even as Rafael and Roger had their eyes on the ball, hitting it with bullet-speed over the net, the audience had a ball of their own with their eyes trained on the high-flyer in a low-cut Zara dress.

The girl of coal mining ancestry, now uncharitably called a gold digger, knows it is cool to cash in on her ‘hot’ image. According to a British columnist, “she has become a global celebrity in an age where having talent is no pre-requisite for fame.” A close acquaintance says, “She is the most socially ambitions person I have ever come across!” Is this below-the-belt comment a back-handed compliment? With her new-found popularity, Pippa is riding on her posterior all the way to the bank with offers flowing from all directions.

The price of a popular posterior

Across the ocean, TV queen Barbara Walters and

The upwardly mobile Middleton, someone sarcastically suggested, should consider changing her name to ‘Upton’. I have no credentials to sit on the judge’s panel of a beauty pageant. However in my book, her face in not the kind that will turn a thousand heads away from her regal rear. The picture of her leaving the hotel with her family the morning after the wedding is proof enough. It is more common than a commoner’s, and no match to her beautiful big sister.

The law of gravity demands that as one scales the social ladder, some load-shedding may be required to speed up the climb. Pippa knows this and has duly dropped her long-time boyfriend, former cricketer Alex Louden. She has given him the slip and now he is the 12th man, with odds of re-joining the game pretty much long on. The close-in fieldsman is now George Perry, her one-time flatmate and the future Duke of Northumberland, whose castle is lot larger than any cricket field. Seeing the newly-wed bride earning a title, the little sister wanting one for herself can’t be called sibling rivalry!

In spite of all the hoo-ha about Pippa’s posterior, the 29-year-old was recently pipped at the post for the coveted crown of (RoY) “Rear of the Year” by 50year old TV presenter, Carol Vordeman. I’m glad our own Aishwarya’s surname is spelt ‘Rai’ and not ‘Roy’, although she could win hands down. Back home, sarees and salwars save our women from such unsavoury contests.

The media has downloaded on us so much of the party princess’s posterior, that we would love to see the back of her – figuratively. So if you’re asking why I’ve taken this ‘rave of the rump’ route, I can only say, well, this column is called Back Chat, isn’t it? I thought it would be nice to bring up the rear of this popular magazine with something that justifies its name and position!

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Although the media has overdosed us on this trivial issue of the rear, there’s still a chance for a final word